You can have a lot of fun, but it might not be exactly what you expect from reading the brochures or listening to travel agents!
My wife had never been in an airplane before so naturally, she was exited from the start. We had to fly to Chicago, transfer to another plane to Miami, and then transfer again for the plane to Jamaica. We had heard that the security lines were real bad, but we didn't have much of a wait at any of the airports. And, if you've had to fly before, you've probably already guessed. After half an hour, my wife had lost her excitement about flying and was bored with the ride.
When we arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica, there was a shuttle bus waiting to take us to our resort. That shuttle bus ride was more exciting then any of the flying! The driver must have thought he was a pilot because he flew through the streets, narrowly missing a dozen cars on the short, ten minute drive.
We were staying at a place called Breezes, which was a pretty decent place, but rather small for a resort. It did appear more like a prison then a resort with the ten foot high, cement wall that surronded it and the guard at the gate. It turns out that they have to have the wall and the guards to keep the locals from harrassing the guest! Jamaica is a poor country and the local people are constantly trying to get money from the tourists!
Other guest staying at the resort warn you not to leave the "compound"! They talk of being harrassed, robbed or treated badly by the locals.
We had to check this out for ourselves! After all, that's why we went to Jamaica. To see the country, not just the resort. And we did find out that when you leave the resort, you're constantly being stopped by locals. They want to sell you drugs, or whatever else they can to make money. A lot of them don't want to take no for an answer and are rather rude. One couple came back to the resort pretty well shaken up! It turned out that three of the locals came up to them saying how great America was, shaking hands and being real friendly. When they had left, the man discovered that his watch and billfold were gone. The local police told them that the chances of catching the thieves was all but impossible, and that they were lucky that they didn't discover anything missing until after the thieves had gone. If they would have resisted, they could have been seriously hurt!
So be carefull when you leave the resorts or hotels when you are on vacation!
The resort itself was pretty decent. We had the "all inclusive" package, so everything was paid for in advance. You could eat around the clock if you wanted to, as there were always tables set up with buffet style food. The bar opened around ten, and the drinks were all included. Every day at noon there was a show put on by the pool, then again in the evenings. The resort had the beach for swimming and a few other activities to keep you busy, but for the tours and better activities, be prepared to pay! They don't come cheap!
Over all, I would say we had a pretty good time, despite the problems away from the resort, but we did decide that we did not have a good enough time to warrant a return trip.
Will probably add a few more details on our trip later, so if you're interested, please stop back.
If you have any questions on our trip, please ask in the Seniors Helping Seniors forum or the Guestbook!