Arrival and Flight:
The flight was fine, but having to go to Montreal to pick up passengers almost doubled the length of our trip and was a real turn-off, we could have flown to Cuba in that extra time. Check in was quick and easy, but do yourself a favour and pay the extra few bucks and pre-book your seats, especially if you’re tall like me and want an aisle seat because Air Transat really packs you in, and demanding you to check in 3 hours early is bullshit !!! They feed you on the plane(unlike AC), but it would be nice if it were at least edible, as my egg thingy was revolting…
Rooms:
Our room was clean enough but it was 25+ year old and in need of updating. Our toilet didn’t work very well, we never had hot water and the water pressure was a joke if others showered at the same time. You cannot drink the tap water, and that can be a real pain when you’re brushing your teeth. Our bed was old, creaky and rock hard and the pillows a waste of time, but at least the sheets were usually clean. The electricity failed a lot while we were there, but it wasn’t that big a deal, but if you have a problem with ants, bugs and lizards in your room, be prepared to get creeped out. There are also no elevators anywhere so if you have mobility issues, ask for a ground floor room. Despite all that, it was still okay I guess.
Restaurants:
Overall the food quality was very disappointing, average at best, so stick to things they don’t can’t screw with, things like fruits, eggs, pancakes, salads etc. The seafood was the most disappointing, they are on island, you’d think they could cook it well, but during our time, that wasn’t the case. I tried seafood at every meal and it was overcooked and over salted. You need to book your meals for every meal that’s not at the buffet, so remember to do that, pain in the ass that that is. Regulars to the island say the drop in food quality this year is because they have no supplies as the supply boat is on a reef, but that sounds like bullshit. They are cutting costs by lowering the quality of their food and cutting trained staff and that will come back to bite them.
Bars:
The bars are fine, but don’t expect too much. The house wines must be very cheap because they are disgusting and almost undrinkable, this despite their close proximity to Chile and Argentina and that is unforgivable. The spirits are the cheapest possible brands, and while it doesn’t make much difference in a pina coloda, don’t ask for a scotch and soda, stick to the local beer (Aguila) and Bloody Mary’s.
Beach and Pools:
No complaints here, very clean, very nice, free kayaks to use, free windsurfing stuff, but be sure to use water shoes
Grounds:
Same as the pool, very clean, very nice, well maintained
Activities and Entertainment:
It’s the same usual lame stuff we’re all done before, so you take it for what it is. The disco is dud, but the who goes there anyway?. Internet is now in the hotel itself, but there is no wireless networks for my IPhone to access.
Tours:
You have to do the Zip line, it’s great fun and only about $20.00 plus taxis, and you should swim with the rays, we loved that, most of the other tours and things didn’t interest us much.
Departure and Check Out:
Very quick and easy, you can tell they do this a lot, but we cautious of the cabbies, they think nothing of screwing you.
Conclusion: Overall, we would say it was 6 out of 10, average, and anyone who gives them even 3 stars is crazy. The food was average, the room was average, the wines average and the drinks average. We will not be returning, not because it was that bad, but because it was only average, and there are lots of other places to see rather then go back there again. We might go back if we knew a few things had changed: 1. Bring back the resort shuttle. We ended up spending another $100.00US in cabs and buses and raises the total cost of this trip to the same as Mexico would have been. It’s a small thing you might think, but it was a big thing when there trying to get around a strange place at night and cutting it is a stupid idea. 2. Raise the quality of your food and spirits. I know it costs more, but we paid $2500 to visit and we will not be back because of the quality, we can go to back to Cuba for the same money and get FAR better food and drinks. We know they have cost issues, but they need to do better to compete for our money and get us back. 3. Update the resorts, especially the Marazul. The place is 25+ yrs old and it has barely been touched, and that’s not good enough anymore when Mexico and Cuba have new places that are aggressively chasing my money with newer hotels and facilities. 4. Get some infrastructure!!. I know this a national thing, but getting CO2 poisoning from my cabs and buses is hardly an incentive to come back.
One final note is that we were happy to be ourselves and be openly "out" in public, and that’s not always the case, but even with that, they will have to do better with everything else if they want us, and our money back.