Questions for all those of you who have gone to these types of resorts: 1. Have you taken your kids? 1.a If you have, what age were they? 1.b Would you do it again? 2. What season/time of year have you gone?
We've stayed at an all inclusive Sandals (Bahamas) once. We were able to leave and take the local bus and explore a little. Fun and I was happy with the resort. Weve taken a Carnival cruise with the kids from Galveston to Cozumel. I hated it because of the time limit thing. So I took the wifey back and we stayed in Cozumel for 5 days and hung out with some local folks that we met. Took a boat ride and stayed at Playa Del Carmen for a couple of days too. Great trip. Havent stayed in Cancun since early 90's but taking a trip to Tulum for a wedding in this month. Been there before but there wasnt a resort there like the one we are staying at. Not happy about staying there but the wifey wants to. Going to Belize in March..staying at a small place along carribean coast. REALLY looking forward to it.
This was a fun place in playa del carmen. Secrets Capri http://www.secretsresorts.com/capri/ all inclusive and the entertainment staff does a great job to keep things moving. It's a couples type resort...honeymooners & anniversary people No kids all inclusive no bait n' switch with cheap alcohol great food (4 or 5 restaurants on site.) clean private beach (also nude if you roll that way...and yes the hot European chics that were there did roll that way) great rooms (but i wouldn't spend the extra cash on an ocean view) room service 24hrs night club on site gym and spa (spa costs extra..gym's free) beach side waitstaff bars galore impossible to have a bad time at this place.
that's not what he asked you. Anyway, we did Moon Palace in Cancun about 5 years ago, all inclusive,etc. It was great. We didn't leave the resort, even though we'd planned to. We took our son who was two at the time, and it worked out great. He was, well.. a two year old... but it was no problem and we were glad we took him. I will say that we went early in the year and some of the beaches had an abundance of seaweed.... but jacuzzis in the room and hard liquor dispensers on the wall.
it depends on the resort. some are no kids, some welcome/cater to families. just need to check it out. I went to El Dorado Royale outside playa and it was nice. I got married at Iberostar Paraiso Del mar outside playa and that was definitely kid friendly and nice. There are so many to choose from, you just have to research and there are bbs' out there where people talk about their recent trips.
Anyone else want to comment on the cruise vs resort service and food? I assumed it would be the other way around, but I guess it ultimately comes down to the company. I was leaning toward a resort, but now I'm considering cruises again. Resorts: relax on the beach, drink all day, but a lack of variety (maybe?). Cruises: I remember as a kid it felt rushed because we were trying to fit everything we wanted to do and had to be back to the ship at a certain time (like MoBalls mentioned). And no free drinks correct? But you get to see different locales. If anyone has any cruise line recommendations I'd like to hear them too.
mexico is probably your best bet. you won't get any culture on a cruise. i would highly suggest renting a colonial house in merida, yucatan.
Something to think about: if you're considering an all-inclusive, I'm assuming the idea is to have as little stress as possible and have everything at your fingertips. If so, I really, REALLY recommend you consider a cruise. Much like you, I was worried that I would be bored or have nothing to do on days at sea. Quite the opposite: there were so many things going on at once, it was hard to pick just one. They really have gone a long way towards offering a wide variety of activities on board. It's not just shuffleboard and bingo anymore. Plus, you're traveling from port to port, seeing new sites every day. And, of course, it can be MUCH cheaper. One word of caution: there ARE differences between the many cruise lines. Carnival seems to cater to the party crowd. Royal Carrib. and Holland America tend to cater to the older crowds. I recommend Princess cruises for a nice blend of entertaining, exciting, and relaxing.
i don't know why you need to be a jackass about it. i've never taken a cruise but i would consider it with children.
I would consider spending the money on an actual location, instead of sitting in your comfort zone, pigging out on all you can eat buffets and watching movie marathons while you travel. The whole premise of cruises are ludicrous to me. Kids or no kids, put some of your own effort into it. Cruise vacations are for the weak.
It's just his formula. Enter thread discussing X. Explain why Americans suck because of X. Laugh. Praise himself for being better than Americans.
I've been to El Dorado Royale also. It was very nice. Next week we will be at the Paradisus. It's our second trip there. This time we are taking the kids. We will see how that goes. If I had a choice, I would go back to El Dorado Royale in a heartbeat.
I'm getting married at The Royal in Playa Del Carmen...I've never been there so I hope it's just awesome. Our guests are staying at their sister resort across the street, Gran Porto. It is kid friendly where The Royal is not. it's gonna be my first time experiencing an all inclusive resort... i so can't wait!
I don't want my vacation to be about effort. I work hard and would like to relax. But then again I don't want to be stuck on a boat with a bunch of people, especially annoying New Yorkers or something.
