Leaving Saturday for Cancun via Interval

[Dean]

Well I am sitting here in the lobby of the Royal Sands after just checking out. We don't actually leave for another couple of hours, so I had some time to kill.

When we decided to come here, we really had no idea what to expect even after looking at tons of pictures. Still now, I don't think that you can really get a feel for this place through pictures.

First let me say that this is probably one of the cleanest resorts I have ever stayed in. The crews that work on keeping it clean are seen everywhere throughout the day. Only once did I ever see a piece of trash lying around and that is because I think it blew off of a balcony. Dh quickly picked it up out of the fountain and threw it away. Everything here is immaculate!

The pools are fabuolous and warm. They are heated. There is not too much beach left, but enough for 2 rows of lounge chairs. We had one yellow flag day and the rest were red at the ocean. We still swam on the red days. Some were a little worse than others, but its about par with Ocean City's waves so we were use to it. There are some rocks and the life guards will keep you away.

Here at the Sands we ate at La Veranda twice. They have outside and inside seating. The food was very good both times. We also got food from the Royal Express. They have "packages" if you will that you can order as well as a la carte. We got the bbq rib package. It came with a full rack, baked beans, huge salad, rolls, and brownies. We also got mashed potatoes and gravy, salsa, and a piece of strawberry cheesecake. It cost roughly around $36. It was delicious - all but the brownies.

We also travel to the Mayan one night for the Mexican buffet and show. The kids didn't make it for the show. It was a long day for them having fun at the pool and beach so they were tired. The food was good though! Our impression of the Mayan was that it looked very nice.

Last night we went down to the Islander for Pizza and Pasta night. They have a buffet set up for the pizza and salad and then you go to the chef and he will make you whatever pasta dish you want. I had something similar to shrimp scampi and it was wonderful!

The rest of the time we ate in our villa.

Well thats all for now. I have to go back up and finish packing. I'll write again soon.

Glad you had a good trip. The Royals are top notch resorts. Be safe traveling home.

 

[AnnaS]

Thanks for checking in Melissa - I was going to bump this thread later or tomorrow so you would update I can't wait for our trip.

Glad to hear from you. I am off to work - have a safe trip home.

 

[izzy]

The Royal Sands is very nice and we loved Cancun. For those that might read this thread, they should realize that the studios there are essentially hotel rooms. I would not trade for a studio at the Royals.

Yikes, I wish I had read this a few days ago. I put in for a trade at Royal Sands or Westin St. John (yeah, I know, but a girl can dream), and since I wanted to increase my chances I said I would take either a studio or a 1 BR. I just found out last night that I got a studio at Royal Sands in January. It's just me and my mother, and we don't cook on vacation. We've only stayed in studio rooms with DVC and been fine with those, so I thought it would be OK for this trip, too. I figured the 26 points I was saving would get me about 2-3 nights in a studio at WDW. Oh well, live and learn.

On the other hand, the Royal Sands sound fabulous from everything I've read on Tripadvisor, so I'm glad to see the OP's experience has been the same!

 

[Dean]

Yikes, I wish I had read this a few days ago. I put in for a trade at Royal Sands or Westin St. John (yeah, I know, but a girl can dream), and since I wanted to increase my chances I said I would take either a studio or a 1 BR. I just found out last night that I got a studio at Royal Sands in January. It's just me and my mother, and we don't cook on vacation. We've only stayed in studio rooms with DVC and been fine with those, so I thought it would be OK for this trip, too. I figured the 26 points I was saving would get me about 2-3 nights in a studio at WDW. Oh well, live and learn.

On the other hand, the Royal Sands sound fabulous from everything I've read on Tripadvisor, so I'm glad to see the OP's experience has been the same!

Here is their description.

A second bedroom with 2 double beds, a TV, telephone, hair dryer, safe,
mini-refrigerator, private balcony and private bath.

It's less of a mini kitchen that the DVC studio. My recollection is coffee maker, minifridge and safe. The studio has a small balcony similar to a hotel. Still, if you are unhappy and feel you didn't get what you expected, call DVC MS and discuss with them. They may be able to swap it out for you for a larger unit or reverse the exchange.

 

[izzy]

Here is their description.It's less of a mini kitchen that the DVC studio. My recollection is coffee maker, minifridge and safe. The studio has a small balcony similar to a hotel. Still, if you are unhappy and feel you didn't get what you expected, call DVC MS and discuss with them. They may be able to swap it out for you for a larger unit or reverse the exchange.

Thanks, Dean. I may call MS, but she was pretty explicit in telling me that once I got a confirmation, the only thing I could potentially change was the dates or resort, but not the villa size. I'm sure it will be fine for our needs. By the way, Marvin the Martian is one of my all-time favorite cartoon characters. I always laugh when I see your avatar.

 

[Dean]

Thanks, Dean. I may call MS, but she was pretty explicit in telling me that once I got a confirmation, the only thing I could potentially change was the dates or resort, but not the villa size. I'm sure it will be fine for our needs. By the way, Marvin the Martian is one of my all-time favorite cartoon characters. I always laugh when I see your avatar.

Your position would be it doesn't have a functional kitchenette, you had no way of knowing that and they did and should have told you. Do remember the occupancy is limited to 2 people in case someone else thinks about joining you. This is the description when you actually exchange for a unit there for the studio.

Kitchen Facilities
NO KITCHEN FACILITY

It's always been interesting that they deposit them as studios/efficiencies and not hotel rooms. 1 of the 4 main Royals in Cancun (Royal Mayan) is also in RCI and RCI will not accept the lockoff as a deposit. Those that still use RCI tend to deposit the 1 BR and rent, use or give away the studio or deposit as a 2 BR. Still, it's a great time to go and fairly hard to trade to if you don't plan well in advance for Xmas to late April. And as noted previously, it's a great resort and location. Even at check in you can ask if you can get a 1 BR, unlikely but if you ask nicely and explain what happened, you never know.

 

[SamSam]

It was $65 total RT not including tip. I booked right on line at Cancuntransfers.com . I paid ahead of time through their site as well. I'll let you know how it goes.

We are going to do an excursion down in the Tulum area with Edventures. I'll let you know how that goes as well. The downside to it is that it's a 2 hour ride to where we will snorkel and see the ruins.

DH and I have been to Akumal (about 90 minutes south of CanCun)a couple of times and went to the Tulum area both times. I think you'll love it. The drive down isn't bad at all and it's very interesting just driving through the countryside and seeing the terrain, etc. Enjoy!

 

[maciec]

Well we made it home finally!

I hope to have the pictures available by tonight for every one to see.

Lets see, what else ..... next to the Royal Sands is an upscale mall with no real anchor stores but lots of pricey shops inside. Needless to say the only reason we were there was for the ATM machine. It was the closest. We needed to go to the ATM machine because on Monday my husband had to go and see the resort doctor because he had developed an ear infection. She was very nice and was fluent in English. She gave him a shot and an anti-biotic. Total cost for the visit and meds was $183. Could have been worse I guess.

We also went to La Isla shopping mall. We only went into a few stores, but found that we could get some things cheaper right in the hotel gift shop. They did have a small aquarium to walk through. The kids got to pet a nurse shark. They thought that was really neat. The cost was $440 pesos for 4 people. The more people you had in your party the better the deal to get in. I think it was roughly $8 a person for our party of four and it was more expensive the less people you had. It was worth the $8. This is something I would not do again.

Our transfer to the hotel was very nice. They picked us up in a shiny new Chevy Suburban. Our driver did speak some English. Enough for us to have a conversation. On the way back we got the standard white van and a driver that didn't speak English too well. Although, we really didn't have anything to talk about with him. They were prompt, inexpensive, and had clean vehicles.

One thing that I would like to warn you all about if you go to the Royal Sands is that they have ceramic painting that you can do --- VERY ADDICTIVE!!!!! We came home with an alligator, fish, dolphin, and large plate. We would have done more, but I was afraid they wouldn't all fit in our suitcases. They take your creation and make it into a masterpiece! We loved doing this.

Cancun airport has really changed in the past 3 years since we were last there and it's a whole lot better. Wilma was definitely a blessing for the airport! Our lines all moved quickly and everyone there was very friendly.

I'll write more later. I have to get some unpacking done. The only other thing that I want to tell you all about is our snorkeling excursion with Edventures. It was FANTASTIC!!!!!

 

[123Disney]

subscribing

 

[maciec]

And here are the pictures

Royal Sands

The last thing that I want to tell all of you that are considering going to Mexico is to do a snorkeling tour with Edventures. We had an absolute amazing time. They picked us up at 7am and took us down to Tulum. It was close to a 2 hour ride. When we got to the shop we met Eddie (the owner) and he was a very nice man. They have a small shop filled with everything you will need. He fitted the kids with wet suits, fins, snorkeling mask, snorkel, and life jacket that didn't look like a life jacket at all. He fitted us for our equipment and asked us if we wanted the wet suits, but we declined.

We met Manny our guide and I cannot say enough about him! He was awesome! My son who is 5 took to him right away and stuck like glue to him the whole day. Manny took us to the cenotes first and into the Bat Cave! That was really neat. We didn't see much fish, but I the formations were astounding. After we left the cenotes is when Manny took us to meet Chato the spider monkey. Manny said that Chato was found by the owners of the land when they were doing some clearing for roads. He was alone and they couldn't find his troop so they kept him as a pet and no he's a tourist attraction. He said that he is chained up because if they didn't he would be stealing everyone's food and would become a pest. Manny bought some cookie for the kids to feed him. They got a great big kick out of him.

After the cenotes Manny took us to a beach in Akumal to see the turtle nests and what the government was doing to assist in the conservation of the sea turtles. We saw about 15 nests. They have them all marked with the dates the nests were formed so they know when to take the cages off in anticipation of the turtles. We saw about 5 huge iguana's there.

We didn't stay long and soon headed down into Akumal to snorkel with the turtles and sting rays. This was really neat. We saw about 10 turtles and 2 rays. The current was a little rougher than normal so we didn't stay long. Manny didn't want to wear my little one out before we got to the lagoon. Oh I forgot, this is where we saw our one and only baracudda!

Manny took us to a fantastic restaraunt call La Buena Vida. What a spectacular view this place had. We were right on the beach. They had a pool there to wash off the salt water from the ocean and 2 high perches if you will. You could climb the perches and sit and enjoy the view. They even had a bucket rigged up so that if you wanted something to drink they could send it up to you.

After lunch Manny took us to a huge lagoon. This lagoon had just about every fish you could think of. No sharks, rays, or turtles, just hoards of beautiful tropical fish.

We ended up getting back to our hotel around 5pm. After lunch, tipping Manny, and our driver we spent about $400. We decided it was definitely worth it and would do it again.

 

[jblrn2b]

DH, the kids, and I are leaving for Cancun on Saturday Finally, after a year and two months of waiting our time has finally come. We traded for a 1 bedroom at the Royal Sands. It cost us 140 or so points. This is our first Interval trade.

I promise to post pictures and a trip report when we get back!

Can't wait for the TR. Have a great time!

 

[AnnaS]

Thank you so much. Got Edventures in my favorites and wrote down some details.

The pictures are absolutely beautiful. You are right - very, very clean and it looks brand new (regardless of it's age).

I am forwarding the pitctures to my sil - we have a 2 bdr - I am wondering if I should invite them if they don't get their 1 BDR match - they have two girls (12 and 10). Out of my three "big" kids, my dd would be the only one who might be able to come - but she is not coming due to her possible summer schedule and we already booked our air (those two flights are almost full).

I am getting very excited now.

 

[AnnaS]

Please be careful with the heat. We did Chitchinza (sp?) and the heat was almost to much for me and we went in May. The ruins were amazing though.

Denise in MI

I forgot to add,

Denise - thanks for the advise. We will be careful. If we go just the two of us - will not do anything longer than a couple of hours or we will just relax by the resort. If my brother gets his match - I might do something with them and he can stay behind once.

After reading Melissa's report - I can't wait now.

 

[maciec]

Can't wait for the TR. Have a great time!

we are already back and the trip report is throughout the thread!

 

[christa112]

Can someone educate me on trading in your points and vacationing outside of Disney Properties. I know you have to pay $95.00, but how does it work with your points.

Sorry new to this and just trying to learn the ropes before purchasing.

p.s. OP--I hope you have a great time in CanCun!!!!

TIA.

Christa

 

[izzy]

Your position would be it doesn't have a functional kitchenette, you had no way of knowing that and they did and should have told you. Do remember the occupancy is limited to 2 people in case someone else thinks about joining you. This is the description when you actually exchange for a unit there for the studio.It's always been interesting that they deposit them as studios/efficiencies and not hotel rooms. 1 of the 4 main Royals in Cancun (Royal Mayan) is also in RCI and RCI will not accept the lockoff as a deposit. Those that still use RCI tend to deposit the 1 BR and rent, use or give away the studio or deposit as a 2 BR. Still, it's a great time to go and fairly hard to trade to if you don't plan well in advance for Xmas to late April. And as noted previously, it's a great resort and location. Even at check in you can ask if you can get a 1 BR, unlikely but if you ask nicely and explain what happened, you never know.

I did call MS, and they essentially said that I'm out of luck. They said that since they already made the match for the studio, that they've already traded a DVC studio with II and that they can't reverse the transaction for the size villa that I booked. She said the only thing I can do is to cancel this particular trade and try to find a studio at another resort. It's probably not worth the hassle. I suspect it will be fine for our needs, and this resort still sounds wonderful. Thanks for the advice!

Edited to add: OP I looked at your pictures and this place looks fabulous! I'm glad you had such a good time. Did you free hand that pottery or did they give you a pattern to follow? I could see becoming addicted to doing the pottery, too!

 

[maciec]

Edited to add: OP I looked at your pictures and this place looks fabulous! I'm glad you had such a good time. Did you free hand that pottery or did they give you a pattern to follow? I could see becoming addicted to doing the pottery, too!

There was a pattern. I picked the colors and painted it. When you are done they add the black and white. I wish I was that good!

On your other topic, MS told me that if I wanted a larger unit I would have to cancel what I had, pay another $95 and start a new search. Depending on how bad you want a larger unit, I would say call back and see if someone else can help you.

 

[izzy]

There was a pattern. I picked the colors and painted it. When you are done they add the black and white. I wish I was that good!

On your other topic, MS told me that if I wanted a larger unit I would have to cancel what I had, pay another $95 and start a new search. Depending on how bad you want a larger unit, I would say call back and see if someone else can help you.

I'm glad to hear that there is a pattern, or mine would end up looking horrible. Do you remember how much it cost to do the pottery?

I think if I hadn't already received the match that I could have cancelled my search and started the new one. Sounds like the problem is that once the match is made, you can't have a "do-over" to change the size of the requested villa even if you pay the $95 again. Maybe I'll try Dean's trick of asking nicely when I check in. Maybe for a fee they'd let me upgrade if something is available. Regardless, I'll be out of Virginia's cold winter weather and in a tropical location, so all is good!

 

[Dean]

I did call MS, and they essentially said that I'm out of luck. They said that since they already made the match for the studio, that they've already traded a DVC studio with II and that they can't reverse the transaction for the size villa that I booked. She said the only thing I can do is to cancel this particular trade and try to find a studio at another resort. It's probably not worth the hassle. I suspect it will be fine for our needs, and this resort still sounds wonderful. Thanks for the advice!

Edited to add: OP I looked at your pictures and this place looks fabulous! I'm glad you had such a good time. Did you free hand that pottery or did they give you a pattern to follow? I could see becoming addicted to doing the pottery, too!

Yes and no. They can fix it if they truly needed to. It does illustrate one of my caveats on trading, that is to investigate the resorts yourself and not rely on DVC to give you the whole story. They're just not in tune enough to do that for exchanges.

 

[maciec]

I'm glad to hear that there is a pattern, or mine would end up looking horrible. Do you remember how much it cost to do the pottery?

I think if I hadn't already received the match that I could have cancelled my search and started the new one. Sounds like the problem is that once the match is made, you can't have a "do-over" to change the size of the requested villa even if you pay the $95 again. Maybe I'll try Dean's trick of asking nicely when I check in. Maybe for a fee they'd let me upgrade if something is available. Regardless, I'll be out of Virginia's cold winter weather and in a tropical location, so all is good!

It really wasn't expensive. I have the reciepts at home, I'll check and let you know. I'm still at work