MBBride

No, I didn't post an official review, but have commented in quite a bit of detail on my experience in either the Majestic Colonial or Jellyfish thread. I did have a few problems with Jellyfish as well, but maybe I'm just not that lucky. I really hope what happened to me, doesn't happen to you. I hope everything goes smoothly for you! It was a complete nightmare for me..

In their package, it does state that prices can change at any time... I had my wedding at the Majestic Colonial January 2011 and regret picking this resort all together. If I were you, I'd pick another resort. I hated how their prices can change without any warning and it doesn't matter if they did quote you in emails. This was my experience...which is why I chose to have the reception at the Jellyfish Restaurant. I think the Majestic is a huge rip off and they didn't make my stay special at all. 29 of my guests got sick from the food and a couple were hospitalized for 2 days after the wedding. I could go on and on about all the screw ups at the resort, but I won't. All I can say is....have the ceremony there if you're already booked and maybe have the reception at Jellyfish? They don't seem to care much about great customer service since it's such a busy resort. Or if you have booked it yet, definitely pick another resort. Sorry you're so frustrated...I was there too. Hang in there!

I'd recommend itravel2000.com. They're based out of Ontario and I'm from MB. We had 30 guests book through them and I found them to be the cheapest. Stephanie was our agent and she was awesome!

Yes, I exhanged several emails with the manager, but they didn't really seem to care. I had LOTS of problems with the resort as well and received a very minor compensation for it (which I declined). Out of the 16 rooms booked, ours was the only one who didn't have a bottle of champage waiting for us like the rest of our guests did (and we were the bridde & groom). Our room was not cleaned daily and even when we called, housekeeping was very rude and didn't clean it until the next day. Light fixtures were broken- wires sticking out of wall. Plumbing didn't work when we arrived...shouldn't they have known that when they cleaned the room before we arrived? No room upgrade, even though they offered another bride an upgrade 2 days after we arrived (when I checked that same day and was told nothing was available). No towel art during the entire stay. Our phone didn't work properly- room needed some renos...while other guests with the same room category had better conditioned rooms? No "Just Married" banner or tub filled with bubbles like other brides have mentioned. Room keys constantly didn't work, even on our arrival (very annoying since it was a far walk to reception). Wedding cake design wasn't the one we picked, although it was very delicious. At check out they tried to claim we ordered 2 bottles of wine at the a la carte restaurant day after wedding for $350?!? We weren't even at an a la carte restaurant the day after our wedding and definitely wouldn't order wine at an all inclusive? This took up quite some time to clear up at check out...very frustrating! I don't know how they would even mix that up? Overall, many of these screw ups seemed minor, but when there are SO many screw ups, it took away from feeling special during our wedding stay. I definitely will not return to this resort, even though the beach and resort was beautifully landscaped. The hotel really didn't seem to care too much about customer service once we arrived...we were just another number. It was quite disappointing and I'm sure there are many happy brides out there, but we didn't receive the same kind of service/experience.

I got married Jan/11 and 29 people from my group got sick from the resort's food. 1 was hospitalized for the last 3 days of our stay and 2 other guests needed antibiotic needles. It was pretty serious and many of our guests took 1-2 weeks to recover after returning home. Pepto and immodium did not help! I've heard of other large groups getting sick around that time as well so I know there has been concern about food prep/handling. I will say that there is plenty of food to choose from and you should be able to find something you like. I did however expect better food from the resort and I'm not a picky eater at all. In fact, I one of the few who didn't get sick. My hushand, however, was pretty sick immediately after our wedding. He lost 12 pounds during the trip! Things you definitely should try- awesome hamburgers and paella by the beach. Good luck and hopefully they fixed whatever the problem is.

I didn't pay the charge for their end and when they accepted it, they tried to take that charge off my deposit balance...I argued that fact and they didn't end up taking it off. Be careful ladies, they will try to make you pay for their charge to accept the transfer, which I don't think it's fair since you already paid a fee. Mine was $30 as well (from Canada). Good luck!

I had my wedding at the Majestic Colonial and most of my group of 32 got sick, one hospitalized for a few days! The resort is beautiful, but getting sick isn't worth it. One of my guests attended a wedding at Dreams and she loved it there with no complaints and didn't get sick on that resort. I say go with Dreams...good luck!

Your deposit CAN'T be paid thru paypal...it has to be through a bank transfer. I tried to pay with paypal but she didn't know what it was. The cost for sit down and buffet will be drastically different...even though she told me it would be the same price, I was unpleasantly surprised to find out at our first meeting she wouldn't do it (even though she agreed in previous emails and I had them printed with me). They have a projector and screen that you can rent, but I can't remember the cost.

I was at the Colonial side for my wedding for early Jan/11 and about 29 of my guests all got sick. I know people tend to say it's from the drinks and unfamiliar foods plus the sun...but it wasn't the case. There is something seriously wrong with the way they handle food or the water. One of my guests was hospitalized for 3 days due to samonella and another guest had to be treated at the clinic for antibiotics. I am one who never gets sick in the caribbean, but by the end of the trip and even arriving home, my stomach wasn't quite right. I will add that the food selection was pretty good, but maybe the food was sitting out too long? My hushand didn't recover from whatever he had until 2 weeks after our return. It's a beautiful resort, but something is seriously wrong so I would caution people to stick with safe foods. If you're a picky eater, then stay away from things you've never had. I'm not a picky eater at all and I ate almost everything and was the least sick out of everyone so maybe I just had a better immune system or a cast iron stomach?!? I read a lot of reviews before we left for our trip and also heard of large groups getting seriously ill...

Feel free to PM me... 1) It was a big comfy bus (much like the ones from the airport) for $5/pp...I'm sure at least 60-80 can fit 2) No a/c...it's an open concept restaurant- please go google the restaurant for pics for a better idea 3) Tax is charged no matter what and it's best to pay with US cash

Hi Brooke, We had 31 people and the downstairs space was perfect! We had tons of space for everyone to dance. For 55 people, I think everyone should be able to fit, but they will need to remove some tables after dinner for the dancing portion. Just double check with Mayte, but I don't think you will need to book the upstairs...plus if you did, the upstairs guests would miss out on interacting with everyone during dinner. Your reception cost will depend on the menu and open bar option- we opted for a personalized menu and had the national open bar for 2 hours plus the dinner open bar option (wine, beer, and pop) for during dinner which was $8/pp for the entire duratin of dinner. We hired DJ Mannia- well worth the money...everyone danced all night! Guests are still raving about the party and said it was the best wedding ever. Re: extra costs, it's best to have Mayte email you the pricing...there are lots of other extra options (cigar rollers, fire works, etc...). The dinner decorations package was $500 which included all decorations, but does not include real flowers...only silk I believe...but it still looks beautiful. We didn't have our ceremony there so I'm not sure what the decoration costs are... We stayed at the Majestic Colonial and had our ceremony there...sister resort to the Elegance. I definitely would choose Jellyfish over the resort as it was more private and something different for the guests. The only thing to keep in mind is that it's a 1/2 ride for the resort so maybe bring some plastic bags with you for the ride home for anyone who may be sick! More than 1/2 my guests got sick on the trip at some point...might be from the resort's food? One guest was even hospitalized for 2 nights for gastrointestinal infection. I would just be cautious of what you eat and maybe stick with familiar foods...I on the other hand did not get sick. Although by the time we left, abotu 95% of my guests got sick or were getting sick from the resort with tons of bathroom and stomach issues. Lisa

I had a mermaid style as well and I had to take my dress off everytime I needed to use the bathroom, except mine had a zipper so it really didn't take that long. Good luck ladies!

Hi Mel, Thanks! The day itself ended up being perfect! Even with the frustration of the final payment and the not so good food tasting, I still would have chosen Jellyfish because the actual day itself turned out so well. All the guests really liked the food and I thought it was definitely better than our resort (including the beautiful palting). One of the really popular dishes we had was the lobster (way better than expected) and the beef fillet wrapped in bacon and mushroom sauce. We also hired the fire dancers and it was well worth the money. All the guests really enjoyed the performance and it was something different to add to the day. Unfortunately I won't be getting my pictures from my photographer (Phil Steingard) for another month...but I'll try to post them when I do. Happy planning and just remember....no matter what goes wrong at your wedding, dont' let it ruin your day...just take a step back and enjoy it! You only get the one day and with all the stress and money put into it, you definitely should have the time of your life!

I had my reception at the Jellyfish Jan.13/11 and I thought I'd warn you about a couple of things... Bring all email correspondance with you, although it might not help... Due to the language barrier, there were some misundertandings...ie. Mayte originally told me that the buffet option would be the same price, but when we got there, she told us it was way more expensive and said the only thing that is buffet is the appetizers (even though I had emails proving otherwise). I ended up going with the plated, which turned out to be beautiful, but definitely do a menu tasting to finalize things. We weren't impressed with the food tasting (over salted, over cooked, etc...) but the day of the wedding, everything turned out perfectly. We were advised to pay our final bill with US travellers cheques by Mayte (had proof of email) yet when we met her 2 days before the wedding, she said she can't accept them because of some government rule?!?! Let's just say, it was very unprofessional of her not to notify me of this change and she expected us to figure things out and exchange it for US cash or domincan pesos by the hotel (which our hotel does not exchange for US cash). If you exchange for dominican pesos at the hotel, you end up losing out on money because it's 30 pesos per $1 US vs going to a bank and getting a rate of 37 pesos. In the end, she said the services (ie decorations, etc...) had to be paid in cash, which we did and she agreed to absorb the extra cost (since we exhanged it at the hotel), but when we went to pay at the end of the night, she said she can't do 30 pesos, only 33?!?! We just gave her what we had and that was it. So I'm just cautioning you ladies to make sure all communication is clear...even though you think it's clear, it may not be on her end. She was very nice and did a wonderful job with decorations and food the day of the wedding, however it was very stressful dealing with the change in final payment. There definitely is a language barrier and I hope you ladies don't run into this kind of problem. Let me know if you have any other questions!

I got married Jan.13/11 at MC and even in November, the resort was sold out so last minutes guests didn't end up booking. I know there are circumstances where some can't book until last minute....so I hope it all works out for you. Re: bracelets, yes, groomsmen and bridesmaids are allowed to cut it off, just keep it in a safe place and bring it with you the next day to get a replacement. It's not a big deal at all... I hope this helps! Let me know if there are any other questions I can help with!