Last second info

OK, the seas have settled and Krissy and I are ready to get some sleep (we didn't really sleep much yesterday, we were reading about Sansetori all night).

We have a phone # for Azul Sansetori 011-52-998-872-8450

Over the last 15 hrs I think we have gotten almost (all but one) issue resolved. Check your flights on line, dig up your passport, finish watching LOST, remember to pack your swimsuit because that is all you'll really need for the next few days.

When everyone lands, we'd like to get everyone together the first night (Thursday) at 8pm at the mojito lounge. If you don't see us before that time, have a safe flight and I'll see you there.

STOP AND READ THIS

STOP AND READ THIS

Good news, bad news and Awesome news.

If you read this, don’t call me with questions until at least 8:30pm tonight (Tue), we’ll be on the phone all night contacting all of you.

So here is the story, Azul Fives is up and running, but they got together and said they are not ready for a group of 50 people and a wedding. This would have been nice information to have a few weeks ago, but it’s all going to work in our favor.

Everyone who was staying at Fives has been moved to Azul Sensatori. Just a word about Sensatori, Krissy and I were struggling when we initially picked a resort, between Fives and Sensatori. In the end we chose Fives because it would be about $120 less per person, which when you are bringing almost 50 people that adds up to about $6000 more for the group. Sensatori
http://www.karismahotels.com/azulsensatori/index.html

just opened up in November, so it’s crisp and brand new as well. Pretty much think of everything that you had in your head about Azul Fives, but bigger and has a beach that is 60x cooler.

For those who booked with Irina (and we’ll work on those who booked separately) there are also some big time bonus’ for our inconvienence:

1) Everyone will get a room upgrade, not even just a 1 level upgradge, but a 2 level upgrade. I looked on the Sensatori site and can’t tell exactly what that means, I’ll try to get more details tomorrow.
2) Each ROOM will get a $200-400 hotel credit (not sure what determines how much, so assume $200 and be surprised if it’s more). I’m not sure exactly what that could be used for, but I know spa stuff and maybe motorized sports or other things not included.

Important note: All of the all-inclusive cool stuff (free food and drinks) will be exactly the same, we’ll just be at a different (slightly better) place and get some free goodies (see above)

Another important note!!!! We all have vouchers to get us from the Cancun airport to our resort. The people at the Apple or Funjet desks should know what we are now going to Sensatori, but just to be safe remind the people and the desk and remind the drivers that you are going to Sensatori.

I just got this information a few hours ago and ran it though my head repeatedly, but all I can see is positives (us getting better rooms and free “Karisma Dollars”) and no negatives since Sensatori has all the same things Fives did.

Unless you are quick on the draw, we’ll probably talk to you before you read this, but hopefully this will help you to have something to refer back to.

There are some exceptions out there (Regena and Jeni’s travel agent, Dan and Kim’s new found distance, Picchi/Molitor mega-suite) that I’m still in the process of addressing.

Rock on all, I’m totally stoked.

Family and Friends

Here is a list of people coming to our wedding and how they are lucky enough to know us, in case you are interested:)

Dave and Krissy - Wedding couple, you know and love us.

Krissy's Family
Marcia Sanders - mom
Angie Sanders - sister (Maid of Honor)
Ryan Sanders - brother
Cindi and Joe Epping - aunt and uncle
Mandy and Danny Marti - cousins (Mandy is Bridesmaid)
Cheryl and Dave Marti - uncle and aunt


Dave's Family
Jose and Jeanne Martinez - parents
Josh Martinez and April Kersbergen - brother (Groomsman) and brother's girlfriend
Alisha and Brian Zyburt - sister and brother-in-law
Maria and Bob Hiemenz - aunt and uncle
Mike and Rachel Valdez - uncle and aunt


Friends of the couple

Jamie, Beth, Meara, Addison, and Everette - [Jamie "Slurp" is Best Man]
- "Slurp" and Dave were roommates their first year at North Central College (NCC), Beth and Dave were also friends in college. Meara, Addison and Everette are their 3 kids they are stowing away in their luggage.

Amy
- Amy and Krissy were in Peace Corps together.

Becki
- Becki and Krissy went to massage school together and now work together.

Bill and Jar
- Bill and Dave worked together at CDW. Bill and Jar are engaged and getting married in April. They are our city friends.

Jeff and Julie
- Jeff "Wudchuk" and Dave went to NCC together. Julie and Jeff are married.

Joe
- Joe and Dave went to NCC together.

Eric Hany
- Eric and Dave went to NCC together.

Larry and Belinda
- Larry "Bones" and Belinda went to NCC with Dave.

Andrea and Kristy
- Andrea and Dave worked together at a social service job. She is bringing her sister (Kristy) with her for her graduation present.

Chris, Natalie, and Ana
- Chris "Picchi" and Dave went to NCC together. Chris and Natalie are married and bringing their cute baby Ana for everyone to play with.

Dave and Leslie
- Dave "Duch" and Leslie went to NCC with Dave.

Sandy
- Sandy is Slurp's mom.

Regena, Jeni, and Annabelle
- Regena and Dave went to NCC together. Regena and Jeni are married and Annabelle is Dave's goddaughter.

Dan and Kim
- Dan picked up Dave when he was homeless one day...they've been buddies ever since. Kim is Dan's "special lady friend".

Everybody remember your buddy

.........................................
OK, just an FYI so people know when everyone will land and who you might expect to see on your flight.

United Airlines arriving in Cancun 1/29/09 12:44 pm

Dave and Krissy
Marcia and Ryan Sanders
Jose and Jean Martinez
Joshua Martinez and April
Brian and Alisha Zyburt
Robert and Maria Hiemenz
Billy Franklin and Jar Gallaugher (really Bill, your ticket says Billy)


Mexicana Airlines arriving in Cancun 1/29/09 2:15 pm

Jeff and Julie Witte
Joe Leamon and Eric Hany (aka the other Mr. Leamon)
Lawrence Ratledge and Belinda Menzies


Mexicana Airlines arriving in Cancun 1/29/09 12:10 pm

Andrea and KristaLyn Zimmerman
Amy Klein and Rebecca Logan
Picchi Family
David and Leslie Monahan

The following people have private flights (meaning no other punks from our wedding on your flight)

Sandra Ayers arriving at 2:50 pm

Angie Sanders arriving at 2:20 pm

Molitor Family arriving at 10:05 am

Michael and Rachel Valdez arriving 2:00 pm

Cynthia and Joseph Epping arriving 11:29 am

Amanda and Daniel Marti arriving at 1:50 pm

David and Cheryl Marti arriving on 1/30 at 11:40 am

It looks like Slurp and Co. are landing first. Slurp promised to test all of the resturants, restrooms and bars before we all get there, to make sure it's in working order. What a guy.

New pics and notes

T-72hrs folks.

Here are some updates:

I checked three weather sites. Weather.com and cancunweathertoday.com both have an awesome forecast for us (65 degree lows and 82-85 degree highs each day). Uweather.com has a cruddy forecast, so I’m going with the majority, we should have awesome weather for the trip.

For people looking for Aqua Socks, check out Sports Authority. $5.99, can’t go wrong. I have read that the beach is fine, but in the water for the first few feet it’s a bit rocky (however a minute in each direction are sandy-ground waters all the way out). I guess waves and nature have to do their thing on the sandy ocean floor and that will take a few months. Stinkin’ nature. Also, if you are going to Xel-Ha, having aqua socks is a high recommendation from Bill and Jar who have been there before (but they are also kinda crazy, so take it for what it’s worth).

One of the dudes I have been talking to sells the condo’s that are also available at Azul Fives. He had a very promising last report and had some new pictures. The YouTube video is old, but the pics underneath are only a day or two old. Looks good.

http://www.playadelcarmen-real-estate.com/The_Fives/page_2070889.html

Oh on a sidenote, can people email me or post under the “comments” what time they are landing in Mexico? I believe we have 2 different Chicago flights and a number of other flights from different origins. I’m trying to keep track of everything. Thanks

Wudchuk packing tip

Wudchuk told me about a new way to pack that is supposed to take up less space and create no wrinkles. I tried to figure this out, and was a little confused, but other people report that it makes sense, so I'll let you smart people figure it out.

First, lay out a shirt, face down on your bed. (Make sure it's the shirt that's face down, not you.) Lay a second shirt on top of the first, but rotated upside down so the torso points up and the neck points down. Have some overlap at the shirts' necks. The arms should stick out to the sides. Now you have a stubby cross: sleeves left and right, one torso going to the top, the other torso pointing down. Keep layering shirts, alternating neck-towards-top and neck-towards-bottom, overlapping in the middle.
Next, lay out the pants off to the sides, over the sleeves. Lay the first pair so legs go to the left and waistband to the right. The second pair has legs to the right, waistband to the left. Again, overlap them so the waistbands are even with the edges of the shirts you'd already laid out.
So now you have a bigger cross. The pants legs form the left and right parts, and the shirt torsos form the top and bottom parts. In the middle, everything overlaps. At this point, everything is still completely flat.
Now put a bundle of underwear, socks, and small things right in the middle. Clean socks, preferably. You want your clothes to smell like roses, not that strange paste that's accumulated inside your sneakers. (It's really time for a new pair.)
Now take the innermost pair of pants and gently wrap it around the bundle, all the way around until it's comfy and snug. Smooth out the pants so there are no creases whatsoever.
Next, curve the next pair of pants around the bundle. Then the next. Then the shirt that's on top, then the next shirt, and the next one, etc. When you're done, you'll have a tidy little bundle. I found it takes up less space than folding every garment individually, and voila, no wrinkles! No if we could just do that with our skin, it would be the most amazing anti-aging product ever!

What to Wear to our Wedding

Hey everybody...this is Krissy writing this time and I'm not promising to be any bit as funny as Dave. But, I will answer a couple of questions some people have had.

Question #1: "What should I wear to the wedding?"
Answer: Dave and I are both very okay with almost anything you want to wear to the wedding. I prefer that everyone wears clothes:) If you need more advice I guess the guys "should" wear pants and a shirt and the ladies a casual or semi-formal dress or pants and a shirt/blouse...something along those lines. The wedding ceremony will be at 6pm on the beach, so I'm sure the temperature will be fairly cooperative...I'm guessing it will be around 65 or 70 degrees at the time of the ceremony.

Question #2: "What are we doing after the ceremony?"
Answer: After the ceremony we have a reservation at the Flavors restaurant at the resort. We will all order food off the menu, but be sitting together as a group. After dinner, we will go to one of the bars (probably SKY bar), drink and dance and be merry.

We are getting super excited for everything:) love and hugs to all...Krissy

Azul Fives will be open and ready for us

Woo-Hoo!!! I just got off the phone with Irina and Azul Fives and they are ready for us and will be open. Beach, check. All of the restaurants, check. All of the bars, check. Rooms, check. The only thing that isn’t done is the spa, however, they are still doing all of the spa services (massage, hair, nails etc) just in a different building. It took until 8 days before the opening, but we finally have our 100% and are good to go.

I’m dancing right now. I have a wireless headset, so it gives me some room to move around, but people are still looking at me funny.

Baggage

Oh, two thoughts in one day...maybe Wudchuk is wrong and being married doesn't make you dumb and suck away your soul.

I just looked up United's baggage info and see that while you have to pay for every checked bag in the US, if you are traveling to Mexico you get two checked bags FOR FREE. Yay, finally something that costs the right amount.

If anyone has questions or needs to know limitations restrictions (I'm thinking of Andrea and her huge 200lb luggage), check this out:

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,52482,00.html

If anyone isn't flying United, here is some info on the policy for all airlines:

http://www.funjet.com/cs/baggagepolicy.asp?nonav=true&nobook=true



Ohter info, for those who wish to bring back some souvenours, no drugs, game hunting trophies, food or seeds, or pets.
http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml

As for booze (tequila) it looks like you can bring back 1L without a problem, after that it could get taxed since it's not duty free. Based on some things I read, it looks like they could let you bring more as long as it falls into the $800 worth of merchandise you can bring back duty free.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/paying_duty.xml

Tickets and transfers and such

Yo! I found out some info on a little bit of administrative stuff.

Some people have reported having paper tickets, some people have been telling me they only have e-documents, everyone has been talking to each other and is wondering why they don't have what the other person has..... well here it is.

Becuase everyone purchased thier vacation packages at different times, from different cities and departing different days, some were purchased with Funjet some through Apple. Of course, they have different ways of distributing their info. The good news is you both are perfectly OK (heck I haven't used a paper ticket in 5 years). You should have one of the two, if you don't, hit up Irina.

Included with your paper or electronic ticket will be some vouchers for the transports to and from the airport to the resort.

Here is a quote from Irina about the vouchers and process of the transfer:

Once you claim your luggage and pass customs, you will walk right outside the doors of the airport and will see many Apple Vacations and Funjet Vacations representatives. In Cancun Funjet is also know as Lomas Travel (that info should be in your E-Doc). Please approach any individual representing your tour operator and they will direct you. The process is usually very organized and runs smoothly.

Tips on tipping

Big props to Uncle Mike who found this great resource on tipping at an all-inclusive down in Mexico. Obviously you can tip as you please, but for those of us who don't regularly hit up all-inclusives and have some questions.... here's a recommened answer:

How much to tip at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico?
I’m vacationing at a Mexican all inclusive resort. How much do I tip housekeeping, bar tenders and wait staff? Do I tip in Pesos or Dollars? The gratuities are “included” in the price, but while on vacation I want service to be good. Some tips may help.

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
The last time I stayed at an all-inclusive, the hotel management warned against being "too generous" with tips, and even said tipping wasn't necessary. What I saw was a lot of people working 16-18 hour days, bending over backwards for a bunch of drunk, gluttonous tourists, and going home to a tin shack (literally, a dirt floor shack without windows or electricity). I tipped the same as I would in Canada or the USA for the service - as all the service was exceptional, I tipped 20-25%. The housekeeper got 5 bucks a day, most of the servers got a $5 or better tip for every meal, the bartenders got a buck a drink (minimum), and it was still a fraction of the cost of a vacation north of the border. The hotel management discourage 'excessive' tipping so they can keep the workers in poverty, where they want them, and continue to pay them 4 dollars a day, while the hotels make millions, Screw that, working people who make an honest effort to serve you deserve better.

***Total side note: We are turning up the heat a little bit to get some more concrete answers on Fives. Hopefully Krissy and I will have a conference call with them today or tomorrow and be able to report some concrete answers at that time. It's still looking like we are on schedule to be at Fives, but we need to make sure every part of the resort will be open and at our fingertips.

T-9 days

Free Vacation

I have an idea, since we are going to be in Mexico for the Super Bowl, let’s use the occasion to allow someone to win an almost free vacation. Give me some input on this one, as it will only work if there is ample participation. The idea is a 100-square pool, $10 per square. With 40 adults in our party, 2-3 squares each person will fill up the matrix. 1 winner, and the winner get $1000, which should pay for most of their trip.

For those of you who don’t know what a 100-square pool is, let me explain. We have a 10x10 square chart (please see link for example). People buy squares ($10 each in our situation) and put their name in the number of squares they purchased. After all 100 squares are filled, we randomly draw #’s (one through ten) to go across the top and side of the chart and that represents your final score. If the last #’s of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals score matches your #, you win (and then make fun of everyone around you for having to pay for their trip when yours was free).

http://www.printyourbrackets.com/superbowl100squares.html

I have some answers

So I don't know how many of you know this but our wedding coordinator's name is Fabio. I can't wait to meet him because all I can think of is the I can't believe it's not butter, male supermodel guy.

Either way, Fabio got back to us with some answers. Some are good, some need more clarification:

1) What is the smoking policy at the hotel? No smoking in any indoor areas. Other than that, no mayor restriction apply.

2) Some of our guests are telling us they read that other Azul resorts have a policy where you need to wear pants (dress up) in all of the restaurants, what is the policy at Fives. A casual semi- formal dress code is required for Dinner in our restaurants, absolutely no swim wear is allowed in the restaurants.

I'll see what I can find out about "casual semi-formal". I think it means naked.... truthfully I think it means no dudes in swimshorts and shirtless (unless it's a hairshirt, so Bones and I are OK) and for you lady-folks, put some shorts and a t-shirt on over that bathing suit. Personally, I think I'm getting a man Sarong (not sure how to spell that word) so I can just look like I'm a formal cross dresser instead of an informal dude.

For dinner, I'm guessing your shorts have to transform into pants. If you are sneaky, maybe you can get those camping pants that zip off into shorts, but I'll probably go buy a linnen pair of pants or something...ugh, thought I was done shopping, and by done, I really didn't start.

I'll see about some clarifications, but that's what I have right now.

Parking at airport

For those who are parking at the airport I found a site that has parking rates, both at the airport and at local hotels (who I believe will then shuttle you to the airport).

http://www.aboutairportparking.com/chicago-ohare-international-airport-parking

It looks like the hotel parking is much less expensive, but I didn't even know it existed until today so I can't speak about how the process works.

Limo's

Howdy,

It's getting close to limo reservation time (for those who are so inclined). I hunted out some quotes from about a dozen places and here below is the best pricing that I have received so far. I know some people out there have "a guy" or know someone. If you have a good contact, shoot me an email or leave it in the comments section so people can check them out.

Below is the response from a compnay called Nightstar Limousine, Inc. To help clarifiy, I asked them for 3 quotes:

Trip 1 is 6 people and 12 pieces of luggage from Yorkville to O'Hare.

Trip 2 is 2 people and 4 pieces of luggage from Chicago (Wrigleyville) to O'Hare

Trip 3 is 4 people and 8 pieces of luggage from Chicago (Wrigleyville) to O'Hare

Thank You For requesting a quote from Nightstar Limousine.
Chicago's premier Limousine service for over 13 years.
We want to let you know that we have a 2007 Lincoln super stretch limo (up to 10 passengers) available for your service date at a rate of $95.00 for the 1st trip.
2nd trip is 50.00
3rd trip is 65.00



Give us a call at 773.727.3650 to setup a reservation.
Our Fleet consists of:

2007 Lincoln Super strech Limousines (6,8,10 passengers)

2007 Ford Expedition Super strech SUV Limo (15 passengers)

2007 Lincoln Town Cars L (Luxury Sedans up to 4 passengers).

2007 Chrysler 300 (Luxury Sedans up to 3 passengers)

2006 Mercedes S500 (Luxury Sedans up to 3 passengers)

All Strech limousines come with complimentary drinks: fully stocked bar including domestic beer, water and sodas.You are more than welcome to bring any additional beverages.
Nightstar Limousines specializes in Airport transfers and provides personalized service in our new luxury Strech and Sedans Limousines.
There is no need to worry if your flight is arriving late.
We monitor all arriving flights to ensure that you will be picked up on time Once you try our service you will see that Nightstar limousine service will meet and exceed all expectations.
It is our high level of professionalism and service that sets the difference from any other limousine service.
With a combination between the comfort and the luxury of the late model Ford Expedition strech and the latest technologies such as Gps System installed, we stand out between other limousine companies.

We operate under the philosophy of customer satisfaction and quality care.Our mission is to provide you the best possible service today, tomorrow and always!
It is the only way we know, it's what we offer each and every day.
Our chauffeurs are always committed to be: on time, precise and safe.
All of our vehicles are in top notch condition and are handled with excellent care.
Our limousines are insured for the maximum liability amount,clean and well maintained.
Our drivers have the knowledge,experience, and skills to ensure that You travel safe and luxuriously.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for considering Nightstar Limousine,inc for your special transportation need.
We promise to take good care of you and your loved ones.
It is our honor to please you.

If you have any questions or to make a reservation, please give us a call at : 773 727 3650 or visit our website http://www.nightstarlimo.com/.

Thank you and We hope we can do business together!
Nightstar Limousine,inc.
Thank you.
Daniel.

Nightstar Limousine,inc.
Office: 773 727 3650
Web : http://www.nightstarlimo.com/
E-mail: Office@nightstarlimo.com

Pictures of the resort

Yo, sweet stuff. Check this out:

MicheleinPlaya/Construction Updates/January 2009/Azul Fives - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

From what I am being told, these pictures were taken by a travel agent who visited Fives in early Jan (I guess they had some Travel Agent showing or something). Everything looks very good. There was still some consturction going on, but my confidence is going up. 80-85% that we will be in Fives and it will be done.

Had a few questions about attire (some all inclusives require slacks in thier gourmet resturants, since Fives is unique in that all of thier resturants are gourmet, this is good info to have). I have also had questions about the smoking policy. I asked my contact for info on both and will shoot those out once I find out.

More questions? Shoot them over.

I'm super stoked from looking at these pictures, this is going to rock.

--One more note, I have read from people a neighboring resorts that since Playa Del Carmen is on the second largest coral reef on earth, there is quite a bit of coral a few feet into the water. If possible, it might be a good idea to get some aqua socks or something. If you don't know what aqua socks are here is an example:
http://www.nextag.com/aqua-sock/search-html

Weather the next few days, snow and temps with a high of 9 and low if -12. T-minus 27 days till sunshine and 80 degrees.

Excursion

Friday seems to be the day that will be most open, so Krissy and I are planning on an excursion that day and would love it if people would join us. Here are the details:

Friday, the Tulum ruins and then Xel-Ha.

There are a number of different ways that we can do it, but based on a little research it looks like the best option is to have people jump in cabs to Tulum ASAP in the morning (tour busses show up around 10ish, and who wants to be around tourists). It's about $6 as person to take a cab. So we hit up Tulum and check out the ruins and then head over to Xel-Ha.

Xel-Ha looks awesome, it is a "natural aquarum". Not sure what that is, but it has some great stuff. Tons of snorkling, swimming, fish, dolphins, scuba, zip lines, food, beaches etc. From what I see it looks like you can buy an all inclusive day pass (admission, food, drink, and most of the options like snorkling gear and such). For people who aren't interested in most of those, you can pay for your day a-la-carte and just do what fits.

Check out www.xelha.com it has some more details on what they have. I also have a 100% face rocking guarantee from Bill and Jar who went there last year.

The site states that the all inclusive (for adults) is $75, and if you buy it on line, it's 10% less, so if you are sure that you want to have an awesome time at Xel-ha, go here http://www.xelha.com/Content-Site/Xel-Ha-All-Inclusive.php
it also tells you some more of what is included

Tulum Ruins are about $4 or $5 for admission, so that's real solid.

So here is the way that I'm anticipating the day going:

Wake up early, shake off hangover from our first night of all you can eat/drink
7 or 8 am, grab some cabs and head over to Tulum (about $6 per person)
Spend a couple of hours at the ruins ($4 or $5)
Shoot over to Xel-ha (maybe a buck or two cab ride)
Spend most of the day at Xel-ha ($67.50) covers food, drink, admission and activities
Cab ride back to the resort (whenever people want to go) about $6 again.