# All inclusive resorts- quality of drinks?



## frdm45 (Aug 20, 2010)

Not really finance related , more like "value" related question.

I just got back from an all-inclusive in Cuba. Went with a couple friends.

I noticed early on that even after consuming multiple drinks, neither of us were feeling the effects of the alcohol. Personally, I usually start to get a buzz after 2-3 beers. But here, nothing. Even after about a dozen glasses (4-5 oz ea.?). On the second day, we went for mixed drinks. Still nothing.

During the entire week, the only time we were affected by the alcohol was when we managed to convince one of the bartenders at one of the snack restaurants to give us a bottle of wine. We drank it at the beach and felt the effects of alcohol.

By the end of our stay, we also noticed that nobody, at any time, had exhibited any signs of drunkenness. You would think that in almost 1000 people, some of whom drink all day, some people would've been seen stumbling around or at least talking loudly, being belligerent etc. No...nothing during he entire week.

I'm curious if anyone else suspects that the drinks are either very watered down or don't contain any alcohol at all?

If you think about it, it would make sense from a business owner's perspective to serve low alcohol drinks- reduce your liability for accidents/incidents, less vandalism, less rowdy behaviour (less security required) etc. But most of all : huge $ savings.


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## motl (Mar 3, 2014)

It depends on the resort, but yes it's pretty common for the drinks to be watered down.

Fortunately alcohol is dirt cheap there so you could head off-site and buy your own if you really want to feel it.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

Complete BS  , I've been to Cuba more than 15 times at AI resorts and was drunk 24/7 . Crystal is a light beer, but you can drink Bucanero strong that is much stronger then any Canadian beer. If you order Cuba libre and don't specify that you want strong, yes, it will be light... I usually drink straight, Black label, Glenlivet, Havana Club, Santiago, Beefeate, Vixia etc and it's exactly as strong as in LCBO


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

It would not surprise me the drinks are watered down. Drunk people could cause the resort a lot of problems with destroying property, fights, alcohol poisoning & disruptive behavior. i dont think it is just about trying to save money on the cost of making the drinks for the quests.


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## canplay (Mar 1, 2017)

*Quality of drinks..*

I've been to Cuba a lot and have never experienced a lack of alcohol in their drinks. I have often had to tell them to slow down on the vodka and give me more sprite (their version of sprite). Most resorts also carry quality brands if you know how to ask properly  I became a fan of Jameson's Irish Whiskey while there last month.

I have no idea what resort you went to, but I can't believe there is that much difference in their alcohols.. after all,,, the resorts are all owned the same.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

...i (hic)..ush-elly...(hic)....sctick..... to beers an' an' an' wiiiine....ad dese plaches....hic!
"Dos cherveshas, porfavor, y dos bino tintos, pleash..."
At leashed u knwo (burp!) ..pardon! ....what yer gettin'....
Also.... a little ting ..called 'ti-t- tipping da bartender'....will get u sctronger driiinksh....HIC!


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## frdm45 (Aug 20, 2010)

Just to clarify....

-I didn't ask for name brand. We drank whatever the house poured. Should that really make a difference? Would they offer 0% a/c unless the customer specifies a name brand?

-The beer was Crystal on tap. Cans could be bought at a resort store. I didn't buy any to compare. There was only bottled water offered in the room mini-fridge. On the second day, left a note in the room with a generous tip asking to have the fridge stocked with beer. No dice. Housekeeper didn't take the tip. I've been to Punta Cana before and they stocked the mini fridge. Not here.

- I ALWAYS tipped the bartender. Average 1 CUC ($1.43 CAD). Compared to what I saw other people tipping, I'd say I was more than generous.

- On one of our outtings, we went to Varadero. I had 2 cans of Crystal. I definitely felt the buzz. This tells me it had nothing to do with the quality of the canned beer. My suspicion is with the resort bar drinks.


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## Dilbert (Nov 20, 2016)

jargey3000 said:


> ...i (hic)..ush-elly...(hic)....sctick..... to beers an' an' an' wiiiine....ad dese plaches....hic!
> "Dos cherveshas, porfavor, y dos bino tintos, pleash..."
> At leashed u knwo (burp!) ..pardon! ....what yer gettin'....
> Also.... a little ting ..called 'ti-t- tipping da bartender'....will get u sctronger driiinksh....HIC!


LMAO! Best post I've seen in a while.&#55358;&#56611;


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

Dilbert said:


> LMAO! Best post I've seen in a while.��


...whaaaasshhh so funny? ....HIC! ...


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## motl (Mar 3, 2014)

frdm45 said:


> Just to clarify....
> 
> -I didn't ask for name brand. We drank whatever the house poured. Should that really make a difference? Would they offer 0% a/c unless the customer specifies a name brand?
> 
> ...


Best bet would be to see if your resort will give you a bottle/can instead of from tap. I've experienced the same - tap poured beer has seemed watered down (at some resorts). 

Some resorts also skimp on the alcohol in mixed drinks. I've found that if I want rum and Coke, best solution is to ask for them separately and combine myself (for example).


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

it's beginning to appear to me like we have some p-r-e-t-t-y experienced drinkers here on the forum...


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

frdm45 said:


> Just to clarify....
> 
> -I didn't ask for name brand. We drank whatever the house poured. Should that really make a difference? Would they offer 0% a/c unless the customer specifies a name brand?
> 
> ...


Probably you went to a "cheap" resort ,I've been more than 15 times ar different resort in Cuba and always beer cans were free and mini-fridge was refilled every day. More than that , at Playa Cayo Santa Maria they have beergarten where they have beer cans, always Crystall, Bucanero, Buccanero strong and some imported beers (one time Becks, other Heineken).
In order to get drink with 0% alcohol,you should specify it!
If you want it strong, you have to specify it!
Or just order straight...


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## CalgaryPotato (Mar 7, 2015)

Yeah the drinks tend to be weaker, but it isn't a bad thing. Most people drink a lot more at an all inclusive than they do the rest of the time. You can always ask for stronger drinks. They are usually pretty obliging if you do that.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

frdm45 said:


> ... I just got back from an all-inclusive in Cuba. Went with a couple friends.
> 
> I noticed early on that even after consuming multiple drinks, neither of us were feeling the effects of the alcohol ...
> By the end of our stay, we also noticed that nobody, at any time, had exhibited any signs of drunkenness. You would think that in almost 1000 people, some of whom drink all day, some people would've been seen stumbling around or at least talking loudly, being belligerent etc ...
> ...


I've seen drunken behaviour at all-inclusives in Cuba, Dominican Republic and Mexico. 
(The beach games in Mexico were where it was the worst.)

The beer in all three affected me ... so I can only guess that where this was happening was different.




frdm45 said:


> ... If you think about it, it would make sense from a business owner's perspective to serve low alcohol drinks- reduce your liability for accidents/incidents, less vandalism, less rowdy behaviour (less security required) etc. But most of all : huge $ savings.


Not sure there's much liability to worry about. Vandalism or trashed facilities I can see. Mexico at the minimum was increasing the rowdy behaviour as part of the day time entertainment.

If by "huge $ savings" you mean in alcohol costs - I doubt it. 

Where "El Presidente" Dominican beer is sold in El Salvador for retail of $0.90, volume likely makes to even cheaper - never mind draft. Even in the higher labour/tax environment of Canada, skipping the Ontario Beer Store's $60 a 24 for Corona and going to a Quebec volume dealer or grocery store can mean paying $24.

Most of these countries aren't paying the labour price and additional taxes that are in Canada.

Cheers


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

Deleted


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## Mortgage u/w (Feb 6, 2014)

Sorry for hacking this thread but who has experienced a fabulous vacation in Cuba and please share the hotel name.
Looking to book a vaca down south and can't seem to find something decent :eagerness:


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

Mortgage u/w said:


> Sorry for hacking this thread but who has experienced a fabulous vacation in Cuba and please share the hotel name.
> Looking to book a vaca down south and can't seem to find something decent :eagerness:


We enjoyed Paradisus Princesa del Mar enough a few years ago, to go back twice. Not sure how it rates now.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

Mortgage u/w said:


> Sorry for hacking this thread but who has experienced a fabulous vacation in Cuba and please share the hotel name.
> Looking to book a vaca down south and can't seem to find something decent :eagerness:


Depends what you are looking for ... If you want adults-only resort, I'd skip Cuba...
We liked Playa Cayo Santa Maria , have been 3 or 4 times there...


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

gibor365 said:


> Depends what you are looking for ... If you want adults-only resort, I'd skip Cuba...
> We liked Playa Cayo Santa Maria , have been 3 or 4 times there...


looks quite nice gibor...what's the pricing like?


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

Where one is flexible enough to be able to book then go within a few days, I have seen as low as $600 an adult, including airfare and everything but tipping for a week. More stars seems to mean better food, with an increase in price.

http://www.sunwing.ca/?optGateway=YUL

Cheers


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

jargey3000 said:


> looks quite nice gibor...what's the pricing like?


Depends on dates you travel , usually in mid-range ... check itravel2000


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## Mortgage u/w (Feb 6, 2014)

Playa Cayo Santa Maria:

Looks real nice and prices are pretty low too. Is it possible the airport is 2 hours away ??


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

Mortgage u/w said:


> Playa Cayo Santa Maria:
> 
> Looks real nice and prices are pretty low too. Is it possible the airport is 2 hours away ??


Yes, between 1.5 to 2 hours depends on traffic


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Just going to weigh in here as a guy who's been to Cuba twice, yes, do it ... go !

Varadero weather is currently 26 to 28 C. You can't go wrong. Just check the reviews of the resort on Trip Advisor.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> Just going to weigh in here as a guy who's been to Cuba twice, yes, do it ... go !


 As a guy who is been to Cuba 15 times, I'd tell that the best place in Cuba is Cayo Santa Maria, them Cayo Guilermo and yes, check Tripadvisor reviews before you go


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

.....been 6-7 times.... for us out here it's a 5-hour+ plane ride, so an additional 2-hour+ drive to resort after landing is not all that appealing.(plus same or more on return)
I'll stick with "Beradero", amigo.....same sun, sea & sand...and drinks!!


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

jargey, many travelers start drinking on the bus , also for 1st timer this drive should be interesting as bus goes through 3 Cuban cities


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

gibor365 said:


> jargey, many travelers start drinking on the bus , also for 1st timer this drive should be interesting as bus goes through 3 Cuban cities


fair enough...

....hahah.....reminds me of my first trip to an all-inclusive. Little fella parading through the bus with cold bottles of beer. Of course everyone, us included, grabbed a cold one (or 2)! He opened them as he went along. The turned around & headed back to the front. Sign on his back: "Cold Beer - $5". hahahah..lesson learned. The bus ride is NOT part of the all-inclusive!


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## Zipper (Nov 18, 2015)

Mrs. Zipper and I and our son, daughter in law and 5 grandkids went to Cayo Santa Maria in early December 2014 out of TO on AC Rouge.

Best vacation ever and I'm 74.

$1200 for the 2 of us. All inclusive. Go to Mexico or the Dominican and you pay at least double.

The pristine beach is to die for and there are no bums trying to sell you anything. All the resort staff are bused in daily and the riffraff are excluded.

Rooms are great quality and service exceptional. The many pools with entertainment suited a wide variety of ages. The food was excellent and the booze was NOT watered down.

The big hit for the kids was all the free premium icecream treats they could eat at the pool kiosk. It was all brand name stuff that would cost $4 back home.(London)

There was good entertainment each night at the complex.

Next time we will go for 2 weeks.


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