The turquoise waters, the beautiful white sand beaches, the sun and warm breezes – the allure of a vacation in the Caribbean is unmistakable, especially at the end of winter! So, thinking about planning a vacation to a tropical paradise is exciting … but then come the questions. Where to go? How to go? When to go? Where to start!
One of the first things to decide isn’t actually where to go but how to go? As in, would a cruise to several islands be the perfect getaway for you, or is an all-inclusive resort stay the best option?
Both have things that make them each a wonderful vacation – it’s really a matter of what YOU want on your visit to the Caribbean. Let’s talk about a few of the things you’ll want to think about.
What kind of trip to you want to have?
This is central to everything that comes after because you want your vacation to be what you are dreaming of – and while both involve tropical islands, a cruise is a very different kind of vacation than one spent at an all-inclusive resort.
To start with, do you want to explore a number of different destinations? Are you ok with not spending a lot of time in any one place? Do you like the idea of your vacation basically being a “floating hotel” where you unpack once but visit a variety of different places during your trip? If so, a cruise might be perfect for you.
On the other hand, perhaps you don’t really want to explore anyplace and just want endless days relaxing on a beach or by the pool. Or you do want to experience a destination but want more time than you’d get on a quick cruise excursion, and especially don’t want to have to rush through things. If relaxing is more your speed, a land-based vacation may be what you want. Staying at an all-inclusive resort will allow you time to take advantage of all of your resort amenities, and still have time to explore the surrounding area – without having to worry about what time you need to get back on the ship.
What is – and isn’t – included?
While you always want to know what is included in the price of your vacation, all-inclusive resorts and cruises price things quite differently, and to avoid surprises, it is important to know in advance what to expect.
With an all-inclusive resort, you can (mostly) know that everything is included – with the strong caveat that not ALL all-inclusive resorts are created equal, so be sure to clarify what your resort may charge extra for. Your travel agent will be of great help here. For the most part though, most things will be included in your vacation package.
Cruises can sometimes be a bit different. Often, they can appear to be significantly less expensive than an all-inclusive, until you find out that there are a good number of things that *aren’t* included upfront. Things like gratuities, stateroom upgrades (more about this below), specialty dining, beverage packages and even Wi-Fi access can all increase the base cost of a cruise so that if you’re not prepared, once you add on all those things you end up paying quite a bit more than you thought you would. As with all-inclusives, not all cruise lines are created equal, so while you may find that some will charge extra for lots of things, other cruise lines will have everything included so you’ll know in advance what your total cost will be.
Some folks want to know that everything is paid for in advance, and others are fine with adding things in as they go along. Neither is right or wrong, it’s just a matter of what is right for YOU.
What type of room do you want?
This is something that many folks don’t think much about, but it can make a huge difference in your enjoyment of your vacation – and its cost.
Basic staterooms on a cruise ship are typically pretty small, and the least expensive ones (which will be the advertised “starting at” prices) will be inside staterooms. Now for many, that’s totally fine because they don’t plan to spend much time in their stateroom, other than to sleep. But if you want windows to the outside world, a balcony, or just more space in the room, you will pay more. Having different options is great for those who want to have choices on their cruise, but it’s important to make sure that you are getting the type of room you want!
At a Caribbean all-inclusive resort, while you’ll still have options for the type of room you get, in general you’ll just have more space in your room (and windows and most likely a balcony or small patio as well). This means you’ll both feel like you have more space and you actually will have more space. If space and size matter to you on your vacation, this is a very important consideration.
Whether you are cruising through the Caribbean seeing multiple islands along the way or relaxing in one tropical paradise for the week – no matter which way you travel, if you pick the right one for what is important to you, you are sure to have a magical vacation!
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