We rescheduled our trip to Barcelo Maya Palace, Mexico (near Cancun) for April 5, 2013 (from the original date of December 2012 due to Grandma's health problems).
We flew on United Airlines UA1679 from San Francisco to Cancun (direct flight), departing at 8:39 a.m. and landing at 3:02 p.m.
We flew on United Airlines UA1679 from San Francisco to Cancun (direct flight), departing at 8:39 a.m. and landing at 3:02 p.m.
Once we landed in Cancun, we waited for our United Airlines shuttle to take us to the Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe Hotel in Riviera Maya. The drive was longer than expected - almost 90 minutes - and we arrived at Barcelo Maya Palace at around 4:30 p.m.
Registration at Barcelo Maya Palace was annoying. We specifically requested a king bed and a room upgrade, but the resort lost our multiple upgrade requests and could not find us a proper room. We agreed to settle on a room with two twin beds, as we were too tired to argue further.
Upon arrival, I decided to reserve a couple of restaurants for dinner. At first, when I asked about dinner reservations, the lady consultant said there was nothing available today. As I kept asking, she changed her story multiple times.
Suddenly, she found a cancellation at Caribe Restaurant, and we could eat there at 6:45 p.m. After making this reservation, I asked her to make dinner reservations for the rest of the week. She said I could only make 3 reservations but would not do anything. I kept asking repeatedly, and she eventually made 2 other reservations. Her standard answer was always either "No" or "Mañana".
Our check-in consultant provided us with 1 room key. When we asked for another key, she said we should return tomorrow because the computer could not do it. When we asked a different clerk later, she gave us a key immediately. It all depends on whom you ask.
Our room was well furnished; it had a bar but not free liquor. It was clean and had nice beds.
On a five-star scale, Barcelo Maya Palace has rooms, beaches, and food that rate it at 3-4 stars. However, customer service ranges from 1-3 stars. Some of the most recent postings on Tripadvisor reflect our feelings about Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe.
We purchased the Premium package, which adds daily Internet access and additional freebies (access to a particular room with food and premium liquor) for $20/per person per day. Internet access was slow and only suitable for one device at a time. Consequently, we had to connect and disconnect our iPhones and iPads one at a time to read email and access the web. Besides, Internet access was slow, and Skype did not always work well. The voice audio quality when using Skype was poor. I was disappointed with Barcelo's Internet access. If you're staying here, don't waste your money on the Premium Package (it's a rip-off).
For dinner, we went to the Caribe Restaurant. It is supposed to be Caribbean Burn, but the menu didn't reflect it. I ordered a King Crab appetizer, an artichoke soup, and lobster for the main course. The King crab legs were not bad, the soup was good, but the lobster was too dry. This was a lower-quality version of Red Lobster.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
I got up at 7:30 a.m. to reserve the Hobie Catamaran. I booked it for 1:30 p.m. for 30 minutes (maximum allowed time).
We explored the property a bit and got breakfast at the Hacienda buffet. The food was good for a buffet, and there were even green smoothies! After breakfast, Alex tried out all the slides while Inna and I enjoyed the hammock. We tried a few drinks at the bar, but the Pina Coladas were pretty poor quality (Barcelo, like most all-inclusive resorts, uses cheaper spirits ).
The pools at Barcelo Maya are genuinely gigantic and look like miniature lakes. They look incredibly blue due to the blue-painted bottoms. We did not swim too often, as the water on the beach was much better.
Alex wanted to check out the water slides, so we rested while he ran around the water park.
While Alex tried the numerous water slides, Inna enjoyed relaxing in a hammock.
After a while, we went to the beach. The water was a color of turquoise and extremely warm. The beach had lots of white sand and many underwater rocks and reefs. We enjoyed swimming around in the warm, turquoise water.
The whole resort is enormous; it feels like Disneyland. There were so many beach chairs that they looked like a sea of ants.
At around 1:00 p.m., we returned to our room to prepare for the catamaran sail. I mounted my GoPro Hero3 camera on my chest, and we walked to the launching area. All three of us got on the Hobie Cat, but walking to the Hobie Cat was complicated by all the underwater rocks.
We sailed around for 30 minutes, tacking and jibing a few times. It was a lot of fun, but Alex and Inna were scared that the boat would flip at any moment. There was never enough wind to do that.
Here is a short video of our Hobie Cat sailing:
After the sail, we went to lunch at the Mirador buffet. Lunch was good, and I ate some lovely salads and salmon, which was particularly well prepared. We returned to our room and changed to go back to the beach.
Alex wanted to go to the Kids Club, so we dropped him there. We relaxed on the beach, reading a couple of books. I was reading "My Story" by Alicia Appleman-Jurman.
At 7:00 p.m., we had dinner reservations at the French restaurant Le Brasserie. I forgot about the dress code and wore shorts. I had to return to my room and put on my pants.
The food at La Brasserie was much better than at Caribe, although the portions were much smaller. The "Lobster Cappuccino" soup was quite good, but the "Rack of Lamb" was rugged. The "Crepe Suzette" was just average. However, the service was excellent, and the bar made me a White Russian cocktail with good alcohol for a change, so I was pleased.
After dinner, we stopped by the Premium Suite for guests to get another room key. We gave ours to Alex so he could return to our room when he got tired of Kids Club.
There, I tried some liquors I always wanted to try. I sipped the Johnnie Walker Red Label whiskey, Glenlivet 12-year-old Scotch, and others. Although Glenlivet was much better than Johnnie Walker, I realized I don't care for whiskey. Just think of all the money I saved!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Today, we enjoyed the wonderful beach while Alex played at the Kids Club.
The water was fantastic, and we enjoyed swimming around. I used my GoPro Hero3 Black Edition to record some videos.
When we returned to our room, we found Alex watching TV. He explained that he got hurt on a swing. His tailbone hurt, and he was afraid of a severe injury. It turned out not very serious, and Alex quickly forgot about it.
We encountered a couple of foreign visitors as we walked around the property - iguanas.
For dinner, we decided to try the Brazilian Restaurant - Rodizio.
Brazilian food revolves around cooked meat, and we ordered a few dishes. We decided to sit outside, as it was pretty noisy inside.
All of the meats we tried were very dry and overcooked. They did not taste as juicy as Brazilian cooked meats should.
Inna ordered "Tiramisu" for dessert, and it was delicious. However, we decided that Barcelo's buffets were better for the variety of foods available. Rodizio and Caribe were mediocre-quality restaurants that were no better than the buffets.
After dinner, we attended the Circus-Circus show at the Barcelo Maya Theater. The show started at 9:30 p.m. and ended at 10:30 p.m. It was not bad for local entertainment. There were a few jugglers and acrobats.
Here is a short video of the highlights I saw:
Our check-in consultant provided us with 1 room key. When we asked for another key, she said we should return tomorrow because the computer could not do it. When we asked a different clerk later, she gave us a key immediately. It all depends on whom you ask.
Our room was well furnished; it had a bar but not free liquor. It was clean and had nice beds.
On a five-star scale, Barcelo Maya Palace has rooms, beaches, and food that rate it at 3-4 stars. However, customer service ranges from 1-3 stars. Some of the most recent postings on Tripadvisor reflect our feelings about Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe.
We purchased the Premium package, which adds daily Internet access and additional freebies (access to a particular room with food and premium liquor) for $20/per person per day. Internet access was slow and only suitable for one device at a time. Consequently, we had to connect and disconnect our iPhones and iPads one at a time to read email and access the web. Besides, Internet access was slow, and Skype did not always work well. The voice audio quality when using Skype was poor. I was disappointed with Barcelo's Internet access. If you're staying here, don't waste your money on the Premium Package (it's a rip-off).
For dinner, we went to the Caribe Restaurant. It is supposed to be Caribbean Burn, but the menu didn't reflect it. I ordered a King Crab appetizer, an artichoke soup, and lobster for the main course. The King crab legs were not bad, the soup was good, but the lobster was too dry. This was a lower-quality version of Red Lobster.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
I got up at 7:30 a.m. to reserve the Hobie Catamaran. I booked it for 1:30 p.m. for 30 minutes (maximum allowed time).
We explored the property a bit and got breakfast at the Hacienda buffet. The food was good for a buffet, and there were even green smoothies! After breakfast, Alex tried out all the slides while Inna and I enjoyed the hammock. We tried a few drinks at the bar, but the Pina Coladas were pretty poor quality (Barcelo, like most all-inclusive resorts, uses cheaper spirits ).
The pools at Barcelo Maya are genuinely gigantic and look like miniature lakes. They look incredibly blue due to the blue-painted bottoms. We did not swim too often, as the water on the beach was much better.
Alex wanted to check out the water slides, so we rested while he ran around the water park.
While Alex tried the numerous water slides, Inna enjoyed relaxing in a hammock.
After a while, we went to the beach. The water was a color of turquoise and extremely warm. The beach had lots of white sand and many underwater rocks and reefs. We enjoyed swimming around in the warm, turquoise water.
The whole resort is enormous; it feels like Disneyland. There were so many beach chairs that they looked like a sea of ants.
At around 1:00 p.m., we returned to our room to prepare for the catamaran sail. I mounted my GoPro Hero3 camera on my chest, and we walked to the launching area. All three of us got on the Hobie Cat, but walking to the Hobie Cat was complicated by all the underwater rocks.
We sailed around for 30 minutes, tacking and jibing a few times. It was a lot of fun, but Alex and Inna were scared that the boat would flip at any moment. There was never enough wind to do that.
Here is a short video of our Hobie Cat sailing:
After the sail, we went to lunch at the Mirador buffet. Lunch was good, and I ate some lovely salads and salmon, which was particularly well prepared. We returned to our room and changed to go back to the beach.
Alex wanted to go to the Kids Club, so we dropped him there. We relaxed on the beach, reading a couple of books. I was reading "My Story" by Alicia Appleman-Jurman.
At 7:00 p.m., we had dinner reservations at the French restaurant Le Brasserie. I forgot about the dress code and wore shorts. I had to return to my room and put on my pants.
The food at La Brasserie was much better than at Caribe, although the portions were much smaller. The "Lobster Cappuccino" soup was quite good, but the "Rack of Lamb" was rugged. The "Crepe Suzette" was just average. However, the service was excellent, and the bar made me a White Russian cocktail with good alcohol for a change, so I was pleased.
After dinner, we stopped by the Premium Suite for guests to get another room key. We gave ours to Alex so he could return to our room when he got tired of Kids Club.
There, I tried some liquors I always wanted to try. I sipped the Johnnie Walker Red Label whiskey, Glenlivet 12-year-old Scotch, and others. Although Glenlivet was much better than Johnnie Walker, I realized I don't care for whiskey. Just think of all the money I saved!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Today, we enjoyed the wonderful beach while Alex played at the Kids Club.
The water was fantastic, and we enjoyed swimming around. I used my GoPro Hero3 Black Edition to record some videos.
When we returned to our room, we found Alex watching TV. He explained that he got hurt on a swing. His tailbone hurt, and he was afraid of a severe injury. It turned out not very serious, and Alex quickly forgot about it.
We encountered a couple of foreign visitors as we walked around the property - iguanas.
For dinner, we decided to try the Brazilian Restaurant - Rodizio.
Brazilian food revolves around cooked meat, and we ordered a few dishes. We decided to sit outside, as it was pretty noisy inside.
All of the meats we tried were very dry and overcooked. They did not taste as juicy as Brazilian cooked meats should.
Inna ordered "Tiramisu" for dessert, and it was delicious. However, we decided that Barcelo's buffets were better for the variety of foods available. Rodizio and Caribe were mediocre-quality restaurants that were no better than the buffets.
After dinner, we attended the Circus-Circus show at the Barcelo Maya Theater. The show started at 9:30 p.m. and ended at 10:30 p.m. It was not bad for local entertainment. There were a few jugglers and acrobats.
Here is a short video of the highlights I saw:
After the show, we stopped by for a few snacks at the Premium Room (which had lots of hors d' oeuvres and premium alcohol).
Monday, April 8, 2019
Today, we visited the Xel-Ha Eco Park. I will be writing a separate entry for Xel-Ha.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
After a great time at Xel-Ha, we spent the day resting and enjoying the beach and pools.
It was a very windy day, and all the small craft boating activities were suspended.
After a late breakfast, we enjoyed the beach. The waves were large, and there were many whitecaps. Around 2:30 p.m., we went for lunch. After lunch, we returned to the beach and the pools.
The pools here are enormous; they look like small lakes.
For dinner, we decided to try the Kyoto Japanese Restaurant. It turned out that it was open at 7:00 p.m. for dinner, and we decided to eat there. When we got there, it was half-empty. As a restaurant, it looked nice, but the food quality was only average.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Today, we went to see Xcaret Eco Park. I will be writing a separate entry for Xcaret.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
We mainly rested after the long day at Xcaret.
Friday, April 12, 2019
On our last day, we got up early, went to breakfast, and packed our bags.
We decided to relax on the beach and enjoy the fabulous beach and warm Caribbean sea one last time.
We had lunch early at the Mirador Buffet and waited for our shuttle back to Cancun Airport.
The shuttle picked us up at around 1:20 p.m., and we were in Cancun at around 2:40 p.m. There were long lines to register for our United flight back to San Francisco. Eventually, we picked up our tickets and dropped off our luggage.
Inna and Alex tried out Haagen-Daz ice cream, but it was of mediocre quality and was pretty expensive - 69 pesos for one scoop (about USD 5.00).
Monday, April 8, 2019
Today, we visited the Xel-Ha Eco Park. I will be writing a separate entry for Xel-Ha.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
After a great time at Xel-Ha, we spent the day resting and enjoying the beach and pools.
It was a very windy day, and all the small craft boating activities were suspended.
After a late breakfast, we enjoyed the beach. The waves were large, and there were many whitecaps. Around 2:30 p.m., we went for lunch. After lunch, we returned to the beach and the pools.
The pools here are enormous; they look like small lakes.
For dinner, we decided to try the Kyoto Japanese Restaurant. It turned out that it was open at 7:00 p.m. for dinner, and we decided to eat there. When we got there, it was half-empty. As a restaurant, it looked nice, but the food quality was only average.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Today, we went to see Xcaret Eco Park. I will be writing a separate entry for Xcaret.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
We mainly rested after the long day at Xcaret.
Friday, April 12, 2019
On our last day, we got up early, went to breakfast, and packed our bags.
We decided to relax on the beach and enjoy the fabulous beach and warm Caribbean sea one last time.
We had lunch early at the Mirador Buffet and waited for our shuttle back to Cancun Airport.
The shuttle picked us up at around 1:20 p.m., and we were in Cancun at around 2:40 p.m. There were long lines to register for our United flight back to San Francisco. Eventually, we picked up our tickets and dropped off our luggage.
Inna and Alex tried out Haagen-Daz ice cream, but it was of mediocre quality and was pretty expensive - 69 pesos for one scoop (about USD 5.00).
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