A Primer on All-inclusives      
The term all-inclusive refers to resorts that include accommodations, food, beverages including alcohol and wine, entertainment and activities at the property in the price you pay at booking. In many of the resorts, tipping is either not permitted or not expected.

The great advantage of booking an all-inclusive resort is that you know in advance the price you will pay for your trip. Typically the only additional charges will be off-site and minimal in most cases.

For years, the all-inclusive resorts were competing for customers with the cruise lines who also offered all-inclusive pricing with some exceptions (alcoholic beverages, for example and shore excursions). However, cruise lines have moved away from the all-inclusive concept and now charge extra for most onboard beverages including soft drinks, offer alternative dining at additional cost and offer other on board activities for a fee.

All-inclusive resorts can range from budget with twin beds to suites with king-sized beds and everything in between. Prices will reflect the quality of the accommodations as well as other factors such as the view and the proximity to the beach of the accommodations.

The innovator of all-inclusive resorts was Club Med, which started in Europe after World War II and now has resorts all over the world. When the concept was exported to the US they made several upgrades to the European product but still maintained a basic accommodation philosophy. For example, in many of the original Club Med resorts, bedding was two double beds on opposite sides of the room and which could not be pushed together. Since then they have upgraded their Caribbean and Mexico resort accommodations to American standards.

Sandals was the innovator of the deluxe all-inclusive resort and now is the largest such company in the North American market (and more than likely the world).

Today all-inclusive resorts offer many different options based on the "family situation". There are couples only resorts (in fact, one is named Couples), there are adults only resorts, family resorts that accept all children, family resorts that accept children over a certain age, resorts that cater to honeymooners, resorts that offer weddings and clothing-optional resorts.

The Sandals product was originally developed in Jamaica when that country had a political upheaval and it became unsafe to venture off the property you were registered at. Today all-inclusives can be found on many of the Caribbean islands, in Brazil, and in Mexico. The Club Med product offers worldwide options.

Vineyard Travel believes that the booking of an all-inclusive resort requires the assistance of a specialist who knows the product and can match your interests with the products offered by the all-inclusive resorts. We have two agents on staff who are both Certified Sandals Specialists and Club Med Specialists to assist you with your selection.