Vacation destination choices

[Gratch]

July marked the 15 year of working at my now part-time (used to be full-time) job.  My boss showed up at my house this afternoon with a special thank you gift - an all expense paid (including airfare) 4-day, 3-night vacation for me and Mrs. Gratch.  Needless to say, I am completely floored.

Now comes the hard part...picking between the following destinations:

-  Acapulco
-  Bahamas
-  Dominican Republic
-  Cancun
-  Ixtapa
-  Los Cabos
-  Puerto Vallarta
-  Playa del Carmen

I've never been anywhere tropical on vacation, so I figured I'd ask some of the world travelers we have around here.  Any of these spots you would recommend over the others?

[CeeKay]

considering all the trouble with drug dealers in Mexico I'd research any Mexican destination carefully before choosing it.  I'd say pick the Bahama's and take a pic of yourself dressed as a pirate.

[LoneStarSpur]

Here's another vote for the Bahamas.

Island time, baby!

[DOSHIGH]

If the Bahamas trip is a stay at the Atlantis on Paradise Island, I'd say that's the pick by a mile.  After that I'd consider the time it's going to take you to get to the destination, you don't want to spend half the trip travelling.  Any interest in Aztec/Mayan ruins? fishing? scuba/snorkeling? just sitting on the beach?  They can help narrow it down.

[Gromit]

Having just spent three months in Curacao, I vote for the Bahamas!  Go SCUBA diving! 

[Ironrod]

Based on that list you're probably staying in an all-inclusive resort, and with only 4 days you're very unlikely to leave the grounds to explore the country at all. Therefore I would choose based on which resort you like the best, without regard for where it happens to be. (Personally, I'd look for a villa-type situation over a highrise).

My BIL and his wife have gotten sick every time they've gone to a Mexican resort, which they keep doing anyway because it's so cheap they can build in a couple of days for diarrhea. The odds that Montezuma's Revenge could ruin your weekend are high, regardless of how careful you are to avoid the water.

Only person I know who's been to the DR hated it...but again, if you're confined to a resort you won't see the poverty that bothered her so much.

[Gratch]

As I started looking into this tonight, I'm getting a little leery about it.  The trips are apparently through Mexican VIP Holidays, which has a disturbing lack of info on their website.  Now, my boss is a straight shooter and I'm not worried about him pulling some sort of fast one on this, but it makes me wonder what the catch to all this is.  Need to do some checking to make sure this is all on the up and up. 

My first choice was the Bahamas as well, so I'll see what Mrs. Gratch thinks.  She's at work and I haven't had a chance to tell her anything yet. 

[Kagath]

I'm actually thinking about going somewhere myself sometime soon. Never been on a cruise or trip before. Figured it was time to actually spend a little cash on myself for a change. I'm still relatively young (33), single, and keep all my bills paid(school loan, CC, etc) so I figure why not. Was talking to my co-worker since he goes on all inclusive vacations a lot and he said the Playa del Carmen was very nice and there were some near the Mayan ruins that were pretty sweet as well. Need to re-ask him apparently since I forget now... Lot of help I know.

[LoneStarSpur]

Word of warning on a Bahamas all-inclusive (maybe any for that matter)...

Make sure you go when there is absolutely no chance whatsoever that any recent high school graduates will be there. The drinking age is 18.

I really wanted to commit homicide many, many times the last 3 days we were there. 

The college kids that showed up a couple of days before the high school kids did weren't too bad. And the chicks were much hotter. The high school kids...

[Gratch]

Word of warning on a Bahamas all-inclusive (maybe any for that matter)...

Make sure you go when there is absolutely no chance whatsoever that any recent high school graduates will be there. The drinking age is 18.

I really wanted to commit homicide many, many times the last 3 days we were there. 

The college kids that showed up a couple of days before the high school kids did weren't too bad. And the chicks were much hotter. The high school kids...

We're looking at going in February, so hopefully that won't be a problem.  Although I wouldn't mind some college-age eye candy...

[TK-421]

The wife and I are going on a clothing optional cruise in February.

We'll be hitting Martinique, St. Bart's, Guadalupe, St. Martin, and Coco Cay.

We've been to St. Martin before and are really looking forward to a return trip.  We're already booked on an all day snorkeling trip.

My understanding is that most of the people that go on these types of trips are generally the type that look like, well, look like me.  So I expect to see a lot of fat hairy guys and older women sporting the tube socks full of rocks look.  Thankfully, my wife is hot so I'll be spending all my time looking at her anyway. 

[Scuzz]

Hawaii.........