Simon and Debbie - Not Just Travel

15/06/2026

15/06/2026

Simon Evans

14/06/2026

We bought cooking lesson tickets, first up on the menu: crickets! 😮😳

There are a few activities you can do at Unico 20 87 that don’t involve exercise including cooking, mixology or art lessons to name a few.

We opted to do cooking lesson which cost about $100 for both of us.

When we arrived we were treated to a beer cocktail by Angela the resident chef at Cueva Siete restaurant. I should have know at this point that things would be a little different but I thought ooh let’s roll with it, it tastes ok!

Then out came the crickets!
First job was tasting them, at this point I was waiting for Ant and Dec to pop up and kidnap me for a bush tucker trial.
Because of my British politeness I ate the cricket. Actually it tasted ok for my first voluntary bug tasting.

The crickets are actually ground and used for a guacamole recipe which was the best guac I’ve ever eaten, Si who hates guacamole ate more than I did, if I invite you for a BBQ at any point it could be on the menu! 🪳

Next up was shrimp ceviche, omg! So fresh and tasty and super easy to make. 🍤

For the final meal we prepared some pork in sour oranges that would be slow cooked for at least 12 hours, we thankfully got to taste one Angela “prepared earlier” thought Si was going to ask for a divorce so he could marry Angela who he now believes is an actual angel from kitchen heaven

So, anyway. I think we’re going to stay in Mexico forever, we’ve fallen in love with the food, the people, the amazing weather and spicy margaritas, plus I need to fight to keep my husband 😂

13/06/2026

Life is cool sat here by the pool…

Here at Unico 20 87 luxury is all about comfort, great service and a great entertainment programme

There’s three swimming pools and two of them have a swim up pool bar.

We have been able to have our pick of sun beds each day which have chunky mattresses for extra comfort whilst snoozing the day away or reading.

There’s waiters on hand who never seem to let your glass empty and pool service includes getting your sun bed made up and sorting umbrellas so you have very little else to do but relax. If you want to…

Now I mentioned entertainment, every day there’s a water spinning class, aqua aerobics class, water polo or basketball which is super popular with those strange people who like to exercise on holiday

But if you don’t then you just get to top up your tan in 32 degrees sunshine, trying to look cool or as cool as you can by the luxury pool

12/06/2026

🌴 **UNICO 20°87°: EVEN THE LEAD-IN ROOMS ARE PURE LUXURY!** 🇲🇽✨
When we book our clients into **UNICO 20°87° here in Mexico**, the rooms are always one of the biggest talking points. We constantly get incredible feedback about them, so when we were choosing our own room for this trip, we decided to put the hotel to the test.
We booked the entry-level room type and just paid a small upgrade for the ocean view. Safe to say, we were definitely not disappointed! 😍
For what is technically a "lead-in" room, it feels unbelievably luxurious. The hotel has mastered the art of the little touches that make you feel completely spoiled:
# # # **✨ THE LUXURY TOUCHES WE LOVE:**
* **Custom Scents:** You can actually choose your own bathroom products and customise the fragrance diffuser in your room so it smells exactly how you want it. 🧴🌸
* **VIP Turndown:** Every evening, the turn-down service comes complete with a little bedtime chocolate. 🍫✨
* **The Balcony Hot Tub:** Having your own outdoor hydro-spa tub on the terrace is an absolute game-changer. There is nothing quite like soaking in there while looking out at the ocean! 🌊🛁
If this is the standard for their base rooms, it really shows the level of luxury UNICO is operating at. It completely redefines what you should expect from an all-inclusive resort. 🥂
**💬 OVER TO YOU...**
We’re keeping the luxury theme going all week, but we want to know what *your* must-haves are. **When you walk into a luxury hotel room, what is the one thing it absolutely needs to have?** Let us know in the comments! 👇

11/06/2026

You’ll want to return after your first left turn ....

A few weeks ago we spoke about showcasing Luxury on our trip to Mexico and we’re finally here.

Today’s bit of luxury is going to focus on the benefits and experiences of turning left.

Now, each person we talk to have their own perception of what price they put on flying business class but one thing is always clear though, when they do it once they always want to do it again!

Yesterday we flew BA Club World from Gatwick to Cancun, before we talk about the flight, one of the extra little perks you get is fast track for checking in bags and going through security and then access to Club World Lounge.

We got through check in and security in record time, think it took about 5 mins for both, hurrah!

Booking the lounge is always a treat and this felt like a step up from the usual paid for lounges, the food was better, there was plenty of seating and areas to chill before the flight. There’s also a shower room if you’re transiting and need to freshen up.
We spent a few hours there yesterday, had some breakfast and a few Buck’s Fizz before heading to the gate where we were able to get straight on to our flight. I know as Brits we love to queue but it was nice not to hang around anywhere.

As soon as we got to our seats we were given champagne to enjoy before the flight, this gave us time to get comfy, check out our little BA toiletry bags and what we wanted to watch on TV.

The service was very good on board, coming back to offer drinks throughout the flight and the food was excellent.
The best bit about flying World Club was the lie flat beds, we found that we could have a good nap to help us get used to our new time zone or just pop our feet up whilst watching TV. This has definitely helped with feeling more refreshed getting here after 10 hours of flying and 90 mins in the transfer. I also found I could sleep better and not lying awake at 3am reading waiting for Si to wake up 😂

So what value would you put on Business Class?

There are certain times of the year when you can look out for great sale options so if you’re thinking about it then come and chat to us.

For us we would definitely love do this again on long haul flights, if it’s affordable that is!

We’ll talk a bit more tomorrow about our luxury hotel Unico 20 87.

10/06/2026

Today we’re taking a trip to Cancun, we’ll be unavailable after 1pm for the rest of the day whilst we drink champagne, celebrating 26 years together ❤️
Debbie deserves a medal 🥇 She’ll have to put up with me instead!

08/06/2026

🚀 **BATTLE OF THE SHIPS: DAY 2!** 🚢
The big question today is... who had the better ship visit?
While Debbie was busy exploring the massive **MSC Virtuosa**, I was lucky enough to be hosted onboard **Celebrity Apex**—a ship I have been dying to get on for ages!
As one of Celebrity's **Edge-class** ships, she is absolutely stunning and packed with features you won't see anywhere else. Here were my personal highlights:
# # # **🌟 THE MAGIC CARPET**
You literally can’t miss it—it’s bright orange and hangs off the side of the ship! 🧡 This platform "hovers" and moves between decks. Depending on the time of day, it’s a bar, a restaurant, or even a platform for boarding tenders at sea level. Such a clever piece of engineering!
# # # **🌿 THE GARDEN OF EDEN**
This was hands-down my favourite spot. Located at the back of the ship, **Eden** is a massive three-story space with floor-to-ceiling windows. Whether you want a cocktail at the bar, a quiet corner to read, or a speciality dining experience, this is the place. I could have stayed here all day!
# # # **🎨 ART & ATMOSPHERE**
What I loved most was the layout. Despite being a large ship, there are so many unique, tucked-away areas. Walking through the ship feels like being in a modern art gallery—there is incredible artwork everywhere you look.
# # # **✨ WHO IS IT FOR?**
Celebrity is very much an **adult-focused** line. You won't find water slides or rope swings here; instead, you get sophisticated luxury, the famous Martini Bar, and world-class service. That said, children are absolutely welcome and they have fantastic kids' clubs!
The Southampton weather wasn't quite doing its best for my videos—I think we’d all prefer to be looking out at the coast of Santorini rather than a rainy cruise terminal! 🌧️➡️☀️
**SO, THE VOTE IS OPEN...** 🗳️
Would you pick the high-tech luxury of **Celebrity Apex** or the family-fun and grandeur of **MSC Virtuosa**?
**Let us know in the comments which one gets your vote!** 👇

07/06/2026

Who had the best ship day?
We’re going to pop this over a couple of days as there’s a lot to talk about and then we’ll do a poll on Tuesday and see what you think

DEBBIE: Spent on the onboard MSC Virtuosa

After getting on board, I was taken straight to the theatre for a bit of Q&A about the ship and then got to see a 20 minute production of Dirty Dancing Celebration, this show is amazing, the ship also has some other great productions like songbook ABBA and Hall of Fame that pays tribute to music legends and pop royalty, what’s not to love here.

It was then time for a tour of the ship, first up was all about self care and showcasing what the Spa has to offer, you get all of the usual treatments but if your anything like me and don’t get a minute to get your hair done or your nails before your trip, booking in on the day you arrive can be a great option to have the freshest look on the ship!

I also got a good view of the gym, it’s huge and as I try to get there a few times on holiday, it would be the perfect place to workout

What about the pool?
We all know that the UK can be a little hit and miss with the weather and the great this about Virtuosa coming out of Southampton is the pool with a retractable roof, yesterday’s weather was grim but people could still enjoy the day, there are also a couple of other outdoor pools and plenty of hot tubs

Next up was the kids areas
Virtuosa is a family ship, and has just about everything you could ask for for kids of all ages

* Babysitting services
* Kids clubs that are split in to 5 different age ranges to ensure that the environment and entertainment is right for your child’s needs.
* Aqua park
* Bowling alley
* F1 simulator
* The list just keeps going

So what about the food?
I had the really difficult job of testing out 5 restaurants on board and sampling food from their menu. Wow!

First up was sushi at the Japanese restaurant, the flavours were amazing.
With no time to spare I was ushered into the teppanyaki restaurant and got to see the superb show the chefs do at the table as well as sampling steak, rice and fish 😋
It was time to move on and visit the steak restaurant, they were offering more samples, my favourite here was the banana sponge pudding, I could have stopped here and said oh wow come and visit Virtuosa just for the food, but, I’d made the commitment to test and moved on to the Mexican restaurant, if you like spice you’ll love it here, lots to sample from tacos, quesadillas and amazing margaritas.
Once I was squeezed through the doors it was time for one last trip. The French / Indonesian restaurant. I could eat in this place every night, the steak melted in my mouth and the pork belly I’ve decided would quite happily be my last ever meal.

So, what do you think of Virtuosa? I’m hoping I can fit in my clothes this week, you guys better appreciate the sacrifices I’ve made 😂😂

Vote Virtuosa!