SunBride

So happy to hear that it all worked out wonderfully. Can't wait to read your review and see your pictures. Quote: Originally Posted by rabbitnow Well...I am baaaack and I have to say it was great. Once I got there the first two days were a complete cluster #* - We ran from place to place trying to organize everything. We met with Landy ( who is a really nice gal that really pulled the whole thing together - without her help my guests would have ended up in all different places - but she was able to get everyone into one hotel on a one day notice - AMAZING!!!) I will post a more detailed review but I just wanted to throw out to the girls the fact that Dreams Cancun is a very nice place. They do A LOT of bautiful weddings and can pull off just about anything you ask of them right when you get there. The location for wedding is very very nice as well ( it's on a cliff over looking deep blue water ) Since we had to plan out all new activities - for those of you that are activity prone - there is an amazing activity center with any and all sports, dolphin swiming and excursions you can think of right there on the premice, as well as scuba diving and snorkling. The beach is VERY VERY nice and calm - we had kids playing in the water playing the whole days long as the nice beach waiters brought us beverages of choice on a regular bases. If anyone has any questions at all please shoot them over and I will answer all I can. I will post pics probably tonight or tomorrow as well ( those too came out better then I could have hoped for - I would have asked for a longer session though ) Talk to you all soon

Quote: Originally Posted by LisaG I can't even begin to imagine what was going through these ladies heads as they were flying through the air disconnected from the boat and headed towards the rocks. I can - I had a very similar experience skydiving although luckily I came out almost unharmed. Given that experience (sky diving) I was hesistant about going parasailing but I researched it before our trip to the Dominican last year, and similar to skydiving, the accident rate seemed quite low so I decided to do it. Looking back I wonder why I was so stupid. It seemed like a normal thing to do because there were hundreds of people doing it every day during the week we were there. But after reading another story like this (I had read a few others when researching it before that trip) I wouldn't do it again. I'm sorry to be putting a negative generalization / stereotype out there, but these places just don't have the same security standards as we do in Canada/U.S. Sure, negligent accidents can happen here (my skydiving accident is a prime example) but they are more common down south. I mean they blatantly disobeyed the closure of the area due to bad weather

LisaG posted this in another thread http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...2-2#post570201 but I thought I would post it here for more people to see and discuss 2 Carrollton women killed in parasailing accident near Cancún, Mexico | QuickDFW.com - Dallas/Fort Worth - Click It, Read It, Go! | news local

WELCOME BACK TRISH!!!!! Can't wait to read your review and see your pics Quote: Originally Posted by trisha0612 Anyways...let me please tell you this........DO NOT WORRY! ..... the weddings turned out better than I could have ever imagined and Landy and the WC at Paradisus took care of us. Can I say "told you so" hehe. I know it's almost impossible to believe, yet almost every single bride comes back saying the same thing! Obviously your case was very different than the normal DT weddings so I'm glad you came back saying the same thing so that you can put the other brides' minds at ease.

I don't know anything about the Iberostar Paraiso except that you can see an aerial photo on the loco gringo map Iberostar~Carousel resorts: Playa Paraiso photo tour, aerial images and the beach looks very nice, looks like there is a few rocky spots but some large clear spots which would be one advantage over Dreams Tulum which, as I mentioned in my review, I found to be too rocky for my liking At least you ladies are being given some choices now! Carina, I'm so happy for you that everything has been worked out 2 weeks ahead of time. The paradisus looks like an awesome resort so I'm sure you'll have an amazing time and an amazing wedding. This should also help give some confidence to the other girls that your weddings will be re-organized (if necessary) in a proper manner and with sufficient notice unlike with Trish and Brooke for whom it was completely last minute. It's also great that the coordinators are attending the weddings at the other resorts.

Quote: Originally Posted by Melissa24 Hi Ladies- It has been awhile since I posted. I have a question, I received an email from Lizette asking to send my DEPOSIT of $500 to her with an authorization form she attached. If I remember this whole thing with deposit came up a while back and most of us were told that as long as we had a confirmation number we were fine. I emailed her back and asked when she needed this by and to date have had no responce from her. The email I received from her was on 10/4 asking for the money and I sent her a very quick responce back as $500 is not something that is just hanging around my FI and my bank acount. Just wondering if anyone else has gotten an email form any of the WC at the resort or if I was just the lucky bride to have received. When I told my FI he was not very happy! Maybe try explaining to her that the deposit policy was in effect when you booked and that you've heard on here (BDW - they know about the forum I'm sure) that other brides haven't paid the deposit so you don't want to. Maybe they will let in slide since it's true they never told you before. If you really have to pay it, maybe you can ask them to give you 2 months or so to get the money together.

I don't understand using silk flowers for the aisle. Isn't it a pain to pick them up after? I woudl think if they were real and it was outdoors you could just let them blow away and disintegrate.

Quote: Originally Posted by MonoAmor Have all the November brides recieved emails from the WCs? I still havent heard a peep from anyone and Im leaving to go on vacation soon. Should I just send them a list of guests anyway to be sure? DEFINETLY!!! Quote: Originally Posted by alin & mako Ladies, just got this e-mail from Sandra. .... The couple doesn't have to deal and plan again the whole wedding , Landy , Lizet and Natalia our wedding planners have all her requests and plan as requested .... Natalia ? ? ? I guess they finally hired a 3rd wedding planner to help them handle the excessive load of weddings.

Quote: Originally Posted by Mel88 I did get a call yesterday from Daniel in DT Group Sales Dept, he said they are researching hotels that can accommodate all of my guests (ALL 150!) and needed to know if we had any kids. Of course we have ONE, so that rules out Secrets! I asked if they could make an exception for the one child and he said definitely no. Well between the letter from Kevin the VP and this call I think it shows that they are finally starting to get organized and handle this the proper way. It's too bad they didn't do both these actions a week and a half ago! It's good to know that they are working so hard to keep your group together. Keep your chins up ladies! Dreams Tulum is a great resort but there are lots of other equally great resorts out there. In my review I even mention how I thought the resort was awesome and we all loved it but that that didn't mean that I made the right choice and chose the best possible resort - in fact I think there was others that could have been better. Really, your wedding is what you make of it, and the resort is just what's in the background. Keep focused on what's important. Your wedding can be equally as wonderful at any of the other awesome resorts in Cancun / Mayan Riviera

Quote: Originally Posted by Teesha My TA heard that from SunWing (the carrier we booked our package vacation with). I just called my TA again and told her what you heard and she is going to check again. I will give everyone an update when I get one. Yeah, I would not trust the carriers, they are just going to say what you want to hear. They are supplying hundreds of resorts, I doubt they bother to stay up to date on situations like this (in fact this proves they don't!) I would stick to the word directly from the hotel or a TA who was been in touch with the hotel.

Quote: Originally Posted by Lonna14 I guess I haven't been on here in a while. Why is Dreams Tulum closed? My girlfriend was just there over a week ago and it was fine. I guess I'll just go with the rest of you and hope everything's okay before next june! If you haven't seen it yet, go see here: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t29989

see this thead http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t29989

wow, you are so lucky, Paradisus was one of my top choices but was so much more expensive (the resort a little more, the wedding stuff WAY more for what I wanted). I can't wait for you to post your review when you get back

for anyone wanting an update on trish, see this post http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t30240

Nevermind, just found the thread about being moved the paradisus here: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t30240 Must have been a very last minute thing since we didn't hear anything about it before trish left

Quote: Originally Posted by latinalocany hey girls, just a heads up, I just read Trish and brooke where relocated to paradisus. Really? Where did you read that? If you think things couldn't get worse for this week's dreams tulum brides, read this: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t30292

OMG this is the craziest wedding story ever! I feel so bad for you that so many serious things have gone wrong! But don't worry, your bad luck has to end NOW and from now on you will have the best luck you can possibly imagine. Oh, and when you get to Dreams Cancun, whine like hell and ask them for an upgrade to the best suite they have! Oh, and ask for upgrade to first class with the airline too! Complain about the fact that they didn't call to let you know and you almost missed your trip, on top of the canceled resort (not your fault but still, compelling story). You have to milk this bad luck for all you can! Also, just to let you know, I didn't bother sewing the cups in my dress (I was too cheap to bother!) I just popped them in there and the dress was so night there was no chance at all of them falling out! So you can consider that.

Quote: Originally Posted by manders757 Just make sure you are not in the center of Cancun and that your hotel doenst accept spring breakers. I don't get it - how can any hotel "not accept spring breakers"? How exactly do they qualify / know who the spring breakers are? I thought the best they could do was try to market their hotel towards a different crowd. From everything I've heard I would stay away from Cancun, and also playa del carmen. I've heard Playa has also become quite the party zone in the past few years as it's got a good selection of bars. I would recommend looking in the area between cancun and playa (the resorts that pop to mind are Moon Palace and Paradisus) or south of Playa. Also look for resorts that are "family friendly" (like have kids programs and stuff like that) or if the thought of tons of spring break kids scares you then maybe adults only resorts? I don't think that most university students looking for a party go to adults only resorts as they are geared for couples. Finally, I think the more expensive the resort is the safer you are. I'll assume you are looking for 5* as that is what most brides do, and that alone helps because many spring breakers will go to the 4 or 4.5 star resorts, although some are richer and can afford the 5* Another thing to keep in mind is that I know in Canada spring breaks vary by province, it can be anywhere from the first week of march to the last week of March (I know this for a fact as we were inviting teachers from 3 different provinces! One was 1st week of march, one was 3rd, one was the last week!) I'm not sure how it is in the U.S.

Quote: Originally Posted by rachelannmartin Our wedding party leaves March 12th from Toronto and we scored a group deal (10+ people) for $1399 + tax for Dreams Tulum! We worked out with our TA well in advance as we feared that the prices would skyrocket. We received this quote in May 2008...people are now being quoted $2100+ for the very same vacation. If you have any other questions don't hesitate....best of luck and congrats ) But it may come back down a lot closer to the departure date. The prices often have a tendency to jump up 6 months before and then back down a couple months before. (not saying your initial price wasn't good though - it sounds great for the security of booking a year in advance)

Just a word of caution when comparing with other people's quotes, the price varies a lot depending on the resort (even among 5 star resorts the price varies a lot) how far in advance you book (prices are in the middle range when booked a year or so in advance. After that they can go up or down in the months leading up to departure) when you are travelling (hurricane season in the cheapest, Christmas and spring break the most expensive, all other times fall in teh middle but there is still a lot of variation) Departure city (Toronto is by far the cheapest - other eastern travel hubs such as Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax are reasonable, the prairies can be a lot more because they are smaller markets, the west can be more expensive for the Mayan since travel distance is far) I just see so often people will compare their price to one specific other person and be surprised that the price difference is huge and blame it on the TA but often one of the above factors is at play (and often people only consider one or two of these factors, not all 4)

I would say try not to think about it now, tell yourslelf you are giving yourself a week or two to focus on grieving and not even think abuot the wedding. Then in a week or two think about it seriously, and talk to your fiance and make the decision that is right for you, don't even give a thought to your guests. Normally I wouldn't say that last part, but these are very serious circumstances that give you the right to be 100% selfish. If you are having a lot of trouble coping with the death, I would think it would be best to delay for a few months or a year. 2 months is very soon. I know some people say "she would want you to have your weddign" but it's not about that, it's about whether or not you will enjoy the planning process and the actual event. Chances are you will enjoy it more if you delay the wedding, but only you can know how you feel and make the best decision.

Quote: Originally Posted by can't wait! I'm not trying to alarm anyone but I just read the latest newspaper article on the situation and it does not look good. Here's a link (it's in Spanish): Riviera Maya: Confirma Profepa irregularidades en trece hoteles en Tulum It says of the 14 hotels being inspected only ONE has the appropriate licensing to operate. Goes on to say, if the owners of the 13 resorts don't present the proper documentation to prove otherwise by next week, then all will be permanently closed. Apparently, only a "partial" closure was called for so as to not disrupt tourism in the area. But the federal prosecutor believes he has given the owners plenty of time to come up with the appropriate licenses and if they don't present their case by next week, he will call for a definitive closure. I don't know what to think anymore. I wouldn't worry to much about the news reports. I mean even when I read news stories here in Canada so often they get half the story wrong or only report on part of the story, leaving out vital information. Again, it's only been a few days, how can we expect them to have full resolved the problem in only a few days? Now if this goes on for several weeks or months, well that's another story.

We paid 1500$ from Ottawa and 1600$ from Halifax for Dreams Tulum (5 star) for March 27-April 3rd with Air Canada Vacations but we only booked about 3 months in advance. I think it would have been a couple hundred more if we had booked way in advance. At that time the price was about the same for various online travel agencies, although the group quote I got from Air Canada Vacations (directly) was higher. Keep in mind that prices from Vancouver to the Mayan Riviera are more expensive (supposedly, I've never looked into it myself) since it's quite a bit farther. I think this is why many people from the west coast travel to the Mexican west coast (Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, etc)

Quote: Originally Posted by can't wait! But you know... at least they are being pro-active. Remember, this is the Landy who takes WEEKS to get back to you. I find comfort in knowing they will work to keep your entire group together. I know it sucks. But at least they are working on having a back-up plan NOW as opposed to scrambling on the day of the wedding. I'm just curious to find out what the "on time" in her email means. What is their timeline?! They aren't specific about it! I agree that it's good to know they are trying to get organized in advance in case weddings do have to be canceled. What is unfortunate though is that head office should be sending out a better email. Landy's written english it not that great. It's okay for her to send an email out requesting your guest list, but why wasn't a proper email drafted by somebody higher up, I mean like a President or VP or something, somebody with good english who can write a nice letter explaining the situation and apologizing for inconvenience. Anyways, for ladies whose weddings are still a few months away, why not hold tight? I mean it has only been a couple days since all this way announced so why not give it a couple weeks (or a month if your wedding is many months away). For those who are getting married in November, yeah, you might want to start thinking about other options. I wouldn't actually change yet but it might be usefull to do a little research now so that if worse comes to worse you will have a bit of the work done in advance. As for the person who asked about other resorts that have a chapel or other indoor location, why not start a seperate thread asking that? People on this thread mostly only know about Dreams Tulum! Don't be scared to ask the people on the rest of the forum (especially the Mayan Riviera forum) to help you out.

Quote: Originally Posted by chandrathebride thanks for posting the thread SB! trish looks terrific! i always seem to miss those cool threads--i still don't know my way around the forum well enough I guess! There is just too much stuff around the forum! I miss a lot of it too. And I wish I had done a planning thread. I think it's too late now though It's good to post these types of things (including reviews) outside our thread so that more people see them, but I then like to provide the link here so that we don't miss out.