II/ All Inclusive Properties/ I hate it!!

[JMSH]

I am simply looking to spout off. I am so tired of a lot of the resorts, offered in the Caribbean/Mexico, with the mandatory "All Inclusive" feature. First the pricing of them is outrageous, and the inability to be able to opt out of them is ridiculous! I bought a timeshare to get away from the AI and to havre the ability to be able to get our own food/cook and enjoy the local spots if we wanted. Why is II going this way? Once again just pissed off about this and looking to vent! Thanks for listening!

 

[Theiggy]

I agree. I almost never even look at Mexico or most other Caribbean resorts for that reason.


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[dioxide45]

They aren't really going this way, II has always had these resorts. II is also a travel agency and is using exchange as a method to also sell all-inclusive resorts. I don't like it either and I really wish they would provide a method to filter those options out so we didn't even have to look at them. Enough people must still buy them and exchange their timeshares for them.

What you are probably better to do is to go through the resort directory and find all the non-AI properties in the areas you want to search and then just search by resort codes. You can save the resort codes into Notes, Notepad or similar application and then copy and paste them in the future when you want to do a quick search.

 

[HudsHut]

There are many resorts in Caribbean / Mexico that are AI. To avoid them, search by Resort Code.

This is a document I created that lists the NON-AI resort codes for Mexico.
Copy the codes for the region(s) that interest you, or copy the entire list located near the bottom of the document.

 

[moonstone]

I am simply looking to spout off. I am so tired of a lot of the resorts, offered in the Caribbean/Mexico, with the mandatory "All Inclusive" feature. First the pricing of them is outrageous, and the inability to be able to opt out of them is ridiculous! I bought a timeshare to get away from the AI and to havre the ability to be able to get our own food/cook and enjoy the local spots if we wanted. Why is II going this way? Once again just pissed off about this and looking to vent! Thanks for listening!

We have been timesharing and members of RCI since 1982 and never stayed at an All Inclusive with our timeshare. I found out early on that I could get a much better deal that also included airfare (from Toronto) by booking it myself online or even using a travel agent in the days before I had a computer & the internet. We keep our timeshare exchanges to within the continental USA (mostly east of the Mississippi) and almost always to places we can drive to. We have stayed at some very nice resorts and could never have been able to take so many vacations if we hadnt had a kitchen and making nearly all our meals in the unit, especially when we had 3 kids in tow. We have only stayed at 4 AI vacations and each time we were bored. We much prefer to have our own car or a rental to explore the area and do not like having to get up and go somewhere for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I doubt we will ever book a non-AI exchange because they are usually so far from town for groceries or entertainment/exploring and most that I have looked into do not even have a full kitchen.

For our 2 months in Belize each winter (arrived today) we rent an apartment so we can buy groceries, cook all the meals we want, and live like some of the locals. We look at it as living somewhere else, not as a vacation.


~Diane

 

[sponger76]

I am simply looking to spout off. I am so tired of a lot of the resorts, offered in the Caribbean/Mexico, with the mandatory "All Inclusive" feature. First the pricing of them is outrageous, and the inability to be able to opt out of them is ridiculous! I bought a timeshare to get away from the AI and to havre the ability to be able to get our own food/cook and enjoy the local spots if we wanted. Why is II going this way? Once again just pissed off about this and looking to vent! Thanks for listening!

II isn't the one that is doing it, it's the individual resorts/timeshare companies that do it. II doesn't make any money off of AI fees, they are paid directly to the resorts, who are not owned/controlled by II.

 

[JMSH]

II isn't the one that is doing it, it's the individual resorts/timeshare companies that do it. II doesn't make any money off of AI fees, they are paid directly to the resorts, who are not owned/controlled by II.

Well II chooses to either offer the resort in their trading places or not. My preference is that they do not even offer these locations. JMHO

 

[sponger76]

Well II chooses to either offer the resort in their trading places or not. My preference is that they do not even offer these locations. JMHO

Well that's your prerogative I guess, but to me it seems silly that you're directing your anger at the wrong party. II has pretty much always had AI resorts, so has RCI. All you have to do is just NOT book stays at AI resorts. If II didn't offer them, it's not like you would suddenly have MORE choices to book in those locations. And just because you (and granted, most posters here, including myself) don't want an AI-mandatory resort, doesn't mean that others won't want them. Kind of presumptuous of you to think your preferences should dictate that a company can;t offer a certain product. Again, just don't partake of the products that you don't want. Now, do I wish that II would have a filter so we don't see them in our personal search results? Sure. But I'm not gonna expend any emotional energy on the fact that they offer them.

 

[GrayFal]

I no longer belong to RCI but as I recall they had a check off box to pick to exclude AI resorts in your search.
Wish II had the same, but not likely to happen.

 

[ScoopKona]

All-inclusive = "I'm ascared of Mexicans and I won't eat anything spicier than Velveeta on Wonder Bread."

There aren't too many places where all-inclusive makes less sense. Mexico has some of the best cuisine on the entire planet. Missing out on that in order to eat gabacho cruise-ship food is nuts.

 

[WorldT]

All-inclusive = "I'm ascared of Mexicans and I won't eat anything spicier than Velveeta on Wonder Bread."

There aren't too many places where all-inclusive makes less sense. Mexico has some of the best cuisine on the entire planet. Missing out on that in order to eat gabacho cruise-ship food is nuts.

I was on the MSC seascape sailing out of Galveston last month for a week and they had good food (options, quality, and taste). It was my first and only cruise so far.
That being said, I don't do all inclusive in Mexico. I also prefer to have a rental car which allows me to go to any restaurant, anytime I want.

 

[liacee]

I do wish II would have a way to filter out all-inclusive resorts when searching.

 

[Hindsite]

I do wish II would have a way to filter out all-inclusive resorts when searching.

You can just search by the resort codes that you are interested in. You can google to get lists that other people have put together, or do one of your own.
There is also info in the stickies of the sightings forum that may assist.

 

[davidvel]

Well that's your prerogative I guess, but to me it seems silly that you're directing your anger at the wrong party. II has pretty much always had AI resorts, so has RCI. All you have to do is just NOT book stays at AI resorts. If II didn't offer them, it's not like you would suddenly have MORE choices to book in those locations. And just because you (and granted, most posters here, including myself) don't want an AI-mandatory resort, doesn't mean that others won't want them. Kind of presumptuous of you to think your preferences should dictate that a company can;t offer a certain product. Again, just don't partake of the products that you don't want. Now, do I wish that II would have a filter so we don't see them in our personal search results? Sure. But I'm not gonna expend any emotional energy on the fact that they offer them.

I agree. While CoffeeGuy will $h!t on these people, many do like the convenience of AI, and some resorts have good food and drinks. Probably not as good as the off the beaten path local joint that CoffeeGuy will go to, but that is their choice. To think this option should be foreclosed by II because someone doesn't want it is absurd.

Many people consider vacation as a time to relax and be catered to, not on a wild goose chase for the best and highest food options. Given the amount they charge for AI, I can only presume that there is good demand for it, and those people likely don't give a rat's @$$ what CoffeeGuy thinks.

 

[hurnik]

You can just search by the resort codes that you are interested in. You can google to get lists that other people have put together, or do one of your own.
There is also info in the stickies of the sightings forum that may assist.

Manually inputting pages of resort codes each time you want to do a search is not quite the same as selecting an entire region, checking a "no-AI" box and hitting the search button, IMO. Unless Interval has added some way to "save" your search for future use.

 

[dioxide45]

Manually inputting pages of resort codes each time you want to do a search is not quite the same as selecting an entire region, checking a "no-AI" box and hitting the search button, IMO. Unless Interval has added some way to "save" your search for future use.

You can do copy and paste. No need to manually input resort codes.

 

[2rebecca]

Manually inputting pages of resort codes each time you want to do a search is not quite the same as selecting an entire region, checking a "no-AI" box and hitting the search button, IMO. Unless Interval has added some way to "save" your search for future use.

I wish II would incorporate a save feature, but I'm sure they would take away something else if they did. LOL. I use Chrome, so for my most frequent searches, it will autopopulate once I type in the first few letters. I also keep a word document on my computer with the codes I search for frequently so I can copy/paste.

 

[jp10558]

I wish II had even SOME of the filter options RCI has. I can set RCI EASILY (and save as a favorite search) to exclude AI resorts, must be 7+ day stays, 2BR or larger units and then add a region if I like to narrow it down. I seriously wonder if there's really even any value in an AI exchange vs just booking some other way - I somehow doubt they're charging much more than the AI on the open sales options.

 

[dioxide45]

I somehow doubt they're charging much more than the AI on the open sales options.

The value/cost comparison has to include the value of the deposit. They don't seem to put a lot of value on the week you are depositing. They are also priced much differently. The all-inclusive fees through II and RCI are fixed or fixed to a seasonal schedule. The pricing isn't as dynamic as what you find with an outside travel agent (OTA). There are also rarely any kind of discounts or coupons through II/RCI like you might find with an OTA.

If I price out a stay at TRS Coral in Cancun through II, it comes out to a total of $4,553. That includes the AI fees, exchange fee and the MF on my deposit. If I look at a site like Vacation Express, I can book a stay that is one night less (6 nights) for $4057. However, booking through Vacation Express includes round-trip air. I am also not sure if when booked through II if it includes airport transfers, which is something else I get when booking through most OTAs.

 

[jp10558]

I agree. While CoffeeGuy will $h!t on these people, many do like the convenience of AI, and some resorts have good food and drinks. Probably not as good as the off the beaten path local joint that CoffeeGuy will go to, but that is their choice. To think this option should be foreclosed by II because someone doesn't want it is absurd.

Many people consider vacation as a time to relax and be catered to, not on a wild goose chase for the best and highest food options. Given the amount they charge for AI, I can only presume that there is good demand for it, and those people likely don't give a rat's @$$ what CoffeeGuy thinks.

I never understood the appeal of AI, but talking to my cousin's family with 2 little kids - apparently not having to worry about it when each kid wants like a single chicken finger at lunch, and then in 15 minutes wants some fries, then in 30 minutes wants a slice of pizza say - buying individually and then tossing the extra the Kid's don't eat because kids is wasteful and gets expensive in vacation spots. I still think the added cost for the Adults who presumably wouldn't do that might make it break even - but having the ability to avoid additional transactions and maybe just send a kid up to wherever they want the single item makes it worth it, or the peace of mind of the fixed cost does so as well. IDK.

 

[liacee]

You can just search by the resort codes that you are interested in. You can google to get lists that other people have put together, or do one of your own.
There is also info in the stickies of the sightings forum that may assist.

Yes and that is a good option. Chrome does populate my most frequent resort code searches (good old ADJ... et al) with just the first letter so that is handy. But not as handy as a search filter to just leave those options out. Very often the resorts themselves offer better discounts on their all inclusive packages that booking through II doesn't make much sense, on the whole you will likely spend more booking through II (taking into account your maintenance fees, the exchange fees that just went up by $10, and the all inclusive fees) than you would booking independently. And there are so many of them they clog up the searches.

 

[2rebecca]

I never understood the appeal of AI, but talking to my cousin's family with 2 little kids - apparently not having to worry about it when each kid wants like a single chicken finger at lunch, and then in 15 minutes wants some fries, then in 30 minutes wants a slice of pizza say - buying individually and then tossing the extra the Kid's don't eat because kids is wasteful and gets expensive in vacation spots. I still think the added cost for the Adults who presumably wouldn't do that might make it break even - but having the ability to avoid additional transactions and maybe just send a kid up to wherever they want the single item makes it worth it, or the peace of mind of the fixed cost does so as well. IDK.

Something else to consider. A lot of AI resorts only include food & drinks, while others include activities in their fees. I've only stayed at Sandals & Beaches. It has been almost 20 years, but I think they still include scuba diving, kayaking, golf, etc. If you dive or golf, an AI resort might actually be cheaper than timeshare + diving and golfing. Their drinks were not watered down. My mom rarely drinks asked if she could get some rum for the room. She was expecting a mini and they dropped off 750 ml bottle.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Well II chooses to either offer the resort in their trading places or not. My preference is that they do not even offer these locations. JMHO

I think I must have missed something in the discussion - particularly the reason why your preference to have II not offer AI resorts should override the wishes of other people who are interested in AI resorts. Personally, I'm in favor of letting people have choices. If you don't like AI, then don't book AI. I don't like AI, and when I look at inventory in places such as MX, I discard the AI options.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

All-inclusive = "I'm ascared of Mexicans and I won't eat anything spicier than Velveeta on Wonder Bread."

There aren't too many places where all-inclusive makes less sense. Mexico has some of the best cuisine on the entire planet. Missing out on that in order to eat gabacho cruise-ship food is nuts.

Get a grip, Scoop. Snottiness like that is unbecoming a person of your character and sensibilities.

Certainly, what you describe exists. Maybe 20 or 25 years ago, there was a discussion involving AI at the (now) Vidanta resorts. One of the posters gushed about how much she loved the Vidanta resorts with AI, because it was like going to Mexico and feeling as if she was still in the US - with familiar food, everyone speaking English, great hospitality, and no funny smells.

On the other hand, I have a DS and DDIL, who are world travelers, who always make a point of being in the local culture, often doing couch surfing in places such as Istanbul, Cambodia, Tanzania, and Ghana. However, for one trip to Puerto Vallarta, they decided they wanted to do an AI just so they could kick back and relax for one week.

We visit some resorts in MX that have optional AI (which we never use). Viewing the food options there is an abundance of local food options. And lots of local aromas as well.

 

[jp10558]

Something else to consider. A lot of AI resorts only include food & drinks, while others include activities in their fees. I've only stayed at Sandals & Beaches. It has been almost 20 years, but I think they still include scuba diving, kayaking, golf, etc. If you dive or golf, an AI resort might actually be cheaper than timeshare + diving and golfing. Their drinks were not watered down. My mom rarely drinks asked if she could get some rum for the room. She was expecting a mini and they dropped off 750 ml bottle.

Ahh, everything I heard (never gone, don't dive or golf) was food and drinks only. That seemed the implication from the RCI listings, but I didn't look that closely. Yes, I'm sure if you can make use of a lot of amenities you might find it a reasonable deal - much like people who go to all you can eat restaurants can get a deal if they eat a massive amount.