CDNinNYC

[pocahontas]

Sorry for the drive by post, but how are you? You''ve been in my thoughts like crazy with all the news about the swine flu in Mexico. Is everything status quo? I''ve been such a bad PS''er lately, but I wanted to check in on you.

 

[kama_s]

Ditto Poca. Hope this hasn''t thrown your plans for a loop. Fingers crossed things will die down by then.

 

[CDNinNYC]

I've been surprisingly ok; everyone I've talked to has said how shocked they are by how calm I am. I'll be honest, though... seeing your thread just about did me in. You are amazingly sweet to be thinking of me when you just had your own wedding.

We got the news this afternoon that Air Transat and Air Canada have postponed their flights to Mexico until June 1st. With 20-something out of 31 guests flying on these carriers, we feel like we have no choice but to cancel/postpone our wedding.

At this point, we don't know if we can find another location and plan a new wedding in 30 days or if we should reschedule for a later date in Mexico. All our guests had fully paid for their flights/hotel and now Air Transat and Air Canada won't refund them their money. Instead they are offering alternate days/locations.

I hope you'll start a thread soon on your wedding. I'd love to hear all about it; could really use some wedding cheer.


CDN

 

[CDNinNYC]

Date: 4/29/2009 12:18:06 AM
Author: kama_s
Ditto Poca. Hope this hasn''t thrown your plans for a loop. Fingers crossed things will die down by then.

Hey Kama, plans have definitely gone through the wringer, never mind the loop!

Know any fun resorts that are flu free? I''m suddenly in the market.

 

[kama_s]

Date: 4/29/2009 12:23:04 AM
Author: CDNinNYC
We got the news this afternoon that Air Transat and Air Canada have postponed their flights to Mexico until June 1st. With 20-something out of 31 guests flying on these carriers, we feel like we have no choice but to cancel/postpone our wedding.

At this point, we don''t know if we can find another location and plan a new wedding in 30 days or if we should reschedule for a later date in Mexico. All our guests had fully paid for their flights/hotel and now Air Transat and Air Canada won''t refund them their money. Instead they are offering alternate days/locations.

OH MY GOODNESS. You''ve got to be kidding. I''m typing and retyping my post because I really dont want to stress you out anymore...but my eyes are bulging out at the moment. I can''t believe how shitty the timing is.

It might be cutting it too close, but can you change the venue to the Dominican? Punta Cana has some beautiful beaches too. We saw three weddings when we were there last, and they were all gorgeous.

*hug* I feel awful for you.

 

[kama_s]

Also, Poca, how was your wedding?!!!! I want to hear ALL. Make a new thread woman! Do you have any pictures yet?

 

[violet3]

Date: 4/29/2009 12:23:04 AM
Author: CDNinNYC
I''ve been surprisingly ok; everyone I''ve talked to has said how shocked they are by how calm I am. I''ll be honest, though... seeing your thread just about did me in. You are amazingly sweet to be thinking of me when you just had your own wedding.

We got the news this afternoon that Air Transat and Air Canada have postponed their flights to Mexico until June 1st. With 20-something out of 31 guests flying on these carriers, we feel like we have no choice but to cancel/postpone our wedding.

At this point, we don''t know if we can find another location and plan a new wedding in 30 days or if we should reschedule for a later date in Mexico. All our guests had fully paid for their flights/hotel and now Air Transat and Air Canada won''t refund them their money. Instead they are offering alternate days/locations.

I hope you''ll start a thread soon on your wedding. I''d love to hear all about it; could really use some wedding cheer.


CDN

CDN, i am just stopping by to tell you how sorry i am to hear this - i caught your posts in the hangout section regarding the flu, but i was somehow hoping it would all settle before your wedding and everything would be ok for you. My heart breaks for you that you are having to deal with all of this so close to your wedding date. I wish i had some words of comfort, but for now....

(((((((((HUGS))))))))))

 

[Harriet]

You are astonishingly calm.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Date: 4/29/2009 12:33:27 AM
Author: kama_s

OH MY GOODNESS. You've got to be kidding. I'm typing and retyping my post because I really dont want to stress you out anymore...but my eyes are bulging out at the moment. I can't believe how shitty the timing is.


It might be cutting it too close, but can you change the venue to the Dominican? Punta Cana has some beautiful beaches too. We saw three weddings when we were there last, and they were all gorgeous.


*hug* I feel awful for you.

Thanks for the hug, kama. I need it.

What's frustrating is that our flights out of NY and those of a few friends/family in NY, Boston, and Europe have not been cancelled; only those from Canada. Darn those Canucks!

If you could pass along the names of those resorts, I'd appreciate it. We'd lose our deposits with our resort and photographer but we're open to anything right about now... you interested in a double wedding, by chance?

I've got quite a few Patron bottles (31 to be exact) I can bring...

 

[CDNinNYC]

Date: 4/29/2009 12:39:33 AM
Author: violet3

CDN, i am just stopping by to tell you how sorry i am to hear this - i caught your posts in the hangout section regarding the flu, but i was somehow hoping it would all settle before your wedding and everything would be ok for you. My heart breaks for you that you are having to deal with all of this so close to your wedding date. I wish i had some words of comfort, but for now....


(((((((((HUGS))))))))))

Thanks violet. You''re very kind. I''ll take that hug!

 

[CDNinNYC]

Date: 4/29/2009 12:44:13 AM
Author: Harriet
You are astonishingly calm.

I''ve been dipping into the tequila. Shhhh, don''t tell D.

 

[Harriet]

The Half Moon Bay Resort in Jamaica is lovely and quaint in a colonial way. If you don''t mind staying close to home, check out: www.fontainebleau.com I''d get married there.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 4/29/2009 12:55:30 AM
Author: CDNinNYC

Date: 4/29/2009 12:44:13 AM
Author: Harriet
You are astonishingly calm.

I''ve been dipping into the tequila. Shhhh, don''t tell D.

 

[kama_s]

Date: 4/29/2009 12:52:07 AM
Author: CDNinNYC


Thanks for the hug, kama. I need it.

What's frustrating is that our flights out of NY and those of a few friends/family in NY, Boston, and Europe have not been cancelled; only those from Canada. Darn those Canucks!

If you could pass along the names of those resorts, I'd appreciate it. We'd lose our deposits with our resort and photographer but we're open to anything right about now... you interested in a double wedding, by chance?

I've got quite a few Patron bottles (31 to be exact) I can bring...

Haha, you can totally crash our wedding, we'll set up a mini-barrier between your side and my side! As long as no one steals any of my cupcakes

Re: Punta Cana, we were staying at the Majestic Elegance which is a newly opened resort. We saw one wedding in their gazebo, but the hotel is new so it's not perfect at this point. But beside us was the Majestic Colonial (which is a sister hotel) and we saw two weddings on the beach and they were just beautiful

. The resort is a 5+ and very reasonable in prices - here's the trip advisor report on it if you want to read people's comments...but it's one of the the top resorts in PC.

I'll post again with the pricing on the Majestic Colonial.

 

[kama_s]

So from Toronto to Punta Canada, leaving Toronto on the 27th of May for 7 nights at the Majestic Colonial All-inclusive:

Redtag.ca: Around 1350 CAD including taxes
Flightnetwork: Around 1400CAD including taxes
Travelcuts.com: Same price as above two

I guess it's not that reasonable in prices. I dont know what budget you're looking to stay within, but if you tell me what your guests would be comfortable paying I can do a massive search to find you a nice resort outside of Mexico.

Usually I get the best deals from a company called gofly.ca, but something is up with their website right now and I can't access their vacation packages. If you'd like, I can call them tomorrow morning. I know the girl who works there (I've been getting all my tickets from her for the past 2 years), so I can try and see what kind of a deal she can give (I'm not affiliated with her or the company at all).

Let me know if I can help in any way.

 

[pocahontas]

((((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))) to you my friend! I'm so sorry you're dealing with this; I totally echo Kama's comment about the timing being so crappy! Okay, thinking hats on....I agree with Kama about looking into the DR or Jamaica. We stayed here http://www.dreamsresorts.com/drelr/index.html La Romana is a lot quieter than Punta Cana so you might have a better chance of putting something together on such short notice. Dreams La Romana Resort and Spa is beautiful and the amenities are amazing - we had great service, but some of our guests experienced long waits getting things delivered to their rooms. The resort recently went over a major reno and upgrade and some of the rooms are missing some of the finer details and still working to iron out some of the kinks, but overall a fabulous resort, imho. The wedding coordinator's name is Tiara de la Rosa. The good thing about the D.R. is that there is no waiting period. Hmmm, is there anything else we can help you research?! Let us know how we can help, okay?!

ETA: CDN and Kama, I promise I'll post pics within the next few days; I have a ton! You guys are so sweet for asking

 

[Inanna]

CDN - sending you tons of HUGS and DUST that everything works out!

You really are so calm, I find it incredibly inspiring. Keep dipping into that tequila

and keep us updated.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Hey CDN I don''t have much to add other than to say I''m sorry you''re dealing with this. Good luck, I''ll be thinking about you.

 

[pocahontas]

okay, gotta scrap the idea of La Romana because only Air Canada is offering flights to La Romana so your guests booked on Air Transat would lose their money. How about Cuba? I have to say that imho Cuba''s got amazing beaches, but the food kinda sucks. Having said that I know tons of people who think differently. I''m not sure where you sit on the debate, but if you''re open to the option check this resort out; it looks stunning http://www.aircanadavacations.com/catalog/externalResortDetails.do?language=en&hotelCode=ROYA&destinationCode=SNU

Both Air Canada and Air Transat are offering AI packages for $1270 and $1357 respectively, taxes included, leaving on May 24th. Wedding packages are available.

Hmmm, still thinking about other options.....

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 4/29/2009 9:23:18 AM
Author: pocahontas

okay, gotta scrap the idea of La Romana because only Air Canada is offering flights to La Romana so your guests booked on Air Transat would lose their money. How about Cuba? I have to say that imho Cuba''s got amazing beaches, but the food kinda sucks. Having said that I know tons of people who think differently. I''m not sure where you sit on the debate, but if you''re open to the option check this resort out; it looks stunning http://www.aircanadavacations.com/catalog/externalResortDetails.do?language=en&hotelCode=ROYA&destinationCode=SNU


Both Air Canada and Air Transat are offering AI packages for $1270 and $1357 respectively, taxes included, leaving on May 24th. Wedding packages are available.


Hmmm, still thinking about other options.....

Don''t forget, American''s can''t easily travel to Cuba....

 

[pocahontas]

Date: 4/29/2009 9:26:50 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk

Don''t forget, American''s can''t easily travel to Cuba....

Argh, that''s right; thanks for the reminder, HH! This thinking hat of mine totally sucks

 

[wannaBMrsH]

CDN, I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this. I post on another board and there is a bride that made it down to Mexico on Monday for her wedding this weekend only to find the same thing, that AirCanada cancelled all flights to Mexico, her parents had to go to New York to fly down and none of her guests will be able to make it. I don''t know why they are imposing such a long ban when it seems that the worst is over.

To echo Kama, if you are looking for an alternative, I ditto the DR. I am getting married there in August and I can''t recommend my resort enough. We are staying at the Iberostar Punta Cana. They just completed major renovations as well and the reviews have been really great on TripAdvisor. When we went on our scouting trips, one of our favorite things was that even though they have 4 different ceremony locations, they only have 1 wedding per day. Several of the resorts we looked at had up to three weddings per day and you could see the frustration in some brides when they weren''t getting the attention they deserved on their wedding day.

Let me know if you want our WC information there as our guests were able to secure a package for right around $1100 per person and I''m sure NYC would be cheaper. Plus both AirTransat and AirCanada fly directly into Punta Cana.

I send you many hugs and lots of dust**************************************

 

[katamari]

Date: 4/29/2009 9:07:25 AM
Author: Inanna
CDN - sending you tons of HUGS and DUST that everything works out!


You really are so calm, I find it incredibly inspiring. Keep dipping into that tequila

and keep us updated.

A huge ditto! I think the fact that you can be so level through this shows that your relationship means so much more to you than your wedding. Best luck with this!

 

[allycat0303]

CDN: What terrible timing for you. I really hope you are able to work it all out!

 

[Maisie]

I don''t suppose your guests could fly into the US and then onto Mexico? Just a suggestion and probably a stupid one but I am trying to help.

 

[Harriet]

To those of you who don't know CDN in real life,
She is one of the calmest and level-headed people I know. So is her fiance. Just don't get in her way when she's hungry.

 

[mrscushion]

I''m so, so sorry you are dealing with this. What a nightmare.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Wow, you ladies are awesome.

Thanks so much for all your support.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Date: 4/29/2009 1:00:28 AM
Author: Harriet
The Half Moon Bay Resort in Jamaica is lovely and quaint in a colonial way. If you don''t mind staying close to home, check out: www.fontainebleau.com I''d get married there.

Harriet, thanks for the suggestions. Both locations look lovely!

RE: staying closer to home, I''d love to do that and would consider locations along both coasts but the main issue at hand is Air Transat Holidays holding our guests ''hostage''. They cancelled their flights but won''t refund them their packages. In order not to lose their money, we have to book a venue they are affiliated with.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Date: 4/29/2009 1:03:12 AM
Author: kama_s

Haha, you can totally crash our wedding, we''ll set up a mini-barrier between your side and my side! As long as no one steals any of my cupcakes

Re: Punta Cana, we were staying at the Majestic Elegance which is a newly opened resort. We saw one wedding in their gazebo, but the hotel is new so it''s not perfect at this point. But beside us was the Majestic Colonial (which is a sister hotel) and we saw two weddings on the beach and they were just beautiful

. The resort is a 5+ and very reasonable in prices - here''s the trip advisor report on it if you want to read people''s comments...but it''s one of the the top resorts in PC.


I''ll post again with the pricing on the Majestic Colonial.

Thanks so much for the recommendation on the Majestic Colonial. It looks good and I''m having my T.A. look into it. Hopefully we have some openings. Air Transat stated on their website they will be providing ''more destinations'' to make up for canceling Mexico but just because they are opening more routes doesn''t mean the resorts have available capacity.