Can anyone recommend a good reasonable all-inclusive in the Caribbean?

[Antonia]

We are planning an anniversary trip. We have a cruise booked, but are weighing our options and thinking of staying on an island rather than cruising.
Many of the Eastern Caribbean islands we have cruised to are damaged so looking to possibly stay at an all-inclusive on an island that was not hit by the hurricanes.
Any recommendations?

 

[Wishing on a star]

Mexico....
All Inclusive...

Many nice Adult Only all inclusives.
When will you be traveling?
What kind of budget are you looking at.. What kind of vibe... And what are your priorities....
Nice Beach (not all are equal), Food and drink... Accommondations (view, balcony, nice grounds or smaller hotel-like resort...)

You can get good info if you post these details on trip advisor, too.
At Cancun, I could mention some that I would consider... Leblanc, Secrets the Vine, Live Aqua, and, maybe for some Hyatt Zilara.
These are some of the better Adult Only all inclusive resorts that lean towards U.S. and Canadian guests.
There are others like Iberostar, Riu, etc... For me, I would probably want to choose one of those mentioned above, that might meet a more North American standard.

I have also considered the J.W.Marriott, even though it is not All Inclusive.
It is mostly pay-as-you-go a la carte. But if you are a member of, or sign up as a Marriott member, there are packages that include the extensive full breakfast buffet, and a good percentage off all food and drinks on resort. I think this includes the Marriott Cancun next door, linked by a walkway.

The J.W is currently working on finishing major renovations to the rooms and suites. The new ones look very very nice.
They have extensive and beautifully landscaped pool areas, including an Adult Pool with bar.
Leblanc will undergo major renovations beginning after this Summer.

Leblanc is known for high-end top notch food, drink, anticipatory service.
I would love to check them out once the upcoming renovations are complete.

In general, the more upscale and expensive, the quieter the vibe.

 

[Syrreal]

DH and I have been to the sandals resorts and they are great. Excellent service. If you are looking for something more family friendly, Beaches is part of the same company and usually right next to the couples only Sandals.

 

[elphaba91]

We loved the Hilton Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica; I’d return in a heartbeat!

 

[Darcy03231]

We love Sandals, but they are pricier than most all-inclusive resorts. However, it is truly all-inclusive. You don't get charged extra for scuba, snorkeling, water skiing, golf, etc.

For a mid-range resort, we like the Iberostar resorts. Food and service and really good and they include quite a bit.

Just make sure when you're checking resorts out, be sure to check what they do and don't include. Some have a nicer restaurant, but only let you go there twice for a 7 day stay. Some include non-motorized water sports (hobie cats, windsurfers, kayaks, etc.) and other don't. Some charge to use the gym, some don't.

A good place to do some comparisons is www.applevacations.com

 

[mjkacmom]

DH and I have been to the sandals resorts and they are great. Excellent service. If you are looking for something more family friendly, Beaches is part of the same company and usually right next to the couples only Sandals.

We’ve been to Sandals and Beaches, loved them, but wouldn’t call them reasonable compared to many other AI.

 

[Syrreal]

We’ve been to Sandals and Beaches, loved them, but wouldn’t call them reasonable compared to many other AI.

True, there are plenty of less expensive alternatives, but Sandals prices aren’t that far off from cruise prices in general (depending on the line and class of cabin, of course).
Also, the op didn’t specify “reasonable” so I don’t know what their price point is.

Personally, I prefer cruising to AI, but it’s because I love the sea days and the being rocked to sleep.

 

[Antonia]

We want a nice beach with good snorkeling for hubby. Price range about 2400 for 6 nights NOT including flights. Could go about 3000 or cut back to 5 nights. Just thinking out loud. We're in our later 50's and pretty active.

 

[Antonia]

Also we want to go in May of this year.

 

[mnrose]

What's your idea of "reasonable?" The least expensive all inclusives in the Caribbean are in Mexico (Cancun, Riveria Maya, Cozumel) and the Dominican Republic. Even there, you should expect to pay about $200-250 per night for the room (per couple) for a decent place. In other parts of the Caribbean, expect to pay 2-3x that much. Airfare extra. You will generally get the best overall price by buying a package which includes airfare from the airline directly, or a place like Apple Vacations or Cheap Caribbean.

 

[mnrose]

We want a nice beach with good snorkeling for hubby. Price range about 2400 for 6 nights NOT including flights. Could go about 3000 or cut back to 5 nights. Just thinking out loud. We're in our later 50's and pretty active.

Sorry, I missed this before I responded. Good beaches and snorkeling generally do not go together....at least not snorkeling from shore. If you want the very best shore snorkeling...Cozumel is your place. No doubt. Beaches are sort of "meh," however. Our last Caribbean vacation was to a place called "The Explorean" in Cozumel (we are also a 50's couple who prefer active vacations). It was great. Snorkeling was world class and right in front of the resort. Beach was man made. Food was very good to excellent, which is unusual in an all inclusive, where it tends to be "just ok" at a lot of places. Best part for us was that one excursion per day was included in the cost, so we could get out and about....things like a Jeep tour of the island, reef snorkeling by boat, etc.

 

[FayeW]

There are some great prices for All-Inclusives in Cancun for late Spring. I've been looking at Secrets Playa Mujeres, Gran Caribe, and Secrets the Vine for mid April and the rates were in your price range, in Canadian funds, including flights.

 

[Darcy03231]

Using May 5-12th you can stay at Sandals Inn in Montego Bay Jamaica for $2341, not including air. This is their smallest resort in Jamaica, but has the advantage of letting you stay at the least expensive one and play at the others (Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals Montego Bay). Least expensive room at Montego Bay for those dates is $4144 and at Royal Caribbean is $4.384.

Personally, I would stay at the least expensive Sandals over a different mid-range resort. I don't spend a lot of time in my room and being able to use the other resorts (pools, beaches, bars, restaurants, activities) would really open up a lot of options. As I mentioned up-thread, Sandals is a true all-inclusive. You don't get nickeled and dimed for everything else once you're there. The only extras are the spa and some specialty wines. Premium liquor is included, as well as snorkeling, scuba (you need to be certified), water skiing, banana boats, plus the non-motorized water sports. You're not limited in your restaurant choices and the food is excellent.

 

[Marchand63]

Cruise. You get lots of beaches.

 

[nkereina]

Not sure where you're flying from, but for us, the Dominican Republic prices out pretty affordable. We love the RIU brand of resorts - low-middle of the road in terms of pricing, yet we think they have great quality and amenities. Always enjoyed the food as well. We also enjoyed the RIU in Paradise Island Bahamas. It's adjacent to Atlantis but the nice thing about the Bahamas is that it's close, they will accept American money, they speak English, and it's not as impoverished as some other Caribbean countries.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Jamaica.... really????
The Mobay area.....
http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/20/americas/jamaica-montego-bay-emergency-tourists-intl/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+rss/edition_americas+(RSS:+CNNi+-+Americas)&utm_content=Yahoo+Search+Results

We have a cruise booked that stops at Jamaica, and since it is too far from Negril, we will probably just stay on the ship.

OP, if you want a nice beach, you really need to pay attention to the beach at these resorts.
Even in the same area, beaches are NOT all created equal.
In the Cancun area, the Hotel Zone, the North/South arm of the Tourist area, has that absolutely spectacular beach.
Secrets Maroma Beach has a very very nice beach.
On Jamaica, Negril Beach is the one that is nice.

I have heard many reviews that say that Sandals is just not as good as others for the price. Have not stayed at Sandals, but have stayed at Secrets, and many report that it is better.

Also, if you are talking snorkeling off the beach, then understand that most good snorkeling reefs are NOT on nice sandy beaches.
In general, stay at one beach or snorkel location, and then go over to the other location.

I do not know if you are experienced/avid snorkelers.
But, if you are, you will be well aware of how to choose where you want to snorkel, and how to get there or book an excursion.

The two large resort complexes down towards Tulum in Mexico are each on cove beaches with some off-beach snorkeling.
One is the Barcelo, and the other is the Grand Palladium.
These resorts do have differences in how they operate, and vibe.

Secrets Akumal is a newer and very nice resort, where you can snorkel off the beach to see the turtles.
Not the most spectacular reef area, but very well known for snorkeling with the sea turtles.

The most amazing reef snorkeling that I have done, personally, is the Marine Preserve at Puerto Morelos.
I would want to chose the very best private snorkel provider there. (The one we used is no longer operating, they sold out...)
Otherwise you just go to the main dock, and wait until you board the next available boat in their consortium, with a number of other people.

If this is still true... There is a snorkeling operator that takes you up to the southern part of that reef from Secrets Maroma Beach resort.
And, there used to be an independent boat operator that operated on his own, from just up the beach at SMB.

Happy planning!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Ohhhh, right now we are considering going down to Grand Cayman and staying at the Westin. NOT all-inclusive... But.
Also now fully refurbished with totally new, nice, rooms.
Good snorkeling excursions from there. (Redsail Sports)
Can also swim with and interact with the Southern Stingrays at Stingray City.
Gorgeous, amazing, beach.....

Look into the SPG starwood credit card for points.

 

[Darcy03231]

Jamaica.... really????
The Mobay area.....

Yup. Flying into Montego Bay in April and staying at Sandals. We don't leave the resorts. There's no need to. Sandals provides plenty of activities on-site so I've never had a reason to venture off. They also provide transportation to and from the other Sandals resorts. I've been to Jamaica several times over the years both on cruise ship stops and AI's and have never felt unsafe.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

Jamaica has a new significant travel advisory. I would hesitate to book there for that reason. Things could clear up by May but I would not put money down for that vacation right now.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I wouldn't book a vacation to Jamaica, period.
Current advisory or not.
Been there once... saw Negril while we were there.
Would never, ever, choose that over other destinations.
No question.