Thank you, Southshore. Your reasoning works for me even though I'm not a strong proponent of AI on XM.

I've only done AI once there and that was our very first trip. It was a free trip to us and all our meals and drinks were included at Mullet Bay Resort - just not in the typical AI manner. But this was in 1973 and things were very, very different then. Today I wouldn't dream on doing AI on SXM if it was offered to me but that's me and after all these years, just like most returnees, I have my preferred dining spots and really don't enjoy eating EVERY meal out. But if I were a first timer I might still find the island a little intimidating, particularly the traffic, and the convenience of being in one location might work.

On many of our first-time visits to the other Caribbean destinations - St. Kitts, Aruba, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada for starters - we've done AI and found it to our liking until we figured it all out and came to know the destinations and the choice dining spots. And honestly, even though we've paid in advance for the AI option, we never felt married to it. The breakfast buffets are usually awesome and snacks and drinks as desired as well as the occasional dinner just worked. And we were often inclined to check out a few dinner spots as we learned of them.