Great review!!! Thank you!
My fiance & I are getting married on 11/22/11 and were there on 11/22/10 for a site visit - I think we might have seen your wedding party taking pictures on the beach
For all the other GCR brides - here's my brief take on our site visit -
Room - I think we might have gotten the worst room location in the place because we had no view - just barely a glimpse of people as they walk the ramp from the beach to the pool area, but we still had an amazing stay. The room condition was impeccable - marble floors & very clean. Beds were really comfortable & the bathrooms were sleek & modern.
Food - We made it a point to try all the different restaurants to make sure the food was good - and while it was not gourmet it was definitely up to par- if not better than- other all-inclusive resorts I've been to. There are two different buffets (albatros & gaviotas) & something for everyone at both of them. The sushi bar was just okay but I have pretty high standards for that kind of food - it is nice at night because you can hear the ocean while you eat. You should certainly make reservations at Maria's - their food was great and our waiter was super accommodating.
Beach - the water was a bit chilly and the waves were rather rough, but after talking to some of the staff, we realized that the beach conditions were that way because of the full moon and are calmer near the new moon- so I'd check the lunar calendar if you want to get a sense of how the beach will be. There are ample beach chairs and we never had to worry about looking for a spot. Also, the sheer size of the beach is wonderful and it a spectacular to look at.
Chapel - as all the pictures illustrate - it is absolutely beautiful. There is a tennis court directly behind it, which is kind of an eyesore, but I doubt anyone will be paying attention to that during the ceremony and it doesn't creep into any pictures.
Food tasting -
Salad:
Trout salad with lettuce & green peanut sauce (RD3-2) - texture resembled tuna fish - we liked this but thought it might be too exotic for our guests
Caribbean salad with shrimp au smoked pineapple & jasmine flower pesto (PE-3) - the best of the three - shrimp was tender & presentation was great
Spinach souffl© with blueberry sauce au white wine flavor (SP-3) - would not recommend this - no flavor or texture - almost like a spinach pudding.
Entree:
Red snapper stuffed with seafood, Chicken breast Casablanca stuffed with seafood, Beef fillet tournedo - the fillet was the winner. All of the options were plated beautifully. We were concerned because some of our guests have allergies to dairy & MSG and the chef said that the fillet did not have either. You can have an option for two different dishes, and you'd just have to let them know in advance of the counts for each dish.
Dessert: all of these were amazing, but I think the hazelnut mousse was the best.
Hazelnut mousse with chocolate sauce (RD3-1)
Fruit mousse with warm chocolate sauce (PE-3)
Paris chocolate shell stuffed with fruit au white Cinzano flavor (SP-2)
Cake: We actually forgot to book this ahead of time so our WC was nice enough to have one (Baily's with almonds) delivered to our room later that night. It was remarkable - so delicious!, but we're thinking of having layers with other flavors (chocolate with raspberry and/or tres leches - anyone have thoughts on this?)
WC: Diana was really helpful during the site visit. We were with her for almost 3 hours and she was incredibly helpful. She also showed us rooms (high level suites etc.) in both the GCR & Royal. FYI - the WC offices are located in the Royal.
Interesting fact: Diana noted that if you stay at the Royal the night of the wedding (even if the ceremony & reception are at the GCR), it is the same price for the overall wedding but you have an international premium bar at the reception. The other difference is that in event of bad weather (gasp!), the reception will be in the ballroom of the Royal. We might book the wedding night and a couple extras days at the Royal to get these perks - and the rooms there are really beautiful (especially the one with direct access to the pool!).
Albatros terrace - the green turf flooring is overwhelming, but the views are amazing - especially at night. The other downside is that a number of rooms overlook the terrace - so it is not necessarily private. Considering we're hoping to have 100+ people at our wedding, it is the best option.
Overall resort - loved it! We hope to have lots of family members & friends of all ages at our wedding and think this resort is a perfect fit. There are activities to take part in if you like or lots of places to just relax. We left feeling very at ease with our decision.
Originally Posted by mykidsmomtx
We had our wedding on 11/22. Check out our review under the review section and let me know if questions! We loved the Grand Caribe Real and were not disappointed. Happy planning to all!