Wedding Cruise vs. Resort

[musincy]

We''re leaning towards doing something all-inclusive for our honeymoon. Our ideas were either a Caribbean cruise or an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean.

Can anyone tell me what the average prices would be for each? We really have no idea, and the cost might help us make a decision!

 

[CaliCushion]

That''s a very broad question. The answer depends entirely on how fancy of a cruise/resort you plan on staying in. I can tell you that cruise pricing is based upon what type of room you want--for example, an inside stateroom costs much less than a room with a balcony. Cruise rates also vary drastically based upon the date you want to go.

Go directly to the cruise line websites to get a general idea of pricing. They have rates for all the cruises there, and you may even be able to get a lower rate.

 

[MaggieB]

Gosh Musincy, that is REALLY hard to answer. I wouldn''t say that there is an average cost for either because there is such a huge range in price for both, depending on whether you''re going one star or five star.

I can tell you that you can go on a nice cruise extremely reasonably, depending on the season. Because I live in Florida, we sometimes watch for deals and take quickie cruises. I''ve never paid more than $350 per person for a Royal Caribbean 3 day cruise, which includes all of your meals - alchohol is extra. As far as resorts, I had a friend that recently honeymooned at Atlantis and paid a fortune (that they thought was worth it) and then I had a friend have an amazing honeymoon at a mom and pop place in Eleuthera (also Bahamas) and didn''t spend very much at all.

Have you checked the message boards on Tripadvisor? That might help you narrow your scope.

 

[Blair138]

FI and I went on a cruise this summer. We went for 7 nights in the Caribbean through Royal Caribbean. Food was included, BUT alcohol and pop are not and any ''extra'' dinners are about $20-$25 a person. We just priced out a 10 day honeymoon in Mexico at an all inclusive and it was pretty much the same price. BUT-we drank everyday on the boat and did 2 special dinners along with a few extras. It was a little over $5000 for both WITHOUT airfare. I LOVE cruising, but for our honeymoon FI and I want to VEG and do NOTHING. On a cruise you have ports and things to do. You DON''T have to take part, but really, you can''t spend ALL DAY on the boat hanging by the pool and there''s lots of sightseeing or shore excursions to do when you dock. I would say, depending on how long you want to go it might be comparable, but airfare is what can put you over money-wise.

 

[marchswallowbird]

I''ll offer a different perspective. I hate crusing. I get bored on the boat after a while, and there is never enough time when you''re in port. Usually you stop only for 6-10 hours, barely enough time to see or do anything. The shore excursions are EXPENSIVE and you never really get a feel for the place you''re visiting. You can''t explore the less-touristy places (not enough time, usually) and you are totally constrained by the cruise ship''s schedule.

Not to mention that it seems almost EVERY cruise ship has a problem with outbreaks of some sickness or other.

I would do a resort in a spot that had plenty of things to do in neighboring towns/villages/cities/cultural/historic sites. But that''s just me; I like to be active on my vacations.

 

[Blair138]

Date: 10/6/2008 7:35:21 PM
Author: marchswallowbird

Not to mention that it seems almost EVERY cruise ship has a problem with outbreaks of some sickness or other.

Actually- I know that Royal Caribbean has done a lot to combat sickness, and I believe it is the same on other lines, I just haven''t been on those lines. The reason for the outbreaks is simply because passengers do not wash their hands. RCCL hands out hand wipes every time you enter the eating areas, buffet line or dining room, and there are signs EVERYWHERE that remind you to wash your hands. We didn''t have any problems this summer.

 

[oobiecoo]

If you don''t have to fly to the departure port, then a cruise is probably cheaper. Otherwise, they are probably similar in price. A Caribbean cruise from Galveston or Miami runs about $300-$100 for 3-7 days.

 

[Haven]

I can''t help you with prices, I''m sure a travel agent would have the most accurate information for you.

HOWEVER, have you ever been on a cruise before? I only ask because I realized that I am NOT a cruise person after I boarded my first cruise. It''s a very different kind of vacation than staying in a resort. Just make sure you prefer cruises to resorts before you book!

Good luck, and congrats on your engagement!

 

[basil]

We liked our cruise, though we went north to Canada and not to the Caribbean. We actually liked hitting the highlights of a few cities and then moving on, versus spending days exploring the same place. Maybe we have short attention spans, but it helped that we went to pretty small, walkable cities, and we didn''t do the cruise ship excursions with the old folks.

We aren''t really the type of people that can spend days sitting out on the beach, so that''s why we didn''t choose a resort. I think we would have been bored in the same resort for a week, anyway.

The nice part about our cruise was that we spent very little time traveling (the departure port is 1 hour from my parents'' house). I fly a lot to visit Mr. Basil and for work, so avoiding airports and such was really appealing. Plus, by moving while we were drinking/eating/sleeping we got to see a lot more cities than we would have if we were driving or flying.

 

[Harriet]

We get bored at resorts, unless there are things to do nearby. We went on our first cruise last year and thought it was perfect -- a floating resort with places to visit. Based on that, we chose to go on another for our honeymoon (though we did spend 3 nights at a resort beforehand). Even though it was on the same ship, it turned out to be the cruise from hell. Check out how angry our fellow passengers are. The thread is titled "Rome to Athens - August 12-24" and is on CruiseCritic.

 

[galvana]

I will tell you that with cruises (even all inclusive ones) that alcohol is NOT included and you will be required to pay the alcohol bill at the end of the cruise.
My fiance and I thought about a cruise but plan to relax in the sun all day and drink yummy drinks during our honeymoon so financially, an all inclusive resort on land that INCLUDES drinks was more reasonable for us. This way we know the price and we dont have any surprises at the end