A Very Sweet Sixteen

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My daughter turned sixteen this month, and after MUCH advance discussion about her progressively more elaborate visions for a Sweet Sixteen party, I suggested that we take a little getaway instead. I figured that if I’m going to spend money celebrating a milestone, I’d much rather spend it on experiences and memories versus DJs and caterers.  And that’s how I found myself headed to New York City with three sixteen-year-old-girls in tow…and my husband’s laughter echoing in my ears.

I had asked my daughter to come up with a “wish list” of things that she and her friends would like to see and do while we were there, and had done some advance reconnaissance with my siblings who live/work in Manhattan, and we had a pretty ambitious itinerary planned out. And I have to say we did it all!  The weekend was a blast (even for me) and I think the girls will remember it forever.

We drove down (3 hours door-to-door, not bad at all) parked the car for the weekend, and checked in for a two night stay at The Muse, a Kimpton hotel on 46th St. between 6th and Broadway. The location could not have been better – one block in from Times Square, but just enough removed from the madness, and an easy walk to anywhere we needed to go.  The hotel itself was exactly what we were looking for. The girls wanted a boutique hotel with a cool downtown vibe, without having to actually be downtown, and The Muse delivered! From the serene lobby with its “faux” fireplace (a flat screen showing flickering flames above an abstract hearth of “logs”), to the funky lobby bathroom (unisex stalls, each one elaborately decorated, themed, and named), and the beautiful restaurant/wine bar, it had just the right atmosphere. Because they had oversold our room category, we were upgraded to a spacious suite on the 17th floor with a king bedroom and separate living area with pullout sleeper couch – more than enough room for four women and their “stuff”.

The location and décor aside, the thing that most impressed me about this hotel was the service. The front desk staff were quick to provide help, advice and directions. They delivered a handwritten welcome note and some delicious treats the first night. And when the girls decided to test the hotel’s “if you forgot it, we’ll provide it” promise on Saturday night, the front desk rose to the challenge by rushing us a curling iron and some hairspray!

So what did we do while we were there?

Friday’s agenda included a visit (and lunch) with my sister at the Google offices downtown, followed by some window shopping in designer boutiques in the Meatpacking District and the West Village. Then we fortified ourselves with cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery before heading back to the hotel to change and then run over to the East Side for manis/pedis (which were a very thoughtful birthday gift from one of the girls and her mom) From there, we grabbed hot pretzels from a street vendor while we walked back over to Times Square to board “The Ride”, which was an awesome 75-minute party bus ride through the city with music, commentary, and plenty of surprising (and interactive) vignettes going on outside the bus. Afterwards, we grabbed a slice of pizza for a very late dinner and went back to the hotel to crash.

On Saturday morning I dragged the sleepy teenagers out of bed with promises of a diner breakfast (this was our one “Fail” of the weekend….unbelievably slow service and ridiculously expensive prices) and then we hopped a cab uptown to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the Alexander McQueen “Savage Beauty” exhibit. We could easily have spent hours in the museum, but we had an ambitious agenda ahead of us, so we worked our way south along Central Park to walk off our breakfast. We shopped our way towards Rockefeller Center (Dylan’s Candy Bar, Forever 21, FAO Schwartz, etc.) and ended up at Saks Fifth Avenue just in time for the girls’ 3:00 pm appointment for makeovers at the Bobbi Brown counter. Once they were suitably gorgeous, we walked back to the hotel to get dressed for the evening. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at John’s Pizza in the Theater District (a renovated church with a great stained glass ceiling and old-fashioned coal-fired pizza ovens) and then went to see “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” – a fantastic musical comedy starring Daniel Radcliffe who, by the way, can REALLY sing and dance. He was adorable!

We got a slow start Sunday morning because of our late nights, but once we checked out and stored the bags we were ready for another round of shopping – this time right in Times Square. We hit the Hershey Store, the M&M Store, and the giant (three story) American Eagle store where, in the highlight of the weekend, the girls had their photo taken and put up on a huge billboard in Times Square! We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Hard Rock Café, and then spent a couple of hours posing with the celebrities at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. On our way back to the hotel to pick up the car, we even ran into the infamous Naked Cowboy for a photo op!

Needless to say, the car ride home was pretty quiet (the girls studied and slept), but it gave me time to think about our weekend. I’m at a point now where I cherish time with my kids more than ever, because I know that college is just around the corner and my house is going to be pretty empty. A weekend like this, where I get to hang out with my daughter and her friends, having fun and making memories, is priceless.  I would choose that over a big party any time.

My only regret is that we didn’t make it to the Shake Shack for dinner as planned…but that just gives us a reason to go back!

Beautiful Belize

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I almost hate to share this trip report for fear of letting too many people know about my “secret” destination. The one that pleases honeymooners, families, SCUBA divers, nature-lovers, and just about anyone looking for a laid-back, relaxing place to unwind on the beach. But, what the heck! Even if I keep sending clients to lovely little Ambergris Caye (Belize) it’s unlikely to spoil the casual, barefoot ambiance of this great little barrier island.  So here goes:

Annie –

I think you did a great job planning, per usual.  The information was plentiful ahead of time, and the process (not including the air transport part, which was in no way your fault) was fine and easy.  The park and fly was a good plan and the Hampton Inn was a very nice place to spend the night before our flight, as well as the day of our first flight out of Boston.  Everyone there was very nice and very helpful, and the process there was smooth.  We ate in their pub that night and it was sufficient.  The continental breakfast was huge and they had fruit and coffee out the whole time we were there.

The travel to and from Belize, had it gone off without a hitch on the side of Continental, would have been perfect.  The flights were long, but the Maya Island Air aspect was terrific, and the airport assistance in both Boston after the first morning cancellation and Belize City was great.  Everyone really tried to keep us on track to getting to our final destination.  The flight out from the island was great, and no one should feel worried about flying Maya Air.  Their pilots were awesome, and everyone at the airport was very helpful in both directions. 

As far as Ambergris Caye — Wow!  Where do I begin??  This, for us, was the perfect destination.  If you are the type who likes to spend time shopping, this is not the trip for you.  It is not a “cruise ship port” type of place.  The island is very mellow.  The people were very friendly and extremely knowledgeable of their history and culture, and did not mind sharing that information with us.   The beaches were great, and the water sports left NOTHING to be desired.  Everything was in walking distance, both along the beach as well as by the roads.  We did both.  Grocery stores were plentiful and we were able to easily find an ATM when we needed it.  Taxis were plentiful as well if you so desired one.  It was like no place WE had been before, and we felt very comfortable and relaxed there.

The Caribbean Villas were great!!  The room (actually an apartment) we were given was huge and clean, and the staff was wonderful.  Anything we asked them, they could answer and they helped so much when planning our excursions.  The companies they do business with were fantastic.  The only negatives were that there were tiny ants that would show up if we left any food out of the refrigerator, and the water pressure in the showers was like a whisper.  But the property was lush and beautiful, and there was always an empty beach chair, or a spot at the beach bar for a drink.  The continental breakfast was very good, and there is something to be said for drinking your morning coffee on the beach, with a yummy cinnamon roll and delicious fresh fruit.  I would definitely go back again.  I met the owners on the 3rd day, and they were so nice and hospitable. 

Choosing the best excursion is impossible.  We loved all that we did.  The diving and snorkeling was done through Belize Diving Adventures and was arranged by us walking into their little shop on the beach and asking to go.  They fitted the whole family with the equipment needed and the price was great!  The dive masters were excellent.  Glenn and Sam did 3 dives while there, and I snorkeled.  The personal attention from the people in this company was unreal!  The day I went out with them, there were 2 dive masters and just 4 passengers — the 3 of us and one other man.  The three of them went to the reef while I snorkeled with the dive master.  Since I had never done it before, he was very patient with me.  The reef is incredible, and Hol Chan park was teeming with life.  Such a super excursion.

The other excursion we did was the Lamanai Ruins.  We could have done the small plane ride to the mainland, but we chose to go with Seaduced By Belize.  We started with a one hour speedboat ride to the mainland.  The whole time, the guide explained what we were seeing, and gave us a history lesson of the islands and cayes.  A delicious breakfast of native food was served during the ride.  Once on the mainland, we took a one hour bus ride to the river where, again, we were given a lot of history and also told about the things we passed and current info about the area.  Then we took a slow lazy river ride to Lamanai.  The riverboat captain knew that river like the back of his hand, and would stop to show us crocs, plant life, bats, and monkeys.  We even had a monkey climb into our boat.  A super lesson of life along that river.  Once to the site of the ruins, we were given a picnic lunch, again of local fare which was outrageously good, and then we hiked in to the ruins.  Our river boat captain was also our guide to the ruins, and he was very friendly and informative.  The hike was easy.  There was also a museum filled with Mayan artifacts, and we were able to spend time there before we saw the actual temples and such.  After the tour, we were given Belikans and rum punch for the ride back, on the river boat, the bus ride, AND the high speed ride back the San Pedro.

I thought it was fascinating.  One thing that stood out to me was the respect and love the people of Belize have for the reef, and for nature in general.  It gave us the chance to slow down and see how completely different their culture and lifestyle is from ours.  It was a wonderful experience.

Here are my tips for others considering a trip to Ambergris Caye:

  • If you can rent a golf cart for the week, it would be worth it.  We did it for one night, but wished we had gotten one for the week.  It’s all anyone drives there on the island, other than bikes and taxi cabs.
  • Eat at Fido’s and Elvi’s Kitchen.  Those were wonderful restaurants that had standard American fare, as well as Belizian choices, which we always chose.  The stewed chicken with rice and beans was to die for!  I even bought spices so I could make it here.  In LOVE with that dish!!
  • Don’t bother with any dressy clothes or anything like that.  It is completely laid back, and shoes don’t even have to be an option.  Flip Flops are the shoe of choice there. 
  • Don’t feed the stray dogs.  There are plenty and they are all friendly.  In San Pedro, none look like they are starving.  Just pet em or let em alone.

Just to reiterate, this was a FANTASTIC vacation for us.  The place we want to go next – back to Ambergris Caye.  Thanks for suggesting this vacation.  It was more than words can express.

–          Cara

Resort-hopping in the Riviera Maya

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I just got back from a quick trip to Mexico, and wanted to share my impressions of the resorts that I visited, but let me first say that Mexico is – without a doubt – open for business! The resorts were busy, the weather was beautiful, and I saw LOTS of people enjoying themselves. I did notice a lot of Europeans on this trip, and I’m not sure if that’s normal for this time of year, or whether they were there in greater numbers to take advantage of all the promotions and deals that the resorts are offering right now. Regardless, it was absolutely lovely!

If you’re impatient, and want to skip to the photos, you can find them on the Annie’s Escapes Facebook page. In the meantime, here are my impressions:

Dreams Tulum

Dreams Tulum, which was my home base for this trip, is at the far southern end of the Mayan Riviera, well south of Playa del Carmen, and about a 1 ½ – 2 hour drive from the Cancun airport. It is  ideally situated for those who want to spend time exploring Tulum, Xcaret and Xel Ha, but might be a little remote if you’re taking a short vacation (too much time spent in transit).  Dreams is a family-friendly all-inclusive chain with locations in Mexico and Punta Cana, and they really do a great job of pleasing all types of travelers, including multi-generational families, couples, singles, and more. We saw more than one destination wedding while we were there, but we also saw moms and dads with babies/toddlers in tow.

The property sits perpendicular to the beach, so there aren’t many true oceanview or oceanfront rooms, but the grounds are absolutely beautiful, and I loved that my balcony looked out onto a quiet courtyard. The low-rise (three story) buildings are Mexican hacienda in style, and the rooms are spacious and comfortable. We were in a basic gardenview room, but we had a large bathroom with whirlpool tub, furnished balcony, and a stepped-down living area with a large daybed.

There are multiple a la carte restaurants, and no reservations are required, so we tried the Italian, French and Steakhouse restaurants while we were there. Everything I ordered was delicious, and the portions were on the small side so that you did not feel stuffed. The omelet station at the breakfast buffet was standout!

The larger, more active pool has a swim-up bar and a children’s area, but there’s also a quieter pool for adults only. The beach was nice, although the surf was fairly rough for the duration of our stay (red flags were up on two out of the three days), and if you like to walk the beach you’re in luck – there are no other resorts to either side, so it feels like a long private stretch of sand.

I can’t really speak about the kids’ club, but it looked like the children were enjoying themselves. And there was a daily schedule of activities and entertainment for all ages…including nightly movies on the beach.

The thing that impressed me the most about this resort, though, was the service. No matter what we asked for, the response was always “It’s a pleasure”.

 

El Dorado Maroma

I had really been looking forward to touring this intimate, boutique, adults-only all-inclusive, and I was not disappointed! If I were planning my honeymoon right now, El Dorado Maroma would definitely be among my top selections.

Set  on one of the world’s top beaches (as ranked by the Travel Channel), with its own adjacent marina for water sports enthusiasts, the property includes just 74 romantic suites. The various room categories offer things like private Jacuzzis, swim-out terraces with direct access into the lazy river pool, romantic outdoor daybeds, private outdoor “love showers”, infinity plunge pools, and more.

The overall atmosphere is luxurious and serene, with plenty of space for couples to spread out and find their own quiet corner. They do offer low-key evening entertainment three times per week, and some daily activities like volleyball and morning yoga classes, but this resort is definitely aimed at couples who want to relax and unwind. That being said, those who want a little more excitement can book daytrips and excursions, or take the shuttle into town.

There are multiple gourmet restaurants, with more than enough seats for everyone, so there’s no need for reservations or waits. The staff is very friendly and accommodating, and I got the sense that no reasonable request would be denied!

The onsite chapel is a definite plus for couples trying to plan a Catholic destination wedding.

 

El Dorado Royale

Ten minutes away from the El Dorado Maroma, its sister resort —  the El Dorado Royale – is also an upscale adults-only all-inclusive with fantastic gourmet food. But the similarities stop there. The El Dorado Royale is a large, sprawling property that provides golf carts and shuttles to whisk people around the resort. It is spread along a lengthy (and somewhat rocky) beachfront, but has so many lovely pools that it’s easy to overlook the less-than-perfect beach.

There are 600 rooms/suites which are divided among the regular El Dorado Royale and its smaller, more exclusive section, the El Dorado Casitas Royale. The main resort is more lively and active, with multiple restaurants and bars, tennis courts, bikes, a disco, and more. The smaller Casitas section has a very large and luxurious spa, and each oceanfront casita features a Jacuzzi tub and romantic “Aquas del Amor” roofless shower. Some have swim-up terraces, private infinity pools, or both!

On the day that I toured the resort, there was a large incentive group checking in (200 rooms), and this is a property that can definitely handle large volume like this, but without feeling in any way “mass market.”

 

Azul Sensatori

North of the two El Dorado resorts, and closer to the Cancun airport (in the town of Puerto Morelos) is another sister property — the family-friendly, all-inclusive, Azul Sensatori. This modern and beautiful resort is divided into three buildings – one for families (with guaranteed connecting rooms for those who need it), one for adults only, and one with premium-level rooms for adults only.

The facilities for adults are absolutely fantastic (including adults-only pools, restaurants, and more) but what really struck me about this property were the amenities for families. The rooms feature separate living areas curtained off from the main bedroom, with their own TV for the kids. The resort provides changing tables, cribs, baby monitors, strollers, baby food, diapers, and just about anything else you might need (and not want to carry with you from home). Through a partnership with Fisher Price, they also provide all sorts of great toys (available in the room, the restaurants, etc.) There’s a playground on the beach; a fantastic Kids Club facility with a rock climbing wall, a theater, age-appropriate video games, and a separate nap room; and a large and well-equipped Teen Club with large-screen TVs, pool tables, video games, and more.  The restaurants feature kids menus, and the check in desk even has a special area dedicated to the little ones.

The resort is popular for destination weddings, since guests of all ages can stay right on the property, and they offer traditional ceremonies on the beach or under a gazebo, as well as a unique “Sky Wedding” on a private rooftop terrace with views of the ocean and the jungle.

 

If you have questions about these or other resorts in the Mayan Riviera, give me a call. There are some tremendous deals to be found, and there are resorts to please just about anyone!

An Epic Vacation

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A very thoughful client just took her extended family (14 people!) on a Western Caribbean cruise on the brand new Norwegian Epic. Here are her thoughts and feedback about the trip:

Ann,

This vacation was well thought out and well organized. The destinations were beautiful and the timing of the trip was perfect. I think it was the perfect way to celebrate with a family of 14.  

Our Southwest flights were great. On the return flight I was nervous about checking in because on the way back the internet was down the last day on the ship. But we just got in line with the family group and no one stopped us. Our attendant Thomas on the way to Ft. Lauderdale was a great guy – really enjoyed him.

Overall, the transfers went well. My brother in law was not pleased with the driver from SAS transportation when we were leaving the port, though, because he was very vocal about me getting on board to leave…I wasn’t going to leave until I had the van next to me for the Miami people since my step father was so ill. He did not explain that there was a $1000 fee for standing for transfer services until I was on board the van. It was only a few minutes.  And Miami Jet felt so bad about their mistake on the arrival transfer … Obama was in town causing a mess! Had I known that, I would have been kinder when I called them. Jackie told me the driver was afraid to talk to me at the hotel. The Miami jet folks were fine…it was out of their hands.

We LOVED our pre-cruise stay at the Hampton Inn Miami Airport South!! The pool was a bit chilly but not for my kids who are part fish. They had great menus and we called for delivery from a pizza place and a Cuban restaurant. They even had beer in the lobby for sale. It was a great property!!  The breakfast was the usual Hampton Inn fare and they had waffle makers. That dining area was terrific for us all to gather and eat dinner!

Embarkation at the Miami pier was FLAWLESS…so easy!!  The only thing is that I thought I could put our room bill on one card and the others on another. They could not allow that. Fortunately I had ample credit available so there was no crisis. But had I known that I would have been more careful to allow ample credit for our NCL check out. But as I said it there was no crisis and I was able to keep an eye on our bill tally on our room TV and if I was concerned I am sure I could have gone and closed out with one credit card and but the balance on another.

The wheelchair rental worked out well, but next time I would recommend that they get a scooter. It sat in the room a lot because my Mom couldn’t push it. People on scooters were all over. I was really grateful to have it be so easy!

We all loved the Epic. We were so lucky, though, because the attendance was around 3,000 for our week. Capacity is 4,200…I can’t imagine it with 1,200 more folks. We never stood in lines, we were waited on like royalty and it was so beautiful. We loved the entertainment options. The pool area was our favorite spot and I loved how it was laid out for kids. My husband said the water slides were the perfect stair master. He ate like a lot and didn’t gain a pound! My kids LOVE the water slides!I would have preferred the larger balcony cabin, but the one we had was nice. There was a queen bed  — which I wanted to put into my suitcase it was so comfy —  and then the couch pulled out to a bed (which I slept on one night and it was comfy) and the other was a bunk.  This was great for my kids who thought that was the coolest thing EVER, but for the family with young ones, that didn’t work at all. The cool thing about the bunks is that they are in the ceiling. There was so much storage to unpack!! But it was tricky to find. I was glad we all shared the tricks we learned….Especially when I couldn’t figure out how to turn on the lights!! (you insert your key card.) The toilet and shower are on either side of  the door and there was a curtain. That was odd to me because it didn’t feel very private even though there was a curtain.

When we went to see the Blue Man Group they let us take over a balcony area – move  seats and everything.  It was like being the royal family. LOVED that, and the show was so amazing!! The Cirque Dreams was fun – but I have seen the big shows they do and so I was entertained but not impressed – it was vaudeville with great circus aerial acts. There was one man who did this act in a bath tub, who was a favorite of all the ladies…OMG!! Never saw a body like that so close!!

The food was delicious everywhere we went, and abundant! I told my family if they were hungry it was their fault! We especially liked Moderno – the Brazilian restaurant! Went two times and took all 14 the last night. The Garden Cafe is really super to serve something for everyone – with fun tastes to try and always a soft serve ice cream machine going. Their nightly crepe stations were so fun to think of how to make a new taste sensation.

All our meals were lovely – we ate at the Manhattan Room as a family the night we all dressed up and had our photo taken. It was so nice that when I shared that it was my mother and father’s anniversary they brought a cake and sang “Let me call you sweetheart” We shed a few tears at that since he is so sick. It was lovely!

Costa Maya was so fun to sail into.  The port is so newly done and brightly painted and beautiful. There were three ships there on the dock with us but we were well organized and really enjoyed our outings. There was even a nice bathroom in the excursion gathering area there if you need one before leaving on your adventure.

The crew that went zip lining thought it was safe and fun – they were especially happy that they took such good care to prep them, and the girls road tandem with their dads on part of the line. It was a long zip line ride too in three parts. The sandwich they got for lunch wasn’t too delicious but they really didn’t care – they weren’t in it for the sandwiches.

The group that did the beach getaway thought that it was amazing! Such a beautiful spot – there was the most spotless bathrooms with showers and a canopy where you could order food. Open bar was included and the tequila they served was just fabulous. My favorite moment from the entire week was when the kids were done with the sand and the water and I was in the bathroom with them while they showered and my mom came in to find me….she brought us shots and we sat and enjoyed our tequila and chatted….what a memory!! The bus service was amazing – there were vendors there and a few of our party got  henna tattoos and souvenirs. It was a nice day.

The dolphin experience in Cozumel was very stressful getting there with 14 people and several children who were not happily anticipating the experience. However, in the end, everyone loved it!!!! The park is beautiful and offered a lot to do from shopping and eating, sea lion shows, beach and pool. The sky grew very dark but it didn’t rain on us which I was grateful for. The pictures were very pricey, but I ended up working a deal and getting a disc of all the pics. Can’t have a priceless moment like that and no photos!

The port at Cozumel was so beautiful and so organized. I really would enjoy going there for an extended time. Didn’t get to see much but the park and the immediate pier area and it all looked so fun!!

The park at Roatan was lovely – I didn’t go see the monkeys (my son wasn’t up for it) but I had a great time in the general area. Everyone really enjoyed the monkeys and the other animals they experienced. There is a nice beach and even a beautiful pool there. We stayed under a beautiful canopy area that had a concession area and A LOT of bats in the ceiling. Of course I had everyone else wear a ton of bug spray so they didn’t get any bug bites – my family got a few and are still itchy from them…but nothing horrible by any means. A little itch relief and it’s ok.

The dock at Roatan had entertainers there that were so fun – from the moment our ship pulled up they were singing and dancing. My step father skipped this excursion (as well as the dolphins) and he was so happy to have a show from his balcony since we were facing the port. There were also a lot of options for shopping and the guide for the park was articulate and nice.

Here are my thoughts/advice for someone considering a similar cruise:

Don’t ever take 14 people on one trip! It was very stressful to be in charge. I know a lot of that is my personality being a planner person but I would limit a group size to 8-10.  Although our group size was manageable for the staff of the EPIC and the excursions we all attended.  I think that our group was special in that we had a very sick man with a desire to be independent…and several children with ADD..

We took walkie talkies….we got the cheapest ones at Radio Shack and they were worthless on the ship. That would be a service that NCL could rent for the week to large groups and it would be so worth it!!

NCL had so many options for all the age groups in our group and that made it so easy in a lot of ways. The Nickelodeon team was fun for all ages.

I was especially impressed with the Recess kids area. My son had trouble being there and instead of suggesting he not return – they gave us a phone so if he had troubles they could contact us. We only sent him there twice because it was hard for him but the 2 year old autistic child went there without issues several times. They only got one phone call for a potty issue.

Thanks for every little thing!! Without you I would have jumped overboard planning this family trip!!

Most Sincerely,

Sheli

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You provided excellent guidance for us. I appreciated that you really had us think about what was most important to us when we were selecting the right cruise – and not to totally focus on what other people had to say. THANK YOU for helping to make this a memorable trip for our family! It really was a trip of a lifetime!

– Clare and Mark (family cruise to Alaska)

The level of service we experienced was out of this world (and we did NOT make it easy on Ann). We weren’t quite sure where we wanted to go, when we would be able to go, or what “vibe” we were going for. After asking us some key questions (what we liked, didn’t like, why, etc.) Ann helped us narrow down our trip details and planned the honeymoon of our dreams. She helped book some of our excursions, answered some emergency questions while abroad and was always available/willing to help. I think it’s safe to say we won’t be using anyone else for future travel planning – Ann is a rockstar!

– Carli (Italy and Spain)