Great Scott Getaways is a Caribbean all-inclusive and cruise travel agency based in the Atlanta area. This blog is part travel tips, sales notices and occasional randomness about family life from a mompreneur.
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Big confession for those who don't know me well. I am a reality TV junkie. It's mindless, degrading, negative and my biggest guilty pleasure. So this month I have been like a kid at Christmas watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta in Mexico. The ladies headed to El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya for some more fighting R&R. Inspired by the ladies squeamish behavior at the cenote and Kenya's ignorance of mariachi I came up with a few side trips I would have scheduled for them and posted them to Facebook. They did an excellent job of showcasing the wonders of Riviera Maya outside of the stereotypical Cancun binge drinking, but we could definitely use some more positive exposure for this destination. Rio Secreto - Close to the resorts and an easy cruise ship excursion if you're in Cozumel for the day. This underground river is an experience you won't find many places.
Isla Holbox - An slice of paradise with few cars so people get around the sandy streets on golf carts. This is the jumping off point for wildlife excursions like whale shark swimming and bird watching.
Mayan Ruins - Tulum, Coba, Chichen Itza and several smaller archaeological sites are a short drive from the glitz of the resorts.
Xcaret- An eco theme park that combines native wildlife, culture, history and water activities in a family friendly attraction.
Dos Ojos Cenote - I've written about the cenotes before tight after my introduction to these natural wonders. They can be found all over Quintana Roo and Yucatan states.
This month I had the rare pleasure of speaking with a cruise line reservations agent to about my own anniversary trip. As we talked about the ship, she said "Wow you're going to have a good time the Breakaway looks like a great ship." The way she said 'look' made me ask, "Don't you guys get discounts to sail?" Her response, "Yes, but I NEVER have." Wow. I felt bad for her and thought, if you have never experienced a product how can you possibly be of value to the customer? Well since they are responsible for one singular cruise line, she knew lots of technical details. If someone is willing to do lots of research, read reviews and make objective decisions about what's best for their particular trip, that reservations agent is valuable. To the vast majority of customers who just pick the place their neighbor/co-workers/family just went to and posted fabulous Facebook pictures of; the value is next to zero.
It's easy for me to forget doing the same thing for a while that everyone doesn't know what you know. Especially in the age of instant internet experts. Fast forward to the ship and we run into a couple at dinner that is upset that their youngest child can't participate in the kids club. They thought both kids would get to, but the youngest was only two and needed to be three to go to the supervised activities without a parent. Guess what, they made a decision based solely on price. Now for a week, those leisurely romantic dinners they had been planning include a stroller. Had they used a travel consultant surely they would have found a vacation that fit the needs of their family. The first time I kept all this as internal dialogue ( I can't start talking shop on the FIRST day of vacation!), but later in the week when we ran into them again I did share a couple of suggestions and asked that they contact a local travel professional next time. Not in a salesy way, because I never told them my business name or handed them a card, it was just my PSA for the profession that week. Turns out they were planning a family reunion cruise and the relief on their face told me they would definitely take my advice once they got home.
I've been very skeptical about Disney's value over the years. My last Disney World experience left me with memories of miserable summer weather, long lines and high prices that I didn't want to repeat.
At my son's request (actually a year of begging) we took a Disney cruise for a 3 day weekend getaway. I knew he would love it, but my expectations were low for us adults. We're not mouse maniacs and I don't even really like animated movies at all. Since we had not had a vacation where neither of use were working in a long time I was also not too happy about spending it on a Disney ship. Fortunately, the experience really blew me away and we will be returning.
Pros:
The kids club, Oceaneer Lab and Oceaneer club is undeniably amazing. It is huge with so many things to do that all the kids seemed engaged and happy every time we looked. Automatic hand washers are just the coolest things ever to me. I am definitely the 'wash your hands lady'. They are open until 12 or 1 a.m. so parents have plenty of time to hit the entertainment district bars & lounges.
The staterooms - the split bathroom concept is a lifesaver. We also had one of the best stateroom attendants ever on this cruise. We didn't see her much but our room was always ship shape. Just the way I like it! I like to sleep late on vaca and hate the ones who are making noise and knocking early to hurry up and get their work over with.
The food - I have had feedback from others that the food was not as good as they expected. This is such a subjective topic, but I thought the food was great. There is a wide variety of freshly prepared food at the buffet, including fresh seafood. Dinner menus had real food for the kids, not just chicken and fries every night. Of course the typical things were there like Mickey pasta, but there was always a selection of fresh fruits, vegetables and soup for the kids. Even if you have a picky eater like mine it's a great time to try new things.
The shows - of course the shows are awesome! Even though Disney themed, there was plenty of comedy and adult innuendo (nothing objectionable) to keep us entertained. They brought back some memories of Disney movies I'd forgotten about. The diverse singers and actors are incredibly talented as expected. Other entertainment includes first run movies, deck theme parties and live music. My hubby got to see Thor: The Dark World on the ship so he was sold the first night. We also watched the classic Jungle Book on Funnel vision together lounging by the pool (tropical drink in hand of course for me) one afternoon. My son had never seen this or Mary Poppins so it was fun to talk about the movies I watched as a kid.
Castaway Cay - Having the kids club on the private island is great. We had time to play together at the family beach, eat a delicious BBQ lunch, then my son was ready to go play with his new friends while we headed to the adults-only Serenity Bay. It was quiet (except for the moron at the bar who wanted to loudly talk about politics and his miserable life) and relaxing given that the little one was safe and having fun. The wave phones also help squash the anxiety of nervous parents. They work (even text!) all over the ship and Castaway Cay, so you can keep in touch with each other or call the kid's club to check on your babes.
Cons: The dining hours - too short. I saw many people walking away from the buffet mad. That should never happen on a cruise in my opinion. Though the grill is open, who wants to fill up on pizza and burgers on vacation?
Only traditional dining - I missed Norwegian's freestyle dining. We were getting hungry between meals and it made for a cranky boy by 8:15. Assigned table mates can also be hit or miss. We're about 50/50 on great ones and others that make us want to skip dinner.
Debarkation procedures - nobody likes to leave the ship but their policy of assigned breakfast restaurants and no set groups left long lines. I definitely felt they were ready to kick us off and disengaged the morning of. On the way to breakfast a crew member pointed to the gangway and said 'debarkation is that way!'. Now if everyone is supposed to eat at the same time and we're headed to a restaurant, posting someone in the way to point you off the ship is a clear message that I don't like having as one of my last memories. After eating, still standing in line for a very long time to get off made me wish for the colored luggage tag groups some other lines use. There would still be lines, but you just didn't feel as rushed to hurry up and wait.
So it looks like my cons revolve around food...LOL what a surprise! Overall it was a really fun trip. Disney Dream definitely beats any other short Bahamas cruise out there. For 7 days, I'd still give some other lines the edge in value.
Since it was a personal vacation I didn't take a ton of pic like I usually do. For more see the Disney Cruise Line Brochure http://disneybrochures.com/bp2b#
We took a real vacation meaning no phones, no internet...absolutely no work for the entire time. It felt so refreshing that it's hard to admit we have not done that in a very long time! The annual Vacation Deprivation study shows we're in good company. Americans are increasingly seeing vacation as a luxury instead of a right. Among those who receive paid vacations only 10 out of 14 are being used. Why when we receive much less in paid vacation than countries like France who have 30 are we not even taking advantage of them? The time we spent together just having fun enjoying the little moments really is priceless as cliche as that sounds. I would probably never have chosen a Disney cruise, but I actually enjoyed myself way more than I anticipated. It's been my son's dream for a long time and the magic definitely got to him. Watching his face light up during the shows was well worth it.
I guess this pose was just pure excitement waiting to explode!
In my home, we are guilty of feeling like our jobs cannot function without us. Also substituting business trips for genuine r&R. Since both of our jobs require travel we do get to take the entire family on lots of trips that we've fooled ourselves into thinking were an actual vacation. It took my son insisting on no electronics this vacation to make me realize that. (We're talking about an average boy who would probably stay up all night every night playing games if he could. Once he says we're on the phone and computer too much there must be a serious problem! ) Science backs up the need for regular down time.
Clinical psychologist Deborah Mulhern found that people who don't take enough time to relax may find it harder to relax in the future according to US News & World Report.
"Without time and opportunity to do this, the neural connections that produce feelings of calm and peacefulness become weaker, making it actually more difficult to shift into less-stressed modes," Mulhern said. "What neuroscience is showing is that we require down time in order for our bodies to go through the process of restoration. It is only when we are safe from external stresses that our bodies can relax enough to activate restoration."
Us on the Aqua Duck coaster while docked at Castaway Cay
I did stop worrying about website traffic, social media posts and the like after a couple of days. When I came back I realized that as long as you have a good plan in place the world will not fall apart while you're gone. Sure, others probably will not do things just like you would, but part of the process is learning that trying to control everything is not healthy anyway...even when you are sitting at your desk.
Do you find yourself bring a slew of outfits on trips? Business trips can be tricky because you need professional and casual clothing. The weather on vacation can vary and you definitely want to look great in those pics.for your friends and family. Could you travel for 7 weeks with one carry on? Here's a great packing list for women that can help you do just that! Air travel is already such a hassle, why add extra stress of lost luggage, not to mention the cost of checked bags. We almost never need 3 outfits in one day, so although it may look cute in pictures most of us could lighten up a bit!
I just watched 'CrazySexyCool', the TLC biopic on VH1. While the movie was just ok, the songs brought back lots of middle and high school memories. I loved their music and the highlight of a family trip to Disney World was seeing them on Space Mountain. Somewhere at my mom's house there is a dog eared picture of a very geeky looking me thrilled they were nice enough to pose for a picture.
Anybody talking about experiential travel piques my curiosity so I wanted to know what drew Left Eye to Honduras so often. Honduras is not a super popular destination for most travelers, but a great place for diving, Mayan history and an interesting cultural mix of Afro-Caribbean culture and Spanish colonial influence.
Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes bought a condo and her foundation was in the process of establishing an orphanage there at the time of her tragic death in a car accident near La Ceiba, on the northern coast of Honduras. She had spent time at a healing village in the area they allude to in the movie when they're talking about being somewhere without a phone. Lately I've spent lots of time learning about all of the wellness, yoga, spiritual and meditation retreats in Mexico so I was curious about this one in Honduras. The Usha Healing Village is still there with Dr. Sebi who was mentioned in the film. (Interestingly while researching Dr. Sebi, I found a claim from back in 2005 that he treated Micheal Jackson for addiction, which no one believed at the time.) It's funny that people can find something that inexplicably draws them to a certain place and keeps them coming back. Sometimes that can be the people, the cuisine or just a nebulous 'energy'. Travel is not just a way to escape, but a way to find yourself sometimes.
Me either, but I did learn there is a Maya sutra of sorts last week. I had the opportunity to attend the Mundo Maya Feria in Merida last week to meet companies that specialize in tourism to the Mayan world. Interest in the region peaked last year and now that 2012 has passed more people are interested in learning more about this culture since clearly they weren't predicting the end of the world. The Mayans are famous for craftsmanship of many items from indigenous materials like sisal. The artisans can make hats, clothing, accessories, beauty products and much more from natural materials found in the Yucatan peninsula.
Go to just about any marketplace and you will see all sorts of hammocks. ( I made some great contacts that I'll blog about later, but I was just dying to get this one out!)
In the square of Merida we talked to a man who still lives in a small Mayan village and comes into town to sell hammocks. The craft has been passed down through several generations in his family. My colleague had just bought one the day before and wanted to compare the quality, but we ended up getting a real education in Mayan hammocks. I'm sure he missed several sales talking to us for so long, but we really enjoyed learning and he wanted to practice his English. His learned his near perfect English and French from just talking to visitors on the street. His assistant, he proudly pointed out, learned in school and only spoke in broken sentences. (Sorta like my Spanish) I learned so much about the Mayan culture from Yucatan to Chiapas during this trip, but the thing that sticks out in my mind most is when he pulled out his little dogeared manual of all the different things you could do in a hammock. Too bad my camera was dead at this point in the day because it was comical to watch this old man's eyes light up as he flipped through the book. He must have remembered some really great times in his hammock.
So now from just taking a few minutes to engage a stranger we have an invitation to the village to learn how to make hammocks; and if we stay a week, one to take home. Oh the people you meet when you travel!
P.S.
This booklet is actually sold by some company in Australia on ebay but I'd much rather buy from the locals. Next trip to the Yucatan bring one back! Matter of fact, where ever you go, try to buy a unique souvenir from indigenous people. It's more unique than another Senor Frogs shot glass and supports the people of the region.
