Re: Welcome home the Castaways

[bellagio]

Heather and John are due back tonight I believe.   The only Harmony Airlines flight departing the Dom Rep today is actually from Punta Cana.     I assumed beause they were staying at the Casa Marina Reef they would be flying in and out of Puerta Plata.
 
 HARMONY AIRWAYS   HQ718   8/20/2005   18:25   18:25   PUNTA CANA      
 
 Would this be the flight they are on?
 
 Anyway I would like to wish them both a warm welcome home and hope they 'report' in as quickly as possible; like as soon as they open the door!!        No more until November!!!

[flopnfly]

We're back    :(
 
 Yes that Punta Cana flight was ours.  We had to stop in Punta Cana to drop some people off and pick some up.  
 
 Bulldog, your plane is still sitting there, we got some pictures of it.
 
 Just grabbing something to eat and then I'll be here to catch up.
 
 Heather

[flopnfly]

It was a very quick week.  
 
 The Harmony flight was pretty crap.  Not much more room than skyservice and nothing like Wardair, although they did give us free headphones.
 
 The resort is only 10 minutes from the airport so we were there before we could blink.  Unfortunately our rooms weren't ready until 3 so we had to hang out and wait.  Finally we got our rooms and they sucked.  The room was a room but the bathrooms were hideous and crawling with ants.
 
 We went to the buffet for lunch and within 5 minutes of being there the cockroaches were running over everyones feet.  Yuck!!
 
 The cockroaches reappeared in the rooms later on.  Needless to say our suitcases are sitting out on the back deck and will be unpacked outside.  
 
 Other than the bugs the resort was great.  We didn't eat at the cockroach buffet again all week, luckily they have two buffets and we didn't see any sign of the bugs in the second one.  
 
 The resort has loads of pools and 3 big jaccuzis as well as 2 great beaches.  Lots of bars and restaurants.
 
 Would I go back?  Only if they fix the rooms and get rid of the bugs.  It's a shame that they have let the rooms get so run down because it really is a great resort with tons of ammenities.
 
 Flight home was a bit longer because we had to stop at Punta Cana.  John spotted the Skyservice plane that had the hard landing in June.  
 
 The storm that went through here yesterday left a bit of damage so I guess we'll spend tomorrow doing clean up.

[Milli]

 back Flopnfly and Johnnycastaway.  Sounds like things were pretty good at your vacation spot-how was the beach??  Looking forward to your pictures.  Hope you don't have too much of a clean up at home~ Milli

[flopnfly]

The beach was awesome.
 
 I know that you don't go to Puerta Plata for the beach, but this was great.  The turquoise waters, lots of sand and great waves.  We had so much fun body surfing the waves, and it's a great way to exfoliate when you get washed ashore and dragged across the sand.     :D

[Milli]

:rof:    :rof:  Exfoliating!  That is what I experienced in the waves at Varadero Beach except at one point it was more like a peel!  With just one trip South under my belt I find a great beach is right at the top of my list of priorities for a resort.  

[FredTracie]

Welcome home
   Just wash and reload ....November's coming!!
 
           Cheers.......F&T

[flopnfly]

Yes that is exactly what I am doing.     :D
 
 November will be here before we know it, and the prices are starting to drop.  Club Amigo is down to $799 now.  The slide has started.

[bellagio]

Well that is interesting reading regarding the rooms at CMB.
 
 By the sound of it that place is  NOT for me.   I know I don't spend a lot of time in my room but ants and cockroaches are  NOT the kind of companions I wish to share  MY  room with.
 
 I'm sorry but I would have requested a room change, or maybe they are all like that.
 
 I suppose you could argue that's why it's only 3 star.
 
      for me!!!

[debmich]

Oh Bellgio, you and your damned stars! LOL
 
 Heather, you stayed on the beach side right? How was the reef side? Did you speak with anyone staying on the Reef side?
 
 We were there (bottom floor and no bugs) and I really liked the rooms there, but again it has been a couple of years since I was there!  
 
 This is the resort I was thinking of for January, and was going to try to talk Bellagio in to it! LOL
 
 How was the diving? Good spots, lots of options? Expensive?
 
 
 Debbie

[flopnfly]

Yes, we were on the beach side of the resort in room 128 and 136.  This was the dedicated block of rooms for Sunwing VIP guests, yeah right!!
 
 I spoke to quite a few people about their rooms and the only complaints came from this block of rooms.  The rest were more than happy with their room.  
 
 John says that the diving was great.  He did about 6 dives in the week.  The snorkelling offshore wasn't great, a few fish but nothing to write home about.
 
 John did about 3 shore dives, there is a reef not too far out from shore and you can just walk in and swim there.
 
 I'm sure he'll be doing a full dive report soon.

[bellagio]

Debmich:
 
 Well I'd put up with it if I knew you, Henry and Jaxon were going to be there.  
 
 I just wouldn't choose it if I was going to be stuck there on my own.  
 
 I might have to stay at the Reef though as Thomas Cook only advertise that, but it's right next door and I assume the facilities are shared.

[flopnfly]

Bellagio, it's not actually next door.  The resort is all one resort that shares all the facilities.  The reef rooms are on the left with the pools restaurants etc in the middle and then the beach rooms on the right.  You can walk around the whole resort and not ever know that it used to be two resorts.  
 There are two beaches, one is a secluded private quiet beach on the left and then the busy water activities beach is on the right, our room looked out onto this beach.

[bellagio]

That's OK then, so it wouldn't matter one iota if Deb stayed at the Beach and I stayed at the Reef.
 
 I know you posted to say that the Reef's rooms are newer, so did you find any Brits staying at the Beach or were they all at the Reef?

[flopnfly]

There wasn't a lot of Brits there at the time, but the few that I found were all at the Reef in the nice new rooms.