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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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Our family vacation this year was set for la Isla de Cozumel, Qintana
Roo, Mexico. We chose Cozumel for two reasons: both my wife, Mary,
and I enjoy relaxed vacations without a host of activities; and my
fourteen year old daughter, Heather, and I had obtained scuba
certifications last year. I packed three pairs of bathing trunks and
five books, and determined to be in one or the other, or both, during
the whole vacation. The food and drink of Cozumel caused me to
enlarge my horizons. I can aver that a Margarita, properly assembled,
is one of the worlds truly sublime libations.
Some basic information. We were on Cozumel from July 17 to the 24.
Daytime high temperature were consistently reported to be 82 degrees.
I suspect it was higher, close to 90. The humidity was not bad,
except immediately after rains. Rains came daily, as this is the
rainy season, usually in heavy cloudbursts, then cleared to partly
cloudy skies with puffy white clouds. The sun can strip your hide if
you don't have a decent tan or sun screen. The exchange rate was
N$7.3 (N$ indicates New Peso - new after a devaluation last year) to
the U.S. Dollar.
TUESDAY. We flew into Cozumel on the daily Continental flight from
Houston, arriving just after noon. We had arranged to dive with
Aldora Divers, based on the strong recommendations of Scuba Forum
members. We had reserved dives for Wednesday and Thursday and Dave
Dillehay, Aldora's owner, had e-mailed confirmations and promised
that we would be met at the airport but, due to an administrative
snafu, no one was there on our arrival.
The airport is serviced by a fleet of white four-wheelers. It was
approximately US$30 for the trip to our hotel, the Inter-Continental
Presidente, which lies south of San Miguel, Cozumel's only town. Taxi
to and from town for four passengers was N$36.
The Presidente is located on the beach on the west side of the island
- lovely sunset views. There are two excellent restaurants, Caribeno,
an open-air palm thatch hut on the shore, and Arricefe, an indoor
dinner restaurant with a beautiful view of the channel and lovely
guitar music. There was also a palapa advertised where one could get
snacks and drinks during the day, but I never located it. The staff
of the hotel was invariably friendly. While I try to use Spanish as
much as my limited vocabulary permits, English is spoken freely
throughout the hotel. Divers will appreciate that the tile floors are
mopped with anticeptic daily.
Although we had made reservations in March requesting adjoining
doubles, our daughters were given rooms in a different wing of the
hotel, roughly 300m away from our rooms. Fortunately, our daughters,
Lea and Heather, are 20 and 14 years old respectively, and can do
quite well on their own. The situation would have been intolerable
had the girls been much younger.
For our first night on the island we decided to stay in the hotel for
dinner. The Arricefe is described by the Presidente Hotel as "best in
Cozumel. Mediterranean cuisine with a Mexican touch. 'In a class by
itself': Fodor's Yucatan Guide 1993, 94 and 95". It was quite good,
though a bit pricy. Service was professional and the guitar duet was
excellent. I prefer to rate restaurants on the basis of food,
ambiance and price - 1 to 9. I would rate the Arricefe as 8/8/5.
The concierge gave us a Restaurant Guide, which I reproduce here for
your planning. An asterix indicates a restaurant reviewed in this
report
NAME DESCRIPTION
International/Mexican:
Arricefe* See above.
Cafe del Puerto Steak, seafood and Pasta
D'Pub Pasta, Mexican fajitas and some
vegetarian food
El Gallito Sol International and Mexican style
Pepe's Grill* Steak house and Mexican food
Very Mexican:
El Caribeno* Nicest ambiance to enjoy exquisite
Mexican food, on the water front
(please recall this is in the
hotel)
La Choza* Very local Mexican-Mayan food
El Foco Tacos and beer, are the best bets
La Mission Mexican and Seafood
El Moro* Yucatan food style. Very local
Pancho's Backyard Mexican in a pretty setting
Santiago's Grill Fajitas and grilled seafood
Seafood:
Acuario On the water front.
El Capi Navegante Any kind of seafood
Lobster House Just lobster and salad
Lobster Cove Informal style on the beach
Italian:
La Cocay Mediterranean style
La Cucina Italiana Home-style food
Pasta Prima* Fresh made pasta, pizza and Italian
specials
Pizza Rolandi Swiss-Italian food. Nice backyard
WEDNESDAY. The Presidente is not a hotel for slug-a- beds. At six
o'clock a flock of giant boat-tailed grackles begin fighting for
their territories along the beach. Beautiful birds, but they sound
like hoarse blue-jays. As there are many divers staying at the
Presidente, at seven the room service carts (which I came to think of
as the "wake up carts" because they make roughly as much noise as New
York City Sanitation trucks) begin making their rounds. Then children
and staff join in. <Ahem> A bit of doggerel ;)
"At six o'clock the grackles cry,
at seven the wake-up cart goes by,
by eight the children go to play,
at nine the gardeners start their day."
We broke fast at the Caribeno, as we did most days. We frequently had
lunch here as well. The food was consistently very good, and the
service prompt and courteous. The breakfast buffet was comprehensive -
fruits, juices, eggs and omelets cooked to order, ham, various hot
meat dishes, sausages, bacon, fried plantains, yoghurt, cereal, and
sweet rolls. At N$98 it was a bit steep for Cozumel, but well worth
it by US standards. The chef's daily special, consisting of soup, a
hot entree and desert, was always a wise selection.
On Tuesday, I had tried to call Dave Dillehay at Aldora to arrange
our Wednesday dives. Dave wasn't at home but I left a message that we
had arrived. Dave wasn't able to get back with me on Tuesday, so we
missed our first day of diving. He and Aldora's Senior Dive
Instructor, Memo, came to the hotel on Wednesday and we discussed our
dive plan and Aldora's diving philosophy.
I explained that both Heather and I were beginners and that I wanted
a good introductory dive for Heather. Although I have had the chance
to go on several diving trips during the past year, due to school and
social commitments, Heather hasn't dove since her open water
certification dives. I particularly wanted her to see the beauty of
the Cozumel reefs and have a chance to develop a love for diving.
Dave arranged for Tiana, a dive master and marine biology major at UC
Monterey, to buddy with Heather, and we were set for our first dives
on Thursday.
Since we had missed our dives today, we decided to at least get in
some snorkeling time. The beach in front of the hotel is primarily
man-made. The natural shore is eroded limestone, called ironshore,
which is quite rough. The major hotels have brought in sand to fill
in and create sand beaches for sunbathing with either piers and
ladders or cuts in the ironshore, natural or man-made, for walk-in
entry. The white sand beach before the Presidente was beautiful,
dotted with palm-thatch umbrella tables and palm trees. The grounds
are impeccably landscaped.
There is a pier and shore entry directly behind the lobby of the
Presidente. As the boat traffic can be heavy and dangerous, safety
areas have been marked by buoys north and south of the pier for
snorkelers. To the north is a sand and coral area at which can be
found most of the sand and reef fish indigenous to this area. To the
south, there is a sunken barge in 30-40' which is the home to schools
of grunts and small reef fish. This is the only place I saw a
Midnight Parrot Fish, a striking cobalt color.
Based on recommendations from the Scuba Forum and the concierge at
the hotel we chose La Choza for dinner. La Choza is just Southeast of
the town square. It is a family owned and operated open air
restaurant without pretension, but the food was excellent. We had the
shrimp en papilot, the fish en papilot, grilled mahi-mahi, and
chicken fajita, each served with mashed potatoes and rice with sweet
corn. All of the food was excellent and the price was embarrassingly
low. On my scale I give it 8/5/8.
THURSDAY. A down-pour struck and abated just as the Aldora docked at
8:15 at the Presidente . Heather and I joined Daniel, the Divemaster,
Tiana, Glen, Jim, Dan and Beth for a fast run to the Horseshoe at
Palancar Reef. Aldora has two fast boats and uses only top-of-the-
line equipment. All divers use computers and steel tanks. The BC's
and regulators are state of the art.
As we slipped into skins on the run out, Daniel explained the use of
the dive computers to Heather and me. On arrival at Palancar we
wasted no time donning gear and backrolling into a magical underwater
environment.
This was a drift dive along a wall. Huge coral buttresses were
separated by white sand channels, marked with the trails of conch and
hermit crabs. The coral looked to be healthy and in great condition,
though there were few fish in the area. Daniel had set a hard floor
for Heather of 70 feet. Both Tiana and I had to nudge her a few times
as she tried to stretch that to follow us at 80 - her depth gauge
pegged at 83. I am often heavy on air, especially the first time out
for a while, so Daniel shared his air with me on the safety stop to
extend the dive. I have never seen or heard of anyone who so
precisely coordinated the air supply of a group to maximize bottom
time as Daniel did.
After the first dive we anchored off Playa del Sol, a beach on the
South West coast which has been developed as a day resort. Playa del
Sol has a nice open air restaurant, a small zoo (alligators, parrots,
rabbits, etc.) and craft shops. Busloads of tourists spend the day.
This was a nice two hours stop, during which we could buy lunch or a
snack and spend some time chatting with our divemates.
Our second dive was at Santa Rosa Wall - a first dive for most of the
Cozumel operators. This is another wall dive with spectacular plate
corals and sponges. Santa Rosa also has a number of caverns and
grottos carved into the coral face.
At one swim through Daniel led, followed by a second diver, then
Heather, then me. The second diver silted the water badly, reducing
the visibility to 0. Heather tried to close up in order to follow his
fins and had the regulator kicked from her mouth. After recovering
it, she took a wrong branch in the cavern. I followed her into total
darkness. I recall thinking that even if this were only momentary, we
should not be going into total darkness in an overhead environment
without proper training and equipment. (By strict rules, the swim-
throughs are cavern environs and shouldn't be entered without lights,
lines and training, though this is common in Cozumel. Where we were
was a cave environment.) When Heather stopped, I found her fin and
pulled on it to indicate we should back out.
After a few moments, I saw a faint glow and moved toward it. It
turned out to be a false exit, but it brought me to a position to see
a larger opening. By now, the current had cleared the water and I saw
the exit with divers beyond - but the diver behind me when I came out
wasn't Heather. Thinking she might have found another exit, I swam
over the coral head to look for her on the other side, but she wasn't
there. By now, all divers but Heather were out and gathered below. I
saw bubbles coming up through the coral and signaled to Daniel that
Heather was still inside. As I returned to the exit, Heather finally
came out. I wasn't checking my watch, but it seemed like several
minutes (and many lifetimes) while Heather was lost inside the
cavern. Several days later, when she could speak of it, Heather told
us that she had found a sunlit chamber full of fish. The three open
passages which admitted light were too small to provide exit. She had
to feel her way back into the darkness to eventually find the exit.
As I swam toward her, I realized how shaken she was as she tried to
clear her mask and simultaneously adjust her buoyancy. She overfilled
her BC and took the elevator to the surface. I followed in a
controlled emergency ascent. Talking to Heather on the surface, she
seemed controlled, focused and uninjured.
Diving on tables, this would have been the end of the dive, but
Heather appeared to be uninjured and in control, we were using
Aldora's dive computers and I could not locate the dive boat. I
decided that recompressing, completing the remaining twenty minutes
of the dive and taking the five minute safety stop was the best
course (I would appreciate constructive criticism on this). We swam
down and rejoined Daniel and Tiana to complete the dive.
Once again I shared Daniel's air to extend our bottom time. At the
end of Santa Rosa Reef is a sand bar. Daniel removed his fins and
"moonwalked" along with the current. Back on my own tank now, we all
removed our fins and followed Daniel's lead walking and somersaulting
in the current.
When we were back on the boat, I told Heather how brave I thought she
had been and that many more experienced divers would have panicked if
they had found themselves lost in a dark cave. She replied, "But I
DID panic!" I am still not sure that I really conveyed the difference
between panic which freezes the mind and can quickly kill, and the
ability to successfully extract oneself from danger while scared to
death. The latter has always been my definition of courage.
Lunch was the chef's plate at the Caribeno, vegetable soup, grouper
filet and a superb flan. Mary and I spent the afternoon reading on
the beach and Lea and Heather tanned at the pool.
FRIDAY. We decided to take a day off from diving. Heather had been a
bit bruised and scraped in exiting the coral cave, and both of us
needed some mental and emotional recovery time. Heather later
confided that she really didn't want to dive with Aldora again. My
own recollection is that fourteen year olds often think they are
smarter than their parents. Sometimes they are.
Scuba Du is the dive operation at the Presidente. Dumb name, but when
I saw Papa Hogg's boat, the Blown Mind III, I decided Scuba Du wasn't
so bad. I reserved two seats for the Saturday 2 tank dive.
We took a cab into San Miguel for sightseeing and shopping. On the
drive to town we were briefly stopped at the scene of an accident. As
we passed the ambulance, a wrecker was loading a rented moped. This
marked the last time either of the girls said, "Why can't we rent a
moped? They're perfectly safe!"
First stop was Las Palmeras for lunch. Las Palmeras is an open air
restaurant beautifully situated on the main square. It has a pleasant
atmosphere, though having a table directly on the street will bring
numerous offers for tableside guitar serenades. The batter fried
shrimp and the fruit plate were both excellent. 6/7/6.
Hammocks are very popular tourist items in San Miguel. Colorful nylon
hammocks are available for US$20-40. I want to make a plug for
Manuel. Manuel sells handmade hammocks from his home at the corner of
Avenida 5 and Calle 4 Norte for US$30-35. It takes him ten days to
make each hammock, and he proudly shows you pictures of himself in
all stages of the weaving. I would have paid the price of the hammock
just to talk with Manuel and see the pride he takes in his craft.
I also found an onyx chess set (I'm a sucker for chess sets) for
US$25. I'm sure I could have haggled that price down, but I didn't
have the heart. I would have paid twice that and thought it a
bargain. The girls found several silver rings and chains at excellent
prices (these we haggled over). The price of clothing is amazingly
low. I had wanted a guyabera, a semi-formal shirt often worn in Latin
countries. I found one for N$20, roughly US$3.
Dinner was at Pasta Prima. The entry is through the kitchen and
doesn't look promising, but the dining area is on the roof, half of
which is covered. Two parrots, one named Hector, entertain the crowd.
It's a fun place, not pretentious and paper napkin. The food was
excellent. This would be my number one recommendation for dinner. We
tried the Pasta Primavera, a Lobster, shrimp and scallop fettucini
alfredo, and the lasagna. All superb. 9/6/8.
SATURDAY I had arranged for a two tank dive with Scuba Du. Heather
wanted to take another day off. The rental equipment was in good
condition and serviceable, US Divers and Dacor. The Scuba Du I was a
slow boat, but carried eight divers with room for more. Sergio, our
dive master, gave a comprehensive safety briefing, then it was a
giant stride onto the Palancar Gardens.
After diving Palancar, we moved to Yocab reef. During the surface
interval Scuba Du passed around a fruit plate and soft drinks. The
second dive was on Yocab Reef, a 55' reef. The shallower dives seem
to hold the most fish life. We saw numerous lobster, squirrel fish,
groupers, parrot fish and the highlight of the dive, a large green
moray extended out of its den.
In the afternoon the girls rented wave runners. Rentals were US$75
per hour, $39 for 1/2 hour. This was the first time our girls had
piloted wave runners. We watched as they gained more and more
confidence, until Heather attempted a high speed turn across the wake
of a passing boat. My shore based observation indicates that
Heather's turn radius is roughly four feet greater than that of a
wave runner at full speed. After that we could watch no more.
Growing up with Heather has brought me much closer to God.
Dinner was at the Hard Rock Cafe. I have to admit that I don't like
Hard Rock Cafe's. I find the music neither classic rock and roll nor
the best contemporary. The primary source of entertainment seemed to
be the waitstaff making loud noises, then joining in laughter and
applause at their own cleverness. Nevertheless, the girls thought
their cheeseburgers and fries quite good, Mary like her tortilla
soup, and the catch of the day, pan fried grouper, was inedible. I
would have described it as blackened without the use of herbs or
spices. 5/2/5.
SUNDAY Heather and I did a one-tank afternoon dive on Paraiso Reef
South. This is just a giant stride north of the hotel, and was
exactly the type of dive I was hoping for Heather. Shallow, 40', and
loads of fish. Divemasters Jose and Anna pointed out numerous
animals, including a heart urchin which Jose carefully excavated from
the sand.
Dinner was at Pepe's Grill. This is a cloth napkin place with
maitre'd and a salad bar. The downstairs seating area was noisy. The
upstairs has a better view over the harbor. A very nice atmosphere. I
was going to note that the Hard Rock Cafe served the worst margaritas
in town, but I was wrong about that. While Hard Rock's margarita had
none of the complexity usually associated with Tequila and Triple
Sec, it was a nice lemonade. Pepe's wasn't even that good. Still, the
filets and prime rib were large and tasty. 7/9/5. There is a festival
on the square each Sunday. The band was quite good, the crowds
friendly and the weather pleasant. All in all, a very nice way to
spend an evening.
MONDAY Three dives today. Palancar Caves was the most impressive
coral formations I have ever seen, huge, majestic, totally awesome.
We then dove Yocab Reef again. Heather joined me for a shallow dive
at Chakanaab. This was the first time I had seen a hogfish. A three
footer came swimming toward us from the sands chewing dramatically.
When he reached the coral, he spit out a handful of shell fragments.
Some clams are just unlucky.
We avoided town this night as we were told that San Miguel was packed
with tourists from three cruise ships which were in port.
TUESDAY Once again we dove with Scuba Du. Humberto's safety briefings
have begun to take on a surreal quality. They are slightly less
comprehensive than was my basic scuba course. Today after he had
finished and we began suiting up, a disembodied voice asked "Are we
to breathe through these little tubes?" It may have been the rains,
but it seemed quite witty at the time. We did Colombia Reef as our
first dive, then Colombia Shallows. The Reef was much like Palancar,
but at the Shallows we found a 6' Nurse Shark sleeping under a coral
ledge.
Dinner was at El Moro. Now this was something different. It is not in
the town center, it is somewhere in a working class neighborhood that
you cannot locate, but the taxis can. I had suggested it, sight
unseen, to my dive buddy. We met Tom and his wife Barbara at the
restaurant, and he confided (as he bought me a tequila) that his
first reaction had been, "I'm going to kill Kelly tomorrow". El Moro
is a typical working class Mexican cantina, though it gets more than
the usual share of Yanquis. We had the chicken Yucatan, marinated
conch, chicken fajitas and enchiladas. The chicken and conch were
wonderful, but the girls didn't like the fajitas or enchiladas. Tom
and Barbara dubbed the sauteed grouper the best meal they had had on
Cozumel. El Moro also had the best margaritas. Viva, El Moro!
WEDNESDAY Our last day on the Island. At noon we caught the
Continental flight back to Houston. The host philosophy has really
taken hold of Cozumel. From the waitstaff and clerks at the hotel to
the counter personnel at the airport, all wished us a pleasant trip
and an early return. We will indeed.
Via con Dios,
By the way, for the serious eaters in the crowd... (admittedly I am an adventurous diner with a preference for local foods without pretentiousness but I appreciate places that do a good job of what they attempt to offer whether from truckstops to silver palate) .....I must admit it seems Momma's must have backslid since its heyday. I do feel a visit is obligatory & worth the trip but the food was not as well prepared & the service inconsistent. Possibly it was just off-season. After numerous suggestions to try the Tropicana especially for their Friday-Saturday barbecue buffet, I decided to go and was HUGELY disappointed. Hated to waste a meal at such a spot. I don't mean to be nasty or elitist but this is a decidedly poor to mediocre restaurant. The buffet ribs, chicken, fish & pork were all in lifeless, tasteless, cornstarch thickened sauces. The salads green, macaroni & potato were equally poor. So I decided to try to order from the menu: a schizophrenic mixture of American offerings, island dishes and Chinese!! egg foo young, General Tso Chicken, Hamburger. I opted for a local fish with coconut, garlic & lime but there was no redemption to be had. This place is best if you are an apprehensive diner and prefer very familiar foods prepared even if they are prepared without distinction. But then you could go to Joe's Steakhouse and do much better. However, there were some very satisfying meals at both more formal restaurants and at extremely casual spots. Canbouley was an expensive meal but had about the most creative & inventive offerings on the island, along with a stunning view of St. Georges. The Aquarium (near the airport) was a great spot for seafood. Coconuts was a bit tricky to get to by road (15 min. north of Rennaissance by foot along the beach). I had a very good curried lambie (conch) & pasta with lobster. La Belle Creole had a steady consistent menu of mainly island dishes well prepared. They generally offered a changing choice of 3 entrees per meal. Also well worth a couple of visits was Dr. Groom's (also near airport) and the Nutmeg (in St. George 2nd floor overlooking Carenage). The specials were usually worth sampling. I understand Cicelys & the Red Crab are good dining but I did not have the opportunity. More down-scale, I quickly became a regular for lunch at Deyna's & another small shop a few doors down (the Sugar Bowl?). These are strictly local spots along the ocean road through the tunnel north of town & just before the fish market. Great fish cakes, roti, vegetable patties, smoke cod which I had them make into a sandwich. Most choices were under EC$10-12. The foil wrapper full of fried jacks were only EC$2!! Lastly & not the bit least, was a woman (Suzanne or Sharon?) who used to cook at a big hotel and who now sets up a small table around noon under the tree near SanVic's Dive Shop at the Rennaissance and makes GREAT soups and sandwiches for dirt cheap.
Trip to Montego Bay We took a Funjet charter from Houston Intercontinental to Sangster, Montego Bay on Friday, June 28, 1995. These charters are offered from May until September and go out on Mondays and Fridays. We went to the long-term parking and got right on the bus. We got there just under 1.5 hours before our flight. This was plenty of time. We checked our bags and were asked for proof of citizenship. We were told that driver's license and voter's registration wouldn't work, but I used them in Jamaica, just to see. They were fine. Anyway, we had birth certificates, marriage license, and affidavits of citizenship. The flight boarded and departed on time (8 a.m.) Funjet uses Sun Country. While the direct flight is great, don't take it if you are phobic about crowded seats. We were given a hot meal of eggs, sausage, and Danish. The flight arrived in Montego Bay at 11:15, late because of wind. Customs was non-eventful. As usual, always went to the far left. You must get in the line with the green sign which reads, "Nothing to Declare". Sandals took good care of us. They stuck Sandals tags on our bags. The (tipped) baggage guy got our stuff on the bus. We got to a bus within 5 minutes after customs. . The bus was air conditioned, and the driver made the ride in less than 5 minutes with earth-shattering speed. After arrival, we were taken, along with another couple arriving from Houston, to the suite concierge center and given champagne. It was noon, and rooms weren't ready. Those with non-suite accommodations got a champagne check-in in the lobby. No petit fours in the basket^Wjust cookies. We spent 45 minutes bombarding Omar, the concierge, with questions about dinner reservations, etc. , and talking while sipping champagne. Omar was a very nice guy and nearly 19 years old. He spent the week going around to various activities, pools, and beaches to make sure the suite guests were having a good time and didn't need anything. We were given a small booklet about Royal, a map of Jamaican, and 3 postcards. We were asked about a room choice. We were not upgraded but could probably have been had we gone to the second floor. The Room We were in room 123 in the Kensington Block. Last time, we were in 216 of the Kensington Block. Room 123 is on the east end, just steps from the ocean to the right and the pool and jacuzzi on the left. We would choose this room again. This room was a Grande Luxe Honeymoon Beachfront. It looks very much like the brochure. There is a sitting area with two chairs and a table with a coffee maker and coffee and tea. The coffee is Jamaican High Mountain, not Blue Mountain. Tea was Earl Grey. The bed is 4 -poster and very high up with a night stand on one side and a desk on the other. There was a radio/alarm. There is a full-length mirror, a refrigerator, which was stocked with white and red wine, pineapple juice, Red Stripe, and chilled glasses. On top, there was individual bottles of club soda, tonic water, Diet Pepsi, Regular Pepsi, 7-up, bottles of local rum and gin, and American vodka and scotch. The fridge was stocked daily, and items varied. They brought ginger ale, orange juice, and champagne, at times. Of course, we did not drink all of this stuff. The idea was to have a choice. Once we met Lancelot, the bar concierge, we told him when needing anything. We referred to him (among ourselves) as Lancelittle. He generally came between 2 and 3 p.m. We hoped he would see that we liked Diet Pepsi and Club soda a lot and stock up on those, but we had to ask for what we wanted sometimes or find the guy's cart when no one was around. There was a dresser with vanity and TV with satellite. The a/c and tv had remote controls. There was a ceiling fan. The bathroom was small but adequate. The amenity kit was like other Sandals amenity kits and not upgraded, as stated in the brochure. Includes shampoo, conditioner, aloe vera gel, hand lotion, and liquid soap. The plug-in in the bathroom did not work, so Todd had to shave without a mirror. Outside the bathroom was another vanity and bench where glasses and straws were kept but not replenished and a hair dryer hung on the wall. The room had room on shelves for us to put Todd's golf bag and our empty suitcases out of the way. There were quite a few hangers, but bring your own if you want everything hung up The safe was in this area. The bed was turned down at night. Tea and coffee was restocked, but not coffee cups. Never replaced our beach towels, no matter how wet. Had to go after towels at the watersports shack. Quite a hike. Glasses not stocked in room. There were usually cups by the pool, so we could get them from there. Suite Concierge Benefits and Rooms At Royal, the Grande Luxe Honeymoon Beachfront and Royal suite rooms are in the suite concierge category. The accommodations are at the secluded end of the property, so it you want to be in the main action and have oceanfront accommodations, book grand luxe beachfront. Will not get the concierge program in that category. With concierge service, you get Sandals terry cloth robes to wear, daily New York Times faxes under your door, stocked bar, use of the concierge, VIP party, invitation to escorted shopping, and the nicest rooms. We will always book this category in the future. Power kept on by generators during 6 hour outage. The Property There are 190 rooms for couples only in 6 categories in various locations of the property. The staff to guest ratio is nearly one to one. The front entrance is very elegant whether you face the Georgian Great House or turn around and face the gates. Rooms located near the south pool and jacuzzi are in the Arundel and Caernarvon Block. These are also near the lobby, tennis courts, and basketball courts. Will be near daytime activity but probably peaceful at night. Rooms in the Windsor Block are on the beach very near the watersports and volleyball. This can be a center of activity day and night, but the view is right, and all amenities are convenient. Rooms in the St. James, Clarence, Buckingham, and Glamis Blocks are all located in the gardens. Patios open out onto the main paths. Depending on location, these can be quiet or bothered by the noise of the main pool and swim- up bar, which can often be noisy. The Edinburg Block is very near the Health Club and near the back of the property. Rooms appear to be like cottages with umbrella-adorned patio table and chairs. The Sandringham Block is located directly on the beach near the beach jacuzzi and beach bar with a good view of the private island and sunset. Although this could be noisy now and then, I would choose this location if not staying in a suite. Rooms at the back of the Balmoral Block are Royal Suite rooms which open out onto small sections of the beach separated by piers which house gazebos or tables. This is a nice location if you want to lay on the beach a lot. It is a short walk to the east end pool and Jacuzzi and the main beach Jacuzzi and bar. Kensington Block is at the east end of the property. All rooms face the pool, Jacuzzi, and beach. Grande Luxe Honeymoon Beachfront Rooms at the side of the Balmoral Block face the pool, Jacuzzi, and have side view of ocean. There is also a Jacuzzi and swim-up bar on the island and a few paddle boats over there. Gardens have giant chess game, hammocks, croquet, and many local plants and trees with names identifying them. You may see an occasional peacock. Staff Everyone we met was very friendly. Staff we passed spoke. In restaurants, were courteous. If running behind, came to say it would be a few minutes. Always asking if it was our first visit. After discovering we were returnees, they always wanted to hear our story. Staff was as nice as you could hope, and that made a true difference. Sandals is doing a good job with this one. One day, Omar, the concierge, ate lunch with us. Another day, Marcia, the playmaker ate with us. She was quite animated. Most of the playmakers look in their early 20s. In fact, it seemed that most were 18-20. They have quite a job. Eat, drink, and play with the guests. Theresa, the assistant manager, is quite a lovely person, as is Robert, the head of public relations. The general manager was off the island until July 4. Once you meet staff a time or two, they will remember your likes and, sometimes, facts about you, such as your room number or where you are from. Sandals is clearly working on the service and personal touches to make it high quality, and it shows. The staff made a lasting impression. Other playmakers of note were Layton, the "no problem, no pressure" man and Roberto. Service Housekeeping came anytime between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Restocking the bar in the room was between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Each day, they only replaced one coffee cup and no glasses, so we were always looking for glasses. The beds were always turned down in the evening with a hard mint on the pillow. We never ran out of towels in the room since the maid came at least twice a day but had to replace our own beach towels. At breakfast, water was always brought. Some days, we were offered coffee or tea. Juices were served by a staff member. He got upset when people got their own. At all meals, you were seated. At buffets, the waiter carried your plate to the table and placed napkin in your lap. Bar staff was quick at Royal. We didn't find that to be true at MoBay but were there during the fashion show when over a hundred people were around. If you needed something, you were told it was coming, rather than given a solution right away. Never was service at a meal impeccable at either Royal or MoBay. The best service we had at dinner was at Oleander at MoBay. At Regency, it was slow getting started. Service was very good at the returnee dinner and all VIP-type events. Breakfast Regency Buffet There were waffles, pastries, toast, bagels, roasted potatoes (very good), scrambled eggs, grilled patties (sausage), and fruit everyday. Always watermelon. Sometimes mango, other times papaya. Often grapes, plums, nectarines, pineapple, etc. Available one day or another were unique choices such as leeches and star fruit. A nice selection. Five or more juices with a server. Omelets and eggs to order. Stay and watch it if you want it just so. There were cheeses and a few meats. Lots of pastries. Always cereal and dried fruit. Sometimes, there were pancakes. They had hot chocolate. They had ackee, too. We usually had things like fruit, potatoes, eggs, bacon, toast American type stuff. There are a variety of juices. Room Service Breakfast On Sunday night, I placed the room service tag out for the continental breakfast the next day. We selected 7:300- 8:00, the earliest choice. It arrived just after 8. I was already gone to aerobics. Todd was there getting ready for golf. He drank the juices. There was a nice plate of fruit and a basket of pastries. After aerobics, I went to the buffet. A waiter gave me some flatware so I could go back to the room I nibbled on both meals. Courtyard Grill Upon checking out, we discovered that menu service is available. Items include items such as egg white omelet, eggs to order, hash browns, fruit, cereal, yogurt, etc. There are NY Times faxes for reading. This breakfast option is a highly-guarded secret. It is mentioned in the OFFICIAL PASSPORT booklet given out during check-in. Service is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Continental Breakfast Available roughly between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the area where afternoon tea is served. Lunch Most days, lunch is available at the Courtyard between 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. It is always available during these hours in the Regency Suite, and the beach grill is open between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. or close to it. Friday, we went to the Courtyard. They have a set a la carte menu. I had shrimp Caesar salad. Todd had pasta. We were offered something from the bar and had white wine. Salad bar included about 10 items. Soup was a tasty seafood chowder which was more like a bisque. Bread was available. Caesar salad was delicious and had 6 large grilled shrimp. Dessert was available, but we did not have any. Instead, we went to the buffet and had mango, etc. Buffet had grilled fish and a pasta with light red sauce, so we tried that. Other dishes on the buffet were things like chicken burritos. In the afternoon, Todd had a cheeseburger and fries. Saturday, we went back to the Courtyard. Both ordered the shrimp Caesar salad. Asked for wine, were told no, I'm taking your order for the meal. Had water to drink. Were offered hot tea. Todd had a cheeseburger and fries at the grill. I tried the pizza. I thought it was interesting. Todd didn't like it. Sunday, we ate roast beef sandwiches, fruit, and a few other items from the buffet. For drinks at the buffet, you stand in line before you wait for a seat. They offer Diet Pepsi, Pepsi, 7 Up, tea, rum punch, and white and red wine. Probably some others. You order what you like and bring it along to your table. The waiter carries your plate and seats you. It you try to seat yourself, they always direct you somewhere else before you ever make it to the table. Monday, we went to the buffet. It was not one of their better days. By then, we were stuffed from many other meals. I had two slices of pastrami on a homemade piece of bread. There was an Italian theme that day. They had ravioli in cream sauce, fried mozzarella (popular with Todd). Salad bar had fake crab. All other items on the salad bar and dessert bar were similar to other days. I ate mostly fruit. Tuesday^WRegency Buffet. Todd had grilled pork chops and various other items. I had lo mein and a beef stir fry dish, along with salad. Omar, the concierge, dined with us. We had a nice conversation. Todd also went to the grill for cheeseburger and fries. Wednesday^Wwe tried to dine at the Courtyard, but the power was off, so they did not cook. We had to eat at Regency. The grill was closed, also due to power outage. Marcia, the playmaker, dined with us. Thursday^Wwe rushed to take the 11:20 shuttle to Sandals Montego Bay after returning from snorkeling. We went to the beach grill. There were about 20 people around waiting for "service". If you didn't want a cheeseburger and fries, you were in trouble. At noon, we went to the wedding of Les (the Prez) Levinowitz and Lorri. It started on Jamaica time. The service was in the same gazebo where we were married in 1993. Flower arrangements were everywhere and slightly hampered by the wind. After the ceremony, we met the bride and groom, both friendly, fun-loving people. We stayed for champagne. The wedding was attended by several guests and quite a few staff members, for a total of around 30 people. After the wedding, we ate at Pennicott. The buffet included items such as fried chicken and carved roast beef. Iced tea with lime was available. There were July 4th contests. We rushed to make the 2 p.m. bus back to Royal and said goodbye to the couple, who was busy making rounds for photos. Dinners Regency^Wmenu changed every night and was International. This is the main dining room. Smoking preference available at dinner, and you can dine inside or next to the water. Outside is always my preference. You can see several types of fish in the water, but there are mosquitoes. This restaurant has improved since three years ago. Service-wise, it always took 15-20 minutes for someone to take our order, but we usually had bread and wine after 10-15 minutes. A wine steward always brought choices in a basket. Once food started arriving, courses were back-to-back. Friday is normally lobster night, when in season. Not season April 1-June 30. Shrimp with squash was substituted. I generally ordered the seafood dish everywhere. Other dishes were beef, pork, chicken, served in courses. There were usually 3 appetizers, 1 salad, 2 soups, 4-5 entrees, and dessert on request. No reservations needed. Dinner 6:30-9:30. Pavilion^Wset menu with Jamaican cuisine. Three appetizer choices, soup is pumpkin, salad course, dinner is choice of Jerk chicken, Jerk pork, or shrimp middle quarters. Dessert is available. This is the white-glove restaurant. We didn't go there because there is a lot of these same items elsewhere, and we, unlike some, do not come to Jamaica for the local cuisine. This is a candlelight meal. Wines are on display. Closed on Monday. No reservation needed. They start serving around 6 p.m. Bali Hi^Wwe went on Thursday, our last night. At 5:45 or 7:45, guests with reservations line up at the pier by the watersports area to be boated over to the island. You will be left if late. Men and women are separated into two lines, and a sash is tied about the clothing for good luck. Of course, a photo is taken of each couple. Indonesian meal with around 16 courses. Seating was in groups, usually 6 people. A welcome drink is served, and wine during the meal, with jasmine tea served near the end. The meal is brought out in groups of 3-4 dishes at a time. Guests pass these around the table and use a sterno-type stove to keep things warm. The dishes I remember include spring roll, pickled greens, green beans, greens with tofu, curry fish, garlic shrimp, pork kabobs, beef slices, ginger chicken, crispy potatoes, prawn chips, and rice. A gong is sounded at the beginning of the meal. For dessert, ice cream with pineapple topping was served. The menu may vary, but it was the same during our entire stay. Once dark we had a beautiful lit view of Royal across the water and the beach. Courtyard^Wnever made it to dinner, only lunch. Set menu of about 5-6 grilled entrees and 2-3 choices for other courses. Open most days for lunch from 12:30-2:00 and serves a nice a la carte lunch. Breakfast from 9-11. Sandals Montego Bay Dinners Pennicott^Wate there just after Oleander on Sunday. Soup^Wvegetable bisque. Nice salad. Rib eye steak. Prime Rib, not that good. Too many mosquitoes. There was quite a line for seating. Tokyo Joe's^Wwe visited on Tuesday. We thoroughly enjoyed this. It has changed since our experience 3 years ago. Back then, guests cooked their own poo poo platter-style appetizers on a habachi. This time, we were asked to get appetizers under the Tokyo Joe's sign. We were served one each of a little crispy turnover, lumpia wrapper spring roll, and shrimp with the same batter. I asked for two of the spring rolls. Each appetizer was the size of a thumb and very good. Next, we were brought miso soup. Next, we lined up for the salad bar. Some items included lettuce, onions, grilled onions, beets, almonds, sesame seeds, alfalfa sprouts, cucumbers, and carrots. One dressing, the type served at places such as Bennihana and Mikayo, was served. The salad was so good, I went back while my main course was being cooked.. The main course was Mongolian barbecue. About a dozen or more vegetables and noodles were available. Chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, and fish were available. All of this was piled on a plate anyway you desired. Next, the cooks grilled in woks 4 at a time using a variety of sauces at their discretion. I asked for mine spicy and got two sauces not generally put on. Rice and a Chinese pancake were placed on the plate along with the cooked food. Orders for bar drinks were taken at the beginning of the meal. Later, hot tea was served. Ice cream was served. Fortune cookies were available at the end. This was one of the very best meals during our stay. Mosquitoes abounded. Off was available. I wish we had used it! Guests without reservations were allowed to wait for a seat. People were seated in groups of approximately 10, and no one new was seated at that table until all in the group had departed. Oleander^WJamaican cuisine, ate there on Sunday. Wider selection than Pavilion. I had shrimp middle quarters. Todd had grouper. His appetizer was something bammy that the waiter recommended. I had a curry chicken appetizer We were given a wine list here. White glove service. We had pumpkin soup. Next, we went to Pennicott Returnee Dinner at Royal^Wheld on Wednesday. Returnees received an invitation. Early in the day, we received T-shirts and a bottle of Tia Maria coffee liqueur. The returnee private cocktail party was at 6:30 p.m. at the Kensington terrace. Guests were asked to sign in and were given instant sandals. An open bar was available with a wide selection, including champagne, and Theresa, the assistant manager greeted everyone and introduced a few more managers. Robert, the head of public relations, gave everyone their sandals. At 7 p.m. we went as a group to the Regency suite for the dinner. We sat next to Theresa and a couple on their sixth visit. The menu was lying on the table, and Theresa indicated that we could order off the regular menu which had items such as escargot that night. Everyone (over 20 people) had the returnee dinner. Dinner was 5 course. I noted that the regular menu looked better than the returnee dinner that night. Watersports Kayaks, paddle boats, aqua trikes, hobie cats, and sunfish were available. Water skiing was available beginning at 9 a.m. Glass-bottom boat tours went out every day. See activities section for information on scuba and snorkeling. Theme nights Island/Pirate Night^WFriday night The island barbecue takes place on Kokomo Island, the resort's offshore island. Guests are asked to gather at the dock around 6:15. Many do not dress up at all, but several women wore beach wraps. Guys who dressed up used makeup to create scars, T-shirts for head dressings, and shower curtain hooks for earrings. One of the playmakers told raunchy jokes as we waited for the bus. After arriving on the island, everyone went to the bar for something. Next, couples stood in line for the ever- present photographer. Seating was on picnic tables. A few reggae group dances got everyone involved. The barbecue was at 7. After viewing it, we decided to eat very little and head back on the first boat and go to Regency. Normally, Friday nights are lobster night, so keep this in mind. There is a ban on lobster due to spawning from April 1 through June 30, although we had lobster at Sandals in April 3 years ago. Anyway, if lobster is important (it is to me), keep this in mind. The island barbecue is not the best food or time, in my view, but it depends on what you are looking for in your fun. This was highly visited by the 20-somethings. They had thin steak, jerk chicken, grilled fish, and other items. The first boat back was around 8, at our request. Casino Night Held on Saturday. After dancing with the band at 7:30, the casino games began in the Warp Zone disco at 8:30. This is a charity event, so it cost money. For $10 U.S. or $38 Jamaican, you get $1000 in funny money chips (10 chips). We spent $20. They had black jack and horse racing (controlled by dice rolling to advance the horses). The games were run by playmakers. We got 20 points toward our sandals for playing. Some of the dealers were scammed a bit by a few, so only a handful had enough money for the high-stake amounts the prizes went for. We gather that normally you can get a prize if you have $4-6 thousand. However, everything went for $50-100 thousand. They auctioned Jamaican souvenirs and Sandals merchandise. They grouped prizes, so only a few people got anything. It was fun, though. Formal Night Held on Sunday. People wore anything from regular slacks and dresses to formal evening wear. No shorts. After the evening entertainment, slow dancing was held in the disco at 11 p.m. We were off at Sandals Montego Bay that night. No one was formal over there, but a fashion show was held and attended by over 100 people. Beach Party^WHeld on Monday night. Buffet is similar to island night but quite a bit better. The buffet begins after the manager's cocktail party. The food was placed inside, due to the threat of rain. Dishes included several jerked meats, king fish, a dish of calamari, scallops, and shrimp, pasta, and many other dishes, as well as an array of desserts. The beach party included reggae dance lessons, which we participated in, and contests for prizes and points. A fire dancer put on a good show dancing with the fire, breathing the fire, and dropping it down his drawers. He went around and performed to groups of guests so everyone got a good view. Bingo--on Tuesday night, Bingo was held at 8:30. We had to take the shuttle from MoBay to Sandals Inn and then Royal to save enough minutes to get to the Bingo on time. Cards were sold for $5 each to benefit charity. We bought 4 cards and got a fifth free and 45 points toward sandals. Five games were played. I won the eight number bingo and got a large shell and a T-shirt. Oldies Night--entertainment was an Elvis impersonator and Karoake. The Elvis impersonator was escorted by some playmakers dressed as bodyguards. They frisked members of the audience who participated in the show. This show was highly entertaining. As all of the good shows on the property, this was standing room only. Luckily, we were early enough for a seat. Streets of Montego Bay & International Buffet^WHeld on Thursday night. This is definitely the best buffet of the week. They had all of the items mentioned in the beach party but many more. They had sushi, pasta cooking station, parmesan dishes, carved meats, steaks, ribs, shrimp, huge array of salads. Desserts which were much more elegant than any other night. We ate at Bali Hi, so we only viewed the buffet. It is important to know where the best food will be each night and book reservations accordingly. We were originally scheduled to be at this buffet, but we rescheduled Bali Hi in order to attend the returnee dinner. Dining at the international buffet guarantees a good seat for the evening's entertainment. Other things of note were that they were carving up coconuts and giving to guests with a straw for the milk, offering flavored ice, cutting up sugar can, passing out red stripe in a cart, and selling Jamaican crafts. Entertainment that night included a fashion show, a magician, and a singer named Jam Marley with a voice range as wide as Whitney. Her show was 1 hour and highly entertaining. She was very slim and appeared to really enjoy singing. She involved a couple of guests in her act, as did the magician. The magician did tricks and memory things. The fashion show was of swim wear and featured models from the Miss Jamaican pageant. Holidays Canada Day & July 4 were both celebrated and honored. Activities Lots of activities held daily and activity board near main pool showed the day's schedule. For watersports schedule, check the watersports hut. Aerobics Led by Robert, same as 3 years ago. Workouts held at 8 and 4 at fitness center and 10:30 in main pool. Canceled if only one person, but still awarded 5 points. See section on Fitness Center and Fit Shape. Golf^Wbus leaves every half hour for Ironshore, not always on time. You get a voucher from the tour desk. Pay $13 for a caddie for 18 holes, tip when you're done. Todd gave them $10 and sometimes bought them beer. If you show up at 8:00 or 8:30, you can be done by 12:30, walking the course. The course is practically outside the gates of the resort, near the newly built McDonald's. Todd went Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday. Scuba^Wshow up daily, except Sunday at 8:45 (no reservation needed) for class for resort course. Sign your life away and generally answer no to all of the questions. Swim test is 4 at a time. Six laps AROUND the main pool. There were twenty people to show up on Tuesday when we went. Many barely passed. We were absolutely last and saw many struggle. We , foolishly, ate breakfast and came right to the test. I felt panicky after two laps and dropped out. Todd quit after 3.5 because he didn't want to go without me. Instructor said we could come the next day, but we didn't come back. We were the only ones to fail and went straight to snorkeling and had a wonderful time. We heard that some on the resort dive were disappointed because there were so many people that it took a long time to get everyone down, and viewing time was as little as 10 minutes. Snorkeling^WBoat goes out 4 times per day It was at 10, 11, 2, and 3. It leaves on time, if not early. Tuesday^Wwent at 10 all forlorn about failing scuba test. Saw crabs the size of my computer screen., schools of beautiful blue fish, coral, etc. Showed up for our 3 p.m. snorkel on Wednesday on time. The boat had just left. Thursday^Wsaw two stingrays, manaray, schools of fish, many colors, blue coral, long fish with stripes and pointy nose. Wonderful experience. You were allowed to dive down. Were urged not to kick coral. Could use life jacket or not. Equipment was top- notch. Tours^Wtours can be arranged at a desk in the lobby. Possibilities include tours such as Rose Hall, Sunsplash, horseback riding on the beach, mountain rafting or rafting on the Marthae Brae, and Dunn's River Falls. The prices vary but average $80 per couple. Books and Board Games Both are available for loan from the playmakers. Points: Points are awarded for activities such as volleyball, aerobics, aquasize, contests and games, tennis, basketball, talent night (instant Sandals), Olympics, Casino night, buying bingo cards.. You can go to the playmakers and find out how many points you have at any time. Sixty points gets you Sandals. It was 50 points when we were there before. Check with playmakers. We earned 128 points. Although our room number was taken down at every event, they had down only 10 points for us an hour before our departure. I told Marcia what we had done, and the points added up to get us each another pair of sandals. Manager's Cocktail Party This was hosted by Theresa, the assistant manager, since the general manager was not on the island. It was held Monday at 6 p.m. Appetizers and an open bar was available. All the managers who were on the property, including watersports, interpreters, etc. were there. They greeted us in several languages. There was a lovely ice sculpture. This was held by the main pool and open to all guests. Most appetizers were something on a cracker. There was also fruit and cheese and bacon-wrapped bananas. Church The Reverend Gordon, who performs the non-denominational weddings at Royal (we were his 3100th, and he is now over 5200, averaging 2 per day) holds a non-denominational prayer service on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. in the Hampton Court convention center. The front desk or concierge can help find other services on the island. VIP Concierge Cocktail Party This was held on Tuesday afternoon on the Kensington terrace. All staying in the suites were invited. Champagne was flowing, along with rum punch. Appetizers included boiled shrimp and the same appetizers, fruit, and cracker items from the manager's party. The concierges were there, along with a couple of people from guest services. The entertainment trio performed. Returnee Benefits On Wednesday, we received very colorful Sandals Royal Jamaican returnee t shirts and a bottle of Tia Maria. At the dinner, I received a rose, and Todd received a souvenir bottle opener. Dancing The resort band plays for dancing around 8 p.m. every night. The band at MoBay also played at 8 when we were there, sometimes as early as 7:30 p.n., and we danced several dances on several occasions. The disco is supposed to open at 10 p.m., but they usually did not open until 11 unless it was to hold some other activity there, such as the casino night. On formal night, they had slow dancing in the Warp Zone disco. Photos A photographer takes your picture all over the property at various times. They are everywhere from restaurants to pools and jacuzzis. The pictures are available the next day for $7. No pressure to buy. You don't even have to go look at them. Scandals Gift Shop Lots of Jamaica and Sandals items. They had a great sale on the 4th of July and had cake and rum punch. Stamps for postcards were available for 30 cents U.S. Spirits, etc., are cheaper at the airport. Fish and Birds There are large fish and a turtle to feed and view just off the lobby. There were two parrots just down the path from there. We were able to get them to say, "hi" and "hello". There were birds at the main entrance of Sandals Montego Bay. Fitness Center and Fit Shape Program The fitness center is always open. There are free weights in various sizes. There are more machines and a new exercise floor added since our visit in 1993. There are four bikes, three treadmills, a Nordic Trak, two stair steppers, and four machines for various parts of the body. Classes for points included step and/or power walk at 8 a.m., aquasize at the main pool at 10:30 and stretch and tone at 4 p.m. if more than one person showed up. Fit shape food items were noted at the Courtyard Grill and at the Regency at lunch. Three years ago, those who went to 5 classes during the week got a Fit Shape T-shirt. This time, it was 5 points toward Sandals on every visit to a class. Jo Jo's Beauty Salon The beauty salon is adjacent to the Fitness Center at the back of the property. Massages were 30 min for $28, 45 minutes for $40 (in brochure but not mentioned), and 60 minutes for $55. Facial was $27 and lasted 45 minutes. Manicure was $12. Pedicure was $18. Eyebrow, arm, bikini, and leg waxing were available for $12- 18 each. Hair braiding was available at variable prices or you could see Nancy who yelled out to women from near the watersports hut. She charged $2 per braid but negotiated on full head down to $35 for 50 braids. I had a one hour massage, which was full-body and a facial. Both were wonderful. You can generally get an appointment on the same day you call. Slot Machines Noticed a couple in the Warp Zone disco and at Sandals Inn. I never saw them in use. There are also a few at the airport. They were unattended when we were there. Beach Bar and Grill The bar opens from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. The grill opens from around 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and again around 11 p.m. Alcoholic and Non-alcoholic drink specials are posted at the beach bar and main swim-up pool par (two menus are not the same). Errol provides comedy at the beach bar. One day, he balanced an empty wine jug on his head while he danced. Daily and nightly, he entertained guests. The grill served hamburgers. Cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, jerk chicken hot dogs, fries, pizzas, meat turnovers, muffins and pastries, and fruit. Popcorn was available at the bar. Service was prompt at all times. Afternoon Tea Tea and coffee were always available in the Jamaican tea room. Between 3 and 4 p.m., service included pastries served from a cart by a strolling waiter. Piano Bar The bar, itself, is open from sometime in the afternoon until as late as you want. There appeared to be no piano player any time during our stay. Other Sandals The shuttle runs every 1-2 hours to the other two Sandals. At MoBay, a schedule is posted. At Royal, you must ask. The shuttle had Sandals logos all over it. The trip between Royal and MoBay was about 3 minutes each time. The atmosphere at MoBay was much different. The property is large and more spread out than Royal. We enjoyed Tokyo Joe's, but found the service at the lobby bar, beach grill, and restaurants to be very slow and impersonal. We also hated the plane noise and dreaded cats. They still do a wonderful job of weddings. Reverend Gordon no longer does weddings over there because he doesn't want to council his couples 30 minutes before the ceremony Sandals Inn staff appeared to take interest in its guests. The beach was public and looked a bit skimpy and run down. I liked the layout of the pool, rooms, and Jacuzzi. I think this would be a nice property for the right type of guest. If you want to go to Sandals in Ocho Rios or Negril, transportation is available but not free. Beaches, the first Sandals resort to be targeted at the family market is now scheduled to open in January, 1997 in Negril. The Royal Bay in Turks and Caicos will turn into a Sandals ultra- inclusive sometime between fall of 1996 and spring of 1997. The Royal Bahamian opened on Cable Beach on June 7. The resort was formerly Le Meridian. Sandals has pumped a large chunk of cash into the resort. An extensive spa is available offering massage, facials, wraps, and other services a la carte. Management indicated that this would be the most upscale Sandals to date, and the price indicates that this will be the case. Minimum stay will be 2 nights. Departure and Return Home When checking out on Friday, July 5, we noted the sign that American Airlines frequent flyer points were available. After inquiring, we found that 1000 points per couple were available, and we put the points on Todd's account. We were handed a Sandals video. This is the same old video which does not include Turks and Caicos or Royal Bahamian. The new returnee system, the Ultra-Club is being handled by the Florida Sandals reps at Ultra Vacations. Instead of number of trips, they will be rewarding by number of nights. After 70 nights, 7 nights, land only, will be awarded free. Get an application at the front desk. You can mail it in. Omar arranged for us to go to the airport in a car, the resort's 1993 Toyota Crown. After breakfast, we got our bags outside the room and called the bell captain. No one had picked up our bags when time to leave, so Omar had to have them brought to the front. I got the pool bar guy to give me a glass of wine, though they were not open. The Funjet charter trip included the departure tax, so we only showed our tickets and proof of citizenship. We bought rum and wine and boarded the plane. The flight left at noon and got into Houston at 2:40. Customs was very backed up and took an hour. We arrived home at 4:30 p.m. and considered this one of our best trips ever. Comments The power blinked off and on several times a day. On Wednesday, it was off for about 5 and a half hours. They have generators which kick on immediately, so we were able to use light and razors, etc. However, the power was a bit weak. They opened only one restaurant for lunch, and the satellite went off. We got the idea from some other guests that not all rooms kept power. Meals at Sandals ranged from strange to excellent. A few were gourmet. In comparison to other all-inclusives we have visited in Jamaica, I would rate the food better than Breezes Runaway Bay, but only because of specialty restaurants. It is generally below the quality found at Couples and the Lidos. Staff is generally friendlier at Sandals than any of the other properties mentioned. Go with the right frame of mind and expectations and you will have an outstanding vacation. Email me at DebbieH103@aol.com or you can check my home page at http://members.aol.com/DebbieH103/private/travel/debbiewb.htm
My husband and I recently returned from our honeymoon, which was also our first trip to the Caribbean. We spent 8 nights at the Grand Lido SuperClub resort in Negril, Jamaica, and 11 nights at Long Bay Beach Resort in Tortola, Virgin Islands. I've divided this very long write-up into four sections: - Suggestions if you're going - Particularly good features or amenities of the resort - Features or amenities that were okay but not that special - Cautions, comments, and other considerations Disclaimer: This is all from memory and is, as I said, my impressions. Before I launch into details, here's a summary: Not perfect, but very, very, good. We'd go there again in a minute. Beautiful resort, exceptional setting, excellent food and amenities. It's very expensive -- in the neighborhood of $500/day for two. Suggestions Don't overpack. Don't bring warm clothes; you just won't need them. You might want to bring a nice outfit -- there is one formal restaurant at Grand Lido for which you are supposed to dress. Bring surf booties! You can buy them at dive shops. These are neoprene foot coverings that will allow you to walk on non-sandy ocean bottoms safely, i.e., without cutting your feet up on rock or coral, or the ubiquitous spiny urchins. Bring good slip-on thongs. Instead of bringing my old blue $3 "flip- flops", I splurged $20 at the dive shop at the last minute to buy a sturdy pair of thongs. I was so glad I did -- they were practically the only footwear I used. If you plan to snorkel (highly recommend), consider bringing your own fins, mask, and snorkel. Then they'll fit right, you won't be dependent on the hours that the water sports office is open, and you won't have to wonder how well the mouthpiece was sterilized. But remember, you have to pack them to bring them! Bring lots of sunscreen. We used at least 4 oz. per day -- and we didn't sunbathe. It seemed to cost about double there what it did in the U.S. If you want to scuba, strongly consider getting certified before arriving. Then you can go right out on the many novice dive trips without waiting to take the resort course. Scuba is a great freebie and I wish we had been able to do more dives during our stay. If you *do* take the resort course there (it's included and it's very well done), sign up as soon as you arrive, and then show up early the day of the class. We got bumped once because the class was overbooked. Also, if you are going on to another resort, be sure to get the two-week certification card they are supposed to give you! Also reserve early if you want to eat at La Piacere, the elegant French restaurant. You are expected to dress up to eat here; jackets are required for men. If you prefer nude sunbathing, consider requesting a room on the nude side of the resort when you make your reservation. (Not that it's a long walk to either beach from any of the rooms.) You might want to consider buying SPF-rated clothing if you want to minimize sun exposure. At the last minute, we had what were essentially a couple of SPF-30 rated long-sleeved T-shirts overnighted to us. I think the company was called Sun Precautions, out of Everett, WA. The shirts were not cheap but they are much lighter and dry a lot faster than regular T-shirts, and we wore them a lot. Notably Good Features The following are the kinds of things that make one eager to go back to Grand Lido. It has a wonderful location. Whereas most Negril resorts are strung side by side on the famous "7 mile beach", Grand Lido is separated from the rest by a point of land, so that it occupies an almost private bay. The relative isolation and the uncrowded feeling this gives are delightful. Sunsets were beautiful from our beachside room. It has an excellent, spacious nude beach. (However, you definitely need surf booties to walk in the water there.) If your room is on the nude side, you can walk right out the (patio) door and onto the beach au naturel. There is a nice though small nude pool with a poolside bar, and a nude hot tub. There is also a large, crescent-shaped clothed beach that is postcard pretty. Here the ocean bottom is soft sand, so you don't even need your surf booties. (I did get stung by a jellyfish here, but booties wouldn't have made a difference.) You can wade out for maybe 100 yards in the 80-degree water before getting in up to your neck. I think the stinging jellyfish are a rarity -- I wasn't aware of any other stings occurring. There is very good snorkeling along the rocks right off the nude beach. You'll be surprised at how much life there is five feet offshore. We ended up doing more independent snorkeling than any other activity. We were happy we had our own equipment and our SPF shirts. The clothed pool is large and attractive, with an adjoining hot tub. And there are several other hot tubs -- next to their own 24-hour bars. Pools are open 24 hours, too. Most non-motorized water sports are included, both instruction and equipment: scuba dives (resort course free; PADI certification available at extra charge), snorkeling trips, glass-bottom boat, kayak, pedal boats, Sunfish sailboats, wind surfing. There is excellent food, and *way* too much of it :-) Breakfast and lunch are huge buffets. Dinner is buffet and/or at one of the three restaurants. Friday is a gala buffet with an enjoyable dinner show. Most of the food is European/American, with a few Jamaican dishes thrown in. Great desserts. The wait staff is quite pleasant. There's 24 hour room service (limited menu) in case you weren't stuffed enough already. All drinks -- soft, wine, liquor -- are included. As far as I could tell (we hardly drink), they use the popular liquor brands and not off-brands. There are great comfortable mats, excellent for lounging or floating, free for the taking around the pools and beaches. Ditto big fluffy yellow towels. It sounds minor, but having these things at hand just made relaxing so effortless. Many people seemed to spend their whole time sunning, floating, and sipping the free drinks. I envied their perfect tans, even if I should know better :-) The rooms have cable TV, including CNN and the Playboy channel, and air conditioning. Our oceanfront room was right on the beach and had a lovely view. At the two fancier restaurants, they have photographers who come by offering to take your picture, but there's absolutely no pressure to buy. This made it fun to get our pictures taken. The proofs are available to look at the next day. Laundry and dry cleaning are included -- no charge. There's no tipping! I loved not having to worry about whom to tip, when, or how much. There's pleasant musical entertainment in the attractive, open-air main buffet area every day at lunch and dinner, and in at least one of the restaurants. We joked that every band's repertoire consisted of the same 40 popular songs, though. There's a dance floor in the main buffet area if the spirit moves you. The grounds are beautifully landscaped (much prettier than Hedonism II, which we toured) and so well kept that my husband compared the place with Disneyland :-) There's a complimentary manicure available. We didn't take advantage of it, but many others (including men) did. Again, reserve early. The following amenities sound good, but we didn't try them: There are a number of tennis courts. They looked very nice, except that it seemed kind of hot for tennis :-). I think green fees at a nearby golf course are also included, but not clubs or caddy fees. And there is supposedly a "chaperoned" bike tour; i.e., you must go out with a staff member. Okay Features The following were features of the resort that, while good on the whole, I thought left something to be desired in their execution. Laundry: It's free, which is great, but don't send in anything you treasure. Most of our items came back just fine, but a couple were returned slightly stained without comment, and pair of my husband's walking shorts didn't come back at all. The explanation, when we called, was that they had been washed with some clothes that caused a stain, and that they would be returned as soon as the stain was removed. After several days of no action, we asked for the shorts back regardless. They really were too stained to keep. No reimbursement was offered. Exercise room: It's open to the air, so kind of warm to really work out in. On the aerobic side they had two stair machines, a treadmill, and several cycles. On the weight side, the Nautilus equipment is somewhat old and funky. There were pretty limited official hours (closed at 4), but since it has no door, I'm not sure how much these are enforced :-) There are also daily yoga and aerobics classes which I didn't take, and at least one "power walk" per day. Game room: We actually had a lot of fun there, playing pool at one of the two tables almost every day. But the area tables are in is inadequately ventilated and gets stiflingly hot. Also, they didn't quite have two complete sets of balls! Other games available were ping-pong (one day there was only one ball between the two tables, though), "foosball", backgammon, air hockey (broken the whole time we were there), chess and checkers, table shuffleboard, and some board games. There were also some slot machines that we didn't play. Although the food service staff is generally very friendly, the game room staff seemed indifferent. I think they were mostly there to make change for the slot machines. Library: A nice enough room, but kept way too cold. It contains a minimal set of paperback books, some in English. Also a number of videos, including fairly recent American movies, in locked cases. Presumably you can check them out to view in the video room. Video room: It's not a bad room; tiers of cushions around a big screen. We didn't see any information on how to reserve it, though. The couple of times we wondered in, it seemed to be occupied by one or two staff members watching one gory movie or another. Rooms: Spacious and comfortable, but not luxurious. In ours, the bathtub faucet spurted water onto the floor and the tub drained so poorly the maid kept taking the whole drain plug out. Nice rooms, just not the kind you rave about. Social events and parties: The attractive young "social directors", led various events for guest participation, from dance contests and lessons to parties. We thought they ranged from fairly enjoyable to excruciating. These are really a pretty minor part of the Grand Lido experience. Cautions, comments and considerations This is not the place to go if your goal is to experience real Jamaican society. My husband has told a number of people, "We went to a great resort -- that happened to be in Jamaica". Also don't go here if you you're looking for a wild social life (but if you end up here anyway, try the Thursday night "PJ party"). Go to that other SuperClub, Hedonism II, whose entrance is right across the street. Although the other guests were friendly enough at Grand Lido, the place seems much more suited to people who bring their companions with them. There were lots of honeymoon couples. Speaking of which, forget concerns about the clientele all being really old, or the resort being too ritzy. There were many couples in their early twenties, and casual dress was the order of the day, though a few people dressed up a bit, especially at night. Grand Lido accepts guests over the age of 16 only. Smoking is allowed in the restaurants, except for La Piacere. I am so unused to indoor smoking by now that I found this really annoying! The dreaded bus ride from Montego Bay airport was not so bad after all. Yes, people drive somewhat fast, and there's a lot at the roadside for the driver to avoid -- people, dogs, goats, other vehicles -- but it was really not hard to take. It took about 90 minutes and we enjoyed seeing some of the country. By the way, while there's no tipping at the resort itself, the bus drivers do expect to be tipped. The resort's yacht, Aristotle Onassis' Zein, is said to be gorgeous. Unfortunately it was out of commission while we were there (until August '96). Its substitute was an unremarkable covered craft. So the sunset cruise was just pleasant. It did give us a chance to see the 7 mile beach. Prices are high at the Grand Lido shops. They charged something like $1.30 each for postcards that cost about 40 cents at Hedonism II (okay, so this included a 25-cent-equivalent postcard stamp). You can shop at Hedonism II by prior arrangement with the concierge, though security there is such that I always felt like I was crossing a border when we went there. Service sometimes broke down a bit. On a number of occasions all the poolside towel stations were empty, so that after a few days we took to keeping a couple in our room. Room service forgot some items, even after being reminded. We were supposedly awarded a bottle of rum in a dance contest, but it never arrived. Soft drinks are typically served with so much ice that they're pretty watery. If you venture beyond the insulation of the resort, for example by walking onto the adjacent (undeveloped and usually fairly empty) public beach, by swimming beyond the resort bounds, or even by floating on mats near the boundary markers in the water, locals will approach you (by water, if necessary) trying to sell you something. They can be pretty persistent. I found it unsettling to have to keep dealing with this. On the other hand, some of the guests took up some of the offers, one notable example being a popular water "sleigh ride" on what looked like a multi-passenger banana! A corollary were the (rare) visitors who stopped their watercraft just beyond the nude beach boundaries to gawk or make mildly annoying remarks. They were ignored. There are no motorized water craft made available to guests by the resort. Water skiing and jet skis are available through the aforementioned visiting entrepreneurs, or the hotel will refer you to places that rent motorized craft. The water-sports office, from which you got all the water equipment, closed at 4 pm, I think. Although it's an all-inclusive resort, you do have the opportunity to spend money on extras such as tours. The only one we took was a "shopping tour" at $12 per person. For this sum, a bus took a group of us to two shopping stops. The first was a cluster of small storefront shops selling "local crafts" -- tie-dyed clothes, wooden carvings, woven items, jewelry, baskets, and the like. The vendors really glommed onto you, and I'm uncomfortable with that, so it was hard to shop there. The second was a regular outdoor concrete shopping mall, with lots of T-shirt and souvenir shops plus a supermarket, pharmacy, and so on. Kind of like being in the U.S. Every place we went, including the cafe at the airport, took U.S. money, and at the mall many things were priced that way. Also, FYI, there's a 15% sales tax in Jamaica.
Grand Lido visit #7 the first week of July 96 was a 5 novel visit -- my record is 7 for a 8 night stay. More to the point, this vacation at GL was among the best that we have taken. Last year we were at GL in early April, a week after a labor dispute that led to most GL workers losing their jobs due to an illegal wildcat strike action. Service then was ragged as you might expect with an all new work force. Not this year -- service was really very good. Room service orders were delivered within 30 minutes and the employees were very attentive in the restaurants and at the buffets. GL is back! After 7 visits, it is hard to write something unique. I am going to hit some of the highlights and give some personal views on Grand Lido as it exists in 1996: Rooms and Facilities: We once again were assigned room 1059 and found that it had been completely redecorated since our last visit -- a good thing since GL was beginning to get a little ragged around the edges. In fact, there seems to be a general upgrading going on. The buffet area is being completely redone with new service areas -- the amount of work being done is impressive and the serving area will be even nicer than before. It is supposed to be done by the end of summer. In addition, the area above the buffet is getting a new roof. Beaches: We were on the clothing optional beach -- again the word is optional. About two thirds of the folks were going "optional" but the rest were not and there was never any pressure on them to go "optional." GL mellow reigned! We had an active crowd this year -- plenty of long volleyball games in the pool. There was more to see in the water this year -- we saw puffer fish, rays, small barracudas and other fish. Other people saw sea snakes although we never did -- and we tried to find the darlings! They are apparently harmless and in our many visits to GL we have never heard of anyone being harmed by them. On the point above this beach is a new facility -- a wedding gazebo which on one day saw a total of 7 weddings! It seemed like everyone at GL was getting married. With the exception of the Sundays we were at GL, there was at least one wedding every day. We went over to the larger beach several times to partake of water sports (and in the case of my wife to shop at the stands put up by local folks). This beach was also very active with beach volley ball and other activities. The activities directors spent a lot of time on this beach organizing activities. Meals: I am no gourmet but always enjoy our dining experiences at GL. We ate dinner twice at La Pasta -- both meals were very good and unlike previous years the service was very prompt. We ate three times at my favorite GL restaurant -- Cafe Lido. Again, the meals were very good and the service was excellent. We could not get a reservation for Piacere, GL's acclaimed French restaurant, until the last Sunday of our stay -- even though I made my reservations the Monday before. A word to the wise -- make your Piacere reservations as early as possible. The meal was wonderful -- the cinnamon apple creme brulee we had for dessert was worth the trip to GL all by itself. We also ate at the two dinner buffets -- the Island Buffet and the Grand Buffet on Friday. GL's weak point in my opinion are its dinner buffets and its lunch buffets -- I don't think they are very well done. In my experience, Club Med does a much better job. GL's breakfast buffet was fine, however. At lunchtime, I sometimes would sit with my wife while she ate and then we would go over to the Timberhouse where I could order my lunch off the room service menu. A new feature this year was a 4th of July barbecue lunch on the clothing optional beach -- right outside our room's patio. It was very good and certainly convenient. Weather: Almost perfect. On Monday and Tuesday we had threatening weather all day with thunder and lightening in the distance but we never got wet unless we went into the water. Most of Wednesday was sunny with again some threatening weather late in the afternoon. Thursday, Friday and Saturday were perfect -- sunny and warm with a slight cooling breeze in the late afternoon. Sunday morning was again sunny but about 3 p.m. we had a big rain storm with impressive thunder and lightening. No problem, mon! We just sat outside under the protection of our patio. What a life! On our last Monday, the weather was again beautiful in the morning -- which made our afternoon trip to the airport a little harder to take. Entertainment: We are early to bed and early to rise types so entertainment is not high on our list. Nevertheless, GL had its usual musical acts at 9:30 every evening. The PJ party this year was apparently very well attended given the discussions we heard on the beach the next day. A special feature for us this year was the "invasion" on the 4th of July by the Hedonism II folks -- including Hedo staffers dressed up in what looked like green leprechaun costumes (???) who acted as the musical band accompanying Hedo guests who were not dressed in much of anything! They paraded throughout the GL grounds -- they had fun and the GL guests had fun watching them. A different kind of 4th of July, SuperClubs' style. Clothing: A lot of potential visitors to GL are put off by the fancy clothes worn by models in the GL brochure. GL seems to be getting a little more liberal with its policies for Cafe Lido -- they say you are not supposed to wear shorts there but we saw quite a few folks doing so. I got along fine at Cafe Lido with dockers and polo shirts. For Piacere I wore a sports coat and slacks -- no tie. For La Pasta, the stated dress code allows shorts to be worn and that is what I had on for both dinners. For the breakfast and lunch buffets, swim suits with cover ups work just fine. Other notes: We ran into several folks who combined their GL visit with a visit to the new Braco Village resort. Their conclusion was that GL and Braco Village are quite different but both very good at what they do. We think that next time we go to Jamaica that we will go for 10 days with 3 days at Braco (to give it a try) and 7 days at GL. Conclusion: GL is back to a high level of service. We loved our 7th visit there and will be back again.
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