Vacation vacation

Beads921

Alright, so I feel like I've mentioned this 10030402830 times, but in case you missed it, BF and I are planning a vacation for mid-late April! Heh. I'm just a wee bit excited. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed right now though, by options, pricing (not that it's more than I expected, I just don't really have a clue about what's reasonable, what's not, etc), and so on. I really don't know what to expect either.

We're between 3 options I guess:

1. A 5-star all inclusive in Mexico or Dominican. They're cheap, but should be nice. Problem is that it's Mexico or Dominican, so there's not a ton to do, and you can't really go off-resort by yourself (I think).

2. A 3-4 star all inclusive somewhere else (ie Bahamas, Costa Rica, or Panama). They're pricier, and the resort probably won't be as nice as the ones in Mexico/Dominican (of course), but there's a bit more to do and see (I think).

3. A cruise. I really want to do a cruise, but we're worried about cost. Mainly paying for drinks. I've done a cruise before, and I loved every second. We're looking at Norwegian (best bang for your buck, IMO), but are open to other cruise lines. If you have any experience cruising, please let me know!

Insight? Experiences? Anything else? Thanks!

(Edit: This is now a post and run. I'm off to meet an old friend for coffee, but I'll be back later. Sorry for the excessive posting and running these past few days.)

motoLyn

Sorry I have don't have any experience with any except the cruise which was  to the Mexican Riviera, which was all-inclusive.  All of them sound great, I like the idea of going to Costa Rica.  This all sounds so exciting.

Beads921

Where did you find an all inclusive cruise MotoLyn? 

motoLyn

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_vacation-vacation?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:cd1833d8-3ea3-4494-9a89-e8f3a3f41c3dPost:6cae276d-bbd2-4f77-8c0d-f6772e291355">Re: Vacation vacation</a>:
[QUOTE]Where did you find an all inclusive cruise MotoLyn? 
Posted by Beads921[/QUOTE]

It was through a friend that had connection with the industry, let me go ask her if there's anything lined up for April. 

sparkles88

Ooooh, I love vacations! We did a cruise to Mexico on Holland America last year and loved it. I guess Holland America has a reputation for catering to senior citizens, but there was a lot of diversity in age groups when we went. I think you find more variety when you go in March-April, because of spring break. The service was really great, and the food was some of the best I've ever eaten. They also had some pretty neat shore excursions, but we didn't do any of them. 

We booked our cruise through Best Price Cruises. My retired neighbors cruise a lot and they told me about that website. You have to join to get the best deals, but it's free, and they don't spam you too much. We got onboard credit when we booked through them so that was more money to put towards drinks!

PaigeMcC

I know nothing about cruises but I will say that if you go to Mexico or the DR you can go off resort HOWEVER I would suggest doing guided tours.  There's a lot to see and do.  The DR is a little unstable lately (due to Haitians attempting to find somewhere not earthquake ravaged) but it's still doable.  Most resorts are in/around touristy towns so you'd probably be okay by yourself in the markets, but a guided tour can give you more bang.  We did Santa Domingo when we were in the DR (went into the sugar cane fields and some really cool underground caves as well) there is a lot to do but it is mainly resort-y, I found.   My BFF just got back from Mexico.  They went off resort A LOT.  But they also had BF's parents who live there.  I'd say you can still travel but would recommend a guide.  There is a lot to see there as well (ancient Mayan culture is fascinating!!)

I will say that, as always, I have to throw in a plug - did you think about Cuba? You ARE Canadian...it's a cheap(ish) option and hella purdy.  And VERY safe to travel around on your own...lots to see and do!

niknik15

I've been on several cruises, but I have never been to any all-inclusive places so I can't help you there. Almost all of the cruises I have been on were with Carnival. My favorite cruise was to the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Mexico. And I would highly recommend it.

For the drinks, I would suggest sneaking in a bottle in your bag.

LizzyTish88

Your not allowed to go on vacation unless you bring me along. End. Of. Story.

cu97tiger

In May my BF and I took a Carnival cruise from Tampa to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Honduras and Belize. We got to do so many different things (snorkel, swim with stingray, lay on the beach all day, zip-line through tall trees, tour a brewery).

The ONLY downside was the cost of drinks. We figured out how to sneak bottles on on the last day (put one in each of your bags, then just check one of them, voila, now you have one bottle!). 

So... if you can find an all-inclusive cruise, i say go with that one!!

PaigeMcC

Sneaky booze! HA! Love it!

desertsun

I think you should go to Anguilla. Because I saw it on the Bachelor a couple weeks ago and it was stunningly beautiful. :P

calindi

Are you talking about Dominican Republic or Dominica?  I'm guessing DR, since there's a lot more resorts there.  I haven't been there, but I've heard it's beautiful.  You really probably won't leave the resort much, as I don't think there's much to do.

I've been to Mexican all-inclusives - they're quite nice, but I find the food gets boring after awhile.  In Costa Rica, it's INCREDIBLY safe, so I would actually recommend renting a 4x4 car and just driving yourself around.  Don't stay in an all-inclusive, just a nice hotel and eat at local places.  You'll save a bundle!  BF and I went to Costa Rica for 5 days, stayed in a gorgeous B&B for 3 nights (owned by Americans) facing a volcano, went horseback riding to a private waterfall, went whitewater rafting and canyoneering (repelling down a waterfall).  We then spent 2 days by the water, in a nice hotel right on the beach (also owned by Americans).  Some of the restaurants didn't speak English, but you can get by with a translation guide easy enough unless you have severe diet restrictions you'd need to communicate.  If you're thinking about Costa Rica, PM me and I'll give you a ton more information.  I am absolutely head over heels in love with that country and would kill to go back on vacation!!!

If you go to Riviera Maya in Mexico (just south of Cancun), you can take public transportation to the Tulum ruins very safely and affordably.  Taking tours is usually a rip off, unless they include some sort of activity you can't do on your own (like horseback riding, ziplining, etc.)  But a tour to the ruins would be a waste of money - just take a bus there and hire a tour guide there.  You'll pay a total of $20 and save yourself $50!

The tourist beach areas of Mexico are quite safe - don't believe the wide spread hysteria in the media.  I was just in Mexico City last week, with some of the most senior people in the government and business as well as leading American investors who have interests in Mexico, and all of them are basically just pissed off at the media reports blowing it all out of proportion.  Per capita, there are fewer violent deaths in even the specific regions that are fighting the violence than in Detroit or Washington, DC.  Cancun is just as safe as it's ever been, probably safer.

desertsun

Hey Cate -- do you have any idea if some places are better than others in terms of the ease of getting vegetarian meals?

H and I are hoping to have a second HM sometime in the next year before we start TTC. We looooooved Hawaii and it was definitely easy for me to find things to eat, but I've heard the Caribbean is less expensive. My one concern is the food. H and I both tend to have pretty sensitive stomachs.

Thoughts???

Sorry to threadjack, Beads.

calindi

No, happy to help, Desert!

Hmmm, definitely avoid Mexico - they don't understand how to do ANYTHING without meat.  Costa Rica has a lot of meat & seafood in their dishes, but they also have tons of fruits and rice and beans, so it would be pretty simple to subsist off those things. 

Do you eat fish, or no?  If so, you'd be okay nearly anywhere in the Caribbean.

Honestly, I've had more problems with my stomach with resort food than some stuff off resort.  Costa Rica is good because the water is clean, so you don't have to worry about the kinds of crazy stomach bugs you can get in other spots.  Panama might be a really good option for you, too - almost everyone speaks English, so it would be easy to communicate your dietary needs, and they have a ton of Europeans so they're used to it.

If you want help narrowing down options, let me know!  I'm really happy to help!

calindi

Oh, and if you go to the two places we stayed at in Costa Rica, I guarantee you that they can accomodate any dietary needs - the couple at the B&B by the volcano is incredibly sweet and they are both American, so they'll make sure you eat exactly what you want.  They made us delicious waffles for breakfast, and eggs benedict, along with homemade fruit juice!  Yummy!   The other place was owned by a woman who is also American (or Australian? I forget... English as a native language, though!) and they could similarly adapt to your needs.  Their breakfast spread is a collection of local fruits and jams made from those fruits - amazing!

Okay, I want to go back now.  Who's going with me?!

peekaboo2011

I have no idea how any of this works because I'm a broke college student.  BUT, we went to Mexico for Mayterm this past year, and it was AMAZING.  We went with a company called "Fun Baja", although we were through another group called Green Edventures.  They're located in La Paz, Baja California Sur, and they were nothing but phenomenal.  The food was amazing.  The guides were amazing.  And did I say that the food was amazing - the chef is a culinary school dropout because he couldn't afford it, but I haven't eaten that well in a long time.  I don't know how they do everything, but they picked us up from the airport, we stayed in a hotel one night, and then stayed on Espiritu Santu/Santo (I'm not sure on the spelling) Island for like 5 days before we went down to Cabo Pulmo for a few days.  We went snorkeling. SCUBA diving, and they even chartered a few people to just come out to the island to fish for a while. We were a bunch of nerds, but it was a ton of fun.  And, because they aren't too picky about stuff, we just brought alcohol with us from the grocery store, and the chef made us drinks when we did these little party things.  I know they do stuff with Japanese groups, I just have no idea how to get things together.

Things we did that were amazing: Snorkel with whale sharks, play with sea lions, party on the beach, see lots of pretty dolphins...and, you're in the Sea of Cortez.  It's like Caribbean water, but prettier.  Oh, and we saw some whales breach.

Sorry, that was long, I get carried away when I talk about Mexico.  

desertsun

You're making Costa Rica sound awfully tempting, Cate... Thanks for the help.

ETA: If you feel comfortable sharing, would you mind telling me which B&Bs you stayed at?  You can PM me. Or choose not to share if it makes you uncomfortable, of course! 

AudgiePodge

My vote is the cruise.  I love Royal Caribbean.  Avoid Carnival.  

calindi

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_vacation-vacation?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:cd1833d8-3ea3-4494-9a89-e8f3a3f41c3dPost:31d0c377-2dcd-4bf2-89a1-4dfe1754b952">Re: Vacation vacation</a>:
[QUOTE]You're making Costa Rica sound awfully tempting, Cate... Thanks for the help. :) ETA: If you feel comfortable sharing, would you mind telling me which B&Bs you stayed at?  You can PM me. Or choose not to share if it makes you uncomfortable, of course!  :)
Posted by desertsun[/QUOTE]

Happy to share!  Leaves & Lizards is my favorite (BF still talks about it all.the.time, and clearly I do, too!).  It's in Arenal with a view of the volcano.  For $120, you get your own cabin with a clear view of the active volcano, where you can see the red lava flow at night.  Super cool!  They also are a working farm, so you can ride their horses, pet their pigs, collect eggs from the hens, and milk the cows if you want to.  It's also totally eco-friendly and focuses on real local communities, so it's nice knowing you're helping the local environment and people by your visit.  The price includes breakfast, and local restaurants are SUPER cheap - $5/person for a meal.

Here is the TripAdvisor page, so I'm not the only one who loves it!  <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g309226-d634912-Reviews-Leaves_and_Lizards_Arenal_Volcano_Cabin_Retreat-La_Fortuna_de_San_Carlos_Arenal_Volcano_National_Park_Province_of_Alajuela.html">LINK</a>

And by the beach, there's a lot of options.  I'd advise you to avoid Jaco as it's an overpriced tourist spot - if you go just a little bit south, it's a lot better.  Manuel Antonio National Park has a lot of great options, all catering to international tourists, so you shouldn't have a problem.  Or go a little bit north to Esterillos Este, which is a basically isolated beach that stretches for miles with very few (if any) people on the whole thing.  It's incredible!  I recommend Encantada Ocean Cottages - these cute little air conditioned cottages right on the beach.  Really beautiful, but they were full when we went, so we stayed at Pelican Beach Hotel.  Also very nice, the bed was a little hard, but otherwise wonderful!  If you want a bit more luxury, Xandari is also on the same beach, but costs around $200/night.  We went there for dinner, and it was spectacular, but we were just fine with our $70/night room down the beach.  Breakfast was also included, and local restaurants in town were really friendly and cheap.  We did enjoy eating at Xandari - full meal including a bottle of wine, appetizers, entrees, and desserts ran us only around $65.

desertsun

Thank you so much, Cate! Much appreciated!

Beads921

Way to talk up Costa Rica Cate! It was already on the table, so it's good to hear more about it. 

As for the Mexican Riviera, I've already been there. The cruise I was on in the past (Holland America) stopped at a port there and we went to the ruins at Tulum. It was a beautiful place, no questions asked. The other thing about Mexico is that I plan to go there next year in February on a school exchange.

Audgie, we were already going to avoid Carnival. We feel that they're catering to families with kids moreso than adults/couples, and that their ships might be really crowded.

DanieKA

I spent Thanksgiving 2009 in Manuel Antonio, CR. There are a lot of outdoor activities if you are into that. Zip lining is common and you can find it anywhere, guided tours/hikes through the jungle are great because you can see all sorts of wildlife/monkeys, etc. If you want to just sun yourself on the beach, that's always available, too. Restaurants in touristy areas can be hit or miss, but there are some good ones. 

Watch out for the young, male (and sometimes very attractive) gigalos on the beaches offering to teach the ladies to surf or snorkel. They are offering more than that, if you know what I mean. 

I stayed with a good friend and had the benefit of being with a local and a fluent Spanish speaker so I don't know what it's like at the resorts. Mostly everyone speaks English, but it wouldn't hurt to learn a few phrases in Spanish. That's all I got.

Sorry that was so long. 

AJesteram

I'm also going to throw Jamaica into the mix. BF and I stayed at an all inclusive this past summer and we had an amazing time. There are plenty of outdoor activites to do so you don't really have that much time to be bored...unless you want to of course.

Cate- Now I'm really thinking about planning a trip to Costa Rica. We had already thought about it before but now you have me completely convinced that we need to plan a trip there! I may be asking asking you for more info. sometime in the future since you have such good advice/suggestions.

Beads921

We went to a travel agent tonight, and found a place we love in Costa Rica. It's a bit out of the way, and therefore we'd have to take a bus or taxi to get anywhere, but it is absolutely beautiful and has glowing reviews! Too bad it's a few hundred dollars above our initial budget, and therefore leaves no room for the excursions we want to do. I know that my parents/grandparents will probably give us a bit of money for excursions - they always do, but BF doesn't want to rely on handouts (he has a major issue with people giving him money for any reason), which I understand. 

So, we're still undecided. We might just head to Mexico, which I know we'd enjoy, but I'm just not as excited about it. Agh. Decisions decisions.

calindi

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_vacation-vacation?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:cd1833d8-3ea3-4494-9a89-e8f3a3f41c3dPost:f009be77-8ad0-4850-9f21-0c8b673835ef">Re: Vacation vacation</a>:
[QUOTE]We went to a travel agent tonight, and found a place we love in Costa Rica. It's a bit out of the way, and therefore we'd have to take a bus or taxi to get anywhere, but it is absolutely beautiful and has glowing reviews! Too bad it's a few hundred dollars above our initial budget, and therefore leaves no room for the excursions we want to do. I know that my parents/grandparents will probably give us a bit of money for excursions - they always do, but BF doesn't want to rely on handouts (he has a major issue with people giving him money for any reason), which I understand.  So, we're still undecided. We might just head to Mexico, which I know we'd enjoy, but I'm just not as excited about it. Agh. Decisions decisions.
Posted by Beads921[/QUOTE]

I do recommend looking at car rentals - a 4x4 rental is recommended in Costa Rica, but they're quite inexpensive if you do it right!  Reach out to TicoTravel (just google it to find their website).  They speak perfect English, and have the cheapest car rental prices around.  We're going in October as a family, and we got 2 cars, both 4x4 SUVs, for $240 each for the week, and gas is comparable to the US ($3-4 per gallon).  They're also totally reliable, and the roads are easy to navigate.

Also, for affordable luxury in convenient locations, check out this place:

<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g309274-d501374-Reviews-La_Posada_Private_Jungle_Bungalows-Manuel_Antonio_National_Park_Province_of_Puntarenas.html">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g309274-d501374-Reviews-La_Posada_Private_Jungle_Bungalows-Manuel_Antonio_National_Park_Province_of_Puntarenas.html</a>

And this one:

<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g309274-d300958-Reviews-Hotel_Playa_Espadilla-Manuel_Antonio_National_Park_Province_of_Puntarenas.html">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g309274-d300958-Reviews-Hotel_Playa_Espadilla-Manuel_Antonio_National_Park_Province_of_Puntarenas.html</a>