Jamaica is the place to be for good food, good music, and all around good vibes. I went to Jamaica with my now Fiancé in June/July 2019 as a celebratory trip for finally graduating and getting my doctorate. We were between Montego Bay and Ochos Rios and had to weigh out the pros and cons of each. I knew I wanted to do an all-inclusive resort and that I didn’t want us to have to spend a ton of money on transportation from the airport. That narrowed our search down pretty quickly as Ochos Rios doesn’t have as many all-inclusive resort options as Montego Bay, and the drive from the airport was much quicker to Montego Bay. Ochos Rios, however, is really great for couples looking to get away and be secluded from the rest of the world. It is less crowded and has tons of excursions and activities, which is where we ended up taking a day trip to anyways.
How We Booked
The resort we ended up staying at is called Sunscape Splash Montego Bay and our flights were included. We booked this trip through CheapCaribbean.com and chose the “deal of the day” room, which didn’t actually show you which hotel you would be booked with right away. The way it works is they offer you a deal for a lower price than other resorts but don’t tell you exactly where you will be staying until a few weeks prior to your trip. It is not like you’re choosing completely blind though. They tell you that it is between three resorts and give you the names of those resorts. They also make sure they don’t include any resort that is rated less than 4 stars. So we did our part and looked up the three resorts offered through this deal. We decided it was totally worth it since we didn’t have any issues with either one of the resorts that were offered. An all-inclusive trip to Jamaica at a 4-star resort, for 7 nights at $850 was definitely worth the bargain for us. I highly recommend using this website for any Caribbean trips you look into. They also recently added a payment plan option so that you don’t have to pay the full amount upfront.
Where we stayed
We both felt like we got an excellent deal with this hotel. We didn’t really have much to complain about at all, except for the fact that maybe the buffet was getting kind of repetitive. Let’s be honest though, most all-inclusive resorts with buffets are. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the staff and introduced to members of the sales team that would be helping us book our excursions. We didn’t feel they were pushy at all like many other places we traveled to. I do feel like check-in could have been a little more efficient, but I wasn’t going to complain about that so long as they placed a drink in my hand. Which they did. We stayed in a Deluxe King room with a view of the bay and sailboats.
The staff there was phenomenal! We quickly became best friends with our servers, bartenders, and front desk staff. Honestly just be kind and you will be treated well. The front desk even provided us with change for USD to obtain more singles without any problems.
The resort had 5 restaurants along with the buffet so we had plenty of food options. I also really loved that we didn’t have to wake up early in the morning and make our reservations for dinner the day of, which many resorts require. They had an ice cream shop/bakery/coffee shop that was also included in your meal plan. The resort also had a gym and tennis court. Sometimes I like to fool myself and say that I will be working out the entire stay, but it usually only happens for one day and then I’m over it and just want to be fat and greedy for the rest of the trip. The resort also had 4 bars/ lounges and a swim-up pool bar. The swim up bar is essentially where my Fiancé and I spend most of our time during every trip. The beach and the water was also absolutely stunning. There are 4 outdoor pools and a children’s pool, which I also liked because it kept the little ones far away from my drunk self. The rooms were very clean and they housekeeping was typically on point, so no complaints there.
TIPS
-ALWAYS bring AT LEAST $75 USD in singles so that you can tip your servers and bartenders throughout the trip. Believe it or not, they prefer USD in comparison to their own money. The more you tip them, the better your service will be. Also, let be real, most of these employees survive off of these tips and work extremely long hours in the heat.
-Don’t book your excursions online in advance! You always get a better deal at your resort, and if you ever have any issues with your excursion or transportation you can easily contact someone on the resort to help you. Some resorts also reward you and give you better deals with room for negotiating when booking the excursion. The resort staff have better relationships with the excursion employees and will typically be honest with you about which companies are best to book with. Most places will take credit/debit cards but then be sure you already notified your bank prior to traveling. I personally feel like cash is always the safest bet.
Restaurants
Barefoot Grill- A wide variety of snacks and classic favorites served in a casual ambiance. Lunch 12:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. Dinner 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Coco Café - various coffees, teas, pastries and deli snacks throughout the day. 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Portofino - Italian cuisine served in a Trattoria-like setting for Sun Club guests only, featuring a pizza oven. Lunch: 7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. This was our favorite restaurant!
Terrace Restaurant- International favorites and a touch of Montego Bay's cuisine for Sun Club guests only. Breakfast: 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. Lunch: 12:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Dinner: 7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
World Café - open-air buffet style restaurant serving a variety of specialties. Breakfast: 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. Lunch: 12:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Dinner: 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Pizza & Snacks: 11 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Our favorite dinner was the one Kevin surprised me with :) He booked a private dinner on the beach through the resort. It even came with a photo shoot (although the photographer was not great). We had our own server with a couple of bottles of champagne. The dinner itself was immaculate. We had a 3 course meal but the main dish was most memorable. We ordered lobster, steak and mashed potatoes. I don't know the cost of this but Kevin said it was worth it!
We also went into the city one evening to try out the local bars. Our resort had shuttles that dropped you off there during certain hours. We went to Margaritaville, which we always heard great things about, however, we were there on a weekday and it didn’t seem to be as lively. Definitely try it out for yourself on a weekend and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!
Excursions
We did two separate excursions although one of them lasted an entire day. The first excursion was Dunn’s River Falls, because you simply cannot go to Jamaica and not climb those beautiful waterfalls. This excursion also included a party cruise and snorkeling and lunch. The second excursion was swimming with dolphins and stingrays. We’ve both wanted to swim with dolphins for a long time but never felt it was worth the amount that was charged. All of that changed in Jamaica and you’ll soon find out why.
Dunn’s River Falls
Okay so first of all. Can we talk about how we each ONLY spent $80 for this excursion!? That was completely unreal to us. The entire excursion lasted about 6 hours in total. We used Cool Runnings Catamaran Cruise through our resort. We later looked it up to find out that it is the #1 Booze cruise in Jamaica. Our trip started by picking us up in a van along with others that we picked up along the way as well. It took us a little over an hour to drive to our destination. We got on a boat and headed to Dunn’s River Falls. Along the way they stop in the middle of the ocean so that you can go snorkeling if you choose to do so. My fiancé was terrified and was just starting to get the hang of learning how to swim but he decided to do it anyways. He still talks about it today and is amazed at how great the experience was for him. They let us snorkel for about 30 minutes and then bring us back up. We don’t start drinking booze until the way back because they want to make sure you are sober enough to climb the waterfalls. They always tell you in advance to bring water shoes. Y’all this is not the time to say “oh I’ll be fine without it, I can manage”. NO. You really won’t. The climb up the waterfalls is 600 ft. and it is extremely slippery, even with the water shoes. There were many times that I wanted to stop climbing out of fear for my life lol. We made it all the way to the top though and were very proud of ourselves. The water is clear and warm, and you have the help of other tourists and the tour guide along the way to make sure you make it to the top safely. Once you get down to the bottom of the cruise they serve you lunch - buffet style. The food was absolutely delicious. I went back for seconds and thirds of their jerk chicken. After lunch we got back on the booze cruise and were finally able to start pouring up. IT WAS LIVE! The bartender was an older woman that was twerking all over the boat while simultaneously balancing all of the shot glasses on a tray above her head. If that is not excellence then I don't know what is. She even gave the fiancé some twerks and all I could do was laugh. That boat ride back was one that I will never forget. By the time we got back to the resort we were drunk and exhausted, JUST how I like it!
Swimming with Dolphins
We went to Dolphin Cove Montego Bay to swim with the dolphins and stingrays. Usually when I go on trips I always pass on this excursion because they charge you around $200 USD only to swim with them for 10 minutes. However, this excursion seemed worth it because you pay $139 USD to swim with the dolphins for 30 minutes and you also had access to the rest of the water areas which allowed you to get in the water with stingrays as well. The price for kids up to 4.6 Ft was only $99 USD. This experience definitely was not what we expected. It was much more than what we had in mind and it honestly felt pretty magical, even for my Fiancé. We took turns taking belly rides with the dolphins. We also got to hug, kiss, and dance with the dolphins too. It really amazed us at how great they are trained. The dolphins are signaled by an employee to swim up to you, so you really have no clue when they will get to you until they just pop out of the water right in your face. They then turn on their backs and you grab their fins while they swim backwards with you on their belly. I personally think the $139 USD was worth it. It was a much more interactive experience than I had imagined it would be. My Fiancé and I were able to order our photos from their shop afterwards as well. They send you an email to download all of your photos and give you the option of putting it on a CD as well.
When all else fails, just remember "everything irie" ;)
Comments