Montego Bay 2020 - Secrets Wild Orchid - The Room

This resort is amazing. I can't wait to try it again post-plague, when all the amenities are available. Even now, it's incredible. We stayed in the Preferred Club. This is wonderful luxury, even now when some things are unavailable because safety. My personal favourite is the fact that you can order champagne from room service at no additional cost (well, tip your room service person). It's also available in the bars. 😍

First, the room is nice.  The balcony has two chairs and a table. It also has a hot tub that would seat two comfortably. My room (1201) also had a view of the outdoor stage, so I could grab a drink, fill the tub, start the jets, and watch the show -- Live Music! -- with a ridiculous amount of comfort. The stage was to the left. Directly in front of me was Montego Bay. I liked my view a lot.

I am always amazed at my ability to forget to take obvious pictures, like say, the bed. It was a king size, in between the living area and the bathroom.  The bathroom was a large open area with shutter doors which opened to the main room, exposing the second one-seater soaking hot tub. It also had a two sink vanity. In separate cubicles were the toilet, and the rain shower.

The shower was complete with shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner. The size of the bottles was generous so you could get by with one of each for the entire stay. I thought this was much better than the single use ones you normally get, which produce ridiculous amounts of waste plastic.

The sack between the two sinks contained all the toiletries and face cloths. Aside from the usual suspects there were shaving cream, a razor, mosquito repellent, and a comb. 

There was also an incense holder, matches, and a single incense stick. Nice. I wish they had replenished the incense while I was there, though; it was the only thing that kept the mosquitoes at bay.

The room was very comfortable. It had a nice ceiling fan, and lots of places to charge things. There were lots of towels, and five pillows were on the bed. The room also had a safe and a television. I don't tend to watch television when I'm travelling, so I will have to take other guests' word for it that there were three porn channels available (included!).

I mentioned the room service briefly. There is a cupboard with a door which opens outside your room, and another door which opens inside your room. This is where all room service deliveries take place. At the beginning of your stay, this is also where your mini-bar contents are. There is the standard sodas, beer, and a small bottle of some rather nice rum. In addition, there are granola bars, and potato chips in case you feel snacky. These are included in your stay, and you can phone room service to get them replenished. You also need to order coffee pods from room service, as they are not left in your room by default, currently.

Next: Montego Bay Part III - The Resort Life

Montego Bay 2020 - Air Canada Rouge Business Class During Covid

How I love Jamaica! One of my favourite spots, with the warm, crystal clear water, the wonderful music, the amazing food, and the lovely climate.  So, what is it like to travel Air Canada Business Class during the pandemic? A few things have changed, but, before I get to that, I have to get to the airport.

Since my flight was at a more civilized time, I could take the UP Express. For those not near Toronto, this is the train that goes from Union Station to Pearson Airport in 25 minutes. It is cheap and effective. I was pleased to see that they had added plexiglass dividers between the seats for added safety. Of course, at 6 in the morning, it was sparsely populated anyway.

The Priority check-in was easy, although the agent wasn't really familiar with the requirements for the Jamaica travel authorization she had to check. It's new; she'll get accustomed. I only knew what was going on with it because I've attended the travel agents' webinars. Nexus and priority lane security screenings are not available right now, but the lines are pretty small anyway. 

The Maple Leaf Lounge was my next stop. It now has table service. There is a QR code on each table, and you order through your phone. Bonus, though, they now offer hot breakfast (it's not great, but it is a bit of an improvement over their previous offerings).

On to the plane, both figuratively and literally. I was one of the last to board. As far as business class seats go, these were somewhat middle of the road, and since it was Rouge, there were no seat-back screens and no air show.  The seats adjusted three ways: recline, seat part forward, and lumbar adjustments. The controls were manual and a little stiff. 

Once we reached altitude, they started breakfast service. Surprisingly, food was served first, then they came around with the drinks. The breakfast was served cold in individual boxes, but thankfully, it was all food that should be served cold. There were plain yoghurt with fruit and seeds, a cheese plate with crackers and produce, a croissant, a fruit bread, and assorted condiments. Too much food for me, but good variety, and delicious.

The drink service was presented without delay. In addition to the soft drinks that are available in economy, business also has the choice of beer or wine. The only beer is Molson Canadian, but what are you gonna do? There was more of a selection of wine, but I know I'd be drinking Red Stripe when I landed, so I figured breakfast beer would be a wiser choice.

I like an aisle seat, but there was no one next to me, so I could take pictures out the window this time. 

I cannot stress enough how much better arrival and departure are in Montego Bay if you go through Club Mobay. The arrival service includes meet and greet between the ramp and customs. They then whisk you through customs, help you find your luggage, and give you a nice place to sit and relax and have a few beers or rum punches and snacks until you're ready for your transportation to your resort. Worth every penny. 

Departure works in reverse. You get expedited through security, and then get to sit in a full service lounge with a full bar, and snacks and meals until they announce boarding for your flight. 

All too soon it was boarding time. I was in the bulkhead row this time. Not my preference because I hate lifting my case up and down, but I'll live. 😀 Once again, the seats were roomy, and there were no screens. I should mention that iPads with movies on were freely available to us, but I still had a whole bunch of vacation reading I wanted to do.

This time drinks service was first, and I asked if I could be served dinner later. I had just had lunch in the lounge, and we were going to be landing just after dinner time. No problem. Again, there were wine and beer available to business class only. I'm a firm believer in paying for upgrades, because I like my little luxuries.

Speaking of, dinner was pretty good considering they're not cooking these days. There were two salads: one with smoked salmon and vegetables, and a mixed greens salad with balsamic and olive oil. The roll was a roll. I usually save some of the dressing for it. The chicken wrap was a little bland, but fresh. And the dessert seemed to be a sort of crème brûlée type thing. 

I was very tired by the time we landed, so I was overjoyed that the Nexus kiosks were open, and my luggage arrived quickly. Then, into a taxi home, and quarantine begins.

Next - Montego Bay Part II - Secrets Wild Orchid

Travelling in the time of Covid - Part IV

 We left the resort three times. Once to go on a catamaran excursion, once to go to a beach club, and once to go home. 

The catamaran trip was iffy, from a safety perspective. They didn't enforce masks or social distancing on the bus, or on the boat. When I asked, I was told that the boat was rated for 38 passengers, but I'm sure they didn't intend them all to be gathered below decks for the usual speeches, etc. Fortunately, no one was ill. 

I was a little concerned when we arrived at the location for the catamaran. The waivers they had us sign included an agreement to wear life jackets. It turns out, I guess, that you were agreeing to wear them if the boat sank? We were offered them when we went snorkelling, but no one demanded we wear them. There weren't any flippers, just masks and snorkels.

The snorkelling itself was cut short because of how strong the current was. People were finding it too tiring to stay near the boat. But that meant the bar opened, and we headed to the area they called the Swimming Pool, which was a circular shallow area, just right to hang out and have drinks from the floating bar the boat crew set up. There were also people with animals to pose for pictures (monkey and parrots), and a floating fresh coconut store. 

The snacks were reasonable for the time of day, and the bar was very open. The excursion was good except for one small detail: my camera got left on the transportation coming back from the boat. The tour desk guy said they had found it, but somehow in the 3 days they had it, they never got it to the resort. Which is why this trip doesn't have as many pictures as previous trip reports. 

The next time we left the resort was our last night in Punta Cana. We were out of a la carte nights, but they widely advertised that we had a discount at the Pearl Beach Club next store.  We should have gone there before the last night. 

They took our temperature when we arrived which did make me feel a little more secure. Then they showed us to a very nice table near one of several plunge pools. 

We ordered a cheese board and some cocktails. The service was excellent, and no one was seated near us at all. In fact, we only saw a few other customers.

The cheeseboard was excellent, with a generous amount of cheese, and some lovely fruit, nuts, breads, and condiments. The drinks were not skimpy, either. 

I had brought my bathing suit, so I spent some time in the plunge pool. Sadly, the place was only open until 7, so we had to call it a night. The bill for 6 drinks, and the cheeseboard, was only $44US.  For a night out, this is excellent value for money, and very affordable when on vacation. 

I think if I were to do it again, I would do it earlier in the vacation, and start earlier in the day. I would definitely recommend this place.

The last time we left the resort, it was to go home. We were using the Air Canada transfer, so it was a short bus ride to Sangster. Once there, we checked our bags, and went through security. There is a lounge at Punta Cana that is available for Priority Pass members (and others with a small fee), so we hung out there, and had some food, knowing there would be none on the plane (sorry AC, but a tiny package of pretzels is not food).  We were also permitted two adult beverages each. The lounge has a pool, but there is no shade for it, so I didn't regret packing my bathing suit in the checked luggage.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable trip. And very worth the 2 week quarantine when I got home.

Next: Jamaica November2020 

Travelling in the Time of Covid - Part III

 Catalonia Bavaro Beach has four a la carte restaurants. They are currently not all open every night. There are 2 open weekend nights, and 1 open on weeknights. They are open on a rotating basis, so you have a chance to try each one. Sadly, you only get 4 a la carte nights, so you have to make other arrangements for other nights.

The first one we tried was La Toscana, which was Italian food. The bruschetta was okay, although appies were served buffet style, and the seafood was properly cooked, but not really exciting.

The next restaurant we tried was Yuca, which was Caribbean themed, and quite tasty. All the dishes were served at the table. We were started with an appetizer of cassava and refritos which was quite tasty. Then went on to the "Golden Fillet with Yucca Crust". I can't be sure, but the "golden fillet" had the texture and flavour of mahi mahi. It was quite delicious, as was the rum cake for dessert.

The next place we want to was Rodeo Steakhouse. I confess I had assumed it would be a Brazilian type place, and was mentally pronouncing it Rodayo, but it's American cuisine, so definitely Rodeeyo. Like, there are potato skins and mozzarella sticks on the menu, as well as the expected steaks and hamburgers. The selection is not healthy, but hey, you're on vacation.

The feather in the resort's cap is Mikado, the teppanyaki restaurant. The seating has been altered for social distancing. A chair is left between parties.  Everyone gets a dish of sushi to start; some of the selections were quite novel. Then for the main, there were veggie fried rice, vegetables, and a choice of proteins. My friend and I both chose the shrimp and squid option -- delicious. This was easily the best meal we had here. 

They finished us off with hot sake served in wine glasses, and then invited us into a more lounge-like room for dessert. This made a lot of sense. It allowed us to finish our meals in a leisurely fashion while they sanitised the cooking area for the next seating.

Next - Experiences off the resort

Travelling in the Time of Covid - Part II

(I lost my camera whilst on tour there, so the pictures for this report are all from my phone, and I didn't get everything.)

We were at the Catalonia Bavaro. There are signs everywhere explaining how to clean and distance. You are supposed to wear masks when you're not at your table in restaurants. Some facilities are not available due to limited capacity.

We upgraded to Privileged, so we have a more exclusive beach, with its own bar (premium spirits are available to us here), and room that is close to the beach, the pool, and the pizza stand. The upgrade cost us less than $100 CDN each, so infinitely worth it. The service at the beach is mind-blowing. 

The room itself was pretty good. Two queen beds with king-size pillows, two sinks in the bathroom across from each other, and two showers at opposite ends of the shower stall, suitable for social-distance shower with a buddy (thankfully only one toilet, though), a living area with chairs, a bench, and a tv clearly visible from the beds. There was also a closet with an umbrella, safe, and the standard amenities. The balcony view we had was of the buildings opposite but we hadn't paid for a view, so that was fine. The only thing we found odd there was that there was a long unfurnished section along the room with everything crammed into a square in front of the sliding glass doors. The everything was a hammock, set high and unevenly on the walls between the door,  and the patio set.

I wasn't thrilled about the buffet (the food is never going to be that good, you know?) but the pizza stand was open Monday to Thursday from 10:30 am to 5:00pm, so there was a safe option for brunch those days. There is also a snack bar option, but it is also a buffet, and you can't take the food away. It's just hamburgers, hotdogs, tortilla chips, and fries anyway -- and you have to wear shoes, and sit at a table in the dining area: no takeout.

I'll cover the a la carte restaurants in another post; but while I'm talking about the resort, I definitely want to mention the most important parts of the resort: the water and the bars.

The Pure bar is the Privileged beach bar, and the bartenders and servers there are phenomenal (special notice to Johanen and Miguel). They had premium spirits for us, so that was nice. They do serve the sunbeds and loungers in the exclusive area as well, so we were able to stay well-hydrated. It should be mentioned that there is an even more exclusive area, with access to top shelf booze we couldn't get. I am not sure how you get to those things, but I didn't want to ask for fear the answer would involve a high pressure timeshare pitch.

There was also plenty of space and loungers at the free form pool, which had a nice bar, lively music, and a good water temperature. Due to the plague, the swim up bar was closed, but we managed anyway. 

Next: the Restaurants

Travelling in the Time of Covid - Part I

 I am sorry that I have not gotten back to finishing my Universal report, but I just returned from the Dominican Republic. I was there from 3 - 10 October, and I thought it would be more useful for my readers to have this information first.

I figured today I would talk about my airport experience at Pearson, only people flying that day (and employees) are allowed in the building. There's contactless kiosks to print your luggage tags by scanning your passport and boarding pass. After that, you head towards security. There is a place where it looks like you are going to get a mugshot taken, and that is where they take your temperature from a distance. 

You are allowed to bring a 12 oz hand sanitiser through, in addition to the normal liquids bag. If you set off the metal detector, they wand you, but no pat down. There was no line when I was there.

Only the Maple Leaf lounges are open, and there are limited other options for food and drink while you wait. Duty Free is open, though.

Boarding is extended. There were 8 boarding zones on the Dreamliner, to facilitate social distancing. It is useful to have a wheeled carry on to keep people from trying to bunch up behind you.


On board, you are given a kit which includes a mask (you already must be wearing one, so I am not sure of its purpose), a small thing of hand sanitiser, pretzels, a bottle of water, and a code to sign up for post-trip testing.
We had one service of non-alcoholic beverages only. The selection was very limited.


On the bright side, I finally got to try the 787 -- the Dreamliner. It is very nice, and I wasn't too cramped even in economy!

Universal 2018 - Part I - Introduction

I am a theme park person. I most especially love Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando. I have done both many times over the years, often with family; more recently solo. 

It was past due time to go back to Universal, so I booked a room at the Royal Pacific Resort, bought a seasonal pass, and got my flight. I chose the seasonal pass because I was going to be there for a week, and they weren't offering tickets for that length of time. I figured I would more than get my money's worth, especially since I had no problem with the idea of going back within the next 15 months (passes were on special with 3 months extra). 

The accommodation choice was equally easy. I love the Royal Pacific Resort. When we started going to Universal, it was the cheapest onsite resort. Now there are cheaper, but it is still the most inexpensive option that includes Universal Express. It also has wonderful theming, giving the air of an old time South Pacific resort. Even the music piped in in the public areas is early-era jazz.

My Room

My room was Club Level, which means upgraded amenities, and access to the lounge which has breakfast, snacks, evening hors d'oeuvres, and late night desserts. There is also complementary beer and wine during "happy hour". 

The Bathroom

The View from My Room

The Bed

My trip was just before the end of the You First program from Loews, so I got a welcome gift of fruit.

Welcome Gift

One thing I really love about Florida is being able to swim outside at night. For some reason, pools in the Caribbean tend to close before sunset, so this is one area Florida takes the lead. Well, also theme parks. 

The Royal Pacific Resort has a lovely pool, and a very nice pool bar to go with it. During the day, there is usually wait service around the pool, but in the evening, you tend to have to go up yourself to get drinks. 

The pool area also has a kiddy pool and a couple of nice hot tubs where you can relax. They say you're not supposed to have drinks actually in the hot tubs, but as long as they aren't in glass containers, I have never seen this rule enforced. 

The Pool by Night

Tropical Feel

The Ship Splash Section of the Pool

Next - Islands of Adventure