Cancun All-Inclusives??

Hi,

My family of five (mom, dad, 3 boys aged 16, 13, 11), want to travel to Cancun this summer.  We have never stayed in an all-inclusive hotel.  it sounds like a  good idea, but how are the crowds?  Can you enjoy yourself, or do you feel like you are always fighting for a pool or beach position?  Do you have to wait in the food line for a long time?

Basically, what is your opinion of all inclusives?

Thank you

LOVE them!!!  I always travel there in the winter months, so I can't speak for the summer.  But, it's never overly crowded when I'm there.  The busiest times are on the weekends, so maybe travel Wednesday-Wednesday. 

A great resource is www.tripadvisor.com.  You can read resort reviews and have all of your questions answered.  Have a great vacation!!!

My family spent a week in Cabo last June at an all inclusive.  Little did we know that June was considered the "off season".  Weather was beautiful, hotel was fantastic and the food was really good.  I would highly recommend this type of vacation.

i've heard nothing but rave reviews from people who've gone on all inclusives. some friends of mine did one, and basically there weren't "food lines" you just go to any restaurant on the property (and for them they were able to also go to another property owned by the resort) and eat whatever you want without having to pay the bill at the end. it sounded great!

i believe our summer time is the off season for mexico, you might want to check the weather reports for the time of year you plan to go to make sure it still sounds good! i imagine it gets really really hot! 

i wouldn't go for an all-inclusive just because i prefer more flexibility.  when you go that route, you feel like you should use the restaurants and services that you've already paid for, so there's a tendency not to stray far from the resort.  ordering off the same two or three menues can get boring fast; i prefer to have a little more choice and variety.

Most of the all-inclusive resorts in Cancun have at least five restaurants, there is enough variety that it shouldn't get boring.  I think that Playa del Carmen is a little less crowded than Cancun, it's just a few miles from Cancun.  I stayed at the El Dorado Royale which was an all inclusive couples only resort - their sister resort - El Dorado does allow children and I assume that it is not very crowded.  We went in September and there were times that my husband and I were alone at the beach but you have to be very careful with hurricane season, which is why this is the off season.  

I have no idea how the crowds are in summer, but I can garantie that it will be really hot, I was there this past November for 10 days and it was about 88 to 95 degrees everyday!   As for the all inclusive I chose not to take it because I wanted to have the flexability to eat anywhere.  If I go back I will probably go with an all inclusive to to save a bit of money (we spent way too much on food and drinks). 

Whatever you choose I would recomend that you leave the resort/hotel one night and go and eat at a restaurant called Chocko's & Tere, it has amazing food at really good prices, you can't miss it it right in the heart for the hotel zone with all the night clubs, the really fun part it that you get to sign you name on the wall!

Cancun is a beautiful place, no matter what you do I'm sure you'll have a great time!!

I've been to Cancun 3 times and stayed at all-inclusives each time! I love them and think they are so worth it. I stayed at the GR Solaris which was absolutely great from the staff, food, rooms and the location.  I honestly do not think I have waited in a single line while I was there and it was during March and April which are popular times to go.  Regarding food, my particular hotel had plenty of restaurant options and the hotel also offered vouchers for free lunch at places like Senor Frogs. My only poolside issue was that we had to put towels on the lounge chairs or else we would not have gotten good seats. Although, the beaches were never crowded and there were always plenty of places to relax. 

Hi There!

My husband and I stayed in Cancun at the Riu Palace Resort for 9 days in October.  This was my first time in Cancun and at an all-inclusive resort.  It was amazing.  I never felt obligated to dine in at the hotel for every meal, only because I felt like we got our money's worth in quality of the rooms and other services and amenities.  We did eat at the hotel for about 75% of our meals though because there were over 10 restaurants available, some buffet, some sit-down casual, and some formal.  There was always something different available.  I can't speak for any other time of the year, but the weather was wonderful and we never had an issue with anything being too crowded.  This particular trip was for our honeymoon, but about half the people we met had children with them and they were raving about the different activities that the hotel offered for them each day. 

If you go, I have no doubt you and your family will have a BLAST!

We stayed at the Moon Palace and it was awesome. There are several eating options there plus you can go to any of the other Palace resorts and use thier facilities. Getting to the other ones can sometimes be...interesting. The shuttles are not real timely. Getting a spot at the pool wasn't bad for us but we would go out in the morning. The Moon Palace did not have the nicest beach but it was the nicest overall. The Beach Palce has the nicest beach. Go figure. We love the all inclusives. It just makes it easier for us. I hope this helps.

Thank you, everyone.  I think we will go with an all-inclusive.  I think the convenience factor will be great!

WONDERFUL!!   I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!