How did I fail at snorkeling in Cancun? It’s pretty simple actually. I don’t know how to swim. Armed with my college education, I came to the conclusion that since snorkeling requires you to be under water it’s not so much different than drowning. I just totally forgot about the floating part, which I can’t seem to do either.

Across the street from Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Hotel is the Marina Punta Este, where I was instructed not to put on SPF or sunblock that was not bio-degradable because it would damage the nearby reefs. My #blogRH fam & I took a 45-minute boat ride through the Nichupte Lagoon towards the Punta Nizuc reef in the Mexican Caribbean. We passed through rich, green mangrove canals while basking in the sun as the boat sped through the teal waters. The only thing I could think to myself was, “Everything is so colorful! This is what having a life feels like.”

When the boat finally stopped by the Punta Nizuc reef, I was eager to jump into the water with my snorkeling gear. I was the only one who didn’t know how to swim but I was also one of the first ones to get into the water. Dumb idea. I started flailing like a fish as soon as I realized that my feet couldn’t touch the floor. I drank a couple mouthfuls of salt water before my tour guide hauled my ass back up to the boat.

Even though I wasn’t able to snorkel with everyone else, I was happy to be able to appreciate all the rich colors around me. It was a complete 180 from my daily 9-7 grind. I much rather bang my knee up from climbing back on the boat than bang my knee at my desk, which is way too small for me. (I’m 5’1”.) I was lost in my own thoughts basking in the sun when I was suddenly pelted with tiny raindrops. It was quite soothing at first but then the sky grew gray and the raindrops got bigger.

Everyone scrambled to get  back on the boat. As we made our way back to Marina Punta Este, the sun appeared again and it was like it had never rained before. Thanks, Mother Nature. I guess your just as hormonally imbalanced as I am.

Photo Credit: Robs cruising & diving pics

This press trip to Cancun, Mexico was made possible by Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Hotel. Thoughts and insights are strictly my own.

Before I left for my press trip, I had the misconception was that Cancun was just a budget destination for rowdy Spring Breakers to let lose and cause havoc. Boy, was I wrong. Cancun isn’t just for Spring Breakers. My stay at the Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Hotel resort was one of the most relaxing trips I had ever taken.

If you’re in need of a relaxing getaway from a stressful school year, your soul sucking 9-5 or a recent breakup, consider Cancun but not during the Spring Break months. I made a trip down there at the end of January and here are my top 6 reasons why Cancun is the perfect budget destination for non-Spring Breakers.

1. Instead of waking up to the irritating shrieks of my alarm clock at the crack of down, I rose to the sound of ocean waves clashing up against the shore.

2. Instead of rushing every morning to catch my train, I strolled out to Cancun Caribe’s buffet restaurant, which was filled with a different variety of food every hour of the day, every day of the week.

3. Instead of dealing with rowdy drunks when I go bar hopping, I went pool hopping from the main pool to the infinity pool to the hot tub and back.

4. Instead of drooling on the subway from a 10 hour work day, I was drooling from an amazing spa session after detoxing in the state of the art steam room and sauna.

5. Instead of ordering out because I’m too exhausted to walk a few extra blocks, I had a variety of choices, like La Concha (Italian), El Oriental (Asian), El Mirador,  Cocay, El Jardin, Pizza Corner & Cafe Sole, which were  all within a 2 minute walk from my beachfront hotel room.

6. Instead of jumping in the shower and planting face down on my pillow after a long day, I took night time dips in the hot tub before taking my sweet time showering in a bathroom with three (yes three!) massaging shower heads.

This press trip to Cancun, Mexico was made possible by Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Hotel. Thoughts and insights are strictly my own.

I had my first ceviche at La Concha restaurant at the Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Resort. It’s a very popular dish in Latin America, especially in the coastal regions. It’s made from fresh shrimps and fish and marinated in citrus juice. Delish!

No trip ever goes without a glitch but my visit to the Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Resort was as seamless as it could possibly be. Problems are always going to arise but it’s how you respond to them with your customer service leaves a lasting impression. During my entire trip, I only encountered three small glitches. The staff at Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Resort worked their magic and resolved each of my problems in less than 10 minutes!

Problem #1:

As I was freshening up for the first item on my itinerary (drinks) I wanted to make everyone jealous of my beautiful surrounding email my parents to let them know I arrived in Cancun safely. But alas, no WiFi.

Resolution #1:

Julio stopped by to see if everything was okay and I told him about my Internet problem. He returned immediately with an army of resort staff of three each holding ethernet cables, modems and all sorts of gadgetry. I was amazed at the response rate. Unfortunately, I had to be the difficult one and bring an iPad instead of a laptop. I figured out how to turn, Jill, my next-door neighbor’s computer into a wifi hotspot and my Internet problem was solved!

Problem #2:

The sign above the refrigerator said that water bottles and drinks would be restocked daily. Dying of thirst from a day in the sun, I saw that my fridge had not been refilled.

Resolution #2:

I left a handwritten message above the refrigerator saying, “Mas agua, por favor! Gracias! [Insert smiley face]” and returned a few minutes later to a fridge fully loaded with water bottles and Corona.

Problem #3:

I returned to my room one afternoon and panicked when I wasn’t able to open my safe.

Resolution #3:

I called the concierge and she said she’d send someone to me. Ten minutes later, she called back to follow up and I told her that no one knocked on my door. She went to investigate and reported that I had the “Do Not Disturb” sign up. I took my sign down and before I could turn around, knock, knock, knock. The staff member swiped his magical I-can-open-anything key card and my safe door swung open!

That was as bumpy as it got during my stay at the Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Resort. Woe is me.

This press trip to Cancun, Mexico was made possible by Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Hotel. Thoughts and insights are strictly my own.

Every airport has its own rules and regulations. I might not necessarily agree with all of it but there’s nothing I can do but follow the process. I am, after all, in someone else’s country. As soon as I got off my flight from JFK airport to Cancun, Mexico, I was immediately placed in a line for screening. I’m not exactly sure why because I went through the same process before I boarded in JFK.

The agents by the x-ray screeners were monotonous and curt. It seemed like they hated their jobs and I could understand why. One of the customs agents said in English to the passengers ahead of me,

“You didn’t complete this part of the customs form.”
“It’s in Spanish. I don’t know what it’s saying,” one of the passenger responded.
“You’re in Mexico.” said the customs agent.
“I’m not Mexican. I don’t speak Spanish. If I don’t know what it’s saying how am I suppose to fill it out?” another passenger said.

If the passengers weren’t so obnoxious, the customs agent wouldn’t have responded the way she did. American Airlines should have provided English customs forms since we were departing from New York City. However, the customs agent wasn’t wrong either.  If you’re going to travel to another country, the least you can do is be respectful and learn a little of the local language.

Who do you think was right? The English-speaking passengers or the customs agent in Mexico?

Photo Credit: miahz

This press trip to Cancun, Mexico was made possible by Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Hotel. Thoughts and insights are strictly my own.

I arrived at JFK airport shortly after 9AM and was at my gate twiddling my thumbs by 9:30AM. (Efficiency is my middle name.) Breakfast was in order. I had my New York usual: toasted everything bagel with cream cheese and a small coffee with cream and sugar. The bagel wasn’t fresh. The cream cheese was lacking. The coffee? Blech! So, if you’re flying in or out of JFK and think that the bagel you’re purchasing is what a New York bagel is all about, it’s not. A bagel from any New York City street corner vendor will taste ten times better than the bagel at JFK airport. It should have came with a warning: Don’t choke.

As I was struggling to swallow my extra dry bagel with not enough cream cheese and burnt coffee, I stared blankly around and noticed a few things.

• The janitor cleaning the trash cans & wiping the tables will probably have a similar story as any person working at a resort in Cancun – an (im)migrant worker from a rural village who came to work in a big city in order to support his/her family.
• The British snobs who refused to throw away their own trash, even though the garbage can is two feet away from them, are the kind of people who go to places like Cancun and feel entitled to have others to clean up after them.
• JFK has no free wifi, which meant I wasn’t able to vent on Twitter about the aforementioned British snobs. At this day and age, every traveler has a laptop, iPhone or a mobile device attached to their hip. Why not offer free wifi to them? I’d be much more inclined to fly out of a particular airport if I knew they offered it.
• The restroom stalls at JFK are not big enough to fit you, the pee-er, and your carry-on luggage. How am I suppose to not leave my luggage unattended, like the TSA advises, if I’m traveling solo?