TA Dina

Another big thing to keep in mind when choosing a cruise line and itinerary is your group that is traveling with you. Are they past cruisers? Will they enjoy the trip as much as you (b/c if not they might not attend)? The shorter 3 day cruises to the Bahamas alot of times are just like long booze cruises and that may not be the setting you want for your big day. On the other hand it may be exactly what you want. No right/wrong answer, I'm just saying to consider these things up front. You really have to do a little research beyond just pricing to see if what you are thinking will be the right fit for you. If you want to PM me your contact info I can get you some NCL wedding info from my contact so you can see if they provide what you're looking for

The Paradisus Resorts may also be able to accomodate a Catholic wedding now.

The problem with the weddings usually isn't finding a place to hold it as many resorts now have chapels right on site...the problem is with YOUR church at home signing off on the whole thing. I see this all the time with my DR and my Hawaii weddings. It's very difficult sometimes to get your priest on board with the whole DW process. Start this planning process early if it's something you are considering.

Not spreading rumors but there is chatter elsewhere on other forums that ecruisestore.com has gone bankrupt. If you've used them to arrange your DW you should probably make some calls to your TA asap to find out what is going on for sure.

The "points" are awarded to the TA, not the group leader. It's up to the TA to distribute them as they wish. This should be explained to you up front if they are keeping any for themselves etc. There is a list that can be provided by the TA of what you can choose from. For example, in most cases our agency turns over all points to the group (not always, but most). Depends on the cruise. However we don't supply the list & choose perks until closer to sail date. Your group numbers can change up and down through the months and promising you something today doesn't mean you'll actually get it when half your group cancels at final payment time. That's just a set up for disappointment. But again, we explain all of that up front so you don't think we're hiding anything from you.

As for the cocktail party, no he/she is not taking credit for it necessarily. Cocktail parties have restrictions and require a minimum # of people to get them for free (paid for by "points") or the group gets charged for them. So it is just as possible that your TA is paying $12pp for the cocktail party out of her pocket & the minimum provided by her is just a # she came up with. Usually you have to have 50ppl to get the free cocktail party.

Amstar is probably one of the biggest and most well known on the island. Prieto Tours is another one (but I don't think their website has much info on it that is helpful) as well as Scuba Caribe (they are out on the beach). The handful of different companies all have desks at every resort so it really is true that you can arrange all of this when you get there. Of course your TA could prebook all of this for you ahead of time too if you prefer. The ATV's seem to be one of the very popular land excursions (and alot of fun too). As for the water sports, Ive had clients pay for fishing and snorkeling excursions thinking the "free" options at their resorts would be inferior only to come back and complain. Just do the free stuff...it's just as good.

They've only done a few very small (like just the couple) weddings there since they opened. The WC are very capable though and they are booking weddings for 2010 like crazy. They should have exact details and pics etc in the near future. The place is awesome. Expensive, but beautiful!

Next we're off to the Bahia Principe. Unfortunately by this time it was POURING outside so our tour was very quick. At the entrance to the resort was a large street full of shops, so you don't have to leave the property to roam around & pick up souvenirs etc. Very convenient. This resort is another HUGE place. They have trolleys that go around all day/night to take you from one end to the other. This resort is laid out into sections, with the Ambar section being closest to the beach. Guests there also get extra amenities in their room as well as get unlimited dining throughout their stay (other guests are limited to 3 ala carte restaurants/week). All guests must make resv for dinner though. Their rooms are very comfortable & spacious. Plenty of room for a family. This resort was very busy & during the day (again, in the rain), the pool bar was crowded & active. Their gazebo sits in their gardens, but there were lots of places to choose for ceremonies/receptions. This is a good choice for a moderate resort. But again, it's huge. Meaning if you're in the room section farthest from the beach, & you forget your lotion or the baby's diapers, you're screwed

Next day we move on to the Melia Caribe Tropical. This was once 2 resorts & now is one. The one resort's lobby they now use for their group checkin. Very tropical, lush property. They have 3 trolleys that move guests around day/night. This resort has 13 restaurants that require reservations the day of, however Royal Service guests get priorty. This resort does not have oceanview rooms due to the layout of the buildings. All of the rooms were roomy enough for a family, & the family jr suites have a dividing curtain from the kind bed plus playstation, bunk beds & cookies & milk. The family suites also all border the family pool. This resort has the Flintstones (how Beaches has Sesame St), so there were lots of Bedrock touches throughout. Very cute. The Royal Service here is very similar to the RS at the Paradisus resorts. Gabi Lounge, private pool & beach area etc. This resort (as well as the PPR) are within walking distance to the big shopping area (I call it the Tony Roma mall b/c that's where Tony Roma's is). Great beach here too. Another really great moderate property that exceeded my expectations.

Iberostar Grand. Wow! What a unique, romantic, luxurious property. Whereas the MP was minimal/modern, this place was funky modern. I loved it. Just over 200 suites so not big at all. This resort is adults only. All rooms come with butler service standard. Pools are spreadout throughout the resort. Very calm & serene place. But enough to do to keep you busy. Live music at night plus a disco in their ship (yes, there was a ship in the middle of the property). The touches of luxury were everywhere from the doors to the restaurants, to the artwork displayed, to the enclosed glass jacuzzi tub in the bathroom overlooking the jacuzzi on your balcony. My BF even took pics in the men's room b/c he thought it was so neat. Food here was excellent! Being that they are so new they have not done alot of DW thus far. However I see that as a good thing as they are very open to being as simple or creative as you want. They are in the process of putting packages together now as their books are filling up for 2010 so we should have more info in the near future. But in the meantime they welcome & are open to all ideas for weddings.

My final 2 reviews will be of the Paradisus Resorts shortly....got some wedding work to do first Putting some pics on FB too if anyone is interested.

So here is the recap of my trip. The short version

The trip started off interesting. Missed our first flight by 5 min. Got sent from EWR to JFK to go standby and missed that flight by 10 min. Was rescheduled for a flight later that night that had an 11 hr layover in San Juan getting us to the island a day later. After getting lost in Queens driving home, then trekking back up to JFK that night, we made it to PR at 2:30am. Rushed over to the Hampton Inn so we could sleep for 4 hrs and shower & then back to the airport for our quick little flight to DR the next a.m. Moral of the story...when your TA advises you to get to the airport 2 hrs early...you should listen to her Oh yea, and I slipped in a puddle at the airport & banged up my knee pretty bad too. Trip was off to a great start! LOL

But it got better!! Finally in DR we arrive in one piece (with little sanity left). After going through Customs (which was fairly quick), & paying for our $10 tourist card (cash only), we got our bags & were off to our first hotel, the Moon Palace.

At the MP we were part of a large group so we did checkin at the convention side of the resort. Quick and painless. Now this resort is not fully open yet so there were NO crowds anywhere. Like the MP in Mexico, this place is HUGE. Almost 2000 rooms. VERY spreadout. It is very minimalistic, very modern. Water seems to be the theme as there were fountains, infinity pools, lakes everywhere you turned. We were in the bldg closest to the main lobby bldgs which was good since that is where most of our activities were held. Most of the dining venues are in this area too. The staff everywhere we went couldn't be more helpful. We ate at several of the restaurants & the food was excellent. I loved the pizza & the steakhouse for dinner was fabulous. I will say this though, on the convention/catering side, they have not yet mastered keeping food hot & fresh. Some of the buffets I attended & the one gala dinner we went to the food wasn't good. Just mainly b/c it was cold. So if you're planning a party with 200+ ppl, that could be an issue. Room svs had the same problem, but not as bad. Speaking of rooms, they are very similar to the MP in Mexico. Standard rooms with sunken jacuzzis, king bed, table & chairs. Very spacious bathroom. Overall the suites got 2 thumbs up. Overall I like this resort but for me it's just too big. I did not get that "romantic Caribbean" feel to this place. It was beautiful & we walked around alot going "wow, how awesome is that", but it left me feeling cold. But on the other hand, if you're into all that modern, spacious, minimal style, it's perfect. Keep in mind, again, it's huge. Older grandparents etc will have issues getting around. There are golf cart trams that move people around, but that involves standing at the bus stop & waiting for them to come.

Next day, off to Excellence Punta Cana. One of my faves. I was there years ago when it was a Secrets & loved it then, & not much has changed. The pool here is fabulous. Very spread out throughout the entire resort. Lots of cabanas & beach beds all around. They have a very pretty wedding gazebo across from the beach, or you can do ceremonies right on the beach. They literally roll out the red carpet for you. The suites, while not the largest on the island anymore, are very comfortable. Jacuzzis in each, and the Honeymoon Suite has them on the balcony too. I highly recommend the Excellence Club for all the extra amenities. This resort sits on a great stretch of beach too. Food here again, was terrific. Keep in mind this resort is adults only. Very romantic location for a wedding. They average 1-2 weddings/day.

Now on to Dreams Punta Cana. Again, very large pool spread out throughout the resort. This resort sits on a very large stretch of beach, again, great for weddings. Plus they have lots of venues throughout the resort for weddings. Lots of really pretty terraces to hold small receptions and/or cocktail parties. As for the rooms, I thought the deluxe rooms were on the small side & would definately recommend at least upping to the jr suite for comfort. From jr suite & up they all have jacuzzi on the balcony. The Preferred Club suites are closest to the beach & in a great location. This resort averages 1-2 weddings per day but could do more during busy season (May/June). Overall this was a great family resort, lots to do for kids.

Next was Majestic Colonial. This was probably my biggest surprise during the trip. I really really liked this place. Very lush, tropical grounds. Like Dreams they offer lots of activities day/night for kids & adults. The swimup bar here was jamming the entire time we were there (even in the rain). Their suites were layed out nicely & very comfortable. Only "complaint" if you would call it that is their "open" bathroom. They have seperate stalls for toilet & shower, with frosted glass doors. So there really is no bathroom privacy. The shower is big enough to hang a robe on the end so you can dress before getting out. But when thinking of maybe 3 friends sharing a room, you're all getting dressed in front of each other. This is the same at the Elegance too. Their rooms are laid out the same (actually the resort is pretty much the same), their rooms are just a tad more upscale (darker woods, plush bedding etc). Their 1 bd Colonial Suite has an outdoor jacuzzi on a big balcony. Very romantic. Overall, this is a great place for a DW. Very "caribbean" feel to it.

For those who may be interested.....I am heading down to Punta Cana tomorrow to do some extensive touring and site inspections over the next week. So if you're planning your trip for next year, check back to BDW for my reviews and updates on the area. We'll be staying at the brand new Moon Palace, as well as the Occidental Grand. And visiting many others (Excellence, Iberostar Grand, Dreams, Majestic Resorts, Paradisus PC/PPR to name a few) so I'll share my thoughts and opinions on those. Plus our Facebook site will have some pics too.

So keep checking back for updates. I won't have my laptop with me so my info won't be fully posted until next weekend. But maybe if I find an internet cafe while I'm there I'll sneak some tidbits in along the way

Actually as seen by many posts on this board alone (as well as tons of other boards elsewhere), TAs (well good ones at least) are in strong demand. The sudden surge of DIYers actually boosted our business b/c many people found out the hard way it's not as easy as it looks. For my wedding day I don't know that I'd risk doing it myself (if I weren't a TA that is

What time of year is the wedding? Grand Cayman in say Aug-Oct I'd probably avoid. Any other time of year you've got just as much a chance as missing that port as you do any other. We work with a fabulous planner on the island who does a great job with our cruise couples.

Your safest bet is going to the be chapel onboard. And I would select that over any other location on the ship. At least you know what your environment will look like (unlike if you had to use a lounge or nightclub). After that I'd recommend Jamaica.

Deposits will vary depending on which supplier your TA uses, or which resort they are working with.

For example, probably 95% of my bookings require a $200pp deposit when booking and then final payment approx 60 days prior to departure. Airfare is always due in full at the time of purchase and is nonrefundable. However I don't require people to book airfare with their room deposit. I will add it on whenever the guest is ready.

Some of my brides have asked me to make up an actual payment schedule though where we tell people after the intial deposit they owe $100 monthly (or something along those lines). The brides just want to make sure their guests keep paying along the way to avoid a big lump sum being due months later. That is up to them and I will do whatever they want (you know your group better than I do).

Now if you're dealing with an actual group contract that is going to vary by resort and vendor. Many times I get better negotiated rates in Hawaii going direct to the resort & they usually want 1-2 nts deposit (which could range from $200-600+/room). My Caribbean bookings however usually require $100/room through my tour operator. It's all different when you're doing contracts so no TA is really going to give you the same reply that applies everywhere.

Online sites are going to want you to pay in full at the time you book. Personally I only require that if you ask me to price-match to a website. In that case their terms become mine.

Great location. Probably the nicest resort in that area actually. Just minutes past downtown Kona. The Outrigger Keahou is nice as well but not as many amenities as the Sheraton. I've never had complaints on the rooms.

If you are looking for an awesome location for a Hawaiian wedding check out the Ko Olina area of Oahu. Not only do you get the convenience of just flying everyone into Honolulu (no extra flights to outer islands), but this western part of the island is secluded and private, giving the feel of being on one of the other islands.

The Ko Olina resort area consists of several locations offering accomodations mixed in with a small residential area. It is built around 7 private lagoons. They've got accomodations ranging from the JW Marriott Ihilani (my 2nd fave resort on the entire island), to 2-3 bedroom villas at the Beach Villas (a brand new high-rise), to the Marriott timeshares and soon to be Disney Resort Hawaii. Right now 2 of the 4 timeshare buildings are open & accepting guests, the Beach Villas are operating (gorgeous) in addition to the JW. Disney won't be complete until 2011-2012.

The weddings in this area are handled by Ko Olina Weddings (koolinaweddings.com). They are a newer company (as is this entire resort area) & I've personally met the manager & was very impressed with what they offer. They can arrange ceremonies from simple to elaborate. They can provide vendors for all aspects of the wedding (many of the photographers used are mentioned on here in other threads...top of the line). And they even offer a small section of the beach where you can have the infamous "beach wedding" in Hawaii w/o any issues (altho its small & honestly I wouldn't recommend it...the beachfront lawn is to die for). You do not have to use them for your hotel/villa packages. We work with them so you can still take advantage of our specials/offers & use them for the actual wedding planning.

Roy's Restaurant is right on the golf course & offers a small private room for small receptions or rehearsal dinners as well as a larger banquet room for larger parties. The JW also has catering services as well. So plenty to choose from.

So check out this area. You won't be disappointed. All the privacy & beauty of the outer islands with the benefit of being a quick 30 min drive to Waikiki. If anyone wants details on any of their packages please let me know.

Just an update on this venue, their special of up to 50% off has been extended through 8/31/09. This is for all 2009/2010 weddings. So if you are considering this for your wedding location, now is the time to book. Email or PM me for pricing.

Our agency has met with and now has a direct contact at the chapel, so if anyone needs assistance, just let me know. Plenty of pics from yesterday's visit on our FB page. It is really stunning!

Just a head's up that I will be out on Oahu next week visiting several locations for wedding ceremonies and doing hotel site inspections. We will be meeting with many different wedding cooridnators as well.

As I normally do, I'll come back here to post a full review afterwards but you are all invited to become one of our Sunkissed Vacations fans on Facebook too as I'll be posting pics and updates as we go along (so it will be like you're right there with me I don't tweet or twit (whatever the proper verb is) so I'll only be on FB, not Twitter (I can barely navigate around FB so no laughing at me please LOL)

Some of the places we will be visiting are:

Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort (hotel & wedding venues)

Royal Hawaiian (hotel & wedding venues) & the Aha Aina luau

St Augustine by the Sea Roman Catholic Church (GORGEOUS)

Diamond Head Anela Gardens & Chapel (private tropical garden & wedding chapel)

Hilton Hawaiian Village & Best Bridal Ocean Crystal Chapel & Waikiki Starlight Luau

JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Ko Olina Resort

Lanihonua Cultural Institute (private oceanfront estate w/in the Ko Olina Resort)

Paradise Cove Luau

Kualoa Ranch

Turtle Bay Resort (hotel & wedding venues)

And LOTS of popular beach locations for pics & ceremonies

So if you're planning an Oahu wedding you might want to follow us on FB and check back here after next week for lots of helpful info.

And if you are already set on Oahu and want info on something not listed, just let me know.

Aloha!!

Check out Barry Maier at Aloha Beautiful Weddings. He does all of our photog work with the OVB and I've seen his lots of his wedding work. Gorgeous! Aloha Beautiful Hawaii Weddings websites

Are you looking to do something simple or more elaborate? If you want a simple (but really pretty) setting, the Outrigger Reef on the Beach does VR twice weekly for their guests. It's a really cute set up and ceremony. And it's complimentary.

When it comes to blocking out and holding group space on a cruise, you will only have about a month or so before some kind of deposit is due from the guests. That is pretty much standard across the board (some cruise lines give you a little more time, but not much). Now that said, the guests don't have to be the one's paying it. I've had plenty of couples put up the whole deposit now for their group, and then collect the money back from guests later.

While it is good that cruise pricing is usually available to lock in much earlier than land vacations...it sometimes makes it hard for guests to really decide what they want to do (for example, right now you cannot even buy airfare for 10/10, so if that is a determining factor for everyone, they probably won't deposit a cruise now without knowing air prices). So if you want to secure a group rate (which normally requires a min of 8 cabins), keep that in mind. And also remember that if you hold a group of cabins and then fall below the cruise line's minimum, there might be penalties the rest of the group has to pay.

Every cruise line is different so if you need more details on this part of the planning process...just let me know

Hey everyone...if you are still having trouble getting through to anyone in regards to the chapel send me a PM and let me know. I will be out on Oahu in 2 weeks and this is one of the meetings I have set up while I am there. After the visit we should have more direct contacts for our BDW-agency brides and eliminate all of this confusion.