Mark Derail
Contributor
I try to book with the two weekends, so if "arrival" is Saturday, you can "leave" Friday right after work, get closer, so you have an early departure & arrival on Saturday.
You then get to benefit to the max of the all-inclusive all day the following Saturday, taxi to a hotel close to the airport, then leave sometime on Sunday morning. Eight days later.
Travel a few more times, you'll get the hang of it. 10 days including travel time is "perfect" to fully enjoy someplace 7-8 days instead of 5.5, with barely a 15% total cost increase. Sometimes *cheaper* because of the reduced air plane ticket costs.
(My next trip to Cayman Islands, airfare dropped to 640$ per instead of 980$)
I checked the 1500$ credit - you can use for tours & various options like massage and beach rentals. That's one heck-of-a-lot of massages, and just a few tours.
Why should the restaurants inside an all-inclusive charge money???
I stayed at Gran Bahia Principe in Alkumal, and the restaurants were free, one per day. They are such a hassle, having to reserve, that you end up at the buffet all the time.
IOW, I checked it out, and that 1500$ credit seems to be misleading. Report back on how you used it, I have a feeling you'll not be using it all up.
Again IOW, perhaps a cheaper resort w/o the credit might be cheaper overall. Lots of reviews, good & not-so-good here on Scuba Board.
If it were me, I'd use the same all-inclusive resort that Scuba Board Invade Cozumel are using, seems to be *very* nice. I'm considering even hooking up part of the honeymoon with Invade 2013 or 2014.
Nothing like a bunch of divers crashing your party COZ you invited them (pun intended...)
You then get to benefit to the max of the all-inclusive all day the following Saturday, taxi to a hotel close to the airport, then leave sometime on Sunday morning. Eight days later.
Travel a few more times, you'll get the hang of it. 10 days including travel time is "perfect" to fully enjoy someplace 7-8 days instead of 5.5, with barely a 15% total cost increase. Sometimes *cheaper* because of the reduced air plane ticket costs.
(My next trip to Cayman Islands, airfare dropped to 640$ per instead of 980$)
I checked the 1500$ credit - you can use for tours & various options like massage and beach rentals. That's one heck-of-a-lot of massages, and just a few tours.
Why should the restaurants inside an all-inclusive charge money???
I stayed at Gran Bahia Principe in Alkumal, and the restaurants were free, one per day. They are such a hassle, having to reserve, that you end up at the buffet all the time.
IOW, I checked it out, and that 1500$ credit seems to be misleading. Report back on how you used it, I have a feeling you'll not be using it all up.
Again IOW, perhaps a cheaper resort w/o the credit might be cheaper overall. Lots of reviews, good & not-so-good here on Scuba Board.
If it were me, I'd use the same all-inclusive resort that Scuba Board Invade Cozumel are using, seems to be *very* nice. I'm considering even hooking up part of the honeymoon with Invade 2013 or 2014.
Nothing like a bunch of divers crashing your party COZ you invited them (pun intended...)