We have tried the past couple of years to host a trip to somewhere warm and fun but it never seemed to work out mainly from a timing stand point. This year we got everything to line up and made our first host trip to Cabo San Lucas this past October. It was a short and sweet trip of 4 night to the Riu Santa Fe in Cabo.
The cost seemed to be a great motivating factor for couples and friends - being under $1000 per person. For a single traveler, it was just over $1009 but still not bad considering you were getting an Oceanview room. Overall, the time away was perfect for most - an extended weekend. For others, it worked out even better as it was over Columbus Day so a free day of vacation.
Talking with the group - everyone had a good time overall. There were a few concerns but nothing from a safety standpoint when it comes to alcohol. Some said that it tasted a bit more watered down but you kept a good "buzz" throughout the day - and not something that made you ill or pass out. The biggest concern was the quality of the food at some of the restaurants. The best meal I was told was at the steakhouse, which is a bit surprising but not totally. Besides, who doesn't love a good steak!?
Some of the group did an excursion off property - a sunset booze cruise. It wasn't the huge boat that had you in like sardines but a smaller catamaran style with just enough people to interact but not claustrophobic. No big meals but simple finger food - of course enough chips & salsa for everyone. Those who went said it was a lot of fun. In fact, was told that one of the "bigger" booze cruises there needed up being stopped by the local police because they had too many people on board. Not sure what happened in the end but I'm sure many people were upset.
One of the big things I was told by the group was that they had more fun off property than onsite. That they would bring more money next time to go explore the town and places to eat. One said, they had to leave the resort to find something more to their taste and dietary needs. Again, they said, that the resort was nice but wouldn't be a choice for them in particular in the future.
Also, during this time was a huge event - for those of you rock fans - it was Sammy Hagar's 70th birthday party. Yes, many of us are old or not old enough to know the name. Cabo was practically sold out for a week and this with a tropical storm that had come in a month prior which dumped a year's worth of rain. The big thing to take from this is that there were no security issues at this time. People were going into town and having a great time. So no matter what the government may say about "travel warnings", you need to talk with those who have been there or deal with this on a day to day basis. Remember, the media and government's job is to scare you - and they do a good job most of the time. If you hear of news about warning or safety issues, get in touch with someone, like myself, who is in the travel industry. We have our contacts in these areas who can give us first hand knowledge of what is really going on.
Thank you to everyone who went on this group trip and had a great time in Cabo plus made a few new friends at the same time. We will be doing this again and hope to have details shortly after the new year.
Safe Travels - Bon Voyage!