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Cathy,
Thank you again for all your help booking our Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas family cruise. You are awesome! We are a super satisfied with our reservation.
Appreciate you getting the upgrade at a cheaper price in addition to getting us an onboard credit. We'll be in touch again in a few months with plans for our next couples vacation plans in either January/February. My wife and I thank you again. C-Sizzle -- (I suggest you buy the domain name for this name) is the greatest vacation planner of all vacation planners!! Adios con dios lol. From my family to yours, have a blessed day!
The Reid Family
Bronx, NY
Hi Caroline,
This was the best vacation ever! Air Tahiti Nui was wonderful, Maitai La Pita hotel incredible, we were taken in as family from the owner, manager to the staff...and they put on the most beautiful wedding for us. Ours was the first wedding they had hosted since they opened and it was amazing. Our room over looking the lagoon was just beautiful...we are ready to go back. This hotel is the best on the island...best location and I was told the newest and cleanest...
Thank you for booking us this wonderful/magical trip.
Mari & John
Nipomo, CA
Matthew & Kara's Destination Wedding | RIU Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Hi Sandra!!
Thank you so much for all of your help throughout the planning process. I could not have asked for a more perfect week/ wedding day!!! Excellence Punta Cana was absolutely FABULOUS. It was beautiful, food was delicious (and great options for myself and my other vegan guest without having to ask for specialized meals), rooms were great and hospitality was spot on. Despite all the struggles with having guidance from the resort along the way, the wedding coordinator on site was very helpful and knowledgeable. I loved how the resort was secluded from other resorts- there were no crowds of onlookers during the wedding which was nice. My guests were also blown away and no one had any complaints. For any other brides looking in DR, I highly recommend Excellence- even if it means dealing with the email difficulties. SO you did a great job helping me narrow it down to this resort.
The on site photographer took some pictures as well- they were okay. If you have a future bride debating bringing her own, I recommend it.
Thanks again,
Samantha
Waxhaw, NC
Marjorie,
You made the honeymoon planning process so easy and an absolute delight. Words cannot express the magnitude of our honeymoon experience in Thailand. Our honeymoon kept getting better as the trip progressed - all due to your expert recommendations.
Starting in Bangkok we enjoyed seeing temples, floating markets and going to Sirocco - the skybar seen in Hangover 2. It was nice to come back to our beautiful accommodations at the Royal Orchid Sheraton in Bangkok overlooking the Chao Phraya River - I highly recommend their spa!
Next was beautiful Chiang Mai where we stayed at the impressive Shangri-La. We were enamored with Chiang Mai beautiful landscape, visited local tribes, played with tigers (yes played with tigers!) and our absolute favorite was visiting a elephant conservation camps where we learned to feed, ride and bath rescued elephants.
Lastly, there was Phuket. WOW - absolute luxury, pampering, and relaxation in our villa at the Shore at Katathani. You were right - this was the perfect ending to our honeymoon.
Thanks to you we had the honeymoon that surpassed our dreams. We wouldn't change a thing and we would do it all over again. You'll be hearing from us again to help us plan our one year anniversary trip!
With love,
Brigitte & Joe
Cathy,
I just wanted to let you know Shante and I had a wonderful time in Costa Rica (RIU Palace Costa Rica). We even made some new friends. Thanks again for everything.
Toure Daniels
New York, NY
Hi Nicki!
We had a wonderful vacation at The Reserve @ Paradisus Punta Cana. Flight was great, transportation from airport was timely and check in was flawless. The resort was beautiful as were out suites. The grounds were stunning! Pool side was awesome, staff always around for refills and the same at the beach. There were several restaurants on site. My favorite was hibachi! Yum Lots of seafood, all types of fish, grilled lobster, prawns and sushi. There was a shuttle to get around the resort to shops, restaurants and casinos, which ran often. The Spa was to die for! We visited there twice and the vouchers came in handy! We had a blast! Thank you for another smooth vacation!
Janice Heron & friends
Covington, GA
Hi Cathy,
We wanted to express our gratitude as our trip was everything we expected and more. Our tour guide Gabriella was amazing and literally took us by our hand at all times. The bus driver and other tour guides who met us at the different locations did a job well done.
We felt safe and truly enjoyed our time in Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome) from the flights to the hotels to the exquisite meals and the special visit in each town.
We will definitely use your company again for our next trip and will spread the word as we pleased.
Thank you so much!
Luis & Elbia Lee Vega
Orlando, Fl
Alex & Zenaida Gomez' Destination Wedding | Grand Porto Real, Riviera Maya
Hi Cathy,
We had a WONDERFUL time at the Gran Bahia Principe Coba. It was my second time being on that complex, first at Sian Kaan, but this time I had a whole different experience. It was a little rocky in the beginning (toilet not flushing, room was hot), and I accidentally left my son's pack and play at the airport (lol) but after a couple of days everything was fine. The staff at the hotel did everything they could to accommodate us and to make sure that they fixed the problems we had.
We didn't know that by booking with you that we were apart of the Apple Vacations VIP so we were able to check in to the Premier Lobby at Akumal and we were invited to a bbq exclusively for Apple Vacations travelers which was absolutely wonderful. Mario from Apple Vacations at the Akumal lobby was even able to track down my son's pack and play at the airport and have it delivered to the hotel that Tuesday. He called a few people and sent an email to the airport and worked almost two days to get it back to me and I was ever so grateful for him. My sister was also able to swim with the Dolphins for free. Her and my mom signed up to go see the timeshare and were supposed to have a cart pick them up from our hotel but no one ever came and they were inconvenienced for about an hour but the hotel made it up to her and gave her the swim with the dolphins pass and they didn't have to do the timeshare presentation. So overall we had a great time. Thanks again for setting us up with a wonderful vacation.
Tiffany Stoney
Valdosta, GA
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Cathy,
Thank you so much for all of your meticulous planning to get our family and friends to and from RIU Guanacaste Costa Rica without any issues! Matt and I are still here another day in a sleepy beach town way south of Riu but everyone else made it home happily! So many people were on the same flights and got to get the party started and introductions over with on the plane! Swiss travel did an amazing job picking everyone up and dropping everyone off. Our hanging bridges tour was AMAZING! Carlos was an unbelievable guide and all of my friends loved him. We also used Swiss travel for a boat tour earlier in the week which was amazing as well. Riu is an amazing location for a wedding. Everything that Ivannia did was well-planned and beautiful.
Thank you SO MUCH! You are amazing at your job and I appreciate everything you did for us!
Kara and Matthew
New York, NY
Hi Cathy,
I meant to email you yesterday, but just coming back to work after a week off from work is crazy, so much work to be done! We had an amazing time at the Bahia Principe Riviera Maya and I just want to thank you for all your help! The Bahia resorts were all beautiful! WE LOVED THE AKUMAL! We spent a lot of time there because we were able to use the beach, pool, bars, and buffet! Thank you also for the premier check in, that was also great because we didn't have to wait in line or anything. All the transfers and everything went great. I can't say enough about how fab our vacation was. We will definitely be going back to Mexico and Punta Cana next year for sure through you again! Thank you so much again!! Get ready for next year LOL!
Taylor Devico & friends
Waterbury, CT
Cathy,
Steven and I want to thank you so much for planning this trip for us to the Secrets Wild Orchid, Jamaica. It was heavenly and such an amazing resort, truly brilliant! If you come across any one day deals like that again for any of the Secrets please let me know, as we are hooked to stay there again.
Nadina Kotz
Manitoba, Canada
Tiffany & Richard's Destination Wedding | Barceló Maya, Riviera Maya
Hi Sandra,
First off, let me thank you for all your hard work and everything you've done for our wedding at the Grand Porto Real Resort. The resort was beautiful and the wedding was everything I imagined it to be. All our guests had a great time.
We look forward to working with you in the future, for our future travels.
Thank you
Alex and Zenaida Gomez
Aurora, CO
Hi Cathy,
Just wanted you to know that Mike and I had a fabulous time at the RIU Cancun! Thank you so much for all your help and expertise!! The resort was magnificent and I can't say enough about how breath taking the views were from my suite!!! Thank you so much...everything was phenomenal!!! It was truly hard to get back to the daily routine today :-)
That being said I would like to do business with you again.
Camille Titus
Chicago, IL
Easy Escapes,
Just got back from our dream honeymoon to Moorea / Bora Bora and I could not have imagined booking without Caroline...everything worked out perfectly (besides some scattered tropical showers out of everyone's controls)...and the whole setup was seamless with all of the transfers (by boat/plane/etc.) and all the reservations worked out.
Highly recommend going through Caroline for your Tahiti plans as she proved that she is, in fact, an expert. Even the concierge at the InterContinental greeted us by name saying that Caroline sent us and everything was all set upon check-in. Good Looks Caroline and the rest of the Easy Escapes crew. One last note is that the trip was planned through email alone (lot of trust to put into someone for that kind of money) but it all worked out and if we return to Tahiti, Caroline's in charge.
Thanks!!!
Greg and Lindsay Noymer
White Plains, NY
Easy Escapes,
Beautiful grounds with a great beach and most importantly, it was EXTREMELY clean. Everyone was nice and personable and willing to help at any moment. I would recommend Dreams Villa Magna if you are looking to book a trip to Puerto Vallarta.
Thanks E’lan!
Elise N Robinson
Easy Escapes,
We would just like to thank Caroline Bracewell for planning an amazing trip for us to Bora Bora for our 25th wedding anniversary – it was trip of a lifetime and she planned the whole thing perfectly!
I was a little afraid booking such a huge trip on line, but Caroline walked me through the entire process and someone was there to greet us every step of the trip from airports to resorts , she kept in constant contact with me leading up to the trip and always answered every single question right away and gave great advice as to what to do and not to do on the islands.
We had an amazing time and hope to book again soon for another trip with Caroline – I highly recommended her to all of our friends.
Thank you
Matt & Donna Braun
North Tonawanda, NY
Lynn & Darrin's Destination Wedding | Now Sapphire Riviera
Hi Nicki,
First i want to say thank you for your help with planning my 40th birthday get away at the RIU Palace Antillas Aruba!! I have no complaints at all. The flights were on time and comfortable. The resort had our rooms ready upon arrival. We had an amazing view from our room. The resort had several restaurants to chose from as well as different themed food nights in the buffet restaurant. The staff were all friendly and accommodating and made sure we always had a drink in our hand. The also left a complementary bottle of champagne in the room on my birthday. The swim up bar was a huge bonus!! We took advantage of the tube ride and snorkeling at the resort. We also took the jeep tour around the Island which was a really nice was to learn about Aruba.
The resort was a perfect distance from shops, bars and restaurants (walking distance). We ate at Madame Janette's for my birthday...it was delicious and very romantic inside!! Minus the constant wind the weather was PERFECT!! I would definitely recommend RIU Antillas to anyone looking for an Aruba getaway. We did not get to use the restaurants and other services at RIU palace because in was under construction and scheduled to reopen in mid-July. Again, thank you so much for your help!! I cant wait to vacation again and try another Island!! :)
Jennifer Perez and Robert Coyle
Middletown, NY
As posted on Tripadvisor:
I booked my stay from 6/1-6/7 at the Ocean Blue & Sand in Punta Cana through Apple Vacations via Easy Escapes Travel. My rep Sandra (sandra@easyescapestravel.com) was always very helpful and answered about a gazillion questions that I had. There were also Apple representatives at the airport in Punta Cana and at the hotel. All were very helpful and everything went smoothly. Definitely booking my next trip with Apple and Easy Escapes.
Millie P
New York, NY
Leah & Dwayne's Destination Wedding | Secrets Maroma Beach, Riviera Maya
Hi E'lan,
I would like to express my sincere thanks to you in assisting us in booking our trip (March 2015) to the Now Larimar Punta Cana, Dominincan Republic. We are extremely grateful and pleased with the professional, prompt, and friendly service we received from you. We look forward to referring you and using your services again.
The resort you recommended, NOW Larimar, was beautiful. The staff was very helpful and accommodating. It was great spending time with the family in such a breathtaking location. In summary, our experience was wonderful and will be unforgettable.
Thanks again,
Haydee Pabey & family
New York City
E'lan --
The following are comments regarding our vacation at Gran Bahia Principe Jamaica. Transportation to and from the resort was comfortable and prompt -- no problems with the voucher that you had provided. The resort was very impressive - building exteriors appeared well-maintained and clean. Based upon online reviews that I had read, I had contacted the reservations department to request a unit with a view of the water on the top floor of Building 16, 17 or 18 -- the unit assigned to us (16-514) on our arrival was as requested.
Since we arrived about 2 hours before check-in time, we were invited to store our luggage and have lunch in the grand buffet and return for check-in at 3 PM. The buffet was fabulous - tremendous variety of items and very high quality. Only down side was the noise level with several hundred people there at the same time. Staff was pleasant and friendly - in fact on all return visits to the grand buffet for breakfast and lunch we requested being seated in the area assigned to a delightful young woman server named Deon. She took excellent care of us every time. Deon did not work dinner shifts.
The length of our stay there (11 nights) entitled us to 5 dinners at the resort's 5 ala carte specialty restaurants, all of which were very enjoyable although portions were on the small side; we more than made up for that at buffet dinners the other 6 nights !!!
Housekeeping and room maintenance were problems. On 5 or 6 days during our stay hand towels were unavailable; the toilet required plunging on almost a daily basis; and the AC fan was noisy and had to be turned down as low as possible. A shower head that sprayed water all over the bathroom was replaced very quickly after I complained. The resort's grounds are very well maintained and attractive; the pool is gigantic and we were able to locate ourselves in a quiet area away from the loud boom-box music. Of course, it was necessary for me to get out every morning at 6 AM to stake out our spot !! Parts of the beach are not too enjoyable -- lots of pebbles and stones rather than sand. Better beach area required a further walk from the pool. It was also necessary to stake out a spot very early in the morning if you wanted to spend the day at the sandy part of the beach. Snack bar at the beach offered a limited but adequate buffet lunch.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the resort at 9 -- lots of pluses and very few minuses (room housekeeping and maintenance). Many thanks to you for your help in setting this up for us; we certainly hope that we can stay healthy and be able arrange another vacation with you in the future.
Regards,
Michael B. Rodell, Ph.D.
Bala Cynwyd, PA.
Cathy,
I worked with Caroline to plan my honeymoon travels to the French Polynesian islands (Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora). Caroline was very helpful throughout the booking stages, activity planning and the execution of the trip. First, in the booking stages, Caroline did a thorough job teaching me about the islands I selected to visit and walking me through the different opportunities I had. I honestly had very limited knowledge of the French Polynesian islands, other than the stunning views, so it was helpful to learn more about tourism in that area and the resorts I could stay at. Caroline tailored many different packages to the specifications I was looking for and the price range I had in mind. After a few conversations, I was excited to confidently select and book my trip!
Caroline's assistance did not stop there, however. She was available both during regular business hours and thereafter to field questions and help plan excursions. Caroline had great suggestions for things to do and also offered tips for travelling in the French Polynesian islands. She went above the call of duty to ensure we had an incredible honeymoon. One example in particular, Caroline knew that we were staying at Intercontinental hotels during our trip and recommended we become a member of their rewards program. It came with a cost, but we more than recouped the cost with the benefits received and appreciated the upgraded attention. Finally, during our trip Caroline responded timely to a couple inquiries we had. However, we had very few questions because our travel plan was executed seamlessly. It was the perfect way to enjoy a honeymoon after planning tirelessly for a wedding. We simply had to show up at the times we determined and our transportation and vendors were waiting for us as planned. For not knowing the terrain and culture of our destination, Caroline's detailed planning made our navigation painless and thoughtless. Our logistics turned out to be very simple which was just what we needed. We had an incredible honeymoon.
Thank you Caroline! I will definitely recommend your service!
Take care,
Joel + Katie Macholan
Chicago, IL
Sandra,
We had a blast at the Majestic Elegance in Punta Cana. The resort was beautiful!
Thank you so much for everything!
Anna Ray
Atlanta, GA
Hi E'lan,
Attached is our group picture! Thank you again SO much for all of your help and we had a FANTASTIC TIME AND TRIP to the Emerald Isles Resort in Pensacola, Florida!!! :)
Jen Easley
Nicki,
Thank you again Nicki for arranging such a wonderful girls trip to the Paradisus Palma Real! From the moment we boarded the plane, it was smooth sailing! It's a relief to be able to book a trip and not worry. Thanks again for a job well done. Until next time!
Janice Heron
New York, NY
Cathy,
Thank you so much for planning my Caribbean vacations over the years. I trust and respect your opinions/options for my travels, and you ALWAYS provide me with prompt and absolutely the best service. Hopefully in the near future we will finally meet, and would love to take you to lunch or dinner.
Best,
Vynette Valentine-Newman
New York, NY
Easy Escapes,
I just want to take the time out to thank you for an amazing vacation to the Paradisus Palma Real (Punta Cana) that you put together for our girls trip. The resort was clean, and the staff was very professional. I will be contacting you again for my next vacation. God bless and thanks again.
Jamila Sargent
New York, NY
Hello,
I wanted to take a few minutes to provide some feedback on the amazing work that Cathy Sanchez did for me. She is truly a professional and no doubt the main reason why I plan on working with Easy Escapes in the future. We had a large group of people traveling to the Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun for my wedding and Cathy was with us every step of the way. Having people travel from different parts of the world further complicated things but Cathy took charge and seamlessly coordinated the entire trip. In the end the wedding and trip were a huge success. Thanks so much Cathy for your help!!
Sincerely,
Jhonny Q.Ossining, NY
Hi Cathy,
How are you? I'm sitting here reflecting on my last vacay and thinking how badly I need another vacation.
My trip to Cancun was amazing! I seriously did not want to come back. The RIU Palace Peninsula is definitely highly recommended. Upon check-in, we advised the front desk clerk that we were both there to celebrate our birthdays and received a courtesy upgrade. We were upgraded to a lovely corner suite ocean front room, which had a huge balcony with stunning views.
The food at the hotel was excellent - the buffet and onsite restaurants were exceptional. The staff and service were great and the amenities at the hotel were all impressive.
We felt 100% safe and received a warm welcome everywhere we went. We didn't get to do any of the local tours/excursions as Krystle was less interested in the adventures. However, we did go off the resort to party at Coco Bongos one night and at Daddy's O another night.
Cancun was my best vacay by far. I would definitely go back. Maybe check out your fave Riviera Maya location next trip. I'm still undecided where I would like to go for my birthday this year. Once I have narrowed it down, you'll be the first to know.
Thank you so much. You Rock!
Regards
Charlene Strachan
Brooklyn, NY
Easy Escapes,
Cathy was incredibly amazing while booking all the travel for our destination wedding at the Barcelo Colonial/Tropical resort in the Riviera Maya, Mexico! We had people coming from all parts of the country (LA, Georgia, Boston, Chicago) and she coordinated everyone's trip without a hitch. She even dealt with my procrastinating last minute guests without a complaint and with total ease. If that wasn't enough, she even handled a challenging guest all while with patience and grace (whereas I would've quit!).
Planning a destination wedding can be stressful for some because lots of things are out of your hands. However, I did not even have to think about my guests' travel plans/itineraries because Cathy handled everything which made things 100% easier. Her promptness in responding is nothing but great, and I cannot even count the number of times I e-mailed her with questions, yet I got a quick reply to all. I cannot express how much she is an asset to your travel plans, and I will never book a tropical trip without her again. In fact, we are already planning our next trip with her! I have already referred her to many friends and will continue to do so. DO NOT hesitate to contact her!
Tiffany & Richard
Brockton, MA
Cathy, Sandra & Marjorie,
You made all our wedding dreams come true at the Secrets Maroma Beach. With Marjorie leading the team not only were you an absolute blessing to me through the process with patience and expertise you also took great care of each guest.
With a wedding of 70 people Easy Escapes seamlessly made sure that everyone was taken care of. When issues came up (as they will in life) you worked with me to find creative solutions which made all the difference.
Leah & Dwayne
New York, NY
Cathy,
I just wanted to send you a quick thanks for your help in planning this trip! We had a fabulous time! We ended up at Dreams Punta Cana (which wasn't a huge surprise with the mystery deal) and we loved the service, food, and atmosphere! Everything went very smoothly with no problems at all. :)
Thank you for your suggestions and help in putting together this package!
Sincerely,
Meredith Slaten
Wilmington, DE
Hi Cathy,
We had a wonderful time in Cabo and the RIU Palace Los Cabos was amazing. The food was great, drink selection was awesome and top shelf items were included at no extra charge, and it was simple to make reservations for dinner. The resort was very clean and we never had to wait for anything. The beach was great. We loved how low key and calm it was compared to Cancun.
Thank you so much for all your help we had an amazing honeymoon thanks to you!
Ben & Lisa McCollum
Orlando, FL
Easy Escapes,
I would like to take the time to thank my travel agent and dear sister Elan Barron Henry for booking the best vacation we had in years. The Grand Lido Negril was awesome. We are definitely going back again....the time was well spent never a dull moment all.
Laughs smiles and lots of love!!
Love Myra & Jaison B.
Hello E'lan,
Just wanted to say Thank you. Great experience from the beginning. The RIU Santa Fe Resort Los Cabos was wonderful and the staff was excellent. When I stayed I was overwhelmed by the fullness of the all inclusive open bar lol. The excursions were great and the view of the rooms were fabulous.
Jason, Kelli, Jermaine & Sherri
Houston, TX
Cathy,
Thank you so much for everything you did for us and our guests. Everything came out amazing and we were so happy with all the extras we were able to have for our special day at the Royalton White Sands, Jamaica!
Kristina & Peter Cordero
New York, NY
Chrysta & Scott Klaczyk's Destination Wedding | Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun
Easy Escapes,
I recently worked with Sandra Cabral to find our venue for our destination wedding at the Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun, and to coordinate our travel along with all of our guests travel. She was AMAZING! From the beginning she helped me determine which venue would be best for our needs, answered all communication promptly and gave me tips on how to save money and get exactly what I was looking for. We will recommend her to everyone, and we will continue to use her in our other travel needs and all of our guests loved her too!
We will definitely be using Apple/Easy Escapes in the future. We were talking this morning about our next group vacation and will be contacting Sandra soon!
Thanks again!
Chrysta & Scott Klaczyk
Escondido CA
Hi Sandra!
I am finally back to work and settling in. The Now Sapphire did an amazing job! It was perfect. The service was great! I have zero complaints. A lot of the guests have been to quite a few all inclusive resorts. We all said the same thing, we always have a good time but don't necessarily need to go back to the hotel. That wasn't the case at this hotel. It was excellent!
Thank you for the recommendation.
Lynn & Darin
Hey Caroline,
Been busy since we have been home. So here is a little blurb (which turned into a long blurb) about our honeymoon. Flights - great no complaints. No delays. All was good. We first get to Rendezvous St. Lucia and it was good. There were not a lot of people around which made me wonder. Even the first day and night we wondered how it was going to be, whether we were going to be one couple of a small group who would be drinking having a good time. This soon went away with the realization that this place had spaces everywhere for you to be with your wife/husband. The hesitation was short lived. We loved the place.
The food was excellent. We never got sick or felt uneasy as a result of the food or water. The only issue was it was to good and sometimes we overate. The buffet was great. They only had 2 restaurants at the resort. The buffet which was your everyday breakfast and lunch and then they had the buffet and the reservation place for dinner. Good thing we had you book reservations for us before we came down because we heard people complaining that they could not get in the nice restaurant because it was booked every night.........they only took like 20 reservations per night. We only went the 2 nights that we had you reserve, but it was very good. They had a guitar player in there playing each night. The drinks - well similar everywhere I am sure. There were no restrictions except you could get some wine that was not "included" however we never really ran into an issue with it. One time we ordered a sauvignon blanc which was not included, but whatever. We drank a lot of everything, including Champagne. They had a main terrace bar overlooking the ocean and then had a "Champagne bar" which was small but we met friends there and often went there after dinner for drinks. They had a piano player in there each night. On the terrace, there was always nightly activity, mainly dancing.
The "sunset cruise" trip that we had you book for us we would recommend to everyone. This thing was amazing and here is why - the CREW was SPECTACULAR. They were so energetic and happy. Always smiling, always talking to you and taking pictures for you. They were great. The snorkel experience was good too. We did another one as well - the snorkeling portion was a lot better on the one you booked for us. The one you booked for us, we left at like 1pm (they picked us up) and took us to a marina which was close. We took a 2 hour boat ride to the pitons (big mountains on the island) and snorkeled between them. On the way home (2 hour ride back). They made everyone come inside the cabin and literally turned it into a dance party with a lot of throwback hip hop songs and then their own local stuff (of course there was some Shaggy played). They taught us some simple group dancing to do and fed us booze. Everyone loved it, including Jen and I. Again, the guides were amazing. We did do another trip. It was an all day land and sea tour. We went through towns with some stops checking out certain areas. We stopped at the botanical gardens, the natural mud spa, and then snorkeled. This was awesome as well. Our guide was really good here too. It was just a little different experience. We were still fed booze and stuff and met friends but there was no dancing and what not like the first one. The mud spa felt awesome. The natural spring we got in was so hot it took like 5 minutes + just to get in because it stung. It was cool. There were a ton of British at our resort. It was fine and we met some couples that we really liked. Advice to everyone - do the events at the hotel because that is how you meet people. Do the events early in the week as well so you have friends for your whole stay. We met some great British folk but of course some of them were quite snooty as well. A lot of them fit their stereotype. But whatever, you learn to ignore those types quick. We played volleyball, boche ball, water skied, and did a lot of dancing.
The weather was fine. First 2 days were cloudy and rainy but not all day, just spurts. In fact I think it rained everyday. The island was basically a rain forest. There was so much vegetation - which made eating fruit for snacks so great because it was all locally grown. It rained for like 5-10 minutes (downpour usually) and then the sun would be out 5 minutes later. It was hot and kind of muggy sometimes, especially at night. Our room was great. The only thing that took me a little bit to get used to - there was no TV. It was a really, really romantic resort. I was a little hesitant at first because that really isn't me. I am a people person. Love to be around others, but it turned out that we had everything we wanted. We met people but still had so much privacy. You never had to fight over a beach chair. There were always plenty. And the beach is public - locals would run by, but really for the most part, they never bothered you. They always said hi and were on there way. There was only 1 instance where this guy wanted me to buy a wood turtle. He almost had me but finally I was like this thing is pointless, what the hell am I going to do with a coconut turtle. They also had a bunch or ruby turtles for sale around the island but we never bought one because again, what are we going to do with this thing??? Throw it in the garbage probably. Anyways, there were little romantic getaways all over the resort. You had as much or as little privacy as you wanted. We got multiple massages - they were great but we really like these things. Tell people not to be shy, just give it a shot. All honeymooners got one free 50 minute rub. Some people we talked to were hesitant. After talking them all into it, everyone thanked us and said it was great. We had a great time. 8 nights was perfect. We were sad to leave but it was time. I really think 8 was the right number. The first day you get there kind of late so the extra day makes up for it.
One more thing, tell people to check in ~24 hours before your flight and make sure to get your seats. The flight there we could not pick seats because I did not check in early enough, but the flight back we could. It just saves a little stress. Ohh and the island was safe. We did not feel like we were ever at risk. I felt like we would have been safe walking through the city just the two of us. Caroline, you were very helpful booking everything for us. I do want to thank you for your work. More importantly, I want to thank you for your responsiveness. I had quite a few questions and you always got back to me VERY promptly which really eased my nerves in a period of high stress. You made reservations for us and fulfilled our every need. Thank you very much and I will keep you in mind for the future...........Say 5 year anniversary?? Ha ha. Seriously thanks. Let me know if there is anything else that you want from me. I wrote you this long elaborate email so that it could help you serve others better. I would be more than happy to answer any other questions that you may have.
Troy F. Dailey
Sandra,
I would like to take this moment to thank you very much for all your excellent service. From day one you have provided excellent customer service to our boys trip which it will be from May 16th to 19th in the Dominican Republic in Riu Merengue, Puerto Plata. I want to also thank Easy Escapes Travel for having people like Sandra providing excellent customer service to their customers. I will highly recommend your company to anyone who is planning a group trip especially Sandra to take care of their reservation, because I am totally satisfied for the way Sandra had treated us with some of the crazy changes that usually comes along in a group trip with addition and cancelation at last minute. But in that sense Sandra was very kind and patient in saying to us " that's not a problem I will take care of it".
Sandra, there is no words again to say thank you for your awesome customer service in taking care of our boys trip. Have a nice day. Hope to do business with you again in the future.
Sincerely,
Elvis De Jesus
Perth Amboy, NJ