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Just seeing what ya'll think....when visiting the Caribbean would it better to take a cruise or find an all-inclusive package with hotels and maybe some tours/excursions included?
What are your favorite places in the Caribbean? I've been to the Bahamas once and loved it but haven't been anywhere else.
I really want to visit Cancun, Cozumel, Jamaica, the Caymans, and the Virgin Islands.
What about Alaska - are the cruises really a great experience compared to just booking hotels and renting a car or going on a tour?
I can answer for Alaska b'c we went on a Princess cruise in fall of 2006. It is so worth it. Alaksa is absolutely gorgeous. Alaska is still very remote. I can't remember which town it was ... Juneau maybe ... where there were roads but none of it left the city - no interstate so yes, it would be hard to take a "road trip".
The way the cruise works is they stop at several "pit stops" and you have a day or whatever to spend there. You can book "excursions" while you are docked. We booked an excursion at each stop but you can always just leave the ship and walk around. There's always a ton of shopping. That's the only thing about the Alaska cruises: it's very commercialized and they try to sell you everything. Not everything is "kosher" there (authentic made in Alaska) so be careful of the souvenirs that you buy if that matters to you.
There are several people here that are going to Alaska this year. I'm sure they will post! If you have specific questions, fell free to ask.
One cruise will give you a taste of those places you want to see. If you were to do your own 1 week trip to those same places, you would lose 1/2 your vacation time packing and unpacking and waiting in airports. Then if there was one place I really loved, I would plan a destination vacation there later. Cruises are really easy, you take your hotel with you.
Not all that many roads in Alaska so cruising is a good idea.
Thanks a lot!! Yeah eventually my family will take a cruise so I guess we're probably go to cruise Alaska and for the Caribbean most likely find a package to Cancun cause there are a lot of attractions in that part of the coast and they have ferries to Cozumel and Isla Mujeres (like a mini-cruise too )
I'm surprised Alaska has so few roads inside the state but then they do call it the Last Frontier.
Oh, I forgot to mention, if you have the money, you should also add a "cruisetour" where you spend a couple of days inland taking the train. We didn't do it when we went to Alaska but we hear it's a great experience. Next time, I'm doing it for sure!
If you like: lots of really good food, stage shows, organized activities like talent shows, casinos, shopping, group tours, and top-notch service,go for the cruise.
If you like: walks on the beach, adventure sightseeing, time to explore local culture, slightly more rustic surroundings, freedom to choose your activities,go for the land-based hotels
We like to visit Mayan ruins,snorkeling,manatee watching,beach barbecues,hiking in the rainforest and eating in small local restaurants. There are just too many people on cruise ships to do these things well. If we are in a place (like Playa del Carmen) where cruise ships dock, we ask what days and what time do the cruisers arrive, and plan our trips to AVOID the crowds.I much prefer to fly in and use the hotel as a base to explore the surrounding exotic area.
We cruise but do not take any of the ships tours. What we usually do when we dock is rent a jeep ; it cost about $50 per day, and travel up an ddown the islands. We went up roads that nobody had been up for a long time, we had a wonderful lunch in a fab place on the beach in St. Thomas.
In Nov we hope to do the same when we cruise the southern carribean. The kids love it as they are occupied when we are at sea, but yet when we dock, they come with us.
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