frenchtoile

Hi,

Just wanted to share we just got back from a week at Grand Velas Riviera Maya. It was amazing. For anyone that wants to go on a trip, Mexico is open and it's very safe!

We had private car service to our resort. Before getting in the car, temps checked Driver wore a mask the entire time.

We noticed employees being checked before their shifts at the airport.

At the resort we were all greeted with hand sanitizer, we had to walk across pads to clean our shoes. Temps were checked twice and our heart rates. Bags sanitized. Our room had been cleaned and while there that week everything was constantly being cleaned, sanitized.

Each restaurant we went to checked our temps as well. All the employees had on masks and face shields.

It was really nice for us and our kids to get away from constantly having to have on masks and just feel relatively normal. We did not leave our resort other than walks on the beach.

It made us realize how badly the tourism business is doing while on vacation though. Everyone is struggling. If you wear a mask on a plane, and wash your hands I think it's safe to travel. This is our third time flying now and again, we didn't get sick. We quarantined upon coming home.

I waited 3 weeks before posting this, because I wanted to be able to say that our family didn't get sick and has remained Covid free after traveling to a country that the media is saying is a risk. We know other families that also traveled to Mexico over the last few weeks and are also healthy.

We all agreed...it was worth the risk for the reward for our families. Our kids are all struggling with lack of school in person, sports, and just socializing in general.

Hope this helps anyone that may be debating taking the leap.

TDudette

Thanks for this, frenchtoile. It sounds like the airplane and the staff of Grand Velas Riviera Maya did a great job. Is GVRM an all included resort? May I assume you didn't leave the premises?

frenchtoile

Yes! All inclusive. And no we did not leave the resort. They have plenty of water toys you can rent. It was wonderful! They recently had hurricane damage and everything was cleaned up and pristine! They are probably one of the nicest resorts we've been to.

baldone

Thanks for the report. One caveat however, regarding the statement "For anyone that wants to go on a trip, Mexico is open and it's very safe!". That may be true for closed environments such as AI's, but many other popular destinations in Mexico are absolute dumpster fires when it comes to covid19 and subsequent application and enforcement of protocols.

frenchtoile

Have you been? Where did you go?

When we got home all the news had was that it's dangerous to go. I think the media has everyone believing what they are blasting out there. Cenotes are all open and other friends while there all went. Took private car services. No dumpster fires. Where are the dumpster fires that you saw? I wouldn't go shopping in town! But, I never did to begin with anyway.

Just curious if you are stating this based on visiting on your own. Or if you are going off the news. We almost canceled 3x. Friends of friends...love those stories had been and got sick with Covid. Turned out they finally admitted they got sick after they returned from Mexico not while there. They went to see their extended family. My husband and I agreed that we felt safer there than we did going to the grocery store at home.

MmePerdu

Baldone lives in Mexico.

schmerl

Baldone LIVES in Mexico. He has a much better idea of what is really going on there than people who stay at a resort for a couple weeks.

baldone

French, please don't misconstrue my comment; it wasn’t criticism, rather just some clarification on the overall safety of Mexico travel, rather than a sweeping commentary according to your experience. I think that if people do opt take a vacay, what you and your family did is probably one of the safer/smarter ways to do it. That is, hiring private transportation and sticking to a resort. I commented primarily because there's been other posts here and on the Travel Tips forum about Mexico travel, a couple for longer term stays that would preclude staying at a resort, and your report already has over 300 views. Mexico is a large and varied country, as are the travel styles of those who visit. Not everyone wants to, or is able to, enjoy resort type travel. In that context, there are certain travel styles and destinations other than beach/resort areas that are risky, or not desirable, given some local or state restrictions and the overall covid/health care climate in Mexico. Which I won’t elaborate on so as not to hijack your thread.
We unwillingly spent the first 5 months of the pandemic in the US (assuming you’re from the US, if not, apologies), thus I can compare what’s happening there as to what’s going on in Mexico. I agree that certain covid protocols in Mexico are more stringent in Mexico, if they’re followed, which isn’t always the case.
I applaud your support of tourism and no doubt you also tipped generously; it’s a difficult time for many here. We try to support our favorite restaurants here in San Miguel whether by ordering carry out or eating out during slow times where outdoor dining is available.
Your post also got me thinking about a possible beach trip perhaps in February or March. We know an isolated beach house on the Michoacan coast that I think would be safe if we can drive there in just one day.