The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
All-inclusive resort vs cruise holiday: how they measure up
Which of these popular – and effortless – getaway genres is the right one for you? Teresa Machan helps you choose
C‘ lub Tropicana, drinks are free… Fun and sunshine, there’s enough for everyone,” sang George Michael in Wham!’s 1980s paean to the nascent all-inclusive holiday. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the “free” booze and no bill formula sounded and looked – if you were anywhere near a pool in Ibiza with George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley – like holiday utopia.
The drinks weren’t really free, of course, but the idea that you could pay up-front to eat and imbibe, and be assured that you wouldn’t be presented with a terrifying bill at the end of it, was a novel concept, particularly for budget-conscious families and sun-seeking partygoers.
It still offers considerable appeal in our cash-strapped times, which may explain why all-inclusives have had something of a renaissance. Cruising offers similar peace of mind and plenty to do with kids clubs, waterslides and Disney princesses on board – though alcohol isn’t always free. During both types of holiday, the entertainment comes to you and you will never have to flinch at the prices on the menu.
But which type of holiday is best? We compare the two on six criteria and help you choose.
DESTINATIONS All-inclusive
Club Med founders Gilbert Trigano and Gérard Blitz, who dreamt up the all-inclusive concept in the 1950s, had beaches and sunshine in mind. But skiers also favoured the all-in pricing model. Europe’s slopes were a winwin for the brand, which opened its first Alpine village at Leysin in Switzerland in 1956 (clubmed.co.uk).
Traditional sunshine strongholds Mexico and the Caribbean – where Butch Stewart picked up the mantel with his Sandals brand – still account for a big slice of the all-inclusive pie, but the net has spread further to Cuba, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Montenegro, Cape Verde and the Azores. Further afield there are allinclusive resorts in Kenya, Thailand (mostly Phuket), the Maldives and Mauritius. Turkish-owned Rixos (rixos.com) has recently opened resorts in Qatar and Doha, while Tui (tui.co.uk) and First Choice (firstchoice. co.uk) offer several in Costa Rica.
Cruise
An average cruise lasting a week or 10 days can tick-off several different destinations in one country, or indeed across several countries in one trip. If you have a bit longer, it can even take you round the world. Three-month world cruise itineraries cross continents, sail several seas and oceans, visit scores of capital cities and offer hundreds of excursion opportunities.
And let’s not forget off-grid but accessible-by-water destinations such as the Galapagos, the Pitcairn Islands and Antarctica. River cruises follow the courses of most navigable rivers, from the Amazon to the Zambezi. The Mekong, the Mississippi and the Ganges are among their more adventurous destinations available.
ACTIVITIES All-inclusive
Whether beach or mountain-based, most all-inclusive resorts offer a range of activities. Sandals comes up trumps, with free scuba at its Caribbean dive resorts and multiple rounds of golf and green fees at top courses in Jamaica, St Lucia and the Bahamas.
Meanwhile, guests at Rixos resorts in Turkey have free daily access to The Land of the Legends Theme Park in Antalya – which means big savings in peak periods. This Easter, there are also egg hunts as well as giant egg-painting sessions: a week at Premium Tekirova costs from £2,390 for four adults and two children, departing on March 30.
Watersports not your bag? Ikos Oceania in Halkidiki can provide a Tesla Model 3 at no extra cost for one day’s exploration as well as a culture pass to local museums. At Ikos resorts (ikosresorts.com), access to the spa is free between 8am and 8pm.
If you are after more than a typical beach holiday, check the activities section of a hotel’s website to find out what is included. Adults-only Sanctuary Cap Cana (sanctuarycapcana.com) in the Dominican Republic offers Spanish classes and, at the House of Aia on Mexico’s Riviera Maya (thehouseofaia. com), a “personal growth” programme includes 20 classes, ceremonies and rituals led by visiting guides.
If you have adventurous teenagers in tow, the United States offers some interesting options. At the historic
Castle Hot Springs in Arizona (castlehotsprings.com) the choice includes axe-throwing, cruiser bikes, geothermal hot springs and creekside hammocks for lazing in. Further north, in scenic Wyoming, Scott Dunn offers stays at Brush Creek Ranch, set in 30,000 acres of sage-bush prairie where you can ride, fish or take to the landscape in an all-terrain vehicle or ATV (scottdunn.com).
Cruise
With distractions ranging from rockclimbing walls and ropes courses to simulated surfing, via encounters with Star Wars, Marvel and Disney Pixar characters, cruising sets a high bar for activities. And on land there are myriad excursions – sometimes included in the price – for every type of passenger.
It is not just families who benefit. Swan Hellenic (swanhellenic.com) has teamed up with alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra to offer wellbeing voyages, while adults-only ships offer films under the stars or in theatres, celebrity speakers, lectures by wildlife experts and historians, casinos, opportunities for citizen science plus activities ranging from dance lessons to art and photography classes. Virgin (virginvoyages.com) also puts on DJ sets as well as pool and dance parties. And let’s not forget the main event on a cruise – a new place to explore each day.
CHILDREN’S CLUBS All-inclusive
Newer resorts have really raised the bar here. At its properties along Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, Rixos rolls out the red carpet for families with a Rixy Kids Club which provides cooking and pottery lessons as well as football and dance academies. At Rixos Sungate, where the kids’ club is set around a splash park in a forest, children can learn to code using Lego robotics.
At Ikos Resorts’ collection of luxury properties in Spain and Greece, kids’ clubs are run in line with UK Ofsted standards. Meanwhile, Tui’s familyfriendly resorts come with kids’ clubs and a seven-day line-up of activities including creative sessions. Mini Club Med meanwhile offers trapeze lessons, introductory water-skiing sessions, horse-riding, cookery classes, games and nature discovery activities. For older children (11-17), there is film design, DJ sessions and dedicated areas in which to hang out.
If you are travelling with very small children or have ambitious activities in mind, check the small print: as with lots of childcare for babies and toddlers, Petit Club Med and Baby Club Med both charge extra. Motorised water sports incur a fee at all-inclusives while some resorts impose limits on the number of windsurfing or other tutored lessons.
Cruise
Cruise ships do a stellar job when it comes to children’s clubs, with all ages well catered for. Most resort ships divide clubs into four age groups and some, including P&O Cruises (pocruises.com), offer free babysitting. Royal Caribbean (royalcaribbean.com) has an adventure science lab for budding junior scientists as well as baby and tots programmes for those aged six months to 36 months. Celebrity Cruises has a STEM at Sea partnership with The Frost Science Museum (Equinox and Edge-class ships; celebritycruises.com).
P&O Cruises is particularly well set up for those with kids in tow, with round-the-clock children’s clubs on its family-friendly ships and familyoriented shore excursions. MSC Cruises (msccruises.co.uk) has baby, mini, junior, young and teen clubs. The latter offer Xbox and PS4 tournaments, a Drone Academy, flash mobs and dance offs. Disney Dream (disneycruise. disney.go.com) has some imaginative offerings too, including the Jedi Training Academy and the opportunity to hang out with characters from the Toy Story trilogy.
FOOD AND DRINK All-inclusive
You get what you pay for. If that is sun and sea and a good four-star family resort, expect two or three bars and a standard buffet: a week at the Iberostar Bellevue in Montenegro costs £1,562 in mid-May (iberostar.com). Pay a bit more and you will be rewarded with more imaginative menus. At Ikos Porto Petro in Majorca, five à la carte restaurants serve meals inspired by Michelin-starred chefs (from £2,470pp with Sovereign; sovereign.com).
Ikos also has curated “dine out” programmes that encourage guests to eat at local restaurants – including a rustic tapas joint in Estepona, an agriturismo in Ibiza and a buzzy beachfront spot in Marbella.
Sandals (sandals.co.uk) has similar in Curaçao and Nassau. Caribbean allinclusives generally offer three or four restaurants – and maybe a pop-up beach venue or barbecue night.
Cruise
Think cruise, think buffet, right? Wrong. Standards are high, with new ships offering a plethora of cuisines, dining styles and venues along with healthy options and dietary alternatives. You are just as likely to find vegan muffins and bee pollen at the breakfast buffet as a Full English.
Silversea and Virgin have ditched the buffet altogether. Partnerships with chefs including Marco Pierre White and Eric Lanlard (P&O Cruises), Relais & Chateau (Silversea; silversea.com), Jacques Pepin (Holland America Line; hollandamerica.com) and Thomas Keller (Seabourn; seabourn.com) have also made a big difference. Crystal (crystalcruises.com) has a Japanese restaurant masterminded by Nobu while wine presenter Olly Smith helms the Glasshouse on some P&O ships.
Silversea, Holland America Line and Oceania (oceaniacruises.com) are highly regarded among foodies and Regent Seven Seas (rssc.com) offers some stylish settings. Celebrity’s newer ships have roof-top gardens and overthe-sea dining. Fine dining can cost extra, depending on the ship, but expect to pay around £15 on top for three courses, which might just include one of the finest steaks you will ever eat.
THE VIBE All-inclusive
It is a broad-brush summation but for something established, refined and “old-school” romantic – think castaway beaches, palm fronds gently buffeted by warm trade winds, knock-out views and honeymoon havens – the Caribbean is a safe bet. The likes of Jumby Bay (oetkercollection.com), Spice Island Resort (spiceislandbeachresort.com), Necker (virginlimitededition.com) and
Curtain Bluff (curtainbluff.com) are famous for a reason.
The Maldives attracts a discerning international clientele while, in Europe, there are affordable package resorts where screaming children are well tolerated. At the more stylish new kids on the block (think Ikos and Grecotel Luxme; grecotel.com), the likes of Poppy and Miles scream only in the privacy of their own rooms, however.
Skiers are too busy skiing, too exhausted or too busy partying to care about trifles such as the vibe. If in doubt, opt for Club Med, where most people speak French.
Cruise
The vibe varies enormously across ships. River vessels are tranquil, geared to sightseeing and generally follow an up-early and early-to-bed routine. Large resort ships can feel more like theme parks, with entertainment into the wee hours; smaller ships go out of their way to leave passengers alone and provide impressive libraries and spaces for quiet contemplation. Viking (vikingcruises.co.uk), Silversea and Seabourn excel at this.
Then there are the tall ships such as Sea Cloud (seacloud.com) and those in the Star Clipper fleet (starclipper cruises.co.uk), where you will spend most of your time on deck watching the wind make the sails dance.
Some liners take a ship-within-a-ship approach, with exclusive areas, pools and services – at a cost. MSC has the Yacht Club while Norwegian Cruise Line (ncl.com), Royal Caribbean and P&O have premium areas with pools and separate menus. Cunard (cunard. com) has the Grills Suites.
If you are after a more intimate, house-party atmosphere (complete with Surrey types, ex-boat owners and “non-cruisers”), opt for a yacht-style cruise ship from Ponant (uk.ponant. com), SeaDream (seadream.com), Scenic Eclipse (scenic.co.uk) or one of a handful of Windstar ships (windstar cruises.com).
HIDDEN COSTS All-inclusive
Do question the headline price, especially if booking via a third party. In January 2024, a Which? survey of 2,000 holidaymakers revealed key omissions by some operators, including soft drinks. Those who booked with the cheapest provider, lastminute.com, were forking out an extra £367 per week on average for extras.
Operators take different approaches to inclusions. BA Holidays says: “Expect your holiday to include flights and accommodation, all three meals and snacks in between. Drinks are included too but expect house wine and local spirits unless otherwise stated.”
EasyJet’s small print states: “What is included in the all-inclusive package varies vastly between hotels. When booking your holiday, be sure to look at the board description.”
Premium restaurants often cost more, but at the Oaks IBN Battuta in Dubai, for example (where a week costs from £989pp through loveholidays. com), the price includes à la carte restaurants and in-room breakfast. In all cases, the two-clicks-away small print was clear. Read it. If in doubt, use the chat function, talk to a travel agent or pick up the phone.
Cruise
All cruises include accommodation, dining, entertainment and access to pools and the other facilities, but Wi-Fi, drinks – alcohol and soda – tips and room service might not be included. Tips are automatically added to cruise bills on a per passenger, per day basis. Expect to pay for service on spa and beauty treatments and bar drinks.
If you plan to drink every day, pay for a drinks package (there are alcohol-free options). Celebrity Cruises’ alcoholic drinks packages cost from around £55 per day while Cunard’s soft drinks package starts at £8.50 per day. Princess Cruises’ Wi-Fi, tips and drinks bundle costs £50pp per day (princess.com).
Though you will still pay extra to tip for beauty services, some truly allinclusive lines also include Wi-Fi, limitless premium drinks, a free minibar, most service fees and some excursions. Some also include airfares and a pre- or post-cruise hotel night. Take a look at Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Viking, Crystal and Seabourn.
All-inclusive vs cruise The verdict
The all-inclusive concept has evolved – there is no room for holiday snobbery in 2024. If all you want is a hassle-free place to relax by a pool or on the beach and forget about daily expenses, this is as good as it gets. But if you intend to stay longer than a week or haven’t been to the destination before, do some research. You might tire of the same sand, sun loungers and restaurants while venturing out to drink and dine makes little financial sense. If you have a thirst for new places, a cruise offers all of the above plus the bonus of a new port of call most days – without the need to unpack. You will never get bored of the changing views and, as for cabin fever, you can disembark every day (though you don’t have to). Plenty of ships overnight in port, so you can dine ashore too. Cruises score bonus points for once-in-a-lifetime experiences as well. Unless you own a boat, how else do you experience the romance of a dawn arrival in Manhattan, a sunset sail out of Sydney or your first glimpse of porpoising penguins in the Galapagos? That is hard to beat.