Cheap Caribbean | Testimonials

22491131195231411/20/08 11:44:40 AMDear Cheap Caribbean: I wanted to send a quick note to thank you for your help with my recent vacation, booked through you guys. When I arrived at the El Rio in Puerto Rico, they didn't have the room we booked, and were generally unhelpful. I called the 800 number, and (I wish I could remember her name) one your agents heard what was happening, and kept me on hold while she phoned the hotel. With her assistance, everything was worked out. We had a wonderful vacation, that truly exceeded our expectations. We have already recommended Cheap Caribbean to our friends, and told them about our wonderful trip. We will always check with you first for upcoming travel. Thank you again - Sara Levin and John Santalone231311/17/08 4:06:52 PMCaribbean Jim. I am taking this opportunity to tell you what a glorious and outstanding time that my wife and I had staying at Gran Melia PR last week. Their General Manager and staff made our honeymoon celebration one that will live forever in our minds. They are all true professionals. The Gran Melia Resort is like a fantasyland. The level of customer service that we were provided was higher than anything we have ever experienced before. We found that every person we encountered from the Royal Service Staff down to the lawn maintenance staff all were polite and pleasant and regularly asked if we were enjoying our stay and if there was anything they could do for us. Our butlers, housekeeping, and wait staff were all friendly people who were attentive to our every need. The landscaping and the physical structure of the resort made every day special and exotic for us. The weather was perfect also. This is a wonderful resort and we wanted you to know that our stay was very special. While some blogs have bogus information meant to alarm potential users, we found that information was all false and not accurate at all. This Resort is 5 Star all the way and should be recommended to anyone who wants a great stay in PR. Please tell everyone this about Gran Melia Puerto Rico. Thanks. Sincerely, Gary Dunham231211/11/08 10:05:33 AMI got back from my vacation to Cabo a few weeks ago and I sincerely wish I was still there! I tend to head for the sunniest beach I can afford at least once a year, and thanks to your site, I will now be able to afford a much longer stay! Can't believe the price you offered... as you said, I shopped around and it couldn't be beat. I called my order in, and your staff was helpful, pleasant, and all-around fun to talk to. My trip was amazing, with everything being as promised, and I keep thinking I may be able to do this twice a year now! Thank you SO much. -Andi231111/11/08 10:04:40 AMI may be a bit on the loony side but, I was never so happy to see a rainbow after one of the most torrential rain fall. Oh, the beaches are unbelievable inviting. And, on your visit to Barbados you must do the Fish-Fry thing, It is the BOMB!231011/11/08 10:03:28 AMWe recently returned from a lovely week's stay at Secrets Maroma Beach and had a fabulous time. We were six people ranging in age from late 30's to early 70's.Arrival: After surviving the drive in on the bumpy, unpaved road (a bit discouraging) we were greeted with the customary "welcome home" and glass of champagne. The check in process took all of ten minutes. Our rooms were not ready (it was only 1 p.m.) so we had lunch, came back and two of the three rooms were ready. It took another hour for the third room to be ready. Not a big deal. Having asked for three rooms near each other, they obliged and we were in the same building one floor apart from each other. We were able to talk to each other out on the balcony. It was fine.Rooms:The rooms are beautiful. The king-sized bed was glorious and the hot tub and shower both accommodated two people very comfortably. The room contains a very large wall unit with his and her closets, drawers and ample room on each side for shoes, etc. A few complaints: there was a leak over the hot tub with water coming through the light fixture, a broken screen and lastly, cigarette butts from the previous occupant were left on the balcony. One phone call to housekeeping and the aforementioned was corrected, except for the screen, which was never repaired.Pools:There are two pools, one including the swim-up bar, and the other the infinity pool. Both were quite beautiful. However, the two reflection pools (for lack of better word) were only about 6 in. deep and a total waste of space. The brown, terracotta-tiled pools were not very attractive; again, our opinion. How beautiful it would have been to have a third "quiet" pool. While we were there the lounges around this "pool" were rarely used.Restaurants:Having been previous owners of two Italian restaurants in the New York City area, we were a tough party to please. However, the Italian restaurant did a very good job and we dined there three of the seven nights. The French was not to our liking and the Japanese was alright but not worth the two hours it took to be served. The two dinner buffets (in the World Cafe) were just mediocre. The breakfast and lunch buffets (also in the World Cafe) were phenomenal. The breakfast buffet was one of the best we have ever had. The breakfast buffet boasted mimosas, a fruit smoothie bar and made-to-order crepes and the best freshly-made waffles we had ever eaten. We visited the Seaside Grill for lunch on the last day and it was excellent. We were skeptical to try it for dinner with the very bad mosquito issue. The first night we were basically attacked and were never brave enough to try and eat outdoors at dinnertime. One note: the portions at the ala carte restaurants tend to be small, but just ask for a double portion and they will gladly bring it to you. Also, if you do not like something on the menu and would like a variation, they will gladly make exactly what you want. The service was exemplary.Lobby:Having stayed at The Grand last year, the lobby at SMB was a very warm and welcome change. The ambiance was very inviting; there were very comfortable couches and dimmed lighting, setting the romantic tone to enjoy the live nightly entertainment. It is truly one of the prime localities at SMB. Beach/Activities:The beach was the highlight of our trip. The soft, powdery sand on the beach and into the ocean for as far as you can walk out, was magnificent. It is truly the location that makes SMB quite memorable. Our daily walks on the beach will be missed. There are plenty of lounges and palapas. We enjoyed volleyball and horseshoes on the beach and participated in dance lessons and attended a cooking class both offered around the pool. The entertainment staff was exceptional.A Few Negatives:We were there for the official opening with many VIP's and "suits" in attendance. The pool was reserved for the private function half the day. Due to inclement weather, the affair was then moved to the theater. When the scheduled show was slated to begin, we had to wait for the private function in the theater to clear out and found that most of the comfortable chairs were removed. We had to sit at the bar or stand. However, just about when the show was to begin, they started to bring in plastic chairs for seating. A funny thing that evening was the entire path to the theater had citronella candles which lined the walkway to combat the mosquitoes, apparently for the VIP's. Our question: if this resort has such a mosquito problem during this season, WHY not have the citronella candles illuminated every evening for all its paying guests. We never saw the candles after that evening. Just an observation.Also, on the beach daily were grilled angus hamburgers, franks, chicken and salmon. During our stay one day there were tuna steaks being grilled. My husband asked for one but was turned down and told that the tuna is only for the "bosses". Not a good answer. The tuna should have been grilled elsewhere and not in front of the guests if it was not for our consumption.Overall, we had a very enjoyable stay and the general manager and the entire staff should be commended on their impeccable service. Sandra was our concierge and made our stay very special and always with a smile on her face!THANK YOU.THERESA LO BIANCO230911/11/08 9:42:57 AMthis was a great vacation. the hotel was great close to everything .food was really good loved the beaches only thing international bazzar is not what it use to be and should be updated in their booklets we spend money on taxis and it was not worth it only 5 to 6 shops open.230811/11/08 9:40:56 AMI have to report that all of our reservations went like clock work with no problems. and I want to thank you for that. The only problem my wife and I encountered at the Oasis Hamaca was our first room it was terrible. we refused to stay there. They moved us to another room with no problem, it was much better than the first one. I had sent two e-mails to the Oasis several weeks before our arrival for a room upgrade but I never received a response. On our third day at the Oasis i was able to upgrade to the sixth floor of the main building. from that time on everything was GREAT even though it cost me another $140.00 So. All in All it was a pretty good trip230711/11/08 9:40:14 AMWe spent 5 days and 4 nights at the Secrets Maroma resort in Cancun/Riviera Mya in October 2008. The resort was obviously still new with many of the bugs not worked out. The fridge in our room did not work the entire time we were there. We were missing an ironing board, scale and radio in our room when we checked in. Several times when we asked for drinks with top shelf liquor the bartender made it with rail liquor and then acted like he didn't understand us when we questioned him on it. We learned which bartenders were good and stayed away from the others. The food was good, but not great. The mexican resturant was a disappointment with none of the authentic mexican dishes on the menu we expected. The food was good, just not authentic mexican. Overall the resort was very nice and the service was great. We loved the 24-hour room service and the swim-up pool was fabulous. The beach was nice and the towl service was excellent. We would definitely recommend the Secrets Maroma, but would try another resort rather than going back to that specific one. James and Yvonne Boehme230611/11/08 9:39:18 AMWe recently returned from a stay from the new Secrets Marona in the Maya Riveria from October 23rd through the 30th. A few tips for folks considering this property:1) It is new and beautiful, but being a new property, the staff is also new with English clearly being their second language. Provided you do not make or ask for any modifications to room amenities, in-room dining selections or drinks served in the bar you are sure to have exactly what you ordered. However, if you would like say, a hamburger without onion. Dont expect it to actually arrive without the onion. 50% of the time the person taking your request has no idea what you are saying. As the resort grows and language barriers become fewer, this will diminish.2) Get to the beach or pool EARLY to reserve chairs. We traveled in the off season and a vast majority of pool and beach chairs were already reserved well before 7:00 a.m.3) Be prepared for mosquitos. They definitely have a population large enough to carry away a large body. Because of the restrictions around the property they cannot fog/spray nightly for bugs like they can in resorts in Jamaica or Punta Cana. While the room amenities include Bug Spray, I would highly recommend bringing a can of deep wood OFF to deter both the mosquitoes and the flies. It works like a charm and made the bugs a non-issue during our stay.4) Overall great property with a great deal of potential. They are still immature primarily on the service side. However, as with any Secrets property, I have little doubt they will quickly grow to elite status among honeymooners and adult couples in the years to come.5) Finally, Olympus Tours that really served as the on-site representative for CheapCaribbean.com did a great job in assisting us with all our needs, whether it be the best way to travel to Playa del Carmen or to resolve room issues. Nice job!Elizabeth Woodall230511/11/08 9:37:12 AMThis was the most romantic please we have been to as a couple. The Majestic Colonial was a recommendation from our CheapCaribbean.com consultant and we were very happy we listened. Thank you again for a wonderful week.230411/11/08 9:36:09 AMNovember 10, 2008 I just completed my fourth vacation with Cheapcaribbean.com since May of 2007. We just returned from the grand opening of Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun and I am now planning my next vacation with Cheapcaribbean.com. We had a blast. This was the best vacation that I have ever had and I travel for pleasure extensively. Cheapcaribbean.com has always exceeded my expectations. This resort is so fantastic, that we canceled a trip to Chichen Itza, lost our deposit, and stayed on the resort property. Most of the other guest that we met did the same. I have been to Cancun four times using my friends time share properties. This is the only vacation where I did not leave the resort. The room had two full sized beds as per our request. The extremely clean bathroom had a Jacuzzi tub. The decorations were so luxurious and comfortable that is was hard to leave the room for the beach and I am a beach bunny. The couch on the balcony was covered with several cushions for our comfort. The hotel has seven restaurants, and a beach bar. Unlike other resorts that we have visited, there were no advance reservations required for the specialty restaurants. There were two large pools. One heated artificially and one heated by the sun. The service was off of the chain. The miles long beach was beautiful, clean and safe. I did not find a spot where I could safely swim in the water, but, I could play in the water up to my waist. For those who do not like the beach, the resort offers a long list of activities and a rainy day program. Besides the usual bingo, billiards, chess in a wading pool and aerobics activities by and in the pool, this hotel had cooking demonstrations, paint your own pottery and other activities too numerous to list here. Also, there was none of that loud, thumping music that most resorts pump by the pool all day and in to the night. Because this was an all adult, all inclusive resort, the entire resort was blessedly quiet. The evening entertainment was fun and encouraged audience participation without being intrusive. The disco was fun and the music was not too loud. The disco was located far enough away from the rooms that the music did not disturb guest after we left the party. A real salsa band played Wednesday night and I danced until my feet hurt. I can not wait until Cheapcaribbean.com offers another special for this resort. Many of my friends who have traveled with me in the past to other locations, and my companion on this trip said that they want to go with me to Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun as soon as is possible.230311/11/08 9:35:14 AMThe customer service that I experienced at CheapCaribbean.com was extraordinary. I booked two different packages for two people (and one trip) and CheapCaribbean.com made sure that we had seats together on all flights. When several of our flights were delayed due to equipment failures, CheapCaribbean.com notified our airport shuttle service about our situation. Our shuttle was waiting for us at the airport after a 5 hour delay. I will use CheapCaribbean.com as a standard for which I will compare all future travel agencies.My only regret is that my trip was only 4 days.Sherry230211/11/08 9:34:32 AMWe booked our reservations from you guys and the staff was very helpful in getting what we wanted out of our vacation. My wife and I have never had a chance to really have a vacation just for us, and this did it for us. We had a wonderful time in Cancun, and Moon Palace is a great place to stay. Thanks for your help.230111/07/08 10:44:27 AMWe just returned from 5 days / 4 nights in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We stayed at the Riu All Inclusive Resort. We never left the resort. It is a beautiful resort with two large swimming pools with swim up bars. Very clean and well maintained. The only money we spent while in Jamaica was at the airport as we were departing. The airport is like a mall and the best part is it is after you get through immigration/security/etc.Rather impressive. We bought a small bag of Blue Mountain coffee and a CD by a local reggae artist, Da Ville. He is very popular on the island.The mall also had the bobsled and photos of the real, Olympian Jamaica Bob Sled team. One of my favorite movies is about this bobsled team, Cool Runnings. The team is back in training to return to the Winter Olympics.This was my husbands first time at all inclusive resort. We danced until 2AM in the disco on my birthday. The resort has bottles of alcohol in your room and mixers in the fridge. Everyone was doing shots and drinking colorful drinks theyve never heard of before. The staff was very friendly, especially the bartenders who are very skilled and entertaining - throwing things in the air, making cocktails on their heads, etc. We met a lot of nice people with whom we dined, partied and hope to remain in touch with.We had a great time at the resort however we would not stay there again for the following reasons: Breakfast and lunch are buffet only and the food quality was subpar. You have to get in line each night for a reservation for dinner the following night. This means you have to stop whatever you are doing each day at 4:40PM to get line for 30-45 minutes of your precious vacation time and often could not get the restaurant or time slot you sought. If you didnt get in line on time back to the buffet you go for dinner.Our experience using CheapCaribbean.com was a very positive one. We arranged for the resort and transportation to and from the resort and everything went smoothly.230011/07/08 10:42:31 AMOur group had a wonderful time at this new resort. The rooms were very spacious and well equipted with a jazuzzi and flat screen tv and refrigerator. The food was good with several dining choices. This is a very large resort that is spread out. The complex has over 40 separate three story villas with approximately 32 units per villa. It can be a long walk to activities if you are in one of the villas on the ends of the resort.229911/07/08 10:42:14 AMWe truely enjoyed my stay at this hotel. The price was very right and the flight was prompt and very nice. We would definetly recommend CheapCaribbean.com to all my friends and anyone we know, that likes to travel. Thanks very much for your package offer229811/07/08 10:41:50 AMJust got back from a wonderful stay at the Beach Club Colony in GrandCayman...everything went off with no problems. Great stay....everythingwas as if we had our own tour guide with us.Thank you so much. Rick and Patty Hires229711/05/08 1:08:19 PMMy wife and I went to Barbados via Cheapcaribbean.com and had an excellent time. The affordable price offered by Cheapcaribbean.com was just something we could not pass up. We have gone on other vacations with this enterprise and have never been disappointed. Barbados was a wonderful island that we grew to love. The hotel where we stayed was just as advertised by your site and the information provided prior to the trip was both valuable and comprehensive. I took your survey after we returned and the last question asked was what we would change to improve the trip experience. After thinking about it for a few minutes I ultimately left it blank because there was nothing cheapcaribbean.com could have done that they didn't already do. I will absolutely use your services again and recommend them to my friends (as I already have given the site out to several people). Thanks again Greg and Rebecca McKee229611/05/08 1:03:30 PMMy husband & I just returned from 5 nights at the Wyndham Sugar Bay in St. Thomas. Since we were attending our daughter's wedding, we wanted travel to be as hassle free as possible. Cheap Caribbean certainly helped us meet that goal.We opted for shuttle arrangements from the airport to the hotel. We arrived about 9pm & were transported to the hotel promptly. It was easy to find our shuttle & our name was already listed. The vouchers that I printed from the reservations were all I needed for the hotel. At the suggestion of the front desk, we were moved to a king bed with a view of the water ( something I had not planned to encounter) There was no additional charge for this. I was issued our 20% discount card which we used extensively at all the on site restaurants. The staff was cordial & polite. We had no problems. The service, as compared to our daughter's "all inclusive plan", seemed to be the same. The trip back to the airport was without incident. I would definitely use CheapCaribbean.com again. Thank you for you assistance, Kenyann & Charles Lucas229411/05/08 1:01:41 PMwe had a wonderful time. my only regret was, i didn't book a longer stay. the food was excellent and the staff couldn;t have been nicer. i plan to return next fall.we all felt it deserved a better raring than 3 stars.al consalvi