After the cruise…

As I was telling you, after the Caribbean Cruise we took with NCL we went back to Puerto Rico, San Juan was the first and last ports of call.  We were very glad to  be back as we had a lot of tourism spots to visit.  First we rode on some free tourism buses offered by the government down town, they take you through the historical area:  downton, la muralla, el Moro, the Cathedral….  Another spot we visited was Bacardi Company, they offer a guided free tour through their plant and store.  They give you a couple of coupons for complementary drinks at their bar, so you get to know their products…  Of course we bought a couple of good bottles….  El Yunque Rainforest is an obligated tour,  where you can enjoy wild life and the amazing weather…  Their beaches are great to relax and get a wonderful suntan.  If you go down there I would recommend you to stay at the Courtyard by Marriot in Isla Verde, there is where I stayed and was great!  If you want to know more about this magnificent holidays destination you can visit their official website:  http://welcome.topuertorico.org/tinfo.shtml

 

Puerto Rico… a honeymoon experience.

Tropical weather, waterfalls, beaches, calm ocean, warm people, a historical city, new shopping and entertainment areas, luxurious beach front hotels and condos….  San Juan, Puerto Rico was a perfect place to enjoy a couple of days of our honeymoon.  We flew from Orlando down there, the flight was good, the only thing I did not like about it was that back then most of the airlines served meals and it was lunch time…  the smell of food started to spread and I was hungry (you know all the activity you have during a honeymoon….) I thought lunch was about to be served when I noticed it was only for first class passengers!  We had a magnificent meal once we arrived to San Juan at a beautiful local restaurant next to a park where you can feed birds….  That same afternoon we went for a walk down Isla Verde where must restaurants and shopping areas were located.  I must say prices are not cheap but the place is worded.  If you plan to travel down there ask your trip advisor about the extra charges at the resorts and government taxes, so you are not surprised at check out.  The following morning we took a Caribbean Cruise, but after it we went back to San Juan….

 

Our Orlando Experience.

We flew into Miami stayed a couple of nights to rest and then rented a car and drove to Orlando.  We stayed at the High Point World Resort (http://www.club.royal-holiday.com/index.php?fuseaction=home.resort&id=30) which is part of our vacations membership.  The hotel is nice, they offer one and two bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchenettes.  It also features a heated swimming pool, tennis courts, jogging track and picnic areas.  It is a great place for couples or complete families.  The staff was very helpful and sent us a fruit basket upon our arrival because of our honeymoon.  The resort is just one mile from Disney.  We only stayed there for three nights.  The first day we went to Disney, all they long, I do not like the roller coasters, but the rest of the rides are amazing;  we had dinner at a nice French restaurant… it was exciting and romantic.  Of course we slept as babies and the following morning we went to Epcot!  It was great too.  The third day we went shopping and enjoyed the facilities before going to the airport.  Chris was right, Orlando is not only for kids, honeymooners could enjoy a lot as well!

 

Orlando, a honemoon destination?

When one thinks about Orlando, one normally remembers the amazing childhood moments one lived at the different theme parks located in that area.  I was the type of person that when Orlando was mentioned as an option for a vacation I thought it would be crowded with children and boring for adults.  Well let me tell you that when Chris and I were planning our honeymoon he said he thought it would be a romantic idea to visit Disney.  I thought that was the worst idea ever, instead of visiting a luxurious spa, beach resort spending a couple of days in a kids destination.  I selected the cruise we were going to take so he had the chance to select another destination and he was not kidding, he decided we would stay a couple of nights in Orlando.  I must accept I was surprised and pleased!  Orlando is for all ages, just like Disney, Epcot and the rest of the theme parks located down there.

 

Honeymoons: types and destinations.

There are couples that take the honeymoon as an excuse to run away and relax from all the stress that you can accumulate when you plan a wedding, there are some others that travel to romantic far away destinations, some others prefer theme parks….  Others would prefer extreme sports adventures….  For each couple, for each kind of honeymoon there is a perfect destination.  My suggestions?  Well,  if  you want to rest and forget about all the stress I will suggest a place that you do not have to fly for too many hours, maybe a beach where you can listen to the ocean, watch the sunset and enjoy white sand and turquoise water, maybe a resort with an SPA, if this was my selection I would go to Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen or Los Cabos in Mexico.  For couples looking for romantic far away destinations of course I will recommend Paris, but Tokyo could be an option as well.  If you want to visit theme parks Florida will be a great place with magnificent weather almost all year long, you can visit Miami, enjoy the restaurants, beaches and shopping areas as well as the night life and spend some extra days in Orlando to visit the theme parks.  Looking for eco-adventure?  Then  Kona and Kauai in Hawaii would be an option, you can enjoy natural life, volcanoes, go rafting….  Visit my vacations club website to get more information on these amazing destinations!  (www.royal-holiday.com )

 

Does and Don’ts when you give a honeymoon as a present.

Here are some things I thought about and listed when I decided to give my sister her honeymoon as a wedding gift:

Destination:  let the spouses to be, select the destination, if you are worried about them choosing an exotic spot you will not be able to afford, give them a list where they can select from.

Length of the trip:  let them know the number of days you would like to pay for, if they want to take a shorter trip, that is fine, if they want to extend it, inform them about the costs.

Kind of resort:  I will recommend an all inclusive, that way they will not have to worry about the expenses, you will have them already covered.  If you cannot afford the all inclusive payment, let them know, they might be willing to pay for it and forget about bills and caring money with them.

Extra charges:  advice them if there would be extra charges, there is nothing worse than finding out at check out, when you might have spent all your budget.

Flight Schedules:  Never book a flight without asking if it is fine, even if it is the least expensive, they might like to leave earlier or later…

I am positive they will appreciate not only the present but all the trouble you will go through!

 

My sister’s honeymoon.

As every bride my sister was very excited about her wedding but she was too stressed as well.  The wedding was astonishing, she looked gorgeous and the groom so handsome, they make a lovely couple and they love each other….  We took them to the airport and they started their new life!  They flew first class with Mexicana Airlines (http://www.mexicana.com/cs/Satellite?pagename=MexicanaG5/Page/HomePageComposition) , who gave them a free upgrade because of their honeymoon, they arrived to Cancun’s international airport and there was a Royal Holiday representative waiting for them.  They got a Presidential Suite facing the ocean, they had a private bedroom, a living room area and a balcony with a Jacuzzi.  I had already paid for the all inclusive in advance so they did not have to worry about it.  The staff helped them plan some visits to Chichen Itza (the ruins area) and to Xel Ha as my sister wanted to swim with dolphins.  They went shopping to La Isla which is across from the hotel and rented a car to visit Playa del Carmen, they said they had dinner at the Fifth Avenue and loved it.  They sent me a postcard telling me they will never forget this present and I felt just great.   Isn’t it marvelous when you do something for someone you love and it turns out great???

 

The perfect honeymoon destination.

When I got married my uncle gave us as a wedding gift our honeymoon.  I think that was the best gift, I enjoy it every time I think about it, it is a gift that will be in our hearts forever.  When my sister was about to get married, I wanted to give her the best gift (of course that would have been a Condo or a house but I couldn’t afford a gift like that) I decided to give her a honeymoon trip.  I wanted to use my vacation membership and started browsing my catalog (http://destination.royal-holiday.com/resort_guide.html).  I wanted a romantic place with beautiful sunsets, a peaceful atmosphere, white sand, turquoise ocean…. Comfortable, all inclusive (so they did not have to worry about extra expenses)…  Suddenly I noticed I was describing Cancun, a beautiful tourism spot, safe, nice, with a romantic atmosphere, all inclusive resorts and a magnificent Caribbean beach.  I did not think about it twice and asked them if they wanted to spend their honeymoon at the Presidential suite at Park Royal, of course they agreed…

 

Holidays to rest from a wonderful vacation?

When we travel, we do not lose one second.  We are always doing something:  visiting a museum, watching an exhibition, taking a walk at a national park, talking to the locals, looking for nice places to have a meal, shopping for souvenirs (I buy a regional cook book at each country I visit), attending a play or a concert, taking a tour…. We only rest when we take the bus, the subway or train.  The flight time to go on vacations is used to read about all the places we will visit and the flight time to go back I usually spend it sleeping!  After this kind of trips one feels really tired, that is the reason why Chris and I usually plan a little getaway after a long journey.  After jumping up and down and running from one place to the other in Australia, we would love to visit a nice relaxing beach.  We are thinking about going to Cozumel.  I love the Caribbean beach, with turquoise water, plus the weather will be fantastic!  What do you do after a long trip?  Are you able to go back to regular life soon?

 

Palm Meadows.

After visiting Sydney we decided to use our Royal Holiday membership and stay at the Radisson Palm Meadows, located close to the famous Gold Coast.  This area offers beautiful beaches (which surfers love), waterfalls with rock pools, vineyards and wineries and of course the world known Palm Meadows Golf Course.  To be honest I do not play golf, but maybe Chris would like to give it a try, we will be there because of his birthday, so I will have to please him and be ready to walk a lot after him….  Then he must make it up for me and take me shopping to one of the magnificent areas I noticed are available… Now, talking about the hotel, it seems wonderful.  It offers swimming pools, a restaurant, a bar and even an SPA!  Rooms look quite well, they feature a king size bed, a sofa bed, balcony, mini fridge, coffee maker, radio, T.V., telephone, hairdryer and even a bath tub.  There are safe deposit boxes available and parking lot as well.  I believe this will be a great spot to visit as well!