Let me begin this story by telling you that I went to Mexico last week and it was awesome.

I have the Jet Blue American Express; it’s one of those point system credit cards where you earn free flights by charging things. I find this particluar point system pretty fair. You can apply for the card here and learn more about the program if you wish to do so. They have no blackout dates and a decent amount of “reward seats” available on flights, as long as you aren’t looking to book a last minute flight to a very popular destination.

About a month ago I discovered that one of my round trip award flights was set to expire, so I did what any 20-something single male resident of White Plains, NY would do. I immediately began looking for a tropical destination to vacate to.

I once used a travel agent to book a vacation. It was a pleasant experience and the trip was pretty good, but I am a hands on type of guy and I generally don’t like to let my life experiences be dictated by someone else. With the amount of information available on the Internet today, I have been able to book some very successful vacations by doing my own research.

One website I have frequented a lot is cheapcarribean.com. You can get some pretty sweet last minute deals at this site. I am an all-inclusive type of guy. I don’t want to have my wallet with me at the pool or on the beach when I am on vacation. Give me a wristband for the week and keep the food and drinks flowing. Most of the packages available on cheapcarribean.com are all inclusive, so the site is the ideal spot for me to book a vacation.

I spent about 3 hours researching this vacation, but every hour was worth it because I spent 5 wonderful days in Mexico in return. Not every resort you find on the site is going to be a stellar one. I spent some time on the site and found a few places that I thought looked appealing and fell within a price range I was comfortable with. I compiled a little list, then immediately headed over to tripadvisor.com, my bible when it comes to booking any type of travel.

Tripadvisor.com has hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of reviews on almost any resort worth traveling too. After narrowing down my options, I found a really nice all-inclusive resort in Mexico. The total damage would be around $750.00 for 5 days and 4 nights of vacationing, all booze, food and entertainment included. The resort had a Japanese Sushi restaurant, a 5 star steakhouse, a seafood place, and a buffet. Let’s just say I spent 4 nights alternating between filet mignon and sushi for dinner. There was 24 hour room service, a beautiful pool, about 10 different bars throughout the resort, and the beach was located right next to the pool area.

At the last minute, a friend decided to come with me. I called up cheapcarribean.com, completely expecting a hassle to add this person. I couldn’t have been any more wrong. I called up the company and got – gasp – an English speaking American customer service representative who was courteous and pleasant, and helped me add my friend to the vacation package with the greatest of ease. I was shocked.

I didn’t think American call centers still existed. Score one for the good guys.

Not counting my free flight, my own cost of this trip was about 750.00$ for 5 days and 4 nights, and, as previously stated, my breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, entertainment, and room service was all included. The food was excellent, and the drinks were top shelf. I couldn’t have been happier with my purchase.

To give you a little comparison, I just tried to book 4 nights at the Crowne Plaza located in downtown White Plains, NY. The total cost is a whopping $1,433.25, and that doesn’t include any of the above-mentioned amenities.

So if cash is a little tight, or you just don’t feel like dropping 2 g’s on a vacation, check out cheapcarribean.com. Do your research, read some reviews, and make an educated decision. You can save some mega bucks if you take the time to do so.

(Photo Courtesy of Me, son)