How to choose the best all-inclusive vacation

Booking an all-inclusive vacation is a great way to avoid overspending on your next getaway. Here are some things to consider when choosing an all-inclusive resort.

Components of an all-inclusive vacation vary by resort and by country. When you choose a resort, don't base your decision on price alone. Look at everything you get for your money. Start with accommodations: while some resorts offer luxurious bedding and junior suites as the standard option, you'll pay extra for those things at other resorts.

Find out if all on-site entertainment options, including boat rental and sports equipment, are included, or if you'll be expected to pay more for these activities. If the quality of the alcoholic beverages in your all-inclusive rate is important to you, verify what brands the resort offers. Some all-inclusive packages only offer premium brands at an additional cost.

If you're particularly excited about the dining possibilities during your all-inclusive vacation, make sure reality lives up to your dreams before you book. Look at the type and kind of food offered and make sure it meets your expectations. Although you'll have no trouble dining whenever you want at the resort's buffet restaurant, you'll probably need to make reservations if you want to eat at themed or upscale restaurants.

Find out if the package offers unlimited food, drinks and snacks, or if you're limited to a certain number of meals per day. It's also a good idea to check out the dress code for the resort. Many prohibit men from wearing sleeveless shirts and require long pants. If dressing up is the last thing you want to do on holiday, you'll want to find a resort with more relaxed requirements.

Lower prices are often available in countries that have many all-inclusive resorts. You'll find no shortage of these resort countries like Mexico and Jamaica, for example, but relatively few in Bermuda. If you don't have a particular location in mind, you can find good deals in the countries where multiple resorts compete with one another for guests.