Learn About All-Inclusive Vacations Here!

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Nathan:
“Oh Boy, I don’t know about you, but a day like this gets me thinking about vacation time. Have you ever been on an all-inclusive vacation… you know the kind where you pay everything up front. Is it a good idea? Is it a good deal? …especially in these tough economic times. Well it all depends – and let’s find out what it depends on as we’re joined by Kimberly Palmer, senior editor money and business for U.S. News and World Report, author of the Alpha Consumer Blog. Kim it’s great to have you back on WTOP!”
 
Kimberly
“Great to be here, thanks Nathan!”
 
Nathan
“You say all-inclusives come with a higher price tag than just the regular vacations. They might be well worth it. Why would that be?”
 
Kimberly
“That’s right. So people do not enjoy getting their wallet out constantly and paying for every little thing – so research actually shows that if you pay ahead of time, you can actually relax more on your vacation. Brain scans of people while they’re in the process of paying for things shows that their pain centers are activated while they’re paying. So if you can avoid that by paying ahead of time, you can enjoy your vacation more.”
 
Nathan
“Wow I’m impressed they’ve done that sort of research brain scans on vacationers. What kinds of people though are best suited to the all-inclusives, Kim?”
 
Kimberly
“People who are really looking for security and predictability tend to like the all-inclusive packages more because you know exactly how much you’re paying ahead of time… that makes it a benefit for budgeters. You won’t get any surprises once you’re down there on vacation. And so people who are looking for something more adventurous on the other hand… people who like to plan their own days and have adventures without knowing exactly what to expect… those people tend to avoid all-inclusive packages because they want – when they go on vacation they want to avoid predictability.”
 
Nathan
“Are there any sort of all-inclusives that are maybe not completely all-inclusive where you can have some of that spontaneity because I know you’re talking about me when you talk about adventurous and spontaneity on vacations… I just love to change plans at the last minute because things usually work out so much better for some reason… but are there sorts of all-inclusives that are not quite all-inclusive?”
 
Kimberly
“Yes there are and that’s actually something you want to make sure you know what you’re getting into ahead of time because all-inclusives vary a lot. Sometimes activities are included, sometimes every meal is included, drinks are included, things like golf or spa, treatments. But it really depends and so you want to make sure you know what you’re getting into. Because someone like you, for example, where you want to have a little bit more freedom, you might want to look for an all-inclusive where you’re just paying for your airfare and your hotel in advance – and that in itself can yield savings – but you still have the freedom to plan your own day.”
 
Nathan
“And sometimes I think you mention that you can get a little bit surprised because you think tips are included but you get there and find the staff really does expect you to tip them some more.”
 
Kimberly
“That’s right. That’s a tricky one because often all-inclusive resorts say tips are included in this package but once you get there, you find the staff really relies on tips and so you want to make sure you know what you’re getting into and whether or not you should be bringing your wallet along.”
 
Nathan
“Are there some good deals this year because of the economy with all-inclusives?”
 
Kimberly
“There are some incredible deals and we’ve been seeing them actually there’s all these advertisements out right now in TV and newspapers. People are so desperate to get vacationers down there on vacation and so you can really find some incredible deals because of the downturn.”
 
Nathan
“This might be the year to do it. Kim, thanks so much for your expertise.”
 
Kimberly
“Thank you!”
 
Nathan
“Kimberly Palmer is senior editor for money and business for U.S. News and World Report and the author of the always interesting Alpha Consumer Blog.”