Just got back from a week at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun. Frankly, not my jam, so I just went and did a quick calculation of what it would have cost if I had planned it like my normal vacations (the resort was chosen by the inlaws). We could have had a way more interesting week, IMO, and still have $2000 to spend on food/drink to have the same cost of vacation as what we paid the resort.

Honestly, I don't get the appeal. If we had just hung out at the pool and beach, like everyone else we went with did, it would have given an even more luxurious food budget. There's no way we ate enough food and drank enough in a week to make up for the cost difference.

And that is based on the Black Friday deal we got when booking the resort, which was 40% cheaper than what the rates would be if we booked today.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hanging out by a beach and doing nothing for a week is definitely my jam. Some of my favorite vacations in Hawaii have been like that. I’d probably feel differently if I had more time and wasn’t using it as decompression from work.

Can’t speak to the all inclusive aspect, but I always imagined it was kind of like the no haggle car dealerships. You avoid surprises and variability in outcome but it’ll never be the best deal.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

If I want to do nothing on a vacation, I prefer to do it at home as a staycation. When I travel somewhere, I prefer to pack my trip with new experiences and sites to really explore the area.

Granted, I am also the sort of person who probably needs a vacation to recover from my usual vacations.