Bernice_Dunn

We would like some beach time in MARCH....LOOKING FOR WARM WEATHER. & ocean temp, relaxing quiet atmosphere ( no casinos) and beautiful beaches. Oh by the way money is a factor!! We would like to go all inclusive under $3000 from upstate NY. Would you go to Florida or one of the islands...& which island? We have been to The Keys & that is not an option . Thanks for your help!

schmerl

When you say "all inclusive" does that mean you want an all inclusive resort or that is the total for your budget including airfare?
I first thought you meant you were looking for an all inclusive resort and posted this on the Caribbean forum:

You get the most bang for your buck with all inclusives in Mexico or the Dominican Republic.
Sadly, March is in peak season so costs will be high.
Look into Mexico's Riviera Maya area south of Cancun. There are many, many AI resorts there.
If you want a nice quiet AI resort which (I think) will fit your budget, look into the Catalonia Royal Tulum. It is an adults only AI on a gorgeous stretch of beach and is pretty laid back.

gmoney

There are no all-inclusives in Florida that I know of (I live in Florida). Agree with schmerl, look at Riveria Maya in Mexico. We like the Barcelo resort south of Playa Del Carmen. The all-inclusives in Mexico are the least expensive in the Caribbean as far as I can tell. Barcelo is a very nice resort and you get good value for your money. There are actually 3 resorts in one here all at different price points, the Palace (high end) the Colonial/Tropical (mid-range) and Beach/Caribe (low-end, but still very nice). The beaches here are amazing and there is probably a mile of beach just for this one resort.

gail

Have you checked out Puerto Rico? Non-stop relatively cheap flights from eastern US. Easy since no passports, cell phone service not "roaming", same money, no immigration/customs issues. I had never considered it as vacation destination but went last January - nice combination of beach, food, and some interesting history/sites.

Dukey1

From southeast Florida where I live on the beach: KEEP GOING SOUTH.

I'd look at the possibility of using JetBlue for transportation, if possible; if not then perhaps USAirways/American.

All-inclusives in the Dominican Republic seem to be very popular now. Puerto Rico might not be as cheap even in March altho the weather would be good.

Too bad you just hate going on cruises because you can get DEALS through discounters for that time of year.

gmoney

Here are two very reputable tour operators that specialize in Caribbean all-inclusives. You can get pricing including airfare for just about any destination.

http://www.applevacations.com/

http://www.funjet.com/

NeoPatrick

Hyatt is still running a half price special (or maybe now it's 40%) for their newly opened Zilara or Ziva all inclusive resorts at Montego Bay in Jamaica through March. There have been some major glitzes with delayed openings, but it's falling into place now and should be totally great by March. It's pretty much 5 star, but at a bargain price.

suze

What is that $3000 covering? Two people, airfare, hotel, and all-inclusive food plan? How many days?

schmerl

suze,
The initial post was a bit confusing..
>>
I don't know if she is looking for an actual all inclusive resort or if she is saying that $3000 needs to include all their expenses.
She hasn't come back to clear things up.

schmerl

She did tell me on the Caribbean forum that they want to go for 4 or 5 days.

suze

It's confusing because there are 3 different posts, each with a little different slant on the same question. And one place she says they won't consider Mexico, which to me is the most obvious (and best) answer to this question.