Nope 10 trips ago we first went in 2005 and again in 2006. Both times it was the Blue Bay. We went in June 2006 but don't remember if it was BBG or TTR. Maybe were are too old to remember, or we've just drank too much since. Yeah Omar, Chinos and a few crazy Canadian girls. Those were the days...
Lots of changes for sure. Longer bar hours definitely made a big difference, and the old ent cast of Chinos, Omar, Lalo, T, etc was much more involved.
The change over was crazy. We came in Feb to the new TTR. If you booked before Jan 1 you got the old BBG booze amenities etc. If you booked after Jan 1 you got the up-graded booze etc. There were 2 different color wrist bands! It p***ed off a lot of people who booked early. It hasn't stopped us from coming back many times since then.
Now that you mention it, I remember that lunacy. Different bands depending on when you booked. 20+ trips later I had forgot all about it. But at the time I figured with stupid policies like that TTR would not last and BBG would be revived. And now it is 84 days until the 'new and improved' Mecca begins to take shape.
Our frist trip was to BBG... it was 2007, and while we were there we got pulled into our first ever time-share pitch, but they'd not nailed it down yet... the girl was talking about this new place the resort was going to be changed into, but we could get a great deal if we wanted to become members..... etc etc etc.... I recall thinking (at that time) *"Man, I scraped together the ~$1300 to get the flight and resort paid for... how would I pay for anything else this year..."* Times, they have a changed, says the proud new owner of the top of the line premier membership at DRM. Blessed, I think. LOVED BBG... first time Stacia ever took her top off at a resort before, other htna our honeymoon (at the Cancun Palace, now the Hard Rock Hotel - Cancun). And, as with all trips to BBG/TTR/DRM we met great people with whom we remain friends to this day.
There was a thread a few years back that had really old pictures of the resort, and Cancun itself. Anybody remember what thread that was?