VCI food
In your post you indicate you are staying at 3 resorts so I assume you have a group of at least 10 people. I have been going to VCI for many years -- my parents bought there in 1978. My wife (Rhonda) and I have a family consisting of her teen-age son, her two daughters and my three daughters -- the five girls range from 25 to 30 -- plus two son-in-laws, three long-term boyfriends, and two grandchildren. Our experiences with our group may help you figure out your likely eating expenses.
In 2007, our group consisted of me and Rhonda, four of our girls, two of their boyfriends, and two 16 year old boys. We had three villas. At check-out our bills for that week were $900 for villa # 1, $570 for villa # 2 and $302 for villa # 3 -- a total of $1,772 for 10 people. But, there are more details that might be helpful for your planning.
We usually stock up on groceries at Chedraui as soon as possible after we check-in so we have snacks, drinks, breakfast food, and stuff for sandiwiches or similar items. With a group like ours, we have people going all different directions at times and but we have 2 planned group evening meals that we cook in the villas -- partly for economy and partly for fun because we're Cajuns and we enjoy cooking and eating together.
Even though we stock a pretty good larder of groceries and beverages, we always end up charging a fair amount of food on our room cards. After all, it's so easy to order drinks or snacks from the nice waiter when you're sitting in your lounge chair and don't want to walk back to your villa -- even though our old (pre-renewal) villa was in Building 8 on pool level and close to the beach.
Plus there are times when no one feels like fixing a meal. Plus, when the 20-somethings head down to the Sands or the Tri-Royals for a change of scenery, there are plenty of beverages to be bought and snacks to be eaten. Plus, there are the barbecued hamburgers at the Welcome Party. Plus, there are days when whatever is being cooked at the Palapa smells too good to resist. Plus, there are always things we end up buying at the Tienda because it's just too easy and convenient.
Most of our $1,772 of charges in 2007 were for the Palapa, the Tienda and the Pool Bars at VCI and the Royal Sands. Hoewver, there were other items charged on the room cards. Some of the girls hit the Royal Sands Spa and some of the guys hit the gym. We also had six airport transfers via Thomas More and a few other miscellaneous charges.
Most of the meals that we charged in 2007 were at the VCI Palapa but, in my experience, the prices at all the Royals are pretty similar. In 2007, four of our group ate one meal at Captain's Cove but no one ate at El Conquistador or Hacienda Sisal so we didn't have any really expensive meals on our VCI account.
We did spend some money eating at places besides VCI. In addition to the food we charged at VCI and the meals we cooked in our villas, our entire group went out to eat twice -- at La Fisheria one evening and at Casa Rolandi on Isla Mujeres another evening. We also had a partial group meal at Lorenzillo's one night and partial group lunches at Playa Lanchero on Isla Mujeres and at Maroma Paradise Marina. Basically, we spent about $1,300 for food and drinks at VCI and other Royals and about $500 for groceries at Chedraui -- including cerveza, wine, liquor and coffee and stuff to bring home as gifts. I don't have the figures on what we spent at the other restaurants but Playa Lanchero was tres cheap and Casa Rolandi was tres cher. Hope this helps you figure out your food budget.
There have been some posts about who will be where during weeks 25 and 26so, I want y'all to know that Rhonad and I will be in Cancun those weeks. We will be at VCI from 6/21 through 7/4 and would enjoy meeting some of the other TUG members. We will have our Houston stepdaughter and boyfriend (both 28 ) and stepson and girlfriend (both 17) in our new beach level C type villa on the east side of the Palapa. After 30 years in villa B-814 I decided it was time for a change of scenery. The children return to Louisiana and Texas on 6/27 and on 6/28 we switch to a B villa that we bought so we would have a place to rest after the children leave.
Unfortunately, our Jackson MS daughter, our Baton Rouge daughter, our Pearland TX daughter, and our New York City daughter all had to change plans this year so we will have a smaller group than usual. That means I don't have built-in tennis partners or built-in groups for fishing, taking off down Highway 307 to Boca Pailla, or going to Isla Mujeres. If any of you TUG posters engage in those activities, let's get in touch.
John
It must be cheap since I saw several Airline employees making purchases and they should know.
