Ocean Blue & Sand-Punta Cana

[ocean123]

I just added mine

 

Lozzawatts (Lorraine) Wedding: August 9th, 2012 Travel: Aug 7-12

erinme (Erin) Wedding October 11, 2012 Travel: Oct 9-16

nikkiandrich (Nikki) Wedding: November 10, 2012 Travel: Nov 7-14

SylvieG (Sylvie) Wedding: November 26, 2012 Travel: Nov 22-29

gina24 (Marcia) Wedding: Jan 23, 2013 Travel: Jan 19-26

ntlsnow (Natalie) Wedding: January 25, 2013 Travel: Jan 23- Feb 3

Danimontague (Danielle) Wedding: Feb 20, 2013 Travel: Feb 16-Mar 2

MCathWilde (Mary) Wedding Feb 25,2013 Travel Feb 23-March 3

TraceyJo (Tracey) Wedding: April 9, 2013. Travel Apr.5-12

DominicanAlly (Alicia) Wedding: April 11, 2013 Travel: April 6-20

Ocean123 (Nicole) Wedding: April 15, 2013 Travel: April 12-19

jlb392 (Jessica) Wedding: April 17, 2013 Travel: April 14-24

KristinaM (Kristina) Wedding: April 18, 2013 Travel April 13-27

missjade (Jade) Wedding: July 11, 2013 Travel: July 6-13

[TraceyJo]

Well I got some really bad news today from my TA. The flight schedule has changed and now the flight is arriving in Punta Cana two days earlier. Which means I know have to try and secure a different wedding date, notify the photographer and all my guests. I am a little stressed out because the week is now from a Wednesday to wednesday instead of Friday-friday. Has anyone else experienced this?? I am so worried that the flight could change again closer to the date. I am booked through Transat and was told that they have changed their departure days for 2013. Anyway, I haven't heard back from the wedding coordinator yet so not sure if they will have another date available and if not, I guess I might have to look at another resort. Let me know if anyone else has run into this problem and if its as big of a deal as it feels right now. Thanks

[missjade]

Ouch, sorry to hear TraceyJo ..

 

I was originally quoted with Transat for Saturday to Saturday trip for my wedding but then when the contract was finally drawn up last week, it was changed to Sunday to Sunday. Not as drastic as your sudden change, but it just sucks that even though you're putting down a deposit to secure a specific trip period, it's not set in stone and anything can happen.

 

I hope everything works out for you.

 

Jade

 

Originally Posted by TraceyJo 

Well I got some really bad news today from my TA. The flight schedule has changed and now the flight is arriving in Punta Cana two days earlier. Which means I know have to try and secure a different wedding date, notify the photographer and all my guests. I am a little stressed out because the week is now from a Wednesday to wednesday instead of Friday-friday. Has anyone else experienced this?? I am so worried that the flight could change again closer to the date. I am booked through Transat and was told that they have changed their departure days for 2013. Anyway, I haven't heard back from the wedding coordinator yet so not sure if they will have another date available and if not, I guess I might have to look at another resort. Let me know if anyone else has run into this problem and if its as big of a deal as it feels right now. Thanks

[missjade]

Awesome!

When are traveling?

And if u don't mind me asking, what rate did you get? I found it to be pretty expensive.. hopefully it'll go down.

 

Originally Posted by Alicia2013 

hey missjade,
Sorry it took me forever to respond! I just got the contracts settled.  We are travelling with Transat but we went through Thomas Cook!
 

[JPro]

Originally Posted by Dominican Ally 

 

Hey Ladies

 

Just bumping up the wedding date timline - feel free to add yours, if you haven't already!

 

Lozzawatts (Lorraine) Wedding: August 9th, 2012 Travel: Aug 7-12

erinme (Erin) Wedding October 11, 2012 Travel: Oct 9-16

nikkiandrich (Nikki) Wedding: November 10, 2012 Travel: Nov 7-14

SylvieG (Sylvie) Wedding: November 26, 2012 Travel: Nov 22-29

gina24 (Marcia) Wedding: Jan 23, 2013 Travel: Jan 19-26

ntlsnow (Natalie) Wedding: January 25, 2013 Travel: Jan 23- Feb 3

Danimontague (Danielle) Wedding: Feb 20, 2013 Travel: Feb 16-Mar 2

MCathWilde (Mary) Wedding Feb 25,2013 Travel Feb 23-March 3

TraceyJo (Tracey) Wedding: April 9, 2013. Travel Apr.5-12

DominicanAlly (Alicia) Wedding: April 11, 2013 Travel: April 6-20

jlb392 (Jessica) Wedding: April 17, 2013 Travel: April 14-24

KristinaM (Kristina) Wedding: April 18, 2013 Travel April 13-27

missjade (Jade) Wedding: July 11, 2013 Travel: July 6-13

JPro (Jamie) Wedding: March 27th - Travel March 23-30

[JPro]

Originally Posted by ocean123 

 

 

Hey, Ok so i think i understand this lol... So you have 30 seats on HOLD, but you told them to book 20 more right away on deposit? and NOT to take them from the 30 that are still on hold?

I know my contract says 30 people HELD for 90 days, Then once I am over 30 then we get 20% more also..

I hope it is the same as yours because I think I am going to do the same thing !!!

Yes I get the 12th person free, $500 future travel voucher for Bride and Groom and then another $300.00  off for the  bride and groom only if we get more then 30 people booked.

YAY!!!

I was wondering if anyone can give more information about the $500 and $300 voucher? I am booked for March 23-30 and have the Sand Extravaganza package. Is this discount from the resort or your travel agent? 

 

Thanks so much! I find such great info here!

[Dominican Ally]

Hi TraceyJo!

 

I think that I just got screwed by the same changes as you! Where are you flying out of?

 

Most of my guests (including myself) are flying out of Ottawa (about 36 of us). Everyone was supposed to be going April 6-13 (Sat-Sat)........but I just got news from my TA that the Calgary flight has been changed to April 3-10 (meaning they wouldn't even be there for the wedding), and Edmonton's has been changed to April 5-12 (which I can live with, but still really don't like.) This is a family reunion of sorts for my whole family, so I want everyone there the same days.

 

Did you get any more info as to why this can happen or what you are going to do about it? I'm totally freaking out....waiting until tomorrow to hear more from the TA. Her suggestion is to move our wedding up (to the 9th) which is your date correct? What time is your wedding? Did you check with the hotel yet to see if you can change it? I don't want to change my date at all....as I already have things ordered, and it does me no good to have people there on different schedules anyways. Scariest thing to me right now, is that she said they can actually change schedules right up until 30 days prior to the wedding.........ugh. So how the heck are you supposed to plan a group of 47 from 3 different gateways for a wedding?

 

I want to cry

Originally Posted by TraceyJo 

Well I got some really bad news today from my TA. The flight schedule has changed and now the flight is arriving in Punta Cana two days earlier. Which means I know have to try and secure a different wedding date, notify the photographer and all my guests. I am a little stressed out because the week is now from a Wednesday to wednesday instead of Friday-friday. Has anyone else experienced this?? I am so worried that the flight could change again closer to the date. I am booked through Transat and was told that they have changed their departure days for 2013. Anyway, I haven't heard back from the wedding coordinator yet so not sure if they will have another date available and if not, I guess I might have to look at another resort. Let me know if anyone else has run into this problem and if its as big of a deal as it feels right now. Thanks

[TraceyJo]

Hey Alicia,

 

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation, and all I can say is I know how you feel. I was so upset and frustrated by the whole thing. That is horrible that your wedding date doesn't fall in the middle of the two groups arriving. I was also told the same thing that flights from Edmonton are still flying out on the 5th. I would say your best bet is to have the Calgary people drive to Edmonton and fly from there. I know that would be a pain for guests but it saves you from having to change the wedding date and everything else you have booked. This is what I had to do....and the worst part is it seems the hotel is pretty booked up for april so I didn't get my second or third choice of a date and had to settle for my forth choice...brutal.  Luckily I haven't ordered any favours yet with the date on it like you have but I think the worst part of this whole thing is that there is no guarantee that it won't change again. My TA did not give any reason to the change other then they changed the flight schedule to accommodate business needs. And no the TA did not do anything to accommodate me.....in fact she told me the hotel is sold out of regular rooms and we had one room over the allotted space and was told someone would have to pay the upgrade price.....I could;t believe it!! I have 36 people going and THEY are the ones that changed the date and now the hotel is booked up and they won't give us an upgrade complimentary??? I asked my TA to ask Transat if our upgrade would be paid by them since they changed the schedule on us when everyone was already booked....doesn't look like its going to happen though. I was also told it could change at any point and I don't understand how one is suppose to plan a destination wedding with things being changed. I guess this is why some brides would never do a destination because you just never know, nothing is ever in stone. 

On the plus side, my TA did say that she can't see them changing it again and its good that if they were going to change it, that it happened this early. 

My wedding is now going to be on the 5th, which is not the day I wanted because if it is changed back to the friday departures then I will be screwed again. But the 9th might be open now for you if you do decide to change it. 

 

Anyway, I'm glad i'm not alone in this because I was so stressed out over the whole thing. Let me know what your TA tells and I'll let you know if I hear anything else.

[Dominican Ally]

I'm so sorry to hear that you're dealing with all of this too, and that you had to change your wedding date. It's so frustrating, but I'm glad that it sounds like you've got it somewhat figured out now. Our ceremony is also legal - which adds a whole other element to trying to change the date.....

 

At this point - I'm thinking you're right - it doesn't make sense to change my wedding date.....and the most logical thing is to have the Calgary people drive up to Edmonton and fly out on the 5th. We will offer to cover a hotel room/park and fly for the night for them (the 4 of them can share 1 room) and my brother has friends in Edmonton so he's ok. Since the Edmonton flight on the 5th leaves at 6am, and our Ottawa flight on the 6th doesn't arrive in PC until 1030 pm.....people will basically lose two days together which is still super frustrating.

 

One more issue is that we had one person from Calgary and one from Ottawa sharing a room - but now that they are not leaving on the same dates they can't share.........which means we are potentially short one room now.....and I will LOSE it if they tell me the hotel is sold out or that we have to pay for an upgrade for the sake of the one overlapping day.....I thought I was being so good and on top of things by booking things ahead of time, and we even put down 20 extra deposits to save 50 total spots. The extras were JUST released last week at our deadline for our 90 days.......so I sure hope they can do something for us........had they told us this before our deadline was up - we would have had the extra spaces.

 

I suppose it's true that it's better for this to happen now....but I swear I will have a total meltdown if they change things again later on.

Originally Posted by TraceyJo 

Hey Alicia,

 

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation, and all I can say is I know how you feel. I was so upset and frustrated by the whole thing. That is horrible that your wedding date doesn't fall in the middle of the two groups arriving. I was also told the same thing that flights from Edmonton are still flying out on the 5th. I would say your best bet is to have the Calgary people drive to Edmonton and fly from there. I know that would be a pain for guests but it saves you from having to change the wedding date and everything else you have booked. This is what I had to do....and the worst part is it seems the hotel is pretty booked up for april so I didn't get my second or third choice of a date and had to settle for my forth choice...brutal.  Luckily I haven't ordered any favours yet with the date on it like you have but I think the worst part of this whole thing is that there is no guarantee that it won't change again. My TA did not give any reason to the change other then they changed the flight schedule to accommodate business needs. And no the TA did not do anything to accommodate me.....in fact she told me the hotel is sold out of regular rooms and we had one room over the allotted space and was told someone would have to pay the upgrade price.....I could;t believe it!! I have 36 people going and THEY are the ones that changed the date and now the hotel is booked up and they won't give us an upgrade complimentary??? I asked my TA to ask Transat if our upgrade would be paid by them since they changed the schedule on us when everyone was already booked....doesn't look like its going to happen though. I was also told it could change at any point and I don't understand how one is suppose to plan a destination wedding with things being changed. I guess this is why some brides would never do a destination because you just never know, nothing is ever in stone. 

On the plus side, my TA did say that she can't see them changing it again and its good that if they were going to change it, that it happened this early. 

My wedding is now going to be on the 5th, which is not the day I wanted because if it is changed back to the friday departures then I will be screwed again. But the 9th might be open now for you if you do decide to change it. 

 

Anyway, I'm glad i'm not alone in this because I was so stressed out over the whole thing. Let me know what your TA tells and I'll let you know if I hear anything else.

[jlb392]

oh my gosh Alicia....I'm so sorry you're going through this!!  I can't even imagine how upset you must be right now.....

Originally Posted by Dominican Ally 

Hi TraceyJo!

 

I think that I just got screwed by the same changes as you! Where are you flying out of?

 

Most of my guests (including myself) are flying out of Ottawa (about 36 of us). Everyone was supposed to be going April 6-13 (Sat-Sat)........but I just got news from my TA that the Calgary flight has been changed to April 3-10 (meaning they wouldn't even be there for the wedding), and Edmonton's has been changed to April 5-12 (which I can live with, but still really don't like.) This is a family reunion of sorts for my whole family, so I want everyone there the same days.

 

Did you get any more info as to why this can happen or what you are going to do about it? I'm totally freaking out....waiting until tomorrow to hear more from the TA. Her suggestion is to move our wedding up (to the 9th) which is your date correct? What time is your wedding? Did you check with the hotel yet to see if you can change it? I don't want to change my date at all....as I already have things ordered, and it does me no good to have people there on different schedules anyways. Scariest thing to me right now, is that she said they can actually change schedules right up until 30 days prior to the wedding.........ugh. So how the heck are you supposed to plan a group of 47 from 3 different gateways for a wedding?

 

I want to cry