# Marriott's Ocean Pointe



## MILOIOWA (Aug 16, 2007)

Ok, I got "booking happy" (it is my 1st experience trading a TS) yesterday and saw a 1 br week at this resort in West Palm Beach the first week in Jan 08' so I took it. I really wanted gulf coast, but being so late I figured there was almost no chance of getting anything in Jan-Feb, and the wife wanted beachfront so I took this one. It appears to be a nice place, with alot of good reviews on TA. What I am looking for is any info on things that are must-do in the area, preferred units, as well as pictures of the resort and the area. If anyone has anything to share I will really appreciate it!


----------



## Dave M (Aug 16, 2007)

The TUG reviews for this resort (see Resort Databases link at top of this page) include 14 photos/images, great info about the resort and a ton of recommendations for restaurants, shopping, activities, etc. There are over 6,000 words in the OP reviews from the past year!

The one catch is that to access the reviews for OP and the rest of the comprehensive resort reviews in the database, TUG membership ($15 at the link at the top right corner of this page) is required!


----------



## CMF (Aug 16, 2007)

*Please join TUG . . .*

. . . in the mean time.  You can also do a search in the Marriott section for Ocean Pointe with keywords like restaurant, pictures, shopping, etc, and you will find some good information even if it is less comprehensive than what you will find in the review section - this is just in case you are not a "joiner." 

Here is a start.

Building Preference

Pictures

Thread about dining and activities.

Charles


----------



## irish (Aug 16, 2007)

this is a fabulous resort!! it is in a rather quite area, however, within about 20-30 minutes drive time you have access to CITIPLACE, WORTH STREET AND THE BREAKERS HOTEL in palm beach. johnny longboats restaurant is just a short walk away and the food is good and has outdoor seating. sailfish marina is also a short walk and a nice place to sit and have drinks. others have recomended MAX AND EDDIES but i have not been there. i  believe you will enjoy the resort very much.


----------



## thinze3 (Aug 16, 2007)

*Sorry for the length of this reply!*

Visited summer 2006.

As we drove down Blue Heron, I began to get a bit nervous as the area is pretty bad. But that changed a bit as we drove over the intercoastal bridge. Still not a great area, but nice enough. *ADVICE: Take PGA Blvd. as you arive. This IS the scenic route!* PGA Blvd also had great shopping and restaurants.

The resort was typical Marriott quality. The rooms were very beautiful and well appointed - granite counters, nice bedding, etc..

We stayed at the Kingfish building, which is the furthest away from most activities. Our room was on the fourth floor and over looked the Intercoastal Canal inlet. We had a great view of the ocean as well. The overall layout and view were to die far. LOVED IT!

The rooms were large and spacious. The secondary bedroom had its own entry (lockout unit) which was great for the kids to come and go. Master had a large shower and soaking tub. Marriott is going to the "no Jacuzzi" concept throughout their vacation club system.

The resort has no "real" restaurant. It only has a grill, pizza, sandwich shop, ice cream, etc.. Most restaurants are a good drive away. As a matter of fact, everything is a good drive away. We had a good lunch at the Sailfish Marina restaurant, three minutes away. The nicest dinner we had was at The River House on PGA blvd. It was first class all the way.

The fishing was extraordinary. The wave runners were a blast. We drove to Palm beach many times for food and shopping. Clematis St. and City Place were the highlights. The water taxi from Sailfish Marina was a great tour of the million dollar homes. A day trip to South Beach was also very exciting (over one hour drive - actually everything is a drive). We spent the afternoon on the beach and ended the day with another water tour.

The beach was great and the water was crystal clear. Good snokeling, but not to much to see other than a few fish. Stingrays glide by occasionally to add a little excitement. The main pool was quite a bit more crowded than our pool at Kingfish. The main pool water temperature was also too warm for my taste (summer). Kingfish pool was great.

Overall very pleased with the resort, but a bit disappointed with the fact that everything was such a drive. We sat through the tedious sales presentation and pocketed 15,000 rewards points. The sales gave us the typical misleading spill about the resort.

We would definitely return as there is so much to do in the area, and the resort is very nice.


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 16, 2007)

I have close to 200 pictures of the resort on my webshots page or, you can click on this photo and it should take you directly to our Ocean Pointe page.


----------



## ramsfan (Aug 16, 2007)

The concierge at the resort is handled by an outside company called Visit Palm Beach.  They offer all kinds of activities including kayaking tours, fishing and parasailing.  They helped secure a private deep sea fishing trip for 4 and offered parasailing right there on the waters near the resort.  Both trips were great!! We also took the water taxi tour of the millionaire homes and thought it was interesting.  My husband and brother-in-law played golf at nice courses in the area with advice from the concierge desk.  You can also walk to the Sailfish Marina and take a quick water taxi to Peanut Island for snorkeling or just relaxing.  We snorkeled off the beach right near the Kingfish building and my children (11 and 13) had quite a treat swimming with manatees right there!!! The beach is wonderful and if you have a car, West Palm Beach has fine restaurants and shopping a short distance away.

If you want to be in a quieter part of the resort, stay in the Kingfish building.  It has its own pool and is away from the action.  If you have older kids or teens, stay near the main pools in the Dolphin or Sailfish buildings.  There is also a pool that caters more to adults between the Cobia and Pompano buildings.  

We loved Ocean Pointe and will return....it will be much warmer in January than beaches further north, so I think it is a good choice.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 16, 2007)

Thanks for the replies and awesome pics doug! It will be just me and my wife, both 31 yrs old. We would like a quiet area, preferably with a view of at least SOME water, and while we have children we would prefer to be away from the children-populated area(so as to not worry about and miss our own more than we already will  ) Also, we would like to be near a pool that has a bar at it. Will the resort be full the 1st week in jan? Also, I cannot find any reviews or pics of a 1 br. Only 2,3 and eff. Are the 1 br's part of a lockoff or are they their own unit? Is there "cheap" golf courses nearby? What I mean when I say cheap is not the 100 plus places I have been reading about around Fl. I am from smalltown Iowa and am used to $35 for a round of golf. Also I would need to rent clubs as I do not want to travel with mine. Again, thanks for all the advice!


----------



## thinze3 (Aug 16, 2007)

MILOIOWA said:


> Thanks for the replies and awesome pics doug! It will be just me and my wife, both 31 yrs old. We would like a quiet area, preferably with a view of at least SOME water, and while we have children we would prefer to be away from the children-populated area...




You need the Kingfish building. It faces the intercoastal inlet, while the beach is still visble!! There are several buildings grouped together at the central loaction, but Kingfish stands alone. It has its own pool and pool bar. Kingfish is much less crowded, and parking is easier as well.

If you are going to book activites through the concierge, use your Marriott credit card if you have one. While in Kauai this summer I booked everything with the concierge and paid with my Marriott card. I received an additional 40,000 MR points!

Good Luck


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 16, 2007)

MILOIOWA said:


> Thanks for the replies and awesome pics doug! It will be just me and my wife, both 31 yrs old. We would like a quiet area, preferably with a view of at least SOME water, and while we have children we would prefer to be away from the children-populated area(so as to not worry about and miss our own more than we already will  ) Also, we would like to be near a pool that has a bar at it. Will the resort be full the 1st week in jan? Also, I cannot find any reviews or pics of a 1 br. Only 2,3 and eff. Are the 1 br's part of a lockoff or are they their own unit? Is there "cheap" golf courses nearby? What I mean when I say cheap is not the 100 plus places I have been reading about around Fl. I am from smalltown Iowa and am used to $35 for a round of golf. Also I would need to rent clubs as I do not want to travel with mine. Again, thanks for all the advice!



There are no units that are just 1 bedroom. The one bedroom units are the master suite of a 2 bedroom LO unit. The picture of the unit without a view is a one bedroom unit at OP. That was taken back in 2000 before the upgrades in beding and counter tops changed to granit.

January is Platinum season at this resort and should be pretty close to full. As for a view, since the resort will be reasonaby full and it sounds like you be exchanging a non-marriott resort to get in, my bet is you'll be floor 1 back of the building like we were. For that matter we exchanged into the resort for the first time in the first part of December in 2001. That wasn't just slow season but was right after 9/11 when the tourist industry was down. We still got a 1st floor unit at the very back of the building. If by some chance you've used a Marriott resort to trade in you should fare better with unit location.


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 16, 2007)

These are pics of the one bedroom master suite lock-out. They were taken in 12/01 and there have been a few upgrades to the units since then.













Our view from the 1st floor ocean view unit we had in 2001


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 16, 2007)

Thanks Doug. I figured we would probably get a room with no view. It isn't that big of deal since we probably won't spend much time in the room anyway, but it sure would be nice ! I used a Vac. Village @ Bonaventure in Weston 1 br as a trade so I was pleasantly surprised at this late date to get such a good location. One more question-in the pics there are a bunch of wooden cabana chairs on the beac`h with turquoise canopys on them- do they belong to the resort? How much to rent?


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 17, 2007)

MILOIOWA said:


> Thanks Doug. I figured we would probably get a room with no view. It isn't that big of deal since we probably won't spend much time in the room anyway, but it sure would be nice ! I used a Vac. Village @ Bonaventure in Weston 1 br as a trade so I was pleasantly surprised at this late date to get such a good location. One more question-in the pics there are a bunch of wooden cabana chairs on the beac`h with turquoise canopys on them- do they belong to the resort? How much to rent?



You did real good with that trade. Platinum season Ocean Pointe units can be hard to come by. Ocean Pointe supposedly has one of the highest owner occupancy rates during their platinum season and you just don't see that many units available for exchange.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 17, 2007)

That is good to know that I am getting a good deal for my trade. As for room location I guess all I can do is ask for the best they can give me but I am sure we will enjoy it no matter where we are. Is there a cheaper car rental company I should go with? How about the water in jan, will we be able to swim in the ocean? Any good seashells in the area? Is it ok to take a cooler and our own drinks to pools/beach?


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 17, 2007)

One more thing......can we buy lounger chairs at walmart and take them to the beach rather than renting for 30 bucks a day?


----------



## DanR (Aug 17, 2007)

*Beach Chairs*

Yes, you can bring your own beach chairs.
That's what we do.
Don't forget to buy an umbrella.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 17, 2007)

DanR said:


> Yes, you can bring your own beach chairs.
> That's what we do.
> Don't forget to buy an umbrella.


Thanks! You don't happen to know of any "cheap" golf courses near there do you?


----------



## pwrshift (Aug 17, 2007)

Great pics Doug ... love the way they 'move' on the display, almost like a little movie.  All you need is music and popcorn!  

Question:  do they have an all day ADULT POOL again.  When I was there in 2003 they had such a pool for only 2 days that week cause there were so many complaints from other 'owners' who felt there should be a restriction as they all pay the same MF charges.  So it came to an end, and I didn't buy because of it.  Has it been reinstated?  

The resort sure looks nice, Revive bedding and all -- so much better cared for than my BeachPlace Towers.  I guess the OP HOA is on the ball.

Brian



dougp26364 said:


> I have close to 200 pictures of the resort on my webshots page or, you can click on this photo and it should take you directly to our Ocean Pointe page.


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 17, 2007)

MILOIOWA said:


> That is good to know that I am getting a good deal for my trade. As for room location I guess all I can do is ask for the best they can give me but I am sure we will enjoy it no matter where we are. Is there a cheaper car rental company I should go with? How about the water in jan, will we be able to swim in the ocean? Any good seashells in the area? Is it ok to take a cooler and our own drinks to pools/beach?




When we first traveled to OP in 2001, we had probably the worst room locaion available and had such great time we bacame owners. I believe we used an Accomadation Certificate to get in so we would have been the lowest of the low on the totem pole for room location. You may fair better than we did but my bet is you'll still have a great time.

The beach is a public beach and not owned by Marriott. You can bring your own beach chairs. Many people do.

The water is always warm enough to swim in around Palm Beach. The gulf stream comes as close the the U.S. as it will anywhere along the coast bringing warm water with it. Most of the time we've found the water temp to be the same or warmer than the air temp. It's another reason why this location is so popular from the last two weeks of December through April.

I generally rent reserve through Thrifty but watch rental prices weekly, sometimes daily, up until we leave. A couple of weeks before we leave I'll start checking Hotwire or bid on Priceline to see if I can get the car cheaper. Most times I can shave close to $100 off the cost of a weeks rental by using either Hotwire or Priceline. To date we've alway been put with Avis when we've done this. 

This area has some pretty decent wave action. There are not a lot of good seashells on the beach. Most have been somewhat pulverized by the time they get to shore. You will find some small seashells in decent amounts but not like you will on the gulf side with Sanibel or Captiva Islands. 

As for Golf, I don't play so I can't help you. There are a lot of pockets of wealth in this area on Palm Beach Island and around Jupiter, FL so I'm sure there's a lot of upscale and expensive golf courses. I'm not certain that there are any inexpensive courses to play.


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 17, 2007)

pwrshift said:


> Great pics Doug ... love the way they 'move' on the display, almost like a little movie.  All you need is music and popcorn!
> 
> Question:  do they have an all day ADULT POOL again.  When I was there in 2003 they had such a pool for only 2 days that week cause there were so many complaints from other 'owners' who felt there should be a restriction as they all pay the same MF charges.  So it came to an end, and I didn't buy because of it.  Has it been reinstated?
> 
> ...



I do not believe there is an all day adult pool anymore. We don't hit the pool that much so I haven't paid strict attention. There is suppose to be an  adults only spa/hot tub but people still bring/allow their kids in it and enforcing that rule would almost require a guard to stand at the spa during all the minutes that it's open. For the most part I really haven't noted a big problem with children in that spa. 

There is a pool that is suggested for adults and, when we've been there, most families have used the pool that is suggested for the kids because it is not quite as deep. The one pool that was suppose to be adults only we haven't stayed next to for a couple of years but I don't recall seeing and signage that said adults only, otherwise I'd have taken a picture of it. 

The do forbid water toys in the pools and seem to enforce that rule pretty well. They also forbid the tossing of nerf type balls or beach balls and haven't seemed to have a problem enforcing that. The few times we have layed out by the pool or used the pool we really haven't been bother by families with children but, we generally travel to OP the first two weeks of December or sometime in November. So we're not exactly there during high season for families. Our experience could only be because there are not as many children running and screaming (as kids tend to do when having fun on vacation) as you would find during the summer months between June and August. 

For us, Silver season months of November and December are pure heaven at Ocean Pointe. I'm so glad that we're at a point in our lives where we don't feel we have to travel during the summer or take the kids out of school to enjoy a weeks vacation.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 17, 2007)

Doug, again thanks so much for the detailed answers. It is great that people like you and others on here take the time to help fellow travelers out the way you do. I am sure I will have more questions between now and January but I think I have a good start! Thanks again!


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Aug 17, 2007)

MiloIowa,

Welcome to Tug!  I  second Dave M's advice to become a Tug Member and be able to access the Tug Review section. This is just one of the many benies of Tug membership

Also, have you checked the Sticky: "SE Florida Website Links" which is near the top of the homepage of the Tug US-Florida Forum ?  If not, lots of good info there.

Richard


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 18, 2007)

Well, I am now officially a TUGGER! I joined this morning and read through all the reviews of Ocean Pointe and you guys were right-tons of great info. Now I just need to to get rid of some toys and find out how I can become (afford) an owner in the next couple years so I can truly be one of you!

I see under my name it still says "guest". Is there anything I need to do to make it say "member"?


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 20, 2007)

Is there a walmart or similar type store near here? Also I may decide to fly into Ft lauderdale and drive here if it is cheaper-enoughD ) to justify it. Is this an easy trip? Thanks!


----------



## irish (Aug 21, 2007)

yes, you can fly into FLL. it is about a 50 minute drive to the resort from there. i have flown into both PBI AND FLL and really like PBI much better. however, i do understand that $$ count so if FLL is that much cheaper or has times that are better for your schedule, then it's really not a problem.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 21, 2007)

THANKS!!! I think FLL will allow me better timing.


----------



## ramsfan (Aug 21, 2007)

We just went to OP in July with kids 11 and 13.  There were Adults Only morning hours in the one pool between Pompano and Cobia.  For the most part, it was primarily used by adults only the whole day.  The resort was full and many kids were there, but most kids spent time in the other pool by Sailfish and Dolphin. 

My husband played golf 3 times that week.

He went to Palm Beach National in Lake Worth and thought it was ok ...$37.28 

He went to North Palm Beach Country Club twice.  It was very close to the resort and recently re-done by Jack Nicklaus as a gift to the city.  He thought it was awesome and payed 30.89 per round.


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

MILOIOWA said:


> Is there a walmart or similar type store near here? Also I may decide to fly into Ft lauderdale and drive here if it is cheaper-enoughD ) to justify it. Is this an easy trip? Thanks!



We have flown into both PBI and FLL depending on the cost. Personally, I much prefer PBI. It's an easier airport to navigate and much closer to OP. When flying in/out of FLL, you must take into account the traffic, which can be heavy and slow moving at times. I hate starting and ending my vacation in heavy traffic. When we fly in/out of FLL I've found taking the turnpike is a little easier on my nerves. Just remember to take a handful of change as there are toll boths every few miles requiring that you feed the machines change. Without change you'll have to stop at the booth each time and that will slow you down even more. 

I do not recall finding a Walmart close by but there are a couple of K-marts. The problem is, while I can generally drive to them, I couldn't even begin to give you directions to them. All I can really say is that they're south of OP on the mainland.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 21, 2007)

Ok Kmart will work. Was wanting it for chairs and coolers etc for the beach. All the fares I am seeing are working like this. I can fly out of Des Moines to FLL and not have to drive to the airport here, but have to drive to the resort, or drive to KC and fly to PBI. Since most of the flights out of KC & DSM are early morning, I would probably have to spen the night at a hotel in KC so by the time you factor in that cost with the drive(much farther to KC from home than it is from FLL to OP) it is pretty darn near worth just flying out of dsm. Now if I can find a little bit better fare from DSM to PBI direct that would be best.


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Aug 21, 2007)

MiloIowa,

Congratulations on your becoming an official Tug member.

Here's a Tug link on how to change your status from "Guest" to "Member"


Richard


----------



## Art (Aug 21, 2007)

Another reason for flying into FLL is that car rental tends to be cheaper that at PBI.  However get ready for a jolt on taxes and fees.  I have a couple rentals booked where the add-ons turn out to be about one-third of my total cost.

It is about a 50 mile drive from OP to FLL, but it is mostly expressway.  However, it is long enough to make one think twice about booking a 7 AM flight 

Art


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

MILOIOWA said:


> Ok Kmart will work. Was wanting it for chairs and coolers etc for the beach. All the fares I am seeing are working like this. I can fly out of Des Moines to FLL and not have to drive to the airport here, but have to drive to the resort, or drive to KC and fly to PBI. Since most of the flights out of KC & DSM are early morning, I would probably have to spen the night at a hotel in KC so by the time you factor in that cost with the drive(much farther to KC from home than it is from FLL to OP) it is pretty darn near worth just flying out of dsm. Now if I can find a little bit better fare from DSM to PBI direct that would be best.




Then if I were you, I'd fly into  FLL. Normally we don't have a lot of price difference between FLL and PBI if we book far enough out when flying out of Wichita. On occasion it's worth it to drive to Kansas City for us but the difference has to be pretty signigicant ($100 per person) to get me to make the 3 hour drive each way plus spend the $ on gas and tolls (about $60 to $75 total). If we have to spend the night in a hotel pre-flight the difference has to be even more.


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

Art said:


> Another reason for flying into FLL is that car rental tends to be cheaper that at PBI.  However get ready for a jolt on taxes and fees.  I have a couple rentals booked where the add-ons turn out to be about one-third of my total cost.
> 
> It is about a 50 mile drive from OP to FLL, but it is mostly expressway.  However, it is long enough to make one think twice about booking a 7 AM flight
> 
> Art



I can't say that I've ever found there to be a significant difference between the two but, we usually book 331 days out and keep watching for prices to go down until I feel they're about at their lowest. Right now I have a mid-size car booked through Thrifty for $149 for the week. 

Sometimes you can't find a good deal on a rental car at either PBI or FLL. I've found that at those times, it's best to keep watching and if prices don't drop, about two weeks before we travel I'll start bidding on Priceline and shopping Hotwire. Last year booking prices were considerably higher when we flew into FLL. I was able to save a over $100 when I got my bid through Priceline. Hotwire was a couple of dollars higher so I put in the bid thinking if I didn't get it, I'd just book the price I saw on Hotwire and be happy with that. 

Of course, we're there in December, which is Marriott's Silver or slowest season. January is Platinum or their highest season. If that's an idication of tourist activity for those area's then it might be tougher to get a good price on a rental car.

And yes, it's an expressway. So far that "expressway" has been anything but express (more like slow rolling parking lot) and it's been under some sort of major construction since we've been traveling to the area starting back in 2001. I'm to the point that I don't believe they'll ever finish construction on that stretch of road. 

I actually prefer the early AM flights out of FLL even though it means we have to get up way to early. There's almost not traffic at all before 5:00 AM. 

At FLL, not only do you have to contend with traffic and road construction but you have to deal with the hords of cruise ship passengers at one of the busiest cruise ship ports in America. January is high season for them as well. Cruise ship passengers will start arriving at FLL around 9:00 AM to start making their flights home. 

When flying out of FLL, if you book a flight after 10:30 AM keep in mind that you WILL be in the midst of tens of thousands of cruise ship passengers making their way home after their tropcial vacations. It seems that many still have not gotten the point that you can't bring liquids (cheap booze bought on the islands) through security. Many want to argue with the TSA before giving up a couple of gallons of liquor to take home. 

In short, FLL can really get backed up, especially on Sat. or Sunday and especially after 11:00 AM.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 22, 2007)

Well it looks like I will just have to watch the airfares close. I really prefer to fly to PBI if I can I guess, regardless of if I have to drive to KC first. Now to get a cheap rental car LOL!


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 22, 2007)

MILOIOWA said:


> Well it looks like I will just have to watch the airfares close. I really prefer to fly to PBI if I can I guess, regardless of if I have to drive to KC first. Now to get a cheap rental car LOL!



Book the best price you can find now and keep watching the prices. If it goes down, then rebook (or just modify your reservation) to get the new lower price. If it goes up then you're protected from the price increase.

About two weeks before your departure date start looking at Hotwire to see if you can get a better deal. If so, put in a lower bid on Priceline to see if you can beat Hotwires deal. If you can't and Hotwire has significant enough savings then book through Hotwire and cancel your original reservation. 

I've found booking as far out as possible often gets me the best price but not always. Be sure to shop prices frequently as rental rates can be volitale or sometimes they'll have a sale. Hotwire and Priceline have saved us a few hundred dollars over the years and the car/service is just as good. It's just that you must pre-pay for the car and if your plans change, your agreement doesn't. That's why I wait until last minute to use either Hotwire or Priceline


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 22, 2007)

Is there a shuttle that will bring us to the resort from the airport?


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 23, 2007)

MILOIOWA said:


> Is there a shuttle that will bring us to the resort from the airport?



There are shuttle services available for a fee. The resort itself does not have a shuttle. You'd have to google florida shuttle services to find them and what their prices would be. I've seen them picking up and dropping people off at the resort but, since we always have a rental car I've never paid a lot of attention to the comany names.


----------



## Davidr (Aug 26, 2007)

*There is a new Walmart about 10 minutes from OP*

Go west on Blue Heron over the bridge and make a right on Congress Ave.  The Walmart is about 5 minutes down on the left.  

We are at OP now starting our second week here.  Make sure you eat at The River House.  Its not kid friendly but the food is very good.


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 27, 2007)

Davidr said:


> Go west on Blue Heron over the bridge and make a right on Congress Ave.  The Walmart is about 5 minutes down on the left.
> 
> We are at OP now starting our second week here.  Make sure you eat at The River House.  Its not kid friendly but the food is very good.



Good to know that. I'm not a big fan of Walmart but I'm even less of a fan of K-mart. I'll look for the new Walmart when we make our trip in December.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Aug 27, 2007)

Thanks David! I wish I was there now! I am really having a hard time waiting til Jan.:annoyed:  I have read and researched so much I think I will feel like I have lived there all my life by the time I actually get there!


----------



## Davidr (Aug 27, 2007)

Just make sure that you lock your car doors when you drive down Blue Heron.  The neighborhood on the mainland side is a little sketchy, especially a night.  The island side is fine.


----------



## holdem (Aug 27, 2007)

Anyone know if the pools are heated?


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 28, 2007)

holdem said:


> Anyone know if the pools are heated?



Yes, the pools are heated. We have always been very comfortable swimming outdoors when we are there in December. For that matter the ocean water temp remains warm enough to swim in year round at this location and we are often out in the surf when the swimming conditions are good.


----------



## Jollyhols (Sep 7, 2007)

I have been to OP a couple of times and love it - going again this November.

Just wanted to say that a couple of years back we were sitting on the beach and were looking at a large shadow in the ocean (along with several other people on the beach) wondering if it was a shark.  Eventually a creature popped its head out of the water and it was a manatee.  What a treat!


----------



## MILOIOWA (Sep 10, 2007)

Is there a car rental place at or near the resort other than at the airport? We are thinking of just using a shuttle service to & from the resort/airport, then just renting a car 2-3 days to venture out rather than paying for a whole weeks rental and not using it.


----------



## CMF (Sep 10, 2007)

*Not really a highjack.*

I read that there is much to to at or near Ocean Pointe, but are there things that some of you consider "must dos"?

20 days and counting for our first visit.

Charles


----------



## MILOIOWA (Sep 10, 2007)

CMF said:


> I read that there is much to to at or near Ocean Pointe, but are there things that some of you consider "must dos"?
> 
> 20 days and counting for our first visit.
> 
> Charles



I am with you! Jan. will not only be our first trip there, but really our first vacation EVER! So we are very excited. I will look forward to hearing from you when you return. It seems like January will never come!:annoyed:


----------



## pwrshift (Sep 11, 2007)

OP is quite remote and I think you'll need a car for the week ... in fact weekly rental rates in FL are quite reasonable if you check around at the various companies.  A decent grocery store and restaurant is about 5 miles away.  

It just makes it so much easier to pick it up at the airport when you land, and have it reserved prior to getting there.

Brian



MILOIOWA said:


> Is there a car rental place at or near the resort other than at the airport? We are thinking of just using a shuttle service to & from the resort/airport, then just renting a car 2-3 days to venture out rather than paying for a whole weeks rental and not using it.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Sep 12, 2007)

pwrshift said:


> OP is quite remote and I think you'll need a car for the week ... in fact weekly rental rates in FL are quite reasonable if you check around at the various companies.  A decent grocery store and restaurant is about 5 miles away.
> 
> It just makes it so much easier to pick it up at the airport when you land, and have it reserved prior to getting there.
> 
> Brian


Yeah, you are right we decided to get one for the week.


----------



## dougp26364 (Sep 12, 2007)

The only other option I can think of would be Enterprise who will come pick you up to get your car. But, by the time you add the cost of the shuttle from FLL to the resort and back plus the couple of days for the car, you'd probably be spending more money than if you just rent the car.

About a week before you arrive check prices on Hotwire. Sometimes I've beaten my reserved price by $100 for the week depending on what size car I've rented and how expensive it was. We've always ended up with Avis when doing this. Most of the time I'll look at Hotwire and bid a little bit lower on Priceline. Probably 50% of the time we've received a lower price by bidding on Priceline after shopping Hotwire. 

This year I have a low enough price through Thrifty that I doubt I'll be able to get a better deal through Hotwire or Priceline. By renting early I got my reservation for $149 for the week in a mid-size car. That will be a tough rate to beat using the other sites.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Sep 12, 2007)

So should I go ahead and reserve the lowest one I can find right now just to get something, then try Hotwire and Priceline the week before? Also-do any of the rental codes from the rentalcodes.com site actually work? I found a code on budget that got me a full size for like 165/week.


----------



## dougp26364 (Sep 12, 2007)

MILOIOWA said:


> So should I go ahead and reserve the lowest one I can find right now just to get something, then try Hotwire and Priceline the week before? Also-do any of the rental codes from the rentalcodes.com site actually work? I found a code on budget that got me a full size for like 165/week.




Reserve now and re-check the prices frequently. Prices often go up and down as time goes on. If the price goes down, most sites will allow you to modify your reservation and get the lower price. You generally don't have to change anything, just modify it to get the price reduction. Some may still require that you make a new reservation for the new price and cancel the old reservation. Lately I've been using Thrifty and Dollar and haven't had an issue. 

I check prices anywhere from daily to weekly depending on how I feel about the price I've booked already. If I'm not 100% convinced I have a great price, about a week to two weeks before our scheduled arrival I'll check Hotwire to see what the difference in pricing is. If it's enough I'll bid less on Priceline and then book Hotwire if Priceline doesn't come through.

Of note I always reserve directly through the rental car agency and I book online. I always take a copy of my confirmation and rate with me......just in case.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Sep 12, 2007)

Ok, gotcha. I'll get to work.


----------



## MILOIOWA (Sep 13, 2007)

Has anyone taken either of the casino cruises from Port of palm-the princess or the suncruz? Whish one is better? The suncruz appears to only be drinks and gambling, with maybe a buffet while the princess seems to be more full service with shows and all. The suncruz is free while the princess is 12-30 per person, and both offer free drinks while gambling. I am thin king a 5+ hour trip for us would be too long for just gambling since we don't gamble much-20 bucks at a time is plenty to "give" away LOL!


----------

