Author Topic: All Inclusive Vacations (Read 653 times)

REP0MAN · « **on:** February 09, 2008, 09:06:07 PM »

I've been married to the most wonderful woman for near 13 years now. To date, we have never had the money or the time to take a vacation just the two of us. Well, that time is upon us.

I want to take my wife to the beach for a week.I'm thinking Nassau or Cabo. Not too picky on the place. I have been pricing "All Inclusive" packages that include everything. Best I've seen so far is Cabo for $1,600.00 through Expedia.

My question to you; Do you have any experiences with All Inclusive vacations? Preferably a beach destination. Do you recommend any companies or websites? My budget is about 2k.

Tac · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2008, 09:23:31 PM »

check your pm's repo.

Try to avoid using 3rd party companies, you get nailed with about 25% markup. Book direct with airline and hotel.

ZetaNine · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2008, 01:23:39 AM »

Please remember that "All Inclusive" also means...."many restrictions apply". (similar to a cruise ship...you may have to follow specific schedules...menus...etc...)

Yeah you will save money...but I rather pay as I go and treat a vacation as everything is ala carte.

Also...Nassau.... avoid it.

Have you looked into the cayman Islands?

Aqualung · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2008, 04:34:07 AM »

I went on an 'all inclusive trip' to Aruba a few years ago. It was arranged local club and cost us about $2000 per couple. The fee covered room, food, and drinks. During check-in they strap on a colored bracelet that you show in the restaurants or bars. It was good all the time (in fact there was a period in the day when the bar would only serve those with a bracelet). It didn't cover the most expensive items like filet's or good bottles of wine, so you aren't charged for stuff unless its something you really want to treat yourself to. But the room was nice and the food and drinks were real good so there wasn't much that we had to pay for. The only things I ended up shelling out money for was tipping, gambling, shopping, and excursions. We had a blast and probably got our money's worth by not having to pay for the amount of alcohol we drank. I would definitely recommend you look into Aruba.

I too would avoid Nassau. I know a lot of people who have had a good time there, but I got fed up with the people asking for handouts or trying to aggressively sell you useless trinkets. I was there to have a vacation, not to get harassed.

Also check out Curacao. I have never been there, but its my parent's favorite destination in the Caribbean.

rpm · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2008, 04:47:11 AM »

I really liked the "Sandals" all-inclusive at Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The service was top notch. The bus ride from the airport to the other side of the island is an experience all it's own!

I'm sure it is a cookie cutter of all their other resorts around the Caribbean.

Personally, I'm heading to Belize this year!

DiabloTX · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2008, 04:49:22 AM »

It will be a cold, cold day in Hell before Mexico gets a penny of my vacation money.

A perfect vacation for the wife and I is a trip to the hill country where she can go shopping and I can take advantage of the nice roads in my Z. Winter time it's off to Colorado for some skiing.

rpm · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2008, 04:52:29 AM »

Why not New Mexico, Diablo? It's closer and more road to play with.

DiabloTX · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2008, 05:00:17 AM »

Actually, our last vacation, our escape from hurricane rita, was spent between El Paso with my relatives and Riudoso, New Mexico. I do love New Mexico, what a beautiful state it is. And being a huge fan of Billy The Kid I love driving around Lincoln and exploring alot of his history there, especially the scene of Mr. Tunstall's murder.

AWMac · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2008, 05:28:54 AM »

Oolahgah has some great spots and it's just North of Collinsville...just across the Dam and on the left.

Mac

Maverick · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2008, 11:11:22 AM »

Repo,

I've been to Cabo. It's an OK place but frankly I have no reason or intention of visiting it again. It's a very over priced tourist trap. Watch out for all of the vacation time share salesmen, they are all over the freaking place. We found a motel for $60.00 US that makes a motel 6 look real good and that was more than 7 years ago. The fishing can be OK if you are there at the right time. I'd rather spend time in San Diego (cheaper too) than Mexico any more. We used to go to Mexico to dive and relax, not any more.

John Curnutte · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2008, 11:24:13 AM »

I had worked and lived in Mexico , pretty much in Central Mountian areas and by Puerto Vallarta . There is a place called Guyabitos that has a great vacation spot and its all inclusive and yes you wear an armband but you can eat all day pick from different resturants for dinner , swim in warm ocean water( even in dec. ) . You can also fish , dive , boat . Go to the clubs at night or movies . as for street urchins that is anywhere you go even the U.S. just look around do some research and check it out well . I do not recommend Acapolco as there is a major drug war going on at the moment but other wise Mexico is fine .

john9001 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 10, 2008, 11:29:23 AM »

come to florida we like your money...err i mean we treat you nice, and most of us still speak english.

have a nice day.

eagl · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2008, 11:41:36 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by DiabloTX
It will be a cold, cold day in Hell before Mexico gets a penny of my vacation money.

I can understand the sentiment, but... Spending tourist money IN Mexico is one of the better ways to make Mexico more attractive to Mexicans so they are less likely to cross the border.

That said, I do prefer less formalized vacations in Mexico. There are plenty of small towns that just LOVE tourists and haven't been taken over by large entertainment companies. If you watch your back a bit and don't go around flashing a roll of cash, crime is pretty low because the locals utterly depend on tourism to feed their kids. If a town gets a rep for mugging tourists, they quit coming and everyone starves, so crime isn't a huge problem.

Go in the off-season, and then just bring a shortie wetsuit if you want to swim in the ocean.

Last time I was there (a January vacation), we drove down Baha to Ensenada or Rosarita and hooked east towards (if I recall correctly) Mulege. We took 5 down the coastline to a really nifty little town. There must have been maybe 20 Americans in the whole town, so they welcomed us with open arms. Reasonable prices, and we camped on a beach. Some local guy came by twice a day with fresh seafood (the lobster was still moving and the fish looked like it had just quit twitching) so we ate pretty well on a couple bucks a day.

A good place to start for do it yourself vacations in Mexico:

http://www.mexico.us/baja.htm

REP0MAN · « **Reply #13 on:** February 10, 2008, 12:16:28 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by AWMac
Oolahgah has some great spots and it's just North of Collinsville...just across the Dam and on the left.

Mac

I did some volunteer firefighter time in Oologah. Spent a few 4th of July's down at the beach by the Verdigris River Dam. Excellent Crappy and Catfish'n on the river side in the spring. Howzabout you and me get a pony keg and head over say, April?

Thanks for the replies guys. I would love to go to Aruba but I am afraid the local rif-raf will carry my wife off and drown her in the ocean.

After living in Phoenix for so long, I really don't want to go to Mexico. I really don't want to be bothered by people trying to rip me off on my vacation either. I don't have the patience to put the trip together myself. I know I'll forget to book a minor detail, like the plane ride home, and be screwed. I've never been to Florida (I thought ya'll spoke Spanish down there?). I want something affordable, beachy, all inclusive so I can stay mostly drunk most of the time and not have to think, where my cell phone doesn't work and a place where my wife can really relax.

eagl · « **Reply #14 on:** February 10, 2008, 12:34:02 PM »

Try here:

http://www.toejamet.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/toejamet

http://wikitravel.org/en/toejamet

http://www.toejamet.net/

Great diving, great beaches, good hotels, and they rely on tourism so they don't treat tourists badly. They seem to have recovered from the tsunami and that means a lot of the touristy stuff like hotels ought to be almost brand new.