Mandatory Meal Plans- Can you get away from them?

Is it me or am I just running to more and more mandatory meal plan resorts?

When searching for an exchange on RCI, I see more and more meal plan resorts, I immediately eliminate them from any consideration.

Is there a way to stay at one of these resorts any NOT PAY for a meal plan?

A large reason I visit an area is to experience the local life, which usually includes going to local restaurants. I also tend to travel around from my home base during the week and can't eat at the resort restaurants even if I wanted to.

am I alone here, or do most people also hate the meal plans?

I agree with you. I find the meal plans are extremely over-priced, and why should certain weeks of the year cost even more , the food and drinks don't change just because it's a high season week. When I compare the cost of my meal plan, airfare, maintenance fee, and exchange fee, I usually haven't saved anything over going on a pre-packaged holiday. If I travel in low season I usually would end up paying even more than a last minute special. Do owners at these all-inclusive resorts get any breaks on the meal plan?

Divi Owners get a discount if they take one of the optional all inclusive options.

The All inclusives seem to dominate in Mexico and the Domincan Republic. The mexican ones all seem overpriced and great restaurants abound in the tourist locations. For the DR, leaving the resort to eat is usually a nightmare drive over potholed roads. It makes more sense there.

john1671 wrote:

Divi Owners get a discount if they take one of the optional all inclusive options.

The All inclusives seem to dominate in Mexico and the Domincan Republic. The mexican ones all seem overpriced and great restaurants abound in the tourist locations. For the DR, leaving the resort to eat is usually a nightmare drive over potholed roads. It makes more sense there.

I disagree. I stayed in the DR (Cabarete, not Punta Cana) where there were numerous cheap and expensive restaurants that were good. Rode motorbikes (1000 miles) all over the country and HAD to eat local.

In Mex. I agree, there are many good restaurants, especially if you know mexican food.

Ironically, I responded to a poster on TripAdvisor who complained that the all inclusive food at a Puerta Vallarta Holiday Inn was bad. My response to them was "would you ever consider eating all your meals at a Holiday Inn in the U.S.?, probably not, so why then, would you think H.I. in PV would be any different?"

Many people, unfortunately are afraid to experience the countries they visit. It sounds exotic to say you are going to a foreign country for a vacation, but get picked up by the resort shuttle, never leave the resort except for planned excursions and never actually mix with the locals, they are just pretending to be world travelers.

Just my opinion

darcy54 wrote:

I agree with you. I find the meal plans are extremely over-priced, and why should certain weeks of the year cost even more , the food and drinks don't change just because it's a high season week. When I compare the cost of my meal plan, airfare, maintenance fee, and exchange fee, I usually haven't saved anything over going on a pre-packaged holiday. If I travel in low season I usually would end up paying even more than a last minute special. Do owners at these all-inclusive resorts get any breaks on the meal plan?

jeffw129 wrote:

darcy54 wrote:

I agree with you. I find the meal plans are extremely over-priced, and why should certain weeks of the year cost even more , the food and drinks don't change just because it's a high season week. When I compare the cost of my meal plan, airfare, maintenance fee, and exchange fee, I usually haven't saved anything over going on a pre-packaged holiday. If I travel in low season I usually would end up paying even more than a last minute special. Do owners at these all-inclusive resorts get any breaks on the meal plan?

Most of them are not just meal plans. they are all inclusive. Which means meals, drinks,non- motorized water sports activities, alot of resorts in Mexico include tours and room service and oh ya i almost forgot to mention premium brand drinks!!!! Lot's and lot's of drinks!! lol

That is nice if that is what you WANT to do, not what the resort FORCES you to do. You may feel you get your money's worth, I don't and I don't like not having the choice. For me I think I can do better exploring the local eateries and culture.

Personally, I don't drink that much, so the drinks are not going to justify the all inclusive, I also like a little variety in what and where I eat, plus I get a chance to experience the local life. If you want to go somewhere and never leave the compound, then an all inclusive probably will make sense to you. "non-motorized water sports" ? I have seen some beat up windsurfers, but have never been able to take out a sailboat as part of any plan, pool floats maybe. Perhaps I am not easy to impress, but tours to shopping districts and places like Xcaret (total synthetic fabrication for tourists, including fake ruins of all things) don't interest me.

I want to be able to chose.

bryanw21 wrote:

jeffw129 wrote:

darcy54 wrote:

I agree with you. I find the meal plans are extremely over-priced, and why should certain weeks of the year cost even more , the food and drinks don't change just because it's a high season week. When I compare the cost of my meal plan, airfare, maintenance fee, and exchange fee, I usually haven't saved anything over going on a pre-packaged holiday. If I travel in low season I usually would end up paying even more than a last minute special. Do owners at these all-inclusive resorts get any breaks on the meal plan?

Most of them are not just meal plans. they are all inclusive. Which means meals, drinks,non- motorized water sports activities, alot of resorts in Mexico include tours and room service and oh ya i almost forgot to mention premium brand drinks!!!! Lot's and lot's of drinks!! lol

That is nice if that is what you WANT to do, not what the resort FORCES you to do. You may feel you get your money's worth, I don't and I don't like not having the choice. For me I think I can do better exploring the local eateries and culture.

Personally, I don't drink that much, so the drinks are not going to justify the all inclusive, I also like a little variety in what and where I eat, plus I get a chance to experience the local life. If you want to go somewhere and never leave the compound, then an all inclusive probably will make sense to you. "non-motorized water sports" ? I have seen some beat up windsurfers, but have never been able to take out a sailboat as part of any plan, pool floats maybe. Perhaps I am not easy to impress, but tours to shopping districts and places like Xcaret (total synthetic fabrication for tourists, including fake ruins of all things) don't interest me.

I want to be able to chose.

jeffw129 wrote:

bryanw21 wrote:

jeffw129 wrote:

darcy54 wrote:

I agree with you. I find the meal plans are extremely over-priced, and why should certain weeks of the year cost even more , the food and drinks don't change just because it's a high season week. When I compare the cost of my meal plan, airfare, maintenance fee, and exchange fee, I usually haven't saved anything over going on a pre-packaged holiday. If I travel in low season I usually would end up paying even more than a last minute special. Do owners at these all-inclusive resorts get any breaks on the meal plan?

Most of them are not just meal plans. they are all inclusive. Which means meals, drinks,non- motorized water sports activities, alot of resorts in Mexico include tours and room service and oh ya i almost forgot to mention premium brand drinks!!!! Lot's and lot's of drinks!! lol

That is nice if that is what you WANT to do, not what the resort FORCES you to do. You may feel you get your money's worth, I don't and I don't like not having the choice. For me I think I can do better exploring the local eateries and culture.

Personally, I don't drink that much, so the drinks are not going to justify the all inclusive, I also like a little variety in what and where I eat, plus I get a chance to experience the local life. If you want to go somewhere and never leave the compound, then an all inclusive probably will make sense to you. "non-motorized water sports" ? I have seen some beat up windsurfers, but have never been able to take out a sailboat as part of any plan, pool floats maybe. Perhaps I am not easy to impress, but tours to shopping districts and places like Xcaret (total synthetic fabrication for tourists, including fake ruins of all things) don't interest me.

I want to be able to chose.

I'm sorry but i don't know where you've been doing your all incs but maybe you should look up palaceresorts.com and try one of them. Cause i can guarantee you can not go to Cancun and do everything they offer for the same price or cheaper on your own!! Seriously i strongly recommend Either the moon palace or Spa palace if ya go with out kids.

I gotta admit, the Palace has much to offer. I don't know what the "all inclusive" price is for everything, so it is impossible to say whether or not it can be done cheaper with the all-inclusive. I do know that the prices they quote on the tours can easily be beaten. The snorkeling, the ruins, even the golf. I own at a golf resort, but don't play, I've seen more ruins at more remote locations in the Yucatan than most visitors even know about and I have snorkeled at Cozumel. I am doing all of the above this May so I have a pretty good feel for what it costs to get around and do things in that part of Mexico.

I don't like cruise ships because everything is so "planned", it sounds like the Moon resort is following the cruise ship busines plan. What is a good deal for you, is too restrictive for me. Going on pre-planned trips with english speaking guides with a bunch of gringos does not give anyone the real flavor of the country. I'm sure could replicate the Moon Resorts offerings in Miami.

bryanw21 wrote:

jeffw129 wrote:

bryanw21 wrote:

jeffw129 wrote:

darcy54 wrote:

I agree with you. I find the meal plans are extremely over-priced, and why should certain weeks of the year cost even more , the food and drinks don't change just because it's a high season week. When I compare the cost of my meal plan, airfare, maintenance fee, and exchange fee, I usually haven't saved anything over going on a pre-packaged holiday. If I travel in low season I usually would end up paying even more than a last minute special. Do owners at these all-inclusive resorts get any breaks on the meal plan?

Most of them are not just meal plans. they are all inclusive. Which means meals, drinks,non- motorized water sports activities, alot of resorts in Mexico include tours and room service and oh ya i almost forgot to mention premium brand drinks!!!! Lot's and lot's of drinks!! lol

That is nice if that is what you WANT to do, not what the resort FORCES you to do. You may feel you get your money's worth, I don't and I don't like not having the choice. For me I think I can do better exploring the local eateries and culture.

Personally, I don't drink that much, so the drinks are not going to justify the all inclusive, I also like a little variety in what and where I eat, plus I get a chance to experience the local life. If you want to go somewhere and never leave the compound, then an all inclusive probably will make sense to you. "non-motorized water sports" ? I have seen some beat up windsurfers, but have never been able to take out a sailboat as part of any plan, pool floats maybe. Perhaps I am not easy to impress, but tours to shopping districts and places like Xcaret (total synthetic fabrication for tourists, including fake ruins of all things) don't interest me.

I want to be able to chose.

I'm sorry but i don't know where you've been doing your all incs but maybe you should look up palaceresorts.com and try one of them. Cause i can guarantee you can not go to Cancun and do everything they offer for the same price or cheaper on your own!! Seriously i strongly recommend Either the moon palace or Spa palace if ya go with out kids.

I gotta admit, the Palace has much to offer. I don't know what the "all inclusive" price is for everything, so it is impossible to say whether or not it can be done cheaper with the all-inclusive. I do know that the prices they quote on the tours can easily be beaten. The snorkeling, the ruins, even the golf. I own at a golf resort, but don't play, I've seen more ruins at more remote locations in the Yucatan than most visitors even know about and I have snorkeled at Cozumel. I am doing all of the above this May so I have a pretty good feel for what it costs to get around and do things in that part of Mexico.

I don't like cruise ships because everything is so "planned", it sounds like the Moon resort is following the cruise ship busines plan. What is a good deal for you, is too restrictive for me. Going on pre-planned trips with english speaking guides with a bunch of gringos does not give anyone the real flavor of the country. I'm sure could replicate the Moon Resorts offerings in Miami.

I totally agree with BryanW...I can't tell you how many of my friends have tried to get me to go on a cruise because they know I love to travel! But cruising and AI's seem to be for the timid who really don't want to get out and explore the "real" location and culture. They just want to see the pretty scenery and stay in their comfortable nest. As far as the cruise ships go, I don't really think of them as going to a destination. It's more about being on the boat, with the captain letting you off for a few hours, here and there. Whoopie! Oh, and don't get me going about "tours." I just came back from the Yucatan and was offered all kinds of "tours." My husband and I ventured out on our own. We read up ahead of time about ceynotes & ruins and ferrys, etc.

what is the average all incusive charge and is it per person or per unit?