Our last trip away without the kids was about 6 years ago, before Autumn was born, for a weekend getaway to the Poconos. So Kristen and I had mixed emotions when we got a wedding invite to Cancun for January 2024 that was adults only. While it was exciting to think of a little time away without having to be in “parent mode”, we also really enjoy travelling with the kids and seeing when they experience different places for the first time. In addition to no kids, this would also be our first time to Cancun and our first time staying in an all-inclusive resort. The kids were quick to point out that we “owed” them a vacation since they would be missing out on a winter trip to Mexico!
The wedding was on a Tuesday, so we flew in on Sunday afternoon and left on Thursday morning to give ourselves a couple days before and after to enjoy the resort and look into excursions. The weather in January was around 80F and except for one overcast day we had a lot of clear skies and sunshine. The resort we stayed at was Dreams – Playa Mujeres, it is a sister resort with Seacrets – Playa Mujeres. The resorts are close to each other and easy to walk to different bars/pools/restaurants at each resort. There were a ton of sidewalks and walking paths and I was able to get a couple of 3-4 mile runs in outside the resort. The downside was that the resorts are out on a peninsula that is about an hour drive from the airport.
Our flight out of BWI left at 6am and we had a quick layover in Detroit. The wedding party had arranged airport transfers, so when we arrived on Sunday we had a shuttle waiting and we were able to get to the resort around 4pm. Champagne at check-in was a great start to our first all-inclusive experience! The rooms were nice and the beds were so comfortable (we had also been awake since 2:30am so I think any bed would have felt great). We checked out the resort and grabbed a quick bite at the buffet. We were in bed by 8:30 and slept in a little on Monday…12 hours of sleep would not have happened with the little ones running around! I got in a quick run and ordered room service for breakfast, the food was great and I enjoyed being able to take our time starting the day. The phone app for the resort helped plan out our day, see which activities were available, locate different pools, bars, and pool bars, and see which restaurants required reservations for dinner. Kristen loves hibachi so we booked our spot for dinner Monday night and spent the rest of the day lounging by the beach bar, watching dolphins jumping in the dolphinarium, and enjoying the relaxing breeze. We decided to book a couple of excursions, the dolphin experience seemed like an easy choice since it was right at the resort. We were also hoping to do horseback riding on the beach but this wasn’t offered anywhere nearby. We were torn between snorkeling nearby reefs with lunch at Isla Mujeres (the boat picked up right at our resort) or taking a longer adventure and snorkeling in Akunal Bay and the cenotes (underground rivers). Akunal Bay looked amazing because of the clear water and sea turtles, but it would have been a 2 hour drive from our resort which would have taken an entire day for that one excursion. We decided on snorkeling around Isla Mujeres but the only available time was Wednesday morning at 8am (this would prove to be an early morning after the wedding on Tuesday). Salsa lessons poolside, shots at the pool bar, Hibachi for dinner, and listening to music in the piano bar were all a great way to finish out our day.
The dolphinarium was a great experience to have right at the resort. You could book different experiences with the dolphins and trainers but you could also just enjoy watching the dolphins playing and jumping right from the beach. The dolphin excursion was about $100 for each of us. The 45 minutes excursion included petting the dolphins, doing tricks with them and holding their dorsal fin for a short “ride”. While the excursion price was not bad, they didn’t permit any outside photography and charged $300 for their photos. We had an amazing time playing with the dolphins but we were not happy with the photo charges and settled on one picture for $45.
The wedding was incredible, I liked having the ceremony and cocktail hour right on the beach. The centerpieces were beautiful and the sunset was amazing! The reception was going to be poolside but they decided to move it inside in case of rain and also to get a better dance floor. It’s been a while since Kristen and I have partied without the kids around and there were possibly too many shots. Especially since we had that snorkeling excursion booked for the next morning.
Snorkeling with a hangover was a terrible idea but we had fun, got to see the local reef, a bunch of fish, and had a very lite lunch on Isla Mujeres. There was a small tender that picked us up from our beach and transported us out to the snorkel boat. It was definitely an adventure boarding from the beach and transferring between boats. After some previous scuba diving trips, I learned that I would rather be able to explore near the bottom rather than just looking at everything from the surface. It was still an amazing time and I’m glad Kristen enjoyed it as she has had some previous reservations about snorkeling and scuba. The lunch at Isla Mujeres required us to depart the boat a decent distance from shore and wade/swim up onto the beach. The lunch spot at North Beach had good food and a bunch of street vendors where you could browse local crafts and provisions.
Overall we had a great time, enjoyed our stay in Cancun, and really appreciated the grandparents for covering responsibilities at home so we could get away. However, we did learn that we really do like traveling with the kids more and can’t wait for our next adventure with the whole family. We also learned that we like exploring and learning about local cultures…the all-inclusive resort was fun but we likely will not do another one for a while (it’s like being on a cruise ship that doesn’t move). One of the highlights of our trip was the Mexican Flea Market that was travelling to the different resorts. Kristen and I bought souvenirs for the kids from them and liked negotiating prices and seeing some of the more local crafts and jewelry.