A press release from the Caribbean Hotel Association responds to a recent Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) advertisement in a U.S. travel trade publication which claimed that a cruise vacation is more affordable than a Caribbean resort vacation. “This is simply not so,” said John Bell, executive vice president of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), “particularly if you compare the cruise product to a more comparable all-inclusive resort vacation.”
The CHA states that the advertisement does not compare apples with apples. “Comparisons shouldn’t stop at actual savings,” said Brian Meister, vice president of sales and marketing for the 700 room Radisson Cable Beach. “Dollar for dollar, it’s evident we deliver the more affordable vacation. He mentioned product differences that make land vacations more a value-added option, such as: Spacious guest rooms with ample baths; cupboard space vs. small cabins with limited cupboard and shower stalls; king size beds versus bunk beds; dine when you want and with whom you want vs. predetermined seating assignments and only early or late sittings.