Is an “all-inclusive resort” by any other name still an all-inclusive?
Okay, so the all-inclusive resort concept wasn’t around in Shakespeare’s day. However, just like a rose by any other name, your all-inclusive vacation can definitely be sweet—if you pack some basic etiquette and remember that “all” doesn’t mean getting away with everything.
Don’t worry! This isn’t an over-the-top Miss Manners-themed travel guide. Anyone with common sense can avoid making these resort etiquette mistakes, and a bit of resort etiquette makes your all-inclusive resort vacation much more relaxing and enjoyable.
Resort Etiquette Mistakes to Avoid
Short on time? Once again, no worries! Here are seven all-inclusive resort etiquette mistakes to avoid in a nutshell:
- getting overserved
- not following the dress code
- being a noise polluter
- kvetching about island time
- impossible expectations
- putting resort employees on the spot
- posting a fake resort review online.
I urge you to keep reading… because I’ve got some eye-rolling examples of what happens when unfortunate (rude, impolite, or simply ignorant) travelers break these rules and ruin their all-inclusive vacation.
Numbers one and two seem so obvious—when you’re pacing yourself and watching someone get sloppier at the all-inclusive bar—but it is vacation, and sometimes people make a mistake and let their guard down too much.
Getting Overserved
All-inclusive travel has always been a hit with adult couples, groups, and families, and the concept is getting more popular. Generally, that means you’ll start recognizing other people at your all-inclusive resort and getting overserved can prove embarrassing.
Always try to pace yourself—I learned this too! I know that’s tough on vacation, but don’t be “that overserved guy” who was videoed stumbling toward a manicured hedge at a lovely, family-friendly resort.
He toppled into the bush and then passed out like Captain Ahab getting half-swallowed by Moby Dick with both his legs stuck up in midair.
When they dragged him out of the greenery—all scratched up—he looked like he would definitely regret breaking etiquette rule number one. He probably became “that guy” and the butt of everyone else’s jokes for the rest of his vacation.
All-Inclusive Resort Travel Tip: Enjoy the local drinking culture at your all-inclusive resort wisely.
For instance, the Michelada beer cocktail combines low-carb, low-calorie Mexican beer (Corona Premier) with tomato juice, spices, and hot sauce for less alcohol and maximum flavor!
Not Following the Dress Code
I’ve talked about this before in other all-inclusive resort articles, and the crazy thing is, I’ve seen more than one guy stroll into “resort casual” a la carte restaurants with unbuttoned shirts, bare chests, and shoeless feet.
Being this underdressed isn’t appreciated in most dining areas at all-inclusive resorts unless the resort specifically advertises a super casual restaurant where you can dine in bare feet with your shirt on.
Even the famous “clothing optional” Hedonism II in Jamaica requires clothing to be worn in restaurants or the dining hall.
All-Inclusive Resort Travel Tip: The best way to pack lightly for an all-inclusive resort is to know the dress code through a quick online search. Type in the resort brand and add “dress code,” for example, “Sandals Resorts + dress code” for details or a travel checklist.
Being a Noise Polluter
Even if you’re at one of the biggest all-inclusive party resorts in the Caribbean, like Sandals Ochi, which I covered for adventurous couples looking to elope, you still need to respect the other vacationers around you by following the noise control rules posted by the resort.
We traveled once with a group and encountered some super loud partyers who were “just having fun” at the expense of everyone else.
The super loud noise pollution went hand in hand with overserving themselves all day, and they were MIA the next morning. When they finally reappeared, they shuffled around miserably with laryngitis, sunburned the color of Larry the Lobster… classic “vacation ruined.”
If you’re worried about noise pollution on vacation, many all-inclusives now offer a choice of “party” and “quiet” zones at the same resort. Sandals Ochi even provides a “hidden pool” to escape loud music or drinking games—and half the fun is finding it!
Kvetching About Island Time
“Island time” can be a mystery to those of us who are ruled by the clock in North America. Still, island time has an immense cultural significance in many (if not all) regions in the Caribbean and Mexico.
We’ve heard countless kvetching about island time at all-inclusive resorts. Our theory is that the North American mindset of “time is money” becomes an issue with people who complain about “slowness” or even “laziness” and not getting their money’s worth on vacation.
The key is in the last word in the previous sentence: vacation. When you’re on vacation at an all-inclusive resort, try to stop the clock and enjoy it.
All-Inclusive Resort Travel Tip: Another thing that bothers some travelers about island time at all-inclusive resorts is the possibility of a la carte restaurant closures during their vacation.
My best advice is to do your homework in advance and make reservations on the first day of your vacation to ensure you enjoy the best all-inclusive dining experiences.
Impossible Expectations
For vacationers, especially vacationers at an all-inclusive resort, there is an expectation that everything will be as perfectly glossy as that commercial or online marketing brochure.
Spoiler alert, folks… vacation paradise is and always will be real life, and I, for one, have never been 100% satisfied with any vacation I’ve taken. Setting yourself up with impossible expectations at an all-inclusive can and often does spoil the experience.
All-Inclusive Resort Travel Tip: While homework isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, my best vacation experiences have come from doing plenty of research, fact-checking, and exploring places and experiences that jive with my realistic expectations and budget.
Putting Resort Employees on the Spot
Respect is always the name of the game when you’re a visitor to a foreign country, and for the people serving your meals, cleaning your room, or pouring your drinks, it’s how they make their living.
I’ve seen travelers toss bills around to employees at all-inclusive resorts where tipping is not allowed, and the truth is that doing that could get those employees in big trouble.
Of course, some employees won’t discourage an extra dollar here or there, and some resorts state that tipping employees is at your discretion. So, what’s the best answer?
Once again, do your homework. If the resort indeed discourages tipping, make sure to recognize the hard work of specific employees to higher-ups at the resort and mention their names and efforts in online reviews, as that can help them get promoted.
Which brings me to the final mistake…
Posting a Fake Resort Review Online
I rely on online reviews to help me plan trips to new destinations. In the last few years, I’ve had to develop a fine-tuned sense to distinguish between honest traveler reviews (people who aren’t impossible to please) and sheer malarky (people posting fake reviews).
I even saw this in action at a (barely) two-star resort we (unfortunately) stayed at in Nassau, Bahamas, when one of the entertainers was plying a young lady with drinks and encouraging her to post an excessively optimistic (fake) review of him and the resort online.
Travel forums and mapping websites should exist to share resort pros and cons in reviews to help other travelers. For the record, I prefer to know if your opinion of an all-inclusive resort contains the good and bad because a real vacation will always be the best for me.
