Caribbean All-Incl Vacation Suggestions

[msop04]

To clarify - we are NOT taking the kids, so we would prefer to be somewhere with few to no kids as well (hoping the time of year we travel will help that as well). We can get plenty of the screaming/whining/'she touched me'/I want chicken nuggets stuff at home.

Wise woman! HA! No kids = adults only is a must!

The most beautiful time of year to go to Cancun is definitely the late winter/early spring (Feb-March)... that is also prime season, so prices tend to be higher. The best prices are during or just after hurricane season (Sept-Oct). That said, if you pick a resort known for the beach, then you'll be good pretty much anytime.

 

[Akalahab]

Highly recommend Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya! Nice private stretch of beach there with a swimming area and adults only.

 

[ringbling17]

I just got back from Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya in July. I went there for 5 nights. I absolutely loved it there. It’s adults only and an olderish crowd so no drunk college kids to deal with. I loved all the restaurants there and the pool area. It’s all inclusive and I loved that too! My first time ever in an all inclusive resort so I was pretty amazed by everything. The best thing about all inclusive is that you don’t have to worry about paying for anything other than tips.
I went there based on the recommendation of a co-worker who has been there three times. She told me she’s been to other AI resorts but she loved Valentin Imperial the best.
I booked the trip on Expedia and the prices seemed to change every few days. In the end I wound up paying under $3k for the trip.
We loved it so much we plan to go every year now.

 

[Elizabeth35]

Also compare the price guarantee of your chosen booking site. I know that one time we did a Mexico AI with Apple and got a $400 refund when I found the date/hotel combo at a lower price.

 

[Rockdiamond]

AH- no kids!!!
A real vacation.
I still love the Jamaican/Negril vibe....


msop04- I've never been to Turks and Caicos- it looks lovely!
I have spent a lot of time in Cancun/ Cozumel, and Playa Del Carmen- which all have great beaches, I agree.
We've always loved to do the adventure stuff- the jungles around Cancun have Senotes- underground caverns are amazing. Chichen Itza- and some of the lesser know Mayan sites are amazing.
Jamaica's rivers and cliffs ( Rick's Cafe) always keep us interested....

 

[the_mother_thing]

Hubs & I talked, and given there are SOOOOO many places (we’re constantly showing each other “look at this”, “check this one out”, etc.). So, we’ve decided that we’re each going to individually come up with our own 3-5 favorite picks, then review all the options together and pick one from there.

@msop04 - Secrets Maroma & Beaches T&C are already on my list, TYVM! I’m going to look through the others recommended on here as well to check out as well as review traveler comments on TripAdvisor. I may float a few options on here for feedback/comments - even if no one has stayed at that particular resort, at least for feedback on the area itself in terms of safety, etc.

@Rockdiamond I might have to make that picture my new background on my iPad while I surf for destinations; that is just beautiful!

 

[asscher_girl]

My 2 favorite beaches in the Caribbean are: Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos and Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman. I used to live in the VI's so I've had my share of Caribbean beaches. Both beaches have tons of hotels/resorts/condos to stay at. I personally don't stay at All Inclusive's, I like to explore other restaurants on the island, whether they are little hole in the wall "jerk" shacks, or 5 star fine dining. I used to stay at All Inclusive's in high school and college with my parents but I always found the food always tasted the same no matter which restaurant you were eating at on the property. Both of the beaches/areas I mentioned are super safe. My hubby and I go once a year and we never rent a car. We just walk the beach at day/night to visit dozens of different restaurants along the way. All are super easy to get to, and you have a ton of cuisine choices right at your fingertips. If you need any restaurant recommendations for either area, let me know No matter where you choose, have an amazing time!!!

 

[Ally T]

Before we had children we stayed at The Rendezvous in St. Lucia. It was adults only, all inclusive 5 star, with a private beach & watersports. Everything was included & we dream of heading back there one day, when the babies are old enough to be left behind!

 

[the_mother_thing]

Before we had children we stayed at The Rendezvous in St. Lucia. It was adults only, all inclusive 5 star, with a private beach & watersports. Everything was included & we dream of heading back there one day, when the babies are old enough to be left behind!

I took a look at this resort at your suggestion. It looks amazeballs but unfortunately is well out of our budget for this trip, at least.

I’m getting the sense that - the more I look and see amenities and environments that appeal to me - we may need to up the vacay budget a smidge.

I also haven’t seen much in the way of AIs (at least, in the same ‘zip code’ of our planned budget) at BVI, Turks & Caicos, Aruba, Antigua, etc. They seem to mostly be concentrated in Mexico, Jamaica & the DR. Does that seem about right? Hubs has ruled out the DR entirely, so that further limits the AI options, as will if we rule out Mexico due to the travel advisory. So, not that we’re ‘stuck’ with Jamaica, but specifically on that island - any additional recommendations for places to consider or steer clear from (in addition to those already noted up-thread)?

We’re also considering not limiting our options to AIs, and instead just going with a standard resort/hotel, reallocate that portion of the budget for meals/drinks/etc., and venturing out for our meals/drinks/etc. But that’s where it gets a little hairy since we don’t know the areas. If we go that route, we’d want to ensure whatever area/region we choose - as well as the specific resort - has plenty of options close to/within walking distance of the resort AND are generally safe.

This search - while fun to see so many beautiful options - is a bit overwhelming.

@msop04 Of the places you recommended, that are AI, are all of the resorts’ dining/bars included, or does the AI option only include some, and others are extra? I’ve seen that on a couple resorts (not necessarily the ones you suggested) in the fine print, and just want to be cognizant of that as we keep our budget and options in mind. We don’t want any surprises or letdowns, IYKWIM. Thanks!

 

[msop04]

@the_mother_thing... you can easily do a 4-5 night couples trip to Secrets (pretty much any of them) for less than $3K. The last time we went, we stayed at Secrets Silversands for 4 nights, and it was $2300 all in, and that was in 2014. I strongly advise staying at least 4 nights (5 days), as the first and esp. the last day is almost like a 1/2 day, due to transfers from/to the airport.

A note on tipping. Most top notch resorts in Mexico discourage tipping, as they feel you have paid for an all-inclusive. I know that Secrets staff is not supposed to accept any tips. We were told by the front desk that staff can be written up for accepting tips. That said, we always give a tip to those bringing/taking our luggage to and from the hotel. Also, we'd slip the waiters a couple of buck every now and then at the pool. Of course, you can choose to tip if you'd like, but I just wanted you to know that it's certainly not expected at Secrets in Mexico.

ETA: we fly out of Atlanta and Birmingham (2.5 hr flight to Cancun), so our flights weren't as expensive as someone flying from further away.

 

[the_mother_thing]

@the_mother_thing... you can easily do a 4-5 night couples trip to Secrets (pretty much any of them) for less than $3K. The last time we went, we stayed at Secrets Silversands for 4 nights, and it was $2300 all in, and that was in 2014. I strongly advise staying at least 4 nights (5 days), as the first and esp. the last day is almost like a 1/2 day, due to transfers from/to the airport.

A note on tipping. Most top notch resorts in Mexico discourage tipping, as they feel you have paid for an all-inclusive. I know that Secrets staff is not supposed to accept any tips. We were told by the front desk that staff can be written up for accepting tips. That said, we always give a tip to those bringing/taking our luggage to and from the hotel. Also, we'd slip the waiters a couple of buck every now and then at the pool. Of course, you can choose to tip if you'd like, but I just wanted you to know that it's certainly not expected at Secrets in Mexico.

ETA: we fly out of Atlanta and Birmingham (2.5 hr flight to Cancun), so our flights weren't as expensive as someone flying from further away.

I sooo appreciate your input and feedback about the tipping situation. Also, we’re planning to probably go for either 5 or 6 nights if we can swing it schedule-wise, and we’d probably travel in/out on a weekday. Does that - in your experience - seem to make the hotel transfers any easier/quicker? Also, I forget if you mentioned this already, but do you usually book directly with the resort and book airfare separately, or do use a different site (e.g., Expedia) to book both at the same time?

I’m pretty much sold on the Secrets resorts (working on getting hubs on board), as almost all of them I’ve looked at have the swim-up rooms which I REALLY like. Is there any drawback to those rooms that I might not be thinking of? Do other people come arbitrarily lounge on ‘your’ steps? I seem to have read that pools and the lounge chairs get full and occupied pretty quickly, so it seems like a nice idea to have our own ‘wet space’, and the ability to just swim over to the bar when we want to while having easy access to our room, so long as we don’t gain any groupies. Of course, hubs is worried he might have a couple drinks and meander into the wrong room.

ETA: I just sent you a message via LT through an old listing; not sure if it will go through since LT messaging can be wonky. Thanks!