Planning an excursion . . .

[Pew]

My wife and I are (finally) planning our honeymoon/ anniversary.

We believe we have the area narrowed down we would like to visit (Yucatan Peninsula), but are semi-unclear of what to do next. It seems that 'all-inclusive' resorts have the best bang for the buck, but when we read the reviews on various websites (tripadvisor.com) these 'pristine beachfront resorts' become modern day hell on earth, as judging by some of the reviews. 5 star hotels are described as Hollywood Blvd pay-by-the-hour motels.

A search, then, into accommodations and then paying for our own meals, etc, place the cost of the trip nearly out of reach.

So our questions:

What do you look for in an 'all-inclusive' resort?

How do you get the most for your money at non-inclusive hotels?

Have you taken a trip as such? What do you recommend for new travels?

Thanks!

[hurricane]

We stayed at the Moon Palace -- an absolutely great experience. I highly recommend any of their properties. One of the great things about this particular one is that your wrist band allows you to get into and eat and drink at all their properties. So if you're in Cancun proper and get hungry, you can get a bite to eat and drinks at their resort there. They have something like 20 gourmet restaurants to eat at - inclusive. A shuttle runs you back and forth. They rent cars there, arrange tours -- everything. No tipping is allowed.

The best part of an all-inclusive there, is that once you pony up them money, there are few additional costs. Unless you book a tour, rent a car or want to take one of their boats out, there's no additional fees. So the budgeting is a snap.

Definitely plan a day at X-Caret - an amazing eco theme park.

As for getting the most out of your adventure there. Don't be shy about trying things out - the resort I stayed at had all non-motorized watercraft included in the price, an initial scuba lesson, shows every night. It was like a cruise ship on land. The Moon Palace even had a pirate themed mini-golf course with a pirate ship theme.

Oh, realize that the refrigerator is stocked with beer, water and soda and it's yours for the taking. The beer golf cart returns every day, so don't be shy if you want a beverage in your room.

I would rebook in a second to go back.

Check out all their resorts at http://www.palaceresorts.com

-- Hurricane

Edited November 18, 2009 by hurricane

[Bright]

Check out the cruise ships see if any go there they are the best bang for the buck in this economy and include a lot of food some Alchol will be extra plus tiping at the end for your wait staff and room steward, but the hardist thing is all the day and night activites they have to choose from, of course you don't have do a thing if you dont want ;-}

Edited November 18, 2009 by Bright

[Ransom]

The only thing that I might add, is talk to a travel agent. They have access to special deals/prices/packages all the time, and may find you a real bargain. Also, they can handle the airline tickets, etc. This came in very handy when we got back from our cruise through the Panama Canal. Because of bad weather, LAX and SF were socked in, and flights were being canceled right and left, including ours. We called our travel agent in Oregon, and she had us booked on another flight going out that same day. We really thought we were going to end up sleeping on the floor in LAX, so that was a life saver!