I have already provided opinions on Air 2000 and C’an Pastilla (and the Cockroach) and so now I will turn my attention to First Choice.
We had booked 7 nights at the Hotel Luz Marina in C’an Pastilla departing 12 May 2001. This hotel is now exclusively First Choice until 2005 for the summer months.
We had booked with First Choice because we liked the look of the hotel. We had been impressed with another Marina Balear hotel, the Panorama Marina in Es Cana, Ibiza, in 2000. The location, 10 minutes from the airport was also superb. The price was right so we decided to book.
We travelled with First Choice in 1999 to Mallorca. That time we stayed in the superb Prinsotel La Dorada apartments in Alcudia and had encountered no problems.
We booked direct with First Choice as I could not find any better discounts elsewhere. Does anybody else wonder why nearly all
the travel agents “will not be beaten on price*”?
* offer applies only to people carrying brown luggage, wearing cotton slacks, of British origin and called Miguel
The first contact with First Choice proper was at the airport. A rep holding a board including a microscopic First Choice logo directed us to another rep. Rep number 2 then had to speak to rep number 3. Rep 3 told rep 2 to take us to the First Choice desk, back in the airport, where she spoke to rep 4. Rep 4 told us that we were getting a mini-bus as there were only six travelling to C’an Pastilla. Along comes rep number 5, an Australian called Bob who had, by that time, lost two of the other passengers and the mini-bus driver. The other travellers were soon found and we were taken out of the airport to wait for the last couple to arrive.
During this wait, Bob said he was our hotel rep and would see us on the Sunday, before handing us to rep 6. The last two arrived and it was time to start the trek to the mini-bus! We were the youngest pair. Our fellow First Choicers were a pair of ladies in their later years. We had to follow the driver to the transport and unfortunately, he showed signs of winning gold in the 400m at the next Olympics. So we got left behind somewhat at various stages.
What didn’t help matters, was that two of the ladies were having major problems with a luggage trolley. To give the driver his due, he did swap the trolley for the ladies before he came under starters orders. But all was not as it appeared. I think he had a cruel streak. He had swapped the trolley for one half the size of the original, and about a quarter the size of the cases. At the time that it all went dreadfully wrong and the trolley did a wheelie, throwing the cases onto the floor, I did wonder, with both cases having wheels anyway, why bother to use a luggage equivalent of a car transporter.
Having arrived at the mini-bus, and in hindsight it would have been quicker to walk directly to the hotel, it was now time to realise that old people have problems getting into mini-buses. The young but firmly built First Choice rep looked on as the driver and myself pushed and pulled the passengers onto the vehicle. She then explained that she would not be travelling with us. I was surprised that First Choice were not going to help the older travellers book into their hotels but I was shortly to find out why!
The resort is only a stone’s throw from the airport, but the Spanish roads did their best to make it feel like a journey. Onto the first hotel then. Now you would think that getting someone out of a mini-bus was easier than getting them on. Basically it is, but not if you want them to retain respect and not end up splat on the tarmac. So the old aged pensioners had to be eased off the coach. It was on the way to the second hotel I noticed a strange smell.
By god, what is that smell on my hand. My memory flashed back and arrived at armpit sweat! Old lady armpit sweat! Free deodorant to all OAP’s should be compulsory. It survived three wet wipes, and half a bar of soap. The First Choice rep knew what she was doing! Too busy to travel? More like, too fresh!
We were the third and last stop on the journey and arrived at the hotel, where we gracefully left the mini-bus.
The fact that no rep travelled with us to the hotel, did not prove a problem. The receptionist was very helpful and explained everything we needed to know. We also received a letter giving us Bob’s mobile number for an emergency and inviting us to a Welcome Meeting the next day.
By the time of the Welcome Meeting at 11a.m., we felt very at home and had already commenced our tan. We were handed a pack which contained not very much; a few outings leaflets, a card for a doctor should we need one, and the trip list. Bob explained a few things we had already worked out and went on to say he was not going to keep us there for a long time selling trips, before he went on for a quarter of an hour selling trips.
From past experience, we know that the prices charged for these trips are usually quite extortionate and that you can normally book much better value trips locally, if you wish. So we smiled sweetly, drank the surprisingly tasty champagne drink and then sloped off, back to the pool.
We came across Bob a few times in the week to say Hi, but that was it. Gladly we didn’t have any problems or complaints.
Once again, we were unescorted back to the airport. Prior to leaving we quietly informed Bob about a cockroach that had gatecrashed our bathroom one night. He said that ours was the third report he had had since the start of May and explained there was a general problem on the island but that the Luz Marina did fumigate every few weeks, and this was much better than some other hotels he had heard about.
Back at the airport we had to go to the First Choice desk to find out where we had to book in. The reps there seemed somewhat surprised to see us but quickly gave us the answer.
Overall, there was some chaos at the airport, but as Bob explained, it is one of Europe’s busiest airports and is always a nightmare.
Older travellers might be concerned about the transfers on unsuitable transport and a lack of TLC if you are travelling to a resort with few others. Our experience showed that the drivers are pretty courteous and are prepared to give a helping hand when required.
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Very good opinion (again!). I went on a First Choice holiday to Tenerife quite a few years ago. It wasn't too bad, but we expected more from a 4* hotel. I remember we had a lovely Rep called Joanne, so lovely infact that I actually....... nevermind. Graham.
gennymutant 27.05.2001 21:00
Hmm... I tend to avoid package tours as a rule but this does sound rather dire. Good op - Dione
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Advantages: Very good at pretending they care PRIOR to travel... Disadvantages: ..Once you've boarded the plane for your holiday resort, they lose all interest!
Winterwonderful 24.01.2007 ·
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