Are AIs worth it for non-drinkers?

clevebride2006 · May 2012

DH and I do not drink, but we love to sightsee, eat great food, and do water activities. We've been talking about going to an AI, but not sure if it will have enough to do (especially at night) for us non-drinkers.

1. Would an AI be worth it to us?

2. If yes, any adults-only AIs you can recommend for us? (fwiw, we're in our early 30s, and would like to have a wide range of ages)

Bronxgirl73 · May 2012

I went to an AI when I was PG, so no alcohol for me. I still had a great time and felt like I got my money's worth. Even though I didn't have alcohol I had a lot of non- alcoholic drinks like virgin pins coladas, etc, that would still have been expensive if I payed individually and made the vacation more fun. We went to Exceleence Punta Cana and felt we got a great deal for our money.

Publius · May 2012

If you're really into food and don't drink I wouldn't go an AI. Granted, I've only been to two and can't say if all are like this, but the food was good but not great. When you're churning out food for an entire resort quality suffers a bit. There were much better dining options in the city itself.

=Jewel= · May 2012

I'm a non-drinker and have had excellent experiences at AIs.

My favorite was Couples Tower Isle. The food was amazing, I had less than 5 alcoholic drinks during the week (but lots of smoothies and specialty non-alcoholic drinks), and plenty of excursions included. I definitely thought I got my money's worth, and would go back again. I'd highly recommend any of the Couples Resorts in Jamaica.

It depends on where you're looking to go though. In Costa Rica, we went to an AI, and it probably would have been better to stay at a regular hotel in town.

girlinchicago · May 2012

For the right kind of vacation, I love an AI. H and I are definitely foodies, and we do drink but not a lot. We had a really good experience at The Royal Cancun and just booked a stay at the Excellence Playa Mujeres for December. I'm not expecting amazing food, but we really liked everything we ate at The Royal. We've also stayed at Zoetry Agua in Punta Cana which is AI. We were a bit disappointed with it overall, but I'd maybe suggest looking into Zoetry Paraiso la Bonita. It's AI, adults-oriented (they do allow kids, though that might not be a big issue depending on the time of year you're going). The food will be excellent, they have fruit smoothies, special infused teas every day, a catamaran cruise included in your stay, plus opportunities for water sports. I like Zoetry's concept because everything is really included, down to the transfers to and from the airport, world-wide phone calls, laundry, etc.

I guess you just need to decide - do you want to pay for everything upfront or are you ok with a bill at the end of your stay?

JoNi2010 · May 2012

That's kind of a tough call. I do not drink a lot and DH can drink more than his share so definitely AIs are worth it in that sense to us. But we also take advantage of the other activities AIs offer - we rent out their kayaks, we go on their snorkeling trips, etc. If you find an AI with lots of activities that you would do then it is worth it. You should do the research to make sure the equipment they offer (ie kayaks, etc) are in good shape (like from reviews). Otherwise, I would just go to a nice resort with a nice beach surrounded by good restaurants.

clevebride2006 · May 2012

Thanks everyone! I've heard great things about Couples Tower Isle- thanks for reminding me.

We definitely an AI that has good activities and things to do since we're both pretty active). Any more recommendations with good food and lots of activities, both clean/nice?

JoNi2010 · May 2012

The last AI I went to was Breezes Grand Negril in Jamaica. We loved all the included activities. We mainly hung out at the nude beach area (we remained clothed) because the snorkeling there was awesome!! Other resorts would bring their boats to snorkel there but for us, it was so convenient! We also signed up for one of their excursions to to Rick's Cafe (must jump the cliffs!!) and another to the Blue Hole. The only negative thing was that the main area was only opened for breakfast and lunch. You had to go to the other restaurants for dinner. Otherwise, property was great!

Kimee13 · May 2012

DH and I are big drinkers and eaters and have decided that AI's really aren't worth it for us. While there is a huge range of qualty for AI's, I still don't think the quality of food and drink is the same as non-AI. We decided we'd rather pay for exactly what we want to eat/drink/do than pay for mediocre food/drinks/activities.

Last time we went to an AI we ended up spending an additional $500 eating off the resort because we weren't thrilled with the options. However, it's an AI that gets great reviews on this board - different strokes for different folks. We just went back to the same destination but stayed in a non-AI resort and it was an amazing experience, so much better than the one we had at the AI.

hz80408 · May 2012

We HMed at Secrets Maroma Beach; and although we're drinkers; I would recommend that resort to a non-drinker. Several water activites are included with your stay, they have 6 (?) great dinner restaurants and lunch/breakfast are pretty good too. They also have cheesy activities like pool polker, movie nights, etc. And the spa is excellent

Kasa · May 2012

Drinking aside, I wouldn't do an AI if you're looking for an active vacation. I think AIs are geared toward people who primarily want to relax on the beach all day most days.

I like more active vacations, so for that reason, I don't think an AI is a good fit. The one time that I went to an AI, I kind of hated it. Maybe it was just a bad experience, though. I don't know.

Are AIs worth it for non-drinkers?

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