Jamaica or Punta Cuna

rcooper1102

Hi all!

I'm trying to decide where to go and we haven't been to either of these places - so I need help comparing & deciding ??!?!?!  Also, if we go to Jamaica I understand Montego Bay is closest ... but the nicer beaches are a bit of a drive.  Anyone have any thoughts on where we should go if we did Jamaica ? Is this 'drive' a big deal anyways? 

I also would reallllllly love to go to Punta Cana though too. 

Thoughts?  Wedding is 12.27.13

thanks!

Jells2dot0

Some of the resorts in PC are a bit of a drive from the airport as well. Personally, I'm not a fan of Jamaica, so if PC is within budget (air tends to be a bit more expensive to get there), I'd go there.

MrsGandthebeag

I've never been to PC, but I'm not a huge fan of Jamaica.  I've only been to Sandals Negril which was an hour and a half drive from the airport.  Yes, the beach was really nice, but I don't know if it's worth that much of a drive.  Although, they do give you red stripe on the drive which makes it a little more fun.  lol.  But, Jamaica in general I feel isn't that safe off the resorts.  It's the only place we've been on vacation where we never explored the area.  

meggiemo

We are headed to Excellence in Punta Cana and are so incredibly excited. We considered Jamaica, specifically the Couples resorts, but our travel agent hands down recommended PC, so we took her suggestion. PC also ended up being a few hundred dollars cheaper than Jamaica, for us at least. Good luck deciding!

rcooper1102

thanks ladies !!!!!!  DR is my first choice .... so .....  i think DR it is !!!

SuMmErKuTiE

We went to Jamaica last year and went to PC this year and hands down I would choose PC over Jamaica. We weren't impressed with Jamaica at all but we absolutely LOVED PC. Everything there was MUCH better than Jamaica. The beach, the resort, the service, the locals, the food, the drinks, etc.. I have reviews of both trips on my blog. Link in siggy.

http://peridotkutie.blogspot.com/2012/07/anniversary-in-jamaica-mon.html

http://peridotkutie.blogspot.com/2013/05/punta-cana-recap.html

We honestly can't say enough amazing things about PC and our resort there (Majestic Colonial on the club side).

KellyVarellas26

I have heard only great things about PC and not a fan of Jamaica.

lindsaynewbride10

I'd also recommend Majestic Elegance in PC, very nice resort. Book in the Elegance Club if you choose this resort. Lots of extras with it. Good luck and have fun!

bluebuckeye84

My sister and her husband went to Jamaica for their honeymoon and Punta Cana a few years later and said they wished they would have went to PC for their honeymoon.

We are booked to go to Punta Cana the Excellence hotel (adults only!) in November for the honeymoon. I have read that it is an hour drive from the airport but I am AOK with that for the adults only feature of the hotel. Also, they were advertising a free honeymoon package until December. I can't wait!

futuremrsdaniel824

We're headed to the The Excellence in Punta Cana in August for our Honeymoon...can't wait!!

rcooper1102

OK so i'm totally sold & so is he on PC.  I've been on a few sites trying to price it out (wedding is in December) ...  does around $6000 sound right?  

futuremrsdaniel824

How long are you going for and where are you flying from?  We are going for 5 nights from Milwaukee for about $3K.

Sierra524

I am so glad you posted this. I have been trying to decide between the two as well! I'm not sure if we will be taking a honeymoon right after the wedding, but we will eventually.

rcooper1102

Flying from Pittsburgh PA, 7 nights.  Now, that pricing was for the Excellence (direct from their website) so maybe they are just the really part ????

WalkersFurMama

We're going to PC for our honeymoon in July! We're staying at the Iberostar Grand Bavaro. 

futuremrsdaniel824

Not sure if it'd be a better deal but we got a package from a travel agent which includes flight, hotel, and insurance. 

SuMmErKuTiE

$6k seems like an awful lot for PC. We spent less than $2k for both of us to stay on the Club side (adults only) at the Majestic and this included flights and our resort. We went for 5 days, but we priced out adding additional days and it only added around $100 per person per day.

We booked our trip on Expedia and I forgot to add that this cost also included our ground transportation to and from the resort/airport. It was about a half hour ride to the resort from the airport.

dazyabbey

Try using AllInclusiveoutlet.com to compare prices for different resorts. I like using that website because you can put in your departure location and the dates.

 

Good luck!

libby2483

@meggiemo @bluebuckeye84 and @futuremrsdaniel824

We went to the Excellence for our honeymoon last year, and we loved it! We went during August, which isn't peak season, and we got a free upgrade to a honeymoon suite with a balcony that had a small private pool.  Be sure to ask for an upgrade.  Enjoy your honeymoons!

futuremrsdaniel824

Awesome!  I will be sure to ask for one   Did you do any excursions while you were there?

rcooper1102

thank you everyone!!!  our wedding is 12.27, maybe thats a popular time to get the hell out of the cold weather   

@dazyabbey thank you for the website!

Jells2dot0

As you mentioned, you are going at a peak time. The prices will definitely be much more than any other time of year and you'll also have a minimum stay requirement at some resorts. So, $6K does seem like a lot, but for the time of year, it may be that it's all that's available.

libby2483

futuremrsdaniel824futuremrsdaniel824

We did a dune-buggy excursion that was awesome! We got VERY dirty and muddy, though, so if you do something like this, wear old clothes and shoes and don't bring a lot of extra items.  

We also had a tour booked with Punta Cana Mike (just Google it and you'll find his page).  It got cancelled due to bad weather, though.  He has awesome reviews, so I wish we would have gotten to go.

lollie424

We booked the Excellence in Punta Cana for our honeymoon in October and it looks amazing!

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meggiemo

@lollie424

We just got back from Excellence Punta Cana 2 weeks ago. It was beautiful, we had the swim out suite overlooking the swim-up bar, which was wonderful. Our room was spotless, the staff was so nice, the entertainment at night was amazing, and the beach was beautiful. Unfortunately, we spent 3 days sick with terrible cases of food poisoning, which appeared to be running rampant the week we were there. We met so many people who were sick, had been sick, or their spouse was sick. It actually ended up making us a  bit nervous to eat anything there. While we made the best of it and still tried to get up and get out of our room, it really put a damper on the entire trip. While we had hoped to return to our honeymoon destination for our 5 year anniversary, we will definitely be choosing another destination now.

Deelovesunited

We just booked the Excellence Punta Cana for March 2014 in an Excellence club room from Toronto for $3500 total. I've been to both DR and Jamaica and hands down DR is better for service, food, beach, and overall experience. Can't wait till our honeymoon!

meggiemo

@deelovesunited

Quick tip: Rumor has it the Caesar salad is what caused the bouts of food poisoning for numerous guests while we were there. Apparently the dressing is made with raw eggs?! Be careful! 

It is, however, a beautiful, well-kept resort with amazing staff!

rcooper1102

$3500!  My god, when I price it .... because of the time of year, it's coming up $6,000

Deelovesunited

thanks for letting me know!

Deelovesunited

my fiancee is a travel consolidator so we get it half price, thats the only reason why it's inexpensive