What does everyone think about Punta Cana right now? DD has a trip planned...

[Brett Wyman]

Exactly. Yeah, the stories are unsettling - especially the ones that took place at the same resort within days of one another and the speculation that drinks from the minibar might be a common thread - but it is still an insignificant level of risk compared to the number of people who travel there without incident. Even if we assume for a minute that all of the deaths were foul play, your odds of dying in a car accident in any given year (1 in about 80) are way worse than your odds of becoming a victim of whatever is happening in the DR in the past year (1 in about 275,000). It is literally more dangerous to drive to the airport than to vacation in the DR.

Sorry I dont play "the odds" game with mine or my families lives. Soooo many other safe places to go in the Caribbean. Why risk it?

 

[kidshop]

My philosophy is 'why buy trouble when you can get it for free'. The deaths and sickness are unusual and very concerning. Maybe take a cruise? stay off the balcony......

 

[avengerspoilerer]

There’s a big difference between getting sick from norovirus and dying from a mysterious illness overnight. The two really aren’t comparable.

And there is ZERO proof of the cause of death of 8 people over a year. People do die on vacation all the time. There is even a morgue on Mickey's ship!

 

[pezgirlroy]

My DD and her boyfriend have a trip planned for Punta Cana the first week of August. Staying at Secrets Beach Royal. They're getting very nervous about going with everything that is going on down there now. I am too! None of us have ever been there. They are thinking of cancelling their trip and going to Riveria Maya instead. DD has been there before but her boyfriend hasn't. I don't know what to tell them. I feel like they should wait and see what happens between now and then. They have the trip insurance and can cancel up to the day before the travel agent told them. But I know they really want to take a vacation this summer (they're college students). Anybody have any advice? Thanks in advance. Anyone else going or cancelling trips in the coming months?

So we were supposed to go the first week of August. We were still going to go and then one of the people who died last week died at the resort we were to stay at. We cancelled. We had trip insurance and cancelled. I just know that I would not be able to relax and enjoy myself. I would tell them to go to Riveria Maya instead. We are still figuring out what we will do. Probably a cruise.

 

[Hikergirl]

Oh you mean the Facebook page of the Parrotheads on that trip who allegedly got sick in April? They got sick in April allegedly and we are hearing about it now???

Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Jamaica, Cameroon, Kenya, Maldives, South Africa, and Turks and Caicos are among the countries that have a threat level of 2. Antarctica is also on the list

That info is put out there so travelers can use it to make an informed decision about where to travel.
Not sure why you have a problem with that. If you choose to disregard any type of warnings then good for you, other people choose to take them into account when choosing a vacation destination.

 

[Hikergirl]

And there is ZERO proof of the cause of death of 8 people over a year. People do die on vacation all the time. There is even a morgue on Mickey's ship!

And some people would like to know the cause of death before risking their own safety at some of these resorts. It really isn't a tough concept to grasp.

 

[pezgirlroy]

We cancelled because there is just no way I would be able to relax.

 

[lifesavacation]

And there is ZERO proof of the cause of death of 8 people over a year. People do die on vacation all the time. There is even a morgue on Mickey's ship!

Yep. People die on vacation of natural causes. But it's entirely suspicious when a young couple dies simultaneously in their hotel room on vacation. The context of these deaths matter.

 

[longboard55]

If you read tripadvisor DR regulars are still very defensive. I would not touch the place, Same with Mexico

 

[morgan98]

I will be leaving soon for a Level 2 country, Italy. Italy's rating seems to be due to the potential for terrorist attacks, which I guess are sort of a part of our new reality.

What is happening in the DR is somewhat upsetting. It is unsettling to see people just dying like that while on vacation. Until they can confirm the cause or establish a common link, I am not interested in going. I will also not be giving my money to a country where the government, IMO, does not seem particularly honest or forthcoming with information.

Luckily it is really not my scene anyway, so I would not be visiting.

 

[cabanafrau]

I think the factors that lead to a destination being rated other than a 1 factor into the decision I would make about whether to travel to that destination or not.

If I were considering DR at this point I think I'd stick a pin in it and see if any information comes to light about what's behind the recent surge in tourist deaths. It may be that some source of contamination or such is uncovered and mitigated. If I feel I can prepare for a trip and avoid risk factors I'd go, otherwise I pick another destination.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

The DR, Punta Cana in particular, is a mecca for all inclusive resorts. The mini bars at all inclusive properties are almost always included in the cost of your stay. In other words, it doesn't cost extra. It would be very easy for hotel staff to taint these somehow, but I'm not sure what the motive or benefit would be. But I have also heard of several potentially mini bar related incidents.

I have to wonder if its something related to their water supply. I remember traveling to the DR years ago (10+) and our tour group was instructed to not drink the water under any circumstances. The tour guide said to keep our mouths shut in the shower, use bottled water for teeth brushing, etc etc. The resort provided large bottles of water in our room every day. Meanwhile, all the drinks they served us had ice cubes that undoubtedly were made from the same non-potable water we were told not to drink.

Perhaps an employee or employees is (are) stealing the real booze and replacing it with bootlegged booze that unknown to him or her is tainted. Perhaps the resort is being unwittingly supplied with bootlegged booze. I'm not saying that's happening, just that it is possible.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

And there is ZERO proof of the cause of death of 8 people over a year. People do die on vacation all the time. There is even a morgue on Mickey's ship!

Yeah. And I'm sure the Dominican authorities will get right on to not solving those cases right after they finish up not solving all their cases involving trafficking of children.

 

[longboard55]

One wife reported they really encouraged her to cremate the body , that pretty much says it all

 

[nkereina]

They got sick in April allegedly and we are hearing about it now???

To be fair, them getting sick wasn't newsworthy back in April. People get sick on vacations all the time - look at cruise ships, unintentional food poisonings, or just germs from traveling in general. We didn't hear about it in April because it was presumed to be an isolated incident. But now that all of these stories are coming to light about something (potentially) fishy in the DR, it makes their experience relevant. So to me, it makes sense we didn't hear about it in April but are hearing about it now.

The thing that makes less sense to me is the woman who was attacked who kind of kicked off this whole debacle. She was attacked months ago, but we didn't hear about that until recently. The resort claims its because they didn't meet her monetary demands. She claims she just wants people to be informed. Who knows.

 

[cvjw]

You can get sick at any all inclusive - it isn’t just limited to PC. We have been all over the Caribbean and have gotten sick at more places than just PC.

If you watch the workers who are preparing meat, it is easy to see that not all have been trained on food safety. I can’t remember how many times I have watched a worker use a set of tongs to put a raw piece of meat on a grill and then use the same tongs to remove a cooked piece and slide it onto a guests plate.

Safety precautions we take for granted in the states are not universal

 

[mnrose]

To be fair, them getting sick wasn't newsworthy back in April. People get sick on vacations all the time - look at cruise ships, unintentional food poisonings, or just germs from traveling in general. We didn't hear about it in April because it was presumed to be an isolated incident. But now that all of these stories are coming to light about something (potentially) fishy in the DR, it makes their experience relevant. So to me, it makes sense we didn't hear about it in April but are hearing about it now.

The thing that makes less sense to me is the woman who was attacked who kind of kicked off this whole debacle. She was attacked months ago, but we didn't hear about that until recently. The resort claims its because they didn't meet her monetary demands. She claims she just wants people to be informed. Who knows.

Why did she not want people to be "informed" when it happened? I'm sorry. If that happened to me, I'd be all over it with the local media the second my feet hit US soil. I find it quite mysterious that it was an untold story until the past few weeks.

 

[Libbysmom2000]

I wouldn't be going. I don't care what kind of $$$ would be lost. If my daughter had plans to go I'd reimburse her if she agreed not to.

 

[Hikergirl]

Why did she not want people to be "informed" when it happened? I'm sorry. If that happened to me, I'd be all over it with the local media the second my feet hit US soil. I find it quite mysterious that it was an untold story until the past few weeks.

Ever been through a traumatic experience where your life was in danger, where you knew you weren't going to make it out alive?
I have, it's been almost 2 decades and the details are still hard for me to talk about.
I applaud her telling her story as a warning to others, I would even if it was a year after it happened.

https://people.com/crime/woman-speaks-out-nearly-died-attack-dominican-republic-resort/
“I had to take some time to heal before I could put it out there,” Lawrence-Daley, 51, tells PEOPLE. “I’m in a place in my healing that I felt strong enough to be able to share it without breaking down and without worrying [about] what others are going to judge me.”

 

[cabanafrau]

Why did she not want people to be "informed" when it happened? I'm sorry. If that happened to me, I'd be all over it with the local media the second my feet hit US soil. I find it quite mysterious that it was an untold story until the past few weeks.

What kind of shape was she in the second her feet hit US soil? Is it at all likely she was still at all suffering from shock and was greatly traumatized? Is there any possibility that once she got home she began to think about what happened to her and realized it might be a good idea to try and warn others? Is she a known media figure with paparazzi camped outside of her home, or did making a media connection willing to listen to her story and report on it take some time?