Is it possible for Beach erosion to reverse itself in the next 30 days?

We are booked at the Allegro in mid-April and I am just curious if anyone who is familiar with the history of beach erosion if it is possible for it to get any better within a month. Or does the process of restoring itself take many months?

Thanks!

[birdman]

Tides, wind, & wave action are the main issues when it comes to erosion, so yes it could be reversed in a month, or it could take several years. I don't think this time of year, there will be much difference in the beaches condition either way.

Birdman,

Do you live in Playa del Carmen? I am just wondering if I am wasting my $$$ doing to a resort that has NO BEACH! I mean I now we will have fun but I was really looking forward to walking from my room to the beach on the resort (we are doing an all-inclusive so I want to be able to take advantage of the included bar service).

All the other resorts we would want to stay at are totally booked and the ones that are available are either too far away from Playa del Carmen or are too family-oriented (not that I am oppsed to a family-oreinted resort...because I am a mother of 2...but I am going away with my girlfriends to get away from that and have some fun nightlife).

Any advice, words of wisdon and insight would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks Birdman!

[rossmtbiker]

It looks like Birdman lives in Washington.

Yes, it is possible that the erosion will be reversed within 30 days; however, it is extremely unlikely. If you enjoy walks on the beach, I understand the beach past the Riu's towards the Gala are much better and there will be plenty of beach to walk on in that direction.

Have a great holiday.

[tdev]

I'm no expert, but for the amount of "damage" that's been done, I can't see it fixing itself in a month ... my guess is you'd be looking many months before you'll see improvent. Past situations (eg the Iberostar's beach a couple years ago) took quite awhile to get back into good shape.

Also, the Allegro's beach usually takes the worst brunt of erosion damage, even in other less severe years, as the property is built quite far forward towards the shoreline and it seems the Allegro company hasn't been as proactive in taking steps to prevent beach erosion as other properties.

If a good beach is important, I'd consider getting your travel agent to book you into another resort ... I'd hope they'd be aware of the erosion situation but I'm not so sure from hearing other stories ... this is a "pet peeve" of mine as it's becoming more and more evident that the agents are oblivious to the condition of the beaches in Playacar right now ... they should be aware of this info IMO and be making it clear to clients.

If you booked a "beach vacation" you should get a beach vacation so I'd push for a change. If you want a Playacar resort, the Iberostar and Gala properties have been unaffected by the erosion problems. Also, the resorts south of town (Palladium, Bahia, Barcelo) are other popular spots.

Good luck.

PS: as you're a beach fan, and you decide to look at other resorts, don't let your agent talk you into the Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret ... it has only a manmade lagoon and it gets very crowded.

[Shammy]

Well as an agent who is definitely aware of the beach conditions are in the Playacar area right now, I agree with what the others have said above. It's certainly up to you but if you want a great beach, I don't think the Allegro is going to do it for you right now.

I understand that you don't want to go to a place where there are lots of families/children (such as the Gala) but do know that the Allegro is also a family friendly resort. No, there will not be as many families/children at the Allegro as there are at the Gala but it's not adults only so that = kids.

For mid April, believe it or not, many of the more popular resorts are already sold out (Iberostars) so you may not have a lot to choose from if you do want to switch.

But IMHO, it is something that you might want to at least think of doing, and if so, do it NOW, before there is nothing decent left.

And tdev...I totally understand your "pet peeve" regarding agents not knowing of the current beach conditions. But it's not always the agents fault (I said not always, sometimes it definitely is!). I do have people booked in the Playacar area for March and April and May (and so on and so forth) but these people have been booked for months and months, well before beach conditions became a concern. Many would have to pay to switch their hotel choices and can't afford to do so, some can't find anything else suitable they like, and some simply can't because they are getting married at whatever resort they may be staying at. I do feel badly for these peeps and what they may encounter at the beach, but this is also something that is totally out of any agents control, just like the weather, or the fact that they didn't show up at the airport with the proper docs, etc. Now would I book someone there NOW and not tell them? Never. I would tell them and give them the option to pick somewhere else. But what I booked many moons ago for the most part, can't be undone and unless someone came to me asking to be switched regardless of cost, etc., they'll take their vacation and make the best of the situation because that's really all they can do at this point.

Shhammy and tdev!

Thank you both for all the info...you have been very helpful and insightful.

I am just so exhausted from all of this...I don't even want to think about trying to get into another resort. I had done so much research and someone that one of my girlfriend's knows that was there a couple years ago...recommended the Allegro about a month ago so that is how we came up with it. Then I started hearing about all the erosion and here I am!

Shammy, is it reasonable to ask my travel agent if we can get any discounts due to no beach at the Allegro? She is out of town and I am unable to reach her until Tuesday. I don't know if that is a lot to ask. Also, I have been checking other resorts within the same area (with no beach erosion problems) and I couldn't locate any. Is there ANYTHING you are aware of within the same distance that the Allegro is to the city center of Playa del Carmen? I know you aren't my agent but just wondering if you have seen anything.

Thanks so much!

Sus

And forgive for being so ignorant....but what does IMHO stand for? I am kind of new to this forums and don't know all the acryonyms yet.

Thanks!

[Shammy]

Snuz,

Your agent has absolutely no control over the prices and sorry to say that I can pretty much guarantee you that the hotel will not take anything off your bill because of the beach erosion. I'm sure if she could help you, she would, but it's not something that she will be able to do. Beach erosion is one of those things that can't be controlled and it's not the hotels fault so they will take no responsibility. It's nature and it happens. Now if the agent wants to give you some of HER money back, meaning commission money, well, that's about the only way you'll see a discount. And yes, to be honest, I think that is a lot to ask of the agent because she is not at fault here either. But I don't know how close you are with your agent so I don't know if you feel comfy even asking her to do this for you.

The Gala doesn't seem to have any erosion problems at the moment so that would be one place that might have availability. It's in Playacar but further away than the Allegro. Anything closer than that I do believe is having some kind of erosion problems, whether it be drops offs into the ocean or the ocean coming up much further than it usually does. I can't say for sure though as I haven't seen it for myself yet. To the north, you have the Reef Coco Beach but only certain vacation companies book this hotel (Funjet is one, Apple is not). However, I'm going out on a limb and will say that it's probably booked for most, if not all of April.

And IMHO = In my honest opinion.

[KevKaos]

Originally Posted by Shammy

And IMHO = In my honest opinion.

I have always heard thast this stood for "In My Humble Opinion", but I guess that is pretty much symantics in this case. Either way, I learned something new again.

[denisea]

Originally Posted by KevKaos

I have always heard thast this stood for "In My Humble Opinion", but I guess that is pretty much symantics in this case. Either way, I learned something new again.

I've heard both definitions... though I believe "In My Humble Opinion" is the most widely accepted. However, I agree it's really just symantics.

[emmalaw45]

I just wondered if anybody knew how bad the erosion is at the Iberostar Tucan if any? I don't mind too much as I will still have an amazing time but just curious. Thanks

[tdev]

The Iberostar and Gala beaches were fine as of a couple weeks ago.

Originally Posted by Shammy

And tdev...I totally understand your "pet peeve" regarding agents not knowing of the current beach conditions. But it's not always the agents fault (I said not always, sometimes it definitely is!). I do have people booked in the Playacar area for March and April and May (and so on and so forth) but these people have been booked for months and months, well before beach conditions became a concern. Many would have to pay to switch their hotel choices and can't afford to do so, some can't find anything else suitable they like, and some simply can't because they are getting married at whatever resort they may be staying at. I do feel badly for these peeps and what they may encounter at the beach, but this is also something that is totally out of any agents control, just like the weather, or the fact that they didn't show up at the airport with the proper docs, etc. Now would I book someone there NOW and not tell them? Never. I would tell them and give them the option to pick somewhere else. But what I booked many moons ago for the most part, can't be undone and unless someone came to me asking to be switched regardless of cost, etc., they'll take their vacation and make the best of the situation because that's really all they can do at this point.

Shammy ... thanks for putting that out there! I am also a travel agent and it is very frustrating to read some of the posts - not just on this forum, but others as well. I try my hardest to keep current on what is going on in the destinations I am selling. But to be honest, keeping up on the forums on a weekly basis for Mexico, D.R. Cuba, and every other caribbean island out there while dealing with malaria scares and water shortages and norwalk virus and trying to juggle the telephones to get other people booked is just impossible sometimes. Fortunately for me, I have a great support system within my company and I have great clients that give the feedback on a regular basis - bad and good!

[tdev]

I hope I didn't offend anyone regarding my travel agents post as some of the most valuable information I've found online is/was from travel agents ... also, I did use a "blanket statement" which in retrospect was not the best wording I could've used.

However, from personal experience dealing with agents in my "neck of the woods", it is evident that either they are just plain ignorant to much of the info out there or they are not doing their "homework" or just ignoring the info ... from conversations I've had, it seems most are not at all informed about the locations they're selling, especially with regards to the Mayan Riviera. And from other "complaints" I've found online it's pretty obvious it's happening elsewhere.

So, are all agents like this, no ... but it's still a pet peeve of mine with regards to the ones that are, and unfortunately it is the majority of ones I've had personal dealings with.