Suzanne

We went to the Moon Palace for a week in early February, and LOVED IT. Before you agree (or disagree) too heartily though, I'm sure you'll agree that the right place for us might not be the right place for y'all, so here's where we'd rate ourselves on the following scales of 1-5: <BR> <BR>a) Budget conscious (1) to Extravagant spenders (5) -- probably a (4). We budgeted over $3000 for a week for two people, and spent money more freely than other people might, who have tighter budgets, kids in the equation, etc. <BR>b) Prim and dowdy (1) to Party animal (5) -- probably a (2.5). We enjoy a good margarita as much as the next guy, but we're definitely not in the Spring Breaker demographic, nor do we enjoy getting plastered just to do it. We tend to do quieter, just-the-two-of-us pastimes when on vacation (reading, talking, hiking, swimming) rather than the more outgoing (nightlife, clubbing, participating in local tourist contests, etc.) We do occasionally take advantage of other people's presence (volleyball, etc) that we couldn't do alone. <BR>c) Conservative (1) vs Risky (5) risk taking in Mexico: (3). We did go snorkeling and ate a lot of strange food and beverages, but we weren't willing to risk our musculoskeletal integrity (i.e. we didn't scuba diving, parasail, etc.) Also, we won't rent a car -- our budget didn't extend to bribes and medical. J <BR>d) Adventurous palate (1) to Tendermouth (5). (1.5). Some people limit themselves to a very narrow diet. IMHO, a lot of times this is picky American "can't have it any way except how I'm used to" eating, but there are lots of legitimate reasons too: health, dieting, religion, small kids, etc. We definitely are at the opposite end of the spectrum here, and can find something we like at nearly any meal or menu. <BR>e) Type A (1) vs Type B (5): (3.5). Our outbound flight was delayed 2 hours (it was an MD-80 getting checked.) We really didn't care since we weren't going to be late to get to work or anything, but a lot of people on the airplane really DID care and were very stressed out by it. Not that there's necessarily anything bad about being regimented; if you're too laid back, you'll sleep through your whole vacation; and you are paying a lot of money, so if you ordered steak, ask them to take it back if they bring you the chicken. But balance is important here. <BR> <BR> <BR>Amenities of the hotel that aren't even advertised: <BR> <BR>· An in-hotel desk staffed 9a - 6p by our tour operator (Apple.) (A few of the other tour operators have similar desks.) Apple gave an EXCELLENT briefing right after we checked in to a large group of guests, not just to their services, but to the amenities of the hotel (that the hotel didn't tell us about), about customs of Mexico, local history, etc. You could stop by the Apple desk anytime and ask them about anything, even problems related to the hotel, and they took care of it, with excellent English. I might add that Apple frowns on the high-pressure time-share thing and didn't try to get you to spend an entire half day of your expensive vacation listening to a presentation. <BR>· Landscaped trails along the back of the property, to bike or hike. You are passing right along the jungle's edge; we saw iguanas, hawks, colorful tropical birds, water birds, etc. <BR>· An 18 hole miniature golf course, complete with the two-part greens, water obstacles, etc. We played twice. <BR>· The "non-motorized watersports" include paddleboats and kayaks and windsurfing (all free.) <BR> <BR>Things I had read prior to coming: <BR>· Regarding "I've heard the beach is bad." Actually, there are two issues involved here, the sand and the water. <BR>a) The sand. The sand is clean, beautiful, and while we were there, seaweed free. Most importantly, there is a LOT of it at the Moon Palace, especially compared to most of the hotel-zone properties. In the hotel zone, the "population density" on the beach is so high because all the hotels are high-rise and crammed so close together (if you've ever driven along Lake Michigan in Chicago, you know what I mean.) So people are coming down from the high rise hotel to share the same strip of beach. Moon Palace is very isolated and has about half a mile of beachfront because it's spread out horizontally, and since the complex is only 3 stories high, the population is less dense on the beach. I.e. more shady spots, more space, less competition. <BR>b) The water. Yes, it does look green rather than blue, and there's a good bit of seaweed in it. However, I was not mauled by seaweed, and the water is not polluted or "dirty" -- the color difference reflects a difference in water depth, type of sediment, and turbulence. I thought the water was adequate, but yes, I have seen more beautiful beaches. But the water doesn't smell any difference from other oceans! <BR>· Regarding "The food is nasty." I don't know where that came from! I loved the food! It was plentiful, fresh, and sufficiently varied. The buffet breakfasts and lunches weren't gourmet, but the hotel has several thousand guests at a time, and you can't do gourmet food at that volume. The presentations were attractive -- someone had carved a watermelon into a schooner ship for a centerpiece one evening (you had to see it to believe it.) At breakfast, you can get fresh smoothies made to order: choose your fruit (my favorite was kiwi and pineapple combination), liquid base (water, juice, milk), etc. (Delicious -- it nearly replaced my morning coffee.) Now, there are several things served at the specialty restaurants that might not appeal to everyone -- squid in its ink, some fish dishes served with the tail still on, unusual vegetables, etc. But you don't have to ogle it and barf; if you don't like it, don't eat it and just ask for something else! (It's all paid for already!) If you wanted to, you could have cereal and bacon for breakfast, a hamburger or hot dog for lunch, and a steak every night for dinner. On the other hand, there's a huge variety of food to be had; we never had the same thing for dinner. We did repeat some things for breakfast and lunch, but that was by choice because we liked them so much. <BR>· Regarding "It's all buffet, there's no a la carte." Not true… the Mexican restaurant, Spanish restaurant, and Asian restaurant are all a la carte at dinner. Outside in the palapas, two become a steak and seafood restaurant and an International (one night Middle Eastern, another night Indian, etc.) restaurant for supper. The first three you need reservations for, the last two you can walk in. It's true that there are no a la carte breakfasts or lunches; these are all buffet (but believe me, it's so much faster that way. Waiting at breakfast to get served when you want to be laying out is tedious!) See a) below. <BR>· Regarding "It's too isolated from the hotel zone." This is true -- yes, it's very isolated. But Moon Palace can get away with this because it's an all-inclusive. If you want to be more in the middle of things, you shouldn't stay here; you should stay in the hotel zone instead. However, we liked the secluded feel, and the hotel property is so big, about a half mile square, you don't feel penned in. Some of the hotel zone properties are so commercialized and Americanized and touristy; you look out the window and see beautiful ocean, but you look out the other window and see McDonalds, Dominos, Outback Steakhouse, and Walmart. I can go to these places at home. <BR>· Regarding "There was no _____ the whole time." Maybe there was! (see below) <BR> <BR>Everything I Need to Know About All Inclusives, I Learned At the Moon Palace <BR>a) Explore the whole property early in your stay. I talked to another couple on the day before they left the Moon Palace. They didn't know about the other half of the hotel besides the half they were staying in -- didn't even know there was extra stuff there! The hotel actually does a poor job of listing all the amenities in your check-in materials. Basically, the hotel was constructed in two halves (now it looks seamless.) The whole hotel is called "Moon Palace." However, the older half is called "Moon Palace." The newer half is called "Sunrise" or "Moon Palace Sunrise." There are two subsections to the "Sunrise" half, the "Sunrise Tower" and the "Nizuc Tower" All this nomenclature was confusing, especially when I was told I was staying "at Sunrise, not Moon Palace." (!!!) Again, the hotel doesn't do a good job of orienting you to this, so you have to figure it out for yourself. (They include a map but don't explain it much.) The Moon and Sunrise halves each have their own: lobby, lobby bar, check in/concierge/service desks, gift shops, a la carte restaurants, buffet restaurants, indoor swimming pool, outdoor swimming pool, swim up bar, conference meeting rooms, beachfront, etc. etc. But they're different -- if you only go back and forth from your room to your lobby and beachfront, you miss half of what you're paying for. So explore on your own -- we found the mini-golf course this way. If you don't want to walk, flag one of the little Moon Palace taxis --- golf carts that are driving around driven by friendly staff -- you get door-to-door shuttling. <BR>b) Plan early where you want to eat, and when you want to do your tours. You have to have reservations for all these things. We got first choice on both our tours and tour days, and first choice for all our restaurant reservations six nights out of seven except one day when we forgot and tried to make a reservation at 5 pm -- too late. But if you plan ahead, you'll get what you want. <BR>c) When speaking to someone whose English is not great, smile and take your time. Most of the waiters and all of the clerks/concierges speak reasonably good English. The housekeeping staff, gardeners, etc. don't. They are, however, anxious to please and will figure it out eventually. It is very different from trying to buy a train ticket in a foreign country: the clerk doesn't speak your language, but doesn't care -- they don't care if they sell to you, because there's plenty of other people behind you in line. By contrast, Moon Palace staff really do want to please you and will drop what they're doing to help, but first they have to understand. They will flag someone who is bilingual if they have to. <BR>

Brenda

Suzanne, <BR>Should I book our tours now before we get there or is it Ok to wait?? <BR>Did you go on any of the tours that you would recomend?? <BR>Did you go on the Chichen-Itza tour? I told the bus ride was long and you got to the ruins in the middle(hottest) part of the day. Is it really worth it to take a charter plane tour there? or is the bus tour OK. I have 2 kids with, ages 14 & 16. <BR>Did you do much shopping in Cozumel or Cancun?? Any places you can recommend? <BR>Thanks

Suzanne

Ok to wait until you get there... we booked them the afternoon we got there, and got our first choice of everything. But what I wouldn't do is get there Sunday, decide Thursday that you want to go someplace on Friday, then try to book it Thurs. afternoon. I.e. you have time, but not all the time in the world. <BR> <BR>The tours they offer currently (they do change from time to time) are: <BR>Xpu-Ha: an ecopark owned by the Palace people with beach, nature preserve, bird sanctuary, etc. (We didn't go on this one but others report it was good.) <BR>Daily. <BR> <BR>Coba: Mayan ruins newly excavated, with excavations still in progress. Has the tallest pyramid in Mexico discovered to date -- you can climb. Thursdays only. <BR>We went -- warm day, but loved it. Lunch included -- delicious cafe. <BR> <BR>Isla Mujeres: typical boat ride, lunch on the boat, shopping, snorkeling, nice beach. We went -- boat ride noisy on top deck (party deck) but on bottom deck quiet, could relax. Food on boat EXCELLENT. <BR>Offered daily. <BR> <BR>If you stay 3-5 days, you get 1 of these, your choice. If you stay 6 or more days, 2 of these, your choice, pre-paid. <BR> <BR>They *don't* offer the all-included Chichen Itza tour anymore as part However, you can certai

Suzanne

Oops... got cut off. <BR>You can certainly go to C.I. as part of one of the many pay-for tours offered. <BR>Bus ride is really not bad at all-- air conditioned. It's about a 2 hr trip each way, but you get to make souvenir/potty stops, and you get to drive along and see what the real Mexico looks like besides just the touristy areas. Your kids could bring a walkman, magazine, book, etc. to help pass the time. Talking to other people on the bus is fun too -- find out where they're staying, etc. <BR> <BR>C.I. can be pretty hot, esp. in high summer, but on the tour you're offered many breaks to sit in the shade. Bring sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, and lots of bottled water in your bag, and you'll do fine (water is heavy, but as the day goes on and you drink it, your backpack gets lighter and lighter.) Chichen Itza is really a must see; you could do the plane trip, but I liked the bus ride myself. (Went with Turquesa Tours... I hear Apple also has good tours.) <BR> <BR>

Alan

Suzanne. <BR>Too much time on your hands! I don't know about the Moon Palace, but you have missed your calling as a writer for resort brochures. An editors note, keep it brief and believable. <BR> <BR>Happy writing <BR>Alan

medeiros

Suzanne, just wondering were there any problems with the water? Drinking it? <BR>Did you get sick at all? I would like more info about the room, cleanliness?