by Shannon Chicoine

Created on: June 18, 2008

Making the decision between taking a cruise and staying at a resort is always an individual decision and can mean the difference between a fabulous vacation you'll treasure forever or merely time away. There are some very big differences between the two, but that makes it all the easier to choose the right destination for you.

Taking a cruise is the perfect choice for a family who enjoys many activities, shows, dinning choices, and stopping different ports as opposed to spending a lot of time in one place. Cruise ships tend to have something going on every hour of the day, whether it's a hairy chest contest or ice sculpture carving demonstrations. The kids will enjoy special age appropriate activities as well as some well deserved time alone for mom and dad. Generally you will have many musical shows to choose from while onboard, with one main show every night. Be sure to note whether the show you have chosen is child friendly. There are so many options when dinning on a cruise ship. One favorite of cruisers is the formal dinner provided for guest each night. This gives guests a chance to dine on different exquisite dishes each night at a set time. It's a real treat to be served and pampered without having to clean any of the mess. If the dinning room is too formal for you, find the breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets. On some ships you can even discover huge midnight buffets served underneath the stars. You'll have so many dinning choices it may be difficult to decide between the pizzeria's special of the day or savoring rock lobster tail in the dinning room. A cruise ship generally makes many stops within just a few days, spending six to twelve hours in each port. Each port offers different excursions depending on you level of activity and amount you want to spend on these activities.

Resorts are a little slower paced, but can give you the same wonderful memory as a cruise. Most all inclusive resorts provide guests with all their food, non alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, shows, and activities. Cruises also provide most of these items, but there are some major differences here. Resorts don't have a set dinner time for guests and many don't provide the five star dinning you'll find onboard a cruise. Plain and simple, resorts are just way more laid back than cruises. There are very few scheduled activities, but a whole lot of rest and relaxation. Another big difference, all inclusive resorts provide drinks for their guests while cruisers sometimes end up with a very large bar bill on the last day of their vacation. Another choice to make for vacationers is deciding if you'd like to spend many days in one destination at a fabulous resort or bouncing from port to port onboard a ship.

Making the decision between a cruise or all inclusive resort can seem difficult when so many provide wonderful food, shows, and activities, but once you discover the difference in pace, you'll know which is best for you. Either way, you're in for a fabulous time and a beautiful memory. Don't forget to take your sun block and a camera!

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