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Thursday, December 23, 2010

HAL Zuiderdam - 10 day Panama

Hi Everyone!

KVI's retail manager, Jane Fisher, has just come back from a cruise aboard the Zuiderdam. As many of us know, the Zuiderdam is the one Holland America ship that seems to fall short of the pack when it comes to overall quality. Despite that and some lousy weather, Jane managed to have a good time and has some great insights on her cruise. Here is her review...

10 days cruising with Holland America on the Zuiderdam, the highlight, a partial transit of the Panama Canal. 23 November, not quite the end of the rainy season, but this was the optimum date for me to be away from home, so........... It wouldn’t be all that bad, would it?

I have watched documentaries and read much about the construction of the canal and wanted to actually see it on site for myself. It really is an amazing structure and a tremendous accomplishment for its time. So off to sea we go.

After an uneventful but smooth flight we stepped from the plane in Fort Lauderdale and felt the promise of heat but with a nice gentle breeze blowing it simply felt warm and quite comfortable. A short transfer to the Hyatt hotel, a superb dinner at the 15 Street Fisheries, (highly recommended if you like fish and shellfish) a cosy bed and a good night’s rest ensured we were ready to set sail. Ship ahoy, we are coming aboard!! Did anybody care? Not likely. Another short transfer and we offloaded our luggage to the porter and stood in a short line to start the boarding process. We were onboard in no time at all, pretty quick and efficient.

Fort Lauderdale is attractive viewed from the ship and I was looking forward to the end of our cruise to explore the city on a guided tour and also to ply the waterways by taxi with perhaps a quick stop at 15th Street Fisheries for a late lunch! All that is still to come.

I haven’t sailed on the Zuiderdam before, but viewed photographs, I was pleasantly surprised, it is not quite so gaudy as the pictures portray, the colours schemes in the public areas, restaurants and show lounge are vibrant but not excessively so, quite appealing actually. I was very impressed with the cabin stewards, even on the 1st evening at sea when so much has to be done and so little time for the changeover of passengers, the cabins stewards were very friendly, smiling and didn’t give the impression of being in too much of a hurry to stop and speak.



The weather was glorious as we left the port and sailed towards Half Moon Cay, Holland Americas private island in the Bahamas, we spent the day on this island basking in hot sunshine, I have to say Holland America have done a great job there, lots of well maintained paths to “village squares”, picnic tables, walking trails through the trees and flowering bushes. If one does not want to laze on the beach or stroll along the pathways there are lots of water based activities available. This is a great place for some serious R & R.

Having had the time to wander around the ship, the Zuiderdam is not in tip top condition, definitely signs of wear and tear, not neglect on part of the cleaning staff, they were to be seen everywhere in full swing cleaning and polishing at any time of day or evening.

Sailing on towards Aruba in ever increasing cloudier and cooler weather we arrived in the port of Oranjestad, Aruba. I really I liked this port of call the city is colourful and inviting and very well kept. We took a tour round the island from the South which is developed, to the North which is not. Once out of town the contrast is stark, timeshare resorts and hotels all beautifully groomed, but right next door or across the street, unfinished houses and rubbish piled up high. The beaches are lovely. The North side was very rocky but fascinating as the rocks are corals shaped by heavy seas and the roads are of sand which when we were there were full of deep ruts as the island had experienced much more rain than usual, still it all added to the overall experience. One of the main tourist attractions on the island was the natural bridge which was made by water formed rocks, however the bridge collapsed into the sea in 2005 and passage over is no longer possible. The smaller bridge is still intact. However the site remains a huge tourist attraction and an enterprising family have set up a cafe and boast 5* washroom facilities” available for only 50¢ a visit! We stopped at the Aloe Vera factory, not on a production day but the guide was very thorough in explaining the process from growing to harvesting to packaging, all extremely labour intensive. All in all this is a good tour to take if in Aruba.

I was disappointed with the restaurants and quality of food onboard the Zuiderdam, the buffet is not my favourite place at the best of times, I hate queuing for anything and to queue to eat is beyond my patience level, however my husband Evan likes to pick and choose so I tolerated breakfast occasionally and lunch quite often, but draw the line at dinner. The choice at the buffet stations was excellent and presented so attractively it promised delight in every bite, not so I’m afraid, meat or fish was either over done or underdone, the vegetables the same and of course by the time one gets to a table most of it is cold, salad of every description was always a safe bet in that respect, but not for breakfast thank you.

The Vista dining room was chaotic most of the time whether it was at breakfast lunch or dinner time. The food was always mediocre despite sounding appealing on the menus and being attractively presented. No matter whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner the service was extremely poor and the wait exceedingly long, in particular one evening we arrived at 7pm in the dining room as we wanted to take in a show after dinner, waited 15 minutes to get served, 30 more minutes to get the 1st course, 20 minutes more for the 2nd course which arrived before the plates had been cleared, then at 9pm the entree arrived. We were six people at the table and not one of us had a meal worth waiting for, in fact 2 of the entrees were sent back as inedible and so we waited again. Fortunately we enjoyed good company throughout our meal, one of the nice aspects of dining with different people every evening in the main dining room.

What is never disappointing is the Chocolate extravaganza, it is a sight to behold I am an admitted chocoholic and this is one event I wouldn’t miss.

The clouds burst as we sailed onto our next port Willemstad, Curacao, my first thought was liqueur and the islanders are very proud of their famous liqueur and don’t mind telling everyone that only Curacao made on the island can be labelled authentic. There is much more industry on this island and much of it is in view as the ship sails into the harbour. The very attractive inlet is lined with cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels. The floating bridge across this natural channel swings open about 30 times a day to allow small boats, tankers for the refinery and other vessels through, when the bridge is open a ferry transports people across. The cruise ships now use the Mega pier which is a short distance outside the channel. Our visit coincided with a prolonged rainstorm so visibility was not great at times. We took an island tour coupled with an underwater sea tour over the coral beds. Despite the rain this tour was really interesting and on a good day would be superb.

Panama, my main reason for being on this cruise did not disappoint despite rain that surpassed anything Scotland offers on a bad day. As we approached the breakwaters the rain came down in sheets and visibility was extremely poor however as the first gate opened the skies cleared and I was able to watch our transit. Crikey there is not much room to spare, a couple of feet at the most, it is not hard to understand why the “Mules” are required to hold tension where needed to guide the ship through without touching either side. The Mules run on rail tracks and it is easy to understand how they came to be named. As we slowly advanced to the breakwaters of the Gatun Locks, on each side there is dense jungle and with the rain blasting down and visibility poor, huge ships, tankers and sea vessels of every size and description seemed to loom out of nowhere, all were sitting waiting for a slot to traverse through the locks, but it gave an almost surreal picture to our approach to the first lock, thankfully we were safe in our very comfortable ship, ah but my imagination had started working overtime. I shudder to think how it might have felt working in similar weather conditions so very many years ago without the basic comforts we take for granted today. The heavy toll in human lives and the cost was horrendous, but the vision was a great one and the construction of the canal an outstanding accomplishment for its day, an amazing structure that has stood the test of time, still operating like clockwork albeit with a lot of modernisation.

Construction of the “new” canal was clearly visible.
The traverse through the Gatun locks was enlightening and fascinating despite the dreadful weather, I was so glad to be there.

Once we were through the locks and into the Lake we tendered to the small pier to take an escorted City/Country type tour of old Panama, Colonial Panama and the new Panama City.

There is no comparison to the building of the Canal, but there is a certain fascination in the way the cities developed and of course what Panama became. I really enjoyed the seeing what remains of the old city, the buildings and monuments and also soaking up some of the culture. Panama City today is truly a concrete high rise city, unexpected to my mind in the jungle setting surrounding it. Panama seems to be moving forward, the people are hopeful and Panama is a true world player in the commercial world. It is an absolutely intriguing country. We finally arrived at Colon and boarded the ship to set sail for Limon, Costa Rica. We chose our shore excursions to make the most of our time ashore and to see as much as possible in a short time, this tour lived up to
expectations.


Our passage from Colon to Limon was not smooth by any means the heavy seas, rain and wind did little to give comfort to many passengers aboard. Costa Rica was our next port of call; we again experienced heavy rain and much of the land we travelled was still under water, it is the rainy season and to be expected in November. However everywhere we travelled the story was the same, it had been raining much harder and for longer than usual. We decided on a tour of the Tortuguero canals and thankfully the rain stopped as we headed out on the short bus ride to the starting point, but not for long. This tour travels along some of the countryside on the Caribbean side which is less developed but promotes eco tourism with a passion; the Pacific side is more developed with resorts and hotels, fabulous beaches and suggests a more relaxed vacation. We stopped at a Banana plantation, oh my there is more to the humble banana than I thought! I just assumed the bananas we buy in the local supermarket were picked from the tree put in a box and delivered to the supermarket for us to enjoy. It is very labour intensive. In spite of the torrential rain the people were still outside working on the Banana plants. We journeyed on through rainforest until we reached the staging point to enter the canal. Open sided boats travelled slowly along the canal stopping each time a bird, lizard, flower, sloth or monkey were spotted, no crocodiles on this trip though. Much as I have a fascination for the rainforest, I have to admit ensconced in the safety of a tour boat with a knowledgeable and amusing tour guide was much more appealing to me than some of the other tours available that involved trekking amidst all that beautiful Greenery with goodness knows what underneath, Ugh! Unfortunately most of this tour was undertaken in lashing rain and wind therefore visibility was poor for the most part but I believe in pleasant weather this tour would have been very entertaining and interesting.

Back on the Zuiderdam we were looking forward to a couple of days of R & R and to take advantage of the onboard amenities and perhaps develop a nice tan. This was not to be, the seas remained extremely rough and a storm stayed with us for most of the 2 days at seas. The inclement weather ensured that every indoor facility was booked up to the hilt, the casino was of course busy all the time, the Greenhouse Spa and Salon was a welcoming haven for many, and it was difficult to get appointments when wanted, I did not make much use of the Spa services or the hairdressing salon. The Sea bar pool and hot tub was only for the very hardy who did not mind braving the cold and who could swim in the huge rolling waves in the pool. The Lido pool although undercover and a much warmer environment also had enormous waves, swimming was too much like hard work. It was a good time to sit and chat with some fellow travellers, we were a cosmopolitan bunch, Japan, China, Italy, Holland, France, England, Ireland, Australia, Canada and USA and this was only the people I managed to speak to. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with everyone and even met a lovely FBI agent who was very happy to talk of her very interesting life. The reality was that we rocked and rolled so much it was no fun sitting outside or trying to walk, even sober, quite why I decided to wear stilettos on the worst squally night I do not know, it was hard enough to teeter in a straight line never mind with the ship rocking from side to side, I noticed a lot of unintentionally amorous couples in the most unexpected places.

The entertainment day and night on the Zuiderdam was excellent, the ships dancers and singers were classy and professional, quite how they managed to keep their feet in the dance routines with the rolling and lurching of the ship is beyond me, they were truly amazing. The highlight of the entertainment was the Island Magic Steelband, totally captivating and more orchestral that I ever thought possible from a steelband. Definitely not the first thought that comes to mind when thinking steelband.

On our last day at sea one of the engines had to be shut down and therefore our progress into Fort Lauderdale was somewhat delayed, this was not a problem for us as we had booked late afternoon flights, but I was sorry to miss the city and waterways tour we had booked , Holland America did refund the cost. However I was totally amazed at the number of people who had early and mid-morning flights arranged and also at the huge number of people who did not have travel insurance. Why do people do that? Why invest so much money into a holiday if one is not going to protect that investment by purchasing travel insurance? So many upset people, some of whom could not reach their online booking company to try to change their flights, some who at the end of their holiday were unable to use their credit card to purchase alternative flights, and so many other stories of misery that I heard first hand, please people purchase travel insurance, it is better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it


Despite the horrible weather and disappointing food onboard, I did enjoy the cruise and the opportunity to traverse through the Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal. The canal did not disappoint at all.

Jane Fisher

Retail Manager, KVI Travel

jane@kvi.travel

1-888-768-6777, ext. 304

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Gran Bahia Principe Akumal - December 2010




Hi!

I just returned from vacation with family & friends in the Mayan Riviera. My review is broken down into different categories to help readers get a feel for the overall experience, while avoiding too much redundancy with the thousands of reviews on Trip Advisor and other sites.

First, I want to say up front that we had a wonderful vacation full of memories that will last a lifetime. However, there were a number of issues on this trip that made it less than perfect, so I’ll be giving an honest evaluation of both the positives and negatives as we experienced them.


Trip Details

- December 3-10, 2010
- Transat Holidays Package with Royal Golden and Option Plus upgrades
- Roundtrip Vancouver to the Gran Bahia Principe Akumal resort, about 20 minutes south of Playa Del Carmen
- Overnights in Vancouver on both ends at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel
- Connecting flights from Kelowna (YLW) via WestJet
- 10 travelers, 2 families: 4 adults, 6 kids aged 7-17.
- 3 rooms (2 triples & 1 quad)
- I chose this timeframe as I expected it to be a good time to go weather-wise and still beat the high season crowds. It turned out to be a good choice.
- I chose an all-inclusive because I’ve never been to one and wanted to get a feel for the experience (also, a number of people in our group really pushed for it).
- I chose this resort after an exhaustive study of the various all-inclusives available through major tour providers. Gran Bahia Principe is highly reputable and well-reviewed.
- I chose Transat Holidays primarily because they are the only major tour operator that offers the Akumal section of the resort, which is considered to be the best of the three and features the Royal Golden ‘best of the best’ section.


To & From the Resort

Insurance:
Before out trip, we purchased TravelGuard’s Gold Deluxe All-Inclusive insurance – quick and easy peace of mind for the whole trip. Don’t leave home without insurance!

WestJet:
Our trip started at the Kelowna Airport (YLW) the day before our flight to Cancun. We purchased a flight on WestJet and paid the extra $3 per person for seat selection so our group could sit together near the front. Well worth it!

Fairmont Vancouver Airport:
Upon arrival in Vancouver (YVR), we collected our luggage and walked right over to the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel. Extremely convenient! As a Fairmont ‘Famous Agent’ with an IATA card, I was able to get our room for free (one per year) and on the return trip I only had to pay $69. Fairmont Hotels are fantastic (some examples: Chateau Lake Louise, The Empress in Victoria, New York’s Plaza, London’s Savoy) and if you are not set up with them/selling them, I highly recommend it. They even had complementary ‘welcome back’ canapés and drinks for us when we returned from our trip. The suite was outstanding, with plenty of room for five (2 queens and a rollaway). We had a great view of the airport and spent some time watching all the planes coming and going from our 10th floor vista. The lounge at the Fairmont was also spectacular with great food & wine (albeit rather pricey).

Transat Holidays / Air Transat:
When I booked our holiday through Air Transat in September, I was able to take advantage of their early booking promotions including guaranteed lowest prices, unlimited golf and a free upgrade to ‘Option Plus.’
‘Option Plus’ is a program on the flights down & back that provides amenities such as seat selection, extra baggage allowance (30kg/66lbs instead of 20kg/44lbs), priority check-in/baggage/boarding, champagne, drinks, headsets, snacks and a comfort kit (blanket, pillow, etc.). Normally this is about a $75pp add-on.
At check-in, the Option Plus desk was closed. Fortunately the line was small, but still, we paid for it.
Regarding the free golf, there is a bit of a scam – green fees are free and unlimited, but a cart is only free once per stay. Not a problem except for the fact that two people from the same room cannot both claim their free golf cart at the same time, which means that at least one person in the cart will always have to pay the $65 cart rental. Also, club rentals are $45 per person and sharing is not allowed. Bottom line, the three of us that wanted to get in a round of ‘free’ golf would have ended up paying $200+ for the opportunity, so we skipped it.
As mentioned, we also booked the Royal Golden section of the resort. This is a special section of the resort with its own services and the best accommodations (all junior suites) closest to the beach. It also includes an extra a la carte meal (4 instead of 3), free wireless internet, separate check-in/out and a number of other amenities.
Our Transat flights were relatively comfortable, especially with the Option Plus service with all of its amenities and seating altogether near the front. The mostly French speaking crew were disappointing however. They were rude and unhelpful and I heard a number of complaints from passengers. It wasn’t until I spoke to them in French that they became friendly to me.
I was surprised that our flight down was 5 hours and our flight back was 7. The captain mentioned a headwind, but it seemed to be quite a big difference and the movies/tv programs ran out after about 5.5 hours.
Our bus transfers between Cancun and Gran Bahia Principe were over 90 minutes each way – not an issue as we were prepared for this after reading the reviews and seeing the distance on Google maps. Our resort was one of the furthest south in the Mayan Riviera – which is great for excursions to Tulum, Coba and other points of interest. The bus was air conditioned and the onboard hosts were entertaining (the cerveza helped too!). It would have been nice if the Option Plus program included either private shuttles or priority boarding/seating on the buses, but not a big deal.


Accommodations / Property

The Gran Bahia Principe (GBP) resort in the Mayan Riviera is actually three resorts (Coba, Tulum, and Akumal) on a giant piece of property along the Caribbean. There is also a fourth area at the highway entrance to the property called the Hacienda Dona Isabela (or just ‘the Hacienda’). This is a large square lined with shops, a bar, ATM and a discotheque.

Getting Around:
Staying at one resort gives you access to all three and the Hacienda. You can walk from one area to another, but it can be a long walk. For example, to walk from our room in Akumal to the Hacienda would have taken 20-30 minutes. To overcome this, the resorts have a system where trolleys come by every 15 minutes or so to pick people up and move them around the property. Unfortunately, at peak times (dinner) the trolleys are often full and the system doesn’t work very well. This led most of our group to agree that the size of the resort is a negative. Those in our group with resort experience said that it was much easier to get around in other resorts they’ve been to.

Rooms:
After reading reviews and seeing that a number of people complained about the beds being very hard, but ‘pillow toppers’ were available on request, I emailed the resort and requested these for all of our rooms. I also asked for good rooms close together. When we arrived at our rooms we were delighted to find that our requests were met. Having booked the Royal Golden package, we knew we would be getting rooms close to the beach, but we were especially pleased to find that were given rooms in buildings 66 and 67, the very best accommodations in all of the GBP resorts - right on the beach with ocean views! Just to clarify, rooms in this resort are separated into multiple small buildings. Each building consists of 18 rooms (three storeys of 6 rooms each). Buildings 65, 66 and 67 are the only ones that are right on the beach and closest to the Royal Golden lounge, pool and other amenities.


All three rooms were junior suites which consisted of a king bed, a large twin bed and a single day bed. They could easily accommodate 4 adults. You could even fit two kids on the twin if you wanted. With the pillow toppers on the beds, we all slept very comfortably.
The bathroom was comfortable and nicely appointed. The free mini bar was always stocked with cans of beer, pop, bottled water & chips. There was also a small safe in the room, but a special key was required for rental at $5 per day.

Resort grounds, common areas:
One word – immaculate. The staff were constantly seen gardening, painting, cleaning and keeping the resort beautiful.


Service

We were initially impressed by the service. It seemed that politeness and tips went a long way. We always left a couple dollars on the bed and another dollar or two at the mini bar each day. All issues were fixed quickly & with a smile. However, as time went on we found that the large number of ‘little issues’ were abnormal – almost to the point that we suspected that things were intentionally left undone in order to get extra tips for having them fixed. We had to ask them to come to fix the toilet, replace a Jacuzzi part, replace three different light bulbs, facecloths were missing some days, towels on others, our mini bar was left empty one day, our bedspreads weren’t there another, the coffee carafe was missing another, etc. Every time we made a call someone would come take care of it within 15-20 minutes and gladly accept a tip for their efforts. Suspicious – and not what one would expect for a 5-star property.
As for checkout, we were supposed to be able to do everything at the Royal Golden lobby, but it turns out they wouldn't allow guests to checkout at their desk. We had to go wait in line with everybody else at the main Akumal lobby. Not what we were told when we booked and paid for the Royal Golden upgrade.


Food

My busy lifestyle forces me to eat at restaurants frequently which I guess makes me a bit of a food ‘snob’, but I also think it makes me fairly knowledgeable on the subject of dining out. That said, I found that the food at this resort ranged from decent to terrible.

Buffets / Snack Bars:
Food at the snack bar consisted of burgers, hot dogs, pizza, etc. at a quality level likely below FDA approval in the US or Health Canada standards. I know that’s harsh, but it’s the truth.
Food at the buffets offered more variety, but was still pretty lousy. The kids asked us ‘why does everything here taste like feet?’ if that gives you an idea. When it comes to food, I don’t like the idea of ‘getting used to it’ but that’s pretty much what happened. We eventually got used to the low quality food and managed to enjoy it. For the record, I am very adventurous with trying new/exotic foods, so that wasn’t the issue.
Some quick examples – breakfast sausages were actually some kind of cheap cut up wieners, the sushi rice was crunchy (either uncooked or days old), the milk was sour, and what ‘good’ food they had was usually in low supply or only showed up on the odd occasion, leaving people to fight over scraps.
That leads me to something I noticed quite a bit – the phrase ‘we’re out of _____ today’. So many items we wanted at the buffets and restaurants (that they had on the menus/signs) weren’t available. It was always the higher end/demand items – bacon, ice cream & tacos at the buffets/snack bars, premium menu items at the restaurants. One really got the sense that they were cutting corners to save costs. Again, not something one would expect from a 5-star resort.
A final note on the buffets – each resort has one main buffet and they are all quite large. However Akumal also has a second smaller buffet near the Royal Golden section and we did not realize that there was a bigger one near the main lobby until the second last day (our own fault, admittedly).

A la Carte Restaurants:
We dined at four…
1. Dolce Vita – Akumal – Italian. Appetizer buffet quite nice. Entrees pretty good all around. Chicken was excellent. Desserts were a letdown.
2. Don Pablo – Tulum – Mexican(?). This restaurant is considered to be one of the resort’s three ‘gourmet’ restaurants. I had the surf & turf, which consisted of a small steak and two small shrimp. Not impressed. Also, the service was abysmal. We had a reservation for 8:00, but they didn't let us in until 8:15. Our order wasn’t taken until 8:40. The main course showed up at 9:30. Dessert came at 10:15.
3. Gran Tortuga – Tulum – Brazilian. Easily the best meal we had at the resort. A variety of meats were served to us in on swords in a traditional and fun Brazilian style. Everything was quite tasty including the passionfruit mousse dessert.

4. L’Arlequin – Akumal – French. Another ‘gourmet’ restaurant. Several reviews claimed the filet mignon here was one of the best dishes at the resort. It was good, but a Keg or Ric’s Grill filet back home puts it to shame.

Overall, food at this resort was a letdown (but it didn’t spoil our fun!). I can tell you that the food on a 3-star cruise line is easily superior to the food at this 5-star all-inclusive resort.


Entertainment

As we were a group with kids who enjoyed doing our own things, we didn’t go to most of the shows or the discotheque, so I can’t say too much about the entertainment. The only entertainment we did take in at the resort was the Mexican Fiesta at the Hacienda. This is a special show put on every Thursday evening. The Hacienda is apparently not officially owned by GBP, so there is a cover charge of $15 per person to get in. I would say it is worth going to if it was included in our ‘all-inclusive’ price, but some people may not find it worth the extra money. It was fun and cultural featuring Mayan and Spanish performances and some carnival-style games.



Other Resort Experiences / Helpful Tips

- The morning after we arrived there was an orientation from Transat Holidays. It was a one hour briefing on resort amenities and local excursions. Missing it wouldn’t have been an issue as we were already well-versed from reading reviews. The only important thing we needed to know was to pop by the Transat desk at some point prior to the departure day to confirm our return transfer/flight.
- Signing up for a la carte dining reservations early is important as the best restaurants and seating times go fast. This can be done at the public relations desk in the main lobby and I recommend doing it immediately upon arrival if possible.
- Chemuyil Bay is a fairly well-kept secret. Just walk south along the beach beyond the resort property and you’ll find a beautiful snorkeling area and sandy beach that few people know about. I saw lionfish in the wild here – a first for me. I have a marine biology degree, so I get excited about stuff like this.

- There is also a protected coral reef in the Tulum beach area. Snorkeling is allowed as long as you don’t touch the corals or disturb the fish. Found a stingray there.
- Snorkelers/divers should know that the resort doesn’t allow guests to go into the water after dark (although Chemuyil Bay is off property, so I guess that wouldn’t be monitored)
- Also, the resort has a flag system at the beach: Green=calm, Yellow=a bit choppy, Red=quite wavy. Most areas of the resort on most days were red flag days, but the waves were really not all that significant – 2 to 4 feet at most. I know during Red Flags, no snorkel/boogie board/etc. equipment is available, so I highly suggest bringing your own.
- There are motorized water sports and scuba available on site. Jet skis are $65 per half hour.
- Overall, I didn’t find the snorkeling here to be nearly as good as Hawaii. Less visibility and biodiversity. But still fun…
- There was a lot of wildlife throughout the resort - iguanas everywhere during the day and coatis everywhere at night. A coati looks like a cross between a raccoon and an anteater. - I read a lot of reviews about how hot & humid it is in the area. Apparently we were there during a ‘cold snap’, but that just meant ‘perfect’ to us. It did get cool at night, so I would recommend checking the long term forecast for Playa del Carmen and bringing a warmer outfit if needed (or just buy a poncho at the Hacienda).
- Speaking of clothing, the a la carte restaurants have dress codes that require long slacks for men (no jeans, shorts, t-shirts or sandals)
- Even though there are signs everywhere telling people not to ‘reserve’ pool chairs, they do get hoarded anyway. There are lots of chairs available, but the best ones (i.e. closest to the bar & activities) are always taken up fairly early on each day. - Drinks are obviously very watered down and the resort is set up in such a way as to make it somewhat inconvenient to drink a lot of alcohol (lineups, limited bar hours, etc).
- One note on the spa services: The ladies in our group got pedicures at the Bahia Spa. They said it was nice, but the pedicures were not as good as one could get back home for the same price ($40 for a classic pedicure).



Excursions

First, I should note that the Mexican government no longer allows Mexican businesses to exchange or deposit more than $1500 in US funds per month, so more and more places require payment in pesos and will not accept U.S. cash.

As for getting around outside the resort, there are two main options: $30 each way to most nearby destinations for a taxi or $3 each way per person for a collectivo. Collectivos are the equivalent of a local bus service. They are 15 passenger vans that run north/south between Cancun and Tulum throughout the day and evening. You generally don’t have to wait more than 5 minutes to catch one on the main highway just outside the resort. However, as we were a group of 10, we were always able to hire a private taxi-van for the same price as a collectivo.


We went on three excursions…
1. Tulum – 10 minutes south of the resort. The ruins were an easy 700m / half-mile walk from the Tulum market dropoff. The Mayan ruins in Tulum are the only surviving walled city from the Mayan era. It is well worth a visit. There is also a beautiful beach there which can be accessed right inside the ruins/park, so bring swimwear to cool off in the sea.
2. Playa del Carmen – 20 minutes north of the resort. We went in the evening to do some shopping and eating in the 5th Avenue pedestrian shopping district. I hadn’t been there before, and I was expecting an old-fashioned Mexican market area. However, I was surprised to find it was much more comparable to an outdoor Miracle Mile (Las Vegas), or Pointe Orlando or Downtown Disney. We ate at Senor Frogs and it was one of the real highlights of our trip. They entertained us every minute we were there and made us feel like the only people in the place. I can’t recommend it enough - a total blast!
3. Private day trip to Coba, a cenote and a Mayan village. We had the good fortune of connecting with a man named Luis Fernandez, our taxi driver when we went to Playa del Carmen. Luis gave us an incredible deal to take us around on a private day trip and be our driver and guide for the day. We accepted his proposal to go to the ruins in Coba, swim in a cenote, eat an authentic Mayan meal, and visit an authentic Mayan village. As arranged the night before, Luis met us at the taxi area just outside the Hacienda with a very comfortable 12 passenger van fully stocked with complementary beer, pop and snacks. And off we went:
a. Coba ruins: We opted to go to these ruins and not Chichen Itza for a couple of reasons. The Coba ruins are only about 45 minutes from the Mayan Resort area, whereas Chichen Itza is 2.5 hours each way. Also, the Coba ruins feature the tallest pyramid in the northern yucatan and visitors can actually climb to the top the pyramid instead of just look at it from behind a barrier. We were not disappointed. The view from the top of the pyramid looking out over the Yucatan jungle is spectacular. The Coba ruins are spread out over a 6km (4mile) stretch, so be prepared to walk a lot. Bicycles are available to rent on site for about $3, or a bicycle ‘rickshaw’ ride is also available for about $8 for those with mobility issues.
b. Next, Luis took us to a cenote about 15 minutes away. Cenotes are a special feature of the Yucatan peninsula, which is connected underground by a vast system of underground caves with lakes & rivers throughout. The cenote Luis took us to, called Multun Ha, was only discovered a year ago. I asked Luis what to expect when we got there and he just said ‘trust me’ with a smile. When we arrived, there was a small showering station (all visitors wanting to swim must shower first to keep the cenote pristine) and what looked like a large well with a spiral staircase going down into the ground. We were underwhelmed at that point. However, 78 stairs down we were blown away by the sight of an immaculate underground lake that opened up in front of us. The cave was basically a huge sphere with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and half full with the clearest water imaginable. It was about 60 feet to the bottom, but we could see it clearly. The water was the perfect temperature for swimming and we all had a blast exploring and diving off the little dock that was recently built there. Aside from our group there was only one other small group there with us. Thanks to Luis, we had a truly unique experience as opposed to visiting a tourist ridden swimming hole. c. Mayan meal. Luis then took us back to Coba for a traditional Mayan meal. A good experience. I really enjoyed the chicken wrapped in a banana leaf. Again – an experience that most tourists would miss out on.
d. Finally, Luis took us about 15 minutes down another road into the jungle to visit a little Mayan village. These people are very poor and survive on a few dollars a day per family, living in small huts with dirt floors. We were given a tour of their village. The little kids were adorable playing with the local monkeys and we were glad to help them out by buying some of their handmade clothes and crafts. Another valuable memory thanks to Luis’ knowledge of the local area.






I highly recommend contacting Luis for a private escorted excursion if you are visiting the Mayan Riviera. I have all of his contact info, and you can also find him on Facebook. His page is called Tours Riviera Maya and his phone number and email address are posted there.


Final Thoughts

First, I can’t claim to be an expert on all-inclusives as this is my first one, although as a travel agent I have done a lot of research on the subject – reading reviews, selling packages and listening to client feedback. Second, I went into this trip knowing I wasn’t going to be able to fully ‘unwind’ since I went both as a parent and as an unofficial group coordinator.
I think the perception I’ve come back with on this trip is that when it comes to quality of service and dining, cruises are a far better value. I might be wrong, but I get the feeling that a 5-star resort is equivalent to a 3-star cruise. So, personally, I think I’d recommend a 5-star cruise like Celebrity (with a drink package add-on) over an all-inclusive every time as the better value. Of course it does come down to client preference and every case is different. I also have a better feel for the psychology behind the term 'all-inclusive', which is really a bit of a gimmick to get people to go to these places thinking there are no limits. Not true – ‘you get what you pay for’ is a better way to look at it.
As travel agents, I think it is important for us all to understand the difference between low price and good value. The Gran Bahia Principe does offer a good value, but I’m convinced that a high end cruise is still the best value in the industry. We need to keep pushing people in this direction and let people know that the bitterness of low quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price.
Cheers!
Kyle Oram
CEO and General Manager
KVI Travel
1-888-768-6777 ext. 300


Friday, November 19, 2010

Paul Gauguin - Tahiti!


Hi everyone,

It's been a while since the last post, but there are several new ones coming in the next few weeks. Let's start off with a review of the Paul Gauguin as experienced by superstar KVI agents Scott and Kim (Turcot) Leeming. They just returned from their honeymoon and submitted this fantastic review...

(Note - for more pictures from their trip and details on Scott & Kim, here is the link to the original review posted on their personal KVI website: http://www.selectsailingsandtours.com/paulgauguinreview.html)


Newlyweds Honeymooning in French Polynesia


It is Scott & Kim Turcot Leeming with the review of our recent 7 Night Honeymoon Cruise in the beautiful & breathtaking Society Islands of French Polynesia!

First of all, if all you have is 7 nights ~ then fine, but know that you will be dragging each other onto that flight home, knowing that you are about to leave the most incredible vacation paradise in the world! This vacation honeymoon in French Polynesia, is the best gift 'for us', we have ever experienced!



The itinerary is perfect! This South Pacific sailing spoiled us with its flawless itinerary which included, 2 days in Raiatea, 1 full glorious day on the Private Island of Taha'a Motu Mahana, 2 days in Bora Bora & 2 days in Moorea finishing off again in Papeete, Tahiti! We can honestly both testify that 7 days is not nearly long enough, but well worth the venture!!! Even getting there was far more pleasant & easier than we expected!


AIR TAHITI NUI & PRE-CRUISE Hotel:
We had a very enjoyable 8.5 hour evening flight on Air Tahiti Nui from LAX. There are two flights each day from LAX: (1:00 PM and 4:00PM)… The steward’s were very courteous, provided as many warm blankets & pillows as you wished, and a nice packet useable headsets, socks, sleep masks & ear plugs! The seats were actually very comfortable in comparison with other airlines we've used in the past. We enjoyed a surprisingly excellent hot meal after departing & a good range of complimentary beverages of all kinds before falling off to sleep. We awoke to an equally satisfying breakfast an hour or so prior to landing.

When we arrived in Papeete, we were welcomed with friendly Polynesian smiles & music… We booked a 1 night pre-cruise stay at the Le Meridien Hotel & Resort in Papeete, Tahiti – complete with a Hut over the water facing the neighbouring island of Moorea (Come on – we had to see what all the fuss was about... ) We also organized a transfer to the Le Meridien in advance & who were awaiting our arrival complete with delicious smelling flowered necklaces...The ocean breeze swirled botanical aromas around us as palms swayed gently against the silhouette of the rich tropical foliage before us...Sweet, gentle rhythmic Polynesian music, played by the locals, filled the air with warm Island sounds we could definitely get used to!

We booked the Le Meridien separately as it had better rates through the Starwood chain, lower than those of the Intercontinental Hotel & Resorts that Paul Gaugin offers with their pre-cruise package. After flying for most of a day with connections, together we sat on our balcony in awe & in celebration as newlyweds, sipping a drink as we toasted ourselves and the clear blue water glimmering under the stars of the South Pacific...It really felt like we were somehow forever removed from the realities of the world outside these crystalline waters & peaceful palm groves. Waking that next morning, we walked onto the deck & instantly fell in love with the sights, smells & sounds. It was our first glimpse at the multi-coloured blue & turquoise waters that the region is renowned for, the exotic foliage & inhabitants and sultry Pacific breezes…

That afternoon, excitement built as we transferred back towards the central part of Papeete where we first glanced at the handsome, white, 513 foot, 19,200 Gross tonne, 332 passengers, ‘all-inclusive’ ship that would treat us to the next 7 nights of ‘all-inclusive’ pleasure. Though the Paul Gaugin is a 6-star ~ Luxury sailing, the onboard climate is a constant mix of elegant leisure, fun, consistent style & service. The cabins are spacious & well appointed. The stewards ~ excellent! The dining & service in all three restaurants was superb! Kim loves her grilled tomatoes & seafood & no matter where or when, the staff & chef were ready to serve. I can’t believe that I traveled half way around the world to be treated to the best Beef Wellington on Earth ~ and on a ship in the middle of the Pacific! The grilled seafood was impeccable. All beverages onboard are complimentary & we were treated to delicious wines that complimented every bite!

PAUL GAUGIN – The Ship

"The m/s Paul Gauguin was designed specifically to sail the shallow seas of Tahiti, French Polynesia and the South Pacific, visiting small ports that larger ships can’t reach and effortlessly blending into the stunning natural beauty of the South Seas."

Embarkation was swift, seamless & impressive. Whilst our luggage disappeared into the ship, we were then graciously greeted by Cruise Director Michael Shapiro, along with several other smiling staff & crew members in addition to a welcome glass of champagne. We were directed to our balcony cabin 756 (Cat ‘C’) best deck & category!

Upon entering our stateroom, we were delighted to see a ‘welcome bottle of chilled champagne, canapés & fruit’, a congratulations letter from the Captain & flower arrangement ~ all part of the complimentary Honeymoon package they offer... Thank you again!

The Pacific Beachcomber Company purchased the ‘Paul Gaugin’ ship from Regent Seven seas a few years ago, underwent significant renovations but retained its’ near monopoly on this amazing itinerary. That monopoly is somewhat challenged by the 4.5 Star Princess Cruises ‘Royal Princess’. Princess, like Oceania & Azamara, had purchased these larger 670 passenger mid-sized ships from bankrupt Renaissance Cruise Lines and offers several similar 10 & 12 night Tahitian itineraries, sailing from this Fall to next April. Though the rates are slightly lower with Princess, one must account for the impeccable 6-star all-inclusive service, coupled with the intimacy of the smaller passenger load. The gratuities are complimentary & though we were happy to offer these for special services, you never felt like it was expected. Add the fact that water skiing, wind surfing & kayaking are all provided daily at no cost from the aft of the ship and it makes for an incredible package!

Both cruise lines offer comparable Airfare as they both use Air Tahiti Nui. Interline-fared bookings are combinable with both the Paul Gaugin & Princess R/T LAX Airfare... Paul Gaugin includes an ocean-side Radisson Hotel ‘Day Room’ on the last day of disembarkation and airport transfers! Considering that the flights depart at 11:30PM or 11:55 PM at night, this is a special perk! Conversely, if you book your airfare separately, that same day-room is an added $155/person.



ONBOARD THE PAUL GAUGUIN

All onboard gratuities included
Complimentary beverages including fine wines and premium spirits, soft drinks, bottled water, coffee and tea served throughout the ship
Butler service in categories B and above, including in-suite bar setup and SoundDock® for iPod®
In-suite mini-bar replenished daily with soft drinks, beer and bottled water
State-of-the-art retractable Watersports Marina
Onboard dive program
Onboard lecture program
Two elegant restaurants and one pool-side grill, all with open-seating dining
Well-being and vegetarian selections and special dietetic menus upon request
WiFi hotspots throughout the ship
Complimentary 24-hour room service
Complimentary in-room dining
Complimentary in-room movie channels and movies available
Crew to guest ratio of 1 to 1.5


We had way too much fun up on deck socializing with the other guests on the Paul Gauguin...It doesn't take long before you get to know quite a few people...It is an elegant, sophisticated, wealthy, but also down to Earth type of crowd... The Pina Coladas were always a welcome pre-dinner treat and there was always an abundance of amazing succulent fresh fruit & beautiful salads of different types, garnished by some tender seafood samples of our choosing... Did we mention that we had baked tomatoes for breakfast & dinner every day along with our meals?

We forced ourselves to go to the Gym and work out for 30 minutes at least 4 times throughout the cruise & it was well worth the effort as far as keeping extra weight off that could have otherwise been stored differently! Surprisingly, their gym was well equipped with modern equipment found in most gyms and hardly anyone was ever in it...

Typical of smaller luxury ship, the onboard entertainment & casinos are scaled down as compared to the Las Vegas-style atmosphere of the larger class vessels. Still, you are happy to off-set these dynamics with the overly apparent benefits of a luxury sailing.

PAUL GAUGUIN – The Staff & Crew

We found that our cruise experience was truly a 6-Star luxurious experience from beginning to end. Everyone from our room attendant (Rebelie Rosales) cleaned our room like new with a huge smile & genuinely greeted us each day.

Our Head Waiter (Raffy Pelegrino) always remembering my baked tomatoes which I can't live without, morning noon & night! ... Our other Waiter (Marlon Marco) also went above & beyond our expectations ...

The terrific & charming, assistant waiter (Michael Doria) brought us room service 24/7 & treated us like royalty... MichaeM

Eufemio Centino made several trips to our private balcony with fresh food or drinks for those quiet intimate meals together!

A special nod to ‘Guest Relations’ who patiently told us the time of day each time that we called (repeatedly) – having no clock in the room. After several calls, they courteously & with good humour, told us about the clock on the in-suite TV... Joking aside, the professionalism & courtesy we enjoyed made us feel welcome & comfortable at every stage of the sailing.

The Excursion staff specialist (Paulina) had the best advice for excursions & really took the time to know what we wanted... They made it easy & fun!



And of course our Cruise Director (Michael Shapiro), whom we had the pleasure & surprise to Dine with one evening, shared stories of theater & his personal recollections of past sailings & much more ...we are still smiling Michael – great job!!

Of course one cannot forget to mention the truly awesome Bartenders onboard ~ particularly (Ricardo Felix) who poured Gauguin Cruisers, endless cocktails made with efficient perfection! Also Jonathon B. Abogado, Pool Deck Waiter, who made our poolside experiences most memorable!

To top off all this amazing customer service onboard was the gift of hearing the beautiful music & singing of the very talented Gauguine Girls!

The PG staff literally pampered us all from dawn till dusk! We truly appreciate your efforts & hope to see you again soon!

ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS:

~TAHA'A MOTU MAHANA'S PRIVATE ISLET ~
Enclosed within the same barrier reef as Raiatea is the small Island of Taha'a Motu Mahana & was mutually our favourite stop by far! It was perfect. We felt as if we had our own piece of the south pacific to ourselves ~ almost. This was a tremendous surprise for us as we stepped foot on soft white sandy beaches of Taha'a...Crystal clear, bath like turquoise waters surround Taha'a as far as the eye can see. To make things even more amazing, walk out of the perfect water and be handed a hollowed out coconut filled with rum & something. But wait – there is more! Suddenly, your senses are filled with an incredible selection of food simmering, sending mouth watering aromas of Island cooking into the air. Because we had to, we lay amidst coconut tree-filled skies, gazing out at paradise on comfortable beach chairs, provided for us upon our arrival. Fresh fruit & salads complimented the sumptuous grill buffet with appetizing colours & combinations... Somebody pinch us!

We carried our lounge chairs to our own private spot, nestled between two palms & proceeded to swim, snorkel, sun bathe, sing, dance & cavort with all of the new friends we found, until the very last minute... By day’s end, we returned to the air-conditioned sanctuary of our newly dressed stateroom onboard.


~RAIATEA~ (2 DAYS)
Somewhat smaller than Tahiti, Raiatea is the second largest of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. The starting point for all the migration to the Hawaiian, New Zealand & Easter Islands - Raiatea lies within the same barrier reef as the island of Taha'a, a 20 minute boat ride away. The surrounding reefs and motu offer excellent diving & snorkeling opportunities. We gratefully took advantage of this by booking the Coral Garden Drift Snorkel excursion. This excursion was hosted by a fun & well educated local husband & wife team. They drove us by boat to the special snorkeling spot where we adventured through the coral gardens & tropical fish life under the sea...After we got our fill of snorkeling, we were presented a truly delicious fresh fruit & coconut lunch! They had the sweetest tasting grapefruits we have ever had!!!! Even without taking an excursion, while in Raiatea, all one has to do to enjoy themselves is just to simply be, whether on the ship enjoying the services, pool deck & panoramic blue views of the sea, or simply taking the Tender to shore, there is a gorgeous beach just a few miles down the road where you can swim and enjoy this Island jewel.


~BORA BORA~ (2 DAYS)
After spending our first day in Bora Bora (an eroded cone of an extinct and extensive volcano), it was said by many, over a succulent dinner plates, that every day was better than the last! How could things get any better after Taha'a secret surprise paradise? Well they did...Bora Bora, another little jewel of an Island set within a wide barrier reef was definitely another favourite stop for us, by far...As James Michener stated of Bora Bora, "Anyone who has ever been there wants to go back, It is love at first sight!"

We booked yet another awesome excursion that was worth every single penny! In fact, this excursion was the best excursion for money spent, that we have ever been on! We highly highly recommend the Full Day Tour...First we were taken on another beautiful boat ride to beyond the protective barrier reef...There, we swam with hundreds of black tip sharks & other tropical fish! It was an amazing experience!!!!! At first we were a tad leery, but quickly overcame our fear under the confident direction of our excursion guides. There we were jumping in with sharks everywhere. The guides fed the sharks with us in the water no less, but we anticipate that they were both over-fed and partially domesticated to some extent. Conquering that fear & realizing that we were safe was an exhilarating experience of a lifetime, not to mention that they are absolutely gorgeous to see them swimming under water! You never felt at risk and welcomed their passing only feet from you.

Next, we were taken to another swimmers paradise, located in shallow waters filled with affectionate Stingrays waiting to be fed little fish morsels by hand. Whether joining them in the water or simply viewing them from the boat was a fascinating and well worth it experience not to be missed! We felt like they were puppies competing to be pet... It just kept getting better with every passing minute. As we sailed across the clear coral swept waters, our guides played island songs on the Ukulele.

Finally, we were then taken to another snorkelers dream destination where we explored more gorgeous coral reef gardens and various colourful tropical fish species.

The fourth stop on the excursion was a welcomed & delightful experience we weren't expecting! Another private beach stop much like the paradise sanctuary we found Taha'a to be. There we were served an amazing sis kabob of large fresh juicy grilled prawns & vegetables, rice, barbecued chicken & more sweet 'just picked' Island fruit and coconut! We ate with glee, developing a healthy appetite while being in & out of the water at sea & it was absolutely sensual scrumptiousness!

We laid in the sun on more comfortable beach chairs and swam in our own little lagoon where we were visited by a solo Stingray looking for a hand fed treat! We were even shown how to locate the famous black pearls while snorkeling...


~MOOREA~ (2 DAYS)
Moorea Island (pronounced MOE-oh-ray-ah) is considered the heart of French Polynesia. Jagged peaks, cloaked by lush greenery and encircled by deep blue's of the ocean, left us both awestruck by its natural beauty.

Once again, we were spoiled by booking another perfect excursion called the 4 hour long Aito off road Safari. This was surprisingly another one of our best experiences. The Safari tour is like nothing either one of us were expecting and we were so impressed with the quality, fun care free air & professionalism of our tour guide! This was spectacular and cameras are a must!

While in Moorea, we also booked The Lagoon Discovery with snorkeling being the water babies that we are... Again, the scenery alone along this excursion was worth its weight in gold! Even with stormy clouds the weather finally brought in after 7 days of perfection was tantalizing amongst the tropical backdrop of tropical terrain, white sandy beaches & dark clouds kissing the turquoise calm before the storm! We saw more friendly sharks, stingrays, a dolphin to my surprise and another gorgeous coral reef snorkelers dream. We swam in a heavy rainstorm and though we prefer the warmth of the sun while being in the water, it still was enjoyable and unique experience!

That evening, onboard the Paul Gauguin, we were offered a complimentary Polynesian Honeymoon Ceremony amongst all of the other newlyweds & honeymooners. It wasn't intimate like we'd hoped as the ceremonies were performed in front of several other honeymooners & newlyweds, however, the gesture of it was welcomed & one of my favourite Gauguine girls performed a very pretty dance about LOVE to the song "The Road That Never Ends".


~ PAPEETE, TAHITI~
Sadly, this brings us to our last day in Paradise where our last stop took us back to the place it all began! The perfect cruise, perfect honeymoon & as we write this review, it pains our hearts to feel the missing of it all & we know this magic place will be one we will treasure in our hearts forever!

Paul Gauguin provided food & beverages until it was time to disembark. Since we booked Paul Gaugin airfare, we could look forward to the ‘day-room’ at the Radisson Hotel. HOWEVER– that room would not be ready until 2:30PM and it was only 10:00am... We were offered a city Motor Coach tour that included stops at several points of interest - or the option of being dropped-off at the Radisson & sitting at the pool for several hours...

We opted to take an optional Papeete Motor Coach tour & though the effort was appreciated on one hand, the tour dragged on through thick traffic. Our guide was lost for things to talk about & noted one such highlight being a new McDonalds’... so I would have to suggest that the pool at the Radisson is a better decision. Though I did appreciate the air-conditioned bus & some points of interest, I found that it went on far too long, that our bus tour guide was lacking (especially for this clientele) & a disappointing way to end a luxury cruise vacation

We finally arrived back at the Radisson by 3:00 PM & had our luggage unloaded off the bus & gathered in the parking lot. This would be re-loaded back onto the transfer bus later that night. Much to everyone’s surprise & disappointment, we were all directed to a hotel check-in procedure that included a credit card swiping for any charges on their property. We were also told about their restaurants & more... From our perspective, our Paul Gaugin booking was still underway & after being lavished in ‘all-inclusive’ service all week, this sudden shift was unexpected & somewhat abrasive.

Paul Gaugin needs to nail that last piece down. I would suggest a more formal gathering area for luggage & guests within the hotel complex, complete with a complimentary lunch & beverage service (similar to what we expected on the ship) either prior to or after checking into the day rooms. I would also suggest moving this to the Intercontinental Resort as it is far more beautiful location & would give PG a greater opportunity to promote this premium resort vs the Radisson. The beach was definitely not as pretty as the Intercontinental beach! I am sure this clientele would pay a small premium for that modification. Remember, this package would cost an additional $ 155/person if you booked your airfare without Paul Gaugin. I still contend that the effort to link the cruise disembarkation with the flights was appreciated, but it needs tweaking.

By 8:00PM we were transferred to the airport, gathered our luggage a proceeded to check-in to fly home. Though this took several hours as the small airport had to process two large outbound flights, departing at nearly the same time, it all was made perfect again with the care & courtesy offered by the Air Tahiti Nui crew. The flight home was equally enjoyable, though tears were shed knowing what we were leaving behind.

If you really want to have the experience of a lifetime...you've got to go on this cruise with that special person in your life! Though there are several 5 & 6-star Resorts throughout the islands offering romantic ‘huts over water’ experiences, offering breath-taking views & water access at premium rates, nothing compares to cruising as we were treated to several islands with many variations of ocean waters all in one vacation & in lavish style. We say, stay in these resorts as a pre or post experience around the cruise & that way you will have it all!

So there it is... that's all we have in us for now as we are still catching up... We promised to write a review on our website about Paul Gauguin & the wonderful Polynesian staff who took care of us along the way... If anyone cares to find out more, simply call or e-mail Scott or Kim & we will be happy to tell you more.


Thank you again Paul Gaugin for a perfect & romantic Honeymoon cruise experience in Paradise.

Kim & Scott

kim@kvi.travel - 1-877-838-2929
scott@kvi.travel - 1-877-326-8245

Wednesday, June 23, 2010


Norwegian Epic: The first review

Here it is - the first review of the brand new 153,000-ton Norwegian Epic, posted by KVI's agent in the UK, Russell Forgham, who sailed on the liner's first passenger-carrying voyage on June 21 from Rotterdam to Southampton with his wife Sheila -- sadly just one night on board . . . but what an epic night it was!


There’s no doubt about it: Norwegian Epic is a beautiful ship. The crew are wonderful, the food is excellent and the entertainment is probably the best you’ll ever see at sea.

The ship is huge, but it doesn't feel that way because the layout creates lots of more intimate areas and we didn't feel there were thousands of people on board, even though the Epic can carry more than 4,000 passengers. It's very stylish, too, with a sophisticated modern decor throughout.

We had one of the new "wave" balcony cabins. They have curvy walls and where the wall curves out, the wall in the adjacent cabin curves in, and vice versa. The theory is that by putting the bed in the space where the wall curves out, the cabin can be narrower and deeper than standard cabins on other ships but appear to be just as spacious. There’s plenty of storage space and they have quite a big flat screen LCD TV. And the bed is really comfortable. Five stars all round in that respect.

I don’t know whether NCL picked the crew from the best of the crews on their other ships, but it certainly feels like they did. And best of all everyone we saw looked really happy and excited to be working on the Epic.

We tried to sample as many of the dining options and as much of the entertainment as we could in our limited time and it was all excellent.

We had lunch in the Garden Cafe buffet after lifeboat drill on the first day and the variety of food available was probably the best we’ve seen in any ship’s buffet. Lunch on the second day was in the main Manhattan Room restaurant and again was first rate – and made even more enjoyable by a special performance of Legends In Concert, an excellent tribute show featuring the likes (or should that be look-alikes) of Madonna, Elvis, Tina Turner et all.

And for breakfast we went to O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill, the 24-hour cafe, and had their excellent country breakfast.

And as for dinner, well, we had it at the very best show we’ve ever seen on board a ship – and one of the best we’ve ever seen on land either: Cirque Dreams.


Think Cirque du Soleil in a much more intimate fashion and then some. It’s billed as the first "big top" at sea, and it’s a dazzling two hours of acrobats, muscle men, trapeze artists, music and comedy all taking place in a 10ft-wide circular area in the middle of the room just feet away from the audience at their dinner tables. Even the waiters take part in the show – as do some lucky people plucked out of the audience by the cast. Like me – I got to play the bells in one of the musical numbers! There's a cover charge of $15, or $20 for premium "ringside" seats but it's worth every cent ... and more.

Before that, we saw the excellent Second City comedy and improv show, from the legendary Chicago breeding ground of many of America’s top comedy stars, like Bill Murray and Tina Fey from 30 Rock to name just two. It’s very American and as there were a lot of Dutch, German and French passengers on board the audience was quite small – but those who didn’t go missed a damn fine show.

After Cirque Dreams we tried to get in to see the end of the Blue Man show but the theatre was packed out, so instead we stopped by Howl At The Moon, billed as “the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll duelling piano show,” for one quick drink and were certainly glad we did – we were still there two and a half hours later having fun singing some of the greatest songs of the last 50 years in another amazing show.

We had such a brilliant time that we can't wait to do a longer trip on the Epic, probably in summer 2011 when she relocates to the Mediterranean.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Hey everyone!

Elisabeth Gesell - KVI's Agent In Austria just submitted the following review on the Oasis...

OASIS of the SEAS
Cruise 05 June ex Ft. Lauderdale

I just received comments from one of my clients. She gave me the authority to write on her behalf.
My client is a world traveller and knows especially the Caribbean very well. So she deliberately booked Oasis to see what it means to be on such a big boat.
She was thrilled. Every day was a new surprise.
It started off with the unbelievable short boarding time. 15 minutes
Her cabin (balcony) was impeccable. The cabin service outstanding. Cleaning was done twice a day, bed linen changed twice daily, room service beautiful arranged food and flowers.
With regard to dinner: Even not having booked in advance for dinner, as they wanted to experience every day another restaurant (24 on board) they chose to stay in the main dining room, as again the food quality and presentation including the extremely friendly and personal service was so good that they just went there for the rest of the cruise.
Entertainment was thrilling. Artistic Ice skating done by former world competitors. Hilarious comedy acts. Dreams of colours. Music galore.
The spa more than luxurious.
With regard to the Central park theme, my clients thought that this would not really be to their liking. However they loved it. They went down every day to have coffee and cake and just watched people passing by, hearing the birds singing, feeling like being really in New York.
All in all you think you are in a great hotel or a little village.
Not to forget the most important fact. Every employee, no matter whom you asked, knew the correct answer to any possible question. No one send you in circles or passed you on to somebody else.
If this report sounds too much, my clients are planning the next cruise on OASIS already now.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010


Hi Everyone,

KVI's agent in Austria, Elisabeth Gesell, just returned from an Eastern Mediterranean cruise on the RCCL Splendor of the Seas. Here's here report..

Royal Caribbean - Splendour of the Seas
Date: 15th to 21st May 2010 7 nights
Area: Eastern Mediterranean

The ideal thing for us as Europeans was that we could go by car to Venice. It was the time of the volcanic ashes floating around so that flights were on a very irregular basis operating.

The weather proved, because of this eruption, as very unpredictable throughout the whole trip.

We boarded in Venice in heavy rain and freezing cold climate. Taking our own car we had to make parking reservations ahead of time, which proved to be excellent choice as we literally just walked across the street to board the ship. Rates are, for European standards, rather inexpensive, € 10.—per day. The boarding process well organized and smooth. We had our SET SAIL passes done on-line, which I recommend for all cruises. It speeds up your boarding time considerably. We needed approximately 20 minutes from locking the car to being on board.

As we were very early we could not get into our cabin, which was on Deck 7, at the back of the ship on back board side. As all the islands we were to see were to be on the left side the back board side was the logical choice. Spending the remaining time we made ourselves acquainted with the lay-out of the ship and also got a bite at the WINDJAMMER the buffet. What a nice place, large windows, where everyone had good view, very good food, good presentation, friendly personnel. Originally we had reserved at the traditional restaurant KING and I for late dinner time (9pm), which we never used as 9pm was much too late for us. We stayed with WINDJAMMER for the whole trip, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Next day we had room service for breakfast and were pleasantly surprised. Before servicing we got a telephone call inquiring (which we considered as very thoughtful) if we were ready for breakfast.

Cabins: This was a very pleasing experience. Lots of space. Every corner was used for storage without giving an impression of being a storage cabinet. Light colors, bathroom very well organized. Large balconies, table and two comfortable chairs, enough space to move around. Stateroom service impeccable, friendly, and fast.
After a day at sea the first stop was...

Dubrovnik, Croatia:

Disembarkation as well as coming back on board was very professional. (And continued for every stop, even at Santorini where one had to take a tender).

The rain could not stop us from walking through this World heritage. What an interesting medieval city. For Dubrovnik you just need to take a taxi and walk at your own pace through town. It’s easy to manage. Don’t just sit in the next coffee place; there are many smaller and better places a little bit off the beaten track, e.g, at the Dominican cloister.

Third day: Kusadasi, Turkey EPHESUS.

We expected it to be the high light of the trip. And it was. Despite the fact that the rain turned into Hail (in May!!! We had to turn back and buy heavy rain gear to be able to continue our excursion. Considering the amount of people coming in from three different cruise ships being ashore, the shop keeper must have made the business of his life). What a place, what a history. More than 7000 years old. The excavations were stunning. Palaces, market places, homes (larger than 300 sqm, all with beautiful wall paintings).

Entrance into Turkey, which for Europeans has Visa formalities, was no problem at all. Obviously RCCL had arranged for all departing passengers a smooth entry.
Dinner at the WINDJAMMER was a Turkish specialities evening. It has to be mentioned that the personnel was multinational throughout the ship. This proved to be not only fun to talk too but was also rather helpful in getting tips for the different ports.

Fourth day: Santorini

This time we were lucky, the rain had stopped and it was even warm.
Santorini is one of the spots , where the ancient city of ATLANTIS is supposed to have been. Looking at the area one can even believe it. It was a volcano which did not explode but implode (approximately 1500 BC) leaving a caldera, with a few islands.
Coming in by boat means that you have to use a tender and have three possibilites to reach the actual village on top of the mountain. Either you take the forniculare (small train) or you use donkeys or you walk. We did the last and were admired by our fellow cruisers. Actually it looks much worse than it is and I recommend to do the same. It gives you time to stop and look at the wonderful scenery and secondly you do not have to concentrate on handling your donkey. Once you are up there do not follow the crowd but turn to the right and walk along the rim. There is Santorini how you expect a Greek island, to be. Quiet, small colourful houses, and a view unbeatable.

Next day CORFU,


The island is very pleasant and relaxing. But the main attraction is the so called ARCHILLEON. It has been ordered by the last Habsburg Empress of Austria, Elisabeth. She was an icon of her time. Very beautiful and with an aura of mystic surrounding her. Worthwhile to see.

Then it was a day at sea. Finally with lots of sunshine. Returning back to Venice


Tips for the Splendour:
Evening: before or after dinner go to the SCHOONER Bar on deck 11. Never crowded, very pleasant, good background music. Excellent, cosy seating arrangements,
Entertainment: Comfortable, large theatre,
Spa: Lots of treatments in well laid out area, next to the sundeck

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Hey everyone! KVI Agents Phil & Carol Doyle just returned from their adventure as Conceirge Hosts on the Holland America Eurodam TransAtlantic sailing. Here is their report!

Hosts: Philip and Carol Doyle

Eurodam 4-3-10 to 4-19-10 Fort Lauderdale to Rome

60 guests

We left Fort Lauderdale on a beautiful South Florida day and began the first of our 8 days at sea. We were immediately impressed with the professionalism of the entire staff of this five star ship. The Eurodam is the newest and largest of Holland America Line’s 15 ships and, during our voyage, it earned every one of its five stars.

On the first day at sea, we hosted a cocktail reception for our guests with hors d’oeuvres and music in the Piano Bar. We passed out additional flyers and talked about the planned complimentary shore excursion in Barcelona. We also explained the Vacation Vignette program and started getting to know our group.

The next week was spent relaxing at sea with excellent food, entertainment, and even unseasonably warm weather. Most of our group had never visited most of the scheduled ports, so the anticipation was high. We received many questions about the ports and answered the ones we could and deferred the rest to Holland America’s onboard port expert. His detailed knowledge of our ports was personal and thorough. We all felt well-prepared before arriving at our seven ports in Portugal and Spain.

We had two tour busses for our shore excursion in Barcelona, and because of our group size and the size of the busses, we had lots of extra room on each bus. On behalf of our guests, we tipped the tour guides and drivers in advance and challenged them to make the tour a memorable one. They did exactly that as we toured Barcelona and stopped for drinks at a local café. It was nice to see our group getting to know each other and exchanging contact information. On the way back to the Eurodam, we dropped many guests off at the Ramblas so they could tour on their own in the afternoon.

For us, one of the highlights was the port of Monte Carlo. The weather was sunny and mild as they made preparations for their annual race event. We reclined on the thermal beds in the spa as we departed Monte Carlo. The view was breathtaking and made us realize that, as soon as we disembarked the next day, we would be ready for our next cruise. I think our entire group felt the same way.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Carnival Freedom


Hi Everyone!


I just returned from an 8-night cruise on the Carnival Freedom. Round trip Fort Lauderdale.


I enjoyed Port Everglades because so many cruise ships are docked amazingly close together. I had a great view of Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis of the Sea. She is on my future cruise list for sure! Leaving port Everglades is like a ship parade as you head out of the channel. Ship by ship.


The ports we visited were Cozumel, Costa Rica and Panama. I chose this cruise both for the desinations and for the cruising days. I enjoyed all 3 destinations but I really enjoyed the sea days because it allows you to get to know your ship, the art work and enjoy the themes represented in the various areas. Also from my balcony I reflect, relax and appreciate how amazing the world is.


As far as Carnival, I am proud to represent Carnival cruise lines to anyone. The Freedom is an excellent clean ship with comfortable bedding. Great all around service, food and presentation. The entertainment was good with a mixture of comedians and singers. The Carnival singers and dancers ended the second formal evening entertainment with a great Beatles Musical entitled “Ticket to Ride “.


The pool areas were a little crowded on at sea days (to be expected) but everyone had ample seating and lounging. I recommend visiting "Serenity” - an adult tanning and lounging area on the Freedom.

When returning early morning on your last morning Freedom must make a complete 360 turn around in the pier and back into her port so vibration using the side motion goes on for a bit.

The picture is the Carnival sister ships Freedom and Liberty docked side by side in Cozumel.

Bon Voyages!

Greg Bennett

Senior Agent

KVI Travel