in other countries. why? why not go to a resort in the US? it's the same thing, except there aren't as many black/hispanic people waiting on you

[Edited on May 1, 2013 at 9:42 AM. Reason : .]

5/1/2013 9:41:39 AM

wat?

5/1/2013 9:49:47 AM

wat what? why visit another country if you're going to stay holed up in a westernized resort the whole time?

5/1/2013 9:53:07 AM

^pretty valid point



"I got drunk and watched seinfeld IN ANOTHER COUNTRY"

[Edited on May 1, 2013 at 10:02 AM. Reason : a]

5/1/2013 10:02:05 AM

Quote :

"why? why not go to a resort in the US?"

I'm not an "all-inclusive" fan...but I can still appreciate its advantages. And the above quote is just dumb. You can't experience the crystal clear blue waters and climate/environment that some Carribean (or other island destinations) can offer you.

The only thing all-inclusive is keeping you from doing is eating the local fare...which you can still probably get at their restaurants anyways. You might miss out on experiencing some of the culture by staying at the resort a little more than usual...but some people will take that sacrifice to know what they are getting with their alcohol and food budget.

You can still go out and explore the country and take excursions at all-inclusives. You're being a bit narrow minded.

5/1/2013 10:03:15 AM

What I know is all inclusives rarely live up to expectations.

5/1/2013 10:08:57 AM

my idea of all-inclusive would be a place for me to sleep, shower, eat and get drunk in between outdoor excursions and not have to worry about paying for everything as I go. Just charge me later

5/1/2013 10:14:16 AM

Quote :

"I'm not an "all-inclusive" fan...but I can still appreciate its advantages. And the above quote is just dumb. You can't experience the crystal clear blue waters and climate/environment that some Carribean (or other island destinations) can offer you. The only thing all-inclusive is keeping you from doing is eating the local fare...which you can still probably get at their restaurants anyways. You might miss out on experiencing some of the culture by staying at the resort a little more than usual...but some people will take that sacrifice to know what they are getting with their alcohol and food budget. You can still go out and explore the country and take excursions at all-inclusives. You're being a bit narrow minded."

you make some good points. this is more aimed at the people who don't leave their resort. you can experience almost the same thing by going to the Keys.

[Edited on May 1, 2013 at 10:16 AM. Reason : .]

5/1/2013 10:15:28 AM

Never been to one, but I can see some benefits as an outsider looking in:
- A lot of places have really dirty beaches. The beaches at the all inclusive resort look like the beaches from a travel brochure; clean and comfortable with nice cabanas and lounge chairs. The public beaches often have piles of beer cans and other assorted trash everywhere along with drug addict bums following you around like you're a fucking leprechaun who is about to give them a pot o gold. Want to go play in the surf for a few hours? Better lock your shit in the car first and hope the windows are still there when you get back. Not exactly what you want when you're on vacation.
- Don't care to waste your morning arranging an activity (cabs there, reservations for the activity, cabs back, etc.)? The resort will do all that for you. Half the time they take their payment from the service providers. In other cases they might tack on 10-15% for their fee. Big whoop.
- The employees at the resort are your local advisors. They can tell you what areas are safe, what areas are more fun than you might be expecting, and what areas are just going to be a bore. There's some value in that.

Just because you're staying at a resort doesn't stop you from branching out and seeing other aspects of the country you're visiting. Think of it as a home base for all the activities you want to do while you're there.
I mean, I can see spending some extra loot if it takes away some of the stresses of a trip. It is supposed to be a vacation after all.

[Edited on May 1, 2013 at 10:20 AM. Reason : s]

5/1/2013 10:17:31 AM

Quote :

"my idea of all-inclusive would be a place for me to sleep, shower, eat and get drunk in between outdoor excursions and not have to worry about paying for everything as I go. Just charge me later"

5/1/2013 10:17:59 AM

sometimes people just want to not worry about stuff. i love excursions and experiencing the culture. but i'm going to an all-inclusive in mexico for a wedding. 5 days. I went years ago and did most of the cultural stuff. So barring anything spontaneous i'm using these 5 days to rest, relax, lay out, drink, and generally not give a fuck. and having food and drinks provided without worrying about money makes that a lot easier.

5/1/2013 10:18:45 AM

I agree, if you really want to experience a new place you should go around and talk to locals and beg them for a place to stay. You get a much more authentic experience, or just sleep outside, these places have pretty good weather, why stay cooped up in a hotel?

5/1/2013 10:21:33 AM

If you eat and drink a lot, then they can be taken advantage of. We considered an all-inclusive in St. Lucia for our honeymoon. The Sandals resort all-inclusive there actually lets you go to three different resorts so you have a TON of places to choose from. We're big foodies and we plan on drinking A TON on the honeymoon. The fiancee also said that every bride says they are exhausted after the wedding week and just want to relax and not have to worry about things on their honeymoon. For those reasons...the all-inclusive was appealing. We had a ton of excursions to choose from as well.

I know what you mean about the people that just stay at the resort. I would say, that in my experience, a good majority of those people live in the North where it's freezing for a majority of the year. We went to Aruba this past year and 90% of the people who just say by the pool or on the beach all day were Yankees from the Northeast. They don't give a shit about the local culture (not much in Aruba anyways)...they are just ecstatic to be in a place where they can wear shorts and a t-shirt all day.

Different strokes for different folks.

5/1/2013 10:21:56 AM

I disagree with the OP

Sometimes all you want to do is relax and be waited on hand, and foot and sometimes you will be so busy on vacation that you're barely even in the room.

If I want a stimulating/exciting vacation, I'd go back to Europe. If all I wanna do is hang out by the pool and beach and have someone bring me drinks all day, I'd go to an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana in a heartbeat.

5/1/2013 10:25:28 AM

Quote :

"Different strokes for different folks."

fair enough. i'm not a big drinker or lounger in the first place.

[Edited on May 1, 2013 at 10:40 AM. Reason : .]

5/1/2013 10:31:44 AM

We did all-inclusive at Isla Mujeres for our honeymoon 3 years ago. Loved it. The location & beach were awesome, we made friends with the bartender (and got bar/restaurant/sightseeing tips from him), ate the resort food & drink, and still got out plenty around the island and in the town. All the culture you could want - street food, vendors, nature, etc. It was a pretty relaxed, old fishing island so it wasn't like there were fucking ziplines and rainforest hikes all over the place. Our trip was in no way like going to a resort in the US.

I do know people that went to other islands (Punta Cana in the DR comes to mind) who said they never felt safe to leave the resort unless it was with a group or planned excursion. Some of these people are not prone to trying new things in general, so it could have been all in their head. Or for all I know there were men with guns 10 feet from the hotel gates...but I doubt it.

5/1/2013 11:46:28 AM

An all-inclusive resort doesn't have to mean you're sitting in a hotel room watching TV the entire time.

5/1/2013 11:53:22 AM

Quote :

"We did all-inclusive at Isla Mujeres for our honeymoon 3 years ago. Loved it. The location & beach were awesome, we made friends with the bartender (and got bar/restaurant/sightseeing tips from him), ate the resort food & drink, and still got out plenty around the island and in the town. All the culture you could want - street food, vendors, nature, etc. It was a pretty relaxed, old fishing island so it wasn't like there were fucking ziplines and rainforest hikes all over the place. Our trip was in no way like going to a resort in the US. I do know people that went to other islands (Punta Cana in the DR comes to mind) who said they never felt safe to leave the resort unless it was with a group or planned excursion. Some of these people are not prone to trying new things in general, so it could have been all in their head. Or for all I know there were men with guns 10 feet from the hotel gates...but I doubt it."

that sounds nice. i was referring to all inclusive in the sense that you don't leave the resort. i should have made that clear

[Edited on May 1, 2013 at 12:06 PM. Reason : .]

5/1/2013 12:06:04 PM

Where are the all inclusives in the US?

5/1/2013 12:44:59 PM

They aren't as "necessary", because you aren't out to turn America into a little piece of America.

5/1/2013 12:57:55 PM

Quote :

"Where are the all inclusives in the US?"

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-best-all-inclusive-resorts

5/1/2013 1:57:41 PM

None of those look appealing or fit my bill of relaxation

5/1/2013 3:55:41 PM

do i have to do all the work for you?? google it, son. there are plenty more

5/1/2013 4:02:52 PM

Lol. I go to tropical environments for the weather, beaches, and relaxed gambling laws. Not because I give a shit about their 3rd world bullshit culture

[Edited on May 1, 2013 at 4:11 PM. Reason : Oh and the cheap labor costs]

5/1/2013 4:07:55 PM

i wouldn't go to an all-inclusive in the US. Doubt it would be worth it

5/1/2013 4:09:10 PM

Quote :

"- A lot of places have really dirty beaches. The beaches at the all inclusive resort look like the beaches from a travel brochure; clean and comfortable with nice cabanas and lounge chairs. The public beaches often have piles of beer cans and other assorted trash everywhere along with drug addict bums following you around like you're a fucking leprechaun who is about to give them a pot o gold. Want to go play in the surf for a few hours? Better lock your shit in the car first and hope the windows are still there when you get back. Not exactly what you want when you're on vacation. - Don't care to waste your morning arranging an activity (cabs there, reservations for the activity, cabs back, etc.)? The resort will do all that for you. Half the time they take their payment from the service providers. In other cases they might tack on 10-15% for their fee. Big whoop. - The employees at the resort are your local advisors. They can tell you what areas are safe, what areas are more fun than you might be expecting, and what areas are just going to be a bore. There's some value in that."

all of this can be done at a regular hotel.

there are also beach bars pretty much everywhere and guys that will serve you. having to carry your card or money si really the only difference.

you are paying triple the price for every drink literally to only not have to bring your money with you.

5/1/2013 4:23:04 PM

Mexican All-Inclusives are cheaper than resorts here in the US, and the warmer weather/water temperatures mean you can plan beach vacations earlier and later in the year.

5/1/2013 6:38:50 PM

We looked very closely at an all-inclusive in Mexico for our upcoming honeymoon (Excellence Playa Mujeres) but ended up not going for it as I keep hearing mediocre reviews of the dining options at almost every all-inclusive. We're actually spending more staying in the country (Islamorada & Key West) than we would have spent for the all-inclusive because I like the idea of having more control of where we dine and where we drink, even if it's not as cheap.

Plus neither of us had very much interest in getting acquainted with the "culture" (it's near Cancun so I doubt there is much authentic going on anyway). Maybe someday, sure, but after the wedding and its related stresses (fiancee is in grad school and will have just finished finals, I'm trying to bring the planning in) just relaxing sounds like the best option now. No need to travel a lot farther. Maybe in the future.

5/1/2013 7:10:27 PM

all inclusive resorts are cheaper but so are the really nice hotels.

5/1/2013 8:02:09 PM

...have a great time.

at least my group did in jamaica. it's so nice to pay up front, then eat, drink, and enjoy the amenities without having to constantly keep a budget in check.

as far as domestic/foreign resorts, i found ones in mexico and the caribbean to be less expensive as a whole (we were a college group looking for the best bargain). I also would suspect a lot of people enjoy the notion of getting their passport and really "getting away" somewhere for their vacation, even if it is a resort.

[Edited on May 1, 2013 at 8:13 PM. Reason : .]

5/1/2013 8:06:54 PM

Quote :

"We considered an all-inclusive in St. Lucia for our honeymoon."

I stayed at the Sandals Halcyon there a few years back. The resort was great, we sailed around the island, snorkeled, watched a cricket game in some town up the street, went to the old fort, had a blast. There's a lady that works there named Estelle who will remember your name forever after you introduce yourself.

5/1/2013 8:20:55 PM