All-inclusive resorts are notoriously affordable in the Caribbean, but when you throw in a free night, it’s even better.

Secrets Resorts and Dream Resorts in Riviera Maya, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta are offering the third night free when you book with Orbitz. These 4- and 5-star resorts are great if you’re looking for an adults-only resort.  Nightly rates start at $199 at Secret Resorts and $162 at Dreams Resorts.

These resorts are part of a larger all-inclusive sale with Orbitz, with locations in Punta Cana, Jamaica and the Bahamas. As part of this offer with Orbitz, most resorts are offering some type of discount on nightly rates. Palace Resorts will include a resort credit of up to $300 and free dolphin swims.

If you’re not familiar with all-inclusive resorts, they include accommodations, all meals, beverages, entertainment and activities. Select water sports are included in the price, but check with the individual resort.

Puerto Vallarta is one of the friendliest and easiest places to travel in Mexico. In fact, entering the city from Nayarit the welcoming sign proclaims it to be La Ciudad Mas Amigable en el Mundo (The Friendliest City in the World). Since the 1950s American’s have been swarming to the exotic beaches and scenery. This is a city that was built to attract Americans with safe drinkable water, familiar food and brands and English widely spoken. To find unspoiled and unpopulated beaches, you have only to drive north up the coast.

Puerto Vallarta was popularized by the film, the Night of the Iguana, which starred Richard Burton. He and Elizabeth Taylor are rumored to have carried on a very torrid affair in Puerto Vallarta and both owned homes there. An art gallery on the river bears her name. One of their love-nests was purported to be a trailer on a remote beach a short drive from the movie set.

Whether you seek a beachside resort and spa or a hotel in the center of town, you can find it here. This is one of the few Mexican towns that you can get along without speaking Spanish, although knowing a few words is always appreciated.

Seaside dining abounds with fresh fish and shellfish easy to obtain. And one of the best kept secrets is the gourmet dining at all price ranges, but you have to know where to go. To get in on the secret, you must get a copy of Gary Beck’s Guide to Puerto Vallarta Dining. He reviews over 300 restaurants including the colorful “street food” vendors and he has a gourmet’s palate. His dining advice will ensure that you get the experience that you are seeking in restaurants. Gary has been a Puerto Vallarta regular for 30 years, and takes dining very seriously.

Old Town is charming and perfect for strolling and shopping. Handmade ceramics and glassware are some of the local treasures to be found. The Isla Rio Cuale Walk is a wonderful place to stroll and admire the beautiful scenery with lively restaurants and cantinas and vendors selling every type of craft you would possibly want.

NEW YORK – October, 2009 – Once again, Puerto Vallarta will reign as Mexico’s capital of culinary arts from November 12-22, 2009 with the 15th annual International Gourmet Festival. Over 25 restaurants will be participating in this year’s program with highly acclaimed guest chefs from Mexico and around the world. Foodies can enjoy special winemaker’s dinners; sample wine, cheese, and chocolate at special tastings take part in cooking demonstrations, and even partake in a culinary “safari” sampling special dishes at four restaurants in one evening.

Puerto Vallarta’s fine gastronomic scene has the ability to impress the most sophisticated palates. The city’s natural beauty is a source of inspiration for the creation of an exciting amalgam of flavors that blend traditional Mexican ingredients with contemporary tastes from around the globe.

In April 2009, the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (AAHS) awarded eight Puerto Vallarta restaurants with the prestigious Five Star Diamond Award, considered to be the most notable accolade a restaurant may receive, in recognition of their fine gastronomy, superior quality, cleanliness and service. Puerto Vallarta is considered home to the second best restaurant scene in Mexico, after Mexico City.

Cruise Ship Itinerary Changes

Norwegian Star’s call to Cabo San Lucas was cancelled today (Monday); the ship instead remained at sea. The ship will call on Mazatlan tomorrow as originally scheduled.

Carnival Splendor, which set sail Sunday from Los Angeles’ Long Beach port for the Mexican Riviera, will sail a revised itinerary to avoid Rick. The ship will visit Ensenada on Monday, Puerto Vallarta on Thursday and Cabo San Lucas on Friday. The original schedule was Puerto Vallarta (Wednesday), Mazatlan (Thursday) and Cabo San Lucas (Friday).

Carnival Spirit, which left Sunday from San Diego for Mexico, will also sail an altered itinerary. The eight-day cruise will now operate as follows: sea days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (Acapulco originally scheduled for Wednesday); Acapulco on Thursday; Manzanillo on Friday; at sea on Saturday; Long Beach on Sunday; return to San Diego on Monday.

Sapphire Princess will sail an altered itinerary as follows: Monday at sea; Tuesday, San Francisco; Wednesday, Catalina Island; Thursday, San Diego; Friday, Ensenada, Mexico; and Saturday, Los Angeles.

Holland America’s Veendam and Statendam are scheduled to be in the region this coming week — Veendam earlier in the week, Statendam after transiting the Panama Canal. A Holland America spokeswoman tells us that “Veendam is on a chartered sailing and is planning to call on Cabo San Lucas as scheduled [on October 19]. Options for Tuesday and beyond are being discussed. Other itinerary changes are likely for both ships but are not fully determined yet. We should know more by mid-morning Monday.”

Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas is set to depart San Diego on Monday. According to the most recent weather forecasts, the ship will be able to depart on time and head south to Ensenada, Mexico. However, Royal Caribbean said in a statement that “it is too early to know if the storm track will permit the ship to continue to visit Cabo San Lucas on Thursday. Should the ship be unable to visit Cabo San Lucas, an alternate itinerary will include stops in Ensenada, Los Angeles and Catalina Island.

Mariner of the Seas was scheduled to go to Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday, but instead proceeded directly to Puerto Vallarta. According to a spokeswoman for the line, RCI “has not made a determination yet on the rest of the itinerary. It is possible that Mariner will with do Mazatlan Thursday and Cabo San Lucas on Friday, or dock overnight in Puerto Vallarta.”

A powerful Hurricane Rick is forcing cruise ships heading to Mexico to change course as it barrels northward toward Cabo San Lucas.

The Carnival Splendor, which departed Long Beach, Calif., on Sunday, will make an unexpected call in Ensenada today instead of steaming southward toward the area of the storm. The 3,006-passenger ship will visit Puerto Vallarta on Thursday and Cabo San Lucas on Friday. A call in Mazatlan has been canceled.

The Carnival Spirit, which departed San Diego on Sunday, is delaying a port call in Acapulco scheduled for Wednesday to avoid crossing the storm’s path. The 2,124-passenger vessel instead will visit Acapulco on Thursday, and a call scheduled for Thursday in Zijutanejo/Ixtapa has been canceled. The Spirit will visit Manzanillo on Friday as scheduled and also make an unplanned stop in Long Beach, Calif., on Oct. 25.

The Sapphire Princess, which departed Los Angeles on Saturday, is heading north to San Francisco to avoid the storm. The 2,670-passenger ship will spend the week visiting San Francisco, Catalina Island, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico instead of a scheduled itinerary that included calls in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.

The music festival will start Oct 25th at sea as Dustin Franks performs new tracks from his first self-titled release. Pepper, Jonathan Blake and Dubluva will perform at the beautiful Cabo Surf Resort opening day of the ‘Cup’ in Cabo San Lucas October 27th, then on to Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta for additional SURF CRUISE CUP events and a shipwide Halloween party Oct 31st. At sea on October 30th Robert August and surf comedian Jaz Kaner will emcee a ‘midnight special’ 50 years surf and music show in the main theatre featuring the band Pepper as headliner with special guests Jonathan Blake, Dubluva and Dustin Franks.

The big news is that, undaunted by tough times, our readers are still way out in front, discovering the coolest experiences, electing the top performers for every kind of service—and reaffrming an enduring passion for travel. Look no further for the most stimulating global stimulus package you could hope for.

MEXICO CITY, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Rick formed off Mexico’s Pacific coast on Thursday and could become a hurricane within the next day, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Rick was located 345 miles (555 km) south-southeast of the resort city of Acapulco with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph (85 kph).

“Continued strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours,” the Miami-based hurricane center said.

Salina Cruz, Mexico’s main oil-exporting port on the Pacific coast, was not in the path of the storm. Most of Mexico’s oil installations are in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit / October 14 .- The renowned urban planner Manuel Lanzagorta presented an urban renovation project that will improve urban landscape of the area to entrepreneurs, municipal urban development employees and the mayor Hector Paniagua.

The Mayor said he would consult with the Governor before imposing the regulations that will initiate the removal of large billboards.

He also commented that he has from the start spoken of improving the city appearance and said if he does not have the project finished in 6 months he’ll so somethings else”.

He also said that only by working together, both businessmen and government authorities, will they be able to obtain results.

Frontier Airlines has made getting to Mexico easier this coming winter. The Denver-based airline will offer increased service to Cancun, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos with just one connection en-route from the Twin Cities.

Cancun service is being increased from seven to 10 weekly flights with the new departures being on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Cozumel will now have four weekly Frontier flights with the addition of a new flight on Sundays.

Additional Saturday flights to Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos will supplement the existing daily service.

All of the new service will kick in during the week of December 19, just in time for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Frontier offers four daily non-stop flights between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Denver International Airport. Visit the airline’s website for connecting flight information and airfares.

Yes, more flights please All the destinations in Mexico need that now.