Ocean Blue - HORRIBLE

[johne]

The court system in Santo Domingo has instituted Anger Management classes as part of punishment given to Tourists that have been found guilty of extreme fustration while visiting the RD.

Classes are held every 3 or 4 months or, whenever, at an office to be announced. Will start at 7PM (Dominican time) so don't fret or get upset if the instructor doesn't show until 10 or 10:30. Alcohol is permitted to calm your nerves BUT only until 1AM .(Unless of course you know someone in the judicial system and for a small token of your appreciation...)

The court system is currently looking for an office to hold the classes. Need
a space with solid wood doors, no windows and plently of non-breakable ash trays as most of the people that need these classes are VERY tense.

If you should know of a space (oh BTW the office will need at LEAST 3 hours a day of electric service) please contact, oh wait, what is his name? You mean..? Que? Qual? No se. No ahora. Manana. Pues, lets talk about this when these angry tourist leave.

JOHN

[Conchman]

I was wondering how long it was gonna take for this thread to turn into an attack on the OP (and rightly so). When I read about the ash trays, you can tell these were problem clients who just go around looking for complaints. This is how they started their vacation and their relationship with the staff of the hotel, bitching about friggen ash trays. No wonder the staff didn't do crap for them after that. Its all about attitude, there is a German saying that loosely translates 'the way you shout in the woods is the way the echo comes back.'

[Hannah]

I did not post this to get attacked by everyone who reads it (except Rick, who seems very understanding). I posted it so others could see how this hotel is not a true five apple hotel and warn them about staying here. We were very happy to be going on vacation again after taking last year off. I had wanted to go to Punta Cana for the last three years and was exicted when it came to a reasonable price and a "good" hotel. As far all of you who are saying we bitched and complained the entire time, you are wrong. There were times when we enjoyed ourselves. In fact, for the first two - three days, I kept telling my husband that we were in the Caribbean and life is different here than in Mexico or the US, like we are used to. We have been to Mexico twice and completely enjoyed ourselves both times. I have had the same travel agent for six years and she was amazed at how horrible this trip was (along with the other four travel agents in the agency). They, on their own free will, have decided not to send anyone or recommend this hotel. I have talked to two different attorneys and both say this was extorsion and that we are not alone in this situation. They have friends that had the same thing happen to them (one while trying to leave a foreign country with his adpoted child). We were joking and laughing with the bartenders/waitstaff, etc. When I called the front desk looking for an ashtray I was not rude or coy, I simply asked if they could bring us a couple ashtrays. I guess we were just expecting the same service we are use to getting in Mexico and the service was no where close to the same. If we return to the Caribbean in the future, we will know to lower our service expectations.

[laurapasinifan]

attacking the OP...SERVES NOTHING!!!!!!!!!! wether they are PITA's or not..is not the point

it is a trip report...we all want trip reports...attacking them, just makes other think twice about posting a negative report...or maybe any report...

and there will be real life negative reports that should be posted.....because bad things happen, and some places need to be avoided!!!!!!!!!!! RIGHT???

we all are capable of developing out our opinions based on information we get....

what happens when I ask if the pepper steak is good at chubbies resturant?

one guys says its aweful!! the only other guy says its fantastic.....now it is up to me!!! its all about individual opinions.....let them come please!!!

the system is working when we get all kinds of reports.........this attacking the OP is counter productive to the point of trip reports

do we all want sugar coated reports? only to get a rude awakeneing after we spend 3K on that long awaited vacation...

hopefull over time we get enough opinions about a place to make a really unbiased descison

If you think someone is a jerk....you know it..isnt that enough.....dont you think we can deside ourselves from the same material you read, that , thats the case?

so keep the reports coming

bob

[Malibook]

Originally Posted by laurapasinifan

If you think someone is a jerk....you know it..isnt that enough.....dont you think we can deside ourselves from the same material you read, that , thats the case?

I think it goes without saying that the OP was a contributing factor in these unpleasant events.
Such things are the exception rather than the norm otherwise this place would have gone out of business a long time ago.
I don't think they deserved the payback or these attacks but sh!t happens.

[Rick Snyder]

It is truly interesting to see the mental disposition of some of the board members as evidenced by the posts in this thread.

Here we have a new poster who was invited by me to post a trip report when she got back home. She had originally come to DR1 looking for advice as to which hotel to stay at while visiting. A number of our helpful members gave her their thoughts on the subject matter. Even though see had a bad experience, regardless as to who was to blame, and could have just forgotten about DR1 she decided to come back and post her experiences and to give her opinion about the hotel. Is there the possibility that she, like the tenacious nature of DR1, decided to try to help other members of DR1?

It was a preposterous post by the newbie samana69 that started the other denigrating posts that soon followed with the post by AZT, cannier, squirrelanegra, Steve verde and commdoor. All of which were childish and uncalled for I might add.

As I said, it’s the ‘mental disposition’ which I find so fascinating about some of the members of this board.

Rick

[AZB]

I just called the hotel in punta cana, regarding the accident. They directed my call to the clinic where her husband was treated for swelled foot. Turns out the doctor's report states what it looks like "a glass piece was pulled out of his toe which was forcefully wedged under the toe nail".
Ummmm,
I wish you a speedy recovery.
AZB

[laurapasinifan]

Originally Posted by AZB

I just called the hotel in punta cana, regarding the accident. They directed my call to the clinic where her husband was treated for swelled foot. Turns out the doctor's report states what it looks like "a glass piece was pulled out of his toe which was forcefully wedged under the toe nail".
Ummmm,
I wish you a speedy recovery.
AZB

did they find elvis under that toenail too???????????

maybe BIGFOOT was under that toenail as well ha ha ha ha ha


you really make my day......AZB.. ha ha ha ha

see you in a few weeks....we can go take some more bizarre photographs........we can up the ante...and see what these women will allow us to do.. ha ha ha ha

bob

[Lambada]

Originally Posted by AZB

I just called the hotel in punta cana, regarding the accident. They directed my call to the clinic where her husband was treated for swelled foot. Turns out the doctor's report states what it looks like "a glass piece was pulled out of his toe which was forcefully wedged under the toe nail".
Ummmm,
I wish you a speedy recovery.
AZB

Full marks for investigating. So glad we are beginning to hear the 'alternative version'. Did the hotel share any.........er...... reminiscences about this couple? Or are you keeping those to yourself?

Now I have an absolutely crucial question which I can't answer because I don't drink whisky but I'm sure there are people reading this who do. If you drink whisky and diet Coke, can you actually tell the difference as to whether it is J & B, Jack Daniels or (heaven forbid) Johnny Walker Red Label? If there are any Scots answering could they stick to the question rather than choke over the thought of mixing anything with whisky other than water.............

I would respectfully disagree that all the posts mentioned by Mr. Snyder were childish. Some may have been. But many were sharing their interpretations of what they had seen written. And altering posters' names could lay oneself open to the same sort of criticism.

[Beads]

Originally Posted by Hannah

I did my research before we booked Ocean Blue. I found one really bad report on it, but from past experience, chalked it up as a rarity. My travel agent and I both thought with a five star resort, we would be fine. Guess not!

Yes, I am sure it was $3,036.31 USD. It was over $100,000 RD. No, I am not making this up. I don't know how anyone could even come up with a story like this if it didn't really happen. Thank you, Rick, for standing up for me. I was kind of offended when I read samans3's post.

My credit card company now responded to us and said that this charge will stick. They said they understand where we are coming from and feel really bad for us, but the hotel knew what they were doing. Apparently there are three things a company needs to make a charge stick - 1) the card has to be present, 2) cardholders signature, 3) permission to swipe the card. So, I believe this was a scam. My sister, who is fluent is spanish, is doing some research for me as to how much this door should really cost. So, I guess it's up to Apple Vacations to help us out now. Hopefully they do!

I do want to go to Puerto Rico, but I prefer to go AI. Puerto Rico is just a little too far out of my price range right now - hopefully in the future. We will be going back to Mexico for the next few years. We need to get over this experience before trying somewhere new again.

Having been to a DR AI and treated not quite as badly but definitely close I can 100% see this as possible (even though a bunch of hecklers seem to doubt it it is possible ?) Remember when catering to the public you have to learn to deal with people in a courteous manner even though they may in fact be wrong they are the people paying your salary or if you are the owner making you money.

This is a concept 99% of the people there dont grasp. If you screw someone over at your establishment they wont be back tommorrow. They will tell others how crappy your establishment is. I found that a vast majority of people down there even a lot of ex pats who should know better even think this way. Does it hurt so much to agree with the unruly customer and keep them happy? I have seen staff in loads of establishments more interested in talking to their friends or sitting doing nothing than making money. They think since they have a little money in their pocket today who cares about tommorrow.

...Now back to "My credit card company now responded to us and said that this charge will stick. "

It sounds like your credit card company offers you no protection against fruad. Tell them they forced you to sign or were going to put you in a 3rd world jail. Then tell them to take it off your bill and thats the end of it. Tell them your not paying it and will send a certified letter every month and they need to cover their customers for fraud. Thats why they have insurance.

I dont know these peoples current credit situation but if they have no other problems they can just tell them they contest it and refuse to pay it. Then run a credit check on yourself 6 months later. If it shows up contest that also.If it is the only blemish on your credit you can force them to remove it. Just dont let them bully you. Your using their credit card so you have protection.If they wont issue the credit "force them to by not paying and contesting it".

At this point I would also look for a US presense of this resort or on of its owners. If they do in fact have a company or residence in the US I would sue them here for damages also just to teach them a lesson.