We just got back from our honeymoon at Secrets the Vine in Cancun. Pretty much the most amazing vacation ever! Everyone there, and in Cancun generally, were so accomodating and helpful. I'm told that is because everyone works for tips, and gets paid next to nothing as base pay. I'm going to break down a bit of the trip for anyone who is looking to vacation at Secrets, or in Cancun, in the near future. Feel free to ask any questions.
The Resort:
The Vine is the newest Secrets resort, and it's gorgeous! We were greeted with a glass of champagne, and given a general tour of the resort before being taken to check-in. The place is huge, and everywhere you look employees are cleaning and maintaining the property. . . it was spotless! Food was delicious and plentiful. Just make sure to look at the daily activities to page to know what is open and closed that night. The pools are gorgeous. There are tons of activities should you choose to partake in them. We had a private dinner on the beach that was so nice. We took scuba lessons, watched a magician, enjoyed a mariachi band, etc. There is always something to do, even when the weather is crummy (which it was a few days)
Negatives about the resort are pretty limited. There were some obnoxious guests, the guys screaming at the pool while they funneled beers, the crazy drunk men talking obnoxiously loud in the restaurants, etc. No big deal really, and not the resorts fault. One morning we didn't have any running water in the room which was an annoyance, but remedied by the time we returned from our excursion. Also, the resort just opened, so these things happen. DH was annoyed that they don't adhere to dinner dress codes. They state that men are required to wear long pants, closed shoes, and collared shirts in a few of the restaurants, but there were guys there in tshirts, shorts and flipflops. . . also not a huge deal, but annoying to DH who packed extra clothes specifically for dinner, and after the two of us making the effort to dress nicely for dinner, being seated next to people who just rolled off the beach.
Excursion to Chichen Itza
Amazing, and informative. One of the 7 wonders of the world, and an amazing place. Take a hat or umbrella with you for the sun and also the random downpours that seem to occur everyday down there. There are TONS of vendors which is annoying, you need to ignore them or they will be all over you. We also swam in a cenote. It was amazing and gorgeous, but really tough to swim in because it is cold fresh water.
Excursion to Isla Mujeres
So much fun! We both got sunburned though, even though I reapplied sunblock a number of times. We took a catamaran there that was a lot of fun. It was basically a party boat with dancing and drinks. The island is gorgeous and the town we went to was really cute. I got a tamale for like 2 bucks from some woman selling them out of her house. . . it was delicious. There was also snorkeling which was cool, but not my favorite. . . . i get a little claustrophobic breathing through a tube. Keep in mind that everyone tells you to use biodegradeable sunscreen for the reefs. It is pricey at the excursions, get it before.
Excursion to Explor
Insane! It was the priciest thing we did, but worth it. Explor is an adventure park with ziplining, cave rafting, cave swimming and amphibious vehicle driving. You are literally underground half the days in caves. It is quite the workout with rowing, swimming, and climbing stairs for all the ziplines. It is nice because you can really go in any weather, since you are getting wet anyway, the rain is not a big deal. It poured half the day we were there. Wear water shoes, not flipflops!
