Final Thoughts on All Inclusive Vacation

Our goal of this holiday was an inexpensive holiday where we could relax.  In the end those two goals were met.

Even though our original hotel was not a right fit, upgrading to the Riu Pacific Palace was the right decision.  It ended up costing us a bit more. In total the vacation cost us $4,000 in the end including spending money.  Since the resort was all inclusive the added cost of food and drinks was kept down.  

Like I have mentioned in previous blogs we use to travel to Mexico to all inclusive every year for two weeks before we really started cruising.  We had vacationed three times to Puerto Vallarta, two times to Huatulco, once to Manzanillo, Loretto, and Mazatlan.  So we knew the product. 

Since those holidays we have cruised extensively on over 60 cruises.  We really knew that product but found because of higher cruise prices and the low Canadian dollar and also because in May our cruise destinations were limited we chose to head back to Mexico.

I am going to break this overview into sections comparing the pros and cons and who does it better, cruises or all inclusives. This is based totally on our views and this last holiday, based on the 5th star Riu Pacific Palace

Room

• Hotel room is huge compare to ship.  But we really are not in the room much.  Love the large bathroom where both of us could easily get ready.  The deep soaker tub was a nice treat too.  
• We did find the hotel room to not be as clean as we would experience on ships.  

• Noticed spots of mold because of high humidity.  
• Room was normally quieter than on ships.  Here we did not hear the neighbors TV or loud conversations.  However because of noisy kids in the hallways (why parents think it is okay to let their child scream is beyond me) which carries onto the entire floor was a bit annoying.
• Overall the pluses on the hotel side outweigh the negatives of a small cabin. 
• Rooms on ships are very clean, functional and cleaned twice a day.  
• TV on ships has more options as this resort had no channels in English.
• Here we had free wifi throughout resort including our room which saved us at night.

• Each room here had complimentary mini bar, with sodas, water, beer and four hard alcohol bottles (which we did not partake in).  We had to get our own ice but that was just down the hall. 

view from balcony

• And of course every room had a balcony.  On a ship you have to pay more for that.  
• Note a room in this hotel that faced the courtyard would experience a lot more noise.

For me the rooms end up a tie in my eyes.  Ones positives negates the other's negatives. 

Food

• The food choices here were quite good but after a week it got quite repetitive.  With only one option for breakfast or lunch we found after a week we were bored.  
• Heading into town for a meal helped but added to the costs.
• Quality and presentation was quite impressive.  However we did find many cold items that should of been hot.  But that is not unique to resorts I have seen this on ships too.

• This resort had four a la carte restaurants and getting reservations was easy but limiting to only two times early or late seating.  I was very impressed with the meals here and especially the service. Also these meals were included in the vacation, unlike ships where it is an added cost.

• This resort did have a limited room service menu, even more limiting than on Princess.  We did partake and found it to be basic and cold. 
• Evening dinners often had themes and we're presented with an added flare. 
• For this category ships win hands down.  With ships having numerous places to get food and higher quality it wins out.  However you won't go hungry here.

Daytime Activities

• If you are a beach/pool person then you suit a resort vacation.  
• Daytime Activities revolve around the beach and pool.  Beach volleyball, pool volleyball, soccer, pool games, target practice, horseshoes, zumba, water aerobics happened even day.  Entertainment staff were very welcoming and enthusiastic and approachable. 
• Pool was always crowded and hard to get a lounge chair, yes chair hogs are found everywhere.

• The beach here was very large with lots of chairs and palm trees for shade.  Umbrellas also could be had for a nominal fee. 
• Of course there were excursions you could partake in with Vallarta Adventures being the sole provider.  We did not take any excursions but did venture out on our down quite easily by either walking, taxis, or bus.
• If you are not a pool/beach person this may not be a holiday for you as there isn't much else to do.  Plus the heat here is oppressive and you need to cool off.
• Activities are posted on a big board daily.  You are handed a calendar with evening activities but it does vary a bit week to week but most shows were repeated each week.
• This hands down goes to cruise travel where your options for activities is 200% more and includes sitting around pool and tanning if you wish.  But options for daytime activities on a ship can be but are not limited to: trivias, lectures, casino, shopping, bingo, martini demos, games, exercise classes, galley tours, and much much more.

Evening activities

• After spending a day at the beach we always retired to the room to shower and rest.  We dress for dinner and then what.  Often we would walk around the resort then end up at a bar.

• Evening shows were basic and quite amateur but I appreciate their effort.
• The shows are repeated each week so we got the same show the next week.  So even less to do.
• Once the show is done there is a disco but not much else.  The lobby bar did have a piano player at times and that was enjoyable.
• Of course it does depend where your resort is.  This one was a distance from any bars/restaurants in the city, but that would always be an option if you were closer.

Hands down ships win in this category.  Evening activities are 300% more than on land.  Activities on ships include but are not limited to:  Casino, entertainment act in Atrium, trivias, game shows, production show in main theater, comedians, dance/party band in a lounge, another live band in another venue, wine tastings, Movies Under the Stars, Disco and so much more.

Bar/Drinks

• Resort included all drinks.  Trust me you could really drink all the time if you wish.  
• Variety was not bad but much much less than on a ship.
• This was a higher end resort so the selection was bigger and better than the 3 star Jalisco.  
• Three were three types of wine!
• Many known brands of liquor were not available.
• Martinis here were like desserts and not in a good way. For example a Cosmo is not suppose to taste like you are drinking syrup.  And forget about getting a bramble - they just don't have the ingredients.

• I love a liqueur made in Mexico called Damiana but this resort didn't have it - had to go to a bar in town to get it.
• Overall I found the drinks to be fair but not great.  They did the trick but at my age I drink more for the pleasure of the taste not the alcohol. Oh to be young again.

Hands down ships win here. With so many different bars featuring so many different drinks - here is the martini menu - here is the wine menu - here is the bar menus.  Yes on the ship you have to pay for your drinks but I would rather pay for a good drink then have a poor drink included.

Cost

• We did get an amazing deal for this all inclusive vacation. So for the price at this time of year this was a better value.
• However during more prime time (like when we travel to the Caribbean in January) resort vacations are much more expensive. I can often get a 20 day cruise for what I would pay for a two week AI resort.  
• We did tip waiters, maids, bartenders and servers but in the end that came in less than the normal cruise daily tips.  Plus we usually tip more on the ship.
• This is very subjective and there are a lot of variables.  
• Overall I still feel cruising is a better value. But you can get some great deals for all inclusives too.

Resort/Ship

• The resort was beautiful. Right on the beach with stunning views. Very ornate, and a little like I was in Venice or something. Not really my taste but for a holiday it was fine.

• Lots of space with beautiful manicured gardens.  
• Large pools, with swim up bar, lounges in the pool, tons of lounge chairs.

• Spa, large buffet, four a la carte restaurants, large theater/bar, lobby bar and huge lobby.  
• The dreaded sand flies/noseeums loved us and bit us often.  Sure on a cruise when you visit a port you can get bitten but once on board it is rare.
• Thankfully this resort did not have timeshare sellers. But a short walk down the beach, or the sidewalk had someone approaching you constantly with timeshare (or what they now call Vacation Clubs). If you could keep walking that was great, but if you were waiting for something (like the bus) they would not let up. 

Even though the hotel is lovely cruises win out because they have so much more but it is not a fair comparison as if a hotel had as many guests as a ship it would be much bigger too. So both are great.

Demographics

• At this resort in May there were mainly couples of varying ages. Lots of families. Many kids, more than what I see on Princess ships when we travel during off season.  
• Many British come here thru a charter agency. Quite a few Canadians and Americans too.
• We felt comfortable here with regards to demographics and it was nice to meet others.
• Because guest arrive and depart all the time it was hard to connect with guest like you do on a ship where everyone arrives/leaves at the same time. You just have longer to make deeper connections.  
• On weekends lots of families from all over Mexico would arrive for a mini break.  But there were a lot more families/kids at the Riu Jalisco/Riu Vallarta (especially from US/Canada).

Over all I would give this to Cruise ships. I like the demographics on ships. The line I pick is Princess which fits our needs age wise. We tend to travel in off peak times so we don't encounter many children. We love kids, but don't really want to travel with a lot of them.  

I missed the camaraderie you get from connecting with fellow cruise passengers over a coffee/meal/or even sitting beside them at a show. This just didn't really happy at the resort, and if you did connect with someone they were leaving the next day.

Staff

• Jobs at these resorts are coveted and their employees are very loyal and work extremely hard. Most do not make that much in wages. A tip is what they strive for and augments their paychecks. They work extremely hard for a tip.  Certainly more than the average Canadian waiter does (my opinion of course). Waiters here would see you and ask you to sit in their section and then would have your drink of preference ready for you when you came back with your food.  
• They work long hours too and I know for at least this resort they were given one day off a week, which doesn't always happen.
• Most that served the guests spoke very good English, I was impressed.

Of course cruise staff are similar and work very hard too. Have to say the resort staff category is a tie.  

Dress

• I was happy to be going to a resort and get to live in sandals and t shirts for two weeks. Including dining in whatever I wanted. Note you couldn't wear tank tops or bathing suits into dining area at night and it was enforced (unlike ships' dress code).  
• But after a few days of being casual, I did miss dressing for dinner and making it an event. Now I am not saying formal dress, but just nice pants and a blouse and heading out for a nice evening. Although there were many who did dress for dinner (usually the ladies) but most did not.
• Most days we were in bathing suits/shorts/t-shirt which was okay for the first few days but found I got tired of it after that.
• Really missed having self serve laundry service (that you do have on Princess ships). And of course we are elite so we get free laundry. The resort did have laundry service but it was expensive so we made a visit to the laundromat after one week, which cost us 220 pesos. 

So overall for two weeks I would say I prefer cruises for dress. But for a week's vacation I would be okay at a resort and the casual atmosphere.

So who is the winner.  Well for each person it will be different. Both are great holidays.  It really comes down to what you like.

Based on our preferences we certainly prefer cruising for many of the above reasons.  

Ultimately the all inclusive vacation was just a bit too boring for us.  Spending every day at the beach, and nights wandering around with nothing to do just wasn't a fit for us.

We missed the quality in food, drink, and the demographics of cruises.

Will we do another all inclusive, well I will never say never. But I know we LOVE Mexico and we will be back but I think if we do head back we would just book an apartment and air and do our own things for meals/drinks/entertainment.

Sorry this was so long.  Thanks for following.  And of course this is just our experience and our preference.  

Two Beach Days and Walk Into Bucerias

Blogging about our time here is very different than on a cruise.  Not much to report from here that is really interesting.  On a cruise there are new things daily and different port stops to report on.

Both Monday and Tuesday we woke up and hit the beach around 10 am.  We get two lounge chairs near the water, get an umbrella for the necessary shade (100 pesos to rent) and spend the day.

On Monday a beautiful wedding happened on the beach around 4 pm. The couple is from Britain and they have about 20 family and friends with them.  I took pictures and will share here when I get home.  I think a wedding like this would be a great option, but kind of odd that people are watching your wedding in their bathing suits.
Lots of new faces appear each day as guests come and go from the resort.  Seems everyone goes crazy with the sun and fries and is beet red the next day.  It is very strong the sun and I can't stress enough how important it is to wear sunscreen and keep reapplying it.  We probably do four coats in a day of 30 SPF.  So far we have been lucky no bad burns.

Every day around the pool they set up a barbecue and you can get a variety of foods there that you can enjoy by the pool or beach.  Not much selection so we usually end up at the buffet.  Note you are not suppose to take food from the buffet to the beach.

Wind is strong and helps with the heat.  Around the pool there is not much of a wind.
The waves are fun, lots of people enjoyed using Boogie boards or body surfing in the waves, including us.

We have both are on our third books and are totally relaxed.

The evenings are still rather dull.

Monday night we walked into Bucerias along the beach.  Was interesting to see some of the sea life that has washed up along the shore.  Puffer fish, some kind of sea snake thing, crabs, and half eaten fish.  Of course I too, pictures but they are on my camera so will out up later.

The walk took about 45 minutes and was nice but difficult to walk in the sand and then there is the issue of your feet full of sand when we arrive at the main square.

We are approached by a man who introduces himself as Miguel and he has a restaurant in the square called Miguel Angel.  Funny we were approached by the same man last week when we were here to check out his restaurant.  He offers us a tap to rinse off our feet.  We take him up on his offer.

We also take a seat in his restaurant and order drinks.  There is live music and we enjoy an hour or so here.

We do notice that the change given back to us from when we pay is not correct.  We comment and the waiters says "tip".  Silly guy, it was only a difference of 40 pesos or so that he short changed us.  But we would of tipped a lot more if he would not of played the game with us.

This does happen on occasion all over the world.  As a traveler you can encounter this anywhere.  Sadly I don't think Miguel the owner who worked so hard to get us to his restaurant knows this is happening.  Because we had thought of coming back for dinner some time but now won't.

We stop and get fresh Churro from the street vendor.  Yummy and only 6 pesos.

A quick cab ride back cause walking on the beach would be hard after a few drinks.

Each morning we order room service and we enjoy it in the balcony with this amazing view.  But it is warm out there.

Tuesday night we dined at the hotel and then decided to walk to the Riu Vallarta. Being at the Palace we have privledges at all three Riu resorts.

There are three Riu hotels here, all relatively close to each other.  The lowest end is the Riu Jallisco where we were at.  Had a giggle as we walked past it as it says on its sign it is a five star.  No it is definitely not, maybe a 2 or low 3.  Good if you expect that but not if you expect five stars.

The Riu Vallarta is a bit further and isome a bit nicer (I know it was more expensive thand the Riu Jallisco but not a whole much more expensive).  The hotel layouts for every Riu is basically the same.  A large U shape building with the activities going on in the inner courtyard.

We walk around and then take a seat in the lobby bar and order drinks.  This is also a nice hotel.  The demographics seem to be a lot more families.

As we sit we discuss all our Mexican holidays and was it always like this?  You see way before we started cruising all we did was two weeks at all inclusive all over Mexico.  Now we feel this is no longer for us.  I think maybe renting a condo may be better suited to us.

One thing we have found is the drinks are so sweet.  Seems to be at each hotel too. Not sure why.  Maybe one of you know why.  They don't skimp on the alcohol but boy are they extra sweet.  I know they are inclused in the package but I think my vote goes to buying a drink and getting a better product.

We walk back and watch TV on the tablet.

We have two more days and we are happy and sad to go home.  We have even started discussing our next cruise if the dollar gets better.

Older and Wiser - Hotel Change Is Necessary

That was a bust of a night.  Neither of us slept much.  Even with the new room we were waken throughout the night with sounds of partiers.  A group of young women screaming up and down the halls was the last straw.

In the morning we see our neighbors, a young family with two babies, for whom we heard not a peep from.  They too commented on all the noise.

I am up at 6 am, frustrated on how to remedy the situation.  I head to the lobby lounge with a coffee and write up my blogs from the previous days and wait for the Sunwing Rep. David to arrive at nine.

When he arrives I sit down and explain the problem.  He shows concerns and wants to fix the situation.  I ask if it is possible to change hotels.  I ask for the Riu Pacific Palace.  You see there are three Riu hotels here, all relatively close by.  The one we are at is the lowest and cheapest.  The Riu Vallarta is a bit higher up but we already know we don't want it from visiting it yesterday in the evening. Then there is the Riu Pacific Palace which is their most expensive and more stars.

He checks and there is availability and all we have to do is pay the difference.  So for $1,000 Canadian we can move for the next ten nights.  Done!  One thing we have learned is if we are not happy we have to fix it.

I don't really blame the hotel.  We did get a steal for the flight and hotel for two weeks for only  $1,500 plus tax for both of us.  That is all inclusive too.  We got what we paid for and I see why young people would come here cause a week was only around $500 plus tax.

While talking with the Sunwing Rep a family talking to the other rep also wants to move.  Hmm this could be a trend.

I compare the hotel to a week on a Carnival ship during spring break!  It is a good product for some but not for this couple.  I would not recommend it to friends my age either.

So it was key to fix it and thankfully we could.

We had to check out at 11 and the front desk was surprised we were leaving.  But when we stated all the partiers she noded and understood.  We got in a cab to the Palace which is only two blocks away (50 pesos).

Right away we see and feel the difference.  This hotel is very opulent.  Sort of feels Italian.  Very ornate.  Not really my style but heck for ten days it will do quite nicely.

We are handed a beverage and we check in.  They assign us a room on the second floor and we request something higher if possible.  They check and we are given a room on the sixth floor.... I believe there are only 8 floors here.  With a partial ocean view.  However the room won't be ready till 3 ish.

No problem they put our bracelets on and we are free to use the services till the room is ready.

We have our bathing suits on under our shorts so we grab some towels and head to the beach.

The demographics are very different here.  Mainly couples, some families, Canadians, Mexicans and some Americans, varying ages.  But no groups of 20 somethings or large families of 20!

The pool area is large and there is no blaring music coming from the speakers around it.  The beach is quieter and more space to spread out.

Here they even come around and take your drink orders.

We relax here for almost three hours and then head to the lunch buffet for a small snack.

Big buffet, similar food but a bit higher end.  Certainly not as crazy with the crowds. When we sit down we are asked if we would like a drink.  They bring us a bottle of beer instead of beer from a tap.  I get a whole bottle of Pepsi instead of a glass.

We wander around and look at all the venues.  Here there are four al la carte restaurants too and the menus certainly have higher end options.  We will try them out and report back.

Here is a link to the hotel http://m.riu.com/movil/en/paises_movil/mexico/vallarta-riviera-nayarit/hotel-riu-palace-pacifico/index.jsp

We head to the room and we are pleased with the view.

The room is large with a separate seating area.

Nicer finishes throughout the room.

Big bathroom with double sinks and jacuzzi tub.  A tub! That is rare in Mexico and I know as soon as I unpack I am getting into a bath.  Nice toiletries are provided where other resort had none.

Again stocked bar is provided.  Also coffee maker in the room.  We also get 24 hours room service too.  And there is free WiFi throughout the hotel including our room. Other hotel it was only free (unless you paid a premium) in hotel lobby.

Overall we are much happier with the room.  Oh and it is very quiet!

We will nap before heading out tonight for dinner in Bucerias.  Bernie has planned a nice evening out.

Can You Believe It - Our Next Holiday Is Not A Cruise

As many of you know we love to cruise.  We love everything about it.  The beautiful ships, the great food, the crew, the destinations and the wonderful entertainment on board.

Whenever we have some time off we search for cruises that fit that timeline.  

We have a week of vacation coming up and we thought we would do a cruise. In fact we searched all the sites looking for a deal.  

One big thing is that it is Alaskan season for the ships, and since we live in Vancouver that is an easy option.  But we didn't want just one week.  The other issue is the low Canadian dollar which added about 30% to the cost of any cruise.

Our first hope was to sail on the Island Princess or Coral Princess on a round trip cruise up to Whittier and back.  But both those ships sold out.  So we started looking at other options.

Road trip?  But where to?  Of course again the Canadian dollar would limit us to staying in Canada and when you add hotel, gas, food, drink it really added up and would it really be a relaxing holiday.

We then looked at flying somewhere in Mexico and staying at an Airbnb or condo.  But again the costs added up to around $2,000 each for a few weeks.

Our last option was looking at All Inclusives down in Mexico and a great deal popped up at a resort in Nuevo Vallarta (just north of Puerto Vallarta) for a great price.

We booked this trip thru Sell Off Vacations.  

In fact we were kind of surprised at the low price.  Other times and other hotels were much more.  So we booked.

We have booked the Riu Jalisco  !

We use to go to All Inclusives in Mexico all the time. Usually every year for about six years our annual trip in January was Mexico.  We have stayed in Puerto Vallarta a few times and love it.  And of course we have visited Puerto Vallarta on cruise stops too.

So stay tuned.  I will blog from the resort on occasion on the happenings.  I will review the resort, the city and the activities available.  Of course the food and drink will also be discussed.  

I know this is not my normal topic but with the cost of cruising going up and the exchange rate so poor travelling to Mexico may be more of an option in the future.

Thanks for following.