All-inclusive Vacations: The Good and The Bad
Posted on | January 9, 2010 | 9 Comments
Looking for a cheap vacation? All-inclusive vacations vary greatly but a truly “all inclusive” vacation should consist of your airfare, hotel, taxi from between airport and hotel, as well as meals and drinks. These types of all-inclusive vacations can be very appealing to a family looking to get away on the cheap. Particularly, the meals come in handy so you don’t have to be concerned with keeping the kids fed.
All-inclusive vacations may include some extras such as a free tour or other land based adventure. The packages will vary greatly from deal to deal so be sure to read all the fine print outlining what is and is not included.
Some of the biggest advantages of all-inclusive vacations are the hassle free atmosphere and not having to worry about having cash or how much cash you are spending. One price takes care of your whole vacation so you know how much it cost you up front. The mystery is gone.
The food on all-inclusive vacations is typically buffet style which can be a big plus when it comes to variety. Buffets on all-inclusive vacations are typically catering to a wide range of people so the choices may seem endless at times.
Another major benefit to all-inclusive vacations is the amount of activities for the family, particularly if you are visiting a large theme park like Disney. There are typically many choices for children and adults to keep the whole family very busy on an all-inclusive vacation. Be sure to book activities in advance if you can, for many of them will fill up before you even arrive!
One of the biggest caveats to booking an all-inclusive vacation is to know exactly what you are getting into. The sales pitch on the website is meant to do just that – sell you on it. Be sure to check all the details before paying for anything. Keep your eye on deals that may demand you go to a seminar to buy a time-share or something similar. They may say that it will be a quick presentation, but you can be sure it will take more time than you expected. Not all cheap vacations are good deals!
Another issue to be concerned with on all-inclusive vacations is tipping. Although some places may claim that tips are included, many service workers will expect tips and your service will suffer if you don’t come through. This is particularly common on cruise ships.
Be sure you are comfortable with the amount of activities that are available at the resort. Keep in mind that once you step foot out of the resort you will be paying for everything. If you want to explore other areas, everything from transportation to tips will cost you.
The bottom line is to do your research in advance of paying for an all-inclusive vacation or any cheap vacation. Read all the fine print, understand exactly what is included, and seek advice from others that have experienced the same cheap vacation.
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9 Responses to “All-inclusive Vacations: The Good and The Bad”
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January 9th, 2010 @ 9:44 am
i went to montego bay last year….it was awsome…
the town was not that great but with free beer and food all day soon made up for it.
was there in september and the weather was amazing.
hot hot hot
January 9th, 2010 @ 11:07 am
try superclubs, have some good hotels in Jamaica.
would recommend starfish trelawny
January 9th, 2010 @ 10:34 pm
Speaking from experience I would not go to Jamaica unless you planned to stay the whole time in the resort.
I worked at Sandals Montego Bay for a year and a half. It was great when I was there but I recently went back (after 20 years) and was shocked at how much it had changed and how dangerous it was.
If you plan on staying in the resort and not going anywhere you might be okay. I didn't stay at Sandals the last time I was there, I stayed at Round Hill in a villa, and was treated great…but thats inside a resort.
The people on a whole were not friendly, I was constantly harassed by the locals for money, and the men were very aggressive (and thats being nice) , people treated me like I was stupid and tried to rip me off everywhere I went!
I kept in touch with some people I worked with back then and went to their house a few times for dinner, they even told me the same things, they were very concerned about me and my kids being there alone.
I think Bahamas is a better bet. I think a lot of people avoid going to Jamaica now, it's a pity, the island is so beautiful.
Turks and Caicos is awesome!! Probably the best in the Carribbean right now. But think about other islands too, St. Vincent, St. Martin, Martinique…all peaceful.
January 10th, 2010 @ 1:45 am
Dominican republic is cheaper and better beaches
January 10th, 2010 @ 12:14 pm
Absolutely! We have been on 10 all inclusive trips – Mexico several times, Dom. Rep. and Bahamas. They are worth every penny, you get your room, non-motorized water sports, food, drinks and entertainment all included. Always something to do..It's the only way to go!
January 11th, 2010 @ 9:55 am
MALTA…a small island off the coast of Italy it has all sorts of things including awsome beaches and teen clubs…plus they all know english. I went for a week and hated having to leave it was so beautiful and there was so much to learn and do.
I hear Disney cruises are also good for families especially when they have kids with big age spreads.
January 12th, 2010 @ 3:36 pm
Jamaica is a beautiful tropical island with friendly and welcoming people, great food and lots of fun activities.
I have vacationed there every year since 2000 and I just can't wait for 2007 vacation to come around!
Just went there in July and had the best trip ever. We climbed the Blue Mountain peak, spent a night at Whitfield Hall (about a third up the mountain), went to the hot springs at the Mineral Bath in St. Thomas. We swam with the dolphins at Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios and spent a few nights at FDR Pebbles resort in Trelawny.
It was a great trip and there are so much fun activities there. There is the famed Dunns River waterfalls in Ocho Rios, bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae in Trelawny, the old fort in Port Royal, Hellshire beach where you can get some good home-style Jamaican food.
My favorite spot is Point Village resort in Negril. Its a beautiful resort with a great sunset view and the staff is ever so friendly and accomodating. You can find a whole lot more details by going to their website at pointvillage.com.
I have also stayed at the holiday Inn in MOBAY where there are tons of daily activities and it is central to most of the attractions in MOBAY area.
I have also stayed at FDR Pebbles in Trelawny (about mid-way betweeen MOBAY and Ocho Rios) and at FDR in Runaway Bay. They are both great resorts with lots of fun activities.
Of the four resorts, Point Village offered the best package for the all-inclusive price. With FDR Pebbles a close second and Holiday Inn third. FDR in Runaway Bay was the most expensive of the four resorts I stayed at. But, if you are lucky and buy at the right time you could get a great deal at any of these resorts.
Negril is a beautiful town on the North West region of the Island. Ocho Rios is a beautiful town so is Montego Bay for vacationers. In Montego Bay the Holiday Inn resort is 7 miles from the MOBAY airport (about a 15 minutes ride). So if you do not want to travel far, this is a really cool resort too located in close proximity of the Hip Strip where all the 'happenings' are going on. It is nearby Margaritaville too…the party place!
Jamaica is beautiful and the resorts has a bundle of activities that is bound to make you crave for more Jamaica!
Check it out you will have a great time!
January 12th, 2010 @ 4:34 pm
January 12th, 2010 @ 7:17 pm
Hey chui, I think this is actually a very good question. I'm an American and over the last decade or so, I have done quite a bit of traveling to places in the Caribbean,Mexico and Latin America and have also stayed at the more luxurious all-inclusive type places. Although I think you are over-exaggerating the issue, I have met quite a few Americans that never seem to leave the resort. The most obvious observation I have made, people, of all nationalities, who stay at all-inclusives are in general less adventurous and/or less experienced travelers, than those who stay at hostels, cabins, houses, etc. and, also demand things be as familar to them as possible with American tv and other luxuries. While there are many well traveled Americans and Canadians, many Americans do, in fact, travel to places like Mexico without knowing anything about the people, culture, etc simply because it is actually cheaper than going somewhere in the States and, when they do go abroad gravitate towards areas that are more "Americanized"-that's why so many more people go to Cancun than, say,even Cozumel. Sad, but sometimes I am glad some of these people do not leave the resorts because their ignorance of the area and sometimes over-demanding character lead to cases of "the Ugly American" arguing with the locals as I have, sadly, seen this happen before. I usually travel with my brother and we always go on as many side-trips as we can reasonably afford and often just do our own thing in town etc because, as you say, we feel what's the point of going somewhere abroad if you don't actually get to experience the culture of the place you are visiting( I can tell you I feel safer anywhere in Cozumel at any time than many American cities). Wherever we have gone, we have met other (almost fearful)Americans/Canadians staying at the same resort and sometimes have to assure them from our experience it is safe to go into town, do one of the local trips/activities, etc (sometimes we have to promise to go with them) before they are willing to get brave and leave the comfort of the resort; most of the time they come back excited from their "adventure" and are very happy they have done so. However, if you think this "sheltered American tourist"-syndrome is bad at the resorts, it is ,in my opinion, worse with cruisers. I did one cruise and will never do another because you were never in any place for more than a few hours and never got to explore or really learn anything about the places you were in and many people on the cruise didn't feel like getting off at every spot/destination; furthermore, the trips offered by the cruises were activities set up mostly for American tourists. In addition, I have met people that were on cruises while I've been somewhere and most cruisers are more sheltered/ignorant tourists than anybody else- simply doing the off-shore excursions suggested/hosted by the cruiseline and its' on-shore partners, shopping or dining in certain (tourist-friendly) places "suggested" by the cruise line, etc. During my last trip to Mexico, for example, we "briefly" met a couple from Houston (who you would think may have some knowledge of Mexico) who were doing there annual cruise to Cozumel (sounded promising) and stopped us for directions (presumably because we were Americans) to the most Americanized place on the island (I think it was the Hard Rock Cafe and/or Senior Frogs); we chatted briefly and after learning they "come to Cozumel almost every year we asked them where else they have been/what they have done before because we were looking for ideas. They told us they have never actually really gone "to far off the beaten path" and have never even done any of the side trips- right before telling us they wanted to rush to finish their souvenir shopping so they could get back to their ship as soon as possible- just made my brother and I shake our heads and wonder why they came/come at all.