From: paul.graveline@travel.com (Paul Graveline) 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: CARIBBEAN TRAVEL ROUNDUP9
Date: 29 Sep 92 14:27:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Travel Online / St. Louis Online - St. Louis, MO
Reply-To: paul.graveline@travel.com (Paul Graveline) 

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Ramada  Turquoise  Reef  Resort  and Casino seems to be the only hotel  
that  comes  close  to  this  description. Most of the other hotels on  
Provo are of a more intimate genre.  
 
                   Then there is Club Med. !!!!!!!  
 
Come  July  24,1992  I  was scheduled to visit Bonaire to revel in the  
underwater  delights  that  abound  in  the  clear waters of the Dutch  
Antilles.  Due  to  an  injury  to  a  dive  buddy  I  had  to find an  
alternative  destination  --  and  had less than a week to make travel  
arrangements.  I  called  and booked with Club Med for the week. I had  
never  been to a Club Med and had some concern about my impulsiveness.  
Visions  of  post pubescent, suntanned, college dropouts forcing me to  
participate  in  games and activities became my mind set as I left for  
Turkoise on Provo to dive for the week.  
 
Since  I  was  taking a Club Med charter flight, I had visions of them  
making  us  do  singalongs  all the way down there. But everyone slept  
and  there  was  no  hint  that  this  was  anything  but  a regularly  
scheduled  flight.  The  charter  airline,  North  American Airlines ,  
provided exceptional service, decent food, and first run movies.  
 
A  Club  Med rep (G.O.) was waiting at the Provo airport. He explained  
exactly   what   to   do   as   far  as  customs,  baggage  claim  and  
transportation  to  the  village.  We were later to find out that this  
G.O.'s  nickname  was "Adrenaline"--talk about hyperkinetic. He was on  
the  money  as  to  moving us through customs and check in and baggage  
claim quickly.  
 
We  did  room  check-in  right  at the airport. When we arrived at the  
village  we  just picked up our key and went to our rooms. Our baggage  
arrived  about  40  minutes  later  while we were at lunch. It was the  
easiest check in I have ever experienced.  
 
The  resort,  excuse me, the VILLAGE is located on a pristine beach of  
Grace  Bay.  The sand had the consistency of fine sugar. The water was  
a  consistent  85  degrees  and  the  color  of  turquoise.  The palms  
somewhat  stunted  were  obvious  new  plantings, but since this is an  
arid  island  and  all  water  is  the  product  of desalinization the  
expense  in  trying to grow anything must be immense. The grounds were  
immaculate,  as  were  the  pool and theater area, which at night were  
the center of village activity.  
 
Recreational   amenities   abound   at  the  club  in  a  hassle  free  
atmosphere.  Free  activities  included  wind  sailing,  para sailing,  
water skiing, snorkel and scuba diving.  
 
Few  restrictions  were  placed upon their use other than the required  
use  of  life jackets, and a C (certification by NAUI, PADI, etc.) for  
diving.  Since  I  went to dive, my experience with the dive operation  
was  the  most  intimate. The Club Med diving was nothing spectacular,  
but  was  good  solid diving with no hassles. The use of computers was  
not  only  accepted  but encouraged. The dive boats were well designed  
and  appointed,  with wide, deep ladders. All boats had a hang bar and  
a  redundant  air  source. The captain, dive master and deck master on  
any  given  day  were,  to say the least, professional and diplomatic.  
They  brought  poor and dangerous diving practices to the attention of  
divers   without   publicly   humiliating   them.  The  dive  masters'  
philosophy  was  that  if  you  are certified you are supposed to know  
what  you  are doing, and that your safety must be based upon your own  
ability  and  expertise.  BRAVO  !!!!  It  is  we,  as divers, who are  
responsible  for  our  own  safety.  It's  not  the  dive master, boat  
captain  or  anyone else. This was an enlightened attitude and not one  
I  expected  from  Club  Med.  For  less  experienced divers, the crew  
provided  escorted dives and personal help with equipment or with what  
to  look  for  on  each  dive. Pre-dive briefings were done well. They  
always  gave  recommended  depths  and  times  that were safely within  
recommended limits.  
 
Visibility  the  week  we  dived was running 60-80 feet. This was less  
than  I  had expected after reading the mouth piece of the dive resort  
and  equipment  industry  supported "Skin Diver Magazine". One hundred  
to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of visibility may be a possibility  
during other times of the year but somehow I doubt it.  
 
The  dives  did  not  produce  the drama of the walls of Cayman or the  
visibility  of  Bonaire  but  were good dives, nothing spectacular. It  
was  obvious  that  these  sites  used  by Club Med are over-dived and  
consequently  the  reef  is  stressed. Another thing that surprised me  
was  the  general  lack  of  fish within that 20-60 foot depth. A good  
number  of  lobsters  were seen walking around during the day and some  
good sized crabs-surprising.  
 
The  best  dive  of my stay was without scuba equipment and took place  
on  a  reef 500 yards in front of the Ramada. Fish (juvenile) were all  
over,  intricate  coral  formations  made for beautiful swim-through's  
and  because of the depth 15-30 ft., the corals were lush and in great  
shape.  You  could  only  snorkel in this area-the reason for the reef  
being   in   such   beautiful  shape.  This  dive  would  be  a  macro  
photographer's  delight  or  a pleasure for any diver for that matter.  
It  was  really  a  beautiful  site,  with  extended  bottom time, the  
variety of hard and soft corals and the variety of small fish.  
 
Club  Med  Food - How does one go about explaining that all activities  
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