November 18 – December 3, 2025, Trip Review.
Another fabulous vacation at Moon Palace, this time, at the Nizuc!
Our reservation agent, Carlos, did a wonderful job helping us set up this vacation to our satisfaction. He was very knowledgeable, very patient, and answered all our questions in a warm, friendly manner, completing our arrangements very quickly – very much appreciated.
We arrived at the Cancun airport on time, got through customs quickly, but again had to wait about 30 minutes for our luggage. While we realize this is not within the resorts’ control, it bears mentioning.
After contacting Jonathan, the Palace Transportation Representative at the airport, and a brief wait for our car, our transport driver, Javier Yobajo, collected us and took us to the resort quickly and efficiently. He was very courteous and warm. As we were anxious to get to the resort, He made the trip go very quickly.
We were warmly greeted at the lobby and provided with a cool wash cloth and a fresh flower. After taking care of our luggage, we were immediately taken to the Diamond Lounge. Our Residence/Diamond Concierge, Isabel Sennrich, greeted us warmly and checked us in efficiently. We reviewed our Itinerary which she prepared perfectly before our arrival—no changes needed! She also let us know that she entered Dorie’s food allergies into the system to notify the restaurants. She also provided us with a printed version of those allergies both in Spanish and English for our convenience. She then explained that our room would be ready shortly, and we were on our way! Isabel was exceptional! She checked in with us daily during our stay to review our plans for the day and to see if we needed anything. She made sure our room fridge was stocked with our favorite beverages and also had our room decorated for our anniversary. Isabel also sent us a delicious snack each day to enjoy! When Isabel was unavailable, she made sure another concierge contacted us to assure our needs were met. Isabel was simply excellent. We would highly recommend her!
As our room was not yet ready, we decided to walk to our room and look for our “Palace Family” friends along the way to say hello. When we did get to our room, the bellman arrived with our luggage almost immediately. A bottle of sparkling wine, the bottled water, and our favorite beverage that we requested were already in the room. This really made us feel welcomed, and set the tone for a very special vacation.
Even though we were staying at the Nizuc, we spent a good deal of our time at the Grand.
At the Diamond Elite Pool, The Pool Concierges were warm and welcoming--excellent as always. Juan Carlos, Carlos(Charlie), Francisco, Julio, Allejandro, Jose, and Hector took wonderful care of us during our stay. Each day they prepared our cabana and lounges and stopped by often to see if we needed anything. They also stopped by daily with fruit snacks, popsicles, and cucumber facials. On one occasion, Dorie spoke to Charlie about empanadas. He arranged for Kayla, a chef at the Grill, to prepare a special treat for us. She made spinach & cheese, sweet potato, and chicken empanadas paying close attention to Dorie’s food allergies. What a great lunch. The concierges also provided our favorite beverage in an ice bucket for us. As we were celebrating our anniversary, Hector decorated our cabana with balloons to mark the occasion. Additionally, Israel, their supervisor, as well as Sulema, Miquel, Kendy, Esmeralda, and all the pool concierges mentioned above stopped by to wish us a happy anniversary bringing a bottle of champagne for a toast. This was truly very touching and very much appreciated. They are all a very special part of our Palace Family!
The waitstaff at the pools was also exceptional. Ana, Gabriela, Wilma, Omar, Alma, and Elaina along with Alfredo, their supervisor, made sure we had everything we wanted. Nothing was too much trouble for them. However, we really missed the pool bar cart and their extraordinary cocktails with those daily visits.
A quick “kudo” to the entertainment planners. The bands that performed during our stay at the Olympic Pool were wonderful. The variety and the talent of the performers was exceptional. Magic, Salsa-Con-V played Reggae and Caribbean music, Chile Pop and Los Chiles played Latin and Mexican music, Cash played Country music, and Rock Legacy played 80’s & 90‘s rock. All were simply terrific. They certainly made our stay most enjoyable.
At the Spa at the Grand, the services provided were superb. Violet provided wonderful mani-pedis for Dorie on two occasions. Luceli and Alejandra provided the mani-pedis for Fran. Additionally, Claudia and Norma provided messages for Dorie while Stephanie and Pilar provided the messages for Fran. All services were provided in a professional, gracious, warm, and friendly manner. We always look forward to the spa services when we come.
The Transportation Team was exceptional also. We often called upon them to get us to the lobby or to restaurants as we needed. Among them were Javier, Darwin, Carlos, Milo, Alejandro M, Paulino, Mario, Melia, Pablo, Francisco, Raphael, Jesus (Chewy), Serbian, and Venadio. Always, they all were cheerful, courteous, professional, and sometimes entertaining, delivering us safely to our destinations. Excellent Work, and very much appreciated!!
A note about the sales team. We did attend an update meeting. Daniella greeted us and checked us in. Hugo Anglo took the time to explain our membership in detail and answered our questions. By us doing an update to our membership he was able to extend several of our nights we were in danger of losing due to impending expiration dates. Additionally, we were able to voice our concerns about some areas of deterioration around the resorts. We were glad that we took the time for this meeting. Francisco patiently walked us through the new agreement. Very thoughtful, very considerate, and very, very much appreciated!!
During our many visits to the Grand lobby, we often stopped by the Diamond Lounge to see more of our Palace Family friends there. Diamond Concierges Irais Castro, Daniela Gonzalez, and Enrique Castelo warmly greeted us and always asked if we needed anything. We also saw Butlers Alfredo, Manuel, Viviana, and Anel who also greeted us warmly and were always willing to help if needed. It is always nice to catch up with our friends there. Their caring was always very much appreciated.
Breakfast:
We enjoyed breakfast at several different restaurants during our stay. We visited the Grand Buffet on two occasions. On our first visit, our servers were Eudocia and Gladys. On our second, Alexander was our server. Carolina was the manager. Josey, an evening hostess that we know there, arranged with Carolina a special breakfast for us to commentate our anniversary. They prepared a beautiful table and a special cocktail for us to celebrate. This was truly very special! At Carribeno, Alberto was our host and Jose our waiter. We also ate at La Cantina during our Sales meeting. Very caring, warm, and friendly service was provided by everyone! The food and the service were superb at each of them.
We also had room service for breakfast on several occasions. Among the many servers were Demetrio, Francisco, Baum, Mariano, Luis, Jose, Francisco and Emanual. Their deliveries were always prompt and the food warm and delicious. This was truly a welcomed luxury and convenience we really enjoyed.
Lunch:
We often ate lunch at the pool. The selections available were always more than we could have wanted. The kitchen staff near the Elite Pool always prepared the food well and it was always wonderful. They were always concerned about Dorie’s food allergies. The servers and this kitchen staff were always more than willing to provide whatever we desired. Their caring and concern was very touching and the food was always terrific.
We had lunch at El Manglar. Elizabeth was our server. Good food and excellent service brought a bit of joy to the day we were leaving!
We also wanted to give a special mention to Chef Adrien at the brick pizza oven at Carribeno. We visited often for lunch and the pizzas were always terrific!
Dinner:
On our first night, we dined at Jade, the first of two visits there. We were greeted by hostess Ruby and Waiter Victor who seated us. Manager Ricardo addressed Dorie’s food allergies with chef Raphael, and Victor the Somalia, provided our favorite champagne. The service was warm and gracious and the food terrific. On a second visit, Host Daniel greeted us warmly and seated us. Our waiter Kevin, and helper Guadelupe provided excellent table service for us. Another great meal with great service.
We visited Pier 8 on our second night. Waiters Geraldine and Maria addressed Dorie’s food allergies, and provided superb table service. Manager Ricardo stopped by to assure all our needs were being met. The meal was simply wonderful! We particularly enjoyed the saxophone player that serenaded us during dinner. This evening was one of the many high lights of this vacation. A simply wonderful evening with great food and terrific service by everyone.
We visited Gondola, another of our favorite restaurants. Our concierge, Isabel, reserved the “wine cellar” for us which was a wonderful surprise! After being seated, manager Mariana and waiter Guadelupe greeted us. Chef Arturo joined us and addressed Dorie’s allergies. Somalia Carlos provided our favorite champagne. Waiter Javier, another of our Palace Family, stopped by to say hello. The whole team provided terrific table service and a wonderful meal. Again, another memorable evening with wonderful food, great service, and great friends!
We also visited JC Steakhouse twice during our stay. Hostess Jessica greeted us warmly and seated us. Ernesto, another Palace Family Friend that we have known for years, was our server. Fabian, the head waiter, introduced himself and addressed Dorie’s allergies. Our steaks and shrimp were absolutely terrific. On our second visit, we were again seated in Ernesto’s section at a table he picked for us. Ernesto provided wonderful table service as always. All in all, two great meals with wonderful service. Truly very special and memorable evenings.
We also visited the Grill in two occasions. On our first visit, Manager Estephania greeted us warmly and discussed Dorie’s food allergies while catching up with us. Estephania is also a special member of our Palace Family. Our Somalia Miguel brought our favorite champagne. Our waiter Juan Carlos (JC) and his helper Ricardo provided extraordinary table service. Chef Hugo provided an absolutely exceptional meal. Great food, great service, and another great evening. On our second visit, our hostess greeted us warmly and seated us. Estephania again stopped by to assure Dorie’s allergies were addressed. Somalia Dante provided our favorite champagne and JC again provided exceptional table service. Chef Hugo provided yet another outstanding meal. Both of our visits there were absolutely terrific, another highlight of our vacation!!
We also took the opportunity to visit Casa Mia twice during our stay. On our first visit, Manager Angelica, another special Palace Family member, warmly greeted us and seated us at a table beautifully decorated with rose petals. Angelica addressed Dorie’s allergies while our waiter Eduardo provided our favorite champagne. Both Eduardo and his helper Axel, provided terrific table service for us. On our second visit, Hostess Jacqueline greeted us warmly and seated us. Again, our table was decorated for us with roses and petals. Our waiter Pedro along with his helper Angelo provided superb table service. Angelica brought our favorite champagne. While there, we were beautifully serenaded by a Mariachi Group which was truly enjoyable and memorable. What a talented group! Additionally, on this visit, Dorie was suffering from laryngitis. Angelica suggested and provided a special soothing tea to help. She even arranged to have some sent to our room. This was truly caring service “above and beyond” and very much appreciated. Angelica is truly a very special person. All in all, both evenings were very special with great food and great people in an exceptionally warm welcoming atmosphere.
We also visited Le Chateau. Hostess Jasmine welcomed and us seated us. As this was our anniversary, the table was beautifully decorated with rose petals. Our Somalia, our friend Roberto, provided our favorite champagne. Our waiter Fernando provided our table service.
At Tavola, we were greeted by the manager Ignatio, another special friend. Once seated, our server Fernanda provided wonderfully attentive table service. We met Fernanda at Cusco’s on a previous vacation. How nice it was to see her again. The food, service and conversation were excellent as always! Another great evening.
At Trattoria, another fabulous meal. Waiter Eugene greeted us and helped us with food selections. Eugene along with Jose provided excellent table service. Roberto Avonse, our Somalia and another Palace friend, provided our champagne. Manager Alejandro stopped by to be sure Dorie’s allergies were addressed. It was another wonderful evening with warm, friendly, superb service, and terrific food.
On Thanksgiving, we attended dinner at the Grand’s Starlight Terrace. We had wonderful seats slightly left of the stage. The food was served buffet style and was absolutely wonderful. Roasted hand carved turkey, and rolled turkey with dressing, roast beef, lamb, salmon, cod, various salads, vegetables, and deserts--the selection was more than we could have wanted and all prepared perfectly. The roasted turkey, our favorite, was particularly moist, tender, and succulent. What a delicious feast! Our waiter, Pricilla, was very attentive and helpful. Our Somalia Dante provided our favorite beverages. The entertainment absolutely superb! The band was terrific as were the performers in the show. The fireworks, spectacular. What a wonderful and memorable celebration of the holiday! Kudos to the planners, entertainers, chefs, servers, bartenders, and waitstaff for a simply wonderful evening!
At Los Caporales, we were warmly greeted by hostess Meredith. Manager Jesus seated us and reviewed Dorie’s food allergies. Our Somalia provided our favorite champagne. Our waiter Cornello took our order and provided great table service while Head Chef Diego provided a great meal. The food was wonderful as expected, and the service warm and friendly. Yet another great meal and great evening.
During our stay, we often stopped by Boulangerie at the Grand for a quick breakfast, a desert, a coffee, tea, or a snack. The staff was always warm and friendly. Manager Danae, another special Palace Family friend, along with Cinthia, Daniel, and Gilberto took exceptional care of us. The food, always fresh and delicious. A great place for a quick stop and snack. We also stopped by the Sweets and Coffee shop at the Nizuc for a quick coffee or mocha frappe. Again, the service was always warm and friendly, and the food scrumptious. We really enjoyed the convenience of these quick stops.
We also had a chance to see Laura at the Tapas Bar at the Grand. Again, it was nice to catch up with another friend at Palace.
On our final night of our vacation, we were invited to the opening of the new Piano Bar at the golf course. The bar was simply beautiful, the entertainment fabulous, and the company exciting. What a great way to wrap up our stay! We felt honored to be invited!
Alas, our vacation was over. Bellman Gabriel collected our luggage and took us to the lobby. As soon as we arrived at the Diamond Lounge, Leonardo checked us out warmly and quickly as Isabel was not due in until later. We were very satisfied with Isabel and truly appreciated all her attention and efforts during our stay. She was wonderful! After check out, we had lunch at El Manglar (mentioned above). We then proceeded to the bellman station where our luggage was loaded into our transport and Ramos took us to the airport in a courteous friendly manner.
All in all, another terrific, memorable, and safe vacation. The warm, friendly, and truly gracious staff always make us feel very special and go out of their way to assure a wonderful stay no matter whichever part of the resort we stay in. The entire staff does a simply awesome job! All their efforts were truly and greatly appreciated. As we have been coming to the Moon Palace for over twenty-five years, we consider all the staff members, old and new, part of our “Palace Family,” and look forward to seeing them on our next visit! Until then, a very sincere “Thank You” to all!
Fran and Dorie Budzik
Residence Members
