When researching vacations to the Dominican Republic for my clients, one of my favorite tools is TripAdvisor. You can see my post about that here. I normally find great information on this site but I’m dismayed by some of the negative resort reviews.
When traveling to the Dominican Republic, are you expecting it to be like home in the USA? You must open your mind to this new country and their culture. I know that there are those who are travel newbies and this may be a first trip to the Caribbean. Of course, you have nothing to compare it to except home. But in order to experience this island and all that it has to offer, you really must leave all preconceived notions at home.
This is a tropical beach destination with warm climates, lots of sunshine, and a very laid back atmosphere. Isn’t this why you chose this vacation in the first place? It is this climate that slows everything down. The slower the speed, the lighter the sweat. Makes sense, right?
I’ve read lots of complaints about the service in the buffets and restaurants. Here’s my question, how many of the staff do you see on cell phones, or eating, or conversing with their co-workers, or sitting around twiddling their thumbs? The answer is most likely none. Sit back and watch the staff. They have a routine and a pace that gets the job done. The servers and staff at the breakfast buffet will be the same staff at the lunch buffet as well as the same staff at the dinner buffet. It’s normally a 12 hour work day for them. Most times than not, this same staff is there during the entire length of your stay. So be polite, give them a smile, maybe a couple of dollars and give them the chance to take care of your needs in the restaurants.
There are always complaints about the food itself that range from not enough variety, the temperature of the food, maybe the blandness of it or it just doesn’t taste like it does at home. Really?? I am one of the fussiest eaters with the most bland palate on the face of this planet much to the chagrin of my dear husband, but I have always been able to find plenty of delicious food to eat. I know that there are many “foodies” out there and food is very important to them. But if you’re eating in a buffet that serves hundreds and hundreds of vacationers daily; you will not find, nor should you expect, 5 star quality cuisine.
People will complain that the food has made them sick. They are not aware nor do they want to believe that their tummy issues may have something to do with the heat, the different types food and spices that they are eating, the over-indulgence of these food and drinks, using the tap water to brush their teeth, or the amount of fresh fruit that is being consumed. Nope, it must be food poisoning.
Don’t get me wrong. There are legitimate complaints. But any issue that I have had, has always been corrected in some way. Just politely voice your concern and let whomever do whatever they can to correct it.
