Due to the cost of flying on the Saturday after Thanksgivings, we left on Friday the 23rd, at a savings of $250 a ticket. That savings X four travelers, well you do the math. In addition, the planes were ½ to ¾ full and not just on time, but early!

We were scheduled to check in at the Royal Islander on Saturday the 24th. I called and spoke to a Rep at the Royals who helped get us a 2 bedroom Villa at VCI for the Friday night for $145. For some reason, I was not expecting VCI to be as nice as it was. Grant it, VCI was not the Islander, but it is always nice to be pleasantly surprised and not disappointed.

With that said, this review is about the Royal Islander and the Royals in general. Check in was quick and very relaxed. No lines, lots of staff members to point Members and Guest in the right direction. We arrived around 10:00 AM expecting to place our luggage in their hands and head downtown to Wal-Mart. Instead our room was ready and we were immediately allowed to get our keys. We were able to unpack, take in a few sites of the resort and not worry about making sure we had a place to store cold items after our trip downtown.

The orientation on Sunday was very informative and helpful in planning our trips off the resort. The Staff informs you of your benefits at all the Royals as well as tips about Cancun. It was not a sales pitch so don’t miss this.

We utilized the pool at both the Islander and the Caribbean, the beach was best in front of the Mayan. We ate at restaurants at all the Royals, including the Sands and the Hacienda down in Playa De Carmen. However, the best food and service came from Captain’s Cove, which is owned by the Royals and can be charged to your room. We found the cost of meals and drinks were reasonable. Do you self a favor and order a Specialty Coffee…..

We did like the way your room key is used instead of carrying cash and pay once when you check out.

I would recommend staying at any of the Royals in Cancun to anyone, however if you stay further south, you would either need to rent a car or stay at an all-inclusive.

We stayed at the Royal Islander Nov 10 -17th. It was a family vacation which included our 17, 13 and 5 year old. We decided to use the timeshare and were keeping our fingers crossed that there was enough to keep the kids busy since we were not staying at one of the inclusive resorts. After the first day, we realized there was nothing to worry about. The personal concierge assigned to you really takes their job seriously. They really try to make sure that you go to the attractions, restaurants that suit you. It's so easy to use any of the Royal Resorts that I don't see that it makes a difference where you stay. The kids loved the variety so we used all of the properties. Their favorite was the Royal Hacienda, mostly because the beach is better for swimming. The beach in front of the others has rocks and if the ocean is rough, you cannot swim there.

We felt the staff was very friendly. Everyone was pleasant and very helpful. We felt this way about everyone in Cancun. I don't know if it's better before the high season but taxi drivers, waiters, bartenders all went out of their way to please us.

Another concern was if we were going to spend more money without having everything included especially with three kids. They make it really easy at the resort by issuing everyone a card to charge. The kids loved using the card. And in the end, we spent less money as a total. We felt the prices were reasonable in the restaurants.

We'll definitely return again next year.

The Royal Islander was fantastic. Words could not describe the service we received as guests of the hotel. Everyone is assigned their very own personal concierge. Ours even came up to the room and helped us plan our week, he even made our reservations for us!

The rooms are spacious and clean. The kitchen has all the amenities of home, even a blender and a bar ware set. If you wish, you can even have your groceries sent up to your room so they are ready when you get there (you can order from the royal resorts website). There is a spacious patio/ balcony on every room with spectacular views of the ocean and pool. This hotel is handicapped accessible and they will make accomodations in the room (shower bench, commode chair and shower nozzle) if you request it in advance. Some of the free shuttle busses are handicapped accessible but not all. I do not believe that the restaurant "Paco's Tacos" is wheelchair accessible either, however the "Cayo Largo" is on the ground floor. The grounds are clean and quiet.

There are plenty of things right at the resorts to keep you entertained. Including the welcome party (on Sunday), pottery painting, bbqs etc. They offer free snorkeling equipment, free sail boat rental and a variety of other free services.

All of the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. I can not think of one bad thing to say about our stay at the Royal Islander in Cancun. Good food, good drinks, excellent service in a beautiful setting!

We were at the Royal Islander Sept 1-8th. It was wonderful, clean, friendly and helpful staff...BUT after spending some time at the Royal Sands, I would book there next time. More going on at that resort. Although....all of the Royal Resorts were very nice.

I would say the staff was excellent! If you plan to cook in at all...you may want to take some kitchen stuff...as they provide only he most primitive of tools! (No cheese grater, wooden spoons, peelers, ect.) Other then that....fantastic vacation!