Tuesday, August 5, 2008

All Inclusive Cruises: Are They Really All Inclusive?

By Scott Jeffries


Growing every year is the cruise industry. Taking to the seas for adventure and relaxation are more and more people. Because you aren't racing to get to some destination, a cruise ship helps you to slow down and take life more casually, which is a nice thing. Cruising is all about the journey. While the destination may be memorable, even more memories will probably be made on board the ship.

The idea of having to schedule all the legs of the journey is the one thing that makes people hesitant to book a cruise for the first time: airline tickets, hotel reservations, entertainment, and sight-seeing options. That is when all inclusive cruises become a viable option. People who just want to go and don't want to worry about the details are who these cruise packages are aimed.

Some Advantages and Disadvantages of All Inclusive Cruises

All the planning is taken care of for you, right down to the times and places you will stay and eat and be entertained is the primary advantage of all inclusive cruises, as mentioned above. For some people this is ideal. In our daily lives so often we become so stressed having to make multiple decisions; it is nice to leave the decision-making to someone else once in a while. All-inclusive cruises normally mean that your lodging, food and entertainment options are all included in the price of the cruise.

There are, however, disadvantages to all inclusive cruises. Some of these include the fact that you may not have much choice in your meal options and anything extra, like snacks, or different, like special dietary needs; will need to be paid for separately. Alcohol is another consideration. Be sure you understand if your all inclusive cruise includes unlimited, limited or no alcoholic beverages. If you are planning to eat and drink to excess on your cruise this is an important consideration.

Also, your entertainment options may be limited on all inclusive cruises. There should be some sort of entertainment provided but it may not include the main attraction or the casino.

When evaluating the value of an all inclusive cruise, these are all things to consider. Do some research on the Internet and be sure to shop around. Price the individual components separately, so you can see if you can save money and plan a more pleasant cruise on your own.

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