The Travel Thread

[TDub]

the more I think about this the more unacceptable it is to me.

Your opinion, though not invalid, would likely carry more weight if you didn't have a horse and buggyesque view when it comes to transportation.

ehh I'm still not wrong (believe it or not, I actually don't say that often)

[ousdahl]

[KUTradition]

deadly turbulence during european Singapore Airlines flight

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-paci ... 024-05-21/

[jfish26]

Anyone taken a Royal Caribbean cruise? Not very high on my list, but it’s looking like the line-of-best-fit for a winter break trip given my kids’ ages and Mrs. Fish’s and my desire for more variety than a single all-inclusive.

[KUTradition]

not RC, but Holland-America…was fantastic, even being amongst the youngest passengers (did the Inside Passage from Vancouver to Alaska when i was 19)

all-you-can-eat food 24/7, but charges for nearly all beverages

if you leave for on-shore excursions, keep track of the time because the boat won’t wait for you

[Sparko]

An overcrowded ship of steerage vacationers passing germs back and forth whilst realizing there is no way off and they are in the middle of the ocean. Such fun.

[jfish26]

An overcrowded ship of steerage vacationers passing germs back and forth whilst realizing there is no way off and they are in the middle of the ocean. Such fun.

Like I said, not at the top of my list.

But I want all-inclusive (for the kids anyway) for mostly my own sanity - I do not want to have to think about every half-drank $14 slushie by the pool, etc.

However, the beach resort all-inclusives we've been to are not really something I want to be locked into for a week, for a lot of reasons.

[pdub]

You wouldn't have to be locked in if you rented a car.
Tulum area has history, cave diving, snorkeling, awesome city in Playa del Carmen.
Or if even more adventurous, head to Costa Rica, they have numerous all-inclusives there.

I've done all-inclusives at DR and in the Bahamas but I don't recommend either of those spots if you're wanting to travel/adventure off your resort.

Don't go on a fucking cruise.
Gross.

[KUTradition]

^^^^

the all-inclusive the wife and i took to Costa Rica was awesome…horseback-riding, river tubing, sea kayaking, geothermal mud spa. good balance of scheduled activities and down time for ourselves, but it was all middle-aged couples and older

i think the company we used was Costa Rica Monkey Tours

[Back2Lawrence]

But I want all-inclusive (for the kids anyway) for mostly my own sanity - I do not want to have to think about every half-drank $14 slushie by the pool, etc.

think of them as streaming services. only order the ones you know you'll watch. I know that doesn't work with kids, but it should.

[pdub]

The other thing about non all inclusives, if you're ok with it, and the hotel aren't sticklers ( and if they are fuck that ), is just bringing a mug and buying your own liquor/mixes in your hotel room.

[jfish26]

You wouldn't have to be locked in if you rented a car.
Tulum area has history, cave diving, snorkeling, awesome city in Playa del Carmen.
Or if even more adventurous, head to Costa Rica, they have numerous all-inclusives there.

I've done all-inclusives at DR and in the Bahamas but I don't recommend either of those spots if you're wanting to travel/adventure off your resort.

Don't go on a fucking cruise.
Gross.

I agree with you in ALL respects.

I just don't see that trip working for my mix of kid ages.

I've also learned that, for better or worse (as the vows go), I am the only person who will put any effort into planning things...meaning I am also the complaint department...and so (for this particular trip), I really do want to "settle" for something that is fairly fire-and-forget.

[jfish26]

But I want all-inclusive (for the kids anyway) for mostly my own sanity - I do not want to have to think about every half-drank $14 slushie by the pool, etc.

think of them as streaming services. only order the ones you know you'll watch. I know that doesn't work with kids, but it should.

Exactly - should, but doesn't. And I will also, personally, enjoy/relax a LOT less if everything is a transaction.

[pdub]

Then just go on a kid friendly all-inclusive at one location.
Why do you want to be on a boat for over half your experience?
Hard pass.

[KUTradition]

And I will also, personally, enjoy/relax a LOT less if everything is a transaction.

exactly why we did Costa Rica the way we did

though, if we were to go again we’d go the opposite route, rent a car and and spend as much/little time in places as we’d like (rather than being on “their” schedule)

[jfish26]

Then just go on a kid friendly all-inclusive at one location.
Why do you want to be on a boat for over half your experience?
Hard pass.

Short answer is that the kid-friendly all-inclusives we have been to don't have enough to keep the older kids (or, for that matter, the adults) entertained. When I priced out all-inclusives that either DO have enough to do, or are in places we'd be comfortable renting a car and leaving the resort, I end up several thousand dollars more than the cruise (which also has the benefit of nonstop "domestic" travel to get to/from).

[pdub]

I get the transaction thing.
I've been to more all-inclusives than not because of that.
But that also can eliminate spots - I don't remember Puerto Rico having many all-inclusive options but had an awesome time there and for cheap.

[pdub]

Then just go on a kid friendly all-inclusive at one location.
Why do you want to be on a boat for over half your experience?
Hard pass.

Short answer is that the kid-friendly all-inclusives we have been to don't have enough to keep the older kids (or, for that matter, the adults) entertained. When I priced out all-inclusives that either DO have enough to do, or are in places we'd be comfortable renting a car and leaving the resort, I end up several thousand dollars more than the cruise (which also has the benefit of nonstop "domestic" travel to get to/from).

On a quick search Royal Caribbean cruises look to be like minimum 500 per person per night, no?
Surely you can find an all inclusive in Cancun/Playa del Carmen for less than that.

[jfish26]

Then just go on a kid friendly all-inclusive at one location.
Why do you want to be on a boat for over half your experience?
Hard pass.

Short answer is that the kid-friendly all-inclusives we have been to don't have enough to keep the older kids (or, for that matter, the adults) entertained. When I priced out all-inclusives that either DO have enough to do, or are in places we'd be comfortable renting a car and leaving the resort, I end up several thousand dollars more than the cruise (which also has the benefit of nonstop "domestic" travel to get to/from).

On a quick search Royal Caribbean cruises look to be like minimum 500 per person per night, no?
Surely you can find an all inclusive in Cancun/Playa del Carmen for less than that.

I'm at about $260/person/night for the booking I expect to complete this week (I need to call and get them to match some perks I'd get if I booked through my credit card issuer).

Even if you add $50 or even $100/person/night to that (to account for the inevitable extras), I haven't seen a huge (comprehensive) resort that is even competitive (first week in January). And that's without accounting for the cheaper/easier travel.

[pdub]

Say 300 per person per night.
7 nights.
8400. On a boat.

Or on first search I get 2 rooms here:
https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/mexico/ ... del-carmen
And it costs me 7200 for 7 nights.
I have 1200 to work with ( which could get me a car rental and a fun family excursion of some type easy enough ).

And that's assuming we want 2 rooms instead of a larger one to share.
( dunno your plans on the cruise )

I know which I'd choose.