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Sickness at BP San Juan
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The writ says raw and cooked meats were kept close together at the hotel, food was not covered, the restaurant allowed in dogs, birds, mice and insects, the buffet area was covered in flies with birds picking at left over food, and they saw mice on tables.
Holidaymakers also claim that they saw piles of vomit in the restaurant, which was not properly cleared up, bottled water was refilled with tap water, and food was not fit for human consumption , and complained of cockroaches and ants in the bedrooms and bathrooms, blocked toilets, defective showers, and bedrooms which were too small.
Wow that is pretty horrendous.
Eating off of a buffet is one of the easiest ways to get food poisoning. I've only had food poisoning once in the DR and it was from rice from a Dominican food stand. You are much more likely to get poisoning from rice or uncooked foods like salad than from undercooked meat. Hamburger is another story though because there is no knowing how clean the grinders were so I only eat well done burgers in the DR. From what I hear, most All Inclusives spend less than $3 a day per person. They can't really afford to throw out something just because it is 10 days old sitting in a 55 degree "fridge."
I avoid buffets even in the US. I never know how old the food is or even what day it was made. In general in the tropics, fried food is safe food.
Still wondering how PJs stays in business. Maybe they have enough business from locals..
Just a little unfair in phraseology...
The article is new but does not detail a new event but rather comments on a new lawsuit about the old 2007 occurrences.
Just one man's opinion.
Gregg
Wow that is pretty horrendous.
Eating off of a buffet is one of the easiest ways to get food poisoning. I've only had food poisoning once in the DR and it was from rice from a Dominican food stand. You are much more likely to get poisoning from rice or uncooked foods like salad than from undercooked meat. Hamburger is another story though because there is no knowing how clean the grinders were so I only eat well done burgers in the DR. From what I hear, most All Inclusives spend less than $3 a day per person. They can't really afford to throw out something just because it is 10 days old sitting in a 55 degree "fridge."
I avoid buffets even in the US. I never know how old the food is or even what day it was made. In general in the tropics, fried food is safe food.
Still wondering how PJs stays in business. Maybe they have enough business from locals..
A writ just like your speculative comments which follow are unproven allegations, only. Until proven in court they have no legal weight. So it is not horrendous, BUT it is a horrendous allegation and if true (unproven, to date) is would definitely be horrendous.
Further I am not sure what the relevance is of your final comment about PJ's as it has no bearing whatsoever about the subject covered by the article or this thread.
And finally, while I agree that most AIs concentrate as much or more on quantity as on quality I don't think your figure of <$3US per person per day is current. It may have been at one time (and probably was) but I don't believe it is generally accurate in 2010. I recall a comment from a friend who is a resort chef from about six years ago at an upper mid-range resort when his budget for food was $9US per person per day; and I'm sure the budget has not gone down in the intervening years (has anything - LOL).
Please do not mistake my comments as supporting any company which is a bad performer in the resort business, I abhor companies which do not place a very, very high value on customer service and cleanliness as much as anyone. I am just looking for accuracy in reporting and commenting which I believe is, at least to some degree, lacking in the above comments (assuming allegations and speculation to be factual, including an irrelevant comment and using what I believe to be an old number in a way which makes it look as if it was current).
One man's opinion.
Gregg
The figure I was actually quoted was under $2/day from about four years ago so I bumped it up a dollar to account for price increases. It was not a very high end place though. My bad for using anectdotal/old info so I'll own that one. It was PJs where I got what I believe was Bacillus Ceres poisoning and I heard from many ex pats that it had a bad rep for hygene and other food poisonings. I wonder if there are more than two ex-pats on this forum in Sosua who will claim that they eat at PJs or would even accept a free meal from there. If someone will stand up for them, I'll stand corrected.
Wow that is pretty horrendous.
Eating off of a buffet is one of the easiest ways to get food poisoning. I've only had food poisoning once in the DR and it was from rice from a Dominican food stand. You are much more likely to get poisoning from rice or uncooked foods like salad than from undercooked meat. Hamburger is another story though because there is no knowing how clean the grinders were so I only eat well done burgers in the DR. From what I hear, most All Inclusives spend less than $3 a day per person. They can't really afford to throw out something just because it is 10 days old sitting in a 55 degree "fridge."
I avoid buffets even in the US. I never know how old the food is or even what day it was made. In general in the tropics, fried food is safe food.
Still wondering how PJs stays in business. Maybe they have enough business from locals..
There will always be illness in tourist areas/resorts for as long as tourists over-indulge in alcohol, over-consume food, and forget about the necessity of handwashing post bathroom-use and pre-eating, especially in buffets where many implements are handled by multiple users.
I have been to the DR more times than I have fingers and toes to count and eaten in places where most people would pull up there noses.....and I dont stay in resorts....and guess what...I have NEVER been sick as I apply the same standards I would at home.
It can happen anywhere
Food and water bourne bacteria can happen anywhere....we've had our share of scares here in Canada as well, Maple leaf foods had major listeriosis poisoning which promted a massive recall there were numerous ill and multiple deaths. We've had tainted spinache, tomatoes and strawberries with e-coli and hep A. Not to mention the mad cow, hoof and mouth etc. Chryptosporidium in the water etc...you're not 100% safe no matter where or what you eat...fortunately, I've never had food poisoning whilie traveling and I've eaten from some pretty shady looking street vendors while in a pinch.
Food Poisoning, or often times water-poisoning can be deadly but much of the reporting can also be unfair. I contracted water-poisoning on a BA flight from Milan to London in the seventies. I could have blamed the hotel where I was staying on a business trip but fortunately my colleague stayed in another hotel as it was a busy time of the year. So the health authorities in the UK traced it back to the water container on board the airliner! A famous local hotel was blamed recently in the press for food-poisoning. After further investigation it proved to have been introduced by a guest. My point is that whilst it is highly likely the hotel it could have been introduced from anywhere, but when a large number of people gather the outbreak will not be confined to the one family as highly infectious bacteria can easily be transmitted.
- Andrew Charnley, Tobago, WI Holiday from hell after stomach bug hospitalises British tourists in Caribbean | the Daily Mail
Food and water bourne bacteria can happen anywhere....we've had our share of scares here in Canada as well, Maple leaf foods had major listeriosis poisoning which promted a massive recall there were numerous ill and multiple deaths. We've had tainted spinache, tomatoes and strawberries with e-coli and hep A. Not to mention the mad cow, hoof and mouth etc. Chryptosporidium in the water etc...you're not 100% safe no matter where or what you eat...fortunately, I've never had food poisoning whilie traveling and I've eaten from some pretty shady looking street vendors while in a pinch.
The article is new but does not detail a new event but rather comments on a new lawsuit about the old 2007 occurrences.
Just one man's opinion.
Gregg
Which is why the 'here we go again' comment and the finding of this old thread to put it on. It indeed refers to the 2007 occurrence. Thomas Cook settled with their customers for ?3.5 million a year ago, First Choice denied liability thus the current lawsuit. Course now it is in a number of UK papers, the Telegraph above, the Daily Mail
First Choice sued by hundreds of travellers over holiday from hell in Dominican Republic
Manchester Evening News
Dad sues after Caribbean holiday from hell
Even the Braintree & Witham Times :laugh: what do you mean, you've never heard of it.............?
Families sue over holiday from hell
For the record, First Choice's response is in Travel Weekly
First Choice defends Dom Rep bug hotel
Could have picked a better title...............
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