Nickelodeon Resort Punta Cana: What is it all about? Tips & Tricks and more……

on by in Vacation

Hello my awesome GlitterFriends, if you follow me on my social media, you know we just came back from a 7 day Punta Cana trip for our family of 6. It was so fun that my husband and I are planning to go on an all-inclusive vacation every year. The reason why we picked Nickelodeon resort is because I know my kids are going to have a blast seeing their favourite characters (my twins love ninja turtles but my daughter is just happy to see any characters).

In this blog post, I am going to share with you every step of our journey from packing, going to the airport to coming home so you can see all the nitty gritty details of them all. Don’t worry, I won’t be giving you a 10 page essay to read (seriously who has time for it). I will break them down in categories and either in small paragraphs or in point form so it’s easy to read and you can pick and choose what you need to know.

Packing for the trip

I know a lot of you must be thinking taking 4 kids to a trip must be a pain. To be honest, after this vacation, I feel like our family can be pretty mobile and we are looking forward to taking them to more places. My kids are current, 6, 4, 4, and 1 so the older kids can definitely take care of their own luggage. In order to do so, I got them their own spinner luggage. The actual took care of their luggage the entire trip by themselves. And these Heys’ ones are perfect size for their little body and also perfect as a carry on. We only checked 2 luggage between the 6 of us because of my skin care, diapers and such. If you guys want a more in depth blog post about what I pack for our vacation, please comment below so I know.

Tips:

  • Quick Link: https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/heys-paw-patrol-kids-spinner-luggage/6000196253997

 

 

Going to the Airport

For this Punta Cana trip, our agent booked an Air Transat package so we are leaving from the Toronto Pearson Airport. Since we have 4 kids, I would like it to be as convenient as possible. My ideal choice would be someone to drop us off or pick us up but with 4 kids with car seats it’s nearly impossible. Therefore my husband decided to do Daily Parking at the Terminal. We like this option the best is because we don’t like valeting our car, secondly we want to make sure the car is covered since we are leaving in the middle of winter. It all worked out very well from the beginning to end.

Tips:

  • Call ahead to make reservation
  • Ask them for a discount code (We got ours when we called so doesn’t hurt to try)
  • Arrive at Toronto Pearson Airport at least 2 hours before your flight
  • Quick Link: https://www.torontopearson.com/en/Daily_Park/#

Arriving at the Punta Cana Airport

  • No air conditioning for the most part but pretty airy
  • No need to line up for anything. Once you got your luggage, you can pretty much go through with no problem.
  • With the Air Transat package, there is absolutely no need to line up to ask where our transitioning buses are
  • Go out to the bus terminal and look for people with Air Transat uniform and you will find your bus to the resort
  • Punta Cana Airport to Nickelodeon Resort takes about 35 minutes

Arriving at the Nickelodeon Resort

  • Bus dropped us off at the main lobby
  • Register at front desk
  • Drivers with golf carts will take you and your luggage to your room
  • The whole process took about 20 to 30 minutes
  • There is a play area for the kids at the lobby while you register (TVs and toys)
  • They even serve us champagne and the kid cute fruity drinks while we wait
  • Stroller is available upon request
  • Check in at 3pm and check out is 11am

 

 

Nickelodeon Resort

Accommodation

  • We booked the Flat Suite and here’s the description from their website: “Each Flat Suite includes a high top bar for dining, a living area, a master suite, and a marble-clad bath with free-standing tub. The living room is complete with a pull-out sofa bed, 46-inch Smart TV and dining room area. Your Flat Suite also features a furnished private balcony, including a round daybed for lounging, napping or cuddling in the moonlight.”

 

Pros:

  • Love the extra tub in the bathroom. Perfect to shower off my kids.
  • I love to be able to close the master bedroom so even if the kids wake up early and play, I can still sleep a little longer (Like 5 minutes lol)
  • Crib is available upon request
  • Love the size of the balcony (I worked out there and decorated to take pictures for my son’s 1st birthday
  • There are golf cart shuttles everywhere so if your little one can’t walk so far, you can always wait for a shuttle

Cons:

  • Sofa bed for the kids is uncomfortable (but no complains from my kids)
  • Some day they didn’t do their room service (cleaning of the room) fast enough. They missed 2 days throughout our 7 days stay
  • Room service food delivery is pretty slow (It took 45 minutes so we gave up and walked to the buffet)
  • Need more garbage cans – there were only 1 in the entire room which is in the bathroom

 

Food

We have tried almost all the restaurants/bars/coffee shops at the resort except for the adults only ones (Kitchen 23) so I think I can offer quite a good overall review of the restaurants there.

Most of the restaurants are located in the main gourmet village which is about a 5 minutes walk from our room.

 

Sugarcane

  • Cuisine: Latin America Buffet
  • Reservation not required
  • Open for Breakfast from 6:30am to 11am, Lunch from 12:30pm to 3:30pm, Dinner 5:30pm to 10pm
  • It has an indoor and outdoor adults only section
  • Dress Code: Casual. It says on the website you need to wear dresses and long pants, etc. I have been there wearing my tankini and they are totally fine. As long as you are somewhat covered, they will let you in
  • The only restaurant opens for breakfast with hot food

Verdict:

  • 6 out of 10 – It is not a bad buffet with tons of varieties, there are many items designed for the picky eaters. There are always fruits and grilled veggies at every meal which I enjoy
  • We ate majority of our meals here because of the variety
  • I don’t feel that the seafood is that fresh and tasty. I expected more
  • Nothing really wow me but it’s super easy with kids as it has a lot of varieties.
  • Always guarantee to have a spot there, as it is a huge restaurant with 2 levels

Verdello

  • Sicilian kitchen
  • Reservation Required
  • Open 6 days a week. Dinner only from 6pm to 10pm
  • Dress Code: It is a pretty fancy restaurant so I would follow their dress code from the website: “LADIES: Capri pants, dresses, skirts, long pants, shoes, dress sandals. GENTLEMEN: Long pants, collared shirts, dress sandals, casual shoes, dressy or formal Bermuda shorts – I wore flip flops going in with no problem but I was a little sheepish

Verdict:

  • 7 out of 10 – Food is quite decent there and the presentation of the food is pretty good. It’s not the best restaurant I have ever been but definitely the best restaurant in the whole resort in my opinion.
  • As soon as we sit down, they immediately offer their welcome drinks to both adults (Cocktail) and kid friendly drinks which made my kids feel pretty special.
  • Appetizer’s portion size is rather small but it’s an all inclusive resort, you can order as many as you want.
  • They have quite a range of food in their menu, from vegetarian dishes, pasta, beef and a couple types of fish.

BRGRS.PH

  • Cuisine: Burgers
  • Reservation is accepted but not required
  • Lunch 12pm to 2:30pm, Dinner 6pm to 10pm, Open 6 days a week
  • Dress Code: Casual – Just don’t be topless or with bikini bottoms, you will be fine.

Verdict:

  • 5 out of 10
  • Service was really fast at the beginning but then it took a really long time to get the other orders out. Appetizers were coming extremely fast then our main course took at least 45 minutes and we had to remind them 3 times.
  • The burgers weren’t out of this world (at least not in Dominican). The patties on the dry side because they overcooked them.
  • I ordered a salad and it never came
  • The only burger that actually tasted ok is my daughter’s steak and egg burger (see pic on right) because the meat wasn’t overcooked.
  • Another item that’s worth trying is their cheesecake sundae. It looks amazing but my husband isn’t a fan of it because he said it has too much cheesecake in it but I guess it would be fine with cheesecake lovers.
  • We will not go back to BRGS PH

Spacewalker

  • Cuisine: International Space Dinning (I honestly don’t know what they mean) – To me, they are just American food 🙂
  • Reservation Required
  • Open 6 days a week, 6pm to 10pm
  • Dress Code: Casual, again as long as you are not topless, they will let you in.

Verdict:

  • 4 out of 10 – The menu is space themed so I am not even sure what we were ordering
  • Mainly American food, so there’s pasta, steak and also kids’ menu is available.
  • Food came out really slow (I think our servers forgot to take out our orders). The food didn’t come until we decide to go back to Sugarcane because the kids were starving
  • My husband and his pal stayed and tried the steaks and said it was not bad
  • We will not go back to Spacewalker

 

 

 

 

Wok Wok

  • Cuisine: Far East Fusion (I am asian and I don’t even know what that means) I guess it’s Americanized Asian food
  • Reservation Required
  • Open 6 days a week, Dinner 6pm to 10pm
  • Dress Code: LADIES: Capri pants, dresses, skirts, long pants, shoes, dress sandals
    GENTLEMEN: Long pants, collared shirts, dress sandals, casual shoes, dressy or formal Bermuda shorts

Verdict:

  • 2 out of 10 – The worst restaurant in the whole resort
  • Menu includes pad thai, rice and beef and chicken satay
  • Most of the main courses are spicy so they aren’t kids’ friendly meal
  • After we had our dinner there, we had to go back to Sugarcane for a second dinner because the kids didn’t eat at all
  • We will not go back to Wok Wok

 

Doppio 

  • Cuisine: Coffee Shop
  • Reservation is Not Required
  • Open 7 days, 7am to 10pm
  • Dress Code: Casual

Verdict:

  • 7 out of 10 – This is a very good coffee shop that offers beyond coffee
  • Love the fresh smoothies that they prepare. (You can tell it’s all from fresh vegetable and fruit) I always grab one after my workout
  • Tons of dessert to choose from and everyday is different – they have chocolate cake, red velvet cake, carrot cake and oreo cake and my favourite is the carrot cake
  • They also have a lot of different types of cookies, chocolate chips cookies, butter cookies, macaroons, and peanut butter cookies.
  • It is the only facility that offers decaf coffee so I usually grab them before I go into Sugarcane for breakfast
  • I will definitely go back

 

 

Zest

  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
  • Location: Nickelodeon Beach
  • Reservation Not Required
  • Dress Code: Casualish – as long as you are not topless and with bikini bottom you will be fine but the website tells you otherwise (seriously who wears a dress and khaki to the pool and beach??)

Verdict:

  • 4 out of 10 – again nothing really wow me, and it isn’t really Mediterranean food anyway (can’t find a greek salad anywhere lol)
  • They have pretty good braised ribs when I was there
  • The self serve nachos wasn’t impressive. It was just mediocre
  • Fruits, Pasta and Pizza are available there which pleases the kids
  • This is the restaurant where you do the character breakfast

 

Aqua Bite

  • Cuisine: American fried food
  • Location: located at Aqua Nick (waterpark)
  • Reservation Not Required
  • Open 7 days, 10am to 5pm
  • Dress Code: Casual – it is located right beside the waterpark so they don’t really care what you wear

 

Verdict:

  • 3 out of 10 – mainly deep fried food that we have no interest in
  • Interesting seating area – chairs are swings so the younger kids might have difficulty staying on the seat
  • Ice cream, alcohol and soft drinks are available
  • I would go back to get water and ice cream for the kids as Aqua bite is the only place that offer those
  • I would not go back for food

 

Available Facilities/Services

 

Aqua Nick 

  • Located in the west side of the resort – About a 5 minutes walk from the Gourmet Village
  • NO EXTRA COST
  • It has water slides, splash pads, spray grounds and lazy river.
  • The waterpark is rather small in my opinion.
  • Not enough big slides for older kids. I would say if your kids are 10 or older, the slides won’t be exciting enough for them
  • Lazy river is very slow lol We are stuck at a lot of locations. My kids had to get out of the floatie and push me a few times.
  • Splash pads was fun for the younger kids

 

Infinity Pool

  • The Infinity Pool is located on the east side of the resort
  • The pool overlooks the ocean
  • The entire pool has the same depth at 1.2m (about 4 feet)
  • There is a swim up bar there too
  • Our family had a blast playing in the pool. We spent majority of the time there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beach

  • Located on the east end of the resort
  • It’s a private beach so no one except for the people at the resort can use it
  • We went in February, the wind there is quite strong
  • Waves were pretty strong as well so it’s not so much for swimming but to crash waves
  • I had to constantly check on the kiddos since the waves were pretty strong
  • My youngest boy wasn’t too fond of the ocean, the sand and the waves actually scare him
  • Due to the strong wind and waves, I wasn’t too fond of the beach area because I have to constantly keep my eyes on all kids. If we were to be with no kids, I definitely would enjoy it much more

 

 

 

 

 

Vassa Spa

  • Location: In the Gourmet Village right beside the fitness centre.
  • Cost: Extra $$$, not included in the all inclusive
  • Tons of services available and you can check out what services they offer here
  • I didn’t personally did a massage there so I can’t judge how good they are but I found them kind of pricey as everything is in USD. I think a 45 minutes massage which include changing time was $150 USD

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fitness Centre/Dance Studio

  • Located within the Gourmet Village
  • NO EXTRA COST
  • Opens 24 hours
  • Water and towels are available at the gym
  • I personally quite enjoy the gym because I can use the heavier weights that I don’t have at home
  • There is a Dance Studio two doors down from the gym and I believe they host classes there but I have never tried the classes so I can’t comment on whether they are good or not

 

 

Just Kidding

  • Located in Aqua Nick (Waterpark)
  • NO EXTRA COST
  • Supervised activities for kids from age 4 to 12
  • It has a huge ball pit, 2 storey slides and a video gaming area
  • It also has supervised activities that are led by staff there such as making slime, doing science experiments, cooking, crafting and exercising.
  • It opens Monday to Sunday 9am to 5pm then from 7pm to 9:30pm
  • My kids didn’t go in because they prefer to go to Aqua Nick (Waterpark) instead so I can’t comment how good or bad this is
  • But the activities they offer seems to be pretty fun. For example, they offer kids’ yoga , crazy tag, making energy bar, making Dora’s backpack and making volcano, etc.

Sports Hub

  • Located in the west side of the resort
  • NO EXTRA COST
  • According to the website, there is tennis, archery, basketball, soccer, giant chess and a clubhouse with ping-pong, foosball and a lounge area
  • We have never been because we were busy enough in the main resort area and the Aqua Nick
  • Good options for people who like more on land activities

FREE Entertainment/Activities

I am only going to talk about activities that we have actually participated and I will upload the Week at a Glance Highlights information sheet here so you can see what other activities they offer during our stay. (Tuesday to Tuesday)

Please note that NOT all the activities listed here is included in the cost of the stay, some will require extra costs.

And everyday, you can go to your personal concierge to get your daily itinerary and here’s an example of a schedule

 

White Hot Beach Party

  • Located at the beach
  • Time: 6pm
  • When we went, the white hot beach party only happens on Tuesday night (which is the same day we landed and we had no idea) so we went when it was almost the end
  • A lot of music, dancing, and food available at the beach (Usually Sugarcane is closed for dinner on Tuesdays)
  • Our family had a lot of fun there but wish I knew it earlier so we didn’t go elsewhere for dinner that night

Meet and Greet all Characters

  • Location: Character Central (Aqua Nick Side)
  • Time: 7:30pm
  • NO EXTRA COST
  • You will have a chance to meet “some” characters at character central
  • When we were there, we only saw the 4 Ninja Turtles which is ok but if they are the only ones going to be there, please do not say it’s all characters
  • Only happen once a week at night
  • Every family has 2 shots with the characters
  • They have professional photographer there to take professional shots and the staff can help you take pictures on your phone
  • Felt a little misled but it made my husband’s night because Ninja Turtles are still his absolute favourite

Foam Party

  • Located at Aqua Nick
  • Time: 8pm
  • NO EXTRA COST
  • Basically they blast music and create foam for the kids/adults in the lazy river
  • My kids had a blast watching other people playing foam in the water but they can still get bubbles on the side of the pool
  • No mention of wearing swimming suit to the events so none of us got into the water
  • If you want to do it, either wear swimming suit there or bring a set

 

 

 

 

Orange Carpet Event

  • Location: Aqua Nick
  • Time: 7pm
  • NO EXTRA COST
  • You and your family become the VIP and be invited to take picture on the orange carpet (like a red carpet)
  • Professional photographer is there to take pictures for you
  • But we never took their pictures, our friends help us take the pictures
  • After we had a chance to take our pictures, the characters finally arrive
  • The characters that were there that night were: SpongeBob & Patrick, Dora & Boots and the 4 Ninja Turtles
  • They dance around with the kids for about 20 minutes then the show is over
  • Worth going to see most of the characters at once
  • My kids had a blast dancing and highfiving the ninja turles (It totally made their day)

 

Circus Show

  • Location: Plaza Orange
  • Time: 8pm
  • NO EXTRA COST
  • Highly recommended! The performers are amazing
  • The kids love watching it and it entertained and fascinated them for 30 minutes straight

Magic Show

  • Location: Plaza Orange
  • Time: 8pm
  • NO EXTRA COST
  • Amazing show again! Highly recommended! My kids love watching magic and they were memorized

Character Flashes

  • Location: Aqua Nick Area
  • Time: depends on the schedule
  • Everyday there are different characters that show up at Aqua Nick
  • Make sure you check schedule for when they will be there

 

There are still plenty of free activities to do but we just don’t have the time the do them all!

Pros:

  • Majority of the shows are amazing
  • My kids love watching the shows
  • My kids love seeing the characters
  • The dinner and dessert they serve before the Orange Carpet Event was amazing!

Cons:

  • The show time is too late
  • Communication about what’s happening about the event is not very clear. For example, tell people to wear swimming suits for the foam party. Also, there was a gorgeously delicious dinner available right before the Orange Carpet Event but no one tells us about it so we missed out on it
  • Some of the event is misleading like the meet all the characters event, only Ninja Turtles showed up so it isn’t “ALL” characters

EXTRA COST Entertainment/Activities

Private Slime Time

  • Location: Aqua Nick
  • Cost: $50 USD for up to 4 people
  • RESERVATION REQUIRED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Verdict:

  • Definitely not worth $50 USD for 4 seconds of slime
  • The slime was cold and wasn’t even slimy
  • My kids didn’t really get it
  • The only reason why we did it is because this is a gift from our travel agent. I personally would have never buy it

***There is a Mass Slime Time that’s free everyday at 3pm. If you want to do it but doesn’t want to pay for it, you can do that instead. Also, you can enter the Slime lotteries and they will draw a family everyday at 10:30am for a private slime time. I don’t think a lot of people know about that then you can get your private slime time for free that way too.

Character Breakfast

  • You can schedule a character breakfast with your personal concierge when you arrive
  • Pajama Jam
    • Kids can party in their PJs with their favourite characters
    • There will be character performances, photo opportunities, meets and greets etc.
    • Breakfast is provided
  • Turtle Power Breakfast
    • All 4 turtles will be there to party with the kids
    • They will teach the kids some ninja moves, have some photo opportunities and meets and greets etc

Here’s the schedule and pricing for the breakfasts:

  • Thursdays:
    • 10:00 am TMNT Turtle Power Breakfast
      • $25 adult / $17 kid
  • Saturdays:
    • 8:00 am Pajama Jam
      • $37 adult / $27 kid
    • 10:00 am Pajama Jam
      • $35 adult / $27 kid
  • Sundays:
    • 8:00 am Pajama Jam
      • $35 adult / $27 kid
    • 10:00 am Pajama Jam
      • $35 adult / $27 kid

Verdict:

  • We personally didn’t do any of the breakfasts so I can’t tell you whether or not they are good
  • Too expensive for our family of 6 for just a breakfast. Pajama Jam would’ve costed us over $170 USD and the Ninja Turtles breakfast would’ve costed us $117 USD

 

Leaving Punta Cana

  • The resort will arrange shuttle back to the airport
  • You really NEED 3 hours before your fight leaves
  • There are huge line up checking in the luggages and at custom
  • Make sure you have a pen with you to fill out the custom form for leaving Punta Cana. When we were there, there were absolutely no pens available. And it is one form per person so there’s no family form. I had to do 6 and it takes time

Final Verdict

Pros:

  • Overall we really enjoyed our vacation, especially for me since I don’t have to clean or cook
  • Having 4 kids, all inclusive is the way to go for us because it’s predictable costs
  • My kids had a blast
  • Love that there are a lot of fresh fruits, and fresh fruit juice available
  • Love that they even provide food pouches for babies (none organic Heinz ones)
  • Bottle water and drinks are available in all bars and restaurant
  • Golf cart shuttle is available everywhere
  • The infinity pool is gorgeous
  • Wifi signal is pretty strong throughout the resort
  • The room is pretty sound proof

Cons:

  • The kids’ shows are a little late, usually starts at 7:30pm or later
  • The food is just average, nothing extraordinary
  • Waterpark (Aqua Nick) could be bigger with more water slides
  • The resort should provide guests with map so they know where places are. When we were there for the first time, we had no idea where everything is
  • Resort should also provide a list of restaurants available on the resort including their opening and closing time
  • Daily schedule isn’t available to be grab everywhere. You need to go to the concierge building to get them
  • Some events/activities were omitted in the daily schedule
  • We want to see more Nickelodeon characters in the resort
  • Kids’life jackets aren’t available – so I packed my own
  • Not everywhere is stroller accessible
  • There were only 2 theme stores at the resort and their selection is not complete

Important Tips!!!

  • Book all restaurant reservations with your personal concierge the first day you arrive!! They fill up fast
  • Don’t need to bring water, there are bottle water available everywhere
  • Bring your own life jackets and floaties if your kids can’t swim, there were none available
  • Strollers are available at the resort but you need to book it in advance (talk to your travel agent)
  • Bring a baby carrier if you have little ones, we find it easier to navigate
  • Bring USD for tips and purchasing products
  • Make sure you talk to your personal concierge everyday before you start your day so you can get the latest and greatest
  • Make sure you arrive at the Punta Cana airport 3 hours before your schedule plane. (We barely made it in time with 3 hours)
  • Make sure you have a pen with you to fill out custom forms leaving Punta Cana
  • THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THEM ALL IS TO HAVE FUNNNNN!!!!!

 

I hope you guys find this helpful! Let me know in the comments what else you want to know about our trip! I am more than happy to answer them for you! The best place to reach me would be my GlitterMommy Facebook page! Please like and follow me there!  Until then, I will see you in the next blog post!!!!

XOXO

GlitterMommy