Marvelous Mouse Travels

Discover Sandals Resorts in Montego Bay!

November 30, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Our Marvelous Mouse agent Jen McGurn shares with us her recent experience at Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals Montego Bay! Protocols and procedures are always changing, be sure to check with your travel agent for the most up to date Covid requirements for your destination. If you do not have an agent reach out to us! We would love to curate your next adventure!

I recently had the opportunity to spend 5 days at Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort. During my stay, I toured the resort, as well as Sandals Montego Bay. Join me as I share information on both resorts, as well as talk about the health screening process required for entry into Jamaica and the safety protocols in place at the resorts.

Let’s start by talking about my trip preparation and arrival in Jamaica. Jamaica is requiring a negative COVID test for entry. At the time of this post, you need to be tested between 10 and 2 days prior to travel. My husband and I both tested at a local Urgent Care Facility and thankfully tested negative. Jamaica is very specific about the documentation you need to present in order to be allowed entry. This is where having a travel agent can be especially helpful! We literally saw people being denied entry because they did not have the proper paperwork! We made sure everything was in place, applied for our Travel Authorization and anxiously awaited our trip!

At our airport, we were required to present the appropriate forms and test results prior to check in. Once we arrived, all of our documentation was checked again at Customs. We booked a service called Club Mobay and I would never travel to Jamaica without it. We were greeted at the gate and escorted through the entire process. We bypassed a huge line and went straight through. The entire process took about one hour from touch down to resort shuttle.

Now, on to the fun stuff! Sandals provides complimentary transfers to and from your resort. For the transports, whether a shared shuttle or private vehicle (based on your room category), masks are required by the driver and all passengers. The 2 resorts in Montego Bay that I visited are a very short ride from the airport. We were greeted at the entrance with cool towels, water and porters who handled getting our luggage right to our room.

As guests booked in a Butler category room, we were taken to the Club Sandals lounge for private check-in. We were offered a variety of finger foods and beverages. We decided to toast the start of our vacation with champagne. Our Butler greeted us once check-in was complete and gave us a walking tour of the entire resort, even stopping to make sure we had the drink of the day right off the bat! He also gave us a complete overview of our room and asked what we would like to have our in room mini bar stocked with during our stay. Our room was absolutely beautiful! We had a large balcony that overlooked our semi-private pool, a King Size 4 Poster bed, and a jetted tub/shower combination. We also were located just steps from the main pool, dining and 2 bars!

Throughout our stay, we took advantage of the Water Sports that are included with your stay. We went snorkeling and enjoyed a ride on a glass bottom boat. We also spent quite a bit of time on the private island, which is just a short, complimentary boat ride away.

Let’s talk food and drinks! Between the two resorts, you have 21 Restaurants to choose from. They range from counter service options for pizza, sandwiches, Jerk Fish or chicken and Empanadas to full service, gourmet dining. There is something for even the pickiest eater. We primarily ate at our resort , but we did enjoy two of our favorite dinners at Sandals Montego Bay. We also loved Cafe de Paris, where we would go for iced coffee and sweet treats.

There are several bars located on each property, including swim up bars so you don’t need to leave the pool to get a drink! Each resort has a drink of the day, as well as your favorites. The bartenders are super accommodating and the drinks are made with top shelf liquor.

Alright, back to that Butler! Butler service is absolutely worth the splurge! Shout-out to Nicolas and Steve, our amazing Butlers. In addition to making dining and activity reservations for us, they also escorted us to dinner each night. Each night, they would check in to see what we would like in our cooler that they filled for us when they reserved us a spot on the beach. We were greeted by a treat or two each afternoon. We returned to fresh cookies, fruit and cheese plates, champagne, a bubble bath and flower petals on the bed. It was heavenly.

Having a Butler also means you can have room service. I awoke each morning to a delicious breakfast with fresh coffee and a Mimosa. Another perk of having a Butler is the private transfers to and from the airport. Nicolas escorted us to the BMW waiting for us on our final day, introduced us to our driver and loaded our bags into the car.

In addition to experiencing the resorts for myself, I also spent a day touring the resorts and seeing a wide variety of room categories.

I was so lucky to get to tour both an Over the Water Villa and and an Over the Water Bungalow! Check out my walkthrough below!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2810553289234044

Regarding COVID, Sandals is taking every precaution to keep guests safe. As I mentioned, everyone entering the country must provide a negative COVID test. Temperatures are checked upon arrival and it is possible that you will be retested at the airport.

On resort, guests are only required to wear masks when using the shuttle service. Masks are optional the rest of the time. Staff is wearing masks at all times. Rooms are cleaned based on an 18 Touchpoint system. Rooms are cleaned and then sealed from the outside. The common areas throughout the resort are constantly being cleaned. Hand Sanitizer is also required when entering a dining or shopping are. Sandals has over 20 All Inclusive Resorts throughout the Caribbean. At each resort, there are numerous room categories. Being able to experience these resorts first hand is so important for me as your travel partner.

As a travel agent, I am familiar with each category and notice details you may not, such as which rooms have very high beds, whether there is a deep tub to step into or a Walk In Shower (or BOTH!), which rooms are closest to dining and which are right on the beach. So much goes in to choosing the best room for your wants and needs. I also have built personal relationships with the General Managers and Hotel Managers. They encourage us to contact them prior to our clients visiting so that they can take extra good care of them. Additionally, if an issue should arise, I know exactly who to call to get it taken care of ASAP!

If you are engaged, and dreaming of a destination wedding, Sandals is the place for you! Couples receive a free wedding ceremony with a 3 Night Stay. A wedding specialist is assigned to you and they help you create the wedding of your dreams!

Sandals Resorts are All Inclusive.

That means you do not pay extra for any of the inclusions below:

Meals
Drinks, including Top Shelf Alcohol
Entertainment
Water Sports
Round Trip Airport Transfers
Gratuities

If you are interested in planning a romantic escape, honeymoon, vow renewal or destination wedding at one of Sandals stunning Caribbean Resorts, please reach out to Jen or any of our Marvelous Mouse agents! We would love to help you plan an experience you will never forget!

Amy’s Gluten Free Around the World Adventures…Disney World, that is!

November 26, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Take a gluten free food journey with Marvelous Mouse agent Amy Wold!

Disney World is seriously the best vacation spot I’ve been since being diagnosed with celiac disease in 2014. At home I don’t struggle with being gluten free, actually I rarely even think about it. Traveling/eating out is a different story, and let me tell you, intestinal issues while traveling ruins the fun! So, while I loved Disney before going gluten free, I REALLY love Disney now.

Our last vacation was filled with delicious foods! I apologize for not taking pictures of everything I ate, but I will do my best to describe. Oh, and we had the Disney Dining plan, which I love so I can order whatever I want on the menu not worrying about the cost. < think: filet mignon> Also, just a heads up – the gluten free food at Disney World is normal, delicious food! Not just one dry bun that you get sick of. Tons of different options!

Breakfast #1: Art of Animation Resort, Landscape of Flavors

I really like this food court, and have heard that it has the best selection of all the Value Resorts. I talked to the chef, and ordered one fried egg over hard, one piece of bacon, Simba waffles (They called them “character waffles”), and a side of fruit. The waffles had the perfect mix of crisp outer and soft inner. All of it was delicious!

Breakfast #2: Wilderness Lodge, Roaring Fork

My wonderful hubby walked down and picked up an order of gluten free toast with a side of peanut butter for me, and brought it back up to our room. They put a lot more bread in than we were expecting, so there was enough for four of us to eat for breakfast! This was something like $3 too – very economical! The toast was perfectly toasted. No complaints!

Breakfast #3: Wilderness Lodge, Whispering Canyon Café

We were not in a hurry to get to the parks on this day, so decided to take a leisurely breakfast at the table service restaurant at our resort. This time I ordered fried eggs, toast, bacon, and a side of fruit. I’m kind of boring at breakfast! My daughter, who is also gluten free, ordered the Mickey waffles. They were served with whipped cream and strawberries! Her review was two thumbs up.

Breakfast #4: Kind bar on the way to the bus. What? We were in a hurry to ride Navi River Journey! 😉

Breakfast #5: Magic Kingdom, Be Our Guest

I just love this restaurant! I ordered the scrambled egg whites that came with chicken sausage, roasted tomatoes, and fresh fruit. The eggs looked grossly white (and like they were cooked in a microwave,) so I was expecting them to be gross and bland, but they really were good! I’m not anti-yolk, and would never order only the whites unless that was the only option. The roasted tomatoes were a nice touch. (I love roasted veggies!) The sausage was kind of dry, but had good flavor. They also bring what they call “pastries” to the table. The gluten free version of that was an assortment of quick breads like banana, chocolate, and cinnamon. They were pretty good, but not great. The chocolate one was a bit soggy – I think it had fruit in it, but the sogginess made me not want to even eat more than a bite. I really think the draw to this restaurant is the beautiful ambiance more than the food (at least for breakfast and lunch,) especially if you are a fan of Beauty and the Beast! My favorite room is the Grand Ballroom with the snow falling when you look out the windows. <3 It was the perfect start to a fun Magic Kingdom day.

Snack #1: One of my favorite snacks at Disney World is the frozen chocolate covered banana. I feel so healthy when I eat it, so that’s a plus. This I ate it as we were walking around Animal Kingdom, and I’m pretty sure I left a trail of chocolate pieces behind me. It was kind of crumbly!

Snack #2: Mickey ice cream bar. What can I say? So good. Vanilla ice cream with flavorful chocolate covering. You know how sometimes the chocolate on an ice cream bar tastes like wax? This one didn’t. It tasted like good quality chocolate. I ate this while watching the fireworks at Magic Kingdom.

Snacks #3 & 4: Dole Whip! At Aloha Aisle I ordered the swirl Dole Whip the first time eating that frosty goodness after getting completely drenched on Splash Mountain. Warning: use the ziplock bag to protect your phone! Also, at Aloha Aisle the line was very long, so we used the mobile order. Super slick. Definitely do that. The second Dole Whip was savored at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort’s Pineapple Lanai (but we sat at the tables by the water feature at Trader Sam’s overlooking the water.) I prefer the regular Dole Whip to the swirl.

Snack #5: Epcot Flower and Garden Food Booth Called Flavor Full Kitchen

Here I ordered the citrus-poached salmon with ancient grain salad, roasted vegetables, and citrus greens. It was delicious! I loved th citrus flavor in the salmon and on the greens. Note: I have read to double check the things marked gluten free at the festival, so did just that. For my salmon the workers called the chef who verified that it was safe for me to eat. Over at France I was eagerly anticipating a macaron that was labeled gluten free. Sure enough, they told me it definitely is not gluten free so don’t eat it. I feel like if it is labeled gluten free it should be gluten free! Epic fail at the France pavilion.

Why Vacationing In A Mask Is The Most Normal Thing You Can Do Right Now!

November 21, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Marvelous Mouse agent Lindsay Smith gives us a great perspective on traveling during this unusual time!

When travel resumed in June, travel agents everywhere jumped in the first available plane, train or
automobile that would take them to their favorite vacation destinations. When the CDC lifted the No Sail Order last month, Royal Caribbean announced that in just 24 hours, more than 20,000 people had signed up for their mock sailings – many of whom were travel agents.

Travel agents were sure that clients would feel the same about travel resuming and would be thrilled to pack their bags and finally take their long-awaited vacations. However, the growing sentiment is not fear of Coronavirus, but rather, “I don’t want to wear a mask on my vacation. I don’t want to be reminded of this virus during my personal time.”

I get it. I will follow all rules and regulations and wear my mask when required, but it’s not my idea of a good time. However, I wanted to travel. My family wanted to travel. My friends wanted to travel. Even more so – we NEEDED to travel.

According to a report from the CDC on August 14, 2020, symptoms of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder increased considerably during April-June 2020. Our vacations were cancelled. Our family gatherings were cancelled. Our daily way of life was cancelled. We remained indoors to protect ourselves and others. For the foreseeable future, our holiday traditions will most likely be altered because of limits on social gatherings.

A study conducted by Nature Neuroscience in early 2020 tracked 132 people prior to the Coronavirus pandemic. Baseline assessments measured depression and anxiety and geolocation tracking apps tracked their activity, along with text messages asking about their current mood at random times during the study. At the end of the study, participants repeated the same initial depression and anxiety assessment as well as MRI scans. The results were a strong correlation between positive emotions and diverse activity, and participants responded with emotions such as “happy”, “relaxed” and “excited” when the tracker showed the respondent visiting different locations throughout the day.

A quick Google search will return numerous studies with the same outcome. In this alternate universe we are living in, traveling, even in a mask, is one of the most normal things you can do and could be beneficial in elevating your mood and overall outlook. Traveling in a mask doesn’t remind you of your current situation; it helps you escape it – safely.

I will never forget the first trip my family took in June to a beach house in Oak Island, NC. After 3 nights, we began the drive home and my 7 year old started to cry. He didn’t want to go back home. He didn’t want to go back to an environment where he stared at the same walls every day and was reminded of everything he was missing. The vacation was the most normal he had felt in months – even while wearing a mask!

We visited Walt Disney World in August with the same result. Face coverings are
required in the parks and all public areas but my children didn’t complain once. Sure, the experience was a little different but the outcome was the same. Smiles. Excitement. Fresh air. Escape.

Thinking of cancelling your next trip because of mask requirements? This is where your travel agent can be a huge asset! Express your concerns. Work with your agent to come up with a travel solution that works best for you! There are many destinations, such as all-inclusive resorts, that do not require a mask while on site because of pre-testing requirements! Still want to travel to Walt Disney World but worried about a mask? Your travel agent can help you plan activities and “mask-breaks” that will make your trip more enjoyable!

I encourage you to take the trip. Travel out of the box you’ve been living in since early 2020. By waiting for mask requirements to be lifted, you may be missing out on exactly what you didn’t know you needed! Take advantage of these opportunities to escape your “new normal” and find the joy in traveling again!

Come Relax on Seven Mile Beach at Sandals Negril

November 12, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Marvelous Mouse agent Lindsay Smith recently traveled to Sandal Negril! Our agents are staying current on all Covid requirements and protocols! When you are ready to travel reach out and let us put our expertise to work for you!

If you love spending hours on a gorgeous beach during your vacation, put Sandals Negril on your list for your next getaway. Located on Negril’s famous Seven Mile Beach, there aren’t many places on the resort where beach access and views aren’t just a few steps away. Non-motorized water sports are included and you can spend as much time as you’d like snorkeling, kayaking or trying out the AquaTrike! Still want to take a dip in a pool? There are two pools on property that offer swim up bars and plenty of entertainment during the day, such as a DJ, trivia, volleyball and much more!

Many of Sandals Negril’s rooms offer immediate beach access, such as the Honeymoon Beachfront Two Story One Bedroom Butler Villa Suite with Tranquility Soaking Tub. This beautiful room offers spectacular views of the ocean from the bedroom on the top level and a butler that caters to every request! My butler made sure I had beach chairs reserved each morning, a cooler full of my favorite drinks and fun snacks through the day, such as the famous Jamaican beef patties! Swim out rooms are even available for direct pool access – and you can even enjoy a view of the beach from these rooms as well!

There are many dining options on property and most offer open air seating and a gorgeous view of the beach. Barefoot by the Sea was one of my favorite breakfast spots and also offers delicious seafood options in the evening. Another one of my favorites was the Beach Bistro, which offers quick bites throughout the day. Each restaurant has a unique cuisine and there is always a new dish to try, along with fantastic cocktails and frozen beverages!

Sandals Negril is high on my list as one of Jamaica’s best resorts. The resort is perfect for couples that are looking for plenty of on-site amenities but still want a more intimate-sized property where you can relax and recharge!

Take a Look at the Carnival Panorama!

October 31, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Our Marvelous Mouse agent Jaclyn Vercillo had the opportunity to check out the new Carnival Panorama! Let our experts help you plan your next cruise vacation!

The last time I was on a Carnival Cruise ship I was nine years old and believe it or not I came home with a 1st place trophy for a bikini contest. Now I know what you are thinking, but this was the early 90’s people. I heard “Bikini Contest in 5 minutes” and I raced to my room to grab my T-shirt that had a body with a bikini on it. Needless to say I beat out quite the crowd of contestants and my family was left with a fond and hilarious memory.Flash forward to almost 30 years later, I stepped onboard Carnival’s new ship the Panorama for the Feast of Fun and the ship naming ceremony. I truly didn’t know what to expect because I have been an avid DCL and Royal Caribbean Cruiser and in all honestly I have viewed Carnival as a cheaper “party cruise” boat. Well from the moment I stepped onboard, I started to eat crow. I was completely blown away but the decadence of the ship and all it has to offer. When we walked in we were swept through the Casino where they have a 2 story tall Panoramic screen (see what they did there) with floating stingrays hovering over the bar area. It was stunning. I then headed into the shop atrium to enjoy the music and see what was available. Well if diamonds and jewelry are your thing (they should be) then this is your stop, and gents the watch selection will make your mouth water. Beauty shops and Swarovski items are also glimmering throughout the shopping plaza. It’s 3 stories so give yourself some time to shop. They also have an adorable candy shop for the kids with a Dr. Seuss theme.

Speaking of kids, I snuck away to check out the tween and teen centers. Parents get ready to not see your kids at all on your trip because these areas are kid heaven. They also have a full arcade for kids and wait for it…they have the indoor trampoline park Skyzone ON THE SHIP! That was a first for me and I think it will be enjoyed by big and little kids.

Next I headed to the outside pool decks for the ship naming ceremony and the beautiful Vanna White did the honors as the ships Godmother. Emeril Lagasse also made an appearance since his culinary works will be on future ships and Guy Fieri came out since his restaurant is on the ship. It was quite the crew.

After the ceremony we roamed around the ship and had fantastic appetizers from the restaurants on the ship. Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse is beautiful, I ate a ton of sushi from Bonsai Sushi, and the pulled pork sandwich from Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse was incredible. With a full belly I decided to head into the piano bar and listen to some wonderful music.

Next up we sat down to a 3 course dinner. The menu featured a wide variety of cuisine from each restaurant but since I already had sushi, pulled pork sandwiches, and rock shrimp tempura, I decided to go the Italian route. First, can I talk about the bread basket?! It was incredible and on par with any fine dining restaurant I have been to. The Focaccia bread melted in your mouth and the butter was served with a little olive oil and sea salt. For my appetizer I had Il Capitano’s Signature Arancini which also melted in your mouth and my main course was Cavatelli with veal and pork shank bolognaise. Now I am Italian and have been to some of the best restaurants in Italy, and I have to say this pasta was amazing! There is a difference with handmade pasta and it showed in this meal and the sauce was amazing. My only downfall was dessert. You guys I was too full to eat it! But it looked beautiful and my fellow travel agents looked like they were enjoying it!

A few other highlights from this ship that delighted me were the Carnival Culinary Experience, the Havana Bar, the kids waterslides and play area, as well as all the live entertainment and shows. The Carnival Culinary experience looks amazing and I was able to meet the chefs. The kitchen is beautiful and you can enjoy gourmet cooking classes with wonderful wine pairings. Perfect date night while the kids are in the kids club! The Havana Bar was beautiful and had fantastic music. And the live entertainment and shows will blow you away! I don’t want to give away too much but you will be on the edge of your seat.

A major highlight for me was the Hero Bar in honor of those who are currently serving or have served our country. It’s a beautiful space and what a great way to meet up with other service members, or for people like myself, to drop in and thank them for their service.

Last thing I will touch on are the accommodations. What I loved about this ship was that they had a large quantity of suites and larger rooms for families. It’s often hard to accommodate larger parties but the Carnival Panorama has taken care of that. The rooms are not cramped at all and the theming is spectacular. But I have to say on this ship, you won’t be spending much time in your room with everything they have on board!

I was really impressed and I am lucky it’s home port is so close to me. Thank you Carnival Panorama for broadening my travel horizons!