MARCH WINNER OF MONTHLY RAFFLE FOR MEMBERS ATTENDING MARKETING EVENTS

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Brian Bryington, member at The Royal Haciendas, was the winner of the monthly raffle for members attending Marketing events such as the Orientation Briefing, Taco Party or the Welcome Party. 

All members who go to the social events organized by the Marketing department during their vacation are eligible to participate in a monthly draw. The prize is a one-week stay for two in a room at The Royal Haciendas. The names of the lucky winners will be published in this Members News section each month.

Congratulations to Brian Bryington, the March winner

Safety Update about Playa del Carmen

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On March 7, the US Embassy in Mexico City issued a travel alert mentioning that it had received information about a possible security threat in Playa del Carmen. It said that as of March 7, US Government employees are prohibited from traveling to Playa del Carmen.

The US consular agency office in Playa del Carmen was closed temporarily but reopened on March 12.

The Quintana Roo State Government issued a bulletin on March 7 declaring that tourism and economic activity continue as normal in Playa del Carmen and throughout the Mexican Caribbean. The current hotel occupancy rate is 80 percent.

The bulletin goes on to say that safety of visitors and residents is of the utmost importance and that security forces work day and night to guarantee this. It adds that it has no knowledge of the circumstances that prompted the US Embassy to issue an alert.

The Quintana Roo State Government also reiterated its commitment to work hand in hand to protect visitors from the United States and all international visitors to the state.

The State and Municipal police forces coordinate security with the Federal police force, the Mexican Army and Navy, which also patrol the area.

Quintana Roo is currently hosting the 2018 World Oceans Summit organized by The Economist. This high-level event in the Riviera Maya is being attended by government ministers, experts and conservationists from all over the world and was inaugurated by Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

To read the Quintana Roo Government statement in English click here:
 http://cgc.qroo.gob.mx/statement-of-the-government-of-the-state-of-quintana-roo-in-regards-to-the-prohibition-by-the-united-states-government-to-their-government-employees-from-traveling-to-playa-del-carmen/

 

Ferries from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel are operating normally

Ferries between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel are operating normally and thousands of visitors and Mexican citizens visit the island every day.

Security was reinforced at the Playa del Carmen terminal after an explosion on board a Barcos del Caribe ferry that had just arrived from Cozumel on February 21. More than eighteen passengers, including several international visitors, suffered

minor injuries. A criminal investigation continues into the incident and is being handled by the Federal Justice Department.

The authorities moved quickly to suspend Barcos del Caribe in the wake of the incident and halt its ferry operations. All its vessels were inspected, including boats that had been out of service for months. The authorities are following a number of leads concerning the explosion and the company’s activities.

It is safe to travel to the Mexican Caribbean
Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Cozumel, the Riviera Maya and the Yucatan Peninsula as a whole have always been, and remain, among the safest places in the world for visitors. There is no cause for increased concern or for cancelling a trip.

FEBRUARY WINNER OF MONTHLY RAFFLE FOR MEMBERS ATTENDING MARKETING EVENTS

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Mary Jean Griepentrog, member at The Royal Haciendas, was the winner of the monthly raffle for members attending Marketing events such as the Orientation Briefing, Taco Party or the Welcome Party. 

All members who go to the social events organized by the Marketing department during their vacation are eligible to participate in a monthly draw. The prize is a one-week stay for two in a room at The Royal Haciendas. The names of the lucky winners will be published in this Members News section each month.

Congratulations to Mary Jean Griepentrog, the February winner

Ferry Accident in Playa del Carmen

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Eighteen people were injured on Wednesday afternoon, February 21 after an explosion on board a ferry at the Playa del Carmen ferry terminal.

Passengers were departing the Barcos del Caribe ferry from Cozumel when the explosion occurred. Emergency service responders and police were quickly on the scene and took control of the incident. The injured passengers, 15 Mexicans and three Canadian tourists –were taken to the Costamed clinic for treatment. The authorities subsequently announced that none of the injuries were serious. However, one person is still in hospital under observation for facial burns.

Representatives of the Quintana Roo Tourism Board and the Playa del Carmen municipal government are assisting the injured passengers and their families.

Ferry service to Cozumel quickly resumed and the terminal is operating normally.

An investigation is underway. Preliminary reports indicated that a mechanical fault in the engine room may have caused the explosion.

[Source: Novedades, El Universal]

IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT NEW TIMESHARE SCAMS

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We would like to share several reports from members about suspicious emails and phone calls that they recently received from companies or individuals regarding their Royal Resorts membership.

Several members have informed us that they have received phone calls or emails from a company called Global Events Solution offering to buy their units. The individuals representing this company, which has a San Francisco address, have identified themselves as Robert Worton and Nannette Julia List. They claim that they have been hired by Royal Resorts. We would like to stress that Royal Resorts has no knowledge of this company or of these individuals and that this is a scam.

Another case that was recently reported to us concerns emails claiming to be from a Mexican government agency called SEIDO (Subprocuraduría Especializada en Investigación de Delincuencia Organizada) working with CONDUSEF to investigate timeshare companies. The letter comes with an authorization agreement for the email sender to act on your behalf and a claims form and is sent from the following address servicios@gobseido.mx. This is not an official Mexican government email address. These emails are clearly an attempt to obtain information under false pretenses and our recommendation is to take no action if you receive one.

In October 2017, we reported a similar scam involving bogus emails purportedly from the Mexican Procuraduria General de Justicia or Justice Department, which were sent from a domain called PROCURADURIAGOB.COM.

All official Mexican Government website domains and emails sent by different departments and agencies contain the words gob.mx therefore we would urge you to disregard any emails you receive from servicios@gobseido.mx or procuraduriagob.com. If the website domain or email address does not include the words gob.mx it is not genuine.

It is our policy to alert members of possible scams and we urge you to let us know if you are contacted by a person or company that seems suspicious so that we may warn others. Communication is key to protecting our members.

We have a strict privacy policy and have procedures in place to protect our members’ private information. We do not know how these individuals may have acquired phone numbers and emails, but are investigating further.

Follow these steps if you receive a suspicious email or phone call

  • Check the source of the email if the company or individual claims to be associated with Royal Resorts. All Royal Resorts communications are sent from an official royalresorts.com email address, if this is not the case, then the email is not from Royal Resorts.
  • Disregard the email or phone call if money is requested in advance for resale or other timeshare-related services.
  • Do not supply personal data or the contact details of friends if referrals are requested.
  • Do an online background check on the company to see if it is legitimate.
  • Ask Royal Resorts if you are in any doubt, we are here to help you.

Above all, do not send any money. When companies contact you via email, the Internet or phone to offer resale, exchange or rental services and ask for cash in advance it is generally a good indication that they may not be genuine and if you pay it is very possible that you will not hear from them again.

Royal Resorts Personal Data Protection Policy

Royal Resorts takes your privacy very seriously and is in full compliance with the corresponding privacy laws. The personal details of our members and guests are strictly confidential. Royal Resorts does not sell and has never sold personal information to third parties. You can feel confident that Royal Resorts will continue doing everything possible to protect your personal information.

All member communications, updates, letters and promotions are sent from an official Royal Resorts email address.

We recommend that you avoid disclosing your personal information on forums, blogs and other open media venues and participation in Internet referral schemes that ask you to send the names and details of friends. When you provide your information to others in order to rent, sell or lend your unit please ensure that your information will be protected.

If you have received a phone call or email from a company that you suspect of misrepresentation or that may be engaged in possible fraudulent activity and would like to share the information with us, please feel free to contact us.

 

 

 

The Royal Caribbean

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Apreciable socio de The Royal Caribbean: 

Como ya lo sabe, este es el último año del programa de membresía de The Royal Caribbean.  

Esperamos darles la bienvenida a usted y su familia a su hogar lejos de casa este año. Durante su estancia, esperamos que nos acompañe el jueves por la tarde a un Coctel de despedida de 30 años en La Cabaña Bar de 3:30 a 5 p.m., un evento exclusivo para los socios de The Royal Caribbean. 

El último intervalo de The Royal Caribbean es la semana 43 de 2018 y el último día de operación del resort es el 3 de noviembre de 2018.

Actualmente se están definiendo más detalles sobre el proceso de terminación del programa de membresía y podremos darle noticias a los socios de The Royal Caribbean esta primavera.

 

Le recomendamos que no haga caso a ningún rumor sobre el resort que pudiera estar circulando en los foros en línea o en cualquier otra parte. Las noticias oficiales se publicarán en la sección de Noticias en el Área de socios y se enviarán por correo electrónico a los socios registrados de The Royal Caribbean. Si su correo electrónico cambió, es importante que actualice sus datos de contacto con Interval Servicing Co (ISCO) para recibir los correos electrónicos de Royal Resorts. Puede hacerlo en línea en www.intervalservicing.com. Inicie sesión como socio y registre su correo electrónico nuevo en la sección Actualice su información. También, puede hacer una llamada gratuita al 01-800-099-0486 desde México, al 1-800-930-5050 desde Estados Unidos o Canadá, o al 954-485-5400 desde cualquier otro país.

 

Saludos cordiales, 

Grand Caribbean Company Ltd.

 

Royal Resorts protecting the environment

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In 2017, Royal Resorts continued its work to protect the environment. Here is the latest news about some of the projects that form part of the going green campaign at our Cancun and Riviera Maya resorts.

Bumper year for Turtles in 2017
The summer of 2017 was a record-breaking sea turtle season at Royal Resorts and throughout the Mexican Caribbean, 1,063 nests were protected in the turtle nurseries at The Royal Sands, The Royal Caribbean and The Royal Islander. By the end of November the security guards had released 111,226 baby turtles.

A further 20,000 baby turtles from 228 nests were released at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts to the south of Puerto Morelos and there were five nests at The Royal Haciendas too where turtles rarely come ashore.

Since 1998, Royal Resorts has protected 7,995 turtle nests and released 741,042 hatchlings. We look forward to watching over many thousands more turtles this year too.

Saying no to straws
Royal Resorts has joined the global no straws campaign to protect our beaches and oceans. Straws are a major component in the plastic waste being dumped in our oceans and are harmful to marine life. We are no longer serving drinks in our restaurants and bars with plastic drinking straws and we ask all our members and guests to support this initiative. Join us and go even further, ask for your drinks without straws wherever you may be in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, and back home.

In more restaurant news, the resort pool and beach bars have switched from polystyrene glasses and take-out containers to reusable melamine plates and biodegradable glasses and bags. The next stage is to eliminate all plastic cutlery. Cloth napkins have replaced paper napkins in all the restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner, thus saving paper and reducing the amount of trash generated.

At the resort stores all shoppers are asked if they need a plastic bag for their purchases and cloth bags are on sale as an environmentally friendly alternative.

Recycling
Trash is separated at Royal Resorts and all plastic, aluminum and paper waste suitable for recycling is sold, with the proceeds going to the Royal Resorts Foundation’s charitable causes. In 2017, an estimated 311 tons of waste were recycled representing US$13,600.

Used cooking oil from the restaurants is also recycled and sold to a company that uses it to generate biofuel.

Solar panels at The Royal Sands
The solar panels on the roof at The Royal Sands in Cancun heat 50 percent of the water used in the villas. Savings after the project investment now stand at US$71,474.00.

From high efficiency boilers and air-conditioning centrifuges that are heat exchangers used to preheat water in the machine house to LCD flat screen TVs in the rooms and energy saving light bulbs, energy-efficient technology is used at the resorts to reduce electricity consumption.

Water saving measures include installing efficiency devices in bathrooms and campaigns with guests to reuse towels and bed linens instead of requesting a daily change.

Using eco-friendly products
The resort housekeeping and maintenance departments use eco friendly cleaning products, soaps, polishes and varnishes wherever possible. Ozone technology keeps the water clean in the swimming pools and the use of chlorine has been cut by 40 percent.

Beach cleaning and reforestation
In other green news, Royal Resorts employees took part in beach cleaning campaigns during the year in Cancun, Puerto Morelos and the Riviera Maya; a clean up of the shores of the Nichupte Lagoon in Cancun and a City Hall initiative to eradicate casuarina pines in the Hotel Zone and plant mangrove seedlings in their place.

Royal Resorts Foundation sponsoring physiotherapy for children

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A heartfelt Happy New Year and gracias from the children receiving physiotherapy at the Cancun CRIT Rehabilitation Center thanks to the generous donations of members, guests and staff at Royal Resorts. The Royal Resorts Foundation is sponsoring Dionicio, Jacob, Jessica, Jesus and Ricardo so that they can attend the center and receive the treatment that they need to develop their motor and communication skills, improve their quality of life and give them a better future.

Diagnosed with conditions ranging from spina bifida and cerebral palsy to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (a genetic connective tissue disorder affecting the skin, muscles, bones and blood vessels) and slow psycho-motor development, these brave children are attending physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, speech therapy sessions and arts and crafts workshops. They also have regular appointments with the team of pulmonary specialists, orthopedists and psychologists at the center, depending on their particular needs.

One of the children, Jessica, is the daughter of a member of staff at The Royal Sands.

Great News
The Royal Resorts Foundation donated $217,620 pesos to the Cancun CRIT Rehabilitation Center this month and has increased the number of children it is sponsoring to six. The son of one of the electricians in the Corporate Maintenance department, Juan Eduardo has a cerebral development disability and therapy will help improve his coordination.

About the CRIT
The CRIT Center (Centro de Rehabilitacion e Inclusion Infantil Teleton) is part of a network of 23 centers all over Mexico managed by a charity called Fundacion Teleton. CRIT helps children with physical and neurological illnesses, speech impediments and other conditions requiring physio and specialized therapy get the treatment their families so often cannot afford. Fundacion Teleton also has a Children’s Cancer Hospital, and helps 294,172 children nationwide.

Visit www.royalresorts.com/foundation for more information on the Royal Resorts Foundation and its community and conservation causes.

Spreading Happiness, Royal Resorts Foundation Kings Day Children’s Party

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A big thank you to all our members, guests and staff that supported the Royal Resorts Foundation 2017 Toy Drive for needy children and donated gifts over the Christmas holidays. You helped spread some happiness. With your generosity we were able to host a surprise Dia de Reyes or Kings Day party for children attending the Huellas de Pan community kitchen and from the Region 96 district in Cancun on January 8.

Due to the numbers of children attending the event, the party took place in the local park near the Huellas de Pan community kitchen. Some 278 children from the center and the surrounding neighborhood enjoyed a morning of games, dancing and face painting. They munched on the traditional rosca de reyes cake, drank juice and took turns to hit the piñata.

In Mexico you cannot have a party without a piñata and even the smallest children at the Huellas de Pan event proved to be experts at hitting the papier mâché figures and racing to collect the cascade of candies.

As the party drew to a close, the children lined up to receive their gifts from Royal Resorts volunteers and for one last group photo with a big smile and a gracias to all.

SEE THE GALLERY

WATCH THE VIDEO

Huellas de Pan A.C. community kitchen is working to eradicate malnutrition in one of the poorest districts of Cancun. It provides children with the well-balanced meals they need for healthy growth and learning skills.

Missed this event? You can donate toys during your Royal Resorts vacation any time of the year
The Royal Resorts Foundation collects toys year round if you would like to support this Spreading Happiness cause and bring a smile to a child’s face at Christmas or on Children’s Day at the end of April. Donations of educational materials, art supplies, children’s books in Spanish and clothing for children and adults are also gratefully received.

Visit www.royalresorts.com/foundation for more information about the Royal Resorts Foundation, the causes we support and ways in which you can help.

Sign up for the Third Royal Resorts Foundation Race, Feb 18

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There’s still time to sign up for the Third Royal Resorts Foundation Race on Sunday, February 18 (week 7) in Cancun. Join us for a morning of exercise and fun in support of a worthy cause. All race proceeds will go to building and equipping a kitchen at the Don Bosco Community Project, a center that helps give disadvantaged and vulnerable young people a better future.

REGISTER FOR THE RACE ONLINE

Race details
• The Third Royal Resorts Foundation race takes place on February 18 at 7 a.m. Starting point: Captain’s Cove Restaurant to Westin Regina and back again.
• 3, 5 or 10 kilometers
• Age categories for men and women
Free (15-39 years) Master (40-49 years) Veteran (50 and over)
• Race Fee is $280 pesos per adult and $230 pesos per child and includes a souvenir t-shirt and finalist’s medal, race number, chip, water and an isotonic drink at the finish line
Prizes will be given to the first three places in each category in the 5 and 10 km races for men and women. The first three Royal Resorts employees to cross the finish in the 5 and 10 km races for men and women will also receive prizes.

Children’s Fun Run
Bring the kids! There is a race for them too!
• Children aged 4 to 7 years
500 meters
• Children aged 8 to 12 years
1 kilometer

Transport will be available for Royal Resorts members and guests staying at The Royal Haciendas in Playa del Carmen who would like to compete in the Third Royal Resorts Foundation Race.

If you are not going to be in Cancun in February you can still support the cause by making a donation to the Royal Resorts Foundation online at www.royalresortsfoundation.org or during your stay at Royal Resorts.

Our Race Cause
With the proceeds and donations from the 2018 race, the Royal Resorts Foundation will help build and equip a kitchen at the Don Bosco Youth Center. This Ciudad de la Alegria community center gives vulnerable teenagers in marginalized neighborhoods on the outskirts of Cancun hope for the future.

The Don Bosco Center lends a helping hand to young people who have dropped out of school due to poverty, gang membership, domestic violence and other factors. They continue their studies and learn English and computer skills. Seminars and workshops on health and nutrition, values and self-esteem also give them a boost of confidence and there are sporting and cultural activities too.

A study by the TecMilenio University in Cancun showed that many of the teenagers attending the Don Bosco Center are malnourished and that this is causing low concentration levels and poor academic performance. Building a kitchen will give them access to nutritious meals and better health.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Register for the Third Royal Resorts Foundation Race today
You can register online at www.royalresorts.com/foundation
Email: contact@royalresortsfoundation.org
Bring your friends and family!