It is one of the most common questions I get from clients who have spent years on all-inclusive trips: Would I actually like a cruise?
After 30 years of booking both sides — the all-inclusives that built Latitude 21 and the cruises more of my clients are curious about — I know exactly why this question feels heavier than it looks.
So when a couple I have worked with for years came to me wanting to try Celebrity Cruises (friends had found a good deal and they wanted to come along), I jumped at the chance to find out what an all-inclusive-trained palate actually thinks of a cruise. Their honest read came back last week.
The Headline: More Than Expected
The first thing they sent me was this:
“I think we enjoyed the cruise more than expected.”
That is the line that should reframe this whole conversation for anyone on the fence. This is not a cruise person telling you cruises are great. This is an all-inclusive loyalist who did not particularly want to love a cruise but did anyway.
And then they sent a list of specifics. Here is what I think is most useful to share, broken into what worked, what did not, and the surprise that ended up being their favorite day of the whole trip.
Where Celebrity Beat What They Are Used To
The a la carte restaurants. Different menu every night, quality on every plate. They told me the buffets were just buffets, which is a polite way of saying they did not measure up to what they are used to at 4-to 5-star all-inclusive resorts. But the a la carte dining options beat what they have come to expect at an all-inclusive.
The Concierge Veranda cabin. The extra amenities were worth it. This is where I want to stop and say something to every all-inclusive loyalist considering a cruise: do not book the cheapest cabin. Coming from a resort where everything is included, it feels strange to pay for an upgrade. On a cruise, the upgrade is what makes the trip feel like an all-inclusive experience in the first place. Cabins are much smaller than rooms on large resorts, and if you get an inside cabin with no view at all, you will barely be able to turn around in it! Trust me, take the upgrade!
The Premium Beverage Package. This was the real surprise. They are not big drinkers, and the Premium Package was still worth it. They specifically called out San Pellegrino, specialty coffee, non-alcoholic wines, sodas, and bottled water. Things you take for granted at an all-inclusive resort. On a cruise, you pay for them individually unless you have the package. The Premium Package wraps it all up so you stop thinking about it.
And the smaller things added up. The sunset bar before dinner. The gym, which they called very nice (worth noting if you have ever been to an all-inclusive gym). The easy, comfy hangouts indoor and out. The crowd skewed more mature, which was a feature for them, not a bug.
Where It Did Not Win
The buffet. I mentioned this above, but it deserves its own line. Cruise buffets do not measure up to the buffets at all-inclusive resorts, and if buffet dining is a meaningful part of why you love an all-inclusive, that is a real adjustment.
The pool. Small and cramped on sea days. If you have spent your vacations sprawling around a large all-inclusive property with swim-up bars and infinity edges, a cruise ship pool is never going to compete. That is just a trade-off when sailing. Manage expectations or plan to use the pool on port days when most passengers are off the ship.
The entertainment was okay, not great. If onboard entertainment is what you are signing up for, a different cruise line might be a better fit.
The Surprise: Their Favorite Day Was an Unscheduled Stop
Here is the part of their feedback I cannot stop thinking about.
The original itinerary had a stop that didn’t happen, and the cruise line swapped in CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island. It was not what they had signed up for. It turned out to be their favorite day of the whole trip.
This is the insight I want every all-inclusive lover to take away from this post: a private island stop on a cruise is the day that feels most like the trip you already love. Beach. Lounger. Food and drinks are brought to you. No itinerary pressure. No rushing back to a port city. It is essentially an all-inclusive day, dropped into the middle of a cruise.
If you are an all-inclusive traveler considering a cruise, look at the itinerary for private island stops. They are where the trip will click for you.
Who Celebrity Is Right For (Coming From An All-Inclusive Background)
Based on this couple’s experience, plus thirty years of feedback from clients who have crossed over from resorts to ships, here is what I tell people about whether Celebrity will click for them.
Celebrity is a strong fit if you are:
- A 40+ couple who appreciates a quieter, calmer ambiance over a packed pool party.
- A foodie who will happily skip the buffet and live in the main dining room and specialty restaurants.
- Willing to upgrade to Concierge Veranda or AquaClass. The standard inside cabins are a meaningful step down from the resort suite you are used to.
- Drawn to the idea of waking up somewhere new without packing and unpacking every few days.
- Curious about itinerary travel, where the destinations matter as much as the days between them.
Celebrity probably will not click if:
- Your favorite parts of an all-inclusive are the giant infinity pool and the unlimited lounge space.
- You travel with high-energy younger kids who need water slides and constant activity.
- You are not willing to upgrade beyond the base cabin or beverage package. The math of a cruise really works when you add the experience pieces.
The simplest test I give my clients is this. If you spend most of your resort vacation at the pool with a drink in your hand, a cruise will feel restless to you. If you spend most of your resort vacation eating, exploring, and people-watching, a cruise will feel like an upgrade.
The Real Takeaway
This couple did not come home wanting to abandon all-inclusives. They came home with a more complete travel toolkit. The right answer was not “switch from one to the other.” The right answer was “the right product for the right trip.”
For a relaxed week with the same view, the same pool, and the same staff who know their drink order, they will keep booking all-inclusive. For an itinerary trip where the destination is the point, they now know Celebrity is on the table.
That is the conversation worth having before you book. The trip that fits the mood is the trip you will actually love. And if you are sitting on this exact question, wondering whether your next vacation should be a resort you already trust or a ship you have not tried, that is exactly the conversation we have on a discovery call.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on what you go on vacation for. The couple in this story enjoyed Celebrity Eclipse more than they expected because of the food, the Concierge Veranda cabin, and an unscheduled private island day. They missed the pool, the buffet, and the entertainment they are used to at high-end all-inclusives. The honest answer is that a cruise is not better or worse than an all-inclusive. It is a different product. For a relaxed week at the same beach, all-inclusive wins. For an itinerary trip across multiple destinations, a cruise wins.
For most all-inclusive travelers, yes. The Premium Package covers premium coffees, fresh juices, bottled water, and specialty teas in addition to alcohol. The couple in this story is not made up of heavy drinkers, and the upgrade was still one of their favorite parts of the trip because of how it changed their daily routine. It is the closest thing to the unlimited feel of an all-inclusive resort that Celebrity offers.
For most travelers used to higher-end all-inclusives, no. Buffets at resorts like Secrets, Excellence, and Iberostar feature live cooking stations, broader variety, and a slower flow. Cruise buffets are designed for thousands of guests at once and feel more cafeteria-style. The fix on Celebrity is to skip the buffet almost entirely. Use the included main dining room and the specialty restaurants instead. The food quality jumps significantly.
Smaller than most all-inclusive travelers expect, and it gets busy on sea days. The main pool deck has a swimming pool, hot tubs, and tiered loungers, but lounger space goes early. If pool time is the main reason you vacation, this is the part of a cruise that will feel like a step down. The workaround is to choose a sailing with a private island stop, where the cruise line delivers a true beach-and-lounger day.
If you are coming from a quality all-inclusive resort, yes. The base inside or oceanview cabin is a meaningful step down from the room you are used to. Concierge Veranda or higher gives you the balcony, the natural light, and the room size that makes a cruise feel like a vacation instead of a hotel stay. If you want help mapping out the right cabin and ship for your travel style, book a quick call with us and we will talk it through.