Adults only, and they're not kidding

Try one of the big-name, couples-only or adults-only all-inclusive resorts such as Club Med Turkoise, the Sandals Resorts, the Couples Resorts, the Secrets Resorts or SuperClubs's Hedonism Resorts.

"All-inclusive" generally means just that — one price covers all lodging, meals, drinks, entertainment, taxes, gratuities, and most or all activities, sports instruction and sports equipment for the trip's duration.

Club Med Turkoise, the chain's only adults-only resort, is on the island of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos. Seven-night stays begin at $1,190 per person (1-888-932-2582 or www.clubmed.com).

Michelle Blacksberg, 28, of Shadyside, Pa., enjoyed the variety of activities offered at Club Med Turkoise when she was there in March 2005 with her boyfriend. Activities included everything from water polo and volleyball to egg toss and limbo competitions, in addition to sailing, windsurfing and yoga classes.

All 12 Sandals resorts — seven in Jamaica, three in St. Lucia, one in Antigua and one in Nassau, Bahamas — are all-inclusive and couples-only. The newest is the Sandals Whitehouse European Village and Spa, on Jamaica's south coast. Seven-night stays begin at about $1,700 per person (1-800-726-3257 or www.sandals.com).

Kristy Giglione and her husband honeymooned at the Sandals Halcyon Beach St. Lucia and the Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa and Beach Resort in July 2004. She preferred the Halcyon.

"It was smaller, more intimate. We had our own cabana, but it didn't have as many options as the Grande, like 24-hour room service," says Giglione, 27, of Green Tree, Pa.

Couples Resorts operates four luxury, boutique-style, all-inclusive couples-only resorts in Jamaica — Couples Ocho Rios, Couples Swept Away, Couples Negril and Couples Sans Souci, formerly the Sans Souci Resort and Spa. Between July 12 and Dec. 24, a seven-night stay for a couple begins at about $3,766 (1-800-268-7537 or www.couples. com).

"It's probably the best trip I've ever been on and the nicest resort I've ever been to," says Steve Munoz, 32, of Ross, Pa., who spent a week at Couples Negril with the woman who is now his fiancee in late January.

Secrets Resorts and Spas operates three luxury, all-inclusive, adults-only resorts, Secrets Excellence Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, and Secrets Excellence Riviera Cancun and Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun in Mexico.

A seven-night stay at a Secrets resort begins at about $1,500 per person (1-866-467-3273 or www.secretsresorts.com).

Licia and Dan Lentz honeymooned at the Secrets Excellence Riviera Cancun resort in July 2005. They found the resort online and booked their trip through a travel agent, since they were also going to Las Vegas.

"When you get there, there's someone with champagne standing there saying, 'Welcome Home.' All-inclusive is the way to go," says Licia Lentz, 29, of Ellwood City, Pa. "You just eat and drink whatever you want."

Last June, Chrissy Schultz and her boyfriend, Bob Kaleugher, spent a week at the all-inclusive, adults-only resort Club Ambiance in Runaway Bay, Jamaica.

"I really liked the atmosphere, and it was romantic and it was mostly couples," says Schultz, 23, of Ingram, Pa.

Less pricey than the better-known resorts, Club Ambiance still offered a nice mix of activities, including mixed-drink lessons, a steel-drum reggae band, acrobats, volleyball, beer-drinking contests, bike rides and a dance club, she says. A seven-night stay begins at about $670 per person (www.clubambiance.com).

Schultz researched the trip on the Internet using www. tripadvisor.com, whose 2005 Travelers' Choice Awards ranked the resort among its Top 10 Best Bargains in the Caribbean.

"I really found TripAdvisor to be a big help, and people really do give their opinions and what it's like to go there," she says.

For a more adult and erotically free-wheeling experience, the SuperClubs' all-inclusive Hedonism Resorts in Jamaica or other clothing-optional/nudist resorts may be options.

The recently renovated Hedonism II is in Negril, while Hedonism III is in Runaway Bay. Through June 30, a seven-night stay runs about $1,806 per person (1-800-467-8737 or www. hedonismresorts.com).

Travelers also should look beyond the usual suspects when looking for adults-only and couples-only vacations.

"Travel almost anywhere when the kids are in school because you're not going to encounter that many families," says Pauline Frommer of the Frommer's Guidebooks.

● Rates at all resorts vary seasonally, but there are always specials.

● Sunvacations.org does a top 10 listing of all-inclusive Caribbean and Mexican resorts in 14 different categories at www.sunvacations.org. Moments Notice Travel (www.moments-notice.com), and Liberty Travel (www.libertytravel. com) and Vacation Travel Mart (www.vacmart.com) offer discounts to some Caribbean resorts that travelers couldn't get on their own, says Pauline Frommer of the Frommer's Guidebooks.