— Original Message
From: Kenneth Weber
To: nancy. [email protected]
Sent: Friday, December 19 8:24 AM
Subject: travel disaster
Hello Nancy,
My husband and I, Kenneth and Jamie Weber, contacted your office about a Mexican vacation. We had already been online several times studying the properties and started getting overwhelmed with the choices. My husband suggested we stop by the Georgetown, KY office for advice. We spoke and booked a vacation with Bonnie for November 29 to December 6, which was through Vacation Express/Pace airlines. After much consideration, Bonnie helped us to choose the El Dorado Resort and Spa in the Cancun area of the Mayan Riviera. We specified our only 3 "requirements" were:
1. All-inclusive
2. Adults only
3.in-suite jacuzzi (for which we paid extra)
We got what we wanted, paid around $2400, and were excited about our upcoming journey.
Til we got to the El Dorado Hotel. We had a difficult time conversing with the staff, it was our assumption that someone on the grounds would at least be able to interpret English. We finally spoke with the Hotel Director, Rufus, and voiced several complaints. We spoke with Rufus 5 days into the vacation, which was December
3. At this point, I had broken a front tooth off to the gumline and my husband wasn't feeling well. Rufus asked if I would like to see a dentist, but I had already called my dentist in Georgetown and had an appointment with him to have it fixed. I declined the offer and Rufus asked me to sign a waiver to protect the hotel from legal action. I agreed and he assured me someone would contact me the next morning. I then asked Rufus why we didn't have the lobster buffet which the hotel promotes, "2 lobster buffet nights weekly" and he looked confused, asking why we had not had any lobster. I told him that the restraunts on the grounds didn't have any and had canceled both buffets. He then told me that lobster is very hard to come by in Mexico and that they no longer offer that special, which was relayed to all the travel agents months in advance. Bonnie never said anything about it.
Rufus said he is in contact with travel agents thru a brochure they send out several times a year, indicating any changes in their offers.
Bonnie had also assured us that most of the hotels in the Cancun area had a water filtration system, but to be safe, use bottled water. We got to the hotel and didn't see the extremely small printed sign "Do not drink water" on the bottom of the mirror over the bathroom sink until we had already showered and brushed our teeth. Several hours later we decided to relax in the jacuzzi, big mistake, the water came from the faucet discolored and smelled of sewage. At this point, what could we do, we were stuck in a hotel with contaminated water. We had to shower there, but only used bottled water for all other hygenic applications. As I stated before, my husband was becoming ill by Wednesday of the week. He was vomiting with diahrea and the locals said he had dysentary. He used a whole pack of Immodeum to no avail. I fell ill with the same symptoms on Friday. On Thursday, we signed the release form and asked the concierge for some sort of pain releiver for my toothache and they cited legal reasons which prevented them from assisting me. I then asked for a hotel voucher which I might take to the on-grounds gift shop to secure some aspirin. Again, she denied. I went to the gift shop and purchased them.
Bonnie informed us that the resort had 3 restraunts and 2 bars and a nightclub/disco. We had 2 restraunts (1 under construction) and 1 bar (there was another bar but nobody attending it during our stay) and the danceclub/disco was also in renovation. Half the resort was under renovation.
The day after we unpacked in Mexico, we were greeted by Heber, from Vacation Express, and booked 2 excursions thru him. We wanted to see Chichen Itza on Wednesday and take the "Pirate Adventure Cruise" with lobster and steak, which we paid extra for, on Friday night as our farewell party to Mexico on our final evening there. Wednesday we waited for the bus to Chichen Itza, upon its arrival a man hopped out asking where were we the day before, Tuesday, as he had waited 20 mins. For us. We contacted Heber later and he said there was a "miscommunication" and that we still had the Pirate adventure on Friday. We arrived at the Pirate adventure on Friday even though neither of us was feeling too well, hoping to try some lobster and enjoy the show. We each had 2 bites of our dinner and didn't feel well enough to finish it. We then sat on the boat for 3 hours, were declined our request to go ashore (along with another couple who was ill) and tried to make the best of it.
Saturday morning we woke early and packed as Heber had informed us that we had an earlier flight than what was booked. We sat outside the resort office several hours, suffering, until a van showed up around 10 A.M. We were taked to Cancun airport and upon arrival were informed that our flight was delayed and it would be 3:30 instead of the 2:30 appointment on our tickets. We waited from noon til about 4:45 before we boarded, still sick. Upon arrival in Atlanta we were expecting a 2 hour layover, our tickets stating a takeoff time of approximately 6 P.M. We first looked for the Vacation Express counter/representative, along with several other "stranded" victims of Vacation Express. After wandering the LARGE airport several people in the group were getting angry and started making phone calls. All we knew was that our plane was delayed with no further instructions. Around 8 P.M. A Vacation Express rep. Showed up, Michelle, apologizing, saying she was unaware of our situation. Several in the growing group had bombarded her with questions including myself. My initial comment to her was that Vacation Express "sucks". She immediately bounded back that she has been with V.E. Several yrs., loved her job, and that she had been working for 12 hours that day. My sympathy for her loyalty, however, it had been over 12 hours in airports for me already, getting sicker and a miserably ill husband. She then announced that the flight was delayed due to a hurricane in Costa Rica, which I understand, nobody can control. She then offered food and several people wanted blankets as this area of the airport had little heat due to it's location. Within the hour, she had provided food and blankets and bottled water. My husband and I shared a blanket but refused the food for obvious reasons, however we drank several bottles of water.
The plane finally arrived about 10 P.M. And we landed in Cincinnati around 1 A.M. Sick and tired, we drove home.
Now I have some questions:
1. Why were we not informed this resort had no water-filtration system? We knew before we even booked for Mexico that we would be drinking bottled water, but what good is that since we had to bathe, eat, and drink (ice, mixed drinks, rinsed fresh vegatables, foods cooked in this water) in contaminated water? I surely would not have paid extra for a jacuzzi in my suite had I known I'd be soaking in sewage. Rufus insists the agents know this due to their keeping in monthly contact with travel agents regarding hotel amenities.
2. My insurance will only pay part of my tooth repair, as I will have to have a false tooth implanted. Another expense?
By the way, the tooth broke off while I was enjoying some Chicken Vegetable Soup, not knowing the chicken wasn't deboned.
3. Why didn't Bonnie inform us that the "lobster buffett" wasn't available after December 1? Again quoting Rufus, "Mexico can't get lobster anymore". I find this strange as we had fresh grilled lobster on the pirate cruise, more than we could eat, as other people were also feeling the affects of Mexico. Is it not true that travel agents are in contact with the resorts they offer?
4. We paid for antibiotics on Tuesday, the following week of our trip, as we contacted our dr. On Monday and had to wait for him to call them in. We live in Sadieville, which is half an hour drive to Georgetown and didn't make it to the pharmacy til the next day, being Tuesday.
5. I would not have booked a resort under renovation.
6. My "thank you" gift for signing Rufus's legal paper was a bottle of champaigne delivered to the room. At an all-inclusive resort, I can go to the bar and get my own bottle of champaigne. Gee, thanks for nothing!
7. Heber, via Vacation Express screwed up our itinerary and cost us several hours waiting time in the hotel lobby after check-out and at the airport while waiting for that "earlier plane", which wound up being delayed several hours.
8. Michele, the loyal Vacation Express Rep. Was rude, unsympathetic, should have notified the unknowing victims of this rip-off company, as soon as we landed, instead we were stranded.
9. We spoke with several folks who enjoyed this same trip, thru and paid only $600 /- per person for the same package we had, but some stayed at 5 star resorts. I could have gotten that kind of deal online myself. Why didn't I? Well, my husband wouldn't let me saying "We have already talked to Going Places travel reps and it will be safer/easier/more trustworthy" than booking online. He didn't mind paying a little extra for her booking fee because he felt we could trust Bonnie, Going Places Travel, Vacation Express. If we only knew..
10. Please tell me your thoughts on our experience, what we could have done differently, how we can make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else, how we might go about getting some of our money back or pay our doctor/dental bills. I have a signed contract with the resort that prevents me from suing them for the tooth problem, but what now?
Happy Holidays
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