Just Back From Cancun

[Aurora3]

Returned yesterday from a stay at the Royal Sands in Cancun and it was great! The resort has a fabulous design. I swear there are only fabulous ocean views thorughout the entire resort. Went with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew, my daughter and a friend. We had a two bedroom villa. Nice amount of space. Comparable to DVC except for the bathrooms. No jaccuzi tub in either bathroom but good furnishings, good space and very neat and clean. The main pool is very simple yet elegant in design and just drops off into the ocean. The ocean water is crystal clear, warm and had enough wave action to keep my 11 year old and her 12 year old cousin happy boogie boarding for hours.
This was a prime Spring Break week but the only teens and early twenty-somethings this resort had seemed to be accompanied by parents. Everyone was very well behaved at the resort. Going anywhere else in Cancun was another matter. Haven't seen quite that many intoxicated people on the streets in one place in about thirty years (rush week on a university campus was the last time).
The service was excellent. The registration person actually said "Welcome Home". The housekeeping staff did more than was expected since the materials said they would not be cleaning the kitchen but they did.
We visted Xcaret and Chichen Itza. These were all day tours.
Only down side was the airport crowds. Took two hours standing in line to get through immigration in Cancun and about an hour in line to get to the ticket counter going out. This could easily be avoided by not going during Sping Break. The upside of Spring Break is that, except for one day when it rained, the weather was beautiful.
We pool hopped to the other Royals: Islander, Mayan and Carribean and decided the Royal Sands was the best in both design and upkeep.
This was a great exchange for my family.

 

[MinnieInMI]

Glad to hear you had a great time in Cancun and a good experience at the Royals! We recently did a stay in Cancun, having stayed at the Royal Caribbean. We already have booked another trip to the Royal Caribbean for October of next year. We also received the "Welcome Home" upon our arrival. Swimming in the Caribbean was very nice, even when we were there in January! Also to be commented on are the staff at the Royal Resorts - I understand that many have been there for 8 or more years, they enjoy working for the Royals, they enjoy the visitors and they do a good job. We did tours to Chichen Itza and Tulum - the guides were great, the tours were enlightening about the Maya culture. We are looking forward to our next trip!

Donna

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Glad to hear you had such a fabulous trip! Sounds like something our family should consider in a few years. Thanks for the report!

 

[Mickeydad]

How are these resorts for kids (8 & 11 year olds)???

Thanks,

Mickeydad

 

[AmyBeth68]

Yes...would love to hear about activities for young children ages 6-12.

Also...how far in advance did you have to book this resort through MS.

Thanks!

 

[cymomtx]

We own 3 weeks at the Royal Sands, can't wait for June to get here. We have 3 children (14, 9, 8) and it is a nice, clean safe resort for families.

 

[Dean]

We didn't have our kids with us on our trip in 2000. Other than the pool and ocean, I got the feeling Cancun was more an adult town. There was a water park south of the island toward the airport and a lot of excursions that would entice the kids. But not a lot overall from what I saw. Granted we weren't looking for those options either. We toured all the royals and thought them great. This is one of the ares where you might do better with a direct exchange.

 

[Aurora3]

I checked the resort activities board and found that the resort itself offered structured activites each day for younger kids. Things like pinata, hula-hoop contests, coloring, ceramics painting (adults got into this as well) and swim lessons. There were other activities but I can't remember what they were, I just remember thinking they would be fun if my daughter was a little younger.

As far as when I first checked with MS, I think it was right around the one year mark that I first put in a request. Maybe a little under a year but basically it was as soon as the school came out with the following year's vacation dates. It had to be for the week of my daughter's spring break. I then put in for any of the Royals based on Dean's comments. I was notified that they found a match after about 2 months. The whole process was pretty painless. This was the second exchange (or whatever its called) I've done. The first was last spring break to Williamsburg, VA at Ford Colony. I was pleased with that as well.

 

[MinnieInMI]

I think this would also be a great resort for those bringing children. What is rather unique about the Royal Resorts, is that you have available, for no additional cost, items such as bicycles, rackets, golf clubs, snorkeling equipment, games, etc. that you check out as needed. Read again - there is no rental fee involved. I also noticed they had activities for the children (craft sessions, ceramics, etc.). And if you want to visit some of the Mayan ruins or water parks in the area, there is an on-site tour service that is available (but there is a charge for this!) so that you will not be needing any type of car rental while you are at the resort. Also, you are right on the Caribbean Sea - it is fabulous. Great for swimming, snorkeling, etc.
In addition, if you want to do any shopping, such as Walmart, Sam's Club or Costo, we were able to take a cab for our shopping trip there. Our cab driver even came in with us, pushed the cart, helped us find items, and then brought us back to our resort. We were very impressed with the people who work at the Royals as well as the cab drivers we met - they made our stay even more enjoyable. Hope this information helps!

Donna

 

[Dean]

As far as when I first checked with MS, I think it was right around the one year mark that I first put in a request. Maybe a little under a year but basically it was as soon as the school came out with the following year's vacation dates. It had to be for the week of my daughter's spring break. I then put in for any of the Royals based on Dean's comments. I was notified that they found a match after about 2 months. The whole process was pretty painless. This was the second exchange (or whatever its called) I've done. The first was last spring break to Williamsburg, VA at Ford Colony. I was pleased with that as well.

There are currently Royal weeks in the II system for much of 2006. If you want those resorts, I'd put the request in 2 years out if you can.

 

[dyingtodisney]

Thanks so much! We've been considering Cancun for 2006 or 2007 and Dean had recommended the Royals in the past to me. It's nice to hear a validation of that recommendation!
Do you have any pics you might be able to post?

 

[cymomtx]

You can go to www.mexicondo.com and there are pictures there or www.royalresorts.com

 

[rigsby25]

How do you reserve in Cancun? We are new members and I'm not sure how to reserve resorts other than the Disney resorts. Is there anywhere that explains the process?

 

[mickeysgal]

In addition, if you want to do any shopping, such as Walmart, Sam's Club or Costo, we were able to take a cab for our shopping trip there.

This statement makes me smile. We honeymooned in Cancun 21 long years ago. There was nothing there! We stayed at the Fiesta Americana and there was a small mall across the street. Other than that it was deserted. We did take a cab ride to the downtown area where there were just a couple of restaurants. We need to take a trip back here...we'd never recognize it! A Sam's and a Walmart? Wow...how things have changed!

 

[cymomtx]

2 Walmarts!!!!

 

[Aurora3]

OK, I confess, we hit the SuperWalmart while in Cancun. They had the best prices on food and one of the year-round american residents on the bus said they had a good selection of meats (what can I say, I traveled with one person who loves to talk to strangers on public transportation) Nice panaderia as well. We only ate out 5 meals total during the entire trip. No oven/stove ornaments for us! The resort had a nice little convenience store but the selection was limited and prices were convenience store prices.

 

[Dean]

How do you reserve in Cancun? We are new members and I'm not sure how to reserve resorts other than the Disney resorts. Is there anywhere that explains the process?

This is a timeshare exchange through Interval International. You decide what resorts and weeks you want on the list then you call MS and they will check if it's available. If it is you can make the exchange, if not you can put in an ongoing search and they will call you later if you find anything. Most matches are through the ongoing search and frequently happen at 6 months or less from your travel. Once you accept it the points are gone and cancellation presents you precious few options. Cancel twice and you lose your exchange.