You might have one friend or family member who's slightly skeptical about an All-Inclusive Vacation, and then there are all those friends and family members who LOVE them (like us!). The main concern with All-Inclusive vacationing is that off-resort & higher end on-property activities and spa treatments are not included; therefore adding to your budget. While it’s true that not every desired experience will be a part of your included vacation package, most resorts offer free activities and access to the facilities of their Spa. Doing a few quick calculations in advance and some planning will help you determine your expenses…something that we could definitely help you out with here at North South! Food and drink while travelling tend to be the pricier of your expenses, and are definitely covered at All-Inclusive resorts.
Without further ado, we’re going to break it down for you with some common misconceptions about All-Inclusive Vacations, and how you might be able to convince that stubborn person in your life to get on board with this beautiful way of travelling.
Here we go!
1. MYTH: “Cultural Experience will be lacking at an All-Inclusive Resort”
This is probably the most common misconception about All Inclusive Travel. While staying at a resort with food, drinks, and daily activities all available to you, it’s easy to relax and not leave the bubble of the hotel comforts. Our suggestion? Get in contact with your hotels concierge and activities team – they will be MORE than happy to set you up with some exciting adventures or lower key excursions so you can get off the resort and explore your surroundings. The most important part? Everything will be organized for you, safely, and efficiently! The upside? If you’re with a big group, some people can hang back and spend the day at the pool, choose a certain tour for another day, or decide to enjoy some activities that are at the resort.
2. MYTH: “There’s nothing to do”
While there might be those travelers who simply enjoy hanging out at the beach or by the pool, resorts definitely offer so much more to keep you going on your vacation. Fitness centres, yoga, pilates, water aerobics, snorkeling, boogie boarding, kayaking, pedal boats, are just to name a few that would get you up off your beach/pool lounger and into action. In addition to all these mentioned, most resorts do have tennis courts, beach volleyball, and pool activities to participate in. Usually a schedule will be noted for the day that you can pick up or take a look at. Most resorts also offer dance lessons, cooking demonstrations, language lessons, and family games (depending on the age restrictions, if any). Our personal favourite when it comes to activities at resorts are the shows every night that most resorts do offer.
3. MYTH: “Overindulgence will cause me to gain a few pounds”
While it’s true that you mostly have access to unlimited food and drinks, this won’t necessarily mean you’re overeating or drinking; you'll be too busy doing everything else! If you’re enjoying your vacation to the fullest, you’ll be far too distracted by all of the amazing things to do than focusing on just eating and drinking. There is always an opportunity to exercise and get active throughout the whole day. If you’re more of a pool/beach lounger, we’d probably suggest taking part in some late afternoon or early evening activities, or even first thing in the morning, to get some movement in for your day.
4. MYTH: “We’ll be constantly all together with no alone time”
The great thing about resorts is that there’s always something to do for everyone, of all ages, and of different interests, both separately and together. This makes it much easier to get alone time, which we all can appreciate. This isn’t something you can find at a standard hotel; where you’ll have to typically plan your day all together, or separately, and have to plan meeting times. At all inclusive resorts, the kids will have kid-specific activities, the more active adults can participate in sports and more vigorous activities, and more leisurely adults can visit the Spa or participate in more cultural or low key activities.
5. MYTH: “Resorts are overrun with kids and families”
Worried about your relaxing, intimate vacation being overrun with families and overzealous children? We have you covered. Firstly, most all-inclusive resorts these days are quite big. It’s very easy to find a quiet space. From the bars and lounges, to the Jacuzzi and Spa, you’ll always be able to find an area of solace. Adult only areas of resorts are also increasingly popular, and this is definitely something to ask your travel agent about before booking. Of course, there’s always the option in selecting an entirely Adults only resort.
6. MYTH: “We’ll never get our moneys worth with F&B, & there’s so many extra costs and upsells”
While it’s generally understood that you’ll be paying more to stay at an All Inclusive resort, to cover the cost of your food and drinks, the most common misconception that in order to get your moneys worth, you’ll have to eat and drink an exuberant amount. This is both potentially unhealthy, and untrue! Most resorts base their prices on a very standard amount of food and beverage. Base costs are determined by 3 meals a day, an average number of drinks per day, and snacks. Our suggestion? Make use of ALL included restaurants, lounges, and bars at your resort. Now, we aren’t suggesting you drink and eat yourself sick, however the sit down restaurants tend to offer more enticing food options. Stop by and make your reservation before heading to breakfast in the morning, or just before lunch.
Get in contact with us to book your next all-inclusive vacation, the sand and ocean are waiting for you....