Me and my girlfriend booked the all-inclusive trip from tripcentral.ca for the week of April 25 - May 2, 08. The agents who arranged our plans were very informative and helpful. The package was part of Sunwing vacations.

When we arrived, we were surprised to be harassed at the airport by our own transportation staff for money to take us to the hotel. We later found out from the Rep. that they were not supposed to have done that and he apologized.

Once at the hotel we were greeted with a friendly smile and drinks to go with it. The check-in was swift and the bellman with his cool hat, managed to take our entire luggage to the room in less than 5 min, quite impressive with a large group of visitors that came with us.

Since this is an adult only resort, don’t be surprised to find Playboy TV on it. There is no pay per view.

At the bars you will find all sorts of local drinks, but if you want to get good rum pored into your Cuba libre than you better ask for “Brugal Extra Viejo”, which is pretty smooth. It is also pretty good if you take it with Sprite.

The entertainment staff tries very hard to design events and activities for all sorts of people. They have shows every night starting at 9:30 p.m. Some are worth going for and others might not be your cup of tea, but they show willingness to work hard to gain your favor.

Another fellow traveler warned me about the yellow shirt personal at the resort, and told me that they try to offer you a free gift if you sign up for a vacation package for blue bay. Sounded to me like timesharing within the hotel. When I was at the front desk using the slow or sometimes not working laptops provided to all guest, a guest complained to the desk that he didn’t get his free gift like he promised he would. The front desk didn’t hesitate to disassociate themselves from it.

The rooms are basic, air conditioner works excellent. The maids do not speak english, so kind of hard to communicate, it is better to talk to front desk. The pillows in the room are just filled with cotton balls, and the mini bar is not replenished once you drink the pop and the beer, only water is replenished everyday. If you want more beer or pop in your fridge it will cost you extra.

We also found out the hard way that our clock in the room was an hour late and we therefore missed an excursion, but the guest service agent was kind enough to get us a taxi to get to it. That reminds me if you go to Ocean World, stay away from V.I.P World, which have a desk there, they are a timeshare company, that takes people away from the park, saying that your ticket is special and has a tour included, which it does not!!

The food at the resort is excellent. The hamburgers though are cooked raw; we noticed that on two occasions. Do not eat them if you value your life, make sure they cook understand what it means to cook “well done”.

It was a good vacation, but not without experiencing all sort of things, but I still would recommend this resort over all the others. Hope you enjoy your trip!

My boyfriend and I stayed at bluebay from april 22-29th of this year. For our first vacation we couldn't have asked for things to go better. I'll start with saying that the age range for this hotel was for 30s up and we felt a little out of place being that we are only 20.

Check in: We arrived at about 7 on a tuesday evening while the cocktail party was going on. We were checked in right away and told our luggage would be brought to our room. The down side of check in was that they didn't show us to our room and we got a little lost, but this was no big deal to us as it allowed us to tour the property a little.

ROOMS: The rooms were great for the amount of time you spend in them. The housekeepers kept the room and bathroom very clea. The water pressure in the shower was great too. There was two days that our water in our fridge wasn't replaced, this was fixed with a visit to reception. They even called us the next day to see if we got water the day after.

FOOD: The buffet was basic. We are both quite picky eaterr but we did manage to find food to eat. Although, it felt like my boyfriend ate pasta for almost every meal. We both really enjoyed the bread and the fruit. Try the ice tea at lunch time it is really sweet but good if you water it down a little.
Try to book your a la cartes as soon as you arrive. We did this and still got 9:30 reservations. Our least favorite of the three resteraunts was the grill. We paid the extra 15.00 for the steak , which was average and my boyfriends chicken was still raw in the middle. The seafood was our favorite eventhough we both really don't care for seafood.

SPA: While there we decided to tret ourselves and booked a couples massage at the spa. We paid 100.00US and it was AMAZING.the ladies who did the massages were extremely professional and the massages were fantastic.

BEACH:The beach was great reminded me a lot of Cuba. It was windy a couple days and we stayed by the pool instead, to prevent ourselves from getting sandblasted. We did get up early, 6:30, to reserve ourselves a hut as they were all taken by 8.

ENTERTAINMENT: After dinner we would go sit by the pool and have a couple rum and cokes and peanuts. One night we watched the circus preformance but it wasn't that great. We also found that after dinner there was really nothing to do and found that we went to bed at 8:30 which is early.

just a little infor in puerto plata its self. we hired a cab with anouther couple for 35.00 for half a day the cab came with a tour guide that spoke english. All the store he took us to sold the same souviners so watch your prices. If you are looking to buy cigars buy them at the playa dorada complex that is where we found the were the cheapest. If you are going to book excursions book at the complex as well as they are way cheaper.

Over all we were very impressed with the resort. We were a little disappointed with the food and a la carte reservations. But our vacation was very relaxing and exactly what we needed.

If you want more info be sure to contact me

We were a group of 4 visiting the BlueBay from April 19-26. I came in with pretty high expectations because I had heard such great things about this place. Well it not only met our expectations but exceeded all of them especially with the food and the animation team.

Resort: It's a nice small resort with the 2 main pools and buffet being the central area. There are 3 pools. The first one is 3 ft deep and had the swim up bar. The second is 4 ft deep and some of the activities are done in this pool. The third is the quiet pool by the spa and is 5 ft deep, pretty small, and has jacuzzi jets at one end. The beach is only a 2 minute walk away. Since Puerto Plata is on the Atlantic coast, the water is not turquoise and the sand is not white. This wasn't a problem because we already knew this. The water is calm due to a wave wall. There were always chairs available at the beach and by the pools. We never cared much for umbrellas or palapas but we saw a few available most of the time. Everything is always kept clean. You could see lawn maintenance and cleaners around at all times. The lobby is very nice and has laptops available for anyone to use.

Rooms: Our rooms were always cleaned during the day and we always had turndown service at night while we were at dinner. The rooms are basic but big. We had requested 2 rooms next to each other and we got them. We always had fresh towels and beach towels. We were left a towel swan once and fresh flowers a few times. The beds were a little too firm for my liking but I didn't have any problems falling asleep. The pillows aren't all the same. We had one that was lumpy, so we grabbed the extra pillows from the closet and found them to be much better. The mini fridge has a jug of water, a bottle of coke and sprite, and 2 beers. The first one is free, if you want it restocked, it will cost you $10 for the week. The water is replaced daily and that was all we needed from our mini bar. The air conditioning worked great. We never had any problems with it turning off while we were out because the fan in the room would stay on. We even turned off the air conditioning a few times because our room got too chilly.

Buffet: I love food and will eat almost anything especially if it contains meat. The buffet was excellent. They would switch it up each night with different themes. Our favourite was the Mexican night because they had fresh fajitas at the grill station. I also liked that the resort has a healthy section in the back right corner for people who want that option. The food was always hot and replaced often. They always had a pasta bar open at lunch and dinner and we considered this as a last resort if we couldn't find anything that we liked. I was the only one to use it and it wasn't because I didn't like what was being served, I just wanted to try it. We loved the buffet so much that we questioned making reservations for the a la cartes. All of us loved the breakfast buffet. Some people have complained about the breakfast being repetitive. It is true, it's repetitive...but only because they serve everything you want for breakfast. Made to order eggs or omelettes, bacon, sausage, toast, pancakes, fresh fruits, cereals, yogurts, fresh juices, etc. By the third or fourth day, the omelette guy (forgot his name) recognized me and threw on 2 over easy eggs for me while I was waiting in line. When I got to the front to place my order, my eggs were done right on time. That was a nice bonus to the already excellent service.

A La Cartes: We visited all three and liked them all. The grill was my favourite and I had the chateaubriand; which I highly recommend. You must have at least 2 people sharing it to be able to order it. The Oriental was very good and had the biggest selection on the menu. It comes with free sushi and sake to start before you place your order. I wanted to have the peking duck but couldn't since once again it requires 2 people to share it. I wish I would've known that. The fish restaurant was our least favourite (one person in our group doesn't like seafood) but was still very good. They accomadated her order by taking out the seafood and replacing it with something else. The service at all 3 restaurants were excellent with Francis being our favourite server. They serve wine with all your meals and they're actually pretty good. I wouldn't say that it's the best wine I've had but it went well with the meals. Oh and our servers never let our wine glasss get empty. I'm not sure how many glasses we actually had because they were constantly being refilled.

Bars: The resort has 4 real bars. I think they claim to have 5 but I think the fifth is the one in the buffet. Since you never have to get up to get a drink in the buffet, I don't really count it as a bar. The other four are the pool bar, swim-up bar, beach bar and quiet pool bar. The beach bar is open 24/7. It's a nice place to unwind at the end of the night and it's an added bonus that they serve food too. You can come back from the clubs at any time and grab something to eat and drink. The main pool bar is right by the theatre and is open until midnight. We would stay until last call and go out to Coco Bongo. The bartenders are very friendly and professional. My favourite was Victor but Juan was really good too. The liquor is Normandy brand and isn't that bad. Are the drinks watered down, you ask? Yes, but not to the point where you can't get drunk. And if you really want more alcohol, just ask and they'll do it. If you are really looking to get drunk quick, order a manhattan.

Entertainment: We saw a few shows while we were there. We caught the Michael Jackson Show, Water Ballet, Magician, and Circus Night. The best one was Circus Night with Michael Jackson coming in a close second. The Magician on magic night was horrendous. We were all excited to go out that night and were drinking and by the end of his show, we were pretty much ready for bed. The Circus Night has a magician and he was infinitely better. Two people from the animation team participated in the trapeze portion of the circus show. The water ballet was nice but I wouldn't have cared if I had missed it.

Animation Team: These people are amazing. Always full of energy, very friendly, and try their best to ensure you enjoy your vacation. They would walk around and ask you to join in the activities but never forced anyone to join. The water aerobics with Lorenzo were a lot of fun (I normally hate aerobics). Tony Montana and Mosquito are hilarious. Lucas aka Minitro was always friendly and took care of us nicely. And last but definately not least has to be our favourite Rosa aka The Cat. She is a little ball of energy and a great dancer. When we would go out at night, we would run in to some of the animation team even after having worked the entire day.

People: I have to add this in because they also helped make our trip great. The guests at the resort were really friendly when we went. If you want to keep to yourself, nobody will bother you. But if you enjoy meeting new people like I do, this place is great. Thank you to everyone who made this an amazing vacation; Andy from NB, Jimmy and his crew from Toronto, Bjorn and Katya from Germany, Shelby and Megan from St. Catherines, and of course Joel and Mahar from Chicago.

Extra: We did tip regularly but nobody ever asked or expected a tip. I have worked in the service industry and believe in tipping. I don't tip to ensure good service. I tip for good service. We tipped our maid, a la carte servers, and bartenders. Some people told me that when they left money for their maid, she put it off to the side and left it there. You will not get treated worse if you don't tip. Oscar Lora (the manager) was always around. We never had any problems, but if we did, we knew we could find him. We booked our excursions at the mall next door. Don't believe the scare tactics used by your tour operator. Some people booked through people on the beach, I prefer going to the kiosk and ensuring you get a receipt. They also allow you to do down payments at the mall, and you pay the rest when you get picked up. I was on the same trip as other people who booked through the resort. We walked down the beach to visit the flea market. It's about a 20-30 minute walk and is really nice with Mt Isabella in the background. You can barter at the flea market. Just cut whatever price they originally say by 75%. That''s a good starting point. If you go into town, refuse any offers for a tour guide. You don't need them and they will drag you around to their friend's and families' shops. Same thing if you go up Mt Isabella.

All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. The BlueBay is fantastic and we highly recommend it to others. You will notice that almost all the complaints about this place were made before BlueBay took over. It is an excellent 4 star hotel and has the added bonus of being an adults only. There were plenty of people from all ages groups when we went.

Visited Blue Bay with another couple during the week of April 10-17, 2008. This was their first time in the Caribean and but it was our tenth visit. We have travelled to Cuba 6 times, Mexico once and this was our second time to Dominican Republic. We have been to resorts ranging from 21/2 stars to 5 stars. Each of them stood out for different reasons. The Riu Yucatan resort in Mexico stood out for its food and drinks while all of the Cuban resorts stood out for their beach and entertainment. The Blue Bay was by far one of my favourite resorts that we have visited and give it top marks for its ambience, layout and above all service. The food was also top notch but it is not what makes this resort a real gem.
Let me begin by saying that I took much time researching prior to booking the Blue Bay. I checked tripadvisor and many other sites to find a perfect combination of what we and the other couple were looking for. I read the majority of the reviews on Blue Bay and like many others I was apprehensive that the reviews appeared almost "too good" and thought that maybe certain reviewers were given incentives for their favourable reviews. I can assure you after visiting this resort that this is not the case. Some of the issues brought up in the negative reviews are accurate. For instance the rooms are a little dark and the beds are definately hard. Also, the entertainment team have room for improvement and the beach is not the nicest that I have seen (in regards to esthetics). Yet some of the negative comments are complete hogwash. The food found throughout the resort is absolutely delicious and I have difficulty how anyone could possibly find fault in the service. I could not believe how friendly everyone was and how willing they were to ensure that your stay was enjoyable. The general manager, Oscar, was present throughout the week and he personally made sure that the bed was to my liking. The dining staff (waitors, etc) were always smiling and worked their behinds off to ensure that you never had an empty glass or dirty dish in front of you. The food was always beatifully prepared and I never left a single meal hungry. I especially appreciated the tasty low fat items and was pleasantly suprised to see how hot every meal was. Even the breakfast items were hot at all times. This is no small feet. I also appreciated eating in the open air buffet restaurant. They kept the food well covered and I did not see or hear of anyone being sick over the food while we were there.
Another thing that really puts Blue Bay in a league of their own is the layout of the resort and the ambience. The designers obviously took much time and consideration when designing it. Everything from the beautiful lobby, airy buffet restaurant to the music playing throughout was very zen/spa like. I found even the staff uniforms and the furniture to be very well thought out. You could not help but leave your worries behind and totally immerse yourself in this place of casual elegance. I even took pictures of the public bathrooms because I could not get over how beautiful they were. I had never seen this much care put into such minor details. They obviously have realized that it is these minor details that make a resort like Blue Bay stand out. Congradulations on a job well done. We could not have asked for anything more in a vacation.