Travel advice....All Inclusives
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
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My only experience is to St. Lucia (Windjammer Landing) for my honeymoon. We did the all inclusive but probably came out a little short compared to what it cost. It was nice not having to worry about anything though. Thoughts on St. Lucia in general are that it is pretty nice, though we stuck to the resort for the beach and meals and took resort sponsored guided tours/excursions when we did leave. Some cool stuff if you're into snorkeling and diving, and boat rides were a lot of fun. I'd pass on the 'volcano' and cocoa bean plant tour though if I went again.
Also, the island beer is Piton - it's excellent!
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anon_1eeb2b426hv3y
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I guess that's my problem, don't know which variables to narrow. Somewhere that has excursions available where we won't get kidnapped. Want a nice resort, golf courses close by.
Riu in Aruba is nice but do get off the property and experience some great food.
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We did the hard rock cafe in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) last year and it was really nice. We were able to let the kids roam. The whole place is covered with Wifi so we were able to keep in touch. food is 7x24, nice beach, lots to do, lots of evening entertainment....not a 5 star place but four stars and well done. Plus, Punta Cana is easy to get to.
it was huge. casino, golf.....The only mistake we made was going through an intermediary. We wanted to upgrade to an oceanfront room but couldn't. My 14 year old nephew loved it because he could call room service and get a pizza and a hamburger every night at midnight.
Edit...we also did the fish feet eating thing at the spa. These fish eat the dead skin off of your feet. Interesting!!!
it was huge. casino, golf.....The only mistake we made was going through an intermediary. We wanted to upgrade to an oceanfront room but couldn't. My 14 year old nephew loved it because he could call room service and get a pizza and a hamburger every night at midnight.
Edit...we also did the fish feet eating thing at the spa. These fish eat the dead skin off of your feet. Interesting!!!
if that is what you are worried about, go to Grand Cayman. None of the BS going on. The streets are safe to walk day and night (now dont be dumb about some things) The currency is pegged to the US$ all across the island, so there is not BS about exchange rates. There is plenty to do, including golf courses. Now all inclusive? They do not have very many, but why would you want that? too many good places to eat on the island. The reason most people like all inclusive is because they are afraid to leave the 'compound' and explore the island, which is not a problem on GC, go explore!!
Do they have many 'lazy rivers' etc? No, but they have some of the best ocean water to swim and enjoy, dive and snorkel so go enjoy!! And know you are safe!
Do your research, and let me know, I'll tell you the ins and outs. For example, the Wyndam Reef is all -inclusive, but no where near a gold course!
Beaches Negril in Jamaica was great. We took our kids there when they were 17 and 15 respectively. They loved it. We loved it. The only possible draw back if you are worried about these types of things was all the weed that the kids were offered. We weren't bothered by it personally. My kids have pretty good heads on their shoulders and I am not against experimenting in a relatively safe and self contained environment.
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You’ve got some good suggestions in this thread so far, but from Cancun to Playa del Carmen is an excellent option. Easy to get to, thousands of choices, and safe touristy optionality beyond the resort (Mayan ruins etc, but when I go leaving the resort other than to golf doesn’t interest me). I’ve been to lots of all-inclusives and have never not enjoyed them (most recent was Beaches Turks and Caicos but your kids are probably too old for that), but I’d start with something in Mayakoba at the super expensive level and work my way to what you’re willing to spend from there.
You are going to see some very opinionated responses to my suggestion, but here goes ... have you and your family done a cruise? If not, I would suggest a Royal Caribbean cruise. I really think your kids would enjoy it. They can have an incredible amount of freedom each day and evening (on the ship) and you really don't have to worry about their safety. Different ports, different excursions, plenty of entertainment, and plenty to do for both adults and parents.
If you and your family have done a cruise before and aren't interested, fair enough. However, if not, you should give it some thought.
For those of you that are about to respond negatively regarding cruises, I suspect that 90% of people who are adamantly opposed to a cruise have ever been on one. Likewise, I suspect that 90% of people who have been on a cruise would probably go again. So, if you hate the idea of a cruise and you have never been on one before, why don't you sit this conversation out and let the guy read some informed opinions. Likewise, if you have been on a cruise and would never go again, feel free to post your informed and reasoned opinion.
We did the hard rock cafe in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) last year and it was really nice. We were able to let the kids roam. The whole place is covered with Wifi so we were able to keep in touch. food is 7x24, nice beach, lots to do, lots of evening entertainment....not a 5 star place but four stars and well done. Plus, Punta Cana is easy to get to.
it was huge. casino, golf.....The only mistake we made was going through an intermediary. We wanted to upgrade to an oceanfront room but couldn't. My 14 year old nephew loved it because he could call room service and get a pizza and a hamburger every night at midnight.
Edit...we also did the fish feet eating thing at the spa. These fish eat the dead skin off of your feet. Interesting!!!
Obli...We are looking at all-inclusives for this summer as well and Hard Rock Punta Cama was recommended by a friend. What do you mean you made a mistake going through an intermediary? Do you feel you should have dealt directly with the hotel? I was planning to go thru AAA for fear I might miss something. Would appreciate your thoughts.
I'd recommend that you pick the island first. Not much to do in Aruba other than sit on the beach and play golf. You can do that in South Carolina. The Dominican is ok as long as you don't leave the resort.
Consider St Lucia, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados, Anquilla, or St. Martin. Also, Cancun and Playa Del Carmen is nice.
Might want to try a Club Med. Martinique is particularly nice. I’d avoid Jamaica entirely now. It’s not safe.
I went to Punta Cana with an ex girlfriend once. It was ok, not necessarily what I expected.
To this day not sure if it was the location or the girl.
To this day not sure if it was the location or the girl.
I always book everything myself and I've never had an issue. Not sure it makes a difference, but I typically don't do all inclusives. I suppose some intermediaries might have deals for all inclusives.
I haven't been, but have some friends that have stayed at Excellence Punta Cana and they rave about it.
I was going to write something similar.
The western Caribbean cruises are the best from Miami or Port Canaveral.
If you want to play golf, play it during the Bahamas stop.
LdN
We went through some friend of my wife's for some reason. I don't know exactly. But we tried to upgrade rooms but the HR Cafe wouldn't credit the cost of our reserved room against the upgraded room...so, in effect, the ocean front room would have been full cost.
doing it again, I'd go strait to their web site and reserve directly through them (eliminate the middle man).
The beach in front of the Westin has to be top 10 if not top 5 in the Caribbean!! I think the positives far out weigh the negatives. FWIW we are heading back down again in April, staying close to Georgetown than the Westin for a few days, and the we will head East for a week!! cant wait!!
I've been on a cruise and probably would never go again!! I did not like it one bit, and someone else was paying!! Not enough time off the boat, and while on the boat too much BS!! We stopped in Jamaica, a real dump, Grand Cayman, I loved, did not want to get back on the boat. Play de Carma (sp?) and Cozumel. I liked Cozumel and did return for a land based week. But Cruisin', nah, not for me.
Iberostar in Cozumel...absolutely loved it. Nightly entertainment, golf course close by, and a slew of excursions available (ATV rides, horseback riding, zip lining, etc.)
Lots of problems in the Yucatan. In the past two weeks, a ferry was bombed in PDC, two executions on beaches at resorts in the middle of the day in Cancun and Puerto Moleos, executions in the hospital in Cancun and Tulum, execution in front of Dreams in Tulum, all Mexicans, and an American knifed on the beach in Playa del Carmen in a hate crime, and an American kidnapped by a taxi driver and nearly beaten to death in PDC.
The US State Dept issued a travel warning to PDC at the beginning of the month and yesterday banned all govt employees from traveling for PDC.
I like Negril and am headed back next weekend. Recommend the Iberostar Suites in Rose Hall Jamaica for the OP.
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
Guest
I have only been to one in Punta Cana about 10 years so can't really give any recommendations. But I give you a word of caution.
When we were there, they had people with animals that were walking around and you could get your picture taken with the animals. We were there with a big group and a teenage girl that was with us wanted to get her picture taken holding a monkey. The monkey bite the girl in the face. It was pretty bad. The real problem is that the people who owned the monkey, who did not work for the resort, had absolutely no health records for the monkey. The parents of the girl were freaking out not knowing if the monkey could have rabies or some other disease. The girl ended up getting rabies shots. She is fine now, but it was very scary for the girl and the parents.
When we were there, they had people with animals that were walking around and you could get your picture taken with the animals. We were there with a big group and a teenage girl that was with us wanted to get her picture taken holding a monkey. The monkey bite the girl in the face. It was pretty bad. The real problem is that the people who owned the monkey, who did not work for the resort, had absolutely no health records for the monkey. The parents of the girl were freaking out not knowing if the monkey could have rabies or some other disease. The girl ended up getting rabies shots. She is fine now, but it was very scary for the girl and the parents.
we've been doing all-inclusives for over 20 years, always in January. We really like to snorkel and limit our resort choices to those with a good reef close to shore. Riviera Maya in Mexico is our favorite, but we've been to many places. You have to get south of Playa Del Carmen to get the snorkeling. The Barceló and Akumal Bay Beach Resort are our favorites. Direct flights from Pittsburgh and prices are a big plus for Mexico. We like Mexico and Jamaica, Aruba and Dominican not so much. There are some really nice other islands, but they are more expensive. We much prefer all-inclusives to a cruise.
A followup....the package came with these entertainment "credits" you could use for golf, spa, trips (they have one of those dolphin encounters things nearby). I think the provider had a package negotiated and you couldn't break it up. When we checked in, we were offered an upgrade to oceanfront for $50/night or whatever. When we said "ok" they then came back and said they couldn't do it.
What was nice is that they had maybe ten restaurants. Each had its on theme. But you ordered off a menu for dinner so it felt more customized than a cafeteria.
But what I really liked was that it had a nice mix of cost, availability, and interesting stuff for a wide array of ages. I am sure there are better, more beautiful places (my personal favorite is Barbados in the Caribbean or Bora Bora worldwide) but Punta Cana offered a nice mix, reasonably priced, for a family.
Got a link for this part? I saw the ferry news but hadn't seen this. I usually go to this area annually so this is of some concern.
I was there in January and have been going there since 1985. Please trust me, its accurate. I still go there once a year. I know people that own AM Resorts and Apple. Would never disparage the Yucatan. Was at Unico in January. Would go back. Used to go to PDC in the early 2000s.
I could post a half dozen links. Its pretty sad.
http://noticaribe.com.mx/2018/03/08...-decirle-al-mundo-que-los-barcos-son-seguros/
http://noticaribe.com.mx/2018/03/08...-decirle-al-mundo-que-los-barcos-son-seguros/
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wor...opular-mexican-tourist-city-article-1.3863684
I recommend the Hyatt Ziva is Rose Hall. It will be my third time there this Easter with my family. Very relaxing with very good food for a family all inclusive .
I wasn't suggesting it wasn't true, I was just looking for more info as to the specific area it happened because we have gone to Puerto Morales before, and probably will again.
Same here. I will say that I've stayed at a few of the Excellence properties (and am going back to Punta Cana this summer), and highly recommend them for those looking for an adults-only place.
Do you and/or your kids like activities? If so, consider Hyatt Ziva in Jamaica. Their activities include water sports (e.g. catamaran rides, stand-up paddleboarding, sea kayaking), boot camp classes, in-water cycling, cornhole, darts, table tennis, bingo and more.
We golfed at the very close-by White Witch course. At the time of our stay a free round of golf was included.
The resort is actually a combo of adults-only (Zilara) on one side and all (Ziva) on other side.
Tons more detail in my post here: http://thehoneymoonguy.com/the-ulti...ilara-and-ziva-rose-hall-montego-bay-jamaica/
We golfed at the very close-by White Witch course. At the time of our stay a free round of golf was included.
The resort is actually a combo of adults-only (Zilara) on one side and all (Ziva) on other side.
Tons more detail in my post here: http://thehoneymoonguy.com/the-ulti...ilara-and-ziva-rose-hall-montego-bay-jamaica/
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