Trying to plan a trip for my family of 4 (kids 4 and 7).
Interested in staying at JW.
Please tell me your likes/dislikes of Cancun as a family destination.

It can be as quiet and relaxing or as busy as you want; there's a lot to do, but you can just take it easy too. The Mexican people are friendly and helpful. There are many good restaurants. The biggest drawback for me, as ridiculous as it may sound, is the airport. It is finally being renovated, and things have gotten better over the 7 years we've been going to Cancun, but the lines and long wait to get through customs just drives me crazy.

Dislikes
Drunken frat boys and sorority girls, partying all the time

Likes
Close to Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, so you can get away from the drunken party boys and girls.

It's me again; I must respond to RBCal's message. March is spring break time in Cancun, and there have been problems which the government has attempted to address; they've had some success. I've never encountered any such problems, but then again, I've never gone in March. The resort where we stay has a rule that student guests, especially in March, must be accompanied by adults.

I've never experienced or seen any of the drunken behavior either that's such a cliche about Cancun. But I'm sure you can find it if you hang out in bars, or go during spring break.

The JW (and any other nice nearby hotel), is in a beautiful spot, on a wonderful beach, a 10-15 minute busride away from bars and nightlife. In other words, just as in any city, your experience depends on where you go --
You can have a lovely relaxing vacation, as I did, and it's in a great location for day trips. I also like Playa del Carmen, but the hotel selection is not as good there, imho. And the beach in front of the JW is just magnificent.

Cancun is very Americanized. Whether that is a pro or con for you depends upon your own views and what you like.

RBCal's comments about drunken frat boys and sorority girls goes well beyond that IMHO. While there certainly are many other things to do in Cancun, drinking is the most heavily marketed. We encountered many obnoxious drunks--high school aged, college aged and adults of all ages. This was not spring break nor was it school vacation time. It just is not an atmosphere that appeals to me. I'm sure there are high end resorts whose prices exclude those whose sole purpose is to be drunk. Obviously, we didn't stay at one of those properties

I also thought the undertow was quite strong and the surf rather rough. I would not let kids venture very far away from me.

Anyhow, I would recommend areas south of Cancun along the Mayan Riviera.

Cancun is too much of a city for me. I much prefer Playa del Carmen, or better yet, Isla Mujeres. But, you own't find properties like the JW Marriott as those destinations. Depends on what you want for vacation.

I agree with Frankie. A Cancun vacation is what you want it to be. If you want the bar scene, then it's a bus ride away from the JW. If you want a relaxing vacation with a magnificent pool and beach, then Cancun offers what some consider the best in the world. With children aged 4 and 7, I rather doubt you will be doing the bar scene, nor will you have any late nights. The JW is a beautiful hotel, quiet, luxurious and not one that caters to the teenage, partying crowd. We found it to be a bit "stuffy" though for our active kids (ie. need shoes and shirt in the lobby, no swimming in the scuba diving pool, expensive, upscale restaurants on site). Cancun has a lot to offer families, just don't go to the the likes of Coco Bongo, Senor Frogs and the like. Easily avoided.

Since Cancun is more American than Mexican, what is the point of going that far for a pseudo-Florida spring break party place? Why not save time and money and just go to Florida?

Completely disagree with you, rb. That's just too easy. For one thing, the beaches are a whole LOT prettier than Florida's, it's a great stopping point for day trips all around the yucatan, and I enjoyed leaving the hotel zone and going into the city of Cancun to visit real Mexican restaurants that had plenty of authentic charm. Plenty of Mexican's live in Cancun, afterall !

For us (in Dallas), going to Florida ( Destin) is more expensive and takes longer. We can be in Cancun in 2 1/2 hrs and pay A LOT less per night.

But...we stay in Tulum, not Cancun.
Besides - the food is better too.

RBCal, I don't know what your Cancun experiences have been, but they are obviously extremely different than mine. As with any travel destination you need to do some research and find the type of vacation spot you're looking for. A vacation without encountering teenage drinking is very possible in Cancun. I have been to Cancun 7 times with my family and have never encountered anything like what you describe. As I have said before, if you look for it, you will find a party scene in Cancun. You can find a party scene anywhere if you seek it out.

Pros:

Inexpensive
Easy to get to from the East coast
Variety of accommodations in all price ranges
Variety of dining options in all price ranges
Lots close by to see - ruins, diving, cenotes, day trips to other towns, etc.
Variety of party choices
GORGEOUS beach and water
Some prescription drugs (like Retin A) at huge savings

Cons:

Touristy and a bit tacky
Overbuilt and commercial and covered with highrise hotels
Crowded at times
Americanized

My 2 favorite places in Cancun are the JW and The Ritz. A great surprise is that you can stay at The Ritz on the Club Level (which is quite expensive) and if you don't care about formal meals (which I don't), then you eat basically free. Five presentations of food each day in a common lounge and all the drinks that you want. They are very accommodating and even give you drinks and water to take down to the beach or to your room. We just came back from there yesterday; 3 adults; and there were families staying on the Club Level. Great for everyone, I think! We thought the cost of the rooms were quite reasonable when we factored the meals and drinks into the equation. I also love Casa Magna, which is connected to the JW. Can't beat Marriott.

We spent our Spring Break in March with our two teenagers and stayed at the Hilton. They don't allow Springbreakers and we found it delghtful. We stopped for a late snack at the sportsbar at JW--it's very Americanized but fun. True, you get on the bus and see all the crazies partying in the street. But we also ran into several nice sober college kids who needed directions. Our kids loved the place. All info posted is true, but the JW, like the Hilton is in a quiet part of the Hotel Zone. Be sure to check out this site for ideas for children. The concierge at JW will have lots of good advice. Take them to Marira Y Bonita restaurant (By Dreams hotel) for a festive Mexican meal complete with mariachis and home made tortillas. You will have a great time!!

When reading about concerns regarding stays during spring break, I often read comments such as LuvMaine's remark

"The resort where we stay has a rule that student guests, especially in March, must be accompanied by adults."

Others will just say that resort X-and-such doesn't allow spring breakers. My question is always how such policies can possibly be put into effective action on the part of the property. For example a group of college students can book the resort in question online or through a travel agent, as many reservations at large resorts are handled and as many college students certainly can do with their own credit cards and such, and the property will not have any idea who they're hosting until check-in time. If at that time they refuse to honor a reservation they themselves have accepted and with no notice to the guests, well then they'd rightly be the focus of complaints and would lose money in the bargain by leaving rooms empty during a peak travel period with high season rates.

I think it's just not possible to do much screening in advance to ensure that students are accompanied by adults or that your typical spring breaker is not allowed to book (if it would even be legal to try to refuse them as a group service on such a subjective basis).

Just my $.02.

Steve

Steve: you're absolutely right. I should have mentioned that we stay at the Royals, which is mostly a timeshare resort (we don't happen to own one however). So I guess that's how they enforce the rule. But--on our last trip the talk around the pool was that the hotels and city officials were working together to rid Cancun of its spring break madness reputation.

Well that sounds promising, I guess, but frankly I'll believe it when I see it!

Steve