Great tips! I would to that list the following : Don't try to drink all the alcohol in the hotel. You won't be able to do it and instead you'll end up with a bad hangover taking you out of action or worse yet alcohol poisoning. Now the pool chair hoarders should be hated by every single person who's on vacation 😂😂😂
I'd say and add on to the tip situation, "be nice to people", a lot of times I see people go to these types of resorts and they think they're royalty with a cadre of servants. And they always wonder why I get taken care of faster and better than them, which just makes them more obstinate. Being nice and friendly to staff goes a loooong way
Great tips, Walter! Let me share two more mistakes: 1. Make sure the room mini bar and the room service are included too. That's not always the case. 2. If there's anything wrong with your reservation you can ask for an upgrade in your status in the resort that can include exclusive beaches, beverages or experiences.
Extra mistakes: 1) Underestimating the strength of the sun on your first day, not putting on sun tan lotion, and getting the worst sunburn of your life 2) If you're a drinker: not going to every single bar and finding the best bartender, who you tip well and are guranteed to have the tastiest/strongest drinks 3) Enjoying said bartenders drinks too much, and nursing a hangover the next day.
I'll never understand how non melanated people have to remind other non melenated people to put on sunscreen?! Like how did you survive not knowing you could burn in the sun? I'm black my whole life I've been putting on sunscreen and I don't even sunburn in the sun easily. But my mom always instilled the importance of sunscreen. Also it might help with your aging process.
Hi Walter, great video! I've only done all inclusive in cancun and need to warn people about the time-share sales people. If you get caught just being nice (hearing them out but not having any intention on investing in a time share), you will literally waste hours if even a whole day of your trip.
I kind of knew the time share people were part of the deal, but I was surprised how annoyed I was by them. I just stopped answering the phone in the room and saying no to most free gifts offered by hotel "staff." If I liked all-inclusives more, I think I might pay more money to NOT hear sales pitches.
I made the mistake of going to one presentation in exchange for dinner at an exclusive beach restaurant. They were unbelievably incessant and persistent. They had one closer after another after another. I was starting to think we could never leave. When we were finally through after wasting an entire morning (we were told it would be no longer than two hours), the girl leading us around told the host a secret word probably meaning we didn’t buy anything and he gave us a voucher for some lousy breakfast at a stupid time that we ended up not even using. When we asked about the dinner we were promised he said he didn’t know anything about it. just say no no matter what they offer and enjoy your own time.
I find that the benefits can be skewed toward alcohol drinkers a lot. We planned an all inclusive cruise that excluded tea from "all-inclusive" drinks. A family of 6 that doesn't take a drop of alcohol but has to pay more for a pot of tea at breakfast. Smh
1. Check out show schedule & activities. Those can be great. 2. Sometime different buffet restaurants can have different food. For example, if this buffet doesn’t have the oxtail that you want, maybe the other ones will.
Couldn’t agree more with the tipping and learning a bit of the local language. The last time I did an all-inclusive in Cancun, I found both made a big difference. Giving good tips and learning some key phrases in Spanish made for a better experience. I definitely got faster and better service because of that.
Most mexicans don't speak english, and I've noticed this being a mexican myself. So whenever a foreigner comes to Mexico, they have an infinitely easier time if they know a few words in spanish
Tipping.....underrated on cruises and all inclusive resorts. If you want service, then you are competing with everyone else that is there. After the first 2-3 days, the staff will recognize you, and treat you differently. You will be at the beach or bar and servers will come up to you regularly. At the restaurants, you will get whatever you want, and food off the menu. It doesn't take much to set yourself apart from everyone else. Most don't tip at all.
If you’re staying at a higher end resort a lot of these don’t apply. Resort chains like secrets, couples, excellence, etc. walk you through everything. The food quality is much more higher end than a Barcelo, riu, Bahia, etc. You def get what you pay for with an all Inclusive. The higher end resort chains also don’t have wrist bands.
Agreed. Just got back from Secrets and this video really doesn't resonate with my experience. I wanted for nothing and staff went out of their way to make the experience wonderful.
Hi, Wolter! I'm really enjoying your videos, specially the ones from my lovely Dominican Republic. One tip at DR in the event you need to buy clothes, footwear or things like bugs spray, sunblock or anything you fancy: Just head for the public mall outside the resort premises, specially if in the Punta Cana area. There are several malls where you can buy almost anything at very affordable prices, some things even at the same price or even cheaper than at your country of origin. There's even an Ikea. You'll have to go outside of course, but it will be completely worth it.
We stay at the Barcelo in Aruba. Been to Punta Cana 5 times, stayed at all-inclusive each time. We feel it is the way to go. When we were in DR we were told not to venture out on our own unless on an excursion, so that was really the only time we left the resort, and were able to see some of the country. We did the same thing in Mexico. We only left the resort on an excursion, that was it. When we go Aruba, even though it is safer to leave the resort, we still do all inclusive, cause eating every meal out, and drinking, especially in Aruba is crazy expensive. We have our breakfast and lunch in the resort and maybe go out for dinner a couple times.Having done all inclusive on all our trips, we pretty much know what to expect and yes, we ask questions too. Your video will be very helpful to first timers.
Resort areas in Mexico are safe to venture out own your own. Just do not wear expensive jewelry, flash large amounts of cash or go anywhere with anyone you do not know.
@@BernieLeVeque I would never go to Mexico again. Last time I was there I got sick, and no, I didn’t drink the water. Plus I wouldn’t feel safe there whether on a resort or not.
Adult resorts are not always more relaxing! Don't book there thinking "Oh thank God, it's all grown ups, no kids running around." Stag(ette) excursions can be the most obnoxious bunch of fellow resortees. People go there to have a good time, whether they remember it or not. Family ones have some semblance of 'down time' or 'after hours'. If that's your game, then you'll love it but don't book mum and dad's 50th anniversary gift at an adult resort without looking into it. With adult ones, sometimes the noise goes 24hrs and you often find 'puddles' in corners and against the sides of buildings. If lying in the sun and peaceful relaxation is more your thing, read the reviews and watch for things like "boring", "small", "nothing to do" - THOSE are the best!
The best all inclusive I've stayed in when my children were young is Beaches Negril in Negril Jamaica .Everything is included even scuba diving if you are certified. Always stayed on the concierge level and you are treated like royalty.
The things I want to avoid on vacation are worrying and hurrying. The worst!! thing a resort hotel worker could say to me is "You better hurry up and make a restaurant reservation before 11 am or you won't get a seat at restaurant X for tonight's dinner service."
Dunno, I found that all-inclusive might be great when travelling with small kids but otherwise it kinda locks you in. We started doing half-board instead because it forces you to get out and eat somewhere else, visit places. Also alcohol/cocktails in all-inclusive tends to be not-what-you-usually-want.
We stayed at The Level, Melia Punta Cana, DR. They used to have a Dominican restaurant and Dominican dishes on the lunch buffet. You can walk down the beach to other beach restaurants that have great local food.never forget sunscreen. 40 bucks.
I am thankful that every resort we've been to has explained everything. Our food and non-premium drinks were included. The staff was great. In Jamaica, they had authentic food on the resort.
Mistake #1 don’t get sucked into those presentations for travel clubs ! My husband made me go to one for a free excursion . Wasted 3hrs of my vacay . Nice excursion tho
These are all great tips! One that I will add is, when ordering adult beverages the bartenders usually put a very small amount of booze in your drink to keep costs down for the resort. I learned to order my drink plus order an extra “shot” of whatever booze goes into it so I can dump it into the drink myself for the full flavor. & you are absolutely right about learning a few words of the local language, not only is courteous to put forth a little effort but as soon as the staff realizes that you are truing to speak their language they seem to become very appreciative of the effort & they love to help you with pronunciation & new words! Ask them about where they’re from, ask them about their culture, if you aren’t going to foreign countries to learn about the region & the people then what’s the point???
I'm actually planning to go to an All-Inclusive in Sept-October so this is a great video! (Tell you son I definitely always tip AND it is a good reminder for people too!) Thanks, guys!
Thanks for your help on this. It helped me a lot. Just giving the information that we need from start to finish and skipping all the other BS. Thank you.
I've been to quite a few All inclusives & most of them have been to the Domincan. Which they seem to just have a variation of levels of services, so u get better pools, better beaches, better restaurants. I just booked Antigua & didn't realize that if I would've booked directly w the resort, there's a whole big list of extras we would've received. Room upgrades, restaurant upgrades & coffee delivered to our room in the morning. I should've checked this before I booked. I thought I was well informed when it came to booking vacations. I deeply regret not researching this first. I just looked for the best price. So FYI, if you're booking a new hotel just research what specific deals individual resorts have. Also, I did look at reviews before I booked but I never saw anything about it
I've only been to one AI resort and they had a watermelon juice machine, self-serve. I drank 13 glasses that first day and levelled off to about 8 glasses per day. Best thing ever! Good that I didn't have a bigger glass! I also found the buffet to be exactly what you said, cafeteria food that appeals to Europeans. So Much Bread. There were two pots of local dishes for dinner but they were the same thing over and over, a delicious bell pepper stew. I had a nice encounter with an employee when I showed him I could write my name in Arabic, he was thrilled. The overwhelming memory of that trip though, was the heat and humidity and insufficient AC of the Maghreb in July.
Great content! I've also experienced an all-inclusive that everything was timed. Was only available at certain times, bars closed extremely early, you had to make reservations in person at the front desk by 8 in the morning to get one of the restaurants. So if you didn't get your fill or keep some food and drink in your room you were pretty much out of luck.
I was actually just in barcelo bavaro beach for our honeymoon! I recognized your videos are from the palace. My biggest issue was that they didn't tell us anything. They just handed us our room keys and told us our room numbers. Didn't know there was the palace with other pools or the other restaurants were included or even where to do watersports. We had to figure it all out ourselves
I think that some countries are reviewing their tourism options. All inclusives do hire a lot of people from the local community so there's that to balance. As it may create a society division between the people employed in resorts and the others.
I went to DR last year and it was actually tough to find Dominican food at the resort. Mexican AI's i think it's easier to find Mexican food. But man, this was spot on Mark!
Local food - we have stayed at several all-inclusives in Mexico, at the buffet my bland/picky eater partner follows the American/Canadian guests, I queue up for whatever the Mexican guests are eating. Tipping, shopping, we use local currency exclusively, as to use the Almighty U.S. dollar, we are Canadian so we get dinged twice on exchange rates, and you get quoted the 'gringo price'. Same often applies to credit card use. Good point on the outrageous prices for commodity items from the resort shops, bring it with you or go off-site to buy.
Beware timeshare scams. I went to a resort in Mexico and they made us attend a timeshare pitch meeting on our first day. And beyond that, the whole all-inclusive thing felt like a scam, honestly. The cafeteria food is totally a thing. I wouldn't do it again.
The other thing that I learned about all inclusive too is that they say "tips are included", but at the sit down restaurants (where alcohol is free) sometimes, they'll leave the whole bottle of wine for your party and then they'll just keep filling your glass. Seems nice at the time, but then when you go to close out, the waiters will start asking you about the good service you got because they want a tip.
Chock full of useful, practical tips. Excellent! I’ve never stayed at an all-inclusive resort but I have to say, they sound pretty rubbish. I think maybe denying yourself something (say the opportunity to go out to a local restaurant to enjoy local food and culture) just because you’ve already paid for it in the resort, is a mistake. Maybe another way of looking at it, is to reflect on the cost of airfare, etc to get to that location and plan to enjoy all it has to offer, whether within the resort or not. Maybe I’d choose to stay in an all-inclusive just for a few days if it had something I was especially looking for (say a great beach or water sports) but combine it with a stay in a nice city hotel where I’d have the freedom to eat out, shop and just soak up the vibe. But then my kids are all grown and it’s just my wife and myself.
First time I went all-inclusive, the first mistake I made was trying to pay for my first drink. I assumed it wouldn't include alcohol. The room didn't cost nearly enough to cover the cost of feeding me and getting me drunk. At least it wouldn't have at home
Sometimes gratuities are included. They are at the Excellence resorts. So check that info. Of course, staff will still appreciate tips, but you also have to consider the local currency and frequent overtipping in a tourism-heavy economy can lead to economy-damaging inflation for all citizens including those who aren't getting paid a lot of tips. You have to find the right level of tipping.
That's gotta be the Germans and Scandinavians, who are reserving the sunbeds with towels at the crack of dawns. Brits/Americans aren't awake until 9am when on vacation!
My “tip” is not to bring $2 bills. Since they are rare, some places don’t accept them. I got to know a bar tender pretty well on a cruise and he was telling me that the crew all exchange their $2 bills for $1 ones because a lot of places don’t take them.
Sounds a lot like cruising…only difference is you’re on land and not sailing. I think I could def do an all-inclusive resort. Given I’m heading into winter right now, a holiday someplace sunny sounds lovely.
A few years back they would offer a sort of orientation meeting at a preset location that gave very good information about the resort and the area, truly appreciated that, I think it was put on by the airline that you used, lt has been a while since it was offered. A number of resorts ago. They (the airline) have cut down on so much.. lf you take the time, and the staff have time they can fill you in on so very much. Thankyou for your video, and as you said "don't forget to tip" as generously as you can.
(Melanie here) Hi! Great video. Next time, I need to remember my refillable bottle. I came up and introduced myself to you at the all-inclusive in February. It's a wonderful place. The specialty restaurants had great food and the buffets were good as well. Very few staff there spoke English but enough to get our questions answered.
And another common mistake I believe is drinking the tap water. I heard on the internet that tropical tap water will likely upset your stomach, which will likely ruin your vacation.
Love your videos Wolter!!!! Been a fan and subscriber for years!! Im heading to Cancun soon, and your info is always very helpful! It is my first time going to an "All inclusive" Adults only resort. I will keep in mind all of this info! Good timing too! Thank you Wolter and family!
I hope to see more all inclusive videos. You should make a video about tipping at all inclusive resorts because there is a lot of debate about it. Some people barely tip while others tip like if the trip was free.
It never hurts to be known as a good tipper. Every extra dollar/peso/Euro is needed and appreciated by every person working in that industry, especially in today's economy of run-away inflation. And, believe me, the word about who is a good tipper gets spread FAST around the back of the house where the guest never goes...
@@aniveed8005 You want to be generous but you have to draw the line somewhere. I have heard some crazy numbers and that's why I think a video about it would be helpful.
Bring you own straws for your drinks. Most places I’ve been to now give you paper straws that only last 5 seconds before clapping. We now just bring our yeti mugs with the reusable straws and the bar tenders will usually fill your cup.
My husband and I went to an all inclusive on the Mayan Riviera. It was paradise! One mistake we made, however, was tipping the wonderful staff in Canadian money. Apparently, it was hard for them to exchange it. Next time, I would consider getting some American dollar bills.
Avoid the tap water and be careful with ice. It’s a problem I’ve only encountered once at an all-inclusive, but it doesn’t hurt to travel with a course of antibiotics in case of food poisoning. There’s very little w medical care in some locations, and it’s an expensive venture.
I’ve been to two All-Inclusive resorts and both times I really enjoyed myself. My all time favorite was a resort in the Bahamas. They treated us really well. But after watching this video that’s probably because we opted for the VIP package. So it makes sense now why they were waiting on us hand and foot. I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting their cuisine but they served everything else. The staff all laughed when I asked for their native dishes. All in all, all-inclusive resorts are nice. But if you want to really experience what these islands have to offer I suggest otherwise. Think at it, why would you leave the resort for food when there’s a ton already there that you basically already paid for? One more thing. A lot of people are complaining about the timeshare meetings. But I attended one of those and regardless of purchase or not you got a great excursion. After the presentation is done just stand firm and tell them no. They press you really hard but don’t give in if you don’t want to.
@@Boycrazy013 I stayed at the Melia. It’s a really nice, clean resort. Lots of food and amenities. However, it’s more of a family oriented resort. So keep that in mind. Next door was the Bahamar which isn’t all-inclusive. But they were partying nonstop. It’s more of a younger crowd there. So expect lots of college age guests having a good time. I was able to get on the resort one day and it was so much fun. The next day I tried to return and security stopped me. Lol
strange been to several all inclusive resort and haven’t had many of the experiences you described, no alcohol or food limits no its not top shelf but still did the job and the food wasn’t to bad but the restaurants was always included I never paid extra for anything
I have my personal experience about alcohol in All-Inclusive places. They kinda cheat with mixed drinks, so you will never be able to get drunk :) It's understandable, because alcohol is not cheap and they maybe try to prevent guests from going wild. So, from my own experience, I prefer to buy duty free alcohol at the airport and then bring it to the resort. BTW, what is your experience with alcohol in All-Inclusive places?
in the first 2mins I thought, "Oh! that sounds kinda like a cruise!". But the not sharing info thing?? Well, thank you for sharing. Sometimes it's just all about knowing the culture :)
Hi, I’m interested in nice calm, turquoise beaches, I loved the beaches of the resorts you stayed in. Can you please suggest good resorts with beautiful beaches. Appreciated
If you choose the right AI resort it is pretty much all inclusive you get what you pay for. Tip: if you’re given a wristband, probably not a great experience.
where in DR are you? we've been going for 10+ years at AI and never can you reserve a dinner a month in advance, heck you can't reserve until the day of.
Do you only pay for a room at the resort but go out of the resort for food and drinks? I am planning on doing that but not sure how it would work with kids and all.
Yeah the timeshare presentation - when they say it’s only 90 minutes, what they mean is 90 minutes sitting at the final table AFTER you’ve had the free meal and taken a tour of the facility and all the fun stuff. And they will literally cut the offers in half 3-4x just to seem like they’re giving you a super exclusive deal they don’t do for anyone else every time you turn them down. It was difficult for a people-pleaser like me to just straight up say no but luckily I had my friend with me to play bad cop and be like “where’s the sign out sheet, we’re headed down to the beach now - it’s not happening”. So if you’re not good with confrontation, bring someone with you who is. I wasn’t going to to it anyways no matter what they said, but I was probably going to waste a LOT more time and they already had us for about 3hrs as it was 🙄 Still, a small price to pay for the great package that friend got us for a 5-day all inclusive stay in Cancun. And the resort really was beautiful and the service was fantastic. I’d also add that when making reservations either at the resort or at a restaurant in a popular area to be very specific about the table you want. I’m not normally a high-maintenance person who cares about that sort of stuff, but these places are so popular that they will stick a table literally anywhere just to accommodate more people at a time and we literally got stuck by the kitchen doors, the POS system and prep area facing the opposite direction of where the fire show was taking place and literally felt like we were being banished from the party happening in the rest of the restaurant even though we were paying just as much as everyone else to be there. The food was fantastic but I don’t go on these kinds of vacations often and it really tainted the experience. Just do a google search of what the restaurant looks like or ask the person on the phone specifically for a good table, especially if there’s some sort of entertainment going on.
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Great tips!
I would to that list the following :
Don't try to drink all the alcohol in the hotel. You won't be able to do it and instead you'll end up with a bad hangover taking you out of action or worse yet alcohol poisoning.
Now the pool chair hoarders should be hated by every single person who's on vacation 😂😂😂
I'd say and add on to the tip situation, "be nice to people", a lot of times I see people go to these types of resorts and they think they're royalty with a cadre of servants. And they always wonder why I get taken care of faster and better than them, which just makes them more obstinate. Being nice and friendly to staff goes a loooong way
Great tips, Walter! Let me share two more mistakes:
1. Make sure the room mini bar and the room service are included too. That's not always the case.
2. If there's anything wrong with your reservation you can ask for an upgrade in your status in the resort that can include exclusive beaches, beverages or experiences.
I think it's wrong for companies to advertise all-inclusive then say so and so and such and such is not included
I agree. But I also think ppl who stay at resorts are just dumb white ppl
Unfortunately it happening more often especially in alcohol
Some are limiting the amount
Agree
Agreed. American hotels are doing that too. They say that and then charge you a resort fee and parking.
Yep, typical marketing BS.
$32 for sunblock!! I have never been to an all-inclusive, but this is one thing I'll never forget! 😂
No joke, $50 in the hotel shop in Cancun
Extra mistakes: 1) Underestimating the strength of the sun on your first day, not putting on sun tan lotion, and getting the worst sunburn of your life 2) If you're a drinker: not going to every single bar and finding the best bartender, who you tip well and are guranteed to have the tastiest/strongest drinks 3) Enjoying said bartenders drinks too much, and nursing a hangover the next day.
My face in brazil confirms part 1 😀
I'll never understand how non melanated people have to remind other non melenated people to put on sunscreen?! Like how did you survive not knowing you could burn in the sun? I'm black my whole life I've been putting on sunscreen and I don't even sunburn in the sun easily. But my mom always instilled the importance of sunscreen. Also it might help with your aging process.
It's incredible that you're able to interact with time travelers and learn their ways.
😀
Hi Walter, great video! I've only done all inclusive in cancun and need to warn people about the time-share sales people. If you get caught just being nice (hearing them out but not having any intention on investing in a time share), you will literally waste hours if even a whole day of your trip.
Hours that feel like YEARS 😀
I kind of knew the time share people were part of the deal, but I was surprised how annoyed I was by them. I just stopped answering the phone in the room and saying no to most free gifts offered by hotel "staff." If I liked all-inclusives more, I think I might pay more money to NOT hear sales pitches.
No gracias on repeat is wat I used outside the resort lol
I made the mistake of going to one presentation in exchange for dinner at an exclusive beach restaurant. They were unbelievably incessant and persistent. They had one closer after another after another. I was starting to think we could never leave. When we were finally through after wasting an entire morning (we were told it would be no longer than two hours), the girl leading us around told the host a secret word probably meaning we didn’t buy anything and he gave us a voucher for some lousy breakfast at a stupid time that we ended up not even using. When we asked about the dinner we were promised he said he didn’t know anything about it. just say no no matter what they offer and enjoy your own time.
I find that the benefits can be skewed toward alcohol drinkers a lot.
We planned an all inclusive cruise that excluded tea from "all-inclusive" drinks. A family of 6 that doesn't take a drop of alcohol but has to pay more for a pot of tea at breakfast. Smh
All inclusive resorts are like cruise ships on land. That’s how I think of them.
Yes!!
1. Check out show schedule & activities. Those can be great.
2. Sometime different buffet restaurants can have different food. For example, if this buffet doesn’t have the oxtail that you want, maybe the other ones will.
Couldn’t agree more with the tipping and learning a bit of the local language. The last time I did an all-inclusive in Cancun, I found both made a big difference. Giving good tips and learning some key phrases in Spanish made for a better experience. I definitely got faster and better service because of that.
Most mexicans don't speak english, and I've noticed this being a mexican myself. So whenever a foreigner comes to Mexico, they have an infinitely easier time if they know a few words in spanish
Tipping.....underrated on cruises and all inclusive resorts. If you want service, then you are competing with everyone else that is there. After the first 2-3 days, the staff will recognize you, and treat you differently. You will be at the beach or bar and servers will come up to you regularly. At the restaurants, you will get whatever you want, and food off the menu. It doesn't take much to set yourself apart from everyone else. Most don't tip at all.
If you’re staying at a higher end resort a lot of these don’t apply. Resort chains like secrets, couples, excellence, etc. walk you through everything. The food quality is much more higher end than a Barcelo, riu, Bahia, etc. You def get what you pay for with an all Inclusive. The higher end resort chains also don’t have wrist bands.
I totally agree. I noticed a huge difference in service.
For sure! I love excellence resorts
@@skyelynnae we do too. Our fave excellence is excellence punta Cana
Totally right. He should rename this video "The first mistake is going to a crummy budget resort."
Agreed. Just got back from Secrets and this video really doesn't resonate with my experience. I wanted for nothing and staff went out of their way to make the experience wonderful.
Hi, Wolter! I'm really enjoying your videos, specially the ones from my lovely Dominican Republic. One tip at DR in the event you need to buy clothes, footwear or things like bugs spray, sunblock or anything you fancy: Just head for the public mall outside the resort premises, specially if in the Punta Cana area. There are several malls where you can buy almost anything at very affordable prices, some things even at the same price or even cheaper than at your country of origin. There's even an Ikea. You'll have to go outside of course, but it will be completely worth it.
Really good to know. Great tips. thanks
@@shelbyng8703 so you found it very safe to be able to go do that I hear there’s concerns about safety and violence there
We stay at the Barcelo in Aruba. Been to Punta Cana 5 times, stayed at all-inclusive each time. We feel it is the way to go. When we were in DR we were told not to venture out on our own unless on an excursion, so that was really the only time we left the resort, and were able to see some of the country. We did the same thing in Mexico. We only left the resort on an excursion, that was it. When we go Aruba, even though it is safer to leave the resort, we still do all inclusive, cause eating every meal out, and drinking, especially in Aruba is crazy expensive. We have our breakfast and lunch in the resort and maybe go out for dinner a couple times.Having done all inclusive on all our trips, we pretty much know what to expect and yes, we ask questions too. Your video will be very helpful to first timers.
Resort areas in Mexico are safe to venture out own your own. Just do not wear expensive jewelry, flash large amounts of cash or go anywhere with anyone you do not know.
@@BernieLeVeque I would never go to Mexico again. Last time I was there I got sick, and no, I didn’t drink the water. Plus I wouldn’t feel safe there whether on a resort or not.
Adult resorts are not always more relaxing! Don't book there thinking "Oh thank God, it's all grown ups, no kids running around." Stag(ette) excursions can be the most obnoxious bunch of fellow resortees. People go there to have a good time, whether they remember it or not. Family ones have some semblance of 'down time' or 'after hours'. If that's your game, then you'll love it but don't book mum and dad's 50th anniversary gift at an adult resort without looking into it. With adult ones, sometimes the noise goes 24hrs and you often find 'puddles' in corners and against the sides of buildings. If lying in the sun and peaceful relaxation is more your thing, read the reviews and watch for things like "boring", "small", "nothing to do" - THOSE are the best!
The best all inclusive I've stayed in when my children were young is Beaches Negril in Negril Jamaica .Everything is included even scuba diving if you are certified. Always stayed on the concierge level and you are treated like royalty.
The things I want to avoid on vacation are worrying and hurrying. The worst!! thing a resort hotel worker could say to me is "You better hurry up and make a restaurant reservation before 11 am or you won't get a seat at restaurant X for tonight's dinner service."
They do book fast--so if you don't want to get shut out, get your reservations asap.
Dunno, I found that all-inclusive might be great when travelling with small kids but otherwise it kinda locks you in. We started doing half-board instead because it forces you to get out and eat somewhere else, visit places. Also alcohol/cocktails in all-inclusive tends to be not-what-you-usually-want.
We stayed at The Level, Melia Punta Cana, DR. They used to have a Dominican restaurant and Dominican dishes on the lunch buffet. You can walk down the beach to other beach restaurants that have great local food.never forget sunscreen. 40 bucks.
I am thankful that every resort we've been to has explained everything. Our food and non-premium drinks were included. The staff was great. In Jamaica, they had authentic food on the resort.
Mistake #1 don’t get sucked into those presentations for travel clubs ! My husband made me go to one for a free excursion . Wasted 3hrs of my vacay . Nice excursion tho
I love the Barcelo hotels and resorts. The one in Cabo, Mexico was amazing.
These are all great tips! One that I will add is, when ordering adult beverages the bartenders usually put a very small amount of booze in your drink to keep costs down for the resort. I learned to order my drink plus order an extra “shot” of whatever booze goes into it so I can dump it into the drink myself for the full flavor. & you are absolutely right about learning a few words of the local language, not only is courteous to put forth a little effort but as soon as the staff realizes that you are truing to speak their language they seem to become very appreciative of the effort & they love to help you with pronunciation & new words! Ask them about where they’re from, ask them about their culture, if you aren’t going to foreign countries to learn about the region & the people then what’s the point???
As a local in Punta Cana, this video is on point!
Wow that's a lot of information. I haven't been to an all inclusive in years, so this is helpful 😊
I'm actually planning to go to an All-Inclusive in Sept-October so this is a great video! (Tell you son I definitely always tip AND it is a good reminder for people too!)
Thanks, guys!
Thanks for your help on this. It helped me a lot. Just giving the information that we need from start to finish and skipping all the other BS. Thank you.
I've been to quite a few All inclusives & most of them have been to the Domincan. Which they seem to just have a variation of levels of services, so u get better pools, better beaches, better restaurants. I just booked Antigua & didn't realize that if I would've booked directly w the resort, there's a whole big list of extras we would've received. Room upgrades, restaurant upgrades & coffee delivered to our room in the morning. I should've checked this before I booked. I thought I was well informed when it came to booking vacations. I deeply regret not researching this first. I just looked for the best price. So FYI, if you're booking a new hotel just research what specific deals individual resorts have. Also, I did look at reviews before I booked but I never saw anything about it
I've only been to one AI resort and they had a watermelon juice machine, self-serve. I drank 13 glasses that first day and levelled off to about 8 glasses per day. Best thing ever! Good that I didn't have a bigger glass! I also found the buffet to be exactly what you said, cafeteria food that appeals to Europeans. So Much Bread. There were two pots of local dishes for dinner but they were the same thing over and over, a delicious bell pepper stew. I had a nice encounter with an employee when I showed him I could write my name in Arabic, he was thrilled. The overwhelming memory of that trip though, was the heat and humidity and insufficient AC of the Maghreb in July.
Great content! I've also experienced an all-inclusive that everything was timed. Was only available at certain times, bars closed extremely early, you had to make reservations in person at the front desk by 8 in the morning to get one of the restaurants. So if you didn't get your fill or keep some food and drink in your room you were pretty much out of luck.
I was actually just in barcelo bavaro beach for our honeymoon! I recognized your videos are from the palace. My biggest issue was that they didn't tell us anything. They just handed us our room keys and told us our room numbers. Didn't know there was the palace with other pools or the other restaurants were included or even where to do watersports. We had to figure it all out ourselves
I read that in Aruba, they no longer permit All-Inclusive resorts on the island. It doesn't stimulate the local community.
Nonsense. I just came back and there are all inclusives
I think that some countries are reviewing their tourism options. All inclusives do hire a lot of people from the local community so there's that to balance. As it may create a society division between the people employed in resorts and the others.
So many great reminders!! You're so close to 1 million subs! So excited for you, Mark!!
I did an all inclusive Cancun the best food was at the beach stand that had a rotisserie and ceviche ate there every day
I went to DR last year and it was actually tough to find Dominican food at the resort. Mexican AI's i think it's easier to find Mexican food. But man, this was spot on Mark!
So true!!!
Beautiful sharing as always.Thanks for great information. 👍🌴😍
Local food - we have stayed at several all-inclusives in Mexico, at the buffet my bland/picky eater partner follows the American/Canadian guests, I queue up for whatever the Mexican guests are eating. Tipping, shopping, we use local currency exclusively, as to use the Almighty U.S. dollar, we are Canadian so we get dinged twice on exchange rates, and you get quoted the 'gringo price'. Same often applies to credit card use. Good point on the outrageous prices for commodity items from the resort shops, bring it with you or go off-site to buy.
Bring dress pants/slacks to wear to the fancy restaurant(s). They won’t let you eat there without them
I don't know elsewhere but in Cuba, the grill is generally the best place to eat.
Can't believe we met you in person! We still watch all your videos, going to Italy next year!'
Fyi...Amazon sells collapsible silicone Beach toys that pack fairly flat. Then you can reuse them instead of throwing plastic Beach toys in the trash!
Beware timeshare scams. I went to a resort in Mexico and they made us attend a timeshare pitch meeting on our first day. And beyond that, the whole all-inclusive thing felt like a scam, honestly. The cafeteria food is totally a thing. I wouldn't do it again.
Ugh. Timeshares... ugh... they are brutal
They did not make you. You can say no, and walk away
John Oliver did a fantastic breakdown on timeshares / it worth watching - it’s on RUclips
Like always. Great Advice!
The other thing that I learned about all inclusive too is that they say "tips are included", but at the sit down restaurants (where alcohol is free) sometimes, they'll leave the whole bottle of wine for your party and then they'll just keep filling your glass. Seems nice at the time, but then when you go to close out, the waiters will start asking you about the good service you got because they want a tip.
Chock full of useful, practical tips. Excellent!
I’ve never stayed at an all-inclusive resort but I have to say, they sound pretty rubbish. I think maybe denying yourself something (say the opportunity to go out to a local restaurant to enjoy local food and culture) just because you’ve already paid for it in the resort, is a mistake. Maybe another way of looking at it, is to reflect on the cost of airfare, etc to get to that location and plan to enjoy all it has to offer, whether within the resort or not.
Maybe I’d choose to stay in an all-inclusive just for a few days if it had something I was especially looking for (say a great beach or water sports) but combine it with a stay in a nice city hotel where I’d have the freedom to eat out, shop and just soak up the vibe. But then my kids are all grown and it’s just my wife and myself.
First time I went all-inclusive, the first mistake I made was trying to pay for my first drink. I assumed it wouldn't include alcohol. The room didn't cost nearly enough to cover the cost of feeding me and getting me drunk. At least it wouldn't have at home
Sometimes gratuities are included. They are at the Excellence resorts. So check that info. Of course, staff will still appreciate tips, but you also have to consider the local currency and frequent overtipping in a tourism-heavy economy can lead to economy-damaging inflation for all citizens including those who aren't getting paid a lot of tips. You have to find the right level of tipping.
That's gotta be the Germans and Scandinavians, who are reserving the sunbeds with towels at the crack of dawns.
Brits/Americans aren't awake until 9am when on vacation!
😀
My “tip” is not to bring $2 bills. Since they are rare, some places don’t accept them. I got to know a bar tender pretty well on a cruise and he was telling me that the crew all exchange their $2 bills for $1 ones because a lot of places don’t take them.
US currency doesn’t use $2 bills. They were scammed?
Sounds a lot like cruising…only difference is you’re on land and not sailing. I think I could def do an all-inclusive resort. Given I’m heading into winter right now, a holiday someplace sunny sounds lovely.
Always thought in all inc. Take what you want but want what you take, If you haven't had it before take a little to try if you like it then get more.
A few years back they would offer a sort of orientation meeting at a preset location that gave very good information about the resort and the area, truly appreciated that, I think it was put on by the airline that you used, lt has been a while since it was offered. A number of resorts ago. They (the airline) have cut down on so much.. lf you take the time, and the staff have time they can fill you in on so very much. Thankyou for your video, and as you said "don't forget to tip" as generously as you can.
(Melanie here) Hi! Great video. Next time, I need to remember my refillable bottle. I came up and introduced myself to you at the all-inclusive in February. It's a wonderful place. The specialty restaurants had great food and the buffets were good as well. Very few staff there spoke English but enough to get our questions answered.
I wish there was an onlyfans.. but like I get to tag along with this guy on his vacations. As a single traveler that would just be awesome.
And another common mistake I believe is drinking the tap water. I heard on the internet that tropical tap water will likely upset your stomach, which will likely ruin your vacation.
Love your videos Wolter!!!! Been a fan and subscriber for years!! Im heading to Cancun soon, and your info is always very helpful! It is my first time going to an "All inclusive" Adults only resort. I will keep in mind all of this info! Good timing too! Thank you Wolter and family!
Have fun!
This is so perfectly timed for me since I’m literally heading to Cancun in my first international trip ever Friday 😂
Have fun!
@@woltersworld thanks man! Love your channel and it inspires me to become a world traveler. Hoping to visit almost every country before I die!
I hope to see more all inclusive videos. You should make a video about tipping at all inclusive resorts because there is a lot of debate about it. Some people barely tip while others tip like if the trip was free.
It never hurts to be known as a good tipper. Every extra dollar/peso/Euro is needed and appreciated by every person working in that industry, especially in today's economy of run-away inflation. And, believe me, the word about who is a good tipper gets spread FAST around the back of the house where the guest never goes...
@@aniveed8005 You want to be generous but you have to draw the line somewhere. I have heard some crazy numbers and that's why I think a video about it would be helpful.
I don’t tip
At first I read the title as, "Mistakes Time Travelers Make," and was expecting a very different kind of video.
I'm going to make that one day for April fools 😀
Haha, yes, I accidently killed my grandfather....
Very helpful information !👍P.S. Punta Cana was my favorite winter Escape 🏝🌞
Bring you own straws for your drinks. Most places I’ve been to now give you paper straws that only last 5 seconds before clapping. We now just bring our yeti mugs with the reusable straws and the bar tenders will usually fill your cup.
Tried the tequila and grapefruit you suggested. Its awesome sauce👍
I see that you are at the Barcelo Bavaro beach. Stayed there several times. Beautiful resort
My husband and I went to an all inclusive on the Mayan Riviera. It was paradise! One mistake we made, however, was tipping the wonderful staff in Canadian money. Apparently, it was hard for them to exchange it. Next time, I would consider getting some American dollar bills.
We also stayed in this area at the grand Mayan and it was absolutely amazing!!!
Hi! Awesome video! I was there a month ago and i never had any problems to find chairs either the beach or pools!
Hi Mark, great informative video we stayed at the Riu Palace Punta Cana back in November!
All-inclusive resorts in Cuba would deserve their own video but since Americans cannot go there, I will not insist 😄.
ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT!!!
We love the DR, just not the long flights from Vancouver😅!
And you have cute kids ☺️
Room safes are not safe at all. Employees will go in your room and open the safe and take your money.
Avoid the tap water and be careful with ice. It’s a problem I’ve only encountered once at an all-inclusive, but it doesn’t hurt to travel with a course of antibiotics in case of food poisoning. There’s very little w medical care in some locations, and it’s an expensive venture.
I’ve been to two All-Inclusive resorts and both times I really enjoyed myself. My all time favorite was a resort in the Bahamas. They treated us really well. But after watching this video that’s probably because we opted for the VIP package. So it makes sense now why they were waiting on us hand and foot.
I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting their cuisine but they served everything else. The staff all laughed when I asked for their native dishes.
All in all, all-inclusive resorts are nice. But if you want to really experience what these islands have to offer I suggest otherwise. Think at it, why would you leave the resort for food when there’s a ton already there that you basically already paid for?
One more thing. A lot of people are complaining about the timeshare meetings. But I attended one of those and regardless of purchase or not you got a great excursion. After the presentation is done just stand firm and tell them no. They press you really hard but don’t give in if you don’t want to.
What resort did you stay at? I want to plan a trip to the Bahamas with my family.
@@Boycrazy013 I stayed at the Melia. It’s a really nice, clean resort. Lots of food and amenities. However, it’s more of a family oriented resort. So keep that in mind.
Next door was the Bahamar which isn’t all-inclusive. But they were partying nonstop. It’s more of a younger crowd there. So expect lots of college age guests having a good time. I was able to get on the resort one day and it was so much fun. The next day I tried to return and security stopped me. Lol
Biggest mistake is thinking you can reserve a beach chair by leaving your stuff. If nobody is there I'm taking it.
The chair or the stuff?
Hey Mark, awesome video
I somehow completely misread this title and thought this video would be sci fi about time travel.
We will have one of those soon... or did we already publish it in the past but I haven't filmed it yet....
👽🤣😂🤣😂
🌷🕊️👍 good advice 🙂
The last thing I want on a vacation is worry and fist fights. If there are no beach chairs available, oh well. Move quickly to plan B
I always bring $2. bills. (50 to a 100) The locals love them. They think they're good luck. They won't forget you or what you drink.
Awesome!!
strange been to several all inclusive resort and haven’t had many of the experiences you described, no alcohol or food limits no its not top shelf but still did the job and the food wasn’t to bad but the restaurants was always included I never paid extra for anything
I have my personal experience about alcohol in All-Inclusive places. They kinda cheat with mixed drinks, so you will never be able to get drunk :) It's understandable, because alcohol is not cheap and they maybe try to prevent guests from going wild. So, from my own experience, I prefer to buy duty free alcohol at the airport and then bring it to the resort. BTW, what is your experience with alcohol in All-Inclusive places?
I don't drink anything I didn't see opened in front of my eyes such as a beer or a bottle of wine, and I'll only drink hard alcohol I bought myself.
In my experience this is not true. It was definitely possible to get very drunk!
I don't drink but noticed with red wine they give you whatever they have, if you want a specific type of wine you have to pay for it.
Another great travel video! Thanks!!!
in the first 2mins I thought, "Oh! that sounds kinda like a cruise!". But the not sharing info thing?? Well, thank you for sharing. Sometimes it's just all about knowing the culture :)
Hi, I’m interested in nice calm, turquoise beaches, I loved the beaches of the resorts you stayed in. Can you please suggest good resorts with beautiful beaches. Appreciated
If you choose the right AI resort it is pretty much all inclusive you get what you pay for. Tip: if you’re given a wristband, probably not a great experience.
Losing a wristband at the Sun Palace in Cancun is expensive. They'll charge you $150 per remaining night.
Omg… I love this video
Well Done, Walters !
Avoid the “Time share/ members presentation. Because many of the resorts will definitely try to get you to go.
where in DR are you? we've been going for 10+ years at AI and never can you reserve a dinner a month in advance, heck you can't reserve until the day of.
High end all inclusive assigns a concierge for each suite. This concierge is responsible for providing information and services that’s available.
Love your channel. All-inclusives are so not me. No way. Still an enjoyable video.
Do you only pay for a room at the resort but go out of the resort for food and drinks? I am planning on doing that but not sure how it would work with kids and all.
Omg! Did you showed a pict of fried Bologna, THE FOOD OF THE GODS in North America?
Mistakes 1st Time Time Travelers make. Going to Pompeii the day of the volcanic eruption.
I did that once in 79 AD. It was rough. Would not recommend.
Be patient with the service ; sometimes they take their time to help u out in all inclusive resorts . 😎🏝☀️🏖✈️🏝☀️😎
What resort is this you’re at? Thanks for all the info! 😊
I originally saw the title and thought... why would time travelers stay at resorts...
So helpful. Thanks
Yeah the timeshare presentation - when they say it’s only 90 minutes, what they mean is 90 minutes sitting at the final table AFTER you’ve had the free meal and taken a tour of the facility and all the fun stuff. And they will literally cut the offers in half 3-4x just to seem like they’re giving you a super exclusive deal they don’t do for anyone else every time you turn them down. It was difficult for a people-pleaser like me to just straight up say no but luckily I had my friend with me to play bad cop and be like “where’s the sign out sheet, we’re headed down to the beach now - it’s not happening”. So if you’re not good with confrontation, bring someone with you who is. I wasn’t going to to it anyways no matter what they said, but I was probably going to waste a LOT more time and they already had us for about 3hrs as it was 🙄 Still, a small price to pay for the great package that friend got us for a 5-day all inclusive stay in Cancun. And the resort really was beautiful and the service was fantastic.
I’d also add that when making reservations either at the resort or at a restaurant in a popular area to be very specific about the table you want. I’m not normally a high-maintenance person who cares about that sort of stuff, but these places are so popular that they will stick a table literally anywhere just to accommodate more people at a time and we literally got stuck by the kitchen doors, the POS system and prep area facing the opposite direction of where the fire show was taking place and literally felt like we were being banished from the party happening in the rest of the restaurant even though we were paying just as much as everyone else to be there. The food was fantastic but I don’t go on these kinds of vacations often and it really tainted the experience. Just do a google search of what the restaurant looks like or ask the person on the phone specifically for a good table, especially if there’s some sort of entertainment going on.