Back to Insurance...and Happy Birthday, Sandals!

I know I’ve been a terrible blogger this summer. Between our transition from Cruises Inc to CruiseOne, a very busy booking summer, and the birth of our first grandchild, something had to go...and the blog came in last!

With the all of the natural disasters that have occurred over the summer, from hurricanes to floods and fires, this seems like a good time to remind all of you about the importance of travel protection insurance. I wrote quite a lengthy post about it last year and won’t rehash everything here. What I will do, however, is add to our list of clients who were awfully glad they had purchased insurance.

A family of four was to depart the US for Rome and their Mediterranean cruise on the day Irene hit. Neither their scheduled flight nor any other flights from nearby airports were taking off, and if they delayed departure until Tuesday, they would miss almost half of their cruise. Insurance will reimburse them for their cruise. Another couple completed their cruise okay, but then couldn’t get home, resulting in hotel, meal, and other incidental expenses. Again, insurance will reimburse them. Just yesterday, a long-time client called to cancel is October cruise due to a medical condition.

It’s so easy to slough off insurance, vowing that “you’re going, no matter what!” Hurricanes and unforeseen disasters affecting your family can say otherwise. Please buy the insurance.

We hope you and your family were not affected by any of the above this summer. After 30 days of 100+ degrees, wildfires have broken out all across Texas, including San Antonio, and the threat will continue until this terrible drought is broken. If only we could shift some of the rains that have pelted the northeast and southeast toward us....

In brighter travel news, can you believe Sandals turns 30 this year? This popular all-inclusive, adult-only resort company keeps improving and expanding. You’ll find them in Jamaica, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, and Antigua, and the owners are now eyeing possible expansion into Barbados and Grenada. Each resort features a little something different. Some offer on-property golf courses; some focus on more upscale accommodations; others tend to attract younger honeymooners. Want seclusion, fewer guests, and butler service for everyone? then head to Sandals Emerald Bay on Great Exuma in the Bahamas, just opened in 2010. Love the over-the-water bungalow idea so popular in French Polynesia? Grande St. Lucian will be your resort...but wait about 16 months which is when the project should be completed. Want to visit Sandals’ roots where it all began back in 1981? Jamaica is your island with several properties from which to choose. Ben and I stayed at Sandals Ocho Rios, now renovated and renamed Grande Riviera, a few years ago and loved it! And we were able to tour both  Sandals La Toc and Sandals Grande Antigua in 2009. Read more on the blog I posted then.

Families aren’t left behind by this company, either, since it also owns Beaches Resorts, which are also all-inclusive. Take your kids to any of them on Turks & Caicos or Jamaica, and they can not only romp around the resorts’ numerous water slides and pools, but they can also hug up on the Sesame Street characters that remain an integral part of programming.
So, ready for something different than a cruise this time? A Sandals or Beaches resort might be just the thing.

Sandals Site Inspections

Ben and I took the opportunity to schedule site inspections of two Sandals resorts while calling on the ports of St. Lucia and Antigua. (Visit http://www.sandals.com/ and use the drop-down menu to select the appropriate resort.) Although we specialize in and primarily book cruises, we will also book all-inclusive resorts like Sandals, Beaches, SuperClubs, and Riu Cancun, as well as land tour packages such as Tauck, Trafalgar, and others for our clients wishing another type vacation. Of course, there’s nothing like visiting these properties to gain personal knowledge of them, and we never pass up the chance to do so.

Sandals operates three separate resorts on St. Lucia: Regency La Toc, Grande St. Lucian, and Halcyon Beach, each with different pluses. When deciding which resort is best for you, it’s important to weigh these differences, although no matter where you stay, the Sandals “Stay at one, Play at three” exchange privileges allow guests access to the amenities and services of the others. Since we’ve got honeymooning clients booked at the Regency for next March, we chose that resort to tour. It is absolutely beautiful! Regency features an on-resort nine-hole golf course—a key point for golfers since those staying at the Grande and Halcyon must take the Sandals shuttle to the Regency to tee off. (Green fees are included in the resort price; nominal caddy fees are additional; equipment rentals are available.)

Although our sales rep, Tammy, gave Grande St. Lucian the edge as the best beach on the island, the Cliffside Bluff Suites at the Regency offer the most magnificent, unobstructed ocean views. Guests can enjoy their one-bedroom suite with private plunge pool while enjoying incredible scenery. Another plus is the resort’s close proximity to the airport, a short ten-minute ride. Regency is also home to the magnificent exclusive private Millionaire Suite that was occupied and unavailable to tour, unfortunately.

Halcyon is a more secluded and less busy resort located on a beautiful beach with a laid-back atmosphere. Not as many activities onsite, but also a more economical option, though guests still receive “Stay at/Play at” privileges at the other two St. Lucia properties. It’s also home to the renowned Pier Restaurant serving gourmet cuisine on a pier over the ocean that is a favorite of Regency and Grande guests, as well.

Sandals Grande Antigua wins high praise for its location on the island’s best beach in Dickinson Bay. Home to the original Sandals “Rondovals,” this resort was renovated in recent years and now boasts two different sections. One lies in a lush tropical area called the Caribbean Grove where those beachside suites-in-the round, or Rondovals, can be found, each with private plunge pools. The other is the newer and more sophisticated Mediterranean Village, home to elegant suites—both in new four-story main building offering expansive views, as well as in individual villas boasting private plunge pools. Plunge pool or view—that’s the question to answer there! What we liked about the Regency in St. Lucia was that you can have both a view and a pool in those Cliffside Bluff Suites. I’m there!

Sandals is not limited to these properties, of course, offering several in Jamaica (Montego Bay, Royal Caribbean, Negril, Grande Ocho Rios, Dunn’s River Villaggio, and Whitehouse, which is currently closed while undergoing renovation). Ben and I spent a few days at Ocho Rios about a year ago as part of an agency advisory board meeting, and were able to tour/dine at Dunn’s River and tour/lunch Beaches Boscobel. (Beaches all-inclusive resorts are designed for families, whereas Sandals properties are strictly for couples only.) The newest and most exclusive Sandals property is the Royal Bahamian Spa Resort and Offshore Island near Nassau. Book one of the select top suites there and get Rolls-Royce or Mercedes-Benz transfers. Hmmmm.

Wedding packages remain very popular at all Sandals properties, which, along with optional spa services, incur additional fees. During our visits this week, we saw a mixture of young, middle age, and older couples, an indication of the resorts’ wide appeal.

Looking for a truly all-inclusive (including sodas and unlimited premium liquor) Caribbean resort? Sandals might be right for you!