How to sneak into beach resorts

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by islander28capt

wow this site IS filling up with arm chair sailors. All this talk of the rates they pay to be in these resorts! hum thought they were.....uhhhh ....um....on their sail boat!

Nope... they're a bunch of 'Wannabe's' making the most of Sandals and other Resorts 'Freebie Perks' and burning up the WiFi hours while they can...
You should see what they're up to on the 'Hardley' site..
Room service are run off their feet...

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Stugots

I was in Grenada last week and spent quite a bit of time at Grand Anse beach. Some serious rain started one afternoon, and my gf and I darted into the Radisson to shower and hang out for a bit. Nobody asked us to leave, which probably wasn't all that strange, but it probably helped that we coincidentally had the same navy blue and turquoise towels that the resort provides to its guests. We spent some money at the bar and were behaving ourselves so I didn't really feel bad about using their shower and hanging out at the pool for awhile.

It got me thinking though, are there any good tricks or resources out there for appearing like a paying resort guest? Having towels that match the hotel towels seems like a good way to fit in and I figure there have to be other ideas floating around amongst other CFers.

well...spending a little money is always good. If you feel guilty about doing it, maybe slip the Bar tender a $5 and see if he's cool with it. Inside information.

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Isn't that called theft?

No but $400 a night for a room might be.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

My biggest takeaway from the thread - you folks will spar about ANYTHING! Doesn't have to be guns, anchors, AGW, which fork for salad...

I don't get it - why are y'all so keen to mix it up on here? I'm a Great Lakes sailor for now, and I still hafta work for a living, which means ... winter... which is my excuse for forum-surfing. But I see so many of you, ostensibly living the good life aboard your dream boats in the tropics... and you post more often than me! Trolling, even.

Does cruising get that boring after a while?

My sympathies to the mods...

Sadly true...There are many bored cruisers.

Originally Posted by islander28capt

wow this site IS filling up with arm chair sailors. All this talk of the rates they pay to be in these resorts! hum thought they were.....uhhhh ....um....on their sail boat!

Ahemmm...this is the Internet...you expected something different?

[Teknav]

Wherever I go visiting, the folks at my destinations would always be expecting my arrival. Whether it's an airport in a foreign country/locally, a pilot's lounge, a marina or a resort hotel, someone will be there to accommodate my reservations. I do not know how else to do it any other way. If you want quality service, you must plan ahead and pay for it.

After my visits, I almost always receive thank you notes from the management, and invitations to re-visit their establishments soon. Some resorts are more than eager to even re-book me the same suite that I stayed in during my last stay. When you are dressed-up nicely/clean and speaking with a low non-threatening voice to the staff, you'll get noticed; most times, without asking, I get free upgrades if they are available. That's quality service!

Mauritz
I UN-complicate life...

[ty.gregory]

Originally Posted by ty.gregory

Another question might be, why would you sneak into any place you're supposed to be?

Now this guy makes a good point!

[Boracay]

Not being a lawyer my understanding is that the offense would be trespass if you entered someone else's property without permission.

I've been to a few resorts in my day but it's a while ago now. From memory there's usually some sort of sign outside saying who can come in and who can't. Coming by dinghy there's usually no sign.

It does seem to have become more common that beach access is blocked. Again my understanding is that property only runs to the high water mark so the beach below that may be fair game.

As to buying a drink my experience has been that drinks in many resorts are so expensive that it may be cheaper to check into a cheap resort.

My experience has also been that there is always a cheaper or free alternative, though it may take some finding.

If in doubt I always ask. If they don't want me there then I don't want to be there. I'm sort of getting an undertone of "I only like to join clubs that won't have people like me as a member" from this thread.

I seem to remember quite a few resorts going bust in the Caribbean. Turning away money is not going to help their cause.

And finally if they are really snooty nosed about day guests then they are in the hospitality business. A report on Trip Advisor on what they're really like should be fair enough, as are good reports on resorts that actually appreciate day guests.

[Coops]

Originally Posted by ty.gregory

Now this guy makes a good point!

Have to admire a man that can give credit where it is due.

Coops.

[Weyalan]

My experience (albeit limited mostly to a few cheaper resorts around the Whitsunday Islands) is that if I walk into the resort and ask, politely, what the policy is on "non residents" using the bar or restaurant and pool, that their is either a nominal charge, or no charge. Dressing neatly helps, of course.

[Coops]

As soon as you get in start moaning about the price of drinks, the state of the toilets, the crap service, the sun coming up too early. They will automatically assume that you are a guest and ignore you.

Coops.

[Stugots]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Wherever I go visiting, the folks at my destinations would always be expecting my arrival. Whether it's an airport in a foreign country/locally, a pilot's lounge, a marina or a resort hotel, someone will be there to accommodate my reservations. I do not know how else to do it any other way. If you want quality service, you must plan ahead and pay for it.

After my visits, I almost always receive thank you notes from the management, and invitations to re-visit their establishments soon. Some resorts are more than eager to even re-book me the same suite that I stayed in during my last stay. When you are dressed-up nicely/clean and speaking with a low non-threatening voice to the staff, you'll get noticed; most times, without asking, I get free upgrades if they are available. That's quality service!

Mauritz
I UN-complicate life...

Is this a serious comment?

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Stugots

Is this a serious comment?

Use the ignore feature...that's what I did long ago.

[sww914]

MAN! You guys are wound pretty tight! I'll bet that if I posted that I saved a disabled kid's puppy somebody would have something negative to say.

[SimonV]

I don't know Mr Trump posted here.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Coops

As soon as you get in start moaning about the price of drinks, the state of the toilets, the crap service, the sun coming up too early. They will automatically assume that you are a guest and ignore you.

Coops.

wouldn't that be confusing the resort with a marina?

[ErBrown]

Not being an actual cruiser..yet, in fact I hesitate to call myself a sailor at this point. Though I do sail (my cheap little boat on an inland lake) as often as possible. Anyway, I'll do my best to keep this short.

Me wife and I travel a good deal and have found most resorts to be pretty friendly. It's not really our crowd, for the most part we prefer to be off the beaten path. That being said, when you've been on the go for a while, enjoying whatever local coolness is available, it can be nice to relax and unwind for a day or two around a nice well manicured beach/pool with a few tasty cocktails and some food you didn't have to prep yourself. I completely agree with the... walk up to the bar, say howdy and see what's acceptable here crowd. Lets face it, not many of cruisers (actual or hopeful) get into it to screw others out of a fair deal. We do it, to spend more time enjoying the things in life that are important to us.

So why would you sneak around and make life more difficult for those that follow in your wake. There are plenty of beautiful places in the world that will embrace having you beautiful boat moored off their beach while you enjoy a few drinks/food/relaxation time at the pool. Just make sure they know your there and you no longer have to worry about being caught and ruining someone else's day.