Should I consider an all-inclusive trip to Cancun?
Should I consider an all-inclusive trip to Cancun?
I hope you enjoy reading about our trip to Cancun, where we stayed at an all-inclusive resort for 5 days during late October of 2022. This blog will contain travel tips as well, that are brought to you by Navigate Vacations, an Avoya Travel partner.
There are some security-related warnings, so please pay close attention to them, so that you can enjoy a wonderfully relaxing vacation while staying safe. We arrived at Cancun International Airport on a Friday morning, and got through customs relatively easily. One thing to note, if you are not a Mexican Citizen, they will open all of your luggage and they will "paw" through it. Be sure that you research the list of banned items before you go, because these laws are always changing.
Once you get through customs, you will pass through a wide corridor area with vendors that are trying to sell excursions, experiences, and other vacation related things. Many people call this the shark tank. Steer clear of these people! They can be very persuasive, but remember, anytime you leave your secure resort, you are automatically in more danger of being scammed, robbed, or worse. Many of these vendors will try to lure you in with a ridiculously cheap offer, but then they say that you have to come to their office to redeem the offer. We avoided that, but I have sat through some time share hawks pitches, and if they get you to their office, they will use their best people to really turn up the pressure. Not to mention they will waste your valuable vacation time.
Once your get past those vendors, you then have to pass through a gauntlet of taxi drivers. Do yourself a huge favor, and arrange your travel ahead of time. There are plenty of places online that you can reserve travel from ahead of time. This will prevent you from getting gouged with prices, and also keep you more safe, because you know that you are with are legitimate. If you fail to arrange transport, make sure you talk to a legitimate cab company. They will be wearing uniform shirts and most hold signs with their companies name on it. Do not go with some one-off sketchy driver. Also, research rough travel costs ahead of time so that you know that you will not be overpaying.
Avoid the tiki bar right at the aiport, you will pay double or triple for your cocktail. Unless you just really need a drink after dealing with that gaggle of vendors. Anyway, I'm not trying to scare you, just make you informed. We got to the restort safely with our pre-arranged service for about $28 US dollars, and then the fun began!
We arrived at the Grand Oasis Cancun resort, and were ushered to the VIP admissions desk. We paid slightly more for VIP status, and it was worth it! If gives you a special armband that gives you access to ALL of the restaurants on the property. We were handed mimosas while we waited for the desk to review our passports and set up our room access cards. We declined bellhop service since we travel lightly, and proceeded to our room. On the way, we were greeted by the beautiful Atrium below.
Our room was incredible, and had a balcony with some breath-taking views of the Ocean. After a celebratory cocktail on the balcony from a bottle that we picked up at duty free, we got changed into swimsuits and headed down to the buffet, with plans to go straight to one of the three pools immediately after dining. The buffet was huge and had many types of food, exotic fruits, and delicious deserts that we had never tried before.
After our meal, we headed to a nearby pool that featured a swim-up bar. The nice thing about all-inclusive, is that all you need is your arm band, so you can leave everything in your room except your room key. The bar is pictured below, but the windows are closed because I took this on day 2 before they opened at Noon.
Unlike a cruise ship, these resorts do not have limits, and in fact you can bring your own drink containers. I recommend bringing a large insulated container, because if not, you will have to use the small 10oz plastic cups that they keep on hand. After having a few drinks down by the pool, we headed down to explore the beach. It was incredible! Clean white sand, crystal clear water (you can see down to the bottom, even if you are chest deep!), and surprisingly warm water.
Oh yeah, be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen! I brought 30spf, but after a day and a half in the sun, I needed some 50spf and had to pay $32 US dollars for it in the giftshop. If you bring a full size bottle, just put it in your checked bag and be sure to have it inside a zip lock bag in case that brittle plastic top gets cracked in transit.
If you venture out in the evening, you will most likely be pressured to join in on shows or talent contests, depending on what you have scehduled. As an American, you will be a minority, because these resorts are popular with the locals as well. Many of them come to stay for a quick weekend getaway with the family, and some even just purchase a day pass so that they can enjoy a day of food and drinks and fun in the sun. As a minority, they love pressuring you to join in on the fun.
If you get invited to join a show or contest, you should do it, even if you are shy (by this time of day, you will most likely have consumed plenty of liquid courage anyway). Trust me, it's great fun! Just remember: everyone is laughing with you, not at you... maybe!
I wish I had taken more photos of the food. They had several restaurants to choose from with everything from Authentic Mexican cuisine, sushi, street foods, pizza, as well as many elogent sit-down restaurants. If you prefer fine dining, be sure you look into making reservations on day 1. Even though they are included, they still require reservations (typically 24 hours in advance), because seating is limited.
Overall, we had an incredible trip, with plenty of relaxation, and even made a few friends along the way. Let us know if you would like some help finding an all-inclusive resort in Cancun or any other tropical destination. We can certainly help you!
Let us know in the comments below if you have any questions, and don't forget that if you do not already have a Travel Agent, Tina would love to help you with your dream journey.
You can contact us via https://www.avoyatravel.com/experts/tina-olson/
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