Occidental Grand, Punta Cana - 2010
We are planning to go back to the Dominican Republic to the Occidental Grand Punta Cana, with Brennie, Gord, Patti, and Dorajean in on April 8th 2010
Photos of our previous trips may be seen at Webshots or a few may be seen here at DR Pics ( How boring is that!)
Bahia Principe Punta Cana - 2006 - Trip Review
Demographics: Married couple in their late 40's
Dates traveled: Apr 22 - May 6, 2006
Flight: Canjet from Halifax, NS. There were no problems with the flight other than it took about 45 minutes longer than other carriers out of Halifax. This was due to restrictions on this type of aircraft and we had to follow the Eastern Seaboard all the way there.
Customs: Customs at Punta Cana was a breeze going in both directions. No problems. Check in: We arrived after 10:00 PM with 4 other couples so check in was a breeze. Within 15 minutes all three couples were loaded unto the tram and taken to our rooms.
Overview: This was our fourth vacation to an all-inclusive resort and our second trip to the Bahia Principe Punta Cana. The complex is divided into two sections are exact mirrors of each other, with an additional section called the Premier Club. We stayed at the building 30 in the Club Diamond section. The grounds are immaculate and the vegetation has grown in since we were there last year. The resort has improved the lighting in the lobby area. This was a problem during our previous trip as we saw many people stumble on the stairs. Having stayed at the Bahia last year in a "non club" section and this year at a "Club" part of the resort we didn't see much of a difference in service. I wouldn't spend any extra money for a so called "Club" package.
Beach: The beach is spectacular which is one of the main reasons for us to return to Punta Cana. The white coral sand is very fine and palm trees are very majestic against the blue sky and ocean. There were many palapas, but during our first week we found it necessary to get up early to claim one, by 7:00 AM all of the palapas were taken. During our second week there were palapas available as late as 8:00 AM. This year we found that there were fewer boats transiting past and fewer helicopters overhead which made for a more enjoyable stay.
Restaurants: The food at the Bahia Principe was the best that we have seen in the D.R. The buffet restaurant had something for everyone. We ate breakfast most days at the Mexican Restaurant. It was quiet and also near the beach. We had lunch most days at the Mexican restaurant or the Seafood restaurant. Though the selection was limited in comparison to the main buffet, the food was very good. The service was amazing. The staff were always smiling and extremely courteous. You were never without a drink, and the dishes were cleared away as soon as you were finished. They are very hardworking and fun loving people. We ate at the Garden Grill once, the service was amazing. Thanks to Roberto and his staff we may have over indulged a bit on the Coffee Liqueur. We ate at the Italian restaurant and the Japanese restaurant once, but I found that we we a bit rushed at the Japanese restaurant. We found that the Mediterranean restaurant was very relaxing and peaceful. Again the food and service was amazing.
Nightlife: We managed to catch one of the evening shows. It was quite entertaining but after being up a walking on the beach at 5:30 AM we found it difficult to stay up much past 10.
Staff: Language was never a problem. With a little mixture of English, Spanish and hand gestures we were always understood. The staff was eager to teach you how to converse in Spanish. We found that Dominican people to be truly warm and friendly. They always had a huge smile and a hearty greeting. They were always singing or dancing. I cannot say enough about the people. They made our stay very memorable.
Closing: We met some other wonderful people at the resort that are part of Debbie's forum. Gottagetaway and hubby Peter, Alf and his wife Cam at the Halifax airport. Another nice surprise was to meet one of my wife's high school buddies (Jill and her husband Steve) staying at the the Bahia.
Photos of our trip can be seen at Webshots
Overall I would give the resort two big “thumbs up”. I would recommend the resort to anyone of any age group. If you have any further questions please email me. I would like to Thanks Debbie and everyone on the "Debbies Dominican Travel Forums" for all the hard work and all the travel tip assistance that they provided.
Bahia Principe Punta Cana - 2005 - Trip Review
We traveled here for 2 weeks in April 2005. Below is the review that we posted to Debbie's Dominican Reviews.
Demographics: Married couple in their mid to late 40's Dates traveled: Apr 9 - Apr 23, 2005 Flight: Air Canada Vacations from Halifax, NS. The flight was great; there was plenty of legroom and the luggage allowance of two suitcases up to 70lbs was more than we needed.
Check in: We arrived after 10:00 PM with 2 other couples so check in was a breeze. Within 15 minutes all three couples were loaded unto the tram and taken to our rooms.
Overview: This was our third vacation to an all-inclusive resort and our second trip to Punta Cana. This resort has only been opened for 11 months. The first thing that strikes you about the resort is the size. It is huge. The complex is divided into two sections are exact mirrors of each other. The grounds are immaculate. The shrubbery still has to mature (due to the newness of the resort) and will be more amazing when it fills out.
Beach: The beach is spectacular. The white coral sand is very fine and palm trees are very majestic against the blue sky and ocean. There were many palapas but we found it necessary to get up early to claim one, by 8:00 AM all of the palapas were taken.
Restaurants: The food at the Bahia Principe was the best that we have seen in the DR. The buffet restaurant had something for everyone. We ate breakfast most days at the Mexican Restaurant. It was quiet and also near the beach. We had lunch most days at the Mexican restaurant or the Seafood restaurant. Though the selection was limited in comparison to the main buffet, the food was very good. The service was amazing. The staffs were always smiling and extremely courteous. You were never without a drink, and the dishes were cleared away as soon as you were finished. They are very hardworking and fun loving people. We ate at the Garden Grill twice, the Italian restaurant and the Japanese restaurant once. Again the food and service was amazing.
Nightlife: We managed to catch one of the evening shows. It was a delightful presentation of a search for a replacement King and Queen of Tahiti. It was quite entertaining.
Language was never a problem. With a little mixture of English, Spanish and hand gestures we were always understood.
We met some truly wonderful people at the resort that are part of Debbie’s forum. Steve and Lorna, Conrad and Tracey, and Kevin and Linda. We also met a very funny group from River John, Nova Scotia.
Note of Caution: The lobby is beautifully styled with marble tiles on the floor. The lobby is tiered into several levels. The problem being is that when you are on the upper levels it is very difficult to see the step down to the next level. The coloring and the lighting make it appear as if there is no step. During the two weeks we were there we saw several (sober) people take a tumble. There are lights at the base of the step that are visible when you are on the lower levels going to a higher level.
Overall I would give the resort two big “thumbs up”. I would highly recommend the resort to anyone. I would go back in a heartbeat. It is well run and well organized and the staffs have a lot of pride in what they are doing.
Grand Paradise Bavaro - Punta Cana - 2003
We traveled here for 2 weeks in April 2003.
Bahia Principe - San Juan - 2002
We traveled here for 1 week in April 2002.
