I'm having a honeymoon heart attack.... help! Is Sandals "worth" it?

JonesPartyOf2

I know sandals questions have been asked before, but I need to hear from someone who booked at Sandals and NOT in a Butler suite.  We simply can't afford it and I personally think it's extravagant and a waste of money.  Really.  Who needs a butler?  No one.  We're putting that money towards a house.  Not one week of our lives.

But I don't want to be spending $1000+ on a honeymoon if it's only worth going to Sandals if you do the extras.  I'd like to be able to have a romantic dinner just the two of us (not in one of the restaurants) one night and it seems to me that you are unable to do so unless you book a "room service" room.  At Sandals Montego Bay that only includes the butler rooms.  Even the Honeymoon packages are all over 1k.

Is Sandals REALLY worth the cost if you're NOT adding in the frills?   I don't want to go and be made to feel "second rate" because we didn't spend $500+ a night.  When we went to Mexico two years ago we still got great service (and even a room upgrade) when we booked on a discount.  Because that's all we can afford.  We're not going to Playa del Carmen again because of the deteriorating political situation.

Help! I'm stressing, and it's stressing out my fiance. Which is NOT what this should be about!

THank you!

goaliegirl

I didn't vote because if you don't want to spend that much money, why don't you look for another cheaper resort.  Why do you have to go to Sandals?    We went to the P*nta Cana and stayed at the Excellence PC for our first anniversary for FAR cheaper than our HM at Sandals Ocho Rios.    Maybe check around and see what other deals are out there for other resorts.

Reilly626

I will give you a llittle advice- my brother booked Sandals Negril in a basic room. Now he honeymooned in November/December. When he got down there are the front desk he asked to upgrade to a butler room. At the desk for $150 they gave them a swim up river suites butler room!  First of all it probably depends on the time of the year, and also the resort. And also remember Jamaica is a poor island, that money will go far to someone. During the week they became friendly with the staff and got their email, etc and they told them to do the same when they come to Sandals again. Upgrade AT THE RESORT, its way less $, than now in the states.  You must do a butler room if you want any nice experience. Restaurants get booked up and you are left eating at the buffet nightly without the bulter to serve you. He also will save you beachchairs and load a cooler with your favorites daily, its the only way to go!

kristinanddan

You don't need butler service to make dinner reservations, only concierge service. We booked a room below concierge level and were upgraded to it upon check-in. It was helpful to have someone to make reservations through for dinner.
I don't think the butler service is worth it - some people enjoy it, but we talked to people who had it while we were there and they said it was weird.

You certainly don't have to go to Sandals, but if you do you definitely don't need butler service. We had a lovely time without it.

ekelly83

We had a basic room and ended up getting upgraded to concierge service as soon as we got there without knowing. It isn't difficult to make your own reservations, as long as you know to ask as soon as you get there. Anyone can figure it out. My husband and I had an absolutely amazing time at Sandals and even decided we would not like a butler around us the whole time. It is definitely worth it to go!


Edit: We were at Sandals Royal Caribbean

katheriner89

I looked into sandals for our HM. I know ppl who have gone. The one thing that they all tell me is that the difference is that the "tip" is already included in the price. If you go to a regular AL the tip is not included.

So with that being said we are staying at Secrets Maroma Beach, I'll have money to tip the employees. I don't like not knowing how much someone is getting.

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_im-having-honeymoon-heart-attack-sandals-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:ec968d7a-0fe1-4aee-b1a6-2bc69f36891ePost:23373404-c7b8-4ba9-8748-7120e6229614">Re: I'm having a honeymoon heart attack.... help! Is Sandals "worth" it?</a>:
[QUOTE]I didn't vote because if you don't want to spend that much money, why don't you look for another cheaper resort.  Why do you have to go to Sandals?    We went to the P*nta Cana and stayed at the Excellence PC for our first anniversary for FAR cheaper than our HM at Sandals Ocho Rios.    Maybe check around and see what other deals are out there for other resorts.
Posted by goaliegirl[/QUOTE]
I
I'd have to agree with this.

That being said, we love Sandals. We've been to three and have never had butler service but we do always get concierge.

We've also been to Mexico (AI adults only resort *Royal Cancun*) and found that to be the same pricing as Sandals(7 nights 8 days) but nicer all around. 

My advice is check into other resorts and go with what you can afford not with what the main stream says/does. It's your hm so make the most of it but certainly do not go into debt over it. A house is much more important than a hm.

I don't know if it will help at all but I do have reviews and pics of our travels in the links above my siggy pic if you would like to check them out.

SuMmErKuTiE

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_im-having-honeymoon-heart-attack-sandals-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:ec968d7a-0fe1-4aee-b1a6-2bc69f36891ePost:23373404-c7b8-4ba9-8748-7120e6229614">Re: I'm having a honeymoon heart attack.... help! Is Sandals "worth" it?</a>:
[QUOTE]I didn't vote because if you don't want to spend that much money, why don't you look for another cheaper resort.  Why do you have to go to Sandals?    We went to the P*nta Cana and stayed at the Excellence PC for our first anniversary for FAR cheaper than our HM at Sandals Ocho Rios.    Maybe check around and see what other deals are out there for other resorts.
Posted by goaliegirl[/QUOTE]

Ditto this... Sandals is known to be the most overpriced AI chain. You can get so much more for so much less if you research other resorts in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, etc...

Look into the Excellence resorts, Secrets resorts, Couples resorts, Palace resorts, Breezes, and Riu resorts.

dazyabbey

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_im-having-honeymoon-heart-attack-sandals-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:ec968d7a-0fe1-4aee-b1a6-2bc69f36891ePost:4c1c5740-b3fa-40d4-87b4-377cbeffd6c0">Re: I'm having a honeymoon heart attack.... help! Is Sandals "worth" it?</a>:
[QUOTE]I looked into sandals for our HM. I know ppl who have gone. The one thing that they all tell me is that the difference is that the "tip" is already included in the price. If you go to a regular AL the tip is not included. So with that being said we are staying at Secrets Maroma Beach, I'll have money to tip the employees. I don't like not knowing how much someone is getting.
Posted by katheriner89[/QUOTE]

Most resorts include the gratuity in the entire price. You can tip a little extra on top of that if you would like though. When we went to the RIU Palace Riviera Maya we tipped a dollar here or there and got excellent service because of that.

Even on the Secrets Maroma Beach website it says under the What's Included Tab: All taxes and gratuities.

bridetobemo

I definitely second couples resorts, they have 4 different ones in Jamaica, all are breathtakingly gorgeous!! And not only are they AI they also inlude excursions which is great!! Couples.com, take a look!!

FutureMrsSheeler

I am a little on the fence too. FI's aunt and uncle are paying for our honeymoon, and my FSIL just got back from Sandals Grande St. Lucia, she said she loved it, just because of the excursions.. didn't really say anything about Sandals itself, besides that it is an older crowd. So, we were initally thinking of going to Sandals Grande Antigua, just because we've researched it, and thought it looked like a great place.

Then we researched other AI's in the Caribbean and came across Majestic Elegance P. Cana. This place is MUCH less expensive, but you get more there than at Sandals, and we can afford a much better room there, so we've pretty much decided on that, to get the best experience.

I would do your research and not just decided on Sandals right away, because that is the only AI that you're familiar with, you'll find a lot of them for a lot less!

dazyabbey

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_im-having-honeymoon-heart-attack-sandals-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:ec968d7a-0fe1-4aee-b1a6-2bc69f36891ePost:54af4c0d-f667-44f2-809f-cfdda3c19721">Re: I'm having a honeymoon heart attack.... help! Is Sandals "worth" it?</a>:
[QUOTE]I would do your research and not just decided on Sandals right away, because that is the only AI that you're familiar with, you'll find a lot of them for a lot less!
Posted by FutureMrsSheeler[/QUOTE]

I think a lot of travel agents also try to shove Sandals down your throat. It seems like they advertise and network so much that everyone only seems to know about them. You can get an amazing resort for a fraction of the price.

haygs512

im not married or engaged yet but my boyfriend and I went to Sandals Antigua and Sandals Jamaica- Whitehouse........both felt like honeymoons and we had the basic room........u only really spend time in the bed in the room and the beds are really all the same   The food and nightlife are great!  The pools and drinks are excellent as well and I love that they have floating rafts at all the pools

haygs512

a lot of all inclusives have food that is terrible or can make u sick.........i.e. Riu resorts and Barcelo resorts...........you can't go wrong with the Sandals food.......you don't get sick and it's good quality

MissyCee

Sandals is worth it if you go when there is a sale...which is pretty much all the time anyways. However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend Montego Bay. It's probably their least nice property. I would recommend Whitehouse, it's a little ways away from the airport but it's secluded with an amazing beach and beatiful grounds. If you're looking for lots of daytime activities, Sandals Negril tends to attract a younger crowd and slightly more rowdy experience.

I also would agree to check on Couples resorts, they are fantastic, but I'll warn you that they are NOT less expensive than Sandals 99% of the time. They are worth every penny but it sounds like you don't want to pay a lot of $$.

If you just want a cheaper AI, look into the D.R. as they have a few AI's that are really cheap. The only issue would be that there aren't as many excursions available there, but if that doesn't matter than maybe that's the best way to go for you.

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_im-having-honeymoon-heart-attack-sandals-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:ec968d7a-0fe1-4aee-b1a6-2bc69f36891ePost:b2ef0a24-09ad-469b-8a21-b36b10092f2c">Re: I'm having a honeymoon heart attack.... help! Is Sandals "worth" it?</a>:
[QUOTE]a lot of all inclusives have food that is terrible or can make u sick.........i.e. Riu resorts and Barcelo resorts...........you can't go wrong with the Sandals food.......you don't get sick and it's good quality
Posted by haygs512[/QUOTE]
Wrong! I got food poisoning at Sandals Grande Antigua a month ago and was sick our entire trip! The night I got sick (our second night there) was the one and only time I ate something different than my husband.

bridetobemo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_im-having-honeymoon-heart-attack-sandals-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:ec968d7a-0fe1-4aee-b1a6-2bc69f36891ePost:87b45d71-eacb-47ba-8be4-193d8367dce6">Re: I'm having a honeymoon heart attack.... help! Is Sandals "worth" it?</a>:
[QUOTE]Sandals is worth it if you go when there is a sale...which is pretty much all the time anyways. However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend Montego Bay. It's probably their least nice property. I would recommend Whitehouse, it's a little ways away from the airport but it's secluded with an amazing beach and beatiful grounds. If you're looking for lots of daytime activities, Sandals Negril tends to attract a younger crowd and slightly more rowdy experience. <strong>I also would agree to check on Couples resorts, they are fantastic, but I'll warn you that they are NOT less expensive than Sandals 99% of the time. They are worth every penny but it sounds like you don't want to pay a lot of $$. If</strong> you just want a cheaper AI, look into the D.R. as they have a few AI's that are really cheap. The only issue would be that there aren't as many excursions available there, but if that doesn't matter than maybe that's the best way to go for you.
Posted by MissyCee[/QUOTE]

I guess i just got lucky, because couples was $1000.00 less than sandals for a similar room when I booked!!

dazyabbey

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_im-having-honeymoon-heart-attack-sandals-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:ec968d7a-0fe1-4aee-b1a6-2bc69f36891ePost:b2ef0a24-09ad-469b-8a21-b36b10092f2c">Re: I'm having a honeymoon heart attack.... help! Is Sandals "worth" it?</a>:
[QUOTE]a lot of all inclusives have food that is terrible or can make u sick.........i.e. Riu resorts and Barcelo resorts...........you can't go wrong with the Sandals food.......you don't get sick and it's good quality
Posted by haygs512[/QUOTE]

We stayed at a RIU in Riviera Maya in September and the food was absolutely amazing. They went out of the way to make sure we got everything we wanted. The specialty restaurants were delicious and I seriously had one of the best steaks I have ever had in my entire life. So stating that the food sucks is a little over generalizing.

Blueyed228

I think the butler suites are worth it, but I dont think its something you *have* to do to have a nice vacation.  It was just a nice addition.

Sandals does a great job.  And its not like you show some butler card and get special treatment.  When you are hanging out at the resort no-one knows what suite you have.

JonesPartyOf2

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_im-having-honeymoon-heart-attack-sandals-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:ec968d7a-0fe1-4aee-b1a6-2bc69f36891ePost:10969476-edd2-4d29-bf36-1737fb4d8f8a">Re: I'm having a honeymoon heart attack.... help! Is Sandals "worth" it?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: I'm having a honeymoon heart attack.... help! Is Sandals "worth" it? : I I'd have to agree with this. That being said, we love Sandals. We've been to three and have never had butler service but we do always get concierge. We've also been to Mexico (AI adults only resort *Royal Cancun*) and found that to be the same pricing as Sandals(7 nights 8 days) but nicer all around.  My advice is check into other resorts and go with what you can afford not with what the main stream says/does. It's your hm so make the most of it but certainly do not go into debt over it. A house is much more important than a hm. I don't know if it will help at all but I do have reviews and pics of our travels in the links above my siggy pic if you would like to check them out.
Posted by monkeygirl18[/QUOTE]

I whole heartedly agree, but he fh hands down refuses to go to Mexico because of the political situation right now.  He gets warnings about traveling to Mx through work, and won't go. I pulled up a lot of GREAT deals through livingsocial but they were all in Mexico. He really wants to experience the "dazzling" caribbean beaches.  <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-undecided.gif" border="0" alt="Undecided" title="Undecided" />

Thanks everyone for the info.  We're looking at Breezes, too.  Thankfully the fh has discounts at places like this or we'd be outta luck.