Thanks Shammy
for now because of the higher price and a few other small reasons we have taken the Barcelo off the list for now
I like the Palladium, mostly for the snorkeling...
the wife likes the Bahia for the price (a bit better deal) with added options
but every day we spend doing a bit of research... and our choices change
at any rate i'm sure we would be happy at either one since both are a step up from anything we have stayed at before
thanks again for you valuable insight... we will keep you posted