Best place for a wedding, diving, kids, golf, etc.

Athena2c · 08-19-2005

Hi all,
This is my first post, but I have read around for a while and am hoping the expertise on here can help me. My fiance and I are planning a destination wedding in May 2006 and have settled in Playa del Carmen. We plan to have 8 guests besides ourselves, 2 of which are young boys (3 & 5).
The reason we chose PDC is because the area has all that we and are guests are intersted in. We are looking for an all-inclusive resort for our wedding and are avid divers. At least 4 of the guests are avid golfers.
We are also hoping to do all this as cheaply as possible.
I know it is a lot to ask for an all-inclusive resort with diving, golfing, and a kids club available..and not too expensive

Any thoughts/help?
Thanks!

**Shammy** · 08-19-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Athena2c

Hi all,This is my first post, but I have read around for a while and am hoping the expertise on here can help me. My fiance and I are planning a destination wedding in May 2006 and have settled in Playa del Carmen. We plan to have 8 guests besides ourselves, 2 of which are young boys (3 & 5).

The reason we chose PDC is because the area has all that we and are guests are intersted in. We are looking for an all-inclusive resort for our wedding and are avid divers. At least 4 of the guests are avid golfers.
We are also hoping to do all this as cheaply as possible.
I know it is a lot to ask for an all-inclusive resort with diving, golfing, and a kids club available..and not too expensive

Any thoughts/help?
Thanks!

No matter what AI resort you choose, diving and golf will not be included in the price you pay for the room, you'd have to pay extra and go off site to do these activities.

However, the Moon Palace and Xpu Ha Palace do have golf packages that are booked in conjunction with a room, and where golf IS included...but the cost is pretty high as the Palace Resorts golf course is quite expensive to use (but it is one of the best). There are several other golf courses in the Mayan Riviera that you may want to go to so paying for a room and a golf package that only allows you to use one course will limit those choices.

As far as diving, just about all of the AI's have a dive shop on the premisis where you can book any number of diving excursions, but none offer diving as an "included activity". The prices will vary depending on what dive site you go to and for how long. There are also off site dive shops located in Playa Del Carmen as well. You can even take the ferry to Cozumel and use a dive shop based there. Put it this way, there is no shortage of places to dive or people to book the dive with.

But...both diving and golf are both expensive activities so you will definitely pay bucks if these are your interests.

Oh, and the kid's club....again, almost every AI has a kid's club so that shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure you find a family friendly resort and not one geared more toward older people. If the 3 year old will still be 3 when you travel, only a select few of the AI's will allow him to stay at the kid's club without an adult present. The minimum age to be left at a kid's club unattended is 4 at most AI's. The Sunscape Tulum and the Gala Playacar allow children under the age of 4 to use the kid's club facilities with a parent there with them.

Hope that helped!

Athena2c · 08-19-2005

Thanks Shammy!

We figured the diving and golf would be extra, just trying to narrow it down to some lesser expensive options.
I've been doing A LOT of web research, but am just kind of overwhelmed by the options. One place we contacted hasn't replied (I think due to Emily). The other doesn't have dates for weddings in May...
The whole point was to make this wedding easy...

**Shammy** · 08-20-2005

Ooooooooo, trust me...I've booked quite a few destination weddings and there ain't nuttin easy about it!

What two places have you contacted...or tried to contact?
And if you do have any questions about resorts, put um out here. Myself or someone else will surely be able to give you some input. That's what we're here for!

4myjoy · 08-20-2005

Playacar Palace should be open by then also to give you another Palace choice.

Athena2c · 08-20-2005

We contacted Viva Maya because they seemed to have all we wanted for reasonable prices (with flight). I've had sporadic contact, but nothing for a long time. I tried emailing the head of Wyndham weddings just to see if we could secure the date so we can start booking the travel. She assured me that the coordinator would get back to me no later than earlier this week, but still nothing.

We also contacted Iberostar Quetzal, but were told they had no weddings available in May.

I started searching again last night and contacted a bunch of other places, can't even remember all of them now-and some were in other parts of Mexico.

Thanks for the support-I'm beginning to realize that destination weddings have a stress all their own

**Shammy** · 08-20-2005

You might want to look into the Barcelo Maya and the Bahia Principe too. I've booked destination weddings at both places and their wedding coordinators are very good and they're both family friendly places. The cost would be less than the Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal but more than the Viva Maya...which is an "OK" place but not where I'd recommend folks go for a wedding (that's just MY 2 cents though!).

btodd · 08-20-2005

Athena, good luck in your choice. We have been to the Gala and the Barcelo, I would pick the BArcelo for a destination wedding over the Gala.

My best piece of advice.................LISTEN TO SHAMMY!!!.......She ROCKS!!

08-19-2005	#1 (permalink)
Athena2c sandflea Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 3	Best place for a wedding, diving, kids, golf, etc. Hi all, This is my first post, but I have read around for a while and am hoping the expertise on here can help me. My fiance and I are planning a destination wedding in May 2006 and have settled in Playa del Carmen. We plan to have 8 guests besides ourselves, 2 of which are young boys (3 & 5). The reason we chose PDC is because the area has all that we and are guests are intersted in. We are looking for an all-inclusive resort for our wedding and are avid divers. At least 4 of the guests are avid golfers. We are also hoping to do all this as cheaply as possible. I know it is a lot to ask for an all-inclusive resort with diving, golfing, and a kids club available..and not too expensive Any thoughts/help? Thanks!

08-19-2005	#3 (permalink)
Athena2c sandflea Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 3	Thanks Shammy! We figured the diving and golf would be extra, just trying to narrow it down to some lesser expensive options. I've been doing A LOT of web research, but am just kind of overwhelmed by the options. One place we contacted hasn't replied (I think due to Emily). The other doesn't have dates for weddings in May... The whole point was to make this wedding easy...

08-20-2005	#4 (permalink)
Shammy Moderator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: The Joisey Shore Posts: 10,453	Ooooooooo, trust me...I've booked quite a few destination weddings and there ain't nuttin easy about it! What two places have you contacted...or tried to contact? And if you do have any questions about resorts, put um out here. Myself or someone else will surely be able to give you some input. That's what we're here for!

08-20-2005	#5 (permalink)
4myjoy lost on fifth Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 21	Playacar Palace should be open by then also to give you another Palace choice.

08-20-2005	#6 (permalink)
Athena2c sandflea Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 3	We contacted Viva Maya because they seemed to have all we wanted for reasonable prices (with flight). I've had sporadic contact, but nothing for a long time. I tried emailing the head of Wyndham weddings just to see if we could secure the date so we can start booking the travel. She assured me that the coordinator would get back to me no later than earlier this week, but still nothing. We also contacted Iberostar Quetzal, but were told they had no weddings available in May. I started searching again last night and contacted a bunch of other places, can't even remember all of them now-and some were in other parts of Mexico. Thanks for the support-I'm beginning to realize that destination weddings have a stress all their own

08-20-2005	#7 (permalink)
Shammy Moderator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: The Joisey Shore Posts: 10,453	You might want to look into the Barcelo Maya and the Bahia Principe too. I've booked destination weddings at both places and their wedding coordinators are very good and they're both family friendly places. The cost would be less than the Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal but more than the Viva Maya...which is an "OK" place but not where I'd recommend folks go for a wedding (that's just MY 2 cents though!).

08-20-2005	#8 (permalink)
btodd reposado Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada Posts: 1,325	Athena, good luck in your choice. We have been to the Gala and the Barcelo, I would pick the BArcelo for a destination wedding over the Gala. My best piece of advice.................LISTEN TO SHAMMY!!!.......She ROCKS!!

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