How much cash to bring?

[Piqued]

I wasn't planning on bringing a lot of cash, as Desire is an all-inclusive resort, and we pre-paid for the ride to and from the airport. But I've been reading a lot of different reviews, and I'm hoping to get some consensus from this group.

I've read that I will need cash for tipping the waiters by the pool and at the restaurant, housekeeping and bartenders. Do people generally tip at the end of the trip, or with each service?

I'm a big believer in generous tipping, but I have a foolish newbie question: where on earth do you keep your cash at a clothing-optional resort?

I've also read that there are a lot of additional fees and charges that will need to be paid for (presumably added to our credit card bill), such as fees for reserving beach beds, fees for premium meals (not sure what this means), fees for premium liquor (not sure this will be an issue, as we're happy with the cheap stuff), and a fee for using a kayak (again, not a necessity, though it would be nice.)

Are there any other fees we should know about before we leave?

[tout.prest]

Other than tipping, any other charges will just usually be added to your room balance which will be dealt with upon checkout, usually in the form of plastic. The consensus lately is that you dont need to reserve a beach bed since occupancy has been low and nobody reports having any issues getting one.

The extra charge meals are if you decide you want something "off Menu" or the fancy Lobster dinner, or a special dinner set up on the beach or gazebo etc. Most guests never do this and are very happy with the all inclusive food. Same goes for the Alcohol.....Most people are quite content with the selection provided as it is actually very broad.

The resort MUST charge a fee of $2 to access the ocean via a boat or type of . This is a Government levy for reef protection i believe. (Or something like that). It would go on your room balance as well.

As for where to keep your cash. Keep in mind that the main time you will be tipping is at meals, where you will be wearing at least shorts, therefore no problem. We always just keep some paper pesos as the bookmark in my wifes book at the beach and at the pool, for if you want to tip the drink servers.

We always prefer to tip as we go through our stay, but many folks just leave it to the end. To each their own i suppose. There is no right/wrong way of doing it.

All in all , There really isnt anything extra, that you must pay for. True , there are some things you can opt to upgrade, but by no means is it required. No other fees are coming to my mind.

Steve

[mfay]

A "normal" amount of cash for us to spend at the resort in a week is about $200-$300 and that is all tips. We tend to tip $5 at a meal, $5 a day for a maid, $5 once a day for a pool waiter, and then a single $10 to $20 tips toward the end of a stay for certain bartenders, EC people etc who have taken care of us. We carry a small (12"x 12" ?) nylon drawstring bag around with us wherever we go without clothes and keep some cash and etc in that. Anything from the gift shop goes on the room bill/credit card. Of course if we leave the resort for any reason we'll use a lot more cash. But in all out trips we have never paid for an upcharge meal or drinks. Simply isn't at all necessary for most people.
Of course tipping is totally optional and some do more or less. Once you get there and get to know the folks though you'll find it hard not too.............

[Yankeefan]

Bring $50 singles, $150 in fives, $100 in tens and you have plenty.

[oldseadog]

If you don't live in the USA, just bring Pesos. If you have to buy $US, and then any recipient of the tip has to (or should have to) change US to Pesos before he can spend it, there will then be two lots of commission on the same parcel of money. If you tip in Pesos the recipient can just go and spend it without any hassle, and without losing any of the value to the money changer or bank.

[Piqued]

I assume that since Cancun is such a big tourist spot, US dollars could be used pretty much anywhere in the city -- no?

Thanks very much for all your input.

[CokeMann]

I would also like to add - other than cash for tips - Everything, ie - all optional extra charges, SPA, even items from the Desire gift/tuck shop can be simply charged to your room and you can settle up on check out by CC.

The things that you do have to pay for are things that are provided at Desire by third parties that operate at Desire - such as the Jewelry Shop, Body Painting, Henna Tattoos, and any off site tours.

[mfay]

One other quick note about the Peso/Dollar question. Currently, the official exchange rate rate is 13 pesos to 1 dollar. however, the "street" rate among small merchants-etc- is 10 to 1. So when you give a $10 US tip you are giving them over 120 peso's after exchange. But if you do a little shopping in Puerto Morelos using US dollars you will actually overpay by over 20% in most places (they will ask you for $10 US for an item tagged at 100 pesos.) Don't be afraid to do some dickering...

[eddieandjojo]

Really easy fix is to just get $2000 or $3000 pesos which equates to about $150 to $225 US.....really easy to do so at the airport in Cancun. You then have no worries if you go off the resort to shop, etc!

Either way, it's your choice to reward good service and trust me, good service you will get.

E&J

[alanwar]

It is unclear to me what are the tipping expectations, opportunities and amounts at the various spots in the resort. Or is this an all-inclusive resort where tipping isn't expected at all.

Here are my ideas and would appreciate people sharing their experiences.

1. Arrival - is there a bellhop type person who brings your luggage to your room ?

2. Each drink ordered at the bar

3. Towel service

4. Room service

5. Table service at the restaurant

6. Daily maid service

7. Watersports

8. Special room requests (ie, extra towels or pillows, etc)

9. Anything else ?

[oldseadog]

It is our experience that you will get excellent service no matter if you tip or not.
We tend to do the European thing of leaving tips on departure, in envelopes, for the various departments, (kitchen, ground staff, waiting staff, etc.), rather than to individuals.
We always bring Pesos which we buy commission free at the bank here at home, but US$ are accepted in all the shops etc..