Have I ever done this before?  No.

I listened in amazement to the instructions given to us by the bubbly lady working at the reception desk. All the restaurants are for free. The bar is for free. Drink as much alcohol as you want. The mini-bar in your room is free. Drinks by the pool are included. Concierge on every floor that presses the down button on the elevator for you, as he sees you approaching down the corridor. Sitting by the beach facing the gorgeous azure water, refreshments are free. Snacks at the piano bar, included.  Wifi … included and coverage is excellent and signal is strong throughout the premises.

We had entered the realm of a cruise ship!  It’s a ready-made world where you don’t have to think. Just show up and do.

Part of me was excited. You don’t have to worry about currency conversion, leaving tips.  Not having to think about payment is very convenient.

Yet there was a vulgar side to this as well.  Without any monetary boundaries, well, will I just go crazy at the buffet table?  Will I drink 7 margaritas when 2 would have sufficed?  Just because it’s ‘free’, will gluttony prevail?

And me, always wanting to be different. How will I do it here?  By consuming less, when you’re expected to drink and eat more, will that do it?

Of course it’s not free, you pay a fixed fee per day which includes everything. That’s why it’s called an all-inclusive resort. And there is one service that is not free, the spa.

But is it all really necessary? Is this the ultimate in consumerism, where you place no value on consumption because there is no overt price attached to it, given that it all seems free?

It just seems too easy to me. But for the four days here, I’m going to enjoy the convenience.  Going to the bar now …

Welcome to the all-inclusive world!

Follow Bojan’s travel reviews on his blog www.gowithbo.info

 Featured image credit (Wild Beach at Tulum): Ockra/iStock