The New Weekend Getaway: Comparing a Short Cruise to an All-Inclusive Resort

Short cruises or an all-inclusive resort? Head out across the ocean or sea, or stay on land? Happily, I’ve experienced both. Both cruises and all-inclusive resorts provide pampering and care with plenty to do…or not do, depending on your interests and desires.

The all-inclusive resort is the most recent of my pampered travel experiences, but I have another cruise ticket in hand. I am looking forward to the sense of adventure when the ship pulls away from the dock, and the land slips away until only water touches the horizon.

These two experiences have given me insight into these two getaway treats.

My first cruise was years ago. When I was writing a post about cruise bargains, deal after deal appeared. “Wow! Great travel deals,” I thought. Then, “If these are such great deals, why aren’t I going?” There was no reason not to. 

Beach in Nassau

Travel Deal Bonus and How to Save Money

My then-teenage daughter, 9-year-old son, and I headed to Venice, Italy, for an MSC cruise to Greece that included one port in southern Italy and the last stop in Dubrovnik. With a paid adult, my son’s cruise was free. That is a deal. Plus, we were bumped up to a higher-level cabin without any extra charge, another deal.

Last year, my husband, our grandson, and I headed out with a 3-day Cruise to the Bahamas from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Because this cruise included a nephew’s wedding, there was a slight discount on our cabin rate that included an upgrade.

Cruise ship deals range from a deep discount for the 2^nd passenger sharing a cabin to the Celebrity Cruise line’s current deal on select cruises, where the 3^rd and 4^th passengers sail for free. This deal requires two paying passengers in the same shared cabin.

There are other last-minute cruise deals to look for. Celebrity Cruise Line has those, as well, plus currently there’s 20% off on cruises to the Galapagos. Check out the Celebrity Cruise website link to Caribbean Escapes and Weekend Cruises.

Key West, Florida, and the Bahamas are typically included in these money-saving trips. Bimini is another stop on a Caribbean cruise.

There are other ways that make a cruise vacation more affordable. Look for packages on drinks and Wi-Fi to save some dollars. Sometimes a cruise will include an amount that passengers can use for onboard credit. Discounts on shore excursions are often found if you book an excursion through the cruise line’s website.

If you aren’t careful, however, you can rack up a hefty bill by the end of a cruise if you don’t monitor what you are buying.

Celebrity Cruise Veranda Stateroom

Monitoring Spending on a Cruise

Before the MSC cruise, I bought a soda package for my kids so they each had one soda a day. I also bought the water package and had one glass of wine with each dinner. The spending rules were clear before we set sail. I also didn’t pay for the spa or the workout room. If something was free, we participated; if it cost extra, except for shore excursions, no thanks.

Plenty of activities were free, including Kids’ Club, yoga on the deck, and making a travel postcard art project. Water, tea, and coffee were included with meals. On the Disney Cruise, non-alcoholic beverages were included all day long. 

Booking shore excursions through the cruise line’s website can also save money. By booking shore excursions through the cruise website on my upcoming Margaritaville cruise from Tampa, Florida, to Progresso and Cozumel, Mexico, I am saving 10%.

Secrets of Moxché Room

Monitoring Spending at an All-Inclusive Resort

At Secrets Moxché, the all-inclusive adult-only resort in Playa De Camen, Mexico, where I stayed in May, I discovered sparkling champagne, bottles of water, an assortment of soda, and a few beers in my room’s refrigerator. Whatever I drank was replaced without any charge.

The assorted snacks, including peanut M&Ms, were also mine for the taking. The included drinks, whether in your room, during a meal, or at one of the bars, meant that expenses were paid upfront. When costs are built in, impulse purchases are not likely.

Like with cruises, you can add spa treatments, special activities like tequila tastings, and elevated dining.  To stay on a budget, stay within the “included” realm.

Unpack Your Bags and Relax

Furnishings and décor of both cruises and all-inclusive resorts say, “Unpack your bags and stay awhile.”  There’s something about entering a space that is appointed to feel like a home away from home.

As soon as I arrived at my cabin on both cruises and in my room at Secrets Moxché, I put my belongings in closets and drawers and tucked the luggage away. There’s none of the clothes spilling out of suitcases and the rummaging for toiletries that I find myself dealing with on road trips that involve checking in and out of hotels with each destination.

Also, with items tucked away without needing to be packed again for a few days, there’s more time to enjoy the environment and the offerings, whether you are on a cruise or a resort.

Pampering of guests is a forte. At Secrets Moxché, the turn-down service each night with slippers placed next to the bed, a piece of chocolate on the pillow, and a fresh stick of incense propped on the matches by the incense burner gave me a feeling of being cared for.

On the cruise, the towels, folded into clever animal shapes and placed on the bed, were a delight: every day, a different animal. 

Stewards also transform a cabin each night if you need the couch to turn into a bed. Like magic, when we came back to the cabin for bed, our grandson’s bed was made. By the time we finished breakfast, the bed was a couch. The same thing happened on the MSC cruise when my son had the pull-out bed.

It’s a guarantee that on the Margaritaville Cruise, Jimmy Buffett’s signature saying, “Changes in Attitude, Changes in Latitude,” will be part of the cabin décor.

Charlie’s Pirate Outfit

Bonding Experiences with Staff, Guests, and Family

Because a cruise assigns stewards to cabins, it promotes bonding. On both cruises, we had the same waiter at each dinner—another bonding experience. Seeing the familiar faces of people who know your name and you know theirs fosters a sense of camaraderie and a feeling of being cared for.

At Secrets Moxché, because we could go to whichever of the nine restaurants we chose and whenever a table was available, I don’t recall any of the waiters except for their professionalism and finesse. Each evening, our dinner companions were just those of us who went to a particular restaurant.

We were assigned tables and a specific dining time on the cruises, which also enhanced bonding. On the MSC cruise, my son, daughter, and I shared a table with two American young women who had just finished a semester of study abroad. We thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company, and I brought them a small present as a memento of their trip.

Although the Disney cruise included dining in a different themed restaurant each night, we were seated with our nephew’s wedding party. This gave us a chance to bond with the other wedding guests because during the day, we tended to fan out doing various activities.

Staff on a cruise and an extended-stay resort are experts at making guests feel at home. At Secrets Moxché, staff are cheerleaders for drawing guests into the resort’s entertainment offerings. One night after dinner, a few friends and I were hanging out at the resort’s Dark Horse Bar when one of the staff pulled us into his impromptu card trick magic act. Another staff member let us know not to miss one of the shows he deemed the best.

On both of my cruises, I kept seeing guests I had just met by the pool or on a shore excursion. After a few encounters, we became cruise buddies.

On the Disney cruise, our grandson was at the pool with my husband and waved at a girl he knew from his elementary school. This was a random encounter. We saw the girl and her mom a few times, which gave my grandson and her time to hang out.

We took our grandson on the cruise because I remembered how much my kids loved taking a short 3-night, 2-day cruise to the Bahamas with my dad when they were about my grandson’s age. Adding in precious time with grandparents and grandchildren sweetened our cruise adventure. Our daughter and her family do not live close by, so opportunities for bonding need to be created. 

Secrets Moxché dessert at Italian restaurant

More on Dining

The nine restaurants at Secrets Moxché, ranging from Italian to Japanese, Mexican, and French, were a dining bonanza. Any restaurant is available, but availability varies depending on demand. Theoretically, you can restaurant-hop, having a different course at each restaurant, or eat more than one meal. We went to the French restaurant twice after we’d already had dinner. I think there was one dish we wanted to try.

On the cruise, the dinner menu changes each night, offering a variety of choices for each course.

Breakfast at Secrets Moxché, and both cruises included a buffet of stations with a robust selection for any palate. Lunch at Secrets also included some of the restaurants.

Celebrity Cruise Dining

Elevated dining experiences are available for an extra fee at an exclusive restaurant.

You do not need to head to a special restaurant for scrumptious dining. Food on cruises and all-inclusive resorts is beautifully plated and delicious. My in-laws took cruises to Alaska and Hawaii. Gushing about the food was a pastime after they returned.

Secrets de Moxché entertainment

Entertainment and Shore Excursions

Shows are a very important part of cruise experiences and all-inclusive resorts. Acrobat acts, elaborate costuming, comedy, musical numbers, and audience participation are part of the repertoire. The Disney Cruise included Disney movies shown in a couple of theaters.

At night, live band music and DJs light up the dance floor.

Cruises offer a range of activity options throughout the day, including trivia contests and Bingo. Yes, there are prizes.

During my stay at Secrets Moxché, my friend and I silently danced on the beach to “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan, piped into our individual headphones; sang “Rhinestone Cowboy” with other folks in the Midwest Travel Journalists Association during a karaoke night; and attended two elaborate shows.

Nassau, Bahamas port

Shore excursions are great ways to enjoy each port stop. Cruises with multiple destinations are a buffet tasting of various parts of the world. My taste of Nassau, the Bahamas, on the Disney cruise enticed me to want to go back. I took a cultural tour of various sites while my husband and grandson did the pirate ship adventure. I learned quite a bit about Nassau’s culture, history, and economy in a short time.

You can stay on the ship to enjoy some quiet time without so many passengers. Or get off the ship to explore on your own. As a warning, keep track of the time. If you are not back on board at the designated departure time, you’ll be left behind.

Chichen Itza

Tours from a resort are also possible. During my Secrets Moxché stay, I took a half-day trip to Tulum to visit the Mayan ruins. Another member of our group took the day trip to Chichen Itza.  Others went on a sailing, snorkeling adventure. An advantage of an all-inclusive resort is that the resort won’t leave without you.

Entertainment On Celebrity Xcel

Celebrity Cruise Line cruises to Mexico and the Bahamas include similar excursions.

Ships vs Resorts – Pools, Hang Out Spots and More

Restaurants, bars, a workout room, a spa, swimming pools, an auditorium for shows, and a nightclub are staple offerings on cruise ships and resorts. Because a resort is on land, it has an expansive feel, with paths that wind through leafy trees and flower beds. Secrets Moxché had several pools of various sizes, some tucked behind rock archways for intimacy. The resort also edges the beach, incorporating that space into various activities, including paddleboarding.

For beach time on a cruise, there are port stops with beach accessibility.

Cruise ships have different decks where you’ll find the various offerings. Pools tend to be more crowded, but there is plenty of seating. On cruises with children, an adult-only pool does provide respite from the fray.

Whether on land or water, signage helps guests find their way around.

Best Thing About a Cruise – Zero Stress

Towards the end of the MSC cruise, I said to my kids, “This has been nine days of zero stress.”

Just like I remembered from my cruise long ago, relaxation started as soon as we checked into the Disney cruise at the port. I discovered that a 3-day cruise works just as well as the longer cruise and creates just as many memories.

Secrets Moxché reminded me a bit of being on a cruise but remaining on land. Stress disappeared with the welcome glass of champagne as soon as I stepped out of the taxi.