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Become a Travel Agent
Luxury Cruise vs. Luxury Resort
Which One is Better?
I had just returned from a NACTA
cruise seminar aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner doing a
southbound Alaska itinerary. Joanie and I decided to take a
couple of weeks vacation at our condo in Punta Mita and as a
special treat, I booked us into one of the 6-star properties
around Puerto Vallarta for a couple nights of pampering and fine
dining. It was a special treat for our 25th wedding
anniversary. I thought that a comparison of the cruise and
resort experiences would make for interesting reading.
Embarkation / Arrival
Regent did an excellent job of accommodating guests upon
embarkation, however the resort went the extra mile. We were
greeted at the outer entrance of the resort’s property and
allowed entrance upon confirming our reservation. From that
moment on, everyone knew our names. The guard at the entrance of
the resort, the parking attendant, the bell staff and finally
the front desk all greeted us as Mr. And Mrs. Ogg. I am not sure
how they did this, but it definitely made us feel special. I
would have to give the resort the nod on this one.
Accommodations
The Seven Seas Mariner is an all suite ship and as such, the
cabins are simply to die for. However, our ocean view room was
also well appointed. Both offered many of the same amenities,
but the Mariner’s walk-in closet and the cabin’s attention to
detail won my vote. When we found out that the hard-wired
Internet access in our room was only available for $23 per day,
we felt as if we were being asked to pay for something that
should have been included in the room rate that we were paying.
Further, while the Mariner had excellent wi-fi access, the
resort offered none. This was the beginning of our
understanding of the real value of a luxury cruise.
Condition of the Ship / Resort
The Regent Seven Seas Mariner was absolutely spotless. The
construction and quality of the furnishings were truly
luxurious. Everywhere that one went on the ship, he or she was
treated consistent quality. The resort on the other hand, seemed
to be all over the board. Parts were visually pleasing while
other areas just lacked the kind of quality one would expect
from a luxury resort. Of course, the resort covered many acres
of land, while the ship a much smaller area, but the net impact
of the ship’s overall condition wins hands-down in this
comparison.
Dining
This is where the main difference resides between the two
vacation choices. One aspect of luxury travel is the quality of
the dining experience one enjoys. We found no comparison between
the value of the dining experience on the Seven Seas Mariner and
the resort. Here are the major differences.
Breakfast
”Would you like another scoop of caviar on your eggs benedict?”
The gentleman that prepared the specialty egg dishes on the
Mariner knew that I loved caviar and made it a point to make
sure that I was happy every morning. While I could have probably
gotten the same dish at the resort, it would have cost me
dearly. There is no comparison between the two vacation
experiences when it comes to breakfast.
Lunch
Joanie had some cut up veggies and I had a cheeseburger and a
beer by the pool. The tab? $50. Now, understand that I can spend
$50 on lunch in a heartbeat. There is nothing I like more than
enjoying lunch with friends in a good restaurant. However, this
experience left me concerned about the basic value that I
received for the money. Sure the poolside service was gracious,
but the meals themselves were underwhelming. The burger was
downright lousy. On the Mariner I enjoyed fabulous lunches in
the buffet with all of my favorite things to select from. Once
again, there is no comparison between the two.
Dinner
Dinner pretty much confirmed the difference between a luxury
cruise and a luxury resort. Dinner on the Mariner was an event
not to be missed and for many, was reason enough to take the
cruise. Dinner at the resort was an expensive affair to say the
least. While the experience was pleasant, we found ourselves
wishing we were back at the palapa restaurant in El Anclote, as
they served a better menu, the same service and cost about
one-quarter as much for the same exact thing as the resort.
Actually, the palapa restaurants allowed one to dine right on
the ocean while the resort simply had an ocean view.
Overall Experience
While the luxury resort was fun, it was also quite expensive
when one added up the room charge, hotel and service charges,
Internet access, dining and other “extras” while staying at the
property, it far exceeded the luxury cruise per diems. For me,
it left me with the basic question of value for the money spent.
I didn’t like having to spend extraordinary amounts of money for
ordinary dining.
The “all inclusive” nature of the
Regent Seven Seas Mariner was a much better value hands down and
would be my first choice for a luxury vacation. While you should
always make sure that your clients understand the true cost of a
vacation experience, it is more important to discern their
expectation in terms of value. Would they rather hear “would you
like another scoop of caviar on your eggs benedict, sir?” or try
to negotiate a price for eggs benedict with caviar at the land
based luxury resort?
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