Why you should go to Mexico

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Timothy Mullen (President Apple Vacations)

Now’s not the time to visit our neighbor to the south, right? Well, wrong. Mexico is still an amazing tourist destination that we have come to love. I’m currently in Cancun and wanted to take the time to let Apple Vacationers know what I’ve been experiencing firsthand. I’ve noticed thousands of happy travelers from around the world, most of whom are Americans. They are enjoying the sun, sand and warm Mexican hospitality. The vacations are meeting and exceeding expectations, exactly what you dream of when booking your vacation.

I am experiencing nothing like what the American press is reporting at all. When I’ve been talking to travelers, there seems to be the consensus that the negative press on Mexico is ridiculous! They’ve managed to lump all of Mexico – a country that’s the size of Western Europe – together! I personally don’t think that’s indicative of what’s happening in the entire country. Americans who travel to Mexico primarily go to six places, none of which have had travel alerts. These destinations are Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit and Los Cabos. As a travel expert, I can tell you that it’s as easy-going as it’s always in these tourist destinations. And, it’s no surprise to me that Mexico remains one of the top tourist destinations in the world! It’s home to archaeological wonders, turquoise seas, a magnificent underwater world, and world-class hotels and vacation amenities.

Most travel to Mexico, ultimately, is simply good travel. It’s fun, affordable, eye-opening and fascinating. But, no, you don’t have to visit Mexico. Just know that the Mexico vacation experience on the ground almost never matches the sensationalized Mexico we see and read about.

Say “I do” to a Destination Wedding

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Christine May (Managing Editor)

wedding Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. The day you celebrate your love for each other should be a day of paradise. Why not exchange your vows in a place called paradise? Today more and more couples are replacing the stress and time consuming preparations of a state-side wedding for a breathtaking, picturesque tropical beachside wedding. Celebrate what promises to be the best days of your life at a world-class resort with a personal wedding consultant to take care of every detail, the most beautiful and exotic flower arrangements, and a trained photographer that truly captures the essence of your day. It leaves you asking, why wouldn’t you have a destination wedding?! It would be the ultimate wedding and honeymoon experience. In many cases, destination weddings cost significantly less than traditional weddings as well. I highly recommend any bride-to-be and groom to take the time to investigate these options with Apple Vacations.

Here are my Top 5 Reasons to plan the Destination Wedding:

Dream Location that’s Exotic & Fabulous
You can create your dream wedding at one of the most stunning and luxurious resorts in the Caribbean or Mexico. There is no more beautiful, romantic or memorable setting to sanctify your life together. The first step is deciding where your dream wedding will be. Apple Vacations can help with the rest.
Deeply Unique & Unforgettable
Saying “I do” at a world-class resort on white sand beaches fronting turquoise waters is a little more than a reception at the same home town spots. A destination wedding provides a couple with a romantic setting unlike any other that is intimate and memorable. Think ocean views, beautiful sunsets, and being under moonlit skies.
Cost Effective
You may have realized the time, effort and expense of planning a wedding and Continue reading →

Inaugural Flight from SWF to CUN

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Gina West (Senior Sales Manager, Northeast USA)

Our Senior Manager of Sales of the Northeast, Gina West, represented Apple Vacations at Stewart International Airport (SWF) on the morning of Apple Vacations’ inaugural nonstop flight from Stewart International Airport to Cancun last week.

I don’t know if you’re old enough to remember when the fun of going on vacation actually began when you first pulled out your suitcase, dusted it off, packed and then headed off to the airport! Checking in for your flight and the flight itself was part of the fun. Well, Apple Vacations’ goal is to make sure that never changes and it was never more evident than it was last Saturday at Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, NY!

Stewart International Airport is a gem of an airport nestled in the quiet suburbs of Newburgh and New Windsor, New York but don’t let that fool you! The Stewart International Airport may have been the best kept secret as far as alternative options to using the much larger and busier international airports in the northern NJ, NY and Connecticut areas, but all that changed last Saturday!

Nothing could have prepared me for the send-off celebration (provided by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey) that I witnessed, complete with the music of Mariachis (provided by the Mexico Department of Tourism), dancing, refreshments, an official “ribbon-cutting ceremony” and so much more! You can view the festivities here.

It occurred to me that we are so bombarded by doom and gloom reports from the media that we don’t realize, that despite all of the new rules and regulations of flying and traveling in 2011, the fun and excitement of vacationing still exists! The fun still begins the moment you begin to pack and still continues throughout the check-in and flight, especially when you travel with Apple Vacations, and especially if you’re lucky enough to be flying on Apple Vacations’ nonstop charter flights to Cancun from Stewart International Airport this winter!

[Apple Vacations, working in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Allegiant Airlines will operate nonstop flights to Cancun, Mexico from Stewart International Airport on Saturdays for the next 10 weeks from February 12 – April 23rd.]

Riviera Maya FAM Review

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

secrets_silversands Our new brand Florida sales rep, Everton, escorted his first FAM trip to Riviera Maya. Here is the report to see what he thought on his first Apple Vacations’ FAM trip and his first look at some Riviera Maya resorts.

Hola, como estas? From beautiful Cancun, Mexico. I had the pleasure to escort a FAM from Baltimore this week. Upon arrival at the Cancun airport, I found my luggage quickly then walked outside to find the flowered shirts! Once the rest of my group arrived, we were immediately shown to our bus, where there was cold bottled water and cool towels waiting. It was awesome!

Here are my impressions of the first few hotels we visited:

Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun – This property was amazing. It was my first time here but I could tell this would be one of my favorites! They have an air-conditioned lobby and lobby bar. This is an adults-only (18+) resort, which has 8 restaurants and 8 bars. No wristbands, no restrictions on dining and no reservations are required! The resort has beautiful pools! The wonderful ocean view Jacuzzi had a definite “wow-effect” on me! Top shelf liquor and American beer are included and are standard which is great for American clients. Non-stop transfers are included when booking this resort with Apple Vacations!

Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa – This was a gorgeous property and just turned a year old! They have an open-air lobby with a beautiful lobby bar overlooking the Mangroves! This resort has 486 octagonal-shaped rooms. They also have ground-floor swim-out suites, 6 bars and 9 restaurants. The main buffet has Mexican, Asian and Italian stations. The Bordeaux is an amazing adults-only restaurant. 24- hour room service is also available. The Explorers Club is a great place for kids and they offer pagers for the parents when they leave their children. The beach at this hotel is awesome and it includes great diving and snorkeling! There is an outside bar called Barracuda, which features swings at the bar! How fun!

Tune in tomorrow for more reviews!

USA3000 Airlines Flight #186 has landed in Cancun!

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

I checked in this morning via USA300 Airlines Preferred Perks. If you want a little extra attention on your flight then purchase Preferred Perks!

If you are on your honeymoon, traveling with the elderly, or with a family it is a really “no brainer“.

What it did for me:

No check-in line. There was a Private Preferred Perks line and we went straight to the ticket counter with no wait upon our arrival to the airport.
Our bag received special gold tags, so they were the very first 4 bags off of the plane.
We were first to board the airplane FIRST which gave me the extra time to have the bags situated, iPods, DVDs and necessities for the flight out and in place before other passengers started walking buy.

It bought me a little extra time, and a lot of extra sanity. Next stop – Cancun!