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How to weigh the pros and cons between each type of trip.
If you’re craving a stress-free, sun-filled and low-key vacation—and who isn’t?—there are typically only two categories: a cruise or an all-inclusive resort. Both are sold as a package, meaning the room, food and drink, as well as some activities like fitness classes and live music, are included in a flat fee, with options to upgrade accommodations or add-on various dining experiences from there.
These types of trips dominate warm destinations, such as Mexico’s coastlines and islands throughout the Caribbean, whether you’re parked at the same property all week or booked on a cruise, which is essentially a floating hotel. Making these trips even easier to book is the ability to tack on a flight to your reservation, so it’s a one-stop-shop. But before you nail down the details, here are 10 factors to consider, plus the pros and cons of a cruise versus an all-inclusive resort.
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Dining
Cruise
Pro: These days, cruise lines partner with celebrity chefs—like Jacques Pepin (Oceania Cruises), Thomas Keller (Seabourn), and Daniel Boulud (Celebrity Cruises)—to offer more elevated options than a main dining room or buffet.
Con: Because most ports of call are no later than 6 p.m., this kills any chance of margaritas while watching the sunset in Cabo or dinner on a Caribbean beach with your sweetie. You’re stuck with the ship’s restaurants.
All-Inclusive Resort
Pro: An all-inclusive has at least five restaurants—usually an all-day eatery, breakfast buffet, poolside café, and a fine-dining option (such as a steakhouse or Italian concept), so you can never get bored.
Con: Unless you choose a resort with easy access to a town or village, you’re resigned to the resort’s dining options.
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Access to Culture
Cruise
Pro: Most week-long sailings visit more than two countries, and some as many as five, so you’re constantly dipping in and out of cultures, sampling a lot of diversity in a short period of time.
Con: Culture isn’t on the ship with your fellow North American travelers—it’s in port. Unless you choose a sailing with more port days than sea days, or a shore excursion interacting with locals (not just a booze cruise).
All-Inclusive Resort
Pro: All-inclusive resorts are doing more to invite culture on property, in the form of arts and crafts, live music, or dance. You just have to confirm that’s the case at the resort you choose.
Con: If you want less of a prescriptive culture offering, and enjoy hunting down culture yourself, expect to pay pricey taxi rides into the nearest town.
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Pools
Cruise
Pro: Nearly every ship has an “exclusive” quieter pool area that’s adults-only and often linked to a spa. It’s worth splurging on this.
Con: There are usually only one or two pools on a ship—for several thousand people to share—so expect crowds, especially on sea days.
All-Inclusive Resort
Pro: There isn’t an all-inclusive out there without at least three outdoor pools—and they are sprawling. You won’t be elbowing your way through.
Con: Rarely does an all-inclusive have an indoor pool. Instead, they are entirely outdoors. Failure to check the season’s weather patterns means you might not get into the pool at all if it’s rainy season.
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Flights
Cruise
Pro: To board a cruise sailing to a sunny climate, all that’s needed is a domestic ticket, departing from within the U.S., at ports of call in Florida (Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando and Tampa), Texas (Galveston, by way of Houston) and California (Los Angeles). You might even be able to drive to a port, paying only for gas.
Con: There isn’t any wiggle room with dates as the cruises have set departure and arrival dates.
All-Inclusive Resort
Pro: Unlike a cruise, you can fly any day of the week and stay as many nights as you like, providing flexibility with booking a flight.
Con: As there are few all-inclusive resorts in the U.S., you’re most likely paying for a costly international ticket, to Mexico or within the Caribbean.
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Family-friendly
Cruise
Pro: With kid clubs and teen clubs included in passenger fares, parents get lots of built-in free time, including romantic date nights.
Con: If you don’t read about the cruise line carefully, you may be one of the few families on board, with bored children under your care.
All-Inclusive Resort
Pro: Like cruises, all-inclusive resorts feature kids and teen clubs.
Con: Unlike cruises, they often carry an additional fee.
6 OF 10
Beaches
Cruise
Pro: Especially if sailing to Mexico or the Caribbean, every port has dozens of beaches within a half-hour drive. The only question is which one will you choose?
Con: As ships aren’t spending the night in port, forget about watching a sunset from the beach. You might also have to book a taxi or group tour to get to the best beach if it’s not nearby.
All-Inclusive Resort
Pro: Almost all all-inclusive resorts are along the coastline, so you need only walk a few hundred yards to the sand.
Con: Just because it’s on the beach doesn’t mean you can swim in the water. There are parts of Los Cabos and Hawaii, for example, that are too rough for swimming. Research the property carefully if you want to swim.
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Wellness
Cruise
Pro: Given the number of sea days and that you’re spending every evening on the ship, there’s more than enough time to take use of the spa.
Con: On most ships, a spa is almost an afterthought with only a handful of treatment rooms, unlike what you’d find at a resort, and the amenities (such as a sauna, steam room and relaxation lounge) compressed in size.
All-Inclusive Resort
Pro: Every all-inclusive has a spa and it’s several thousand square feet, with treatment rooms, pools, steam rooms, saunas and relaxation areas, and sometimes even its own restaurant or café.
Con: Prices for massages and other treatments can be high at an all-inclusive—but worth it if you get access to the spa’s facilities for the day.
8 OF 10
Room Size
Cruise
Pro: Who cares about the cabin size? There’s an entire ship to explore that’s all yours, with few areas closed off to passengers. And, with housekeeping and room service, the vacation vibe is real and you don’t have to lift a finger.
Con: Anyone who has tried to shower on a cruise, or shared the cabin with another person, already knows these are tiny, and cramped.
All-Inclusive Resort
Pro: Resorts that operate as an all-inclusive are known for hotel rooms that rival the size of those in Vegas. Features like a soaking tub and a private terrace are also quite common.
Con: There aren’t any budget options for rooms at an all-inclusive. Expect to pay a lot—and especially because the room rate includes all of your food and drink.
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Entertainment
Cruise
Pro: With a theater that can accommodate around 1,000 passengers and hosts Broadway-style shows, along with a handful of other venues for trivia nights, karaoke, singer-songwriters and bands, there’s no shortage of activities on a ship.
Con: You’re stuck with the same entertainers all week, with few—if any—changes to the list of performers.
All-Inclusive Resort
Pro: Because the resort isn’t out at sea, a week here might mean different entertainment every night, and some resorts invite folklore dancers and singers from the local community to perform a show.
Con: If you’re looking for a high-quality musical or play, you won’t find it. The entertainment is more like poolside DJs and cover bands.
10 OF 10
Cost
Cruise
Pro: Cruises cost as low as $70 to $200 per night (for an inside cabin), or between $150-$500 a night for a cabin with a balcony, according to CruiseSolutioner.com.
Con: Passenger fares include food but rarely include tips, WiFi, drinks and shore excursions, which can easily add up and double the total amount.
All-Inclusive Resort
Pro: All-inclusive resorts don’t charge extra for alcohol, coffee or sodas, unless you desire top-shelf liquor. It’s included in the room rate.
Con: The average cost for a night at a mid-range all-inclusive is $120-$400 per night, with luxury resorts costing upwards of $600 per night, according to allinclusiveresorts.blog.