Everyone craves a vacation but planning your dream trip takes a lot of work. You have to pick a hotel, book a flight, find reliable transportation, and figure out where to eat. If you’re bringing the family, everything must be kid-friendly and cater to individual preferences.
Why Choose All-Inclusive?
All-inclusive packages take the hassle out of planning. Instead of booking each part of the trip separately, you pay a single price for the entire stay. These packages are usually offered at luxurious resorts and provide accommodations, transportation, dining, and even activities. You get to spend your vacation relaxing and enjoying yourself without worrying about any of the details. When you book an all-inclusive package, the savings might even make it affordable to travel to a destination you thought was outside your price range.
Going for an all-inclusive package when you travel gives you a much more immersive experience than booking a hotel and puttering around town in a rental car. You get to spend your days surrounded by beautiful resort grounds and exploring new places. Whether you book an adventure for the whole family or find a special retreat just for you and your spouse, the entire trip is taken care of. All you have to do is hop on the plane and enjoy your stay.
Thanks to travel booking sites, you can shop around for different all-inclusive options and choose the best package at a reasonable price. Even on a budget, it’s possible to find a great deal you can afford and experience the wonder of discovery in a luxurious setting.
These popular booking sites can help you plan a memorable resort adventure.
CheapCarribean.com
As the name implies, this is the place to go if you want to hit up a Caribbean destination on the cheap. You’ll find vacation packages in Jamaica, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and other Caribbean countries, all with in-depth information from both travelers and the Cheap Caribbean staff. Travelers can rate destinations, accommodations, and more with one to five palm trees, and Cheap Caribbean uses a system of “suns” instead of stars to denote its own ratings.
This site offers special deals for specific destinations, and you can click on a package to get all the details you need to decide if you’d like to take advantage of the low price. Each page includes:
- Resort pictures
- Room information
- Available amenities
- Dining options
- Activities
- Nearby attractions
- Assessment of the pros and cons of the resort
All deals have a “travel date” range, meaning you have to go within the specified window of time in order to save. Group booking deals are available if you need 10 or more rooms to accommodate a large party.
Be aware some customers report having difficulty with Cheap Caribbean customer service when trying to request compensation for mistakes or bad vacation experiences. Others report deals becoming unavailable in the middle of the booking process.
Expedia.com
Expedia offers both “bundle deals” and all-inclusive packages, although it can be difficult to locate the latter option from the home page. Search packages by country or city to find the destination of your dreams, and see how much you can save. All vacations are backed by the Expedia Price Guarantee. If you find a lower price for a package on another site, you’ll not only get a refund for the difference, but also receive a $50 credit toward your next vacation as long as Expedia’s guidelines are met.
Booking all-inclusive packages could save you literally thousands of dollars on a luxury resort vacation. Click on deals for the amenities and activities available at each resort or to find out if you can bring your pets. Information about family-friendly accommodations is also listed.
To take advantage of the prices offered by Expedia, you must travel within the dates given for each package and choose whether to pay more for the option of free cancellation. One complaint travelers have about this site relates to cancellation and change fees, with many claiming Expedia failed to make good on its promise of not charging extra when travel plans are revised. Be sure to read the fine print before booking so that you know what recourse is available if you’re unable to travel.
Booking.com
As part of the Priceline group of booking sites, Booking.com advertises daily deals for any price range and promises to price match packages from other sites as long as they meet the “We Price Match” checklist criteria. To find a deal, enter information about where you’d like to stay and when. You can also browse destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America, and South America to see available accommodations and rates.
If “themed” travel is more your style, browse for vacations designed for a variety of personal tastes. You can search for hotels under themes, such as family, golf and sports, luxury, romantic, and spa.
Once you find a destination you like, read the full information on the hotel page to confirm the amenities meet your needs. Check out onsite restaurants, nearby dining, and things to do in the surrounding area, and read reviews from other users for more details.
Make sure you fully understand the rates and cancellation policies when setting up a trip through Booking.com. Some travelers report not receiving the expected prices or free cancellation due to confusion over fine print.
TripAdvisor.com
If you like to read reviews before choosing a vacation destination, try TripAdvisor. Travelers offer opinions on everything from accommodations to the entertainment value of nearby attractions. The site lists the top 25 all-inclusive resorts based on customers’ opinions, so you can seek out the absolute best destination.
View individual resorts for current deals from a variety of booking sites. Get complete hotel or resort details, and explore similar accommodations around the area. If you want to know more about local activities, check out the list of nearby attractions put together by TripAdvisor and reviewed by other travelers. All reviews can be sorted by traveler type and time of year, allowing you to read feedback specific to your personal travel situation.
Keep in mind TripAdvisor doesn’t handle booking. Selecting a deal takes you to a third-party site with its own terms and conditions. Make sure to read all the details prior to booking your final package.
The biggest complaint about this site is a general dissatisfaction with review policies and repeated errors in vacation rental listings. Overall, TripAdvisor seems to receive more positive and fewer negative reviews than other options.
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