All Inclusive for Family

[Frozen2014]

We've stayed at the Sandos Caracol Eco Resort twice now and can definitely recommend it. We booked excursions to the X-parks (Xcaret, Xel-ha, etc.) on both trips and really enjoyed them!

That's so great to hear as this is one of the ones we've narrowed it down to.

I know it's subjective but can I ask your opinion on: food, entertainment? And the beach is right there? This seems like a great all around option with many things to do.

Also looking at Iberostar Selection as mentioned by HappyEverAfter (if it's the same one). Looks nice too with a lazy river (more my speed...lol), but the resort is almost double the price.

 

[Frozen2014]

That was one of my first searches when I was looking for AI resorts. I looked at Beaches as we stayed at the Ocho Rios location.

I do think that Punta Cana and Cancun will yield the most choices for you. Getting a lot of ideas as it is from this thread. Like you, I'd rather do a cruise, but have zero issues pivoting to a resort if it comes down to it. I just want to go somewhere warm next winter!

My main value add to this conversation is that going from cruise to resort is actually not that difficult, if you've learned to do things on "cruise time". There will probably be less people in terms of peer groups for your kids, so I do think something like an attached waterpark will be great for them - spend half the day there and then maybe the rest at the beach or playing sports.

Beaches looks really nice but all ones that I've priced have been quite a lot.

Above in bold is 120% how we feel. So desperate for a family holiday, as I'm sure many on here feel the same. Of course, it depends if our kids can get vaccines in time (yah for Pfizer just expanding to 12-15 so both our kids will be eligible) - so we'll pay more for refundable. Will look into WestJet's cancellation. Thanks.

Our kids don't go to the kids club, so no worries there. DH and I are happy to let them play and watch them at the waterpark, and then lots of things we do together as well.

 

[hdrolfe]

I have cruises booked for December and end of January... if we can't do them because of whatever reason, I'll be looking at an AI for the end of January for sure. Sandos Caracol Eco and Memories Splash in Punta Cana were my top choices previously, because they waived the single supplement for travelling just me and my son. I hate having to pay full price for him at an AI when it's not like he can drink or anything. So I look for the deals like that.

 

[Aladora]

That's so great to hear as this is one of the ones we've narrowed it down to.

I know it's subjective but can I ask your opinion on: food, entertainment? And the beach is right there? This seems like a great all around option with many things to do.

Also looking at Iberostar Selection as mentioned by HappyEverAfter (if it's the same one). Looks nice too with a lazy river (more my speed...lol), but the resort is almost double the price.

Checking their website it seems as though they have changed some of the food since we were there last in March 2019.

Food varied from restaurant to restaurant but we were not super thrilled with the Tepanyaki place and that was one of the places we had to get a reservation for! (It looks like reservations are required all but the buffets) We really enjoyed the vegan restaurant, although I am not sure it is still open right now. The other one we liked was Mediterranean one. La Riviera. The steak house, which is usually only for the time share guests was open for regular guests a few evenings a week was fine, nothing spectacular but decent.

The beach is right there and we did a snorkeling adventure that was super fun! There is a cenote on site that was really lovely to swim/snorkel in, the water park was okay, our son is not a huge water slide lover so we only went there once. We did borrow bikes and went for a ride around the grounds, they have a kayak tour, and we all LOVED the fire show! If you do the snorkeling adventure, I recommend paying extra for the photos.

At Xcaret park, we upgraded for the Mexico Espectacular and did the food & beverage package which I highly recommend.

 

[Frozen2014]

Checking their website it seems as though they have changed some of the food since we were there last in March 2019.

Food varied from restaurant to restaurant but we were not super thrilled with the Tepanyaki place and that was one of the places we had to get a reservation for! (It looks like reservations are required all but the buffets) We really enjoyed the vegan restaurant, although I am not sure it is still open right now. The other one we liked was Mediterranean one. La Riviera. The steak house, which is usually only for the time share guests was open for regular guests a few evenings a week was fine, nothing spectacular but decent.

The beach is right there and we did a snorkeling adventure that was super fun! There is a cenote on site that was really lovely to swim/snorkel in, the water park was okay, our son is not a huge water slide lover so we only went there once. We did borrow bikes and went for a ride around the grounds, they have a kayak tour, and we all LOVED the fire show! If you do the snorkeling adventure, I recommend paying extra for the photos.

At Xcaret park, we upgraded for the Mexico Espectacular and did the food & beverage package which I highly recommend.

Thanks so much for the feedback. Not sure if your son is like our kids but they are super picky. Did they have regular "kid" food (chicken fingers, pizza, etc). Sounds like a silly question, but going away is a real treat for our kids so food is a nice part of the vacation for them.

I'm trying to get a better idea of the waterpark. Our kids are past the kiddie stuff. The aerial picture seems to show some big slides but don't see many pictures otherwise.

Renting bikes would be something we'd like...and possibly even the kayak tour. The fire show sounds fun. If we end up seleting this resort, will look into the Xcaret park. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Aladora]

Thanks so much for the feedback. Not sure if your son is like our kids but they are super picky. Did they have regular "kid" food (chicken fingers, pizza, etc). Sounds like a silly question, but going away is a real treat for our kids so food is a nice part of the vacation for them.

I'm trying to get a better idea of the waterpark. Our kids are past the kiddie stuff. The aerial picture seems to show some big slides but don't see many pictures otherwise.

Renting bikes would be something we'd like...and possibly even the kayak tour. The fire show sounds fun. If we end up seleting this resort, will look into the Xcaret park. Thanks for the tip.

They absolutely had "kid" food at the buffets for sure! There was always one section that was totally for kid food!

There were a few large slides and a few smaller ones. As I said, my son is not a big water slide fan so we didn't spend much time there.

If you end up booking the bus tour to Chichén Itzá, be aware that it is a 3ish hour trip each way! Amazing trip but a long bus ride. We didn't realize just how long it was and didn't let our son bring his Nintendo DS...it's been 5 years since that first trip and you better bet he STILL mentions about how bored he was on the bus!

Edited to add: there are a bunch of "X" parks, not just Xcaret. We have done Xcaret, Xel-Ha, and Xplor and we have enjoyed each of them.

 

[Frozen2014]

They absolutely had "kid" food at the buffets for sure! There was always one section that was totally for kid food!

There were a few large slides and a few smaller ones. As I said, my son is not a big water slide fan so we didn't spend much time there.

If you end up booking the bus tour to Chichén Itzá, be aware that it is a 3ish hour trip each way! Amazing trip but a long bus ride. We didn't realize just how long it was and didn't let our son bring his Nintendo DS...it's been 5 years since that first trip and you better bet he STILL mentions about how bored he was on the bus!

Edited to add: there are a bunch of "X" parks, not just Xcaret. We have done Xcaret, Xel-Ha, and Xplor and we have enjoyed each of them.

Really appreciate your feedback! Thank you.
Still looking at options but it is definitely a contender.

 

[Susan2771]

Hard Rock Resort Mayan Riviera or Hard Rock Resort Punta Cana Great choices for teens and adults.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

Bumping to see if anyone has any new suggestions. Looks like an all inclusive in Mexico is in the cards for us this summer.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I would use tripcentral.ca pricing grid. It's awesome. Here's the link:
https://www.tripcentral.ca/vacationgrid/index.php?

We went to The Grand at Moon Palace in 2019 with age ranges from 7-17. It was amazing. Nighttime shows were awesome too. I think it has gone up in price since then. And I "think" kids up to 17 get a deal.

Beach is nice, but too much seaweed in the ocean around there. But there are like 11 pools, water park, bowling, etc
And you get access to the neighbouring Moon Palace Sunrise and Moon Palace Nizuc for staying at the top tier.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Bumping to see if anyone has any new suggestions. Looks like an all inclusive in Mexico is in the cards for us this summer.

I would totally go to MX over a lot of places. If the beach is a big deal you should know that the seaweed situation has gotten really bad. This year it started earlier than normal and right now I'm seeing pics posted daily of it along the beach and it's 3-4ft wide and easily a 1-2ft high. People are saying that the beaches are unusable due to the smell and unswimable due to it being so thick in the water. That said there are some areas that it is not so bad.....the areas north of Cancun are generally better along with Cozumel. The summer months are the height of seaweed season.

Something else to be aware of.....the Riviera Maya resorts are experiencing a major staffing shortage. A lot of the previous workers left and returned home during all the closures/restricted periods and have not come back. Some resorts have opted to continue to operate at reduced levels of service in order to recoup some of the lost revenue of the last 2 years.

We went to Ocean Riviera Paradise in October and really enjoyed the resort. This property gets either a ton of love or a ton of hate. I think those that hate it had unrealistic expectations. Many seem to be from the UK and the resort is sold there as a 5*....it's a 4.5* and there are differences between those levels. ORP is a very well priced resort for Canadians....seems to be overpriced from the UK. Anyway, we stayed privilege and thoroughly enjoyed our week there. I would go again. No complaints about the food, the staff was nice/helpful, everything was clean. There are lots of options for accommodations.....family, adult only, privilege, beach. Lots of dining options, a coffee shop and ice cream shop. The only sort of negative worth noting is that they have a humidity problem in the rooms so you need to get a dehumidifier put in your room and you have to dump it a couple times a day. ORP is one place that is still operating at a reduced level or staff and service. I talked with a manager while there who told me it was intentional and would be for a long time to come.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

The only sort of negative worth noting is that they have a humidity problem in the rooms so you need to get a dehumidifier put in your room and you have to dump it a couple times a day.

OP said they are traveling in December. I don't think humidity will be an issue(?). We travel in April and the A/C keeps our room cold and clear of any humidity. If you are traveling in summer, then you might have more of an issue. Also, keep your patio doors closed to keep it out.

 

[Frozen2014]

OP said they are traveling in December. I don't think humidity will be an issue(?). We travel in April and the A/C keeps our room cold and clear of any humidity. If you are traveling in summer, then you might have more of an issue. Also, keep your patio doors closed to keep it out.

Lol...yes that was me. This post is a year old so it was for last December. We ended up booking Iberostar (Lindo room). Place looked amazing but we didn't end up going. We stuck with a booked cruise instead (which didn't work out either). Would definitely book Iberostar though in the future as the place looked really nice!

 

[dancin Disney style]

OP said they are traveling in December. I don't think humidity will be an issue(?). We travel in April and the A/C keeps our room cold and clear of any humidity. If you are traveling in summer, then you might have more of an issue. Also, keep your patio doors closed to keep it out.

I was responding to person that bumped the thread a couple of days ago...they are traveling in the summer.

My comments on humidity are specific to ORP....the AC there is a bit on the week side and many rooms it just won't cut the humidity. My room had good AC (the temp was good) but room was still damp...bed sheets were damp, floor had visible moisture on it.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

I would totally go to MX over a lot of places. If the beach is a big deal you should know that the seaweed situation has gotten really bad. This year it started earlier than normal and right now I'm seeing pics posted daily of it along the beach and it's 3-4ft wide and easily a 1-2ft high. People are saying that the beaches are unusable due to the smell and unswimable due to it being so thick in the water. That said there are some areas that it is not so bad.....the areas north of Cancun are generally better along with Cozumel. The summer months are the height of seaweed season.

Something else to be aware of.....the Riviera Maya resorts are experiencing a major staffing shortage. A lot of the previous workers left and returned home during all the closures/restricted periods and have not come back. Some resorts have opted to continue to operate at reduced levels of service in order to recoup some of the lost revenue of the last 2 years.

We went to Ocean Riviera Paradise in October and really enjoyed the resort. This property gets either a ton of love or a ton of hate. I think those that hate it had unrealistic expectations. Many seem to be from the UK and the resort is sold there as a 5*....it's a 4.5* and there are differences between those levels. ORP is a very well priced resort for Canadians....seems to be overpriced from the UK. Anyway, we stayed privilege and thoroughly enjoyed our week there. I would go again. No complaints about the food, the staff was nice/helpful, everything was clean. There are lots of options for accommodations.....family, adult only, privilege, beach. Lots of dining options, a coffee shop and ice cream shop. The only sort of negative worth noting is that they have a humidity problem in the rooms so you need to get a dehumidifier put in your room and you have to dump it a couple times a day. ORP is one place that is still operating at a reduced level or staff and service. I talked with a manager while there who told me it was intentional and would be for a long time to come.

Thanks for your lengthy, and honest, response. I think that you've talked me out of wanting to go to Mexico.. lol.. We are going to Hawaii for two weeks next week and I think that after two weeks on Kauai we will be totally disappointed in beaches full of seaweed. I really appreciate your honest post.