Popular vacation: Riveria Maya, Jamaica & cruises

“It was amazing!” That’s how Tracy Shober of Superior described her week at the Grand Palladium, an all-inclusive resort in Mexico’s famous Riviera Maya region.

“The area we were at had beautiful beaches,” says Shober. “We had this

humongous strip of sandy beach for our resort. It had to be three, four blocks long – all sand, and they had lounge chairs laid out for you. You could walk in [the water] barefoot and snorkel right there off the beach.”

Shober certainly isn’t alone in her praise of this 80-mile stretch of fantasy-like beaches just south of Cancun. It’s currently the number

one travel destination for Northlanders looking for a winter get-away.

“There’s a multitude of all-inclusive resorts that fit every budget, every lifestyle, some geared toward families, some are adults only. There are high energy or quiet resorts, just across the board,” explains Lisa Hansen,

manager of Duluth’s Skyline & Destination Travel, “and because it offers such a wide variety of resorts and pricing, it’s become the number one winter destination.”

Another hot spot is Jamaica. “They’ve been doing a lot of updates, new resorts,” says Jennifer Maki, owner of Divine Destinations in Cloquet.

“In particular, Negril is the capital of casual with a seven-mile beach.”

Cruises are another popular option, due in part to their all-inclusive pricing, and varying lengths.

“A lot of my clients don’t have the money or time in their budget to take seven to 10-day vacations,” says Maki. “I see more people doing three to five day vacations several times a year. It’s just what the doctor ordered when you’re looking for a shot of sunshine.”

“Two out of five phone calls are for cruises,” Hansen figures. The most popular cruises sail on Caribbean waters, such as those that tour Jamaica, Cozumel and Grand Cayman on the western side, or St. Thomas and St. Martin on the east.

“Those typically are the top sellers because they’re more affordable,” says

Hansen. “You sail out of Florida, so your airfare is less expensive. If you do a southern Caribbean cruise, you fly into San Juan, Puerto Rico. They’re typically a little more expensive, but that’s when you see the

fabulous islands like Barbados, Antigua, St. Lucia and Aruba. So typically people will do the eastern or western first and then graduate to the southern Caribbean.”

Tags: ln travel, livingnorth