Why would I share this personal information on my professional blog? How does this relate to weddings? Actually, very directly. Everything about the trip went exactly according to plan and I can't wait to go back again....soon! For those of you that are considering a destination wedding or a Caribbean honeymoon, I wanted to share the details of all the things that went so right (and thus could make your experience too...."So Nice!").
Back story facts that make it even more noteworthy:
a. I planned the trip only 3 weeks ago....in two hours. (Typical male shopping patterns, I admit.)
b. I discovered after booking the non-refundable flights and reservations....that my passport had just expired. (Typical male oversight.) You can imagine my angst!!
I am reluctant to ever give out endorsements unless I can say I have personally used the service or product...but this company will definitely always be on the "Nolte's Favorite Things" List: www.rushmypassport.com .
Knowing I wanted to travel to the Caribbean made working with www.cheapcaribbean.com an easy choice. [Sidebar: I have been to Cancun 16 times, Cabo and Puerto Valletra a couple of times and taken several cruises through the Western and Eastern Caribbean.....all of it is equally wonderful. Point to brides: Don't stress about any of those destinations. (Turquoise water and white sand is turquoise water and white sand!)]
At CheapCaribbean.com, I lucked into working with the absolute nicest guy, Lance Norris. Lance guided my choices very quickly and never tried to up-sell me. The parameters of my travel were these: I didn't care what time I had to fly out but I wanted to be on the beach by mid-afternoon; only one layover, exit row seats, not over an hour's drive to the hotel from airport, extremely clean all inclusive resort, second floor room (no iguanas on my patio thank you!), ice-machine within 20 feet, Jacuzzi for two, the ability to watch the waves from my pillow, chaises on the balcony (not just upright chairs), at least seven restaurants, a swim-up bar pool, a spa, beaches with drink service and unlimited towels.
And Lance found it all at The Grand Palladium Jamaica!
Once I was turned over to the resort however, the customer service from CheapCaribbean.com continued as Lance returned both e-mails and phone calls...after he had closed the sale to me! Who does that anymore?!
I sent Grand Palladium a quick set of requests (not demands) and received detailed reply to every question (including the brand of bourbon the resort served.) The person who helped me there was Ana-Alicia Ramsaugh, the Front Office Manager (876-619-0000.)
Once at the resort we were welcomed with rum punch, registering in less than 20 minutes and were golf carted to our villa. We were unpacking within 30 minutes and on the beach (15 feet from our room) in an hour! Unbelievable!
My valet, Wainsworth, treated me like a visiting prince and that first impression was consistent for the remainder of the stay.
That's it for today's post. The point of it being that in today's world where we are surrounded by people wanting more for less and people who are quick to post scathing reviews or exaggerate a negative experience, it was just SO nice to have such a wonderful experience and those hard-working people deserve to be applauded and thanked. If you get nothing else from this post remember these three sites and names:
For last minute passports: www.rushmypassport.com ; (Joe Ockimey, at jockimey@expeditetravel.com)
For travel agents: www.cheapcaribbean.com ; (Lance Norris, ph: 800-915-BEACH ext. 7439)
For honeymoon of your dreams: www.fiestahotelgroup.com (Ana-Alicia Ramsamugh, ph: 876-619-0000)
I'll talk to you tomorrow about points to consider for improving your Destination Wedding experience. Until then I remain recharged and refreshed for my wonderful brides.......no problem, mon!
Michael
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