RCI questions... All Inclusive resort in Mexico?

[poohnpiglet3]

Hi,
I've been a member of DVC for about 5 years now and have never ventured outside of the main resorts for the other collections available. Well now that the kids are older and hubby and I are wanting a bit of variety, we were thinking about Mexico!

Hubby and I have been to Cancun 4 times before and looooved it, so now we're looking at Cancun and Riviera Maya resorts through RCI.

I know that some people think it's not an equal trade, but I'm not so concerned with that, so please, don't tell me that I should try to rent my points and do this differently!

Anyway, I'm wondering what the RCI site means when they say that All inclusive is mandatory on their stays. Does it mean that we have to pay the exorbitant fee for food/beverages for all 4 of us? I mean, based on what i've read that would be about $600 per day if I'm reading it right! EEEEK! That can't be right.

Can anyone advise? Can anyone suggest a good resort in those areas that are NOT adult only?

Thanks!

Sherri

 

[cvjw]

We love the Palace resorts in the Mexican Rivera area. They are great for families - great food, beautiful beaches and resorts, and lots of activities for the whole family. It looks like you have to pay for the resort to be all-inclusive - the trade thru RCI only covers the hotel portion of the resort. When I looked into it, it seemed to be a very expensive trade, unless I was missing something.

 

[poohnpiglet3]

Thank you! I'm going to have to call MS to see if they know anything about the "All Inclusive Mandatory" thing on their site.

Sherri

 

[riu girl]

When trading through RCI, all inclusive is mandory for most (BUT NOT ALL) mexico resorts. When searching , read the fine print of each resort you are interested in and you find some that are not AI. Some resorts/times of year have much cheaper AI fees as well.

I have yet to go to Mexico using RCI since I find when pricing airfare and then paying the AI fees, I have always found it MUCH cheaper to book a vacation package (ex. www.funjet.com).

 

[jamstew]

I'm wondering what the RCI site means when they say that All inclusive is mandatory on their stays. Does it mean that we have to pay the exorbitant fee for food/beverages for all 4 of us?

Yes, that's exactly what it means, and some AI fees are way beyond $600 for 4 people. Although I don't know which ones, there are some resorts where AI is optional. However, I'd caution you to find out what that means as far as how it will impact your stay. Years ago, we stayed at an AI optional resort in Cozumel. Because we didn't pay the AI fee, we couldn't buy so much as a Coke on property, let alone get anything to eat. It was quite a shock! It ended up not being a huge deal since we just took a cab to the grocery store and got what we needed for the week.

 

[Anal Annie]

Hi,
Anyway, I'm wondering what the RCI site means when they say that All inclusive is mandatory on their stays. Does it mean that we have to pay the exorbitant fee for food/beverages for all 4 of us? I mean, based on what i've read that would be about $600 per day if I'm reading it right! EEEEK! That can't be right.

Yes! AND not all of the resorts allow kids. Look for the little picture icon that shows the family! I think there may be some that are adults only. I was just looking at this idea week before last. I asked about the fees for the AI but they said it varied from resort to resort & that info. wasn't available unless I was ready to put in for a search. I didn't like THAT as it could go thru without me knowing how much it would be!! I thought at a miniumum they should be able to tell me how much it was for each resort. We said pass on anything that was AI mandatory. Ultimately we skipped the whole plan as we just didn't start it soon enough and wanted to plan for this summmer so we just booked HHI. Trading definitely takes some advanced planning. The choices for MX without the AI are limited. You can maybe find some reviews on like Trip Advisor... A Costco package may be a better deal...

 

[littlestar]

Was playing around at the RCI site and saw this all inclusive page - don't know if the rates apply to DVC members or not:

http://ai.rci.com/

 

[jamstew]

I'm about 99% sure that it does.

 

[Dean]

The quality, prices and what's covered vary so much that it's almost a meaningless term other than it means get out your CC. Some will be over $3K for 2 for a week, others more reasonable. IF you're interested investigate the quality, cost and covered items as it fits into your desires and expectations. One issue is that many AI options are for resorts in places where missing out of the restaurants in the area is simply a shame. For other areas where you may not want to get off the resort, it may work out better. Cozumel, DR, Jamaica and the more remote parts of MX are great places for AI if you can find the right one. PV, Cancun, Aruba, Cabo and the like are horrible places to do so for most people no matter how well the options seem otherwise. OTOH, meal plans that are flexible can be a great option. For example we're going to Cabo coming up. The resorts we're staying at offers 6 meals for one price, one breakfast package, one lunch/dinner package. They can be used by 2 people and they can be stretched over the 2 weeks we are there. We had a similar plan in PV a few years ago.

Also, some resorts may be AI through RCI but not for owners or not through II or other exchange companies. So if you're looking at a given resort and are interested in their AI, see if they're listed with II, if owners get a better price or have optional AI or if the AI is required if you get the resort through an independent exchange company.