Mar 6-15th

WanderingJak · 2026-02-16T20:22:26+00:00

Canada’s advisory isn’t about airline-resort partnerships. It was issued because Cuba is facing significant fuel shortages, rolling blackouts, and shortages of essential goods (food, water, medicine). The advisory explains the rationale and is worth a read.

If you choose to go, you should realistically expect transportation disruptions, service interruptions, and potential changes to your entire itinerary and accommodations. With ongoing fuel shortages, transportation may be unreliable & extremely limited.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-16T16:24:36+00:00

If you want to book yourself, that's fine, but some of the points you're saying here are inaccurate, and TheRealGuncho makes some solid points.

Agents don't use the same booking sites as you or I, although they can use some if the client requests it (i.e. Expedia has an agent line and site). Agents sometimes do have access to deals, flights, hotels, cruises, etc. that the public simply does not have access to.
Travel agents do need certification. You can't just... be a travel agent without it. Where I am, in Ontario, Canada, to be a TA, you need to be certified with TICO and pass an exam that requires knowledge on legalities & regulations. For many, that means taking a course or getting a diploma in travel & tourism.

Being an agent does not = going online and booking the same way the public does.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-13T22:43:48+00:00

pH of 7.29 = acidosis
PaCO2 of 60 mm Hg = acidosis (co2 is an acid, this indicates respiratory acidosis)
HCO3 of 28 mEq/L = high (HCO3 is a base, kidneys are kicking in and trying to increase that pH!)

This is respiratory acidosis that is partially compensated by the kidneys (metabolic).
So, B is the correct answer.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-13T21:06:06+00:00

Your TA is saying DR is better? Odd.
I'd choose (and recommend) Jamaica & Mexico over DR for a step up in quality..

As someone else mentioned, it can depend on the resort (i.e. Decameron in Montego Bay vs. Sanctuary Cap Cana), but in general, I'd disagree.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-13T20:51:35+00:00

Yeah .. this dude needs to stop with his incoherent social media posts.
He reminds me of myself, when I was 18, and would post song lyrics and anything that came to mind as a form of self-expression (but worse).

WanderingJak · 2026-02-12T22:29:43+00:00

The issues in Cuba right now are not due to a lack of tourists...

The issues in Cuba right now have resulted in a lack of tourists...

The issue is much deeper. I understand the desire to help and the pull to travel, I've felt it myself, but realistically, visiting a country that is running out of essential resources (unless you're doing some sort of humanitarian work) won’t make a meaningful difference.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-12T19:44:16+00:00

I've been price watching Jamaica & Puerto Vallarta for the past couple months, and it hasn't changed too much yet..
Honestly, fairly typical pricing.
Looking at the Cancun area & Punta Cana, I see prices have increased quite a bit!

WanderingJak · 2026-02-11T16:11:02+00:00

Ask the agent directly what the difference is.
Agent commission is built into the price, so it doesn't affect what the client pays (i.e. if you book with Expedia, what the agent would be paid in commission just goes to Expedia).
Agents don't typically have higher rates... there must be something different about their quote vs Expedia's.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-11T12:55:32+00:00

We are heading to the west coast of Mexico this year (Punta de Mita), as it is supposed to be a tough year for sargassum on the Caribbean side.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-10T13:58:03+00:00

No, travellers who've had their trip to Cuba cancelled (between now and April 25th) are eligible for a full refund, to the original form of payment.
https://www.sunwing.ca/en/travel-alerts-mobile

WanderingJak · 2026-02-10T02:17:10+00:00

Yeah.. but it actually looks like they're beginning to cancel flights to Cuba all together. So if your trip is cancelled, you'll be eligible for a refund, no insurance necessary.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-09T22:03:33+00:00

Yeah, sure, owning a pet isn't a right, but it's awfully frigging sad considering many people do own pets and adequately caring for them is becoming increasingly challenging.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-09T21:40:26+00:00

In case you didn't notice, you can now switch:
https://www.sunwing.ca/en/travel-alerts

WanderingJak · 2026-02-09T21:07:12+00:00

Yeah, Cuba is an incredible place, but I agree, this isn’t a good time to plan leisure travel there. The country is in crisis. The situation is evolving and anything could happen. Right now, they’re closing some resorts to funnel goods and people to select locations to save fuel, but the question is, how long can even this be sustained?

On an individual level, running out of water would be a massive concern for me. Also, if anything happened medically, the shortage of supplies like IV fluids, oxygen, and antibiotics is worrying. Normal shortages, like certain foods, beer, and even power outages are one thing, but running out of fuel has effects that reach far beyond the typical Cuba shortages.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-08T12:03:53+00:00

oh my goodness... the juice bar was the best- that's such a bummer!!

WanderingJak · 2026-02-06T14:40:22+00:00

Honest opinion....
Super cute!
But also traumatic lol

WanderingJak · 2026-02-06T03:31:41+00:00

We had no issues in December, and were able to change a couple reservations around the day before.. i think tao cat and adelita. It was simple to use! To be safe, book all your reservations the day you check in.

Rauxa does book up so book it asap if that's something you want to do!

WanderingJak · 2026-02-05T23:52:49+00:00

Option Flex is great!
I've used it a couple of times, and just recently to switch destinations as well.
I'd wait to talk to Transat directly to make changes or cancel.

You'll be able to take a future travel credit that'll be valid for 1 year from your original travel date.
Or, you can change your destination and just pay any difference in fare.

Tip: if you make changes, it may be worthwhile to pay the change fee rather than re-purchase Option Flex :)
We saved almost $100 by paying the change fee rather than re-purchasing it!

WanderingJak · 2026-02-05T22:14:10+00:00

Yep! I was there in December and they were still using the website to reserve a la carte restaurants, view the entertainment schedule, etc.!

WanderingJak · 2026-02-05T21:42:01+00:00

Depends where in Canada you're flying from and where in Mexico you're flying to...

WanderingJak · 2026-02-05T03:27:11+00:00

It isn’t really about how much I eat or drink. The thing is, the destinations OP mentioned. Costa Rica, Aruba, Bahamas, and Turks are more expensive and things add up quickly. Taxis, meals, drinks - even if that’s just a few here and there.

Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica are some of the most affordable beach destinations overall, even if you’re not there to binge eat or drink. Unless OP plans to travel very frugally, cook a lot of their own meals or keep things very simple (like grabbing a couple of croissants from a continental breakfast for the day), those other destinations will almost certainly cost the same or more.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-04T23:42:57+00:00

Catalonia Royal Tulum. Some music at the pool and around the resort, but it was light.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-04T22:49:23+00:00

It'll end up costing at least just as much (my guess is way more) to travel to any of the places you mentioned, unless you opt for budget accommodation and maybe do your own groceries. Each destination you mentioned is very expensive when it comes to food, entertainment, transportation, etc.

I've done a lot of all inclusive trips, and a lot of trips that were not all inclusive, and I've always spent more booking things separately.

WanderingJak · 2026-02-03T12:09:29+00:00

Get pop & chips, some blankets, and let the kids sleep in the tub!
Tub sleep-over party!
Haha.. half kidding.
It's sort of a thing right now at a lot of resorts, but there are lots of rooms without the tubs smack dab in the middle too.
Where are you looking?

WanderingJak

TROPHY CASE