Just returned from Grand Riviera / Sunset Princess

[hildyp]

That's Great LinnySue!!

I'll wave at you as we are checking out
We leave on the 10th

[playaluva]

So....guys definitely can't wear sandals to the restaurants??????

[kc-to-playa]

Originally Posted by playaluva

So....guys definitely can't wear sandals to the restaurants??????

Sonofdob answered this question very well above. I think his is the best answer you are going to get. I have seen the same on cruises - there are dress codes for the dining room, but they don't always enforce it. Sound like at GRP they WILL you away if you have shorts on. But if a man has on khakis and a polo shirt and nice sandals ... who knows? I choose to pack closed toed shoes for my husband and son just in case.

[konaman]

The ala carts were for sure pants for men and shoes no sandels. I saw many with jeans and running shoes. One night I wore white running shoes and had no problems. I also saw one family with a 12-14 year old girl who was wearing shorts and open toe shoes in the seafood restaurant maybe because she was young??? If you go to the line up for ala cartes about 8:45 your wait at least for me was about 30 -40 minutes and I booked all 5 ala cartes at once. you can book at any of the ala carte restaurents which ever one has the shortest line up. My package was thru Air Transat which gave us 5 ala cartes and room service was no charge in the deluxe jr. suites, which by the way is in the center of the conplex good location to lobbies and beach, half way to each. Hope I was able to answer some more of the Questions.

[kc-to-playa]

Originally Posted by konaman

The ala carts were for sure pants for men and shoes no sandels. I saw many with jeans and running shoes. One night I wore white running shoes and had no problems. I also saw one family with a 12-14 year old girl who was wearing shorts and open toe shoes in the seafood restaurant maybe because she was young??? If you go to the line up for ala cartes about 8:45 your wait at least for me was about 30 -40 minutes and I booked all 5 ala cartes at once. you can book at any of the ala carte restaurents which ever one has the shortest line up. My package was thru Air Transat which gave us 5 ala cartes and room service was no charge in the deluxe jr. suites, which by the way is in the center of the conplex good location to lobbies and beach, half way to each. Hope I was able to answer some more of the Questions.

Hi Konaman! Did you get the room service included as a perk from Air Transat? Or are they including that the with deluxe juniors suites now?

[sknywch]

Originally Posted by kc-to-playa

Thank you so much for the reply! I am glad that you had such a good trip and I hope ours is just as good!

Have they started offering room service at no charge now thru Air Transat?
Back in March we were shown a price list.

[Murfie]

Our package through Air Transat was called Regency Club which included free room service in the Junior Deluxe Suites. We had a menu with prices but were told not to pay attention the the prices. We did not order room service as we preferred the buffets and the a la cartes, so I can't comment on what the room service food was like or how long it would take for delivery.

[life@GrosCap]

We just got back Friday from GRP. Booked a Deluxe Junior Suite through Spirit. Let me throw my observations into the mix:

Reservations for a la cartes: Limit of three in our room category, unless you wave some cash at the booking server, then maybe four, five, or six - depending on server, your looks, alignment of the planets, etc. We just booked three.
A la cartes are booked by standing in line between 9 am and 1 pm at the front of each restaurant, located on the second floor between the two lobbies. Note that you can book ALL of your reservations at once. This will eat up at least an hour of your precious vacation time, as each person needs at least 15 minutes to book. Four people in the line = 1 hour. There is a line at each restaurant.

Dress code is enforced. Good shorts and collared shirt = bad. Track pants, grass stained running shoes and a NASCAR t-shirt (from Winston Cup days, no less) = good. Go figure.
Boys can wear sandals, my son did each time.
At the Buffets, beach wear is OK. Bring in your pool floaties, your snorkel gear, etc. We did! Food was great at beach buffets for breakfast.

Room service was available and free for our room class every day except for the day we needed it - departure day at 6 am! Then it was not free. Food was good - we had coffee and Mexican Sweetbread each morning on our balcony as the sun came up. We then went for second breakfast about 9 am on the way to the beach. Service was fast - no more than 15 minutes each time.

Maid service was great. We tipped every day, and got clean sheets, towel art, and clean floors each day. If you tip, leave it under the pillow or sheets, as there were reports of a male cleaner going from room to room ahead of the maid and taking the money. I confirmed with our maid, and she said that this was an ongoing problem. I made sure she got all the tips I had left.

More to come in the trip report.

[Linnysue]

Thanks for the report, life. Is there service on the beach and the pools or do you have to get your own drinks?

[sknywch]

There is service around the pools and on the beach, however with only one beach bar and a very large beach, it can be quicker to get your own. I would recommend taking a large travel mug. The pool service was alot quicker.

[Angela61438]

Hey everyone, thanks for the great info. There is a good site for photos of the GSP at judyandmariastravel.com, someone suggested it at another post, and it is super! I am SO exicted... only 11 more days... The best tips I have heard are: Mosquito lotion, Bubba mugs, and positive attitude!!! Don't worry... be happy!

[Linnysue]

Boy, the most recent Trip Advisor report is scary. Is the food at the buffets really that cold? Some say the beach is rocky, some say no rocks at all. This is so confusing with all these conflicting reports. Is there free room service if you have a deluxe jr. suite or no? We're booked at the Riviera side for June, and now I'm starting to have my doubts about this resort. Sounds like the service is still lacking, and that has me a little concerned as well.

[theterms]

I find the reviews conflicting as well, but I think they vary by people's expectations. The TA reviewer specifically mentioned how she ONLY travels to 5* resorts. But, my 2008 Frommer's book does not recommend the Occidental Xcaret at all, and that was one of the reviewer's favorites. She also mentions the poor workmanship, however, I don't see where lack of toilet paper or tissues has anything to do with that. These are minor things, I think.
Reviews about the food are also conflicting. Food is so personal - I have a daughter who will eat/try everything and a son who is the TOTAL opposite, so how people react to the food issue is very individual.
Just to touch base on the illness issue. Who's to say food was the reason for getting sick? It could be that perhaps they were already carrying a "bug" with them and they got it full-blown on vacation. This year's been a strange year with the different flus and bugs going around anyway.
I'm taking everything I read (and I read EVERYTHING!!) with a grain of salt. I am determined to have a fun, relaxing vacation and certainly not sweat the small stuff!

[life@GrosCap]

I found that the food at the buffets was as hot as you would expect buffet food to be. Some items that were not as popular, for example the many fish dishes at supper buffets, were left out longer and therefore could have been colder than others. Overall, I had no complaints about food preparation. Of the four of us, only my wife felt a little 'off' one day, but that was most likely the result of drinking Pina Coladas all day the day before. Remember, they use real coconut mix for these drinks, which is a natural laxative. Also, both of the kids went more frequently than usual, but I attribute this to all the wonderful fresh fruit they (and I) were eating.

In general, workmanship at the resort was poor. It was very obvious that they rushed to open, with many broken door handles, bathroom stall doors, tiles, etc. However, I did see lots of painting and repairs going on all the time. It will take some time for all of the issues to be worked out, but please don't change your trip plans because of this. We went and had a great time - and our only basis of comparison is the Royal PDC!

Take your bug spray, your patience, and a good attitude and everything will work out for the best. Just remember to be aware when going into the bathrooms and have a look around. If the door lock looks okay and there is TP, it's all good!

[life@GrosCap]

Linnysue, after being there for a week in a Deluxe Junior suite and having free room service for all but one of the days, I'm still not sure if it's free. I think officially it is not free, but I would still try it. Just ask the phone attendant if room service is free for your room number when you call.
Also, you may not remove food from the buffets. This was a policy we saw enforced, although others told us they had no problem leaving with plates. I think if you get lucky and get to the door when the greeter is distracted, you could sneak by. Just a note in case you were thinking you could get take-out breakfast.