I had the same problem at the RIU this past Christmas. It was the first time that I really regretted spending the $$ in Neuvo. It was packed with bus loads of people, kids everywhere, picking up the food, sniffing it and putting it back, screaming..etc etc. I won't return to a RIU - ever. And also staying away from the Marival now. Where to go next? Maybe Cuba??

Here's your first complaint.

Oh,my!! Mexican people actually staying in Mexican beach resorts when the kids are out of school???

I'm not sure what to say (since Americans can't go to Cuba), but the options I see are to:

1. Stay at your favorite Mexican resort when Mexican kids are IN school.

2. Stay in a beachfront condo in Mexico.

3. Go to a beachfront resort in the U.S. (At least there, many people can no longer afford to take their kids on vacations.)

July and Easter are the peak periods for Mexicans to take their beach vacations. Christmas, though also popular, is usually much less busy - I'm guessing it's because either 1) the weather & water are fairly cool at that time of year, which is okay for those of us from the Great White North but not so great for people accustomed to warmer climates; or 2) Mexicans tend to spend Christmas with their extended families.

My wife and I encountered an unexpected "mini peak period" at the Vallarta Palace a couple of Octobers back, when the Mexican Pork Producer Association was holding a four-day convention that coincided with the week we were there. Most of the delegates (a rural looking group sporting mostly cowboy hats and boots) appear to have brought their families, so the environment changed quite a bit while they were there. To be honest we enjoyed it and got to meet some nice folks, but I also understand that when people go on vacation expecting peace and quiet, it can be disappointing to encounter some of the things described above.

People who want to avoid these issues should take Mexican vacation periods into account when booking their vacations. One poster said they would not return to RIU, but I don't think it makes sense to blame individual hotels because you can run into this phenomenon pretty much anywhere (perhaps less often at the higher end places).

There are really only three ways to deal with this situation: 1) time your trips to avoid peak periods; 2) for people with kids who have no choice but to travel during school breaks, rent a decent condo and avoid the all-inclusives; or 3) grin and bear it.

I dont mind local groups...unless it affects the services I have paid good money for. What I DO mind is when management cannot keep control over the chaos (over-drinking, seriously loud music, boisterous/obnoxious people).

how does one find out if there are school holidays, group events....

Karenjme and others, One way to find out about big local events would be to become a member of a group like the Yahoo Group for Bucerias; anyone can join. I'm not sure if NV has a Yahoo Group, but the Bucerias group would have all the kind of news you're looking for, and once you are a member, you could write in and ask questions yourself.

Yeah, I hear you. You might have ready my recent review - we came back from our third Marival trip on July 1. Overall it was another fun family vacation, but I definitely want to avoid going back when the resort is full, if at all possible. There was a frenetic feel to it that I didn't enjoy, and it didn't have anything to do with the nationality of the guests. If the place has been completely bursting with pale skinned gringos I would have felt the same way. It was just too crowded.

All in all we still were able to enjoy our trip by going to early meals and heading back to our room early at night, which worked well anyway since we have small kids. But I also did not enjoy how full-to-bursting the resort was during our visit.

OT and Elenamex. could not have Said it Better...

Just Do your Homework LOTS,,LoL

We have already booked Mexico again...

Sker we had a few days over the years at RDC that were Kaos.was a great time to get off the compound.

If we vacation without the kids we go to an Adults only Resort. That's the best solution.

Otherwise I find myself watching other people's children to make sure they don't get hurt. We've actually "rescued" a few kids that got caught in rough surf. I don't need the stress.