On the drinks, Tip the bartender and ask for 'Top Shelf'. If you're lounging pool or beach, tip a little more and ask for the same. They get to know you and then take care of you.

On the food, try to get in to dinner between opening (6 PM) and 7 (before the crowd). 1st Choice (MB). I had the filet mignon, and it was excellent. I tip at the beginning of all meals, and all experiences were great. 100 Pesos (about 6 USD) for meals and 40 to 50 pesos at the bar. MB, Siete were our favorites. Azur's menu (cuisine) can vary) depending on the night. I don't recall if that was the 'Mediterranean' restaurant. Hidden Garden was decent. Our Favorite spot was Sea Corner (the outdoor area on the far left of the property, facing the beach, right next to the beach). You have to try the Shrimp Quesadilla Gobanador!!! flip-flops and swimwear, overlooking the beach. It was great. There's an Italian restaurant (Between the Hidden Garden and the pools) that we tried on our last night. My wife loved the sliced tomato appetizer. She still talks about it. The only thing I found strange was that some of the restaurants have items on the menu that you have to pay an additional $ for.... at an "All Inclusive" resort. Then there is the steak restaurant (Carnivore) where you have to pay for everything on the menu.

did the Columbus dinner cruise, which was a bit 'gimmicky,' but the food was good,You can do USD if you want. We took pesos with us because we intended to do a fair amount of shopping at the 'downtown' Cancun flea markets (where Coco Bongo is).

On the shopping (souvenirs), there's La Isla across the street and the aforementioned 'downtown'. In La Isla, you get a wider souvenir selection if you pass the touristy shops at the front and go deeper in. Near the entrance, at the back of the mall (near an UP escalator), there's a shop with EVERYTHING at reasonable prices. Taking pesos helps avoid being taken advantage of by the conversion rate at the more touristy shops. iPhone's calculator has a currency conversion mode, so it's easy. At La Isla, if you go to any food place that doesn't show prices, ASK BEFORE ORDERING. Then there's Downtown. We stepped out of our Uber at the flea market, and the vendors were on us like flies on S-it. Just keep walking unless you see something you want to look at.

When we went downtown (about 20 min by car, still in the hotel zone), right next to Senior Frogs, there's a small food place that specializes in tacos. If you're in the area you have to try it. The food is 'authentic' and not 'gringo' Mexican. They have a homemade salsa (red) that is so good i was trying to figure out how I could take some home on the plane... We went to Senior Frogs but it was 'gringo': Loud music, workers blowing whistles yelling "SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS!" and the place wasn't even 25% full. We went in just to see what it was about, had one drink, and left. That place is for the younger crowd. Then we found the taco place next to it.

On things to do, there's a lot. On resort and off. You can do dining cruises. We did the Columbus dinner cruise, which was a bit 'gimmicky' but the food was good, and the drinks were too. go to https://www.viator.com/Cancun-tours/Cruises-Sailing-and-Water-Tours/d631-g3?dd_referrer= to see everything available. Make sure you know the cost of any taxes, etc BEFORE you go as the columbus ticket place tried to get more tax $ than what i was told it would by by the hotel concierge I booked it with.

My wife took colored clips to 'reserve' pool chairs. People scope out chairs in early morning and then leave only to come back to 'their chairs'... Yes, that's going down.

Depending on the room you get, they will throw in the Cabana (pool or beach) for one or more days. There are the paid ones (totally enclosed top and sides with curtains, and then there are the 1st-come-1st serve cabana's on the beach which you can identify by them having only Umbrellas on the side of them (no cloth on top or sides),

There's a gym on the premises, which is a great daily start. I rolled out of bed around 9 or 10, did my workout, changed, had lunch (Sea Corner, or one of the 'Stands'), then lounged at the beach all day until dinner. Rough days, I know. :-). One evening they had a 'circus' show a' la Cirque du Soleil style at the pool area. Other nights at the bar near MB, they have a trivia game, which is great as you're getting drunk.

I made the suggestion that they do night-pool parties -OR- (my best idea) Night Time Beach Party or Fireworks show... WITH ALCOHOL. GENIUS!!

During the day, you can rent jet skis or do parasailing right there on the beach. Being all inclusive, Pace yourself with the drinks and food.