Planning Feb 2027, ~7nights, similar pricing for both (~$850/night). Wife and I are a bit burnt out and the would love to get 5–6 hour stretches together while both kids are somewhere safe, while also having a few family days.

Club med seems Baby Club (4–23 months) + Petit Club (2–3) for both kids , but the property seems to be okay-ish for a similar cost.

On the other hand, Finest’s rooms seem to be way nicer and there’s a kids club from 3, but the baby would be with a paid sitter in the room, and I don’t know how reliable they are.

Anyone done either (or both) with a baby under 1? How good is Club Med Cancún’s Baby Club really — ratios, staff, would you leave an 11-month-old for 5 hours? And has anyone used Finest’s babysitting for an infant? Vegetarian family if that changes the food math. Thanks!

Hi i’ m looking to rent a car for 3 weeks in August. I saw price ridiculously low on Booking but what about third party liability? I saw that you have to pay that on place when you take the car even if you already have a coverage with your credit card

How is the beach at Xcaret Resort? Is it far? Is it clean and safe?

Hi all! First time poster on Reddit, so I apologize if this is not the best worded post.

I was looking for some guidance on what to do for my honeymoon. I am getting married in August 2026 and want to take my honeymoon any time after that until June of next year. I am not wanting to travel to anywhere affected by hurricanes during Hurricane season, but am open to traveling to those destinations after the season is over.

I am leaning towards going to Cancun/Playa del Carmen for our trip, but it is hard deciphering which resorts are worth staying at. We are wanting to stay at an adults-only resort and want some activities to go along with it. My fiancé and I love arts and crafts, so it would be great if the resort offered an activity that is in that genre.

As far as resort vibes go, we are open to an energetic or relaxing resort. We are pretty easy going people and can fit in with either vibe or a mix. We are in our early/mid 20s for additional context.

Our budget is 2-3k for 5-10 days (the longer the better), not including flights. The max that we could do is 4,500 with flights going from Chicago or St. Louis.

Thank you dear Redditors in advance for any insight you might have!

Hi everyone,

Planning our very first family all-inclusive vacation to Cancun for this December (the week right before Christmas). We are looking to stay for 5 nights and want to keep the total cost under $10,000.

I am looking for a true hands-off vacation where I don't have to stress about planning every single logisitic once we arrive. We are an active family, but everyone has slightly different wishlist items:

• Kids (Girls, ages 10 & 11): Their top priorities are water parks, excellent snorkeling, and lots of water activities.
• Wife: Her absolute number one requirement is high-quality food (not looking for standard, bland buffet food). She also loves hiking and outdoor adventure.
• Me: An active, stress-free trip where everything is taken care of.

We want a resort that hits the sweet spot of having great on-site water features for the kids, but also premium dining options and easy access to off-site eco-adventure excursions (like cenotes or zip-lining) so my wife gets her adventure fix.

Which resorts in the Cancun/Riviera Maya area actually deliver on high-quality food while still being incredibly fun for pre-teens?

Thanks in advance for the help!

This is my personal experience at Cancun International Airport. I hope it helps anyone planning to take the Maya Train or simply trying to leave the airport.

If Your Only Goal Is to Leave the Airport Safely

Option 1 (Recommended): Take the ADO Bus to Downtown Cancun

If you don't want to deal with the chaos around the airport or risk taking an Uber there, simply take the red ADO bus to downtown Cancun and then transfer to Uber or any other transportation.

The red ADO buses are parked right outside the Arrivals terminal and are impossible to miss. It takes a little longer, but it avoids most of the aggressive solicitation around the airport.

Option 2: Taking Uber from the Airport (How I Succeeded)

1. Do not wait for your Uber outside. Stay inside the terminal while requesting your ride.
2. If your driver cancels, don't give up. My first driver cancelled just before arriving. The second one succeeded.
3. Follow your driver's instructions carefully. Confirm each other's clothing and only leave the terminal after the driver has arrived.
4. Don't act like a passenger. Greet the driver warmly and pretend you already know each other—as friends, coworkers, or family members. Don't stand beside the car discussing the Uber ride.
5. Verify the trip only after you're inside the car and safely leaving the airport.

This is how I finally managed to leave Cancun Airport successfully.

About the Maya Train Shuttle

Ten days earlier, I arrived at Cancun Airport from the Maya Train station using the official shuttle, which cost 35 pesos. At the airport drop-off point I noticed a small English sign saying "Free Shuttle," so I assumed I could take the same shuttle back to the train station.

Ten days later I flew back from Canada and wanted to return to the Maya Train station.

However:

• There were almost no clear signs outside the Arrivals terminal.
• I tried to walk from Arrivals to Departures to find the shuttle stop I remembered. Because there were almost no directions, I spent quite a while outside the building before finally finding a small, inconspicuous passage connecting the two areas.
• I never found the shuttle stop again.
• I asked several people, including an airport employee, but nobody could provide useful information.

If you're on a tight schedule, I would not recommend trying to find the Maya Train shuttle after arriving at the airport.

My Experience

After landing in Cancun from Canada and collecting my luggage, I walked outside the terminal and was immediately surrounded by people trying to sell transportation.

Many of them were well dressed and wore ID badges. Some even claimed to be airport employees and encouraged me to inspect their badges. This made them appear very convincing. However, they were not allowed inside the terminal building.

Because I looked like someone searching for transportation, many people approached me offering "help." Without exception, every conversation turned into a sales pitch for their taxis, or warnings that I would miss my Maya Train if I didn't leave immediately.

When I asked about the Maya Train shuttle, some people told me it didn't exist, while others deliberately gave me incorrect directions.

I later tried to return to the Departures area to look for the shuttle again, but found nothing. There were no useful signs and nobody could provide reliable information, while people outside continued trying to sell expensive taxi rides.

The prices were outrageous. The opening price was US$20, and I was quoted US$50 to travel only about three miles to the Maya Train station. I have also seen even worse cases reported by local Facebook media.

Eventually I gave up looking for the shuttle and tried to walk away from the airport. Some people attempted to stop me, claiming I was entering a restricted federal area.

Feeling increasingly stressed, I returned inside the terminal and ordered an Uber. The first driver cancelled just before arriving. A few minutes later, another driver accepted my request. She clearly knew the situation well. We confirmed what each of us was wearing, and she told me not to leave the terminal until she arrived. When we met, she instructed me to greet her like an old friend so that we wouldn't appear to be an Uber pickup.

It worked perfectly. I reached the Maya Train station safely. The fare was fair, and I gave her an extra tip for her courage and experience.

My Personal Opinion

This is my personal opinion based on my own experience.

Don't visit Cancun if you don't have to. In my opinion, beautiful beaches, sunshine and turquoise water cannot make up for the damage to your physical and mental well-being after being deceived, overcharged and constantly harassed.

Has anyone traveled to Mexico with a passport in their maiden name and a Green Card in their married name? My airline ticket matches my passport, and I also have my marriage certificate. Did you have any issues with the airline or Mexican immigration? Thanks!

My wife and I got back from the Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya a few weeks ago, having gone for a few days for my birthday. The resort itself was beautiful, a lot of activities, well maintained grounds, etc.

We really had a great time on the trip… until the last morning.

Unfortunately, as we were packing to leave, I discovered that my gold necklace was missing. After deductive reasoning (and going over the timeline of when the last time I saw it was), I discovered that it must have been taken by the cleaning staff while we were out of the room.

It was buried in the bottom of my backpack under a pile of other stuff, which means in order to have taken it, they went through all of my stuff and rummaged through my bag. Yes I know, there’s a safe in the room. But I’ve heard many stories of things being stolen from the in-room safes, so I figured it would be safer to hide it buried in the bottom of my bag.

After discovering it was missing, I immediately notified the front desk, who told Concierge & Security, who met me at the room about an hour later. I filled out an Incident Report and was told their “investigation” would take about 72 hours.

I didn’t hear anything from them for over a week, and they only responded to my email after reaching out several times past the 72 hour window. No surprise, but they said they didn’t discover the necklace, and the staff who had access to the room the day it was taken didn’t admit to anything (obviously).

After a few emails back & forth (with extremely delayed responses on their end), they considered the matter closed and weren’t willing to do absolutely anything to rectify the situation. Also, they wouldn’t even send me a copy of the Incident Report after requesting it several times (I need it in order to file an insurance claim). So all in all, there’s no resolution, I’m out a gold necklace worth several thousand dollars that I received as a gift for my 13th birthday, and the resort mgmt hasn’t done anything to make things right.

TLDR: Be very very careful with your belongings at the VIM resort. I had a gold necklace stolen by the cleaning staff, and the resort mgmt didn’t do absolutely anything to rectify the situation (in fact, actively working against things by not even sending me a copy of the Incident Report to file an insurance claim).

For what it’s worth, this all happened only about a week after someone went viral on TikTok for having $900 stolen by the cleaning staff at this resort. So there seems to be a recurring theme.

I've been to Riviera Maya 4 times now...always to the same resort (Iberostar Paraiso Lindo) because I'm too nervous to try somewhere new and have it not have something the Lindo has. However, the last time I went in 2018 the Lindo was getting pretty outdated and rundown so I'm ready to try something new.

Looking for recs with the following considerations from most important to least important:

1. scheduled daily on-site activities for adults to participate in (ex. dance lessons, volleyball, water polo, etc...) - We're 2 adults so wouldn't mind adults-only but we aren't the type who like to sit and do nothing all day, looking for a broad list of activities offered throughout the day.
2. more than 1 pool & access to the ocean
3. available through apple vacations or similar service with transport from airport
4. exterior rooms that don't look like a typical "hotel" (I loved the Iberostar because the stone/tropical design of the buildings made you feel like you were in paradise) I don't want to have to walk 10 minutes through the inside of a "hotel" to get outside
5. multiple on-site restaurants

I’m curious about everyone’s first impression.

What’s the first thing you notice after clearing customs?

Was it confusing? Easy? Stressful? Organized? The weather? The transportation area?

Interested to hear what stood out the most.

Hello!

I need some help finding an all inclusive resort with flight included for 2 adults that is within $1500 per person. We are trying to stay for 4-5 nights(5 nights if there is a promotion by the hotel).

Our priorities are :

- good food is number 1
- newer resorts with good rooms

- airport transfers included

Any recommendations would be great!

We (2 adults and 5 year old) are arriving at around 7 AM at Cancun airport and heading straight to the hotel (Moon Palace Nizuc) however the check in is bot available until 3 PM. What are our options.. in terms of spending times in the area, baggages, food, early check in etc? We are not renting a car and would like to avoid any taxis/uber (heard/read lots of scams stories).

We chose AVA Cancun for a week-long family vacation celebrating Father’s Day, my husband’s birthday, and my uncle’s birthday. Between three rooms, our family spent more than $7,500 expecting a premium all-inclusive experience. Instead, we encountered one disappointment after another and ultimately chose to leave two days early, forfeiting hundreds of dollars just to go home.
Problems began the moment we arrived when we were assigned a double queen room despite specifically requesting a king bed. As first-time guests, no one informed us that restaurant reservations should be made before arrival, leaving us with extremely limited dining options throughout our stay. Multiple conversations with Customer Relations and Public Relations resulted in little more than apologies and no meaningful solutions.
The most frustrating experience occurred on my husband’s birthday. We were told that a reservation had been secured for us at Black Iron, only to arrive and learn there was no reservation at all. After waiting and scrambling for alternatives, we were only able to dine at another restaurant because of a cancellation. I had also arranged for a complimentary birthday surprise in our room, which never happened. While a small cake was provided at dinner, the resort failed to deliver on what should have been a memorable celebration.
The food was consistently underwhelming. The buffet lacked the quality and variety we expected for a resort at this price point, and restaurant availability was so limited that dining often felt stressful rather than enjoyable. With the beach largely unusable due to sargassum, food and resort amenities became even more important—and unfortunately, they did not meet expectations.
What stood out most was the constant feeling that guests were being segmented based on membership level. From premium seating around the pool to other restrictions and upsells, it often felt as though guests who had already paid thousands of dollars were still being asked to pay more for a quality experience.
The few positives were the comfortable beds and many of the frontline employees who were kind and professional. Unfortunately, good staff cannot overcome poor communication, lack of organization, and repeated service failures.
Perhaps the strongest statement we can make is this: we voluntarily ended our vacation early. Despite the money already spent and the financial loss of leaving ahead of schedule, we felt going home was preferable to spending additional days at the resort.
This trip was meant to celebrate important milestones with our family. Instead, it became a lesson in unmet expectations and poor execution. We cannot recommend AVA Cancun and will not return. For the price charged, guests should expect far better.

Has anyone stayed in both the Superior Room and the Junior Suite Ocean Front at Barceló Maya Colonial?

The Junior Suite costs $900 USD more for our stay. I'm trying to understand what the actual differences are. Is the room itself much nicer or larger? Are there any additional benefits besides the ocean view? If you've stayed in both, was the upgrade worth the extra $900?

Thanks!

I just sat through the presentation for a membership for the incentives. I went in with a hard no and left with a no, but was curious how often they get a yes. I was blown away by the idea that the low end package was 135k and requires 65k down. Am I just the only poor here or are they really just swinging for the fences before trying to sell you the 2 trip packages.

Hi everyone! I am going to Cancún for the first time next week, and i am super excited. I’d love to hear your recommendations!

What are some must-do activities or places i shouldn’t miss?

Is the nightlife/clubbing worth it? If so, which clubs would you recommend?

What’s the safest and easiest way to get around—Uber, taxis, buses, or private transportation?

Any tips, hidden gems, or things you wish you knew before your first trip?

We’re open to any advice, whether it’s food, beaches, excursions, shopping, or general travel tips. Thanks in advance! 😊🌴