How many of you would sign up for the following vacation? Day 1 and 2: Days at sea (sailing to destination) Days 3,4,5 : Stay at all inclusive resort Day 6 and 7: Days at sea (coming back from destination)
There has always been a debate between all-inclusive resorts and cruises. This would combine the two. Logistics would have to be worked out but the idea could take hold.
The resort would be subject to the real estate rule of "location, location, location." I wouldn't do it if the resort was in the Bahamas or Jamaica (not even a Sandals resort). I much prefer being afloat versus a land-based vacation. I wouldn't want to unpack on the ship, then pack up for the resort. Then have to pack again at the resort and unpack again on the ship, only to have to repack to disembark.
Posts: 1426 | Location: birmingham, al | Registered: April 30, 2007
I wouldn't be interested. A big part of the cruise is as drlivingston said - not having to do the packing up and moving back and forth. Experienced cruisers do it because of the ship time - at least I do. I couldn't care less about staying at a resort and using the ship as a ferry service, which is what it would be.
And really, isn't what was postulated just a variation on a Bermuda cruise - except in that case the ship is the resort hotel?
A number of years ago we had a similar experience flew to Athens spent a day/night ...cruised for 2 days around the islands , spent a week on Rhodes, cruised 2 more days/nights around the islands then another day/night in Athens then flew home
We enjoyed the trip even though we had to pack up after a few days
There are some islands, ports, etc... that I would like to visit for a longer time than just a day or a 1/2 a day. So how about cruises where you might stay 2 days in port at San Juan or 2 days in port at St. Thomas, etc... You could still sleep on the ship but you would have more time to explore. I guess I'm trying to have my cake and eat it too.
That is what happens in Bermuda. The problem with most ports is that they can't dedicate the dock to one ship for that length of time. There are more cruise ships than docks and it really is a juggling act when you think about it - especially in the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Even if they were anchored and used tenders the traffic control becomes a problem.
And what does the Cruise Line do with the ship while the passengers are at the all-inclusive resort?
I doubt you will get a cruise line to go for the idea, since a multi-million dollar asset would be sitting there generating no revenue for 1/3 of the voyage.
You can do that in reverse order. Fly to San Juan or Barbados or another originating port, stay in an all-inclusive, catch your cruise and fly back from the originating port.
Steve, When the ship drops off people for the all inclusive resort, they are then picking up the people coming from the all inclusive resort. Therefore there is no days where the ship is not occupied. Understand?
The ship is the resort. They're not designed to be transportation, they are the destination. I know you get to hit ports in the process but the joy of cruising is as much the ship, food, service and entertainment as the ports of call. I can't see any benefit to the cruiseline or the passengers for that matter in being a transportation source rather than the point of the vacation.
There is a constant debate as to what vacation is better. A cruise. or an All Inclusive Resort. I personally prefer the cruise. However there are many in my own family that prefer the all inclusive resort. I'm looking to combine both experiences into one vacation to 1/2 way please everyone. I'm not debating whether a cruise ship is the destination. I'm simply seeing what interest there is in combining the two types of vacations. I'm not treating the ship as a ferry. You are on the ship for 3 or 4 days and at the all inclusive for 3 or 4 days. So, you get to enjoy the ship experience and you get to enjoy the All inclusive as well.
Cruise ships with two-day turnarounds between passenger loads are not especially profitable, and they also have many negatives for the crew with handling luggage so often, clearing passengers on and off, the coordination with CBP (a major issue), etc. Regardless of the resort factor, the ship would still be doing two-day cruises. No major cruise line would devote a new ship to this type of service. You might find a line like Imperial Majesty willing to do it, since they have one old ship but it won't meet the new SOLAS requirements and will have to be retired.
Even if there was a contract between the cruise line and the resort, neither entity would make as much money as they could exclusive of the other.
As I said earlier, Disney does this but they own every aspect of the vacation. I cannot see this happening with Carnival, for example, unless Carnival also owned the resort.
If it was profitable, don't you think they would have thought of it already? The Disney business model of resort/cruise has been around for several years and they can pull it off, but then they are offering Disney World. It is not reasonable to think Carnival, RCI, etc., haven't looked at it.
A cruise like that is exactly like a Bermuda cruise leaving from NY, Baltimore or Va. Since Bermuda is such an expensive island to stay at the ship makes a great hotel with meals included. I don't know why any cruise line doesn't do a similar cruise to any other island.
I don't know why any cruise line doesn't do a similar cruise to any other island.
Logistics and appeal. Bermuda has much more to offer than a 7-day cruise to Nassau where they'd stay for 3 or 4 days. Who would want to do that? Or even to Cozumel. I like Cozumel a lot but if I want to spend some time there it would be cheaper to fly down and stay and not take a ship.
The dynamic may change if Cuba ever becomes a cruise stop, but even then you could fly from FLL to Havana in under one hour.
The original question is - would you want to take a combo cruise/resort vacation, as defined by Sodey. My answer is "no".
To me the most unrelaxed days of a cruise on embark, and debark day. I also count the debark day as a non cruise day. Why would I wanted to lose another day, and go thru embarking again. What am I missing here? Are you going to throw in a root canal too?
