Here is my video walkthrough of Room 236 at The Royal Playa del Carmen. This room was gorgeous and I loved the fact that we were central to everything the resort had to offer. I highly recommend this room and especially the resort. The one regret is we only stayed seven nights…next time we need at least ten! #TheRoyalPdC
These fares are valid from the end of September through the end of January and include a variety of days and dates, but mostly travel on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
These are non-stop flights with very attractive departure times that will help you maximize your stay in beautiful Bermuda!
Temperatures range from the low 80’s in October to the low 70’s during December, making this a perfect escape from the cold fall and early winter in the Northeast!
Bermuda is absolutely gorgeous and there is so much to do and see throughout the island!
Click here to book this deal using Priceline.com Click here to get this deal!
Sharing this video from our trip to The Royal Playa del Carmen. I loved everything about this resort. This is an example of the fun to be had. #TheRoyalPdC
These rates are effective from November 2016 to February 2017 on Norwegian Air from Baltimore, Boston, and New York City (JFK) to Fort-de-France, Martinique or Pointe-A-Mitre, Guadeloupe! The best part…other than the incredibly low price…NON-STOP FLIGHTS!
I checked the return flights and most were $99, so round trip will be somewhere between $148 and $198. These rates are dirt cheap and the flights are limited to a couple days a week as follows:
BWI to/from Guadeloupe: Tuesdays, Saturdays
BWI to/from Martinique: Mondays, Fridays
Boston to/from Guadeloupe: Thursdays, Sundays
Boston to/from Martinique: Wednesdays, Sundays
JFK to/from Guadeloupe: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
JFK to/from Martinique: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays
Hotels are reasonably priced in these locations.
Here is an opportunity to explore French and Creole cultures in these Caribbean destinations at true budget prices!
You can get these prices on Norwegian Air’s website as well as Expedia…but hurry!
There are no blackout dates, but it requires a 21-day advance purchase.
This is offered by American Airlines. $121 one-way from Atlanta to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands and the return trip is $203. There is a stop in Miami, but who cares? These fares are valid daily with one free stopover permitted and you have to finish your travel on or before August 9, 2017.
There is plenty of time…but why wait? These could sell out and you’d kick yourself for missing this opportunity!
Shameless plug…you can click on my Priceline.com link to the right to get this deal (or you can go directly through American or any of your favorite travel sites).
This is really unbelievable. Delta is offering one-way tickets from New York City (LGA) to Barbados for $55 to Barbados and $62 to the Cayman Islands. These prices are outrageously cheap. Return flights are as cheap as $103 from Barbados and $136 from the Cayman Islands.
Departure dates to Barbados include September 23rd, October 21st and 22nd, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays in January through March 2017.
Return dates, at the lowest fare, from Barbados include October 1st, 8th, and 15th; November 5th; December 17th, 19th, and 21st; and select dates in January and February 2017.
Departure dates to the Cayman Islands include September 24th and 29th; October 10th and 11th; December 12th through the 14th; and several dates in January, February, and March 2017.
Return dates, at the lowest fare, from the Cayman Islands include September 23rd, 26th through 28th, and September 30th; October 3rd, 13th, 17th, and 25th through the 27th; November 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 11th, 21st, and 23; December 6th through 24th; and several dates in January through April 2017.
These flights will fill up quickly, but they are still available…act fast!
Book directly through Priceline (feel free to click the link on the side 🙂 ), through Delta.com, or any other of your favorite travel sites)!
What an amazing stay at The Royal Playa del Carmen!
The first thing I’m going to say is that after seven nights (August 20 – 27) at The Royal Playa del Carmen, it will be hard for any resort to live up to the level of service, quality of food, and amenities that we found at The Royal PDC. My wife and I have stayed at Secrets Silversands (twice), Valentin Riviera Maya, and the Princess Platinum Yucatan…all adult-only, all-inclusive 4 1/2 to 5 star resorts. We enjoyed each of those resorts, but honestly they pale in comparison to The Royal PDC.
Arrival and Check-in: When we arrived, we were greeted by Hector, one of the bellboys. He is a great representative of the resort (and it was great having Hector again assist us as we were leaving). We were brought in, offered a cold towel and their signature blue cocktail. We were ushered to the Expedia Plus check-in desk promptly and the whole process took just a few minutes. As we arrived early we had to kill about 90 minutes before being able to enter the room. A very nice touch was being escorted to our room by the representative at the Expedia Plus desk.
Staff: There are maintenance staff throughout the resort making sure everything is clean and beautiful…nothing ever seemed dirty or out of place. A nice touch that all employees do after assisting, or even just saying “Hola” is placing their hand over their heart and doing a slight bow. What an impression that gesture made.
Room: We had room 236, Junior Ocean View Suite, overlooking the pool and the grounds. The room was on the second floor and provided us with a beautiful view. It was also an end unit and provided us with peace and quiet. The room had a Jacuzzi tub that was huge, a comfortable hammock on the patio that accommodates two people, and plenty of space. The bed and pillows were very comfortable. The bathroom area was sufficiently big, as was the closet and drawer space. The mini fridge was always stocked and the liquor dispensers were great!
Our housekeeper Benita (sp?) did such a wonderful job cleaning our room and leaving towel animals each day. I couldn’t find one thing to complain about the room and its cleanliness. Always in top shape. One nice thing The Royal PDC does is asks you when you’d like your room made up, offering two windows, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It’s a small thing, but it’s an example of the attention to every detail.
Pools and Ocean: The main pool, where we spent most of our time is huge! There is another smaller pool by the main pool that we also used quite a bit and then another “quiet” pool that we did not use at all, but appeared very tranquil. The pool was never crowded and though you’d be able to find chairs at any time, we participated in the 7am game of reserving a chair or cabana by placing a towel and personal effect. It’s kind of silly, but it’s the game that’s played here and every other resort we have visited in Mexico.
The entertainment staff did a great job with each of the poolside activities. One recommendation is to change up the music. Each day it seemed like the same songs over and over (example Mambo No. 5).
Arbey was my favorite bartender at Tradewinds, the poolside bar. Not only did he remember my favorite drink, but also my second and third choices! He always had a smile and such a pleasing demeanor.
The swim-up pool was busy and crowded, but I never had to wait long for my order. All the bartenders there and at Tradewinds worked their butts off and honestly I don’t know how they do it.
The beach had plenty of chairs, both covered and uncovered, as well as cabanas. The beach is rocky, but a short walk and you are at a beach without the rocks. I believe the beaches in Playa del Carmen are public beaches, so you should feel free walk and swim anywhere there. There is plenty of security at the beach for the guests at The Royal PDC and I did not see anything that would make me or my possessions feel unsafe or unprotected.
The ocean is spectacular, offering four or five distinct shades of the prettiest blues.
The drink service at the pool and beach was very good, though Wednesday afternoon we didn’t have anyone come around to the area we were in for at least four or five hours. My guess was there was a mix up on assignments because the server told me at 11:00 that she was our server only until 11:30. No one else came after her until we were leaving the pool in the late afternoon. It was not a big deal, just mildly annoying. That said, I was so impressed with how hard the ladies worked, especially in the scorching heat.
Spa and Gym: We did not use the spa, though my wife used the gym and was really pleased with its offerings. We did talk to a couple who did a spa day and they were very pleased about their experience. There were four massage tables outside by a waterfall feature in a jungle type setting. It did seem very relaxing with that setting.
Bars and Evening Entertainment: The evening entertainment was very good and enjoyable. As we were there seven nights, I’m guessing we saw some or all of each shows and enjoyed them all. I really enjoyed the tequila tasting. Carlos did a wonderful job of explaining the nuances of tequila and helped increase my understanding of how to order tequila.
The Lobby Bar and the other bar in the lobby area (maybe the Royal Bar) were active and fun, each having a different vibe. Both made my Rusty Nail perfectly. I loved the fact that the resort had top shelf liquor throughout.
My wife and I enjoyed playing pool several nights…and the fact we could do it in the 24 Hour Lounge that offered air conditioning, pool tables and a Ping Pong table, snacks, self-service drinks including liquor, beer, and wine, and couches was a real nice feature! It offered a nice break from the heat.
My only complaint about the lobby piano bar area (where the nightly entertainment was as well as post-show dancing) was that they turned the ceiling fans off about 11:15 pm. It became unbearable to be there if you wanted to sit and talk or play pool. I wish they kept the fans on until at least 12:30 am.
The Tequila and Cigar Bar was very nice and we enjoyed talking with the bartenders and patrons. The Coffee Shop was really nice, located in the quiet area I described earlier. We only made it there once, but if we return, I could see spending more time there.
Restaurants and Dining: The biggest surprise to me was the quality of the food at the resort. We had dinner at Pelicanos, Asiana, Maria Marie (twice), El Mediterraneo, and Il Pescatore (at the sister resort Gran Porto). The food was amazing at each of these restaurants, but honestly, Maria Marie, Il Pescatore, and Asiana were exceptional. I wish I wrote down the names of our waiters at Maria Marie and Il Pescatore because they deserved praise. Lorenzo at Asiana was fantastic and his advice was perfect!
For lunch we went to either Pelicanos or Asiana. The beauty was that both restaurants offer the dinner menu for lunch. Bertillo (hope I spelled his name correctly) at Asiana was so nice and extremely helpful. It was our last meal at The Royal PDC (lunch on August 27th) and he made the most of it for us.
Having stayed at a lot of resorts from Cancun to Playa del Carmen, I had never had a good steak in Mexico. That is until we came here (and at Il Pescatore). The filets are tender and flavorful and of very high quality. The flank steak at Pelicanos was unbelievable…so much so, I ordered it three times.
Breakfast was at Spice each morning. Jose was our server each day and seemed genuinely happy to see us every morning. He was very attentive to our table and needs. Jose is a real asset to the resort. The variety of options, the freshness of the fruits and juices, and the quality of the buffet items and made-to-order items had us back each day rather than ordering room service.
We did try the Brazilian Steakhouse at the Gran Porto and we were not impressed. After trying four or five of their meats, we decided to go back to our resort. I felt bad for the wait staff as they were great, but the food wasn’t of the same quality that we experienced at The Royal PDC.
Conclusion: My wife and I will be returning…hopefully sooner than later. Every detail was considered and executed perfectly. In my opinion, considering the food, drink, location, amenities, and how every staff person went out of their way to make your experience of the highest quality, The Royal Playa del Carmen is an amazing value for your vacation dollar.
This resort receives my highest recommendation!
Ok, the premise of my site and blog is traveling without killing the wallet. How in the world can I justify that a seven night, eight day vacation for two in Mexico that cost just under $3,000 fits this criteria? It’s how you break it down.
The breakdown of the cost is as follows:
Airfare, room, meals, and beverages $2,818. This works out to $1,409 per person.
Transportation to and from hotel $94.
Parking at airport $72.
Round trip airfare on Delta from Atlanta to Cancun is $386 per person. So the remaining $1,023 is the cost of the hotel, food, and drinks for eight days and seven nights.
We stayed at The Royal Playa del Carmen, a 5-star resort with 5-star dining and top-shelf liquor. It is an all-inclusive resort that includes everything…food, drink, room, taxes, and gratuities. Everything!
So to break down the balance of the cost based on the remaining components, there are many ways to view it. I’ll start with the hotel. Let’s say the hotel, per night, including taxes and resort fees totaled $250 per night just for the room. That is $125 per person, per night, or $875 for seven nights. This leaves $148 for all food, beverages, and gratuities for eight days, or $18 a day.
Ok…so that doesn’t make sense. Let’s first review the meals and beverages, plus gratuities. We had 22 meals during our stay, 7 breakfasts, 8 lunches, and 7 dinners. The breakfast was a buffet with three cook-to-order stations and a beautiful spread with regional and gourmet items. Conservatively speaking, let’s say it was $12 per person for the buffet, including beverages. With tip and tax, the total is $15 per person per day. Total over seven days is $105 for breakfast.
The options for lunch were amazing…in fact I had filet mignon for lunch twice. But I won’t price this out based upon what I actually ate (shrimp cocktail, octopus, filets, seafood, gourmet asian dishes, etc.). Using $15 per person, with tip and tax, approximating $19 per person in total, the eight lunches would amount to $152 for the week.
Dinners were 5 star, gourmet meals. These meals easily would have been over $60 per person in the United States…and over $100 in many metropolitan areas. But for purposes of this analysis, let’s say dinner, complete with appetizers and desserts, amounted to $32 per person, $40 including tips and taxes. The total for seven nights amounted to $280 per person.
So the total per person for food for the week amounted to $537.
At an all-inclusive, for some strange reason, people tend to drink more than normal. But I’ll price this out as if you were on a normal vacation where you were paying per drink. A beer with lunch, $6 including tip and tax. A drink poolside, maybe with an umbrella, each day, $8 including tip and tax. Cocktail before dinner, $10 including tip and tax. Glass of wine with dinner, $10. Night cap, $10. This works out to $44 per day in beverages, or $308 per person for the week.
So the total food and beverage bill for the week is $845. That leaves $178 for the room, taxes, and resort fees for the seven nights per person.
In reality, the room was of the highest quality and easily would have been over $500 per night at any oceanfront resort in the States. A comparable breakfast, lunch, and dinner would have been $18, $35, and $75, respectively, per person, per day. The top shelf liquor and other alcohol easily would be over $75 per person each day. All this and I haven’t even discussed the entertainment and activities that are included.
No matter how I slice up the costs, considering the value of the all aspects of this trip compared to what a comparable vacation would have cost elsewhere, this trip definitely meets my definition of a budget vacation!
So if you are planning a vacation, look at your options and how far your dollar goes. You may be pleasantly surprised. As I write this, the peso to dollar is 18 pesos to $1…very favorable.
When you break down every component of your trip, you will likely find that you can enjoy a 5 star experience for a 2 or 3 star price when staying at an all-inclusive.
My review of The Royal Playa del Carmen, together with photos, will be in a separate post…#theroyalpdc
It was a Thursday night in front of the TV. The weekend was coming up and we had no plans. My wife, showing the spontaneity I fell in love with, said, “Let’s go to Myrtle Beach this weekend.”
Bang! Like that we were exploring websites looking for the best deal. We came across Compass Cove. On the ocean, decent reviews, and the price was right…less than $125 a night for an ocean view room.
Saturday morning we were off for the six hour drive from home to enjoy our three night stay at Compass Cove.
I’ve been to Myrtle many times for golf vacations with the guys. This trip would be much different. This was a family trip, toting along an eight and ten year old.
I knew Myrtle as a golf destination, but not so much as a family vacation destination. After this visit, I’ve determined it is perfect for a family, young or older.
The weather was unseasonably cool for our stay, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying the 54 degree ocean! Talk about exhilarating!
Go-karts, putt-putt golf, seafood…all fantastic! But like every tourist destination, it came with a price. Afterwards, there was always some kind of buyer’s remorse…ugh! There went $165…or $125…or that “special dinner” that was $240 (and came with lousy service and attitude on top!). By no means did these special moments fall under the definition of budget vacation, nor did the price tag match the experience.
But what really surprised me was that it was the simpler things that we really enjoyed most. Lounging at the pool or in the lazy rivers, body surfing in the ocean, playing shuffleboard, listening to the bands playing at the poolside bar…all stuff that didn’t cost a dime and it was the stuff the kids talked about during the six hour drive back home.
The poolside bar served hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries…all reasonably priced. Happy hour drinks were super cheap (with a heavy handed pour). Our least expensive day was our favorite…by far!
I learned a very important lesson. Don’t over complicate things. Be simple. Be real. Enjoy the moment for what it is, time to connect. Disney is supposed to be the happiest place on earth. If that really was the case, why are there so many crying kids and fighting families? The expectations are too high and there is sensory overload.
My full review of Compass Cove is on Trip Advisor (link is below).
One final comment on customer service. My experience in places like Myrtle Beach is that customer service at the resorts is spotty at best. A lot of times I just let it roll off my back rather than get upset. I am on vacation and I want to make the best of my time. I wrote a very favorable review of Compass Cove, but noted a few of the issues. Within 24 hours of my review management contacted me, asked for an opportunity to earn me as a customer again, and followed through over and beyond what any hotel or resort has ever done to resolve a complaint or issue I may have had. I am truly impressed with their response.
We are returning to Myrtle and Compass Cove next month. Hopefully the temperature will reach in the 80’s by then, but if not, we will be content spending time together while enjoying the simpler things…
I’ve been to New Orleans several times…always for work and with adults only. But when friends asked if we would like to go with them on a family trip, kids and all, I was a little apprehensive. The New Orleans I’ve seen was not G-rated. They were leaving the country for good and we didn’t want to miss out on spending time with them, so we agreed.
Traveling with non-family can be a challenge. Everyone has varied likes and dislikes and with kids, scheduled sleep, eat, play, and rest can be difficult to coordinate. Can you imagine choosing a restaurant that eight of us can agree on? I am happy to report it went off great…a compromise here or there…but overall, the experience was wonderful.
Part of the reason it worked really had to do with everyone being in agreement that costs needed to be controlled. Hotels and dining in New Orleans can be outrageous. But we pulled it off.
From Atlanta we drove there. What should have been eight hours was closer to ten with the potty breaks. As the eight of us were all in one minivan and shared the cost of gas, getting there was next to nothing compared to flying.
But the key to keeping cost low for the overall trip really had to be while we were there.
We stayed at the Drury Inn and Suites. With daily valet parking, our total cost with taxes came out to about $200 per night. Yikes! How can I straight faced tell you this is budget friendly?
Location-wise it was only a block from the beginning of where the action is, so we could walk anywhere we wanted to go. I always like to keep parking and taxi fees to a minimum. If I can get around by foot, that’s a bonus in my book.
Amenities-wise, the hotel had a rooftop pool that the kids could swim around in at the end of the day. Perfect treat to encourage good behavior. This also helped at bedtime as it helped tire them out. Not sure how to quantify it, but that pool adds value to me, and I am always willing to spend a little more if the kids have a pool to swim in at the end of the day.
The real value, to me, that made the $200 per night a steal, was the extensive free breakfast and dinner. Dinner also included two alcoholic drinks per adult! The buffet selections included both hot and cold offerings, but the attentive wait staff did a great job keeping the items full and fresh. Don’t get me wrong, this is not gourmet. Far from it. But spaghetti and meatballs, hot dogs and hamburgers, chicken fingers, and nachos were a highlight with the kids. For the adults, it was good enough that our money was spent on a nicer lunch (lunch menus are always cheaper) and small plates / appetizers at nicer establishments while we were out at night.
So if I placed a value of $30 for breakfast per day, $40 for dinner per day, and $30 for the four alcoholic drinks each night, the cost for the room dropped to roughly $100 per night, including taxes and parking! $100 per night in New Orleans within walking distance of everything is, in my opinion, a bargain!
So the point I am making here is this…understand what you are getting when booking a hotel. Look at location, look at amenities, and look at the extras. Drury Inn was generous in all areas and to me represented an amazing value for a budget conscious trip to New Orleans!
Safe travels!
Stephen
