These reviews are posted by our agents and clients. Current reviews:
March 2006-MEXICAN RIVIERA-Riu Palace Riviera Maya and Secrets Excellence
March 2006-COZUMEL-Scuba Club
April 2006-ARUBA/BONAIRE/CURACAO-Divi and Bucutti Beach
April 2006-GREECE
April 2006-ST. LUCIA-Sandals Grande
May 2006-Freedom of the Seas
June 2006-Beaches Negril

MARCH 2006
Sue and Gary spent 7 GREAT NIGHTS in the Mexican Riviera. After a short 3 hour flight from BWI on USA3000 we arrived into sunny Cancun. We rented a car for the drive down the coast to Playa del Carmen. We stayed 3 nights at the new RIU PALACE RIVIERA MAYA located just south of Playa del Carmen. The hotel just opened in February is located in 'hotel row'. The hotel was spotless and offered 2 large pools and a very nice beach with a sea wall. The food was very good with 1 main buffet restaurant and several reservations only specialty restaurants. Lunch was served near the pool/beach and offered a nice ocean breeze. Food was pleniful with lots of choices for everybody. Service at all the restaurants and bars was excellent and all the staff spoke great english. The hotel does offer a sizeable kids club so kids are abundant at the hotel. The rooms are very nicely furnished with large bathrooms and mini bar with fridge. The RIU chain seems to have a winner of a hotel with the new RIU PALACE RIVIERA MAYA.



After an enjoyable stay at the Riu we drove north up to Puerto Morales and SECRETS EXCELLENCE RIVIERA MAYA. We had previously stayed at SECRETS CAPRI and while both are excellent hotels, we prefer SECRETS EXCELLENCE RIVIERA MAYA. SECERETS EXCELLENCE is on a spectacular wide and long beach. The hotel is among the best designed hotels we have ever seen. The layout is very easy to negotiate. This is just one of the fine features of this all adult all inclusive hotel. The hotel has plenty of bars and restaurants for everybody. The hotel has 6 swimming pools (including swim up pool bar) to keep everybody happy. Beach service is available for drinks and lunch and there are plenty of palapas for shade. All of the restaurants for dinner are sit down and do not take reservations. If you like to eat dinner at prime times you may have to wait for a table. Since you are on vacation this is no big deal, just relax at one of the bars and the restaurant will 'beep' you when your table is ready. Service at the hotel was really the BEST of any all inclusive we have ever seen. The staff at this hotel really do pamper you. The hotel offers a full service award winning spa. Room service is available all day and night but sadly we did not have a chance to try it out. If you are looking for an up scale all inclusive look no further than SECRETS EXCELLENCE RIVIERA MAYA.
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MARCH 2006
My friend Laura and I spent a week on Cozumel. The island is cleaned up, fixed up and spruced up since the hurricane. A couple locals told us there was no beer sold on the island the entire month of October because there was much work to be done. We stayed at the Scuba Club and our plan included meals and diving. This was the best organized hotel we've ever stayed in on Cozumel. Everything was so neat and clean. The rooms were colorful and the food was wonderful. This was our first experience with a meal plan and we were very pleased! The evening meal was served in a very nice restaurant with candlelight. Our diving included 2 dives a day and unlimited beach diving. The boats were in great shape and dive masters and captains were very helpful. The only downside was we had to lug our own equipment to and from the boat. We're used to just showing up and rolling off the side of the boat so this was kind of a drag for us lazy divers. I would recommend this hotel to anyone. Pan World has been booking our vacations for years and it feels good to go away knowing help is only a phone call away (like the time I lost my return ticket). Thanks Mary. Darry
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APRIL 2006
Stan and Judy just returned from a great trip to Bonaire, Curacao, and
Aruba. The flight from BWI thru Miami to Aruba on American was fine. Wethen found Dutch Antilles Express airline for the 'puddlejump' to Bonaire. At Sue's recommendation we stayed 3 nights there at the Divi Flamingo Resort. The food and service at both the cafe and waterfront restaurant was delicious. The beach is small, but there is also a rock pier out into the water. Both areas have thatched-roof cabanas for shade and the bar is right there. Great swimming and snorkeling right in front of the hotel. We were also able to walk into the village in a few minutes. Excellent food at the City Grille.

Then onto Curacao, which is absolutely charming. The Avila Beach Hotel is awesome. We stayed in the new Blues Wing for 4 nights, actually contemporary suites out on a rock pier adjacent to the hotel beach. There are two restaurants, the one is on a large deck at the end of another pier. Jazz twice weekly here after dinner, quite popular with all island locals and tourists. We could walk into Willemstad from here also. We took an island tour with Peter Tours. Peter is Dutch, with much experience as first a teacher then tour operator/hospitality industry trainer, both on Curacao and St Maarten. He definitely knows his Dutch island history. Of course, we collected Curacao liquor from the Chobolobo mansion, where it is distilled from the zest of a small bitter orange, native to the island and NOT exported. Everything else from other countries are 'knock-offs'!!! Its delicious.

Then onto Aruba, where we stayed at Bucuti Beach Resort in the Tara Suites 7 nights. One of the nices suites I've ever been in!!!!! The beach, bar, restaurant, morning continental breakfast all were great, as were the hotel concierges. Did the usual stuff on the island: ate, shopped, swam, snorkeled, and ate some more. We had a good snorkel trip with Red Sail Sports and a great jeep off-road tour with ABC Tours. This one took us to the Natural Pool on the north side in which Judy swam -fantastic.

Thanks again, Sue, for helping us put together yet another wonderful
vacation.
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APRIL 2006
I took the Aegean Classical 9 day tour of Greece.The beauty of this trip was you could relax as much as you wanted or be as busy on tours or activities aboard ship. The Globus tour director was available for her group and went out of her way to help you with anything. I have been on other Globus tours before and they are a Class act operation.

K.B.
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APRIL 2006
Dear Gary,
Thank you so much for recommending our special March get away week to St Lucia. Sandal's was a beautiful place with a very attentive staff. The island itself had a lot to offer from exotic flowers, to active volcanoes, and even delightful beaches. I'm enclosing a few pictures from our secret anniversary destination. Joann & Buddy


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MAY 2006
Gary and Sue visited Royal Caribbean's brand new ship, Freedom of the Seas. This new 'mega ship' is the largest passenger ship afloat. Although the ship is HUGE it provides plenty of space for everybody. Small bars and dining venue's are abundant and very nicely decorated. The service and food were in keeping with Royal Caribbean's high standards. Standard rooms are well furnished but the ROYAL SUITE was astonding with a jacuzzi on the deck!!! Outside balcony rooms were spacious and provide a small balcony to watch to ocean slide by (and get fresh air). Unfortunately we don't have any pictures as our digital camera was BUSTED. Time to get a new camera so we can take pictures the next time we sail on this magnificent ship. For more information go to www.freedomoftheseas.com.
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JUNE 2006
Sue, Gary and Little Ray (the nephew) visited sunny Jamaica for a long weekend. We stayed at the Riu Tropical Bay and visited Beaches Negril. Beaches Negril continues to keep up their high standards and makes a perfect choice for a family vacation or family wedding. The hotel offers enough to keep everybody of any age HAPPY. Check out the BEACHES WATERPARK. We flew back from Negril to Mo Bay on TIMAIR's 5 seat airplane. It was LOTS OF FUN!!!