have you tried first choice or thomas cook

I am researching now for July 2008, again for a group to celebrate my 40th and my daughters 18th.
I too, am looking for an alternative to Thomson / Portland and havent found anything yet, but you can book directly with Riu and buy your flights independently with one of the other operators like first choice, my travel etc.

The Riu website just gave me approx £3421.00 for four (3 adults + 1 child). for 14 nights 26 July. So your flights would be on top of that, plus your transfers. Transfers shouldn't be too bad as Cancun Hotel Zone is pretty close to the airport.

There are also US travel agents offering the RIU hotels, not sure if they will take a booking from UK, but maybe worth a try.

If I see any flight offers I'll let you know. If you find any other tour operators then please, let me know.

Try Thomas Cook, on the website use the advanced search, and type in the name of your hotel and the dates.
They are showing availability if you can fly from Cardiff. Or from Gatwick but for only 11 or 21 nights. But they are showing quite few alternatives that may help you.
If there is enough extra people, consider hiring a mini bus to get you to the nearest available airport. I know its a pain travelling further than you want to - especially when you are coming home, but its another option.

Just for info, I have priced buying direct then buying flights separately. Its approx £1K more than I would expect to pay a tour operator so I will have to stick to looking for good prices with the operators.

Good Luck

Hiya

As suggested I would try First Choice- they do offer the RIU hotels. The other alternative is someone like Expedia, where you can search for flights and hotels together, then you just need to arrange your own transfer. American sites to try are Apple vacations and Funjet, for hotel only. Really it's a case of shopping around- one not mentioned so far is Cosmos.

Good Luck!

Pam

I am off to dominican in July, so have searched a few agents. Airtours website have the Rui Mambo and Rui merengue on offer. Hope this helps.

We have booked with First Choice to go to the Riu Caribe, Cancun in September. We have travelled with First Choice on package holidays for the last 4 years and in our opinion, their service is outstanding and their prices are very competitive.

We were actually cheaper booking it through their website but when we went into the shop to take advantage of their low deposit offer (which wasn't available on the web), they have a policy that they can match the internet price. So, we were very happy!

I'm Looking for the Riu Cancun or the RPLA.
Neither of which seem to be offered by the other operators.
I am not going until next year so maybe when the brochures come out in april someone else might have picked up these two hotels.

One of the guys I work with picked up a good deal booking direct with a different hotel further down the coast, I have sent the Riu Cancun an email but havent heard back yet.