As the title of my blog states, I’m TheCruiseGenius. I’ve sailed on Holland America Line over 150 days, Carnival over 75 days, and on several other cruise lines. If you’ve been following me any length of time, you know that over the last 3 years, I’ve experienced the all-inclusive resorts of the Palladium Hotel Group in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. In this blog post, I want to share which option may be better for you and your family.
Rooms are larger at resorts
If you’ve ever cruised in an inside cabin, you know that they aren’t much larger than a typical closet in your home! Sure, you can upgrade to a balcony cabin, suite, or larger, but you’re going to pay for it! Check out my videos below to see the suites I’ve stayed in at TRS Coral and TRS Turquesa!
Social Distancing
Cruises are now sailing at almost 100% capacity. That means you will be sharing a confined space (a cruise ship), with upwards of 2500 fellow guests. Battling through the Lido deck buffet, getting a seat at the comedy club, or trying to get on the elevator may be difficult. Also, dealing with deck chair hogs and unruly, unsupervised kids continues to be a problem on cruise ships. Social distancing is much easier at all-inclusive resorts!
Cost
Granted, if you can drive to a nearby cruise port, it’s much cheaper than airfare to Cancun, Jamaica or the Dominican Republic, but consider parking, gas and other costs associated with cruises. On most cruises, gratuities are automatically added to your onboard account. At all-inclusive resorts, it’s optional to tip, but I very highly encourage guests to do so!
Food
Everyone knows that the food on cruise ships is pretty good, but if you want a very special meal, you have to pay extra to enjoy one the specialty restaurants on a cruise ship! My close friend Chef Rudi does an amazing job with his specialty restaurants on Holland America and Carnival!
At all-inclusive resorts, their is no extra charge for the restaurants!
Entertainment
At all-inclusive resorts, you will find amazing entertainment and on cruises, you can enjoy broadway shows and other daytime options like bingo, trivia, etc. At the Palladium Hotel Group resorts, the People of Palladium bring entertainment poolside each day! You will also enjoy musicians playing the saxophone, violin or a DJ spinning tunes!
Speaking as a U.S. Navy veteran, I love sailing on the open sea, but the all-inclusive resort experience of the Palladium Hotel Group is now my top choice for an amazing vacation with my family and friends! Be sure to check out my videos below for more information about the Palladium Hotel Group resorts I’ve visited!
