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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Destination: Jamaica

Tara W. of River Falls, WI
Destination: Jamaica
Resort: RIU Palace Tropical Bay
Date: May 2012
The vendors and musicians kept us entertained and were very kind to us so we definitely got a taste of the “shops.” We also had a couple nights with different vendors and musicians right on the resort so that was perfect. I would have felt completely safe walking around though – and definitely want to go back.

We even had one of the guys from the resort climb a palm tree and retrieve a coconut for us – so very fun.

That cove is incredible. Again, I would go back in a heartbeat.

The crib was in our room and set up with sheets and everything when we got there. Plus we had asked at the desk if they received our request. They confirmed they had and about 20 minutes later another person came with a second crib just to make sure we had everything we needed.

We did have something happen that we thought was super strange and forgot to ask about it before we left. Our first night there we were in bed super early and I don’t think anyone stopped by our room. The second day we ordered a little snack and about 9:30 at night housekeeping knocked on our door – we didn’t get to it in time but my husband caught them out of the peep-hole walking a way pushing a cart. So we thought they were probably coming to pick up dishes. So, the next day we were putting our daughter down for nap and we got another knock on the door – this time one of the reception people dropping off a Thank –You letter and a bottle of Rum as a gesture of thanks for the partnership between Travel Leaders and the RIU – very cool. He also mentioned that if we had the red-sign on our door no-one would knock. So the next few nights we put the red sign out and no problems. Our last night there we forgot to put the sign out and again at around 9:30 housekeeping knocked on the door (this time we had not ordered food and they were not dropping anything off). We answered the door and they were just checking to make sure ‘everything was alright.” Do you think this is strange? Maybe I am just sensitive because we had a young child with us, but doesn’t 9:30 at night seem late and to be randomly knocking on doors? We thought it was very odd we are just not used to that type of service!!

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Liz W. of Farmington, MN
Destination: Jamaica
Resort: Secrets, St. James
Date: January 2011
As far as the resort goes I would say overall it was a beautiful and well-kept resort. Being a newer resort, the foliage was not quite as mature yet as other resorts and they were doing some landscaping yet here and there, but nothing that bothered us or took away from the beauty. Mike and I both agreed that the beach was the best we had been to! I have been to Hawaii, Cayman, Mexico, Florida and a few other places but this beach was amazing! (granted it was manmade). Oh, and the spa! We had a couple’s massage and then enjoyed the water circuit, that was fantastic!!!! One of the best I’ve had.

They also had a lot of activities on the resort such as snorkeling, glass bottom boat, kayaking, wind sailing…a lot more that I can’t remember, but that was fun! The staff was very friendly and willing to help. I would say, the people are also a “perk” of the resort. We actually exchanged emails with one of the staffers. The rooms were very beautiful, contemporary and very clean! One of the things the resort gets a lot of positive feedback on are the beds. I just agree, the bed in our room was amazing and I wish I could have taken it home with me. The view was breath taking from our balcony. The endless drinks were so good and fun! They had several pools to choose from, one for everyone’s liking. We were in the preferred club so we had a heated pool and an infinity pool which we loved both! They also had a few with swim-up bars and were more geared towards the “fun crowd”. The nightly entertainment was pretty fun! They usually offered several different options and a wide variety of different shows.

The only thing we weren’t the MOST impressed with, was the food. This isn’t to say it was “bad”, it just wasn’t as great as we have had elsewhere. There were a couple of restaurants on the resort that were great, but all 8 or 9 weren’t anything to write home about. The selection seemed lacking and all of the restaurants were obviously supplied by the same chefs. But really, this didn’t matter to us much as we went there for the beach and the sun and just to spend time together.
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Joleen G. of River Falls, WI
Destination: Jamaica
Resort: Couples Swept Away
Date: February 2010

We hired a local to drive us from Rose Hall to Negril. He was a friend of a friend back in the states. He charged us $80. We gave him $100. We probably could have taken a Juta Cab for close to the same price. This guy wasn't very informative and we probably won't use him again. But, we did stop at a place that he swore had the best curried goat on the island.
Glen and I actually tried curried goat. I have one word. YUCK. NOT
AGAIN.

Room- Great House Jacuzzi Suite- WONDERFUL. We never had problems with a lack of hot water or water pressure. The room was spotless. The mini bar was restocked daily. They even refilled my ice bucket EVERY day!! We ordered room service for breakfast almost every day. It was GREAT. Our view as amazing. The bed was fabulous. We also had a walk in shower. Oh
yeah- flat screen tv with cable tv and premium channels.

Food- Wonderful. We ate at all of the restaurants at least twice each.
Our favorite was Feathers.

Service- Great. Tips are not accepted at this resort. In fact, they make it very clear that if an employee is caught accepting tips, they will be terminated. We saw tipping happen 1 time. We never tipped anyone, other than candy bars and school supplies.

Beach- Weather was extremely turbulent. Lots of days where we couldn't be in the water. The south end of the beach had TONS of seaweed wash in.........to the point where they brought in machinery to remove it. Our side of the beach was much nicer.

Spa- Wonderful. I had a body wrap, facial, and also had my hair and make up done for our ceremony. Glen and I enjoyed a couples massage. This was Glen's first massage ever and he really enjoyed it. I still laugh when I think about him referring to the spa as "The Massage Parlor".

All 3 pools were really nice.

Drinks were awesome. They had some top shelf liquors----Absolute Vodka was my go to. But they also had cans of Miller Lite. Every day, they had a different drink special, so we made sure to try them. I have a new found
passion for Dirty Banana's and Jamaica Brownies!! It also seems like
there is a bar about every 10 feet. We never had to wait for a drink.

We were a little disappointed with the water sports people. Glen really wanted to learn how to sail a hobby cat. The lesson was poor and they were not willing to go out with us or him.......even though it looked like they didn't have alot going on.

We took a taxi up to the cliffs one day and experienced Rick's Cafe and Sexy Rexy's. Next time we go, we will spend an entire day at the cliff side. It was very pretty and we loved everyone we ran into there. Rick's is a big tourist trap, but the surrounding businesses have the real Jamaica appeal.


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Joleen G. of River Falls, WI
Destination: Jamaica
Resort: Hilton Rose Hall
Date: February 2010

15 minute cab ride from the airport. $35.00 (US)

Room, bed, bathroom.......fabulous. We had a resort view room that overlooked the roof, but could still see the ocean. We also had a balcony that we really enjoyed sitting on in the mornings and had coffee.

My Hilton Honors points did cover the basic all inclusive plan with NO PROBLEMS.

Food........WONDERFUL. In fact, I liked the food here better than Couples.
Glen felt they were comparable. We had reservations one night at the Grill (I can't remember the name......Seascape....maybe) It was here that I had the best lobster I have ever had in my life.........seriously. Another night we had reservations at Three Palms. The resort takes you in a Mercedes mini van to this restaurant. It is like a 2 minute ride. Three Palms is on the golf course. We both had some kind of sea food medley........again it was FABULOUS

Service......WONDERFUL. We did tip, but never felt it was expected. One day, I left a bag of school supplies on the bed for our housekeeper. We came back to the room and she had made a beautiful swan out of towels and placed fresh flowers around it and even left a Thank You note.

FYI. This would be a great resort for people with kids. Lots of activities. Lots of families around. There is a lazy river with 2 water slides and a swim up bar. There is also one really large pool. The beach
is pretty nice..........as long as you don't compare it to Negril. Our
2nd day there, a big storm hit and washed in monster jelly fish, so they were advising everyone to not swim in the water. People still did.......not us. LOL!!

Spa.....I had a manicure and pedicure. Prices were ok, service was ok.
Nothing exceptional.

We did pay extra one day to have room service brought to the room for breakfast. It cost around $30 for a small fruit plate, coffee, and a small basket of pastries. A nice luxury.
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Teri D. of Watertown, MN
Destination: Jamaica
Resort: Beaches Sandy Bay
Date: February 2010

Jamaica was AWESOME!! I want to go back! Right now!
Negril was beautiful. We did not travel off the resort much.
We did go to Beaches Negril, Ricks Cafe and Margaritaville.
The one thing we did not like about the resort is that they are always trying to get you to participate in their evening entertainment. If you do a lot of the times you have to be somewhere at a certain time in the afternoon to rehearse and then again at a certain time for the entertainment. That would then limit you to where and when you eat. Sometimes they were just too loud. If we ever do go back, we said we would stay at the same resort but venture over to Beaches more often.
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Jason H. of RochesterDestination: JamaicaResort: Couples Swept Away
Date: October 2008

Our trip to Jamaica in September/October was absolutely amazing! We loved every minute of it and have already talked about when we can go back. I want to thank you again for all your help and recommendations. Our trip went smoothly and we were able to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the warm weather and the beach! Michelle and I would highly recommend Couples Swept Away to anyone who is interested. We had a great time with the various activities on the property and the food/drinks were excellent. In addition, we tried deep sea fishing and had a blast! Everyone there was very nice and we felt completely at ease the entire time. Again, I am very sorry that it too me so long to reply to you. That is the only drawback from a long vacation, it takes three times as long to get caught up again!
Thank you again for all your help, we appreciated it more than you know!
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Mary E. of Ellsworth, WI
Destination: Jamaica
Resort: Grand Pineapple Beach Resort
Date: February 2009

Jamaica was wonderful. Was more then what we were expecting, we had a great time. We will go back! The wedding was BEAUTIFUL...
For the booking etc with you went good. Although we had a few problems with our cancelation with Sun Country, but all in all it worked out in the end. Sure glad you got us the direct flights. THANKS!
Our transfer from the Jamaica airport to the resort went good....Although the transfer did seem long, but kind of our own fault for picking a resort on the tail end of the 7 mile beach. Just seemed to take a lot of time from the time we boarded the bus to the time we got to the resort. Not planning our day out very well, we pretty much went all day without eating. We got on the plane at 7:00 am and to our resort around 4:30 pm. Granted we could of purchased food on the plane, but of course we all were a little tight with our money at that time. We planned things out a little better on our way back!
We loved staying in Negril. The seven mile beach was awesome! Food was wonderful with a lot of variety that changed each day. Drinks were good, the bar tenders were great! Actually all the staff was good. We did not run into one staff whether in the dining area, cleaning, receptionist, gift store, groundskeeper or security that we were not pleased with. All the employees were great, polite and friendly! For the pool, we looked at it, but never used it...why use a pool when there is a beach? Beach was beautiful...clean, awesome security, different water things to do, plenty of beach chairs and beds...it was great!
Our room was good, was kind of a head ache as they moved us the second day. Wouldn't of been to bad, but from 10:00 - 4:00 on the second day, we had no room to go to. They were cleaning our checked in room, while they were getting our room we were moving into ready also. We didn't find out about this until morning. I had spent a couple hours unpacking and getting all the wedding clothes hung that first night; not realizing that wasn't the room we would be spending the rest of our stay at. If we would of been told this while we were checking in I would of waited with all the unpacking. As then the next morning I had to repack all the suitcases....and then in the afternoon (after 4:00) unpack again. We had brought down all the luggage for the kids; we needed to get all the wedding clothes hung up. That was kind of frustrating, but they did give us a voucher to their gift store and a bottle of rum. Don't know if that value equalled the value of time I missed on the beach and socializing with the others there for the wedding.
The rooms were nice, just some minor up keep things...but it was livable. Had water issues the first morning, but when we moved it was better. As the first morning we had NO water in our sink or bathtub/shower.
The grounds were very well kept and picked up several times throughout the day. You barely saw any garbage or dead leaves on the grounds. After walking the beach...we decided that if we would go back to Negril, we would probably stay at the Grand Pineapple again. They were the only ones we noticed that had beach security at 6:30 am. Never really noticed other beaches being patrolled as well as ours. As an example...my daughter and I went for a walk Saturday morning at 7:00 on the beach. I liked going in the mornings while everyone else was still in bed. Pretty quiet and not a lot of locals wondering around selling their stuff at that time. Before we got off the resorts beach a security person came over and asked us for our room #. He said, "we love you at the Grand Pineapple, and I love you and we just want to make sure you make it back here". It was very cute and nice. But no matter what time of the day you left the security would check you off and check you back in. They really keep good track of the residents at the Grand Pineapple. Also with the resort being so small, pretty much all the workers knew you by name after the first day. Made a person feel pretty good...and at home.
My only suggestion would be...if we would of known how long it takes from the time you land to the time you are dropped of at the resort; we would of reconsidered the kids taking a three day trip. As it only ended up really being one day at the resort (Saturday) and that was the wedding, so they never got much out of the resort extras! When I looked at the return flight time, I thought they would have Sunday morning to do a few things as the flight was leaving at 1:40....WELL, we had to have our bags packed and in front by 8:00 and we were picked up at 8:30. So we barely got breakfast in on Sunday as they don't start serving until 7:30. Once again, that is were a direct shuttle from this resort would be a great idea!
All in all, we went down for a wedding and it was beautiful!
Thanks for all the help in getting us down there.

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Paula C. of Ellsworth, WI
Destination: Jamaica
Resort: Grand Pineapple Beach Resort
Date: February 2009
It was a very nice and enjoyable time.
The wedding was beautiful and the bride and groom made the perfect couple.
The resort was good. Nothing frilly and fancy--but was okay by our standards. The selection of food was good-- some things were YUCK and somethings were good-- Every meal was buffet and we just made sure we ate right away--so the things were fresh and hadn't been sitting out for a long time.
The first night we stayed on the beachside manor (which was like a long motel hallway) and we were suppose to have beachside cottages so they moved us the second night. We got a bottle of rum and $30 gift certificate for the gift store. It was kinda of a pain to move but they compensated us for it. 3 of our rooms had to do that.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Destination: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Kayla V of River Falls, WI
Destination: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Resort: Majestic Elegance
Date: January 2012

The resort had a big sign (the size of a car or so) at the entrance of the resort when they arrived welcoming our special group. (we loved this!)

The wedding planner at the resort was fantastic. We loved her and all she did.

All of our rooms were in 1 bldg. - close to each other (and the ones that did not have the Elegance Club were together in their own bldg.) Thank you to the travel agent for assisting in this process!!

The private buffet we had for the reception was the best food we had all week. Lobster, prime rib and some fantastic wedding cake (banana flavoring)Everyone was fighting over more!

The resort distinguishes the elegance club guests by their bracelets. The regular rooms get the plastic type of bracelet to wear all week and the elegance club get a nice looking bracelet that is made of strings and wood. We really liked the upgraded bracelets

All in all - it went great. What a memorable trip!

Here is a slide show of pictures from our wedding:

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Michele S of North Dakota
Destination: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Resort: Majestic Elegance
Date: January 2012

We had a great time. The resort was beautiful, and was everything I imagined. I didn’t realize it was only 3 years old. The rooms were clean and comfortable. Of course, being all inclusive was so nice because we always had water and other drinks available in our room. The pools were great, and there were many grass hut bars throughout the property so you could always get a drink. The ocean was beautiful, and there were always enough chairs on the beach and by the pool.

We also enjoyed the entertainment that was available each night. There were many options for dining at night which was nice. In addition to the restaurants, they changed the theme for the buffets too. So one night it was Mexican, one night Chinese, etc. The food was excellent. Everybody was so friendly. The only thing that wasn’t good was the desserts, but then that was nice because you didn’t overindulge.

The dune buggy excursion was awesome. It was really nice to see the country and how the locals live. Of course, I am sure you heard that two cars did get separated- which was very scary, but all ended well. We were able to buy a CD of our excursion, which is nice to have for memories.

Lastly, the wedding was absolutely beautiful. You couldn’t have picked a better landscape. The pictures are gorgeous.

Thanks for all your help. Everything, from the travel to the resort, was very well organized. I am ready to go again.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Destination: Las Vegas, NV

Melissa G. of River Falls, WI
Destination: Las Vegas, Nevada
Resort: The Cosmopolitan
Date: November 2011

I had the opportunity to stay at the Cosmo this year in Vegas. The hotel is located in the brand new city center in Las Vegas. This area consists of a few hotels, Cosmo, Aria and Vdara. The City Center is located in between Monte Carlo and Bellagio.

It's interesting though, how that South strip area has changed so much with this new area. On that side of the street, it used to be fairly easy to walk up and down. Now, there are stairs, and moving stairs, and walkways, and it seems that they sort of route you through areas, instead of you just walking by.

ROOMS: I had a one bedroom suite, and it was beautiful. The room was huge! There was a large sitting area, with a couch that could easily fit 3 people across, and a chair, along with a desk and chair, and a flat screen tv. There was also a kitchenette area with a fully stocked fridge, and a DISHWASHER for pete's sake! Crazy! We were warned though not to touch anything in the fridge or snack tray, as they all had motion sensors on them, and you would be charged, even if you just pick it up and put it back. It triggers the fee. So consider yourself warned!
The bath and shower area seemed to go on forever. The deep tub was in the shower area. So cool.
The balcony was nice too! I overlooked the South end of the strip.

You can see my pictures on facebook here: CLICK HERE

CASINO: So you're probably wondering what the casino was like here. My take on the casino was that it was geared towards high rollers. Sure there were scattered penny slots and such, but the tables that were by all the main walk ways were all high roller tables. The casino itself was not large, and it seems that the casino was not the focus of this hotel. The focus was on the upper scale feel, the chandelier bar, and the Marquee day and night club

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Destination: Hawaii


Diane K. of St. Charles, MN
Destination: Oahu, Maui and Kauai, Hawaii
Resorts: Maui-Kaanapali Beach Hotel,
Kauai-Kauai Beach Resort, Oahu-Hale Koa Hotel
Date: April 2011

The Hawaii trip went very well and we had a great time. Oahu was a good intro to Hawaii for us and we were very impressed with the Hale Koa hotel. We did the Stars and Stripes Pearl Harbor Tour, did a little walking GeoCaching around Honolulu, and used the Trolley Green/Pink line one day to get a nice self-guided tour.

Kauai was the first island for us to have a car and we were given a free upgrade to a Sebring convertible. We went up the east side all the way to Haena on the Kuhio Highway (56 & 560) and hiked over a mile on the Kalalau Trail but with the slippery rocks, we chose to call it good. Next day included a trip to Waimea Canyon for some great views and west-side sun.

Following the two driving days, we GeoCached to nice sights in and around Wailua, Kapaa, Lihue, Poipu, and Shipwreck Coast. The GeoCaching trips took us to places not normally advertised in the brochures and the hiking + views compete with many of the highly-advertised “must-do’s. We liked our hotel, Kauai Beach Hotel and were happy with that choice.

Maui was very nice also. On the first day, we weren’t very excited about our room at the Kaanapali Hotel, being on the floor next to the stairs. It was a bit noisey and we asked to be moved. The rest of our stay was in room 577 and a very good room with a balcony and view of the beach. A very nice adjustment by the hotel staff. Their housekeeping staff is to be commended for the friendliness. The complex nicely satisfies a traveler’s needs with a variety of things to do on the site along with the option of walking up and down the beach to visit other resorts.

While on Maui, we struggled with a few major decisions. Not sure whether to bike Haleakala Mt or not, we took a drive to the top to check it out with our little Chevy Aveo. The car did well all the way up to 10,000 ft. With the cloudy rainy climate in that area, we’re glad we chose the car trip. We also took the goat trail from Honolua to Kahului and later realized it was restricted by Alamo. It was very scenic and a bit of a white-knuckle drive. The second difficult decision was whether to drive the road to Hana. This is the single item I’d change if ever going back and at one point wanted to call you to ask for a change. Since one of us suffers from motion sickness, we realized it would be a long day of not feeling well, so chose not to go. However, I considered asking you if we could move to a hotel in Hana for a few nights so we could break up the drive. But after we were moved to 577, we liked the room a lot more and dropped that idea. With the drive up the mountain and the goat-trail drive, we felt we did justice to scenic drives, but also realize that we left some sights behind by not going to Hana. We can live with that.

A few of our days were spent going up Hwy 30 to Kahana and the beaches. The waves were great and we enjoyed relaxing while watching the surfers. We took a self guided tour of the coffee plantation and spoke with the workers which was interesting. We took a morning to walk the streets of Lahaina, checked out the shopping district, had a good meal at the Cool Cats restaurant and saw the old Banyan tree. On our last day, we took a ride up to the Iao Valley for a little sightseeing and spent some time GeoCaching in Kahului. That pretty much wrapped up the visit except for a fish sandwich at McDonalds in the Queen’s Mall.
Here are a few of our favorite views:

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Destination: Disney Cruise Line

Kari T. of Burnsville, MN
Destination: Caribbean
Ship: Disney Cruise Line's -Disney Dream
Ports of Call: Port Canaveral, Nassau, Castaway Cay
Date: May 2011


Our client traveled on a wonderful trip to Florida and on the Disney Cruise Line. First started at the Radisson Cape Canaveral, loved the resort. Visited the Kennedy Space Center (a must see!!) and then boarded the beautiful NEW ship, the Disney Dream.
While onboard the Disney Dream, they enjoyed everything that Disney has to offer. They did one excursion while in Nassau, Bahamas. They swam with the stingrays on "Blackbeard's Cay Stingray and Beach Adventure". This excursion was booked directly with Disney Cruise Line, so the magic continued through out the island.
They absolutely loved the paradise that is Castaway Cay!!!

After the cruise, they continued on with the magic at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Had lots of down time to just relax and enjoy the resort and the animals. Had a great time.

All in all, it was a wonderful and magical vacation.


Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Destination: Aruba

Mark K. of Rochester, MN
Destination: Aruba
Resort: RIU Aruba Beach Resort
Dates: April 2011
Our clients visited Aruba and stayed at the RIU Aruba Beach Resort. They had a wonderful time! The rooms were big, and they did ask for adjoining rooms and were able to confirm this for their family. So they loved that! They were in the new building on the 7th floor.
A beautiful island and great trip.


Monday, April 11, 2011

Destination: Riviera Maya

Kim J. of Hugo, MNDestination: Riviera MayaResort: THE ROYAL Playa del CarmenDate: October 2011The Royal in Playa was an awesome resort. Because it was our honeymoon we had our own Romance concierge for check in and to answer any questions which was really nice. She was very good about keeping us informed about the storm that was supposed to come through one night while we were there. Because of the storm we got to stay in two different rooms, they were worried about the ocean front swim up rooms getting flooded in the storm so we started off in an Ocean Front room on the 3rd floor which had an awesome view of the ocean. After the storm went through we were able to move to our pool side swim up room. Both were very nice. I am not sure which I liked better, the view from the 3rd floor was great but the convenience of having your own patio right next to the pool was very nice as well. We really liked the Jacuzzi’s in each room and the sound system was nice to be able to play music from an ipod while we were out on our patio. Again the service here was very good and the food was delicious. There is definitely more people around this resort since it is right in Playa so my only negative is that you have to wear a wristband the whole time since it is an all inclusive resort that is right in town, that is not a huge deal though. It was nice to be able to walk around town in the shops and down the beach to see other resorts. It was a nice change of pace from Dreams as well so I think they complemented each other nicely. We would definitely stay at The Royal again as well.
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Kim J. of Hugo, MN
Destination: Riviera MayaResort: Dreams TulumDate: October 2011The Dreams Tulum Resort was an absolutely gorgeous setting for a destination wedding and for a family. The resort and beach were very secluded so the only people around were those staying at the resort. You could walk for a couple miles in each direction and not run into another resort which I really liked for the wedding not having too many people standing around in the background of pictures and such. The kids had a blast playing in the ocean and pool and enjoyed a couple of the kids club activities one day as well. The wedding coordinator did a great job understanding everything I wanted and the ceremony and reception decorations and flowers turned out exactly as I envisioned them. The photographer on the resort also did a great job with the photos and we are really happy we chose to get the additional package to get pictures taken all around the resort. The rooms in the newer part of the resort were very nice, we especially liked the big walk in showers in the bathrooms. The service was great and everyone was very nice. We ate at most of the restaurants at least once on the trip and thought the food was very good. We especially liked the Sushi restaurant. The kids enjoyed the shows that took place at night as well. We would definitely stay at the Dreams Tulum again if we are looking for a family friendly resort or something a little more off the beaten path.
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Gary S. of Roberts, WIDestination: Riviera MayaResort: RIU YucatanDate: February 2011We had a good time but we would NOT recommend this resort (Riu Yucatan) to anyone - the rooms are very small, the room service was terrible - for example, the minibar in the room, we would ask in the morning to make sure that it was restocked as they only did it on their schedule of every other day unless you requested it. We would come back from being out all day to find it hadn't been restocked and when we called were told "Sorry, the minibar service is closed for the day - the earliest this happend was around 5:30. We did go to a couple of the other Riu resorts and found them to be much better then the one we were in - better bars, outdoor activities, etc.

I would say that the TRAFIC tour rep (Tiia) was very helpful. I did a afternoon of golf, paid for the twilight rate with started at 2:30 and went until dark, around 6. I WOULD NOT recommend this to anyone as you have no control over how fast the groups are in front of you - so it ended up costing me over 200.00 to play 9 holes of golf - they would not give me a rain check for another 9. The food was not very good at all - we were pretty dissapointed in the quality of it. There was no drink service on the beach as there had been at the last resort we stayed at - I know, I can walk my big butt up to the bar and get my drinks but was dissapointed in this anyway. I would tell you to tell anyone else going to pack a BIG drink mug to take to the bar so they don't have to keep coming back for the little drink glasses that they give you. If someone wants to talk to us about their upcoming trip, we would be happy to share the good and bad and any tips that may help make their trip better. We are going to go back again, but will probably stay in the Grand Porto Real as we know what to expect there.
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Toni G. of Bloomington, MNDestination: Riviera MayaResort: Gran Porto Real, Playa del CarmenDate: October 2008We love Playa del Carmen and have been there about 12 times. This is the first time we have used an all inclusive place. Gran Porto Real was a fabulous place for our daughters destination wedding. The hotel accommodations were wonderful for the 36 people who flew down for the wedding. The hotel staff were all very friendly and the front desk people as well as all the wait staff including bartenders and beach servers all spoke English so there was not a communication barrier most of the time. The people who cleaned the rooms did not speak English so that was a challenge if you needed them to do something specific i.e. leave more towels, come back at another time etc. The wedding planner was very helpful and answered all our questions in a timely manner via email. She was there to fulfill our daughters wedding dreams. The flowers for the bridal party and front table were truly spectacular and were everything that the photos showed for the wedding package. The wedding cake was the traditional tres leche Mexican cake and everyone thought it was the best cake they had ever had. We chose not to have the wedding reception at the hotel since all other meals were done at the hotel. I know the hotel would have accommodated us for a unique dinner if that is something we wanted. Since we have been to Mexico many times we just went to a restaurant we had eaten at before and told the manager we had a wedding reception for 36 people. We talked to the manager on Saturday night and he was able to accommodate 36 people on Tuesday with little forewarning. The manager was able to accommodate 36 people for a private party with a 4 course dinner and open bar for 4 hours. Our guests truly appreciated the opportunity to get off site and experience the night life on 5th Avenue. The mariachi band walking by the restaurant was called in to play a few songs for the bride a groom. Another high light for our guests. The weather is usually sunny all the time in Playa del Carmen, except for the week of her wedding! It rained every day except the day before we had to go home We all had a fabulous time anyway since it was still 80 degrees and didn't rain all day, only about 4 hours per day. Melissa was an asset in helping us plan the destination wedding. She was able to get all the guests the best rates for flights at the times that worked for them. She was a great go to person when our daughter and myself had questions on the whole planning of this event. If Melissa did not have an immediate answer she took the time to get an answer and was timely in her responses. Melissa was a travel professional as well as wedding planner. All thirty six people had a great time, loved the hotel, loved the Mexican people and are ready for the next destination wedding!!

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Tara W. of River Falls, WIDestination: Riviera MayaResort: Gran Porto Real, Playa del CarmenDate: June 2008Our experience planning a destination wedding was both easy and fun with the help of Melissa and the Gran Porto Real resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Melissa was so helpful when it came to deciding on a resort and location-she was extremely well informed and very honest about all of our choices. She helped us to decide on a great resort and location that worked within our budget. She was very informative during the planning process and was very speedy when it came to answering questions or working to get answers from the wedding planner at the resort. Our experience as guests and as the Bride and Groom at the Gran Porto Real in Play del Carmen was incredible. The resort itself is not large, so it was the perfect place for our group of 29 to stay for the week. The staff at the resort were overly accommodating and did their very best to make sure we enjoyed our stay and that our drinks were always full. The food was good and there was always plenty of it, the rooms were cleaned and most days we were pleasantly surprised with flowers or towel animals when we returned form an afternoon at the pool. The wedding coordinator for the Real resorts was fantastic as well. She made sure that our day felt special and one of a kind. She ensured that we had the wedding that we had always dreamed of. I cannot wait to go back to the Gran Porto Real again in the future!

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Monday, January 24, 2011

Destination: Cozumel

Lori H. of Pine Island, MN
Destination: Cozumel
Resort: Melia Cozumel
Date: January 2011

The Melia is a wonderful place to stay, it is quiet, clean and the people are very friendly.

I would recommend the Melia in Cozumel.
We had a great time in downtown Cozumel also, shopping, eating and people watching.

But most of all it was relaxing and that is what we wanted.

It rained on and off for 2 days, and then was nice and 80 degrees.
Much better that back here with below 0 temps.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Destination: Mazatlan

Ryan S. of Rochester, MN
Destination: Mazatlan, Mexico
Resort: RIU Emerald Bay
Date: December 2010

Our vacation was great! The RIU was overwhelming at first since it is so much larger than the Playa Car, but we got over that pretty quick. We spent the first few days just lying around and wandering the beach. We did go to the downtown area and also to the golden zone. The only excursion we did was Deer Island, but it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip and we would likely go on it again if we went back. We did wander up the beach to the Mr. Lionso restaurant for dinner one night and also further back from that to a small market place and a few other small, but very tasty seafood shacks.

The only complaint we had was the difficulty of getting into the themed restaurants. The first morning we were there we got to the customer service desk around 730 or 8 and they were all booked for that night except for one reservation at 9. But this was very minor to us especially after we found the oceanside shack selling fresh oysters, crab and fish!

So we loved it!
Here are some pictures from our trip:

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Destination: Costa Rica

Beth C. of River Falls, WI
Destination: Costa Rica
Resort: Hilton Papagayo
Date: November 2009
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Costa Rica was fabulous. I LOVED the resort. I'm glad we had a car, because the resort is a bit of a drive from everything and without a vehicle, you would be stuck there. Hotel restaurant food is pricey, so we didn't eat there much (except for pool-side nachos and drinks). The staff was really nice, the rooms lovely, and everything about the resort is great. LOVED it!! We did zip-lining one day. One day we went hiking on a nearby volcano. It's active, so that was pretty cool. Otherwise, we just relaxed on the beach/pool and explored. Had a great time. The roads are dreadful -- tons of potholes. I'm glad we were using a rental car and not our own!! I would definitely recommend this place to others.
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The hotel is bungalow style, and the bungalows are spread out, so you may have to walk a bit to get to the pool, etc., although they have 24-hour shuttle service. We like to walk, so we didn't use the shuttle much.
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The bungalow set-up works great for families. Most of them are duplexes with connecting doors. So parents can easily have the privacy of their own room but the security of having their kids right next door. The maids always did the elaborate towel creations when they cleaned the rooms -- sea turtles, elephants with fresh hibiscus flowers -- the kids loved that. And we had giant iguanas right outside our bungalow. COOL!!!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Destination: Cabo San Lucas

Kristin L. of River Falls
Destination: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Resort: RIU Santa Fe
Date: October 2009
Mexico was GREAT! We had a WONDERFUL time!
We were very happy with the Cabo choice! GORGEOUS!

Luckily the hurricane did miss us. I guess people were getting out while we were coming in but it got weaker by the day. We had 1 day of rain and wind…but by then we were ready for a chill day! Plus it was kinda cool to see all the big waves.

So the feedback from everything…yes it’s positive!
The airport: You were right about those timeshare people…yikes! We got by them but needed a beer once we got out. We found our representative and got our shuttle no problem.

The RIU was very nice! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming! I did use my Spanish a little more than I thought I would but no complaints at all! Your suggestions regarding the rooms were right on! We were ocean view on the 3rd floor. We heard the 1st floor was easily flooded so we were happy about that! The rooms were simple and nice, all we needed. Bed was good, nice balcony, and housekeeping was always right on. Their ocean view rooms are in building #7 which is a pretty good walk to the main lobby/food area but not enough to complain about. Maybe a 5-7 minute walk.

The pools were always clean and seemed to be taken care of well. A little cool after a night of rain but still ok. The “infinity pool” that overlooks the ocean was amazing. I read a few reviews about how people didn’t really like the food. I’d say it wasn’t the best ever but they did have a HUGE variety and I never left hungry so again nothing to complain about. We only got a chance to try 1 of the 4 specialty restaurants. Those reservations do fill up fast! Since some of our plans were wishy-washy on weather we just didn’t get a chance too.

We didn’t do much of their provided daily entertainment but did take in a couple nightly shows which were good. We did meet with the Continental Vacation guy for a couple excursions. We took in parasailing, a sunset catamaran tour around those rocks (that was awesome!...it was called the ecokat or ecocat…I’d for surely recommend it!) and rented a jet ski. They were all affordable and a lot of fun! I would for surely agree with you on the point of not swimming in the ocean there though! It kicked my butt once and that was enough.

We felt safe in town, at the bars, and of course ALWAYS at the RIU. It was a very “couple-y” vacation time I’d say. Didn’t bother me at all, but just fyi. Your suggestion on bringing $1’s was good, we both used them – just easier. The bar cups were a little small, to be expected and probably a good thing for me. I did notice some people brought mugs or went to Walmart to find something bigger to use by the pool which the resort seemed fine with.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Destination: Alaska Cruise

Greg Z. of River Falls, WI
Destination: Alaska (cruise/tour)
Ship: Princess Cruise Line's -Coral Princess
Ports of Call: Vancouver, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, College Fjord, Whittier
Date: May 2009

They went on a fabulous cruise tour to Alaska, and had a wonderful time!
"Cruise/tours were basically perfect.
Everything went very smooth.
And, perfect weather!"

Monday, September 21, 2009

Destination: Seattle, Washington

Lori D. of Hudson, WI
Destination: Seattle, Washington
Date: July 2009
The location of the hotel is nice for these reasons: you can walk to the market, you can walk along the entire waterfront, and the best part was that the hotel had a shuttle service that would ran every hour on the hour to take you to different tourist points. You could then call them 1/2 hour before you wanted to be picked up and they would come get you. We never used our car.
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The hotel was nice but the room we had was quite small (not much room to walk around). They didn't have wireless in the rooms (which we needed because we were planning our days as we went) so I had to use their free business center that only had two computers so there were many times people were waiting to use it. We couldn't believe a hotel like that wouldn't have wireless. People who stay there for business usually have computers with them and I'm sure they would like to work in their rooms. The other bummer about the hotel is that you pay $30/day for parking. Thank goodness you got us such a great rate to begin with.
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They had those really soft plush robes to use (and for sale) so I had to put one on for the picture. Also, the bear that I'm holding with the shirt with the hotel name on it was for sale. You could even purchase one of those ugly bear foot rests by the fireplace (they were $350).
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All in all it was a good place. It would definitely be an awesome place to stay for the person who is going to get on the cruise ship since it's right next door!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Agent: Darla

Marc M. of Inver Grove, MN
Agent: Darla
Date: July 2009
Spain was wonderful and there was a lot to see.
I would also recommend Adventures By Disney because they arranged a nice experience for our 3 generations of travelers.

Darla is fantastic!!!
She answered every question and made the trip to Spain so smooth.
Plus she is really really nice. I can't thank her enough.
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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Agent: Melissa

Kristin L. of River Falls
Agent: Melissa
Date: October 2009
Loved the resort, RIU sante fe in Cabo!
Very friendly people, relaxing and could also go out if we wanted too.
We had helpful tips from our agent and felt very comfortable!
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Toni G. of Bloomington, MN
Agent: Melissa
Date: October 2008
Melissa was an asset in helping us plan the destination wedding. She was able to get all the guests the best rates for flights at the times that worked for them. She was a great go to person when our daughter and myself had questions on the whole planning of this event. If Melissa did not have an immediate answer she took the time to get an answer and was timely in her responses. Melissa was a travel professional as well as wedding planner.

All thirty six people had a great time, loved the hotel, loved the Mexican people and are ready for the next destination wedding!!
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Melanie M. of St Paul, MN
Agent: Melissa
Date: December 2007
Our travel agent made sure we got the best value for our money with the whole package (cruise, flight, and hotel). We were more than satisfied with our honeymoon and wish we could do it all over again! We missed our flight on our way home and our travel agent went above and beyond in helping us get reimbursed from the insurance company. For any vacation I take I will go through Suntime (Melissa) because she has my trust that my vacation will meet my expectations 100%.
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Dustin P. of River Falls, WI
Agent: Melissa
Date: September 2008
Planning a honeymoon was a lot harder than I thought. I was trying to do everything by myself. When things were not going well, I was still reluctant to work with a travel agent, figuring that it would be another expense that would take away from the money that was for the trip.

Boy was I mistaken!

Working with Melissa at Travel Leaders was a great help in planning the honeymoon. It took a lot of pressure off and was a great relief for me. Melissa was very eager and excited to help. She has a wealth of knowledge for various places, especially honeymoon locations.

After talking with Melissa about what we wanted and were looking for, she offered up many choices that I was then able to pick from based on our location preference, budget, etc...

Once the locations were narrowed down, Melissa did all of the work. She made all the calls, sent e-mails and worked with the location to get what we were looking for. Since the honeymoon destination was to be a surprise to my wife, Melissa kept all of the details hush hush.

Our honeymoon would not have been as wonderful as it was without the fantastic help of Melissa at Suntime Travel/Travel Leaders. She will help you every step of the way to make sure that your trip is the best that is can possibly be.
Thank you Melissa for helping us plan a wonderful and romantic honeymoon. We can't wait to book our next trip with you.
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Tara W. of River Falls, WI
Agent: Melissa
Date: June 2008
Our experience planning a destination wedding was both easy and fun with the help of Melissa and the Gran Porto Real resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Melissa was so helpful when it came to deciding on a resort and location-she was extremely well informed and very honest about all of our choices. She helped us to decide on a great resort and location that worked within our budget. She was very informative during the planning process and was very speedy when it came to answering questions or working to get answers from the wedding planner at the resort.
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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Agent: Laurie

Gail S. of Rochester, MN
Agent: Laurie
Destination: Argentina
Date: October 2008

Was Consultant Helpful: Strongly Agree
Recommend Suntime Travel: Strongly Agree
Revisit Destination: Yes
Why: Much more to investigate, great weather, friendly people and affordable.
Additional Comments: and mail. great job Laurie
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Agent: Jody

Heidi A. of Pine Island, MN
Agent: Jody
Date: June 2009
Jody (Rochester location) did an absolutely amazing job helping us with our Advanced Dining Reservations at Disney World. She made the process so easy and relieved so much stress. Plus she helping with flight changes, seat assignments, etc. I can't thank her enough!
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Jason H. of Rochester, MN
Agent: Jody
Date: September 2008
We went to Jamaica in September/October, it was absolutely amazing! We loved every minute of it and have already talked about when we can go back.
I want to thank you again for all your help and recommendations. Our trip went smoothly and we were able to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the warm weather and the beach! Michelle and I would highly recommend Couples Swept Away to anyone who is interested. We had a great time with the various activities on the property and the food/drinks were excellent.
In addition, we tried deep sea fishing and had a blast! Everyone there was very nice and we felt completely at ease the entire time.
The only drawback from a long vacation, it takes three times as long to get caught up again! Thank you again for all your help, we appreciated it more than you know!
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Monday, December 8, 2008

Destination: San Diego, California

Debbie W. of Woodbury, MN
Destination: San Diego, California
Resort: Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa on Mission Bay
Date: September 2008
The hotel, The Catamaran Resort, was just average. The grounds were beautiful and the rooms were ok. The service however was terrible. The people were not the friendliest and we had to pay for parking.... $18,00 a day to park in a ramp about a block away! It was ridiculous. Then when we found out the location of our rooms, of course, they were about a 10 minute walk from the front lobby, which was very hard for my mother. They were not willing to try to move the rooms for us, it was just like they completely didn't care to please the customer. So, next time if given the chance, I would not want to be put there. There were many other things that went wrong... our air conditioner was missing a part that directed the air a certain way, so all of our air went under the curtains.... they promised it would be fixed within hour, but it never got done in the entire four days.... We continued to call, but it just never got done. Finally on the last day of complaining they did send us a wine and fruit basket to apologize. So, at least they did make an attempt at the end, but by then, it was a little too late..... So, overall, the hotel wasn't the greatest experience.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Destination: Argentina

Gail S. of Rochester, MN
Agent: Laurie
Destination: Argentina
Date: October 2008

Was Consultant Helpful: Strongly Agree
Recommend Suntime Travel: Strongly Agree
Revisit Destination: Yes
Why: Much more to investigate, great weather, friendly people and affordable.
Additional Comments: and mail. great job Laurie
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Destination: Puerto Vallarta

Julie K. of Plover, WI
Destination: Puerto Vallarta
Resort: Melia Puerto Vallarta
Date: October 2008
Overall, everyone that attended had a great time and the resort was beautiful, along with the views. However, we were very unhappy with the "kid friendly" type atmosphere as for one the lunch food for the children was only available @ certain hours of the day which actually was quite late, and the kids shows in the evening didn't start until almost 9:00 p.m. We all honestly didn't feel this resort catered to children which was an important feature we were looking for.

The communication problem was prevelant especially with the public relations staff and the security which made it extremely difficult with wedding preparations. There was not a rehearsal for the ceremony (which I thought was strange) as it would have been nice if it was more organized. Everything was beautifully decorated and the wedding dinner was delicious, however for ordering the best wedding package they had to offer it would have been nice to have music for the reception part of the wedding.

The "Tukari Tours" agent was very kind however very disorganized. It actually was a bit of a nightmare trying to arrange that particular tour. They , however were great regarding the transportation to & from the airport.

I have to say that I personally would not recommend this particular resort to anyone I know wanting to take a similar vacation.
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Jessi G. of Kirkland, WA
Destination: Puerto Vallarta
Resort: Melia Puerto Vallarta
Date: October 2008
Having been there before, I knew we would find great character and culture in and around the city. The Melia, however, provided a much different experience and unfortunately is not a place we would ever consider in the future nor would we recommend it to friends/family. It was really quite horrible, if I’m being completely honest.

Positives:
- Airport transfer was easy and quick, staff was courteous and efficient
- The kids-club staff (at least those who watched 0-4 years) was friendly. I wasn’t a big fan of the age group…0-4 is a wide range, as you know. But, they did a good job for the one afternoon that I used them.

Negatives:
- We paid for a King-size M experience. We got 2 double beds. The room, although clean, was musty and ill-ventilated. (Taking a shower steamed up the entire room- there was no fan in the bathroom or bedroom)
- The room was cleaned once/day in a manner that was not on par with the M experience. The beds were made, towels refreshed and the sink wiped out, but that was about it.
- There was no food available between 10am and 1:00pm. For a resort that’s “kid-friendly”, I thought this was crazy. My 2 year old, without fail, was hungry every day at 11:30am and we couldn’t feed him lunch until 1:00pm!
- The food was not good. I’ve been to Sandals, Superclubs, Beaches, Aventura Palace and a handful of cruises and had some average meals at all of them but could always find a couple of really great things. The Melia was sub-par in every restaurant for every meal. Thankfully, the best meal was the wedding meal- the Caesar salad was the most memorable thing we had- it was very good. I realize there’s some compromise on food when staying at an all-inclusive versus Maui, for example where every meal is exquisite but the price tag goes along with it. The Melia was more than a compromise. My family ended up leaving the resort the last 3 nights in order to get an enjoyable meal. It was a little embarrassing for me because I’m the one who helped choose the place and I wish I had been more diligent.
- There was no entertainment- they advertise it to be more than it is. There were a few things at 9pm (much too late for small ones) but nothing notable.
- Pool side music was loud and annoying. The staff got on the microphone twice an hour and most times didn’t speak in English so it was tough to know what they were trying to get people to do. It’s definitely a resort that targets local commerce/vacationing which is fine, but it wasn’t friendly for non-Spanish speaking tourists. We called security, the bell stand and customer service and had to ask to be transferred to someone who spoke English.
- Jessica, the wedding planner, was a bit difficult the day of the wedding. We had one family in town who stayed at a different resort and when they came for the wedding, the staff held them in the lobby for 45 minutes until they could get a hold of my sister (on her wedding day!) to get her permission to let them come in. I specifically told Jessica when I checked in that there was one family not staying at the resort so this shouldn’t have happened. Jessica sat at a table a few yards away from the dinner and just sort of stared at the wedding guests for about an hour. It was strange.
I do appreciate the help you provided for our friends/family who booked; overall, everyone had a great time. The disappointment with amenities didn’t overshadow the reason for the trip. The Melia just won’t have return customers from the group.
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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Destination: Italy

Melanie M. of St. Paul
Destination: Rome, Italy
Hotel: Gioberti
Date: December 2007
I would definitely recommend the hotel we stayed at in Rome.
It was close to the train station and near the bus tour stops.
I think we got a better hotel for our money in Rome than we did in Barcelona. If I were going to go back to Barcelona I would definitely spend more money for a nicer hotel.
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Destination: Spain

Melanie M. of St. Paul
Destination: Barcelona, Spain
Hotel: Rialto
Date: December 2007
The hotel we stayed at in Barcelona wasn’t too terrible, but if there was another hotel for a little more money that was better I would have paid more. I think we got a better hotel for our money in Rome than we did in Barcelona. If I were going to go back to Barcelona I would definitely spend more money for a nicer hotel.
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Destination: Mediterranean Cruise

Melanie M. of St. Paul
Destination: Mediterranean Cruise
Ship: Royal Caribbean's Brillance of the Seas
Ports of Call: Rome, Naples, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Florence/Pisa, Nice, Toulon, Barcelona
Date: December 2007
The Mediterranean cruise was amazing. It was a wonderful honeymoon for us. All the destinations with the exception of Corfu were beautiful. It was a little cold at the end of November so make sure to bring warm cloths if you are traveling at that time. We had a room with a balcony, but it was too cold to even enjoy it! Royal Caribbean’s cruise was a great ship for a honeymoon as there were few children running around so it was very relaxing. The cruise was a great way to see parts of Europe for the first time. You could explore during the day, but return to the ship where English is spoken to relax at night.
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Friday, October 31, 2008

Destination: Barbados


Dustin P. of River Falls
Destination: Barbados
Resort: The Crane
Date: September 2008
Planning a honeymoon was a lot harder than I thought. I was trying to do everything by myself. When things were not going well, I was still reluctant to work with a travel agent, figuring that it would be another expense that would take away from the money that was for the trip.
Boy was I mistaken!
Working with Melissa at Travel Leaders was a great help in planning the honeymoon. It took a lot of pressure off and was a great relief for me. Melissa was very eager and excited to help. She has a wealth of knowledge for various places, especially honeymoon locations.
After talking with Melissa about what we wanted and were looking for, she offered up many choices that I was then able to pick from based on our location preference, budget, etc...

Once the locations were narrowed down, Melissa did all of the work. She made all the calls, sent e-mails and worked with the location to get what we were looking for. Since the honeymoon destination was to be a surprise to my wife, Melissa kept all of the details hush hush.

I decided on the beautiful Crane Resort in Barbados as our location. One good reason for picking Barbados over a few other Caribbean islands or Mexico... very little chance of hurricanes!

The Crane Resort is worlds above what we both could have imagined. Pictures do not do justice to the pink sandy beach, beautiful gardens, the view of the ocean from high upon the cliff side.

People on the island of Barbados is what makes the whole trip worthwhile. You will not find a kinder collection of people anywhere.

If you are looking for a beautiful, romantic, wonderful, and overall great place to stay for a honeymoon or vacation, The Crane Resort in Barbados and Barbados itself is it.

There are plenty of activities for the adventurous (snorkeling with turtles, submarine adventure, cave tour, rum factory tour, dinner shows, local fish fry, catamaran cruises, tree top zip lining, and much more) and many great ways to relax as well whether it be on the many beautiful beaches, poolside, or an in-room massage.

Things to do for sure. Oistin's fish fry, Tiami Catamaran Cruises. Zipline canopy tours, Pisces restaurant, and renting a car to drive around.

Our honeymoon would not have been as wonderful as it was without the fantastic help of Melissa at Suntime Travel/Travel Leaders. She will help you every step of the way to make sure that your trip is the best that is can possibly be.
Thank you Melissa for helping us plan a wonderful and romantic honeymoon. We can't wait to book our next trip with you.

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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Destination: Cancun

Tonya H. of Freeborn, MN
Destination: Cancun
Resort: Barcelo Tucancun
Date: January 2009

Just wanted to let you know we had a great vacation. The Barcelo Tucancun worked out great! I would definately recommend it but with the understanding you are not at the Ritz Carlton. The rooms were very simple but clean. We got King size beds, ocean view, only one floor apart from each other, and stocked refrigs. Staff was extremely nice, activities crew was fun, shows in the evenings were good, location was very convienent to things, food was very good and drinks were awesome! However, nobody could help the weather and we had alot of wind, lots of clouds and even some rain. Many adventures were cancelled so we had to do massages at the spa instead (worked great for me!!) But, better than what everyone got here.