My first wedding DISASTER...MAJOR bridezilla moment

[JessesGrl]

Hurricane Emily DEMOLISHED our honeymoon resort and it will not be open until the day before we are due to arrive...NO ONE told us this when we paid in full this week...I am FURIOUS!!!!! ahhhh needed to VENT

 

[Kaleigh]

Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that.

 

[teebee]

Oh that stinks!! I would be furious too - they should at least give you all available info so that you can make an informed decision about staying there!! Can you get your money back or book something else?

 

[flopkins]

I hope things will be okay... at least they seem to think they''ll be open when you arrive... I''m sure there must be some legal thing about not informing you. But if they ''claim'' they will be open, then I''m not sure how much leverage you have...

Best of luck and keep us updated!!!

 

[JessesGrl]

I now found out that they will be "half" open and fully operational by NOVEMBER...we did get trip insurance so we can cancel and re-book a trip elsewhere but we still lose the money that we spent on the insurance and will have to get new insurance for the new trip...plus we are 6 weeks down and I am so stressed and now I have to find and book another honeymoon. i feel totally mistreated by the travel agent..how could they keep that info from me. the only reason i found this out was I was browsing the knot''s honeymoon forum..otherwise I would have shown up to a half opened resort

 

[flopkins]

was the travel agent from the resort? or just a regular travel agent? Either way, if you booked through an agent, they should be held for SOME responsibility- I would chew them out and have them reschedule another trip for you, preferrably with the new insurance on *their* tab.

 

[ame]

You should file a BBB complaint AND get your money back. In your BBB complaint file for the trip insurance to be refunded since they didn''t tell you until after you paid and it was too late to change.

If you can work it out, try to go to Hawaii or something. They rarely have storms that damage their resorts.

I am so sorry!

 

[elephant]

Oh no! I''m so sorry! I have felt very mistreated by some of the people I have bought from (not wedding related -- mostly technology) and it is just so frustrating! I ended up writing a letter to Michael Dell about my Dell computer just because I was really frustrated when nobody would call me back or email me back! (I haven''t sent it yet, but it just felt good to write it!)

HUGS! Maybe this *new* resort will be even better than the first! Hey, maybe you can pick up some last minute deals?

 

[njc]

So sorry you are having to deal with this now! I would be pissed if they hadnt told me ANYTHING! That is so wrong on so many levels...

Guess they were looking out for #1!

I think a BBB complaint is a good idea or at least talking with the head person at the travel agency... you need to make some kind of stir... there may be others that are TOTALLY clueless! This TOTALLY NOT YOUR FAULT!!!

 

[msb700]

oh no!!! how terrible...i do think u should complain and get refunded the amount in full! it was the travel agent''s fault for not informing you on what has happened and he should be held liable for that...

so sorry for having to go thru booking another honeymoon destination last minute!

 

[lmurden]

Can you do a stop payment???
Call your bank and CANCEL it!!!

 

[huisman98]

JessesGrl:

Where exactly did you read about the damage to your resort? My fiance'' and I are headed down to the Sun Palace in Cancun the same week you are going to the Aventure Spa Palace. I had not heard about the damage from the hurricane. I need to investigate!

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[njc]

Date: 8/17/2005 10:50:58 AM
Author: lmurden
Can you do a stop payment???
Call your bank and CANCEL it!!!

Oh yes!!! Excellent suggestion!!! You can cancel payment for a check or credit card!

 

[JessesGrl]

Huisman...on the ASP website under "press", it states they will not be open until September 30th, 2005. They are currently CLOSED. We called the travel agent today, they investigated and found out that only HALF of the resort will be open then...possibly even a later date and they will not be fully operational until November. I am changing my plans, who wants to chance it plus I am not paying to stay at a half open resort..only the north side and 1/3 of the resteraunts will be open..plus some of the pools are closed, ect. ect.

 

[PaulaW]

OH Jessesgirl... I am so sorry about this. We had the exact same thing happen last year. We were due to honeymoon in the Dominican Republic and it was hit by a hurricane too. We rebooked at ASP and really loved it. Is there a way for you to switch to a Caribbean island instead? There are a few that are outside normal hurricane belts that should be safe to switch too.
Good luck to you, and remember, there''s always some crisis with every wedding. Let''s hope this is it for you.

 

[MissAva]

Humph what sort of deal are they offering? I would call and say that you want a good chunk of your money back at least 30% and whole bunch of freebies, massage dinners whatever or that you will cancel. I can not imagine that they would really think it is okay to do nothing.

 

[teebee]

Just thought I'd copy this press release for anyone else that was considering Palace Resorts for their honeymoon or vacation.

JessesGrl ~ I wouldn't want to chance it either, having a fully opened & operational resort has it's little hiccups, but a 1/2 opened resort would most likely be a huge let down, especially for your honeymoon. What about staying at another Palace Resort?

Huisman ~ From the press release, sounds like Sun/Moon Palace were relatively unscathed along with most of the other Palace resorts, but I would definitely verify. We are honeymooning at Cozumel Palace, which also escaped damage, but we won't be there until it's nearly hurricane season again!!!

ETA: Duh, I forgot to paste the press release. Here it is:

Miami, FL, July 19, 2005 – Palace Resorts' line of all-inclusive resorts throughout Cancún and Cozumel emerged nearly unscathed following Hurricane Emily, a category 4 storm that passed over the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday in the early morning hours.

Palace Resorts reports that Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort, Cozumel Palace, Cancun Palace, Sun Palace and Beach Palace sustained only minor damages and are open for business as usual. In fact, several of these resorts acted as temporary shelters for the thousands of displaced tourists during the hurricane.

Aventura Spa Palace and Xpu-Ha Palace, which are located in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico, were less fortunate, suffering significant damages. Both resorts are currently closed. The north section of Aventura Spa Palace is slated to reopen on September 30 th , while Xpu-Ha Palace is scheduled to reopen on October 31 st . All guests staying at these resorts during the time of the storm were evacuated safely to Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort and there were no reported injuries.

“Our main concern was the safety and welfare of our guests,” said Roberto Chapur, President of Palace Resorts. “We are very fortunate that everyone is safe. We are currently assessing all damages and hopefully will be able to provide further information on the condition of these two resorts to our partners and guests shortly.”

Palace Resorts' newest property Playacar Palace, which was under construction at the time of the storm and slated to open in October 2005, also sustained damage. As a result, the grand opening has been delayed and a new date is yet to be determined. However, the 18-hole golf course at the Playacar Spa & Golf Club in the Riviera Maya did not suffer much damage and will open next week.

According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Hurricane Emily made landfall near Tulum, which is located approximately 100 miles south of Cancún , and the northern eye-wall passed directly over Cozumel.

Palace Resorts , the company that set the standard in five-star, all-inclusive resort accommodations, offers six all-inclusive properties in Cancún and the Riviera Maya. In May, Palace Resorts opened the new Cozumel Palace and in July the new Vallarta Palace, Palace's first property on Mexico's Pacific coastline. Le Blanc Spa Resort, a new luxury brand by Palace Resorts, will debut in August.

 

[JessesGrl]

teebee, thanks for attatching the article. I am thinking about switching to cozumel palace now..so we''ll see. regardless we are going elswhere, not paying for a half open resort!!!