Way back in 2011, I was fresh out of undergrad and ready to embark on the world. My dad had fooled me into believing he would send me to Europe as a graduation gift but never did.

Okay, that’s not true. My dad never agreed to that and I held out hope until the very end. I really believed he would send me right until he did not. I digress.

So I went to a travel agent and told her I wanted to go as far as I could within my budget of about 26 cents and she responded with, “Cancun! You’ll love it. Trust me.” And so my love affair with all-inclusive resorts began.

Pros

As the name would suggest, all-inclusive resorts include just about everything you would need on vacation: your accommodations, food and beverage and often roundtrip transfers from the airport to the resort. Extras such as spa treatments and excursions are rarely included but if you know one that includes unlimited spa treatments, let me know!

My mom likes to remind me that all-inclusive resorts are especially valuable to those who tend to drink a lot on vacation as that can eat away at any budget. I would have to agree. Our room in Cancun had four full size bottles of liquor in the mini-fridge. You’re paying for it so drink up.

You can choose not to leave the resort at all but if you do, there should be someone available to help you book any and all excursions that you’re interested in. Now that I’m a more seasoned traveler, I’m comfortable arranging my own adventures but booking through the resort is easy and I highly recommend it.

Sometimes you just want a good beach, great service, delicious food and drinks and to relax. If that’s all you want (and that’s really OK!), then you should definitely visit an all-inclusive resort on your next vacation. As much as I love adventuring on my own, sometimes I just want a piña colada and my toes in the sand.

Cons

Like I said before, all-inclusive resorts might be best utilized by those of us who especially enjoy the libations when on vacation. If you’re not much of a drinker (or a huge eater for that matter), all-inclusive resorts might not be the best way to go.

You might feel like you’re secluded and missing out on the culture and the people of your destination because you are. All-inclusive resorts are meant to be comfortable and easy. Tracking down that authentic arroz con pollo or jerk chicken will require more effort than ordering room service.

In deciding on our next caribbean destination, I’ve found that all-inclusives are about twice as much as it would be to rent an Airbnb or stay at a regular hotel. Even when I budget the most I think we could spend on food and drinks per day, I can’t rationalize the cost of the convenience over the desire to save those coins for another trip later on.

Even with that said, as our family grows, I see a family-friendly all-inclusive resort in our future soon enough and I’m looking forward to utilizing all of the amenities to truly relax and not worry about anything.

Have you ever stayed at an all-inclusive resort? What are your thoughts on this type of travel?