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Post by lucilleaustero on May 30, 2017 8:46:56 GMT -6
Hey.
I turn 40 in November. Was planning on going to England in 2018 for my 40th, but have to switch gears since my cousin is also getting married in Vegas in 2018. Cannot swing both. Decided to go to an island over December break instead, since it is cheaper. DH is a teacher, so we have to work around that.
Pretty much have it narrowed down to Jamaica or the DR. Been to Negril before and loved it. Give me your opinions and your recommendations for all inclusives for Jamaica and the DR.
Will also consider PR (which have been to together and loved) and the Bahamas.
TIA
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Post by justhorsinaround on May 30, 2017 8:59:33 GMT -6
I've been to Ocho Rios Jamaica and also Punta Cana and Puerta Plata, DR.
All options are beautiful and affordable in the grand scheme of Caribbean vacations. But IMO, the major downside to DR is that the food sucked. Other than that, you can't go wrong with all inclusive.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2017 9:02:48 GMT -6
I just got back from Negril and it was amazing! We did all inclusive at a three star resort, and it was so nice. We met a lot of locals and everyone at the hotel knew us by name. I think I actually preferred it much more than a big name resort.
If you do go to Jamaica, I highly recommend Juju Tours. I'm fairly certain they have tours everywhere, but we did the West End sunset tour and it was so cool. We had a glass bottom boat that took us to several locations, drinks and photos included, and we ended the afternoon watching the sunset while eating jerk chicken on a private beach. So cool
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2017 9:03:55 GMT -6
Could I say cool anymore?! Haha
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jbm
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Post by jbm on May 30, 2017 9:10:18 GMT -6
I have heard not so great things about the DR recently, especially about the food at the all inclusive. Have heard more positive things about Jamaica. Some friends just got back from Round Hill Resort and raved about it.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2017 9:13:44 GMT -6
My sister had her wedding last year in DR and they had a few negative things to say. Mainly, that almost everyone came back with food poisoning and a ton of people had stuff stolen out of their suitcases. They had a great time overall, but I would probably not go anytime soon after I heard about those incidents.
ETA. They stayed at the Hard Rock
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Cher
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Post by Cher on May 30, 2017 9:28:08 GMT -6
Have you priced it out? We were trying to do a trip with our teacher friends over Christmas break to the islands and it was so crazy expensive that we opted to wait until summer.
That said, I'm not the biggest DR fan. I have never been to Jamaica but I hear amazing things, it's on my list.
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Atpeace
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Post by Atpeace on May 30, 2017 9:33:40 GMT -6
I don't have any experience with Jamaica or DR. When I went to the Bahamas we stayed at the Compass Point Beach Resort and enjoyed ourselves. It was nice and secluded and the opposite of that big resort feel.
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Post by lucilleaustero on May 30, 2017 9:46:36 GMT -6
Have you priced it out? We were trying to do a trip with our teacher friends over Christmas break to the islands and it was so crazy expensive that we opted to wait until summer. That said, I'm not the biggest DR fan. I have never been to Jamaica but I hear amazing things, it's on my list. Yeah, we have a pretty good idea of the range that it will cost us. Out trips are always $$ because we have to go on school breaks and the prices get jacked up.
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Post by Betweenthelines on May 30, 2017 9:51:20 GMT -6
Well, I just went to DR 2 weeks ago and the food was horrendous. And we won't be going back there. Just wasn't impressed. We LOVED where we stayed in Riviera Maya, Mexico (I know it's not one of your options, but just saying). My coworker just got back from an AI in Jamaica and absolutely loved it and said the food was terrific.
I'm not much help. But Cheapcaribbean.com has been great with booking both of our AI trips in the last year.
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Bluebird
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Post by Bluebird on May 30, 2017 10:01:04 GMT -6
I haven't been to DR, but H and I stayed at Riu Montego Bay a few years back. It was just okay, and we wouldn't go back. Maybe a different Jamaica experience would have been better though. If you do go, we had a wonderful time on an excursion to Dunn's River Falls, so that is a must!
If you are open to other places, I have had fantastic trips to Riviera Maya Mexico, Aruba, and Belize. El Dorado Royale is a nice all inclusive outside of Cancun that I've been to twice. We did a semi-inclusive package in Aruba at the Marriott that we booked through Costco Travel. It was a great deal, and we loved being able to explore the island off the resort. Our resort in Belize was to die for, but not all inclusive. My profile photo is a picture I took right outside our casita there.
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Post by littlechevy on May 30, 2017 10:02:42 GMT -6
My sister says she would choose Jamaica over the DR any day, Jamaica was so much more fun and had so much more to do then the DR.
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Post by fikafairy on May 30, 2017 10:38:11 GMT -6
I went to the DR in college, and I'm pretty sure that all-inclusive resort doesn't exist anymore. The food wasn't anything special, and there wasn't anything to do off the resort. I went to Jamaica for a day as part of a cruise, and my sister took her honeymoon there at a Sandals AI a few years ago. I would rather do Jamaica than DR, any day.
Although my FAVORITE stop on the cruise was Grand Cayman!
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Post by babybean on May 30, 2017 10:43:01 GMT -6
I've been to JA, loved it and would recommend it. I stayed in Montego Bay and travelled to Ocho Rios and Negril as well.
In terms of DR, I'm personally not comfortable spending my money there because of their treatment of Haitian people, whom they share a border with. That's totally a me thing though.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2017 10:45:00 GMT -6
We went to Jamaica for our honeymoon. We had a great time and stayed at the Riu Montego Bay. I totally recommend going, but we took 2 day trips to the other side of the island (Ocho Rios and Negril) and the weather was much better, so if you go, I'd pick one of those two towns.
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jrun2013
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Post by jrun2013 on May 30, 2017 10:55:22 GMT -6
I have been to Couples Swept Away in Jamaica twice and it was amazing. Great beach, great food, great activities. I cannot wait to go back someday.
I went to an Iberostar resort in the DR and it felt kind of like the Walmart of al inclusives. Very much focused on quantity over quality.
That said, Jamaica was more expensive, but worth every penny.
I'm sure it can change based on resort but I feel confident saying I won't go back to the DR, but I will go to Jamaica.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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kmkd
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Post by kmkd on May 30, 2017 10:57:55 GMT -6
I didn't love DR. I've been to both and if I were going back, I'd go to Jamaica. Sandals has several properties there, I've only been to the Antigua one but I'd do a Jamaican one in a heartbeat.
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Post by sweetc129 on May 30, 2017 11:44:31 GMT -6
Jamaica!
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Post by ellewoods on May 30, 2017 12:02:38 GMT -6
I went to Puerto Rico in April and stayed at the el conquistador and las casitas village. We had a great time.
I looked to book over Christmas and it was super expensive. Let me know if you want more information on it.
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Cher
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Post by Cher on May 30, 2017 12:07:54 GMT -6
Have you priced it out? We were trying to do a trip with our teacher friends over Christmas break to the islands and it was so crazy expensive that we opted to wait until summer. That said, I'm not the biggest DR fan. I have never been to Jamaica but I hear amazing things, it's on my list. Yeah, we have a pretty good idea of the range that it will cost us. Out trips are always $$ because we have to go on school breaks and the prices get jacked up. Yeah I hear you. Christmas break is just so insane, $$-wise. I feel for the teachers!
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rayann
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Post by rayann on May 30, 2017 12:15:03 GMT -6
Jamaica. I have been there multiple times and I love it. We stayed in Ocho Rios once, the one hotel I would not recommend has been renovated to a luxury all inclusive. So it is now way better than when I was there. I may be biased because my family is from Jamaica.
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Post by wickedcandy on May 30, 2017 12:24:51 GMT -6
I have been to both, and Jamaica would be my go to, I have stayed at the Iberostar Rose Hall & Jewel Runaway Bay /Paradise Cove.
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mathlete
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Post by mathlete on May 30, 2017 12:26:53 GMT -6
I've been to both and had great experiences. I think it definitely just depends on the resort you pick. I would probably pick Jamaica though - we're going back in July!
The Negril side is more for laying on beautiful beaches and the Ochos Rios side seems to be more for adventure if that influences your decision.
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mrsbliz
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Post by mrsbliz on May 30, 2017 12:56:00 GMT -6
I've been to Jamaica 2x, Ochos Rios and Negril and I've been to DR 2x, Punta Cana. I will never go back to DR. There's really nothing spectacular there to see. Like ruins, or the falls in Jamaica. They have the basic excursions you can go on (zip lining, horseback riding, etc) but there was nothing great that stuck out. And like PP said the food absolutely sucked. I went in 2015 and 2016 and at 2 different resorts. And the weather made it so the ocean wasn't as accessible to swim in. It was very windy and chopy.
Negril was by far my favorite trip and will only go back to Jamaica if it's to the Negril side. I was in Negril in 2012 and Ochos in 2013. Your further away from a lot of the excursions (the falls) but the weather and the beach will make up for it. Stay on the 7 mile beach and you'll be set. You can walk up and down the beach and find lots of local shops. I prefer to lounge poolside or swim in the pool but at Negril I swam in the ocean. It was like bath water, extremely calm, and really clear. In Ochos Rios the weather was rainy almost every day and we had friends visiting the Negril side at the exact same time and they didn't have any rain and it was perfect weather.
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pbjam
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Post by pbjam on May 30, 2017 12:58:35 GMT -6
I went to Puerto Rico in April and stayed at the el conquistador and las casitas village. We had a great time. I looked to book over Christmas and it was super expensive. Let me know if you want more information on it. I just had a dream I was back there this morning. I really liked that resort and the location. Not too far from San Juan, not to far from the rain forest, a couple great off site restaurants, the bio luminescent Bay right there.
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thatgolfb
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Post by thatgolfb on May 30, 2017 14:37:24 GMT -6
We stayed at the Sandals Grand Riviera in Ocho Rios for our honeymoon and loved it. Everything was great. It is one of the biggest Sandals resorts. The food was good. We also had a butler which was 👌👌👌
We want to go back to Sandals for our 10 year, but we will probably go to a different location.
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Post by lucilleaustero on May 30, 2017 14:46:35 GMT -6
I went to Puerto Rico in April and stayed at the el conquistador and las casitas village. We had a great time. I looked to book over Christmas and it was super expensive. Let me know if you want more information on it. We went to a wedding at El Conquistador and we all stayed there for a week. Loved it!
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Post by serendipity on May 30, 2017 15:20:12 GMT -6
We went to Jamaica for our honeymoon and stayed at Couples Negril. I loved it there!
When I was looking at different resorts on trip advisor, the Couples resorts (they have 3 or 4 in Jamaica) had great reviews. Most of the people said they go back every year and I think that says a lot about them.
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pootsen
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Post by pootsen on May 30, 2017 15:41:50 GMT -6
DH and I went to Couples Swept Away in Jamaica and we absolutely loved it. Everything was amazing - the food, drinks, beach, etc. We went snorkeling and on a bus trip to Rick's cafe to watch the cliff divers- both of these were included. They also had a catamaran booze cruise included but we didn't do that. We payed extra to go on a zip lining excursion which was really cool and included an authentic jerk chicken lunch. They had an amazing spa (we got a couples massage) and a workout center (which we didn't use lol). They also had a piano singer/karaoke every night which was SO much fun. I would love to go back someday!
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Post by Sweetjane on May 30, 2017 15:45:59 GMT -6
I really want to go to Jamaica and stay in the rock house hotel. We have friends there right now!
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