We spent 45 minutes underwater per dive, first at Three Rocks, a trio of coral clusters, followed by a 65-foot descent to the Canyon. I swam through a cloud of boldly striped fish and over coral formations resembling modern art vases. Meier teased a moray eel, whose mouth opened and closed like a baby bird begging for worms. When we came up for air, the sky seemed like an extension of the water, the blue almost an exact match.

Back at the resort, I later saw the Garden couple lounging on our side of the property. And from the color of their beverage, I guessed they were drinking a Happy Happy, the unofficial drink of the Tropicals.

DETAILS

Lifestyle Hacienda, Cofresi Beach, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, 809-970-7777, www.hacienda-resorts.com.

BEST FOR: Couples who like to pool/bar/restaurant hop without straying too far from their chaise longues; parents with water babies in tow; travelers who can find culture in a frozen cocktail.

WHAT WAS INCLUDED: Three nights' hotel room; unlimited drinks; three meals a day (plus afternoon and late-night snacks) at two buffet and four a la carte restaurants (Asian, Tex-Mex, pizza/pasta, seafood); gratuities; nonmotorized watersports (kayaking, windsurfing, snorkeling, etc.); land activities (tennis, biking, pool tables, one round of golf, etc.); day and evening entertainment, including stage shows and a shuttle to Ocean World casino; some lessons (tennis, golf, Spanish); bottled water in the room. Current pricing: from $144 per room per night.

WHAT WASN'T: Safe-deposit box ($20 a week), round-trip airport transfer ($60), drinks at the disco, Internet ($5 for a half-hour, $8 for an hour), Metamorphosis spa, off-resort excursions.

EXCURSIONS: Optional day trips include marine mammal shows/encounters at the Lifestyle partner Ocean World Adventure Park, deep-sea fishing, a monster truck adventure, horseback riding in the forest, whitewater river rafting, a full-day catamaran sail and snorkel, etc.

BEST FEATURE: The variety and expanse of pools. Whether you want to float, enjoy cocktail hour half-submerged or play water volleyball, there's a swimming hole for you.

WORST: It's a tossup between the timeshare/VIP reps who skulk around the property shoving their business cards at you, and the obnoxious tunes at the pool. The music was ear-splitting, and I wanted to shield the children's ears when the Black Eyed Peas started singing about humping.

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