When Sid and I honeymooned in June 2016, it truly was a memorable trip. We visited the Sun Palace in Cancun and enjoyed every minute of it. Over the years, Sidney and I have reminisced about what a special time we had and how magical the resort was. We also dreamed about returning.

A professional photo taken during our honeymoon at Sun Palace in June 2016.

However, when you have kids and other obligations it is tough to reserve an entire week to splurge at an adults-only all-inclusive resort. It took our 10th anniversary to finally justify doing it. This past week, we made our triumphant return to the place where we kicked off our marriage.

Another honeymoon photo from our time at Sun Palace in June 2016..

As my wife and I now return to the States, I can unequivocally say this: Sun Palace has retained all the charm that captured our hearts 10 years ago and has in fact even gotten better.

Our second time at Sun Palace was filled with memories, romance, entertainment, and…as the name implies…sun. Here are the 10 themes from our honeymoon sequel…

Sid and I on the plane heading to Cancun on June 15. What a blessing it was to return to Sun Palace where we honeymooned 10 years ago.

Pool – When we went on our honeymoon, I mentioned that our stay was 70% relaxation and 30% doing things (excursions). This time around, it was 100% relaxation and most of it centered around Sun Palace’s beautiful infinity pools. We loved sitting poolside as we read our books, sipped drinks, and talked with other couples. With refreshing water, good music, and a beautiful view of the ocean, the vibe at the pools was always top-notch.

A photo I took of the Sun Palace pools with the ocean nearby.

Delicious Food – I always looked forward to finishing up a long day at the pool by heading up to the room, showering, and then heading to whatever restaurant we had reservations at that night. From the steakhouse (Fuego) to the Thai concept to the Italian restaurant (Trattoria), it was all delicious and flavorful. But aside from the dinners, we were also spoiled with hearty breakfasts, room service snacks that held us over, and all the milkshakes we could drink. But the highlight was the dinners and it wasn’t even because of the food. Rather, it was just the opportunity to be with Sid in a beautiful venue where we could recap not just the day we had but also the previous 10 years.

Sidney about to enjoy some spring rolls at the Thai restaurant. The food was so good!

Drinks – I think this time around at the Sun Palace, we were a little better at pacing ourselves when it came to the drinks…but we still got our money’s worth 😉. The bartenders were all complete professionals and perform their craft with pride. I kept it pretty basic with pina coladas and cold beer while Sid was impressed with the electric lemonades. When you are parenting, you usually don’t get too many chances to indulge in adult beverages and relax so we savored this opportunity.

At the pool, we had constant access to the refreshing water and fun drinks. This photo shows an electric lemonade and a Miami Vice.

World Cup – Something we will always remember about this visit to the Sun Palace was that it coincided with the 2026 World Cup. The resort actually went all out for it with World Cup displays around the hotel and all the games shown on the big screen in the main bar. Sid and I caught the Argentina match (to watch Messi), the Portugal match (to watch our son’s hero—Ronaldo), and to watch some of the Mexico game because it was so much fun to cheer for the team of the country that we were in.

We managed to watch the Portugal World Cup game and play ping pong at the same time.

Ping Pong – One of those special memories that Sid and I have brought up since our first visit to the Sun Palace were the epic ping pong games we played against each other. When we arrived in the early evening of our return trip, we were a tad disappointed to see that the ping pong table was no longer there. Our slight displeasure was unfounded though when we walked inside the bar the next day and saw the table waiting for us (we learned they remove it at night when more people frequent the bar and a more formal vibe takes over). We played many games over the next few days and truly had so much fun even if Sid could never gain the upper hand on me.

Sidney and I in-between games of ping pong. We loved playing as it brought back great memories from our honeymoon.

Bump! Set! Spike! – We played a ton of water volleyball in the pool as games were scheduled multiple times each day by the amazing entertainment staff (special shoutout to Daniel, Daniella, and Jesus for their superb organization and for making the games so much fun). But we also had the chance to play beach volleyball on a court just a few feet from the ocean that was a blast. Playing volleyball was a terrific social opportunity and it also was a welcome way to foster teamwork with our fellow guests.

Unfortunately I don’t have a photo from us playing volleyball but I promise we did! Instead, this photo is from dinner when the staff celebrated our anniversary at the end of the meal.

Meeting New People – Speaking of our fellow guests, one of the distinct highlights of this trip was meeting so many other awesome couples. From meeting a couple also celebrating their 10th anniversary to meeting numerous couples on their honeymoons (just like we were 10 years ago) and everybody else in between, we really enjoyed chatting with people from all different places. It is always enlightening to meet others who share the same goals, challenges, and parenting dynamics.

Although we got to spend a lot of time with one another while at Sun Palace, we also got to meet a lot of other really cool couples.

Entertainment – Aside from the fun in the pool, the Sun Palace entertainment staff was busy elsewhere, too. One such example was the evening shows. Sid’s favorite show was the mentalist and mine was the rock show the first night we arrived. A group of musicians played the top hits from each decade starting with the 1960s and running through the 2000s. It was a lot of fun to sing along knowing we were in a beautiful resort in Mexico without a care in the world.

A photo from the rock show we watched on our first night at Sun Palace. It was my favorite!

Friendly Staff – A part of our first Sun Palace experience that endeared us so much to the resort were the people on staff. Everyone from the servers to the front desk attendants to the bartenders to the bell people were so friendly, helpful, and eager. Their signature response of, “It is a pleasure, sir” was always said with genuineness.

The staff at Sun Palace are superb! The moment we walked in, they handed Sid a flower. That level of kindness and service was a constant throughout the entire vacation.

Cozy Confines – Late at night after the evening show had concluded or after we finished up in the bar, we would retreat to our room. Once there we would watch true crime and enjoy a dessert from the Sweet & Coffee stand. As we laid in bed while eating a cookie or drinking a milkshake, we would feel so satisfied not just with our stay at Sun Palace but with our decision to enter into holy matrimony with each other.

What a treat to stay in our Sun Palace suite!

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In conclusion, just a few notes of gratitude. First and foremost, THANKS to my parents for watching Sloan and Beau while we went on vacation. My mom and dad were excited for us and told us to go have fun while they watched the kids.

Next, thanks to the Sun Palace for such a special week. We were so lucky to celebrate our 10th anniversary at the place where the first several days of our marriage played out and like I said earlier—the resort hasn’t missed a beat. Many kudos to the staff for going out of their way to make our time on their property so special.

And last but not least, THANK YOU to my wife for marrying me. Sidney, spending time with you on this vacation was meaningful in so many ways. As they say at Sun Palace, thanks for the pleasure. Don’t Blink.