Have you ever planned out a glorious vacation in your mind, filled with day trips to nearby cities, adventurous excursions, and fancy dinners only to end up completely overwhelmed by the number of options in the destination of your choice and seeing double after reading so many reviews online? Whether you’re going on a solo trip or you’re the girl in your friend group, family, or relationship who’s always responsible for organizing getaways, the idea of traveling can quickly turn from luxurious to laborious, between looking up flights, hotels, and things to do. With JetBlue Vacation’s Insider Experience Program, however, you might just feel lucky after taking advantage of the one-stop-shop travel service.
The Insider Experience, which launched in 2020, works by connecting travelers with a team of local insiders at your vacation destination who assist you with everything from airport transportation to booking tours, activities, and even dinner reservations. And the best news is it won’t cost you a penny extra when you purchase one of the airline’s flight and hotel packages to Aruba, Cancún, Montego Bay, Punta Cana, Nassau, Los Cabos and St. Lucia. I recently had the chance to try out the program during a stay at the Majestic Elegance Costa Mujeres resort in Cancún and it completely took the guesswork out of my vacation. Here’s what you can expect from the experience.
At the Airport
After passing through baggage claim and exiting the airport when we landed in Cancún, my best friend (who I invited on the trip) and I were greeted by our first Insider who was holding a sign with our last names on it. After quickly signing some paperwork, we were directed to the van that would shuttle us on our 40-minute ride to Majestic Elegance Costa Mujeres. The Insider rode with us and our driver to make sure we made it to our destination safely and pointed out tourist attractions we should explore along the way.
At Hotel Check-in
Upon arrival at the five-star resort, we were taken to a seated check-in area where guest relations personnel talked us through the details of the property and the Insider Experience. We were given the name of the butler who would be with us throughout the duration of our stay, as well as a number we could text if we needed assistance booking any excursions. Once our wooden room key bracelets were placed around our wrists, we were off to our Elegance Club Jr. Suite in the adults-only portion of the property and a bellman soon followed with our suitcases.
During Your Stay
As we began unpacking our luggage, Chan, the butler we were assigned during our three-night getaway, knocked on the door and immediately began explaining the features of our room, from the digital key pad where we could control everything from the lights to the blackout curtains and the ceiling fan, to the jacuzzi tub on the balcony overlooking the beach, which he made us promise to alert him first if we were going to use so he could nicely prep everything for us.
Chan also explained our restaurant options and asked whether we needed any reservations, particularly for the popular Japanese hibachi grill, Kabuki, on the property, which we did. He also booked dinners for us at Don Juame, the Argentinian steakhouse, later that evening and the Mexican restaurant, El Mariachi Loco, for the following day. I recommend both if you find yourself at Majestic Elegance. Chan was also able to reserve our hydrotherapy experiences at Blossom Spa on site and brought us a complimentary bottle of the liquor of our choice to enjoy over the course of our four days at the all-inclusive property. At turndown, an aromatic scent of our choice was sprayed throughout the room to welcome a calming sleep.
The resort lives up to Cancún’s party reputation, offering poolside games, music, and dancing from sunup to sundown. The property has a total of 12 pools—some which are adult-only, 12 bars, including six swim-up bars, and seven restaurants. If you’re more of a beach babe, you can grab a hamburger or hot dog from a stand as you dig your toes in the sand and gaze at the pristine Caribbean Sea. If you want a full meal, the buffet at Mar House will not disappoint. As an Insider, you also have access to a special VIP lounge, which has sandwiches, cold drinks, and a mini bar you can enjoy in the air-conditioned indoors or outside seating area.
As we enjoyed the amenities of the property, we would run into Chan from time to time and on every occasion, he would ask if there was anything he could do for us. Similarly, the Insider at the number I was given upon check-in would also send a daily text to see if there was anything I needed. One morning I asked for recommendations for an excursion to see the Aztec pyramids and was given three options, which was just enough to give me a choice and the sense that these specific tours had the Insider and the hotel’s stamp of approval.
One of the more special aspects of my stay came via an early impromptu birthday celebration. When we first walked to our guest room upon arrival, my bestie and I noticed some doors had banners with various congratulatory phrases celebrating anniversaries, birthdays and the like written on them. My best friend told Chan we were celebrating my birthday and when I told him it actually wasn’t for another two weeks, he told me, “Then it’s your birthday,” noting many guests visit within a month’s time of their various milestones and that when it came to making it a memorable occasion, he’d “take care of it.” Unbeknownst to me, Chan and my best friend were in cahoots from that moment forward and after we returned to our room following breakfast and a morning swim the next day, I found a “Happy Birthday!” banner across our room door and a bed full of rose petals with a flower heart in the center and the initials HBD for “Happy Birth Day.” The scene took me completely by surprise as did the candle-lit birthday cake I received that evening at El Mariachi Loco as the wait staff sang to me. A performance by a two-person Cuban band later that evening who sang a medley of Selena, Celia Cruz, and Elvis Crespo was the perfect end to the night.
The nightlife options at Majestic Elegance Costa Mujeres are as abundant as the free-flowing drinks, with live music nightly in the open courtyard and entertaining performances on the big stage such as a Michael Jackson impersonator, complete with equally talented backup dancers, and African Cirque du Soleil-ish circus performers. A nearby club also offers karaoke, game nights, and dance music well into the night. If you need another bite to eat, you can grab one at Majestic, the fast-food restaurant at the resort, which stays open until 3 a.m.
Before and After Departure
Checkout is as easy as check-in, with us simply needing to return our room keys before our flights and head out the beautiful entryway into the car roundabout to be picked up by our return transport. An equally smooth ride back to the airport had us checked in and ready to board in an hour’s time. Another four hours later, I was safely on the ground at LAX making my way through customs.
Sadly, there won’t be anyone with a sign that has your name on it when you land in your home city – your vacation is overall after all. But you also won’t experience the all-too-common sentiment that you now need a vacation from your vacation because you weren’t doubling as a travel agent while you were away. Everyone vacations differently, but if the idea of letting someone else do the heavy lifting while you take a break from life sounds good to you, then you can’t go wrong with the Insider Experience.
