All-Inclusive? or not....

I always overeat when I stay at an all-inclusive resort. Probably because the food is TOO convenient - kind of like a cruise ship.  Some people love it, some people hate it.  Here's the skinny on the all-inclusive resort.  First, you'll usually pay $75-$150 more each day of your vacation for the all-inclusive option.  It usually means just food and drink. Spa visits and other activities often cost extra.If you're like me, trying to keep a mental tally of how much you're putting on your room tab can be daunting. It's quite freeing not to have to deal with money or tipping all day every day.  It's a God-send for those of us vacationing with kids. Take mine for example. They're never hungry at the same time and everyone usually wants something different.  It's so easy to send them to get a slice of pizza or visit the taco bar on their own...maybe TOO easy. Probably the biggest negative is that you're locked into the resort food. Sure, they might have 3 or 4 restaurants on their property, but by day 3 you've gotten the general idea and it's all starting to taste the same.  

I'm not a fan of the buffet line so getting up every day to face that giant mound of scrambled eggs being warmed over a Bunson burner is enough to ruin my morning.  At the bar, the drinks can be small and watery and you might be asked to pay an up-charge for a top shelf brand of liquor.  A big part of my vacation is enjoying good food.  I also like to leave the resort to poke around town and find a restaurant that I think is interesting.  You can leave the resort if you'd like, but since you've already paid for food for the day - it's like paying for dinner twice.  I guess you can tell which side of the debate I land on.  It all depends on what's important to you and how you chose to enjoy your vacation.  Before you go - check tripadvisor.com and see what people are saying about the food at your resort. 

www.tripadvisor.com
Posted by NAOMI THOMPSON at 4:20 PM

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I didn’t dip my toe in an ocean until I turned 25 and my friend Sandy and I traveled to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. After that week, I was hooked. I loved being somewhere new; smelling the smells, tasting new food, seeing how other people lived. It energized me. As luck would have it, I landed a job that allowed me to travel all over the US and often to Canada. Being a sports event television producer, I was on the road all the time. That's when my love affair with travel began. Now, its 20 years later and still no one gets more “geeked up” about planning a vacation than I do. All I need is a destination and some travel companions and my fire is lit! I start delving into my favorite hotel sites, sifting through photos and reviews, comparing, contrasting -it’s like an addiction. The travel shows with tips and trends? I study them like a playbook. I LOVE doing the things most people hate doing before they go on vacation. Whether it be searching for a food tasting tour with a local or discovering a romantic B&B in the middle of New York - I’ve found it and I’ll share it with you. So....where should we go?