Cancun Palace Trip Report

Starjm · Aug 23, 2007

First of all, I am so happy that Hurricane Dean did not do the damage everyone feared it would and that my beloved Cancun is OK. Secondly, if anyone is interested, I posted a trip report of the Cancun Palace for our stay 8/9 - 8/16. It is located in the Cancun Hotels section. We arrived home prior to Dean (as we did 2 years ago prior to Wilma - I guess I am lucky). Thanks to everyone here for all the great tips! Now I can start planning next year's trip!

Steve · Aug 23, 2007

Thanks for the fantastically detailed trip report, sounds like you had a great time.

I thought I'd take the liberty of reposting it here for the benefit of those that may have missed it in the other forum. Please post the link to your pics when finished in this thread too.

We just got back from Cancun last Thursday. I have been wading through my 300+ photos and find it is taking me WAY too long, so in the interest of getting this report up, I am doing it without pix. I will post a link to my photos once I get them all captioned (and deleted the bad ones LOL!!! )

We left Newark airport slightly delayed but arrived at our 1st stop Baltimore (previously a non-stop flight on USA3000) on time to pick up the rest of the passengers. We actually arrived on time in Cancun to beautiful sunshine. The new terminal is beautiful and our group of 9 received the green light. While exiting the terminal there were no ladies handing out the bags of tourist info, but if you look at the wall to the right of the doors, there are the materials. I picked up "Cancun Tips". Chaza tours was there to meet us promptly and we were off in a van anxiously anticipating the new Cancun Palace. I had told the driver that my brother was arriving on a later plane and he was part of our reservation.

We arrived very quickly to the Cancun Palace & it indeed was beautiful - no large steps to climb to get to the entry like before. We were greeted at the incoming desk with an ice cold towel to cool us and champagne (and a carnation for each female). They already had our packets ready and were given 4 rooms which would be ready in about an hour.

All rooms were on the 6th floor which was perfect! Three rooms were oceanfront 649, 666 & 668 and the other was lagoon 628. I pressed for another oceanfront, but my son & his friends didn't care. Also 666 & 668 were connecting! My husband and I decided to take the ominous "666" room and gave my daughter & brother the 668 one. I was a little sad at first when I saw their gorgeous corner balcony, but was delighted and amused with all the reactions we received when we told people our room number!

Before we received the rooms, we were introduced to our "representative" Yuki, who would handle booking our tours. We immediately booked the Paradise Snorkling Tour since it is new and gets sold out fast as well as made reservations for the teppanyaki table at the Miyako for 5:30 that night (this was ablut 11:15, so it is not that difficult to get reservations). We booked or free manicures, pedicures and massages at a later time. She wanted to book us on the "presentation tour" which is the infamous 90 minute tour of the property to try & sell us a membership, but we were hungry & not feeling at home yet, so we told her we would go eat and then see her the next day to talk about it - we had decided, after going there 5 times and then last year trying another resort, we wanted to purchase some kind of membership. She also explained that since the hotel was at capacity, they would also be using ALL the restaurants to serve breakfast. Regardless of whether you want to attend the "tour" or not, it is a good idea to see your representative so she can explain how things work. This is probably why there are so many people who never find the entertainment or know which restaurants serve what & where! We were given maps, entertainment schedules tour info & more. You can always say no to the tour - they don't bite!

We then went to Fridas at 11:20 AM for their lunch buffet as El Mercado was not yet open. We saw a waiter we had known from a trip to the Beach Palace, Mateo, who has a smile a mile wide and is very pleasant & attentive. Not long after, my brother joined us and said he had shared a van with people from my home town of Howell, NJ! What a small world!

We went to the pool area and found plenty of chairs, though not in the first 2 rows! There were umbrellas available so I didn't care! When our rooms were ready, we went to them and our luggage was brought up promptly. The bellboy explained the operation of A/C & lights through a slot where you insert your room card and the switches which operate a multitude of different kinds of lighting - including romantic mood lighting, as well as the safe, mini bar & liquor dispensers.

The rooms themselves were beautiful. The shower was large, the closet could be roomier, because the new electronic safe (big enough for a laptop & more) is in there. The sink are 2 modern elevated ones with plenty of counter space. The double person jacuzzi is on the other side of the wall complete with bubble bath. To one side is your drawers and a shelf to put your suitcase on. There are only 4 drawers, so it was a little tight, but the unit also holds the liquor & mini bar behind a cabinet. There is an HD flat screen TV on the wall which has several channels in both Spanish & English. You either get a king bed or 2 doubles.

The room is pretty tight when you order a rollaway (as my sons did) because it fits in between the 2 beds in front of the nightstand. There are 2 telephones in the room, one on the nightstand and one in the bathroom. They always call you to make sure you got the room service, make sure you got repair service if requested and to notify you of any change of location for the shows. The balconies are sufficient with 2 chairs.The toiletries were full sized Biosilk products (shampoo, conditioner, lotion & silktherapy) and they also included soap, a sewing kit, nail care kit, shaving kit, toothbrush & toothpaste, shower cap, mouthwash, slippers you could take home and 2 bathrobes (to leave).

There is also a coffee maker with coffee, teas, sugars, splenda, raw sugar, stirrers, etc. We brought Maxwell House filter packs so we could at least get one cup of American coffee per day! The mini bar was stocked with Tecate light beer, regular XX beer, bottled water, soda & club soda. The liquor dispenser was stocked with four different upside down bottles (and if you didn't like the type, you could call room service to send up a different one! During our stay, there is only one day that they missed doing the turndown service and every day our mini bar was restocked.

Sadly, we only received one towel animal, but hey, they were very busy! Each day at the front desk, there is a free newspaper called Cancun Today that has the daily dollar to peso exchange, weather as well as local and international stories. The halls & elevators are not air-conditioned, but comfortable. The halls can be noisy at night so bring earplugs. I didn't hear anything, but my husband heard a game of Marco-Polo at 4:00 AM (can't blame the hotel for this - just rowdy young people). The hotel rest rooms are a vast improvement with the same raised sinks and very private stalls. Even the ones by the pool and beach are the same. What a pleasure! The lobby bar is now also air conditioned which makes a world of difference.

After unpacking, we went down to the pool and beach. The ocean was amazing - very calm and the weather was perfect. The pool bars no longer give straws with their drinks, I am assuming because of all the patrons who dropped them in the pool. They do give stirrers, though which actually fall to the bottom of the pool - not a good idea! Also their plastic cups have an unfinished lip on the top and irritate and possibly cut sunburned lips - I had an issue with this, but I used Carmex the rest of the stay. I did not notice any cloudiness except for much later in the day, probably from sunscreen, but not cloudy enough for me to not put my head under.

The crew was constantly cleaning the pool and I felt it was plenty big enough for the resort. I never had to wait for a drink at any time during the day - whether I was at either of the pool bars, the beach bar or the lobby bar. While at my pool chair, I even had to tell the waitress no thank you for how many times she passed by! We always tip, but feel no pressure to. The service is the same. They are just so appreciative and work so hard.

We went to the lobby bar after changing and enjoyed drinks, which were not weak or watered down, and snacks were plentiful: popcorn, chips, cookies, different kinds of flambe, chocolate fountain type chocolate in a chafing dish, candies, pastries. They also had a machine which dispensed frozen frappachinos & mochachinos. On some days, they would hold a Texas Hold'em tournament in there.

We later went to Miyako for the teppanyaki and were seated immediately. The chef was capable & entertaining (though not as much in the US). It was a little slow, but we thoroughly enjoyed it - and the chef was even careful to omit onions and peppers from my husband's & brother's meals! We were too full for dessert, so we left & went to the new ampitheater to see the Michael Jackson impersonator show which was really spectacular! We actually had seen the same show last year in Playa at the Riu Palace Mexico. The guy who does it is great and I hope to see it again next year!

After a brief trip to the lobby bar, we decide we were tired & went to the room. We found gentle music playing in the room, the beds turned down, water & glassed on the nightstand & chocolates. The beds were very comfortable (pillowtop) as well as the grouping of soft pillows.

The room service menu is for 24 - hour service, unlimited times per day. The night menu is small (10:30PM - 6:AM):
Mixed Salad
Ham & Cheese Sandwich w/french fries
BLT Sandwich w/french fries
Palace Club Sandwich w/french fries
Traditional Cheeseburger
(one night we asked them for chocolate cake and they sent it, so the menu is not written in stone!)
The regular service is from 11:AM - 10:30 PM and includes:
Appetizers-
Shrimp Cocktail
Smoked Salmon
Soups-
Chicken Broth
Cream of Asparagus (delicious!)
Salads-
Riviera Maya Salad
Chefs Salad
Snacks -
Traditional Cheeseburger
Palace Club Sandwich
Main Course-
Grilled Churrasco, served w/mushroom sauce
Grilled Chicken Breast, served w/potatoes & mixed veg
Fresh Fish Filet, served w/rice & veg. of the day
Desserts-
Strawberry cheesecake
Chocolate cake

There is also a very extensive breakfast menu that if you select it and put it outside your door by 3AM. you will receive it whatever time you select in the morning. We did and it came EXACTLY on time and it was hot and delicious!

The next day, we got up early and got one chair in the pool and great chairs behind it by 7:30. We then got breakfast at El Mercado which is buffet with fresh cooked omelets, waffles, eggs, pancakes as well as all the buffet items like french toast, pastries, toast, fruit, juices, milk, hot chocolate, oatmeal, yogurts, cereals, bacon, sausage, condiments, mexican items and more. Luis was an attentive and amusing waiter. We also had him for our lunch the same day. The choices at lunch were great: fish, chicken, burgers, tacos, mussels marinara, pasta, fruit, salads, pastries, ice cream. In addition to the buffet items, they were grilling chicken, fish,tacos, burgers and more.

For people who didn't want to leave the pool or beach, they were grilling poolside at each pool bar as well as at the beach bar serving snacks. There was also ice cream and fruit bars available. One day, they were delivering fresh fruit cups to people in the pool. They were also grilling near the Frida's restaurant (chicken, ribs, steaks, etc). There is no reason anyone should say there was any lack of food.

The first 3 days of our stay was absolutely perfect weather - hot, humid, blue skie, calm ocean. Those days were basically spent the same way: pool, beach, eat & drink. There was entertainment at one side of the pool and my boys stayed there most of the day. My daughter took advantage of the wonderful gym they have near the theater. The fitness instructor, Alejandro was wonderful and very attentive. My brother finally went over there a few times (who wants to work out on vacation?) and was very impressed. My husband even joined them for a tai chi class one morning (my leg was hurting after dancing the night away the night before in the lobby bar ). Yes there is entertainment in there - a band who can even sing & play "Stairway To Heaven - they played each night except for Saturday during our stay. Other entertainment was held at various places. The "Anything Goes" show was held on the beach because during our stay there, the Cancun Beach Party was going on. They also held the "Fire Show" out there as well - that night it started to rain, so we ran back & watched it from our balcony - it was awesome!

The following nights were iffy, so they moved the Karaoke, Magic Show & Circus Show into the main ballroom. They even put out a full buffet and had waiter service! Karaoke was a blast (should have been longer) My only complaint is that Phillippe, the entertainment leader seemed more interested in his own performing than the guests. My sons & their friends had a few complaints about him horning in on their women at the clubs. I was unimpressed with him when he did our cha-cha lessons by the pool - I have seen much better entertainment directors in previous trips. The Magic show seemed great but we arrived late & didn't get the best seats for viewing. We missed the Circus show as it was our last night and needed to pack and buy souvenirs - the shops at the Palace are the most reasonable I have ever seen.

The schedule for the night shows is as follows (beginning at 8PM):
Monday - karaoke - theater (convention center during our stay)
Tuesday - Magic Show - theater (convention center during our stay)
Wednesday - Circus At The Palace - theater (convention center during our stay)
Thursday - Michael Jackson Show - lobby bar (theater during our stay)
Friday - Anything Can Happen - theater (beach during our stay)
Saturday - Drums Dance & Fire - poolside (beach during our stay)
Sunday - Mexican Show - theater (changed it to a beach party during our stay)

Each night after 10:00 PM, the entertainment crew took guests who pay $40-$45 to area clubs. My sons & their friends took advantage of this as they got in front of the line & were taken to VIP tables. It was all-inclusive, but watch out for the shot girls (they charge you $2 per shot). They liked all the clubs except Bulldog (which was a fashion show!). My boys complained to the entertainment crew and they did get one of their three entry fees refunded.

The schedule is:
Monday - Dady'O
Tuesday - Sr. Frogs
Wednesday - Pat O.Briens
Thursday - Basic (new club - they LOVED this one - water shoots up from the floor!)
Friday - Bulldog
Saturday - The City
Sunday - Coco Bongo

One of my son's friends has a tip for the clubs - bring a flash light - the girls love them when the lights go out!

Other daytime activities included: Spanish lessons (we learned a little), cooking lessons, ping-pong, badminton, beach soccer, paper planes contest, water balloon fights, towel race, dancing lessons, watermelon eating contest, pool volleyball, blackjack, texas hold'em, horse shoes, water polo as well as some beach fitness lessons and more.

There was also a schedule for fitness classes at the gym:
On Monday , Wednesday & Friday:
8:00 - spinning
9:10 - yoga
10:10 -Core Abs Legs Bumps
12:00 - Aqua aerobics (pool)
On Tuesday, Thursday:
8:00 - Taebo
9:10 - Tai Chi
10:10 - Zumba
12:00 - Aqua aerobics (pool)
Saturday & Sunday:
8:00, 9:10 & 10:10 - Circuit Training
12:00 - Aqua aerobics (pool)

There were also a couple of people walking around the pool with a big iguana for pictures. Another day it was a parrot.

We managed to eat dinner at each of the restaurants:

Miyako - Teppanyaki - great

Leonardo's (Italian) - good, attentive waiters, great wine steward, fish was a little dry for me, but the rest of the people enjoyed their meal

El Mercado - was only buffet at night, not impressed, but later in the week, they served the Steakhouse menu when it was closed due to weather.

Steakhouse - Quite good - steaks not like ours at home. Filet mignon was not thick. Nobody was in the jacuzzis while the steakhose was serving - and there were more than 6 tables!

Miyako - not teppanyaki - absolutely the best meal we had. Great sevice and excellent food! Fried ice cream is not to be missed!

Fridas - Mexican, but the waiter was overwhelmed with our table and got a few orders wrong, but it was good.

We went on the presentation tour on Sunday. They told us to bring all our credit cards because if any of the last four numbers matched their posted one in any order, you win a free all-inclusive week. The posted number was 7427 which didn't change during our stay - and we didn't win!

Anyway, the tour was less than 90 minutes, and I suppose if you just say no or buy immediately, you could get out in that time. Well we bought the lesser package, but counting all the paperwork, we were there 4 hours! We expected this though. For the tour we got $100 gift shop/tour dollars, $100 spa product dollars and $100 spa services dollars. For purchasing, we also got a lot more spa dollars, so we bought lots of products, had facial and a couples massage in addition to the free ones. My husband got a haircut & I got a eyebrow wax and a body wrap. My daughter had a hot stone massage and loved it. The couples massage and the facials were performed in little huts with an ocean view - very romantic!

We cancelled the snorkling tour because the weather was iffy and we were so content at the resort. We only left one night to go to La Isla Mall to pick up some souvenirs and walk around (and to ride my favorite 65 cent busses!). We did also go down to the Sun Palace to check it out, but I still say it is way too quiet and small for my tastes.

The WiFi service was bad for our laptop, but my hasband had brought the older one. My son's friend had brought his and it worked great. The internet room was convenient and only $5 for 1/2 hour.

When it was time to book our return transportation, they try to get you there really early - which is really unneccesary. At first they told me 7:30 for our 11:20 AM flight, but I said no - they then offered 8:30 which was way better - plenty of time. They want you to shop at the airport which is VERY expensive. A small bottle of water and a candy br was $6. T-shirts were $16.99 compared to 4 for $20 at hotel. Even the duty free was up. A carton of cigarettes was $24 (still better than the US) and most of the liquor was cheaper but not as cheap as I remember. My daughter said the Kahlua at La Isla was cheaper.

Our departure flight was fine, but it was extremely inconvenient to deplane in Baltimore and then go through customs. At Baltimore our flight was delayed further which made our day quite long. We finally arrived home about 8:00PM.

I am sorry for the very long and a little disjointed report - I just am trying to be thorough as I have read and appreciated every trip report posted here before my trip. I will answer any questions you have, so ask away!
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Starjm · Aug 23, 2007

Thanks, Steve for all you do. I have to work tomorrow, but I will try & get the pictures up this weekend! I'm glad you enjoyed the report (even though my husband said "where are the paragraphs?") LOL

Steve · Aug 23, 2007

Starjm said:

Thanks, Steve for all you do. I have to work tomorrow, but I will try & get the pictures up this weekend! I'm glad you enjoyed the report (even though my husband said "where are the paragraphs?") LOL
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I put some paras in for you compared to the original report, but it was too good to be hidden away in the other forum

Starjm · Sep 29, 2007

Sorry it has taken so long

Between work & trying to figure out how to post photos in a blog, I have been unsuccessful. Anyway, for anyone who is interested, here is a link to my photos:
http://pictures.aol.com/ap/viewHoo....ncUyRD3HIgj0Hm2o=&noLogo=true&bgcolor=#000000

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Cancun Palace Trip Report

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