After we changed out of our clothes, we decided to grab lunch, but found that all of the specialty r

Oh Travel Shop Girl - where are you off to now? I just returned from Jamaica and now I'm off to Mexico! Lucky me! I won a trip for two for 4 days/3 nights to the all-inclusive Crown Paradise Club in Cancun, Mexico last year. My trip was good through August american airlines tickets of 2012 and so I decided to book our trip sooner than later. This is a family all-inclusive resort so although the trip was for two, we opted to bring our son with us as a "pre-finals" vacation for all of us. There was a small supplement of $65 a night for him plus $10 per day for each of us for gratuities so our overall trip expense was to include those charges and airfare to and from Mexico.
Our flight out of Boston on US Airways was an early 5:30 am flight. We were up at 3 am, showered and out the door by 4 am, and inside the terminal before 4:30 am. Our flight had us connecting through Philadelphia and after walking from A terminal we had to walk all the way to gate B26 and got there after they had already started boarding. We were relieved to have made it on the plane in time and settled in just in time for the plane to take off. The flight was completely uneventful except for a few rough patches past Key West and we landed quickly and safely in Cancun.
After departing american airlines tickets the plane, we passed through Customs, and since we had brought only carry on luggage, we were quick to exit the airport. Make sure to complete the customs form for each person in your party and they will give you back one part that you must give back when you leave. You have to place your luggage again through american airlines tickets a scanner before leaving the airport and you will need to press the button, which randomly decides whose baggage is inspected. We got the green light and were able to exit without issue. I exchanged some US Dollars at the currency exchange before we left and stopped at the taxi counter to arrange transportation. On the right hand side were the expected "friendly" timeshare people offering american airlines tickets to "help" us with maps and whatever we needed. If you haven't american airlines tickets been to Cancun before, my advice american airlines tickets is to not stop and chat with them as you'll be obligated to sit through some horrendously long presentation at some time during your vacation and believe me, it won't be worth it. My suggestion is to make sure that your transportation to and from your resort is prearranged so you can grab your bags and walk outside directly to your shuttle.
american airlines tickets I decided to look outside for a taxi or transfer and we discovered that there is only one taxi service american airlines tickets that you can use, whether you book inside or outside. From the airport to the hotel, a quick 10 minute ride altogether, was $16 per person for a shared shuttle or $64 for a private taxi. Crazy - I know! We decided to arrange our return ride to the airport for half the price and so we paid for everything and planned american airlines tickets our pick up without having to worry about figuring it out on our last day. It pays to know your itinerary and flight american airlines tickets schedule for the way back because if you can plan your return transfer when you are picked up, you can relax and enjoy your entire vacation without having to call for a pick up on your last day. Nothing is more of a buzz kill than having to stop mid-Margarita on the beach than that!
Ten minutes american airlines tickets after stepping outside of the airport, we arrived at Crown Paradise Club . The bellman took our bags out of the cab and advised us that since we were early, he would hold our bags until we checked into our room after 3 pm. Now we were dead set on getting american airlines tickets into the pool and our room before that time so we had a plan. We checked in with Ivan at the front desk and had our fingers crossed the entire time. I asked if there were any upgrades available and he gave us the Standard Plus room (1124) american airlines tickets on the first floor (one floor above the lobby), which had an oceanview with a King size bed and bunk beds with a trundle bed. We could have this room immediately or wait until after 3 pm for a different room As long as our son was ok with sleeping on a bunk bed, we were happy to take the room that was ready. In hindsight, I probably should have waited for the later room as it probably would have been in a better location, but our desire to hit the pool and grab lunch is what was propelling us forward. Ivan advised us about hotel policies including how if you lost the key to the safe, they charged you; if you lost your wrist band, they charged you; and if you lost your towel card, they charged you. I was already american airlines tickets stressed out about losing things and I hadn't even gone to my room yet. You might want to make sure you have a sufficient amount of one dollar bills or comparable currency for tipping as you might face the same difficulty we did. The front desk can provide change in Canadian dollars, Euros, or British pounds, but not in Mexican pesos or US Dollars. There are two ATM's near the front desk, one for Mexican pesos and one for US Dollars, but if you need change, they encourage you to go to a bank about five minutes from the resort. Sounds like they aren't american airlines tickets trying to help me any when they make it hard to make change.
Our room was a basic room with a King size bed and a bunk bed with a trundle bed underneath. You could easily fit five people in this room comfortably, but I would recommend it more for families than a group of friends traveling together. There was an armoire with a standard old-fashioned tube TV inside, a refrigerator that they had painted to match the refrigerator (can you say weird?), and a closet with a few hangers and a safe. The bathroom was a fairly good size with a tub, toilet, and a sink. Near the end of our stay I also discovered that the rooms in the Crown Tower were the ideal rooms to have since the building was newer and it contained the "Adults Only" floor with a special lounge. I was able to look into one of the rooms in the building you see below, which had newer furniture american airlines tickets and I instantly felt jealous, but I didn't let it ruin my vacation.
The view from our room was an amazing one of the resort, the main pool, and the beach, but also of the roof below and the resort's air conditioning system. There were workers right outside our window, right in front of our room so the element of privacy was something we had to forego while there. You feel a little like a deflated balloon as you walk toward the sliding glass door to take in the beauty of the beach and the ocean and then realize you have a couple of sweaty guys working on the air conditioning units and the roof right outside your window. I highly recommend asking for a room that is higher up or in the Crown Tower to avoid staring at the ductwork.
After we changed out of our clothes, we decided to grab lunch, but found that all of the specialty restaurants were opened only for dinner and it would have to be the buffet. Unfortunately, the buffet was not open yet as they were switching from breakfast to lunch. My son was able to grab a few croissants and so we headed over to the bar in the main lobby. american airlines tickets It was there that we met the fabulous Gabriel who was one of the best bartenders at the resort. I felt so bad that they all had to sport those lunch lady hair nets while working, but they were all pleasant and friendly, more so than the guests ordering drinks.
Yes, they don't have any top shelf liquor although they do have Bacardi and Campari, but you might not recognize any of the other brands. I've mentioned it before that you'll probably get a watered down drink at a budget all-inclusive resort, but this was not the case here. I had a fabulous Margarita that was so good and not watered down and I was so glad that it was my first drink on the property. We also tried a Piña Colada and the beer of choice at the resort, Corona. I love the picture above that says you can order up to four drinks per person as many times as you want. Sure enough, american airlines tickets the gift shop in the lobby and in the lobby in the Crown Tower building had those mega thermal mugs that you could pour your drinks into so you wouldn't have to keep going back to get more drinks. I liked getting a fresh drink and not looking like a hoarder, but again - that's me! If you are new to the resort, let them know as you might get the "initiation" shot that we received, which includes a plastic bottle, a napkin, and a shot. We had a great time with the bartenders and always tipped them to thank them for their good service toward us. However, I can honestly say that we never saw anyone else tipping. I'm sure people might question why you should have to tip at an all-inclusive resort when gratuities are included. Try it once to see how different your vacation is and you will always want to after that.
We ate the majority of our meals at La Palapa , the buffet restaurant pictured above as the brown building by the pool. Here you can see the entrance and the "Adults Only" section. Although the building is large, the amount and variety of food available was limited. american airlines tickets We found that the best food was the freshest food made for you such as the Mexican station and the smoothie station. You can find your basic food choices here from fruit, cereal, and baked goods for breakfast and a salad bar, pizza, and sandwiches for lunch as well as refried beans, rice, tortilla chips, nacho cheese american airlines tickets sauce, french fries, and lots and lots of meat. The food doesn't change much and if you were staying here a week, you might be bored after a few days. Service was completely unpredictable as well as if you sat outside, the servers would often completely ignore you. One morning I was dying for a cup of coffee while I sat and watched the server doing nothing. I even went up and asked if he could bring us coffee. Five minutes later and suffering the effects of caffeine withdrawal, I went inside and found a server to pour me coffee. I suspect that the servers with seniority have the inside stations and the newer servers are relegated to the less desirable stations outside. Please keep in mind that I have worked in restaurants and probably have more patience for service than most,