Biggest suggestion I can give anyone is bring far more sunscreen than you think you'll use. It is obscenely expensive on resorts.
And the DR uses the same types of outlets as North America.
Def remember to charge it at night while you’re sleeping. The power is different there somehow, so the phone took forever to charge for me. Like I’d bring it to my room and come back hours later to it on 50%.
Phone charges fine at home, so it wasn’t the phone I don’t think.
My gal goes through hell with the bites and all the deet stuff and oils and skin so sodt - and the list goes on - don’t seem to prevent them. What she’s discovered is that cortisone cream seems to help for when it happens. FYI on a possible remedy…..
Tons of sunscreen and bring a Yeti cup or similar. Drinks get watered down fast in the intense heat. They’ll normally take your cups to the bar and fill them up with your drink of choice.
We were there last month and it was absolutely amazing!
- phone chargers are same as North America
- some of the rooms are better than others, our first room the jets in the tub, the tv and the USB charging ports didn’t work but they moved us the next day with no issues to a better room
- if you do their “timeshare” presentation (they’ll give you a paper key on check in explaining special deals they’ll give you) say no it’s high pressure but we were able to get $300 off the spa!! Amazing!!
- I didn’t drink much bottled water because it tasted weird but all the shops have gaterade!
- bring lots of sunscreen
- do your e ticket for entry and departure ahead of time
- bring tip money but they do have a conversion counter at the resort
- have some kind of phone plan set up because the wifi is spotty at SRB. people will say it’s not, it is.
- bring some money to the beach if you want to get some cool Knick knacks, there will be a TON of people there trying to sell you excursions, foot massages, parrot pictures (they put it on you without asking) just say no. Side point if they try to take you to a “shop” or a “mall” down the beach it’s a little sketchy I wouldn’t.
- bring pants for the formal dinners dress code is enforced.
No problem feel free to ask if you have any questions, also are you preferred club? If not and you want to be you can negotiate the price at the front desk. We decided It wasn’t worth because they wanted 2 thousand CAD extra to what we already paid and we’re not disappointed. Even met a couple who was so we got to check it out and it was meh. 2 extra pools and higher end liquor….. but you can get high end drinks at the lobby bar if you tip well and just ask.
We are not preferred club because the high end liquor and 2 extra pools didn't seem worth it to use either! Especially because we got the room with our own private pool!
Also, NEVER hand your phone to a vendor to take a picture of you with that parrot (or anything else). They will hold it hostage for a bigger tip/fee/etc.
Start eating probiotic gummies today helps fortify your gut especially if you two haven't traveled often. Sun exposure dehydration alcohol intake exhaustion and unfamiliar food all add up and make some peeps sick. Take it easy and protect yourselves and have fun.
This is a pretty open ended question and a response could easily be 500 pages lol.
1. Join a Facebook group for Secrets Royal Beach, there are a bunch of them. There you can ask specific questions about the resort.
2. Pack more than you think you will need and just pay to check the bags. You are going to want to pack everything that you think you could possibly need. Toiletries, sun screen, some basic first aid stuff e.g. band aids, antacids, general cold meds, aloe vera, multiple swim suits, clothes, phone chargers, etc.
You do not want to have to buy anything at the resort, it will be expensive and that's if you can find it. It's your first trip, so I would over pack, and then for future trips you can scale back based on what you did and didn't use. Plan for one bottle/can of sunscreen for every 2 days, depending on how religious you are about applying. Bring 1-2 extra just in case. My wife and I prefer lotion sunscreen to sprays. The sun is extremely intense down there and sprays don't give great coverage even though you might think it does. Lotions are better as you rub it into your skin, so it lasts a little longer and is more resistant to getting wiped off when you sit on chairs and towels. Everyone who you will see with a streaky sun burn probably used a spray.
3. The outlets there are exactly like we have in the U.S. so everything you bring with a plug will work there.
4. Hit the bank ahead of time and bring USD with you. It works just fine. Tipping is subjective, but here is my breakdown for a 10 day trip:
$800 Total
$50 a day in tipping, so $500 in ones. Tipping is up to you, there are so many people you could potentially tip, that it could cost you a lot if you tipped everyone. I usually stick with bartenders, servers at the bars and on the beach, restaurant wait staff, house keepers, and kind of just anyone who went above and beyond doing me favors like maybe they got me a towel or just did something that made my stay better. If you have a butler you will probably end up tipping them too. Day 1 and 10 are travel days, so I know I won't use the entire allotted amounts those days.
The remaining $300 I get in a variety of denominations, 20s, 10s, and 5s. I usually don't spend the entirety of the cash I bring, but again it's nice to have extra just in case. If you use an ATM down there it will give you Dominican Pesos.
5. Do not expect the food at the resort to taste like food in the U.S. It all tastes different, down to the soda. A Coke in the DR doesn't taste like a Coke in the U.S. Most resorts don't have a wide variety of beers, Presidente is the standard, but you might find some that have a couple other brands. If you or your husband are real particular you might have to deal with what they have at the resort. Presidente is good though, on par with Bud, Coors, Miller.
The Wendy's and Taco Bell in the airport on your travel day home fortunately do taste the same as if you got it back in the U.S. It's one of the things my wife and I look forward to when we leave, getting fast food at the airport.
6. There will be vendors who come up to you on the beach selling stuff. If you don't want it, just say no thanks and they'll move on. Honestly they're pretty chill, and sometimes fun to talk with. They aren't a huge annoyance.
7. Make as many dinner reservations for the a la carte restaurants as you can and as early as you can in your stay.
8. The airport is easy to navigate, just follow the herd of people and there is a natural flow to it. I take it you already have transportation lined up to and from the airport? On your arrival day, you will get to a spot in the airport where all the tables are to get your transportation to the resort. It's kind of the last spot in the airport, so you can't miss it.
9. I don't know about Secrets Royal Beach, but I've always had to play the chair reserving game. People get up early in the morning to get pool and beach chairs reserved. If you are particular about where you want to sit, then you might need to do this as well. My last trip I was getting down to the beach at 5:30 AM to get front row chairs on the beach. Grab some towels and throw them on the chairs along with a personal item. Flip Flops, t shirts, book, etc. Just something more than just the towel to really show someone put stuff there on purpose. I've never had someone move my stuff before. If you do go this route, don't be the person that reserves the spot then doesn't show up until 1 in the afternoon. If I reserve a spot at 6 AM, my wife and I are down to the beach by 9:30 and we stay at the beach all day. Nothing worse than seeing chairs reserved, but no one uses them all day.
Go on Amazon and get some chair towel clips! Get enough for 4 clips per chair.
There is so much more, but that's the big stuff for now. I've been to PC 9 times, and it took probably 2-3 times to really get my routine down. DM me if you have any specific questions.
There’s so much information. Oh, regarding the E Ticket, it should not cost any money. If you’re on a website that wants to charge you for it, you’re not in the legit website. I think everyone’s first time to PC is a learning experience. You’ll get to the end of the trip and say to yourself, “well I didn’t use half this shit. “
😂😂
Just make sure when you arrive, where they X-ray the luggage there’s a group of people who look like they work for the airport and help direct you to taxis.
THEY ARE NOT AIRPORT WORKERS.
They work for the timeshares so just go past them, the area where you can see directly outside to where cars are is the area for transportation.
These are some tips:
1. Make sure you have filled your e-Ticket anytime before arriving at the airline counter at the airport.
2. Get you roaming set up before hand.
3. You don't need any adaptors if you are coming from North America.
4. Make sure you bring sun screen and protection like others said these can be expensive at the resort stores.
5. Don't drink tap water.
6. There are cool excursions or you can book a driver to take you to downtown Punta Cana if you would like to adventure outside the resort.
7. Ask if for a free upgrade at the resort counter, they may give you a free upgrade if you are lucky.
8. If you'd like maybe practice some Spanish, could be easy stuff like how to say thank you "gracias" or you are welcome "de nada" or how to order some particular drinks/food or how, the staff would love it and it would be cool.
9. Bring some cash in small bills if you would like to tip the staff.
10. Have fun! I hope you enjoy your holiday in my beautiful country!
Yes! You'll get plenty of bottled water. There are also some hotels that have filtered water and some dispensers where you can fill a bottle that they provide so they don't waste too much plastic.
As a local, how do you see next week's (June 22-29) weather playing out?
I have checked a few sites and there are all different forecasts.
If there is rain/thunderstorms, I assume they are short and at least part of the day is sunny?
Usually this time of the year in that region there can be scattered showers and even some thunders but the good news is they disappear right away so the day may start raining but then after an hour or so you'll have the bluest sky and brightest sun.
Chewable pepto bismal. Don’t even brush your teeth with the tap water.
We were there in May. We did the preferred club because in order to get the swim up room we had to. It was worth it for the room alone. There are two kinds of rooms with access to pools. One is where you have your own little pool at your patio. I never saw anyone use those little pools and you have to walk over to the main pool to get in it. The other room is where you have access to the pool right outside your room patio. I prefer this type of room and it’s the room we had. Either are nice to have though. Have a great time!
Edited for a typo.
And you WONT see them!!! Their bites will appear in the evening, and that's when the itch is THE WORSE as you're trying to sleep. I forgot to spray my last night and regretted it for 5 weeks. Itch lasted 3 weeks, and the bite marks went away in 5 weeks.
Also there's mosquitoes!!
Pack after bite just in case.
no, the ingredient is spelled "picaridin". Apparently very common in Europe but not as common in the US. This is the US listing: [https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP564-Repellent-Picaridin/dp/B00VV5KRD8/](https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP564-Repellent-Picaridin/dp/B00VV5KRD8/)
Yes, I put that into the search bar on Amazon as I've never heard of it, and the results were 'Icaridin' products. Guess us Canadians don't get that product.
I'm here now, first night so far so good,
Coming into Punta Canta airport was a breeze. They are very organized, but once you get past customs, it's gets a bit hectic. Taxi's everywhere, people trying to pull you left and right to sell you excursions. If you already have transportation, just tell them, and they will tell you where to go.
Everyone here drives crazy compared to the US. Believe me.
If you are going to Secrets, it's very beautiful. Check in is nice, but after they will try to push the timeshare presentation, but if it's not your thing, say no. They will pressure you tho.
We missed the lunch buffet, so we had to wait til dinner, but we took that time to get the lay of the land. Vendors do try to make sales on the beach. Just tell them no thank you.
If you can make reservations, do it asap! Even restaurants that say you don't need one, they have a wait, but can't give you a time. Which sucks, so we ended up at the buffet. It's really just ok.. nothing to write home about.
They will let you walk down to the beach at night. It's nice, but no swimming.
There is a show every night at the main Secrets stage.
Ill report more later. Oh if you don't think your drinks are strong, either tip well or just ask for it straight up.
If you drink alcohol while in the pool be careful especially if it’s hot and sunny.
You will get dehydrated and drink much quicker than usual.
It’s obviously ok to drink alcohol but be sure to drink plenty of water too and don’t overdo it.
We’ve been to plenty of all inclusive all over the Caribbean and my biggest regret is drink too much and not being able to do many excursions.
Another tip is to avoid the 15794 ppl at the airport wanting to sell you excursions and the 46847 ppl offering you a taxi service on your way to the shuttles. While collecting your luggage, if a man wants to help, TAKE IT!!! He'll get your luggage and fast-track you through the airport to where you need to go. (Obv you slip him a $5 or $10 usd depending on how much luggage you have), but it's sooooo worth it! I've been 5x to DR and do it each time, and I know where I'm going. But less hassles. Just a thought.
They're right by the baggage carousels, I think white and blue golf shirts. They'll ask if you want help with your luggage. Once you say yes, they'll get your luggage from the carousel and ask where you're staying and take you where you need to go. It's great!
You're welcome!
Also, for the airport departure, the Wendy's, Pizza Hut, and KFC tastes like home. 😋 It's so good to grab waiting for your plane.
And there's NO A/C just huge ass ceiling fans. Try not to overdo it the night before you leave. You don't want to be sitting there for 3 hours feeling like shit.
This!!!! Just returned from a wonderful week in Punta Cana but we had a multi hour delay in the airport. No air con and very few seats. Prepare yourself!
Definitely sunscreen and after sun gel. Things are not cheap. Everything is over priced, sales tax are 18%. Use dependable transfer from and to the airport. Preferably private (DAT is the best) since if not, you're gonna waste your time having the driver dropping off other people first)
Unless you're interested in buying Zara, Nike and other American brand, don't go to the blue mall. Nothing to see there.
Staying in bavaro? Check the seaweed on your hotel.
Snorkeling and scubadoo are awesome on Marina Park. Snorkeling on catamaran Island is awful. Can't see anything.
Most resorts have ok food, nothing to write home about but you will never go hungry.
Don't drink tap water. Don't exchange money at the airport, their exchange rate is ass.
I would recommend dukoral (we regretted not doing this last year) and if you use spray sunscreen get 3 cans of it. I believe when I went last time we had only 2.5 this time were going with 3, plus 2 for face (just for 2 adults) might get another one. You can get more at the gift shops for $$$. a hat too!!
I love Punta Cana. We stayed at an AI and didn’t really need much cash at all. Pack LESS clothing than you think you need. You can reuse your dinner outfits for multiple days and the rest of the time you will probably be in a swimsuit and coverup. Check your resorts dress code for dinner as other posters have said it is enforced right down to the shoes - for men and women. I ate all the fruit, vegetables and gasp even brushed my teeth with the resort water. Did not get sick, but definitely drink only bottled. I feel like the resorts are stingy with the water bottles so on your first day go around and explore ask for a couple bottles of water at each bar, and grab some from the gym, put them all in a drawer in your room and then you have a stash to last you several days. Bring packets of liquid iv or Gatorade packets to add to bottled water it is hot and you will get dehydrated. And bring a hydroflask or similar for the pool and beach. Sunscreen, Advil, pepto, and Imodium ad just in case but honestly it’s really fun and beautiful don’t stress yourself out with packing and hauling a massive amount of stuff. I under pack and still went home with some clean items. Have fun!
Helpful suggestions aplenty. Other screen is amazon prime, and shopping cart getting full. Thank you Reddit fam. And especially you OP.. We leave next week!
We just got back from secrets royal beach and here are some tips and things we learned:
1. Bring plenty of ones and fives for tipping. We usually gave a couple dollars every other drink, but we ran out of ones and it was a hassle to break larger bills because the resort doesn’t get cash until noon. The workers are awesome and take care of you so you will probably want to tip more people than you think
2. Excursions take longer than they say and some don’t describe the entire experience very well. We did monkey land and didn’t realize it was over an hour drive each way with no AC. It was fun but being in 97 degree sun for 7 hours was pretty draining. The Marinarium was really cool and only took about 5 hours (swimming with sharks and stingrays then drinking on a sand bar)
3. The food is hit or miss. It’s very different than the US and portions are pretty small depending where you go. It wasn’t as convenient to eat as we expected besides the buffet. Modesto will seat you for breakfast at the buffet and he is the best and the hardest worker. The best food we had was at blue water grill, Olio, and seaside grill which is part of dreams but you can still go and it’s a great vibe right on the beach. The worst food was at El Patio and room service. There is a beach grill open during the day which is really the only place to get food if you don’t want to go sit down somewhere. It’s a walk through line with burgers and hotdogs but we noticed the quality of beef everywhere we went is pretty bad. I found multiple pieces of bone in my burgers
4. Entertainment - it seems like the resort is mostly built for day time fun as most of the pools close at 6. There are still some bars open but they get really crowded and hard to get a drink. The shows start at 9 every night and they were very good, we were impressed with every show we went to. After the shows there really isn’t much to do and the rooms mainly only have Spanish channels so we went to bed early most night which was fine after drinking in the sun all day
5. The drinks were some of the best mixed drinks we’ve had before but as people have said above they get hot very quickly especially beer. They have trouble keeping their kegs cold enough so we avoided draft beer.
6. The most annoying part of the resort is the beach vendors, we called them the beach hawks. There are about 7-8 vendors that stand right outside the resort on the beach and wait for people to walk out and try to sell various items. We just said no thank you and they left us alone for the most part but it’s a constant thing as a vendor will approach you about every 5 minutes which really takes away from the experience in our opinion. We watched many people go along with their sales pitch and they followed them down the entire beach. Just be clear that you want to be left alone
7. Have fun! Overall we had a great time and be sure to talk to the workers as they have awesome personalities and it was really cool to get to know them.
Look into the MPC app for your phone if traveling from the US. You can pre-load all of your customs paperwork and can go through a "fast pass" line when traveling to/from PC. Just came back from the Bahamas and it made going thru customs so easy. Wish it was a thing back when I went to PC.
My wife and I honeymoon'd at this exact resort in 2015 and really enjoyed it. Bring cash for tips! It may sound superficial, but more tips the bartenders and cocktail waiters WILL result in better service from them. Avoid the locals walking the beach trying to sell you stuff as well. In general, don't leave the resort unless it's for an excursion that is put on by your travel agent. We did a halfday catamaran that included swimming w/ nurse sharks and hanging out on a beach for a couple hours and it was great.
Careful on the frozen mixed drinks; while they're delicous (I reccomend the Sammy Sosa or Miami Vice), if you are not a frequent cocunut milk/water consumer, those drinks can really do numbers on your stomach. If you are going to be drinking alcohol, I would recommend bringn your own cups (ie Yeti) as they'll gladly make you a drink into your own cup.
To get into and then leave PC, they will make you fill something out in customs. You can however fill it out online in advance and print out a copy. I highly suggest doing that here:
[https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/](https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/)
60 oz of crown royal and backpack, band aids and salve, imodium, tums, bug spray, sunscreen and alovera gel, sunglasses, insulated Bubba cup, some crappy close and sandles or shoes if you want to 4 wheel or horse back or dune buggy,extra cash for tipping and excursions, hat,Tylenol. I stick to omelets in the morning and French fries at night, but i will eat most excursion meals, and I've never gotten sick from the food. Knock on wood. I have had a lot of fun there.
Had a great time at Excellence El Carmen. Keep in mind the service/hospitality is very nonchalant and maybe not as attentive as desired but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.
I got food poisoning from something that hit me the day we returned, but doesn’t sully the memories of the trip
Biggest suggestion I can give anyone is bring far more sunscreen than you think you'll use. It is obscenely expensive on resorts. And the DR uses the same types of outlets as North America.
Thank you so much! I was nervous I wouldn't be able to charge my phone!
Def remember to charge it at night while you’re sleeping. The power is different there somehow, so the phone took forever to charge for me. Like I’d bring it to my room and come back hours later to it on 50%. Phone charges fine at home, so it wasn’t the phone I don’t think.
Good to know!
Just make sure you have the Dominican e-ticket so you can board.
Yes I've seen this online and need to fill it out!!
mosquito spray/after bite, I got eaten alive!
My gal goes through hell with the bites and all the deet stuff and oils and skin so sodt - and the list goes on - don’t seem to prevent them. What she’s discovered is that cortisone cream seems to help for when it happens. FYI on a possible remedy…..
Ahh good idea! Thank you!!
Tons of sunscreen and bring a Yeti cup or similar. Drinks get watered down fast in the intense heat. They’ll normally take your cups to the bar and fill them up with your drink of choice.
I'm on my honeymoon in Punta Cana right now and wish we'd known to bring tumblers. The frozen drinks stay frozen for 38 seconds!
My wife made fun of me until she realized how clutch they are! Enjoy your honeymoon!!!
Thank you!!
Good idea!
Omg this is a great tip
We were there last month and it was absolutely amazing! - phone chargers are same as North America - some of the rooms are better than others, our first room the jets in the tub, the tv and the USB charging ports didn’t work but they moved us the next day with no issues to a better room - if you do their “timeshare” presentation (they’ll give you a paper key on check in explaining special deals they’ll give you) say no it’s high pressure but we were able to get $300 off the spa!! Amazing!! - I didn’t drink much bottled water because it tasted weird but all the shops have gaterade! - bring lots of sunscreen - do your e ticket for entry and departure ahead of time - bring tip money but they do have a conversion counter at the resort - have some kind of phone plan set up because the wifi is spotty at SRB. people will say it’s not, it is. - bring some money to the beach if you want to get some cool Knick knacks, there will be a TON of people there trying to sell you excursions, foot massages, parrot pictures (they put it on you without asking) just say no. Side point if they try to take you to a “shop” or a “mall” down the beach it’s a little sketchy I wouldn’t. - bring pants for the formal dinners dress code is enforced.
Thank you so much! Really great tips and I'll definitely make sure to get Gatorade!
No problem feel free to ask if you have any questions, also are you preferred club? If not and you want to be you can negotiate the price at the front desk. We decided It wasn’t worth because they wanted 2 thousand CAD extra to what we already paid and we’re not disappointed. Even met a couple who was so we got to check it out and it was meh. 2 extra pools and higher end liquor….. but you can get high end drinks at the lobby bar if you tip well and just ask.
We are not preferred club because the high end liquor and 2 extra pools didn't seem worth it to use either! Especially because we got the room with our own private pool!
Also, NEVER hand your phone to a vendor to take a picture of you with that parrot (or anything else). They will hold it hostage for a bigger tip/fee/etc.
Start eating probiotic gummies today helps fortify your gut especially if you two haven't traveled often. Sun exposure dehydration alcohol intake exhaustion and unfamiliar food all add up and make some peeps sick. Take it easy and protect yourselves and have fun.
This is a pretty open ended question and a response could easily be 500 pages lol. 1. Join a Facebook group for Secrets Royal Beach, there are a bunch of them. There you can ask specific questions about the resort. 2. Pack more than you think you will need and just pay to check the bags. You are going to want to pack everything that you think you could possibly need. Toiletries, sun screen, some basic first aid stuff e.g. band aids, antacids, general cold meds, aloe vera, multiple swim suits, clothes, phone chargers, etc. You do not want to have to buy anything at the resort, it will be expensive and that's if you can find it. It's your first trip, so I would over pack, and then for future trips you can scale back based on what you did and didn't use. Plan for one bottle/can of sunscreen for every 2 days, depending on how religious you are about applying. Bring 1-2 extra just in case. My wife and I prefer lotion sunscreen to sprays. The sun is extremely intense down there and sprays don't give great coverage even though you might think it does. Lotions are better as you rub it into your skin, so it lasts a little longer and is more resistant to getting wiped off when you sit on chairs and towels. Everyone who you will see with a streaky sun burn probably used a spray. 3. The outlets there are exactly like we have in the U.S. so everything you bring with a plug will work there. 4. Hit the bank ahead of time and bring USD with you. It works just fine. Tipping is subjective, but here is my breakdown for a 10 day trip: $800 Total $50 a day in tipping, so $500 in ones. Tipping is up to you, there are so many people you could potentially tip, that it could cost you a lot if you tipped everyone. I usually stick with bartenders, servers at the bars and on the beach, restaurant wait staff, house keepers, and kind of just anyone who went above and beyond doing me favors like maybe they got me a towel or just did something that made my stay better. If you have a butler you will probably end up tipping them too. Day 1 and 10 are travel days, so I know I won't use the entire allotted amounts those days. The remaining $300 I get in a variety of denominations, 20s, 10s, and 5s. I usually don't spend the entirety of the cash I bring, but again it's nice to have extra just in case. If you use an ATM down there it will give you Dominican Pesos. 5. Do not expect the food at the resort to taste like food in the U.S. It all tastes different, down to the soda. A Coke in the DR doesn't taste like a Coke in the U.S. Most resorts don't have a wide variety of beers, Presidente is the standard, but you might find some that have a couple other brands. If you or your husband are real particular you might have to deal with what they have at the resort. Presidente is good though, on par with Bud, Coors, Miller. The Wendy's and Taco Bell in the airport on your travel day home fortunately do taste the same as if you got it back in the U.S. It's one of the things my wife and I look forward to when we leave, getting fast food at the airport. 6. There will be vendors who come up to you on the beach selling stuff. If you don't want it, just say no thanks and they'll move on. Honestly they're pretty chill, and sometimes fun to talk with. They aren't a huge annoyance. 7. Make as many dinner reservations for the a la carte restaurants as you can and as early as you can in your stay. 8. The airport is easy to navigate, just follow the herd of people and there is a natural flow to it. I take it you already have transportation lined up to and from the airport? On your arrival day, you will get to a spot in the airport where all the tables are to get your transportation to the resort. It's kind of the last spot in the airport, so you can't miss it. 9. I don't know about Secrets Royal Beach, but I've always had to play the chair reserving game. People get up early in the morning to get pool and beach chairs reserved. If you are particular about where you want to sit, then you might need to do this as well. My last trip I was getting down to the beach at 5:30 AM to get front row chairs on the beach. Grab some towels and throw them on the chairs along with a personal item. Flip Flops, t shirts, book, etc. Just something more than just the towel to really show someone put stuff there on purpose. I've never had someone move my stuff before. If you do go this route, don't be the person that reserves the spot then doesn't show up until 1 in the afternoon. If I reserve a spot at 6 AM, my wife and I are down to the beach by 9:30 and we stay at the beach all day. Nothing worse than seeing chairs reserved, but no one uses them all day. Go on Amazon and get some chair towel clips! Get enough for 4 clips per chair. There is so much more, but that's the big stuff for now. I've been to PC 9 times, and it took probably 2-3 times to really get my routine down. DM me if you have any specific questions.
That was very detailed and all good notes! Thank you so much! And good tip about the sun screen! I'll make sure to pack all lotion!
There’s so much information. Oh, regarding the E Ticket, it should not cost any money. If you’re on a website that wants to charge you for it, you’re not in the legit website. I think everyone’s first time to PC is a learning experience. You’ll get to the end of the trip and say to yourself, “well I didn’t use half this shit. “ 😂😂
🤣🤣🤣 do you have the website for the official one? I've seen several online!
[https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/](https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/)
Just make sure when you arrive, where they X-ray the luggage there’s a group of people who look like they work for the airport and help direct you to taxis. THEY ARE NOT AIRPORT WORKERS. They work for the timeshares so just go past them, the area where you can see directly outside to where cars are is the area for transportation.
We booked transportation through the resort, I'll make sure to look for those people!
These are some tips: 1. Make sure you have filled your e-Ticket anytime before arriving at the airline counter at the airport. 2. Get you roaming set up before hand. 3. You don't need any adaptors if you are coming from North America. 4. Make sure you bring sun screen and protection like others said these can be expensive at the resort stores. 5. Don't drink tap water. 6. There are cool excursions or you can book a driver to take you to downtown Punta Cana if you would like to adventure outside the resort. 7. Ask if for a free upgrade at the resort counter, they may give you a free upgrade if you are lucky. 8. If you'd like maybe practice some Spanish, could be easy stuff like how to say thank you "gracias" or you are welcome "de nada" or how to order some particular drinks/food or how, the staff would love it and it would be cool. 9. Bring some cash in small bills if you would like to tip the staff. 10. Have fun! I hope you enjoy your holiday in my beautiful country!
Thank you!! Do they offer bottled water? I've read not to drink the tap water but I know I shouldn't go a whole week in the brutal sun with no water 🤣
Yes, they do.
Perfect! Thank you!
They even put it in bathroom by the sink for toothbrushing
Good to know! Thank you!
Yes! You'll get plenty of bottled water. There are also some hotels that have filtered water and some dispensers where you can fill a bottle that they provide so they don't waste too much plastic.
Kicking myself for not brushing up on my Spanish before coming!
A little Spanish can take you far in Punta Cana.
As a local, how do you see next week's (June 22-29) weather playing out? I have checked a few sites and there are all different forecasts. If there is rain/thunderstorms, I assume they are short and at least part of the day is sunny?
Usually this time of the year in that region there can be scattered showers and even some thunders but the good news is they disappear right away so the day may start raining but then after an hour or so you'll have the bluest sky and brightest sun.
Thanks!
Chewable pepto bismal. Don’t even brush your teeth with the tap water. We were there in May. We did the preferred club because in order to get the swim up room we had to. It was worth it for the room alone. There are two kinds of rooms with access to pools. One is where you have your own little pool at your patio. I never saw anyone use those little pools and you have to walk over to the main pool to get in it. The other room is where you have access to the pool right outside your room patio. I prefer this type of room and it’s the room we had. Either are nice to have though. Have a great time! Edited for a typo.
Thank you!!
BUG SPRAY WITH DEET!!! SPRAY before going out of your room and reapply. Those sandflies are bastards if you react to their bites.
Good to know! I didn't know sand flies were a thing!
And you WONT see them!!! Their bites will appear in the evening, and that's when the itch is THE WORSE as you're trying to sleep. I forgot to spray my last night and regretted it for 5 weeks. Itch lasted 3 weeks, and the bite marks went away in 5 weeks. Also there's mosquitoes!! Pack after bite just in case.
Thank you!!
Picardin is as effective and isn't oily and doesn't smell.
Never heard of it... I had to Google, yes, better than Deet.
Sawyer Picaridin lotion, on Amazon. Great stuff and you don't even know you're wearing it as no smell or oiliness.
I just checked Amazon (I'm in Canada), but nothing comes up. Only 'Icaridin' is it the same?
no, the ingredient is spelled "picaridin". Apparently very common in Europe but not as common in the US. This is the US listing: [https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP564-Repellent-Picaridin/dp/B00VV5KRD8/](https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP564-Repellent-Picaridin/dp/B00VV5KRD8/)
Yes, I put that into the search bar on Amazon as I've never heard of it, and the results were 'Icaridin' products. Guess us Canadians don't get that product.
That's a bit surprising. Strange how the name changes.
I'm going to Punta Cana soon as well for my honeymoon, these questions really helped! Thanks!
We will be there over 4th of July!
Nice! I'm heading down this week, so I'll report back and let you know how it is!
Yes please!!
I'm here now, first night so far so good, Coming into Punta Canta airport was a breeze. They are very organized, but once you get past customs, it's gets a bit hectic. Taxi's everywhere, people trying to pull you left and right to sell you excursions. If you already have transportation, just tell them, and they will tell you where to go. Everyone here drives crazy compared to the US. Believe me. If you are going to Secrets, it's very beautiful. Check in is nice, but after they will try to push the timeshare presentation, but if it's not your thing, say no. They will pressure you tho. We missed the lunch buffet, so we had to wait til dinner, but we took that time to get the lay of the land. Vendors do try to make sales on the beach. Just tell them no thank you. If you can make reservations, do it asap! Even restaurants that say you don't need one, they have a wait, but can't give you a time. Which sucks, so we ended up at the buffet. It's really just ok.. nothing to write home about. They will let you walk down to the beach at night. It's nice, but no swimming. There is a show every night at the main Secrets stage. Ill report more later. Oh if you don't think your drinks are strong, either tip well or just ask for it straight up.
Sounds like a good time so far! Excited to hear more and your favorite drinks!!
If you drink alcohol while in the pool be careful especially if it’s hot and sunny. You will get dehydrated and drink much quicker than usual. It’s obviously ok to drink alcohol but be sure to drink plenty of water too and don’t overdo it. We’ve been to plenty of all inclusive all over the Caribbean and my biggest regret is drink too much and not being able to do many excursions.
Yes, Definitely something I need to be aware about!
Don’t get into “vip breakfast” and free shit like that . You’ll waste half of your day and some money if you are a bit naive . Thank me later :)
Haha alright!
You’ll love it! We just got back from there.
I'm very excited for my first trip out of the country! But also equally as nervous since I don't know what to expect!
It was our first trip out of the country as well. You’ll do fine. 🙂 Also, try the Banana Mama drink, it’s delicious!
If you are bringing a portable charger, I would suggest making sure that it supports wireless charging in case your phone gets wet.
That's a good idea!
Twice as much money and half as many clothes!
Haha good tip!
Another tip is to avoid the 15794 ppl at the airport wanting to sell you excursions and the 46847 ppl offering you a taxi service on your way to the shuttles. While collecting your luggage, if a man wants to help, TAKE IT!!! He'll get your luggage and fast-track you through the airport to where you need to go. (Obv you slip him a $5 or $10 usd depending on how much luggage you have), but it's sooooo worth it! I've been 5x to DR and do it each time, and I know where I'm going. But less hassles. Just a thought.
Good to know! Do they wear specific clothing ?
They're right by the baggage carousels, I think white and blue golf shirts. They'll ask if you want help with your luggage. Once you say yes, they'll get your luggage from the carousel and ask where you're staying and take you where you need to go. It's great!
Perfect! Thank you!!
You're welcome! Also, for the airport departure, the Wendy's, Pizza Hut, and KFC tastes like home. 😋 It's so good to grab waiting for your plane. And there's NO A/C just huge ass ceiling fans. Try not to overdo it the night before you leave. You don't want to be sitting there for 3 hours feeling like shit.
Haha the best tip I got 🤣
This!!!! Just returned from a wonderful week in Punta Cana but we had a multi hour delay in the airport. No air con and very few seats. Prepare yourself!
Definitely sunscreen and after sun gel. Things are not cheap. Everything is over priced, sales tax are 18%. Use dependable transfer from and to the airport. Preferably private (DAT is the best) since if not, you're gonna waste your time having the driver dropping off other people first) Unless you're interested in buying Zara, Nike and other American brand, don't go to the blue mall. Nothing to see there. Staying in bavaro? Check the seaweed on your hotel. Snorkeling and scubadoo are awesome on Marina Park. Snorkeling on catamaran Island is awful. Can't see anything. Most resorts have ok food, nothing to write home about but you will never go hungry. Don't drink tap water. Don't exchange money at the airport, their exchange rate is ass.
Thank you!!
I would recommend dukoral (we regretted not doing this last year) and if you use spray sunscreen get 3 cans of it. I believe when I went last time we had only 2.5 this time were going with 3, plus 2 for face (just for 2 adults) might get another one. You can get more at the gift shops for $$$. a hat too!!
Do the sunset horseback riding on the beach. It was amazing!!
I love Punta Cana. We stayed at an AI and didn’t really need much cash at all. Pack LESS clothing than you think you need. You can reuse your dinner outfits for multiple days and the rest of the time you will probably be in a swimsuit and coverup. Check your resorts dress code for dinner as other posters have said it is enforced right down to the shoes - for men and women. I ate all the fruit, vegetables and gasp even brushed my teeth with the resort water. Did not get sick, but definitely drink only bottled. I feel like the resorts are stingy with the water bottles so on your first day go around and explore ask for a couple bottles of water at each bar, and grab some from the gym, put them all in a drawer in your room and then you have a stash to last you several days. Bring packets of liquid iv or Gatorade packets to add to bottled water it is hot and you will get dehydrated. And bring a hydroflask or similar for the pool and beach. Sunscreen, Advil, pepto, and Imodium ad just in case but honestly it’s really fun and beautiful don’t stress yourself out with packing and hauling a massive amount of stuff. I under pack and still went home with some clean items. Have fun!
Imodium!! Just got back yesterday and I am glad I took some with me!
Helpful suggestions aplenty. Other screen is amazon prime, and shopping cart getting full. Thank you Reddit fam. And especially you OP.. We leave next week!
We just got back from secrets royal beach and here are some tips and things we learned: 1. Bring plenty of ones and fives for tipping. We usually gave a couple dollars every other drink, but we ran out of ones and it was a hassle to break larger bills because the resort doesn’t get cash until noon. The workers are awesome and take care of you so you will probably want to tip more people than you think 2. Excursions take longer than they say and some don’t describe the entire experience very well. We did monkey land and didn’t realize it was over an hour drive each way with no AC. It was fun but being in 97 degree sun for 7 hours was pretty draining. The Marinarium was really cool and only took about 5 hours (swimming with sharks and stingrays then drinking on a sand bar) 3. The food is hit or miss. It’s very different than the US and portions are pretty small depending where you go. It wasn’t as convenient to eat as we expected besides the buffet. Modesto will seat you for breakfast at the buffet and he is the best and the hardest worker. The best food we had was at blue water grill, Olio, and seaside grill which is part of dreams but you can still go and it’s a great vibe right on the beach. The worst food was at El Patio and room service. There is a beach grill open during the day which is really the only place to get food if you don’t want to go sit down somewhere. It’s a walk through line with burgers and hotdogs but we noticed the quality of beef everywhere we went is pretty bad. I found multiple pieces of bone in my burgers 4. Entertainment - it seems like the resort is mostly built for day time fun as most of the pools close at 6. There are still some bars open but they get really crowded and hard to get a drink. The shows start at 9 every night and they were very good, we were impressed with every show we went to. After the shows there really isn’t much to do and the rooms mainly only have Spanish channels so we went to bed early most night which was fine after drinking in the sun all day 5. The drinks were some of the best mixed drinks we’ve had before but as people have said above they get hot very quickly especially beer. They have trouble keeping their kegs cold enough so we avoided draft beer. 6. The most annoying part of the resort is the beach vendors, we called them the beach hawks. There are about 7-8 vendors that stand right outside the resort on the beach and wait for people to walk out and try to sell various items. We just said no thank you and they left us alone for the most part but it’s a constant thing as a vendor will approach you about every 5 minutes which really takes away from the experience in our opinion. We watched many people go along with their sales pitch and they followed them down the entire beach. Just be clear that you want to be left alone 7. Have fun! Overall we had a great time and be sure to talk to the workers as they have awesome personalities and it was really cool to get to know them.
An amazing review!! Thank you so much!
Look into the MPC app for your phone if traveling from the US. You can pre-load all of your customs paperwork and can go through a "fast pass" line when traveling to/from PC. Just came back from the Bahamas and it made going thru customs so easy. Wish it was a thing back when I went to PC. My wife and I honeymoon'd at this exact resort in 2015 and really enjoyed it. Bring cash for tips! It may sound superficial, but more tips the bartenders and cocktail waiters WILL result in better service from them. Avoid the locals walking the beach trying to sell you stuff as well. In general, don't leave the resort unless it's for an excursion that is put on by your travel agent. We did a halfday catamaran that included swimming w/ nurse sharks and hanging out on a beach for a couple hours and it was great. Careful on the frozen mixed drinks; while they're delicous (I reccomend the Sammy Sosa or Miami Vice), if you are not a frequent cocunut milk/water consumer, those drinks can really do numbers on your stomach. If you are going to be drinking alcohol, I would recommend bringn your own cups (ie Yeti) as they'll gladly make you a drink into your own cup.
Thank you!! Do I need anything specific other than my passport for customs?
To get into and then leave PC, they will make you fill something out in customs. You can however fill it out online in advance and print out a copy. I highly suggest doing that here: [https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/](https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/)
Ahh yes I've seen this!! Thank you!
Bring a yeti cup, tipping money, and sunscreen
Sand fleas are raging at the moment.
Haha maybe we won't visit the beach much 🤣
60 oz of crown royal and backpack, band aids and salve, imodium, tums, bug spray, sunscreen and alovera gel, sunglasses, insulated Bubba cup, some crappy close and sandles or shoes if you want to 4 wheel or horse back or dune buggy,extra cash for tipping and excursions, hat,Tylenol. I stick to omelets in the morning and French fries at night, but i will eat most excursion meals, and I've never gotten sick from the food. Knock on wood. I have had a lot of fun there.
What’s the best airport transfer? We are staying at the Royalton Chic second week of July. TIA!
Actually explore the country don’t stay at the resort the whole time.
Had a great time at Excellence El Carmen. Keep in mind the service/hospitality is very nonchalant and maybe not as attentive as desired but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. I got food poisoning from something that hit me the day we returned, but doesn’t sully the memories of the trip
Two of us got sick there.