Club Med Cancun Delivers The Full Enchilada Of Fun

I miss cruising. I really do. I love that the cruise lines that I typically sail on – such as Regent, Oceania, and Crystal – are all-inclusives where luxury knows no bounds. Your drinks and all meals and snacks are included, as well as a wealth of activities all day long. Just stash your wallet in your room safe – and you are truly good to go, without ever being nickel-and-dimed.

So, now that cruising is basically at a standstill, I searched for the next-best thing; A land-based  all-inclusive luxury resort offering oceans of activity options all day long plus unlimited snacks, meals and drinks. I found it at Club Med in Cancun, which opened back up last October, and this year celebrates its 45^th anniversary. Just a few hours by plane from Boston, and we found ourselves in Mexico in seventh Heaven. We didn’t need a COVID test before arrival, and only thing that was required – was the COVID antigen test upon departure. Getting to Club Med Cancun, as a spring escape, was as easy as could be, and a smart alternative to cruising. Trust me – once you go to an all-inclusive such as Club Med, a mere hotel room – where you are charged for everything —  will never ever do anymore.

If you want activity, activity, and more activity, Club Med – like a cruise ship —  is just the place. A typical day starts at 8AM and can include – but is not limited to – yoga, power walk, scuba session, aqua gym, ping pong, Zumba, archery, tennis, petanque, trapeze – yes we took a lesson on the trapeze – as well as sunset stretch. And unlike many other beach destinations, Club Med offers wonderful entertainment every night, whether it’s singers and dancers or a circus-like trapeze show. These circus acts are a sight to behold, with performers with  fat-free  beautiful bodies carrying out impressive shows of strength. Furthermore, like a luxury cruise line, the shows were so good that I would have happily paid admission.

The cuisine at Club Med Cancun is also some of the best that I’ve experienced anywhere in the world, and all of your meals are included. Most nights my husband Bill and dined at The Hacienda, where numerous stations are set up to take you on a culinary escape. The food here, I must say, was outstanding – whether  it was a simple skewer of grilled chicken, or something more elaborate like Beef Wellington in Bernaise sauce, it was decidedly delectable. The menu here changes every night and there are options galore. There are always stations featuring Mexican, a daily carving station of say turkey roulade, or chicken,  plus pizza, pasta, salad – there are salads galore – plus beautiful selections of cheese and bread (the chocolate-laced loaf was scrumptious)  – along with  numerous fish and meat choices, vegetarian options, baby food (for families that come with their little ones), desserts, and an ice cream bar featuring cones, sundaes, and bowls in your favorite flavors. Just the simple vanilla ice cream was exquisite – it was filled with Tahitian vanilla, and quite excellent. The Executive Chef one night made me Nutella ice cream – it was dee-lish – and we also sampled the Cookies and Cream. And we loved pairing the coconut with chocolate flavors, so that your ice cream dessert tasted like a Mounds bar – but the very best one you’ve ever enjoyed.

One reason the food is so great is because Club Med is a French company, where “oo la la” goes into every bite. The Executive Chef, Nicolas Schellinger, hails from Alsace, and his inimitable touch is everywhere. Take the shrimp cocktail, for example. I have to say that Club Med’s take on it makes it one of the best shrimp cocktails I’ve ever eaten. Let’s face it, most shrimp cocktail is paired with red sauce – and it’s so boring. Here, Chef Schellinger uses his special recipe of placing all the ingredients in a huge Margarita glass with a stem in the shape of a cactus. In it goes shrimp, guacamole and Pico de Gallo, among other things, plus a cocktail sauce featuring cognac.  Simple, delicious, and melt-in-your mouth wonderful. These are definitely some upper-crust crustaceans.

Now because of its French background (Club Med is headquartered in Paris) you’ll also definitely find a French vibe everywhere – and especially in the food. On the menu you will find fish Provencale; French cheeses; desserts of red fruits, and fruit tartes, gorgeous macarons in pastel colors; ratatouille; rabbit pate; foie gras and other goodies.  There’s also a creperie by the beach where you can get a wealth of snacks, including a wide variety of crepes. (Yup, I had the Nutella and it was divine – just like those on the streets of Paris.) Another very interesting French aspect of Club Med is that the general manager is called the GO – “Gentile Organizer” – and all guests are called GMs – “Gentile Members,” literally meaning “nice” and “kind.” Its very true. We found the staff to be over-the-top attentive, and there’s even a policy at the resort for staff members to dine with guests and mingle to their heart’s content. We experienced that firsthand with Cynthia, the head of the snorkeling team. She took us on a special tour of the reef – the 2^nd largest in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef – and she did this on her break from 12-2PM. Why? She explained that she loves her job, and she loves to snorkel here and share her experience with guests. She was first-rate through and through.

Just a couple of other things. There were some glitches in our stay, and it’s only fair to report on them. We were housed in Jade, an upgraded “hotel within a hotel” at the resort, offering all kinds of special extras. We have to say, that it was ironic that the Jade lobby looked a little tired (whereas the Main Entrance was very impressive). After we checked into our room, we noticed a few things that were not up to par with Club Med’s luxury status. One waterglass was exceedingly chipped in color. The very worn hangers in the closet were not even worthy of a one-star resort. And the trash bin in the bathroom was severely rusted. But we have to say – we raised our concerns and everything was immediately replaced to our content. 

Whatever disappointment we felt, however, was obviated by the fact that the beaches at Club Med Cancun were gorgeous. Picture-perfect powdery sand and turquoise waters – that’s the real reason we came, and whenever I parked my posterior in a pink tube, in the ocean, I was filled with “joie de vivre.” And that is what a stay at Club Med is all about. Voila!

Rates start at $136pp per night.

For more about my Wanderlust travels, please follow me on Instagram at @Debbikickham. For more excellent articles, please subscribe to Forbes.com.