All-inclusives: My personal take and

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For our honeymoon nearly 15 years ago, my husband and I went to a Sandals resort in Jamaica.  Neither of us had been there or to an all-inclusive, so we were willing to give it a try.

It's not that we didn't like it.  Our room was luxuriously adorned with a fluffy four-poster king-size bed with a partial view of the ocean.  With seven restaurants creating different kinds of cuisine, we had plenty of culinary variety, and these meals were delicious.  We could enjoy all the beverages we wanted.

But I think we realized that we were not the all-inclusive type of travelers.  For instance, staying at one resort and one destination got old quickly.  We like to move about if we are on vacation somewhere.  Even though we did explore much of Ocho Rios, we both wanted to explore more of Jamaica itself.  That wasn't easy to do because the resort didn't have a lot options to stray too far from the area, and with the way the locals drove, we valued our lives too much to risk renting a car.

Second, this particular Sandals had a disproportionate number of younger couples, mostly in their 20's and 30's.  We were not that much older, but we felt a pretty substantial age difference between those people and ourselves. Maybe if we had gone to another one, our experience may have been different.

Third, my husband and I aren't drinkers, and that's just one of the things you do at an all-inclusive.  At least, that's what the people around us did at this particular resort.  This was confirmed when we went on a recent Carnival cruise, and nearly everyone except us had a rum punch tumbler in their hands, wherever we went.  It was a similar scenario at Sandals, with all of the drunken unpleasantness that can happen from too many people consuming too much booze.

All of this happened nearly 15 years ago, so I'm now willing to acknowledge that all-inclusive resorts have changed for the better.  Something that's also different is that I'm now a travel advisor, and knowing about these properties is part of my job.  While I still may not be a personal fan of all inclusive resorts, I want to see how they can be for my clients who do love them.

So I will get a chance to do just that in about two months.  Cruise Planners will host a Luxury and Land Symposium at the El Dorado Royale, which is on the Riviera Maya.  My husband and I took our first trip together there and to Cozumel back in 2005, but at that time it was far less developed than it is now.  I probably won't recognize it, but I will pay greater attention to what the all-inclusive experience will be like, with amenities, cuisine and service.

Maybe the whole thing with Sandals seemed a little contrived.  The brand is all about romance, and while I'm just fine with that, I don't want to be forced into that mold.  I like to be active, immerse myself in the local culture and essentially do my own thing.  This particular resort didn't encourage that approach.  As wonderfully luxurious as the stay in Ocho Rios was, I sometimes felt bored and wanted to go off the property for something more exciting.  I can vouch that my husband felt the same.

I am looking forward to going to the Riviera Maya and seeing the El Dorado Royale, and I hope that my perception of all-inclusive resorts will change for the better.