We love Cancun, but boy, does the weather always give us a run for our money! (Looks amazing in this picture though, so that’s how I’m going to remember it!) We’ve traveled to Cancun three times together, and always at different times of the year. We’ve visited in January, and our beach wedding was completely rained out! We’ve gone in October and had a few super wet days. And our last trip was just this past June, and it stormed four out of our seven days there! But, the first three days were absolutely beautiful so we made the best of the sunshine while it lasted!
We discovered the Omni Cancun on our last trip (pre-baby) when we booked through BookVIP. Maybe you’ve seen their advertisements on Facebook? Well, they are totally legit! They offer amazing deals for couples (must be married or cohabitating) who earn a specific income, and it requires that you attend a vacation club presentation (which is only 90-120 minutes). But, when I say amazing deals, I mean A M A Z I N G. We only paid $499 for both of us for a 5-day trip! And that included the all-inclusive meal and drink plan, and transportation to/from airport! I definitely suggest looking into BookVIP for your next vacation. (They also have resorts that offer packages for families!)
Needless to say, we totally got sucked into the vacation club presentation (but you can easily say no thanks, and continue enjoying your vacation!) and became owners! It was a great deal and we couldn’t pass it up. So last month, we finally made our return to the Omni and brought our extended family with us! It was really nice being treated so well by all the staff…it felt like we were {almost} famous!
We had beautiful weather the first three days, so we basically lived at the pool. Brayden is definitely a water baby! We brought a small floaty for him so we could push him around the adult pool while we sipped on our adult beverages. We also sat in the kiddie pool with him while he splashed around. I’m not a huge fan of sitting in the kiddie pool though. They are so shallow that the water warms up quickly and isn’t very refreshing. (There’s another reason why the water warms up…yuck!)
Then the weather took a turn for the worse. Storm after storm started rolling through and there was just no way to be outside. We got very lucky when the first storm arrived. Brayden’s uncle noticed the dark clouds moving towards us so we packed up from the pool and headed in for lunch. No sooner had we been seated when the skies opened up and started dumping! Everyone outside began scrambling for shelter and many were soaked within seconds! And so began the rainy portion of our family vacation…
The remaining four days were filled with me trying to figure out how to entertain a 17 month old while we were stuck indoors! Luckily, we had access to the Vacation Club Members Lounge in the resort that was always stocked with hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, snacks, and beverages. Brayden was able to run around and eat snacks, while the adults chatted and had a few drinks! Win for everyone! When we tired of the Lounge, we would take Brayden out in his stroller-outside if there was a break in the rain, and inside otherwise. He loved being strolled around! He was happy as long as he was moving! (I should also mention that we decided not to go on any excursions this trip. Brayden just wouldn’t be able to handle the long days and he still depends on his nap schedule. We are looking forward to doing more activities with him when he’s old enough to manage!) Other than those options, we were in the room watching his nursery rhymes on the iPad until he would pass out and nap. Not exactly how I envisioned our tropical paradise vacation to unfold, but you can’t change the weather, so it’s best to change your expectations! (I learned that one on my wedding day…)
It was a great trip spent with family we don’t see often enough, and we can’t wait to plan our next vacation together! We’ll probably opt for somewhere other than Cancun next time though! Maybe Cabo…another favorite destination of ours. We were just happy to survive another adventure with a toddler. All you mammas can understand that! We had ALMOST made it home completely unscathed, when 20 minutes before our flight landed (it’s a 5 hour direct flight from San Francisco) Brayden started getting very fussy, and then he threw up–all over me! That was an unexpected (and disgusting) treat! He’s actually never vomited before so this was completely new to us!
Time to break out the wipes and extra clothes I had packed for him! No problem! We got him changed and cleaned up in record time…and even the poor woman sitting next to us had no idea what had happened. BUT, I had never thought to pack an extra anything for myself! I had to sit in my vomit-soaked clothes for the rest of the flight! (The smell was less than delightful! Gag!) And I wouldn’t get my luggage until after we went through immigration and customs. Lesson learned big time! Wish I didn’t have to learn that one the hard way though! Here’s hoping nothing like that happens on our next flight to Maui, but if it does, you can be assured that I will be prepared!