There are many different levels of cruises....adults only for instance.
Also, I keep hearing this 3 to 4 thousand passengers number being thrown around.......I guess the ships are that big now but personally I’ve never been on one with more the 2k people and it wasn’t crowded at all.
Also, I would bet that the cuisine on a cruise ship would rival anything at a sandals resort.....possibly even surpass it.
Yes, but the most specialized you get with cruises, the worse of a value it is compared to other alternatives, especially if you want at least 200 sq ft of space and an ocean view (the room I just had at Sandals was 600 sq ft with a balcony and beach front for a comparison, Fiesta Americana Cabo I was at my last beach trip was 1250 sq ft and 180 degree ocean view and cost my wife and I $1,600 for 7 nights, *everything* included). People that don't mind feeling like a sardine are more likely to like cruises as the overwhelming majority of rooms are 135 sq ft.
Also, I keep hearing this 3 to 4 thousand passengers number being thrown around.......I guess the ships are that big now but personally I’ve never been on one with more the 2k people and it wasn’t crowded at all.
I think your idea of what is and isn't crowded is probably not the same. A typical hotel has about 200 people in it. A typical large resort in the caribbean has 400 to 1,000. But most of the ships made in the last 10-15 years do hold 3-4k or more
Also, I would bet that the cuisine on a cruise ship would rival anything at a sandals resort.....possibly even surpass it.
Not even close. This would be true for the specialty restaurants on cruise ships for *most* AIs but not Sandals - however - the AIs you can do them every meal, whereas on most cruise ships the specialty restaurants are either not included (aka cost exztra) or you only get 1 per trip. Plus, I can eat whenever I want, drink whenever I want of whatever I want.
Admittedly, Sandals is harder and harder these days to get a good value as the "secret" has been out for along time now and they've become a lot better at pricing over the years, but there are lots and lots of traveling options that don't have Sandals name, although Sandals includes a lot of free stuff like unlimited Scuba Diving, glass bottom boats, snorkeling + tips etc that isn't typically included.
But that also just includes the Caribbean. You can travel domestically for a fraction of the price and with a bit of discipline and planning can get amazing deals to Europe. In 2019, my wife and I spent 10 nights in Paris and Barcelona and spent less than $2k on flights, food, hotel and tours combined and we did not skimp on food or tours at all, in fact quite the opposite.