How we saved €1,000’s on our Caribbean Holiday
For many years we had been looking at booking a Caribbean Island break but unfortunately the budget just would not stretch. We have been very lucky to visit many countries but visiting the Caribbean was a real bit of luxury and with the savings we managed to bag, it finally became possible.With each holiday we have gathered savings tips that we bring forward to the next holiday and tips I am going to share with you in the article today.I booked the hotel, flights, insurance, transfers and upgrades all separately as package deals were just too expensive.Here is our holiday booked as a package from 3 websites -v- what we paid:Cassidy Travel – €5,394Tropical Sky – €5,958Lowcost – €5,570*These are the 3 lowest priced package deals for the same holiday we booked checked at the time we made out booking, prices may not be the same today.* Not including private transfers, flight upgrade or accommodation upgrade.We paid for two adults staying 12 nightsFlights were booked on Tripsta – €1,650 for two adults, including seat upgrade,two 23kg check in bag + two 12kg carry on bag – Flying from Dublin with a 2hr stop in Paris and then onto Punta Cana in the Domician RepublicHotel was booked through Travel Republic- €2,300 for two adults, upgraded to a sea view, platinum suite.Private Transfers were booked through A2B transfers – €72 return for two adultsInsurance with AIB – Single trip for two adults – €30Total Cost: €4,052If we added flight upgrades, the room upgrades and private transfers to the package deals above then these would cost almost €3,000 more than we paid.This is an all-inclusive resort, so dining is covered in the initial cost of the holiday as are all your drinks, snacks, non motorized water-sports and day and night-time activities.As you can see, a little bit of shopping about can see you making some massive savings and when you look at what we got for €4,000 you can see we really got a fabulous deal.Bavaro Princess resort has a lot of food options to choose from, with 9 restaurants, some themed restaurants, with a range of world cuisine: Italian, Oriental, Japanese, fish and seafood, and the best Argentinian steaks. The filet beef in the Italian is something not to miss.Among the great dining options available, there are also two buffet restaurants and 9 bars (including wet bars in the pool) in which you can try out local specialties or simply enjoy the snacksThe Bavaro Princess is directly on the beachfront and this beach is in one of the areas best in the Dominican for incomparable beauty of its scenery, and the quality and cleanliness of its white sand and transparent turquoise waters. A truly excellent beachfront and located just 25 minutes drive from the airport.With the Platinum upgrade this is what is included:
- 1 King size bed.
- Bathroom with shower and Jacuzzi.
- Living area, Dining area and a step up bedroom
- Balcony / Terrace.
- Plasma TV 42 “cable .TV.
- DVD
- Blu-ray
- Radio alarm clocks
- Mini bar (water, soft drinks, domestic beer), stocked daily.
- Coffee maker.
- 1 Umbrella in the room.
- 1 Telephone in the room.
- Iron and ironing board.
- Safe deposit box (free of charge).
- Hairdryer.
- Ceiling fan.
- Air conditioner.
Exclusive services
- Platinum bracelet.
- Private check in, welcome drink and cold towel on arrival.
- Concierge services located in the Platinum Club Lounge and the private area on the beach.
- Basic WIFI and unlimited Internet access at Platinum Club Lounge.
- Basic WIFI access at the Beach Club.
- Daily turndown service.
- 2 beach towels in the room
- Use of bathrobes and slippers during the stay.
- Stay at 1 and enjoy 4 (Transportation Service to Hotels Punta Cana Princess, Caribe Club Princess and Tropical Princess).
- Total use of 14 a la carte restaurants, 4 buffets, one luxury buffet, 19 bars (2 with live music), 6 pools, 4 snack bars and 3 theaters.
Unique advantages
- Continental breakfast and snacks in the Platinum Club Lounge.
- Exclusive beach club with luxury sunbeds and waiter service for drinks.
- 1 Lobster Dinner (per person per week).
- National, international and premium in hotel bars (aged liquors and wines not included) drinks.
- Telephone for the a la carte reservation.
- 10% discount on all Spa treatments.
- 20-minute massage (per person per week).
- Introduction to diving in the pool (1 lesson per person per stay).
- 1 Box 3 cigars (per room, per week)
- 1 Princess Beach Bag.
- Luxury amenities in the room.
Flying long haul: This is a long haul destination that is ideal in my opinion for couples, yes they do cater for children however I feel this is much more suited to people looking for a honeymoon, anniversary or any other celebration destination. The flight is long, we stayed close to Dublin Airport the evening before flying but even with this we had a 3am wake up, before getting a 6am flight to Paris and it was 11pm (Dublin time) when we finally arrived at our resort.Entry Visa: You must pay a $10 per person entry visa fee once you arrive in Punta Cana airport and make sue you have this already on you in cash, otherwise you are in for a long old mess about at the “bank” in the Airport. There is no exit visa required. You will have a form to fill out when you arrive in the airport that asks a lot of questions about your trip, but no one even looks at it and also note once you arrive in the Airport you will see two lines, one of for entering Punta Cana, the other is for people carrying onto Santa Domingo, there are no signs and no directions so remember you cue on the right for Punta Cana and left for Santa Domingo. This will save you a lot of time.We flew with Air France who looked after us perfectly, booked through Tripsta as it was a lot cheaper than booking direct, and once booked I paid the €50 per person each way for the seat upgrades, this is included in the cost listed above. Going out was a daytime flight, so not easy to sleep, but coming back was a nighttime flight so much easier. Remember flying for this long is hard on the body, so get up and walk about, buy at least 2lts of water per person in the Airport as you will not get nearly enough on the flight.I booked a private transfer because the last thing I wanted once we arrived was a 2 hour drive dropping off people at various hotels along the way and with A2B it was as cheap as a shared transfer.What we loved about the Dominican Republic
- The sun
- The Beaches are the most beautiful we have ever seen in real life
- How relaxed the Caribbean is
- The food
- Island Hopping
- Beach parties
- Taken a speed boat ride
- Sailing for hours on a Catamaran
- The Spa at the resort is amazing, expensive but worth every single $
What we did not like about the Dominican Republic
- Everyone is always trying to sell you something and some get aggressive in tone when you say no
- There seems to be little or no rules (5 people on one moped with not a helmet between them, no rules on the roads, excursions were massively unorganized and no one seemed to know what was going on)
- We got ripped off by the “bank” in the Airport when we arrived
We loved our time on the stunning island and would have no hesitation in recommending this as a super holiday destination to anyone.If you are looking for a laid back holiday, with the most beautiful beaches, fabulous service, delicious food, incredible sunshine and luxury accommodation, then look at booking a Caribbean break.This is a long article but if you are looking to book a Caribbean break then you need all this info and so much more, please if you have any questions, then please get in touch and I will do my best to answer them.Also check out my articles on