Roadtrip Update!

To all who want to roadtrip with us, we have some updated information about the trip. We have booked travel through Clive's Transportation Service. We decided to move up the trip slightly as YS Falls closes around 3:30 pm and the appleton rum estates at 4:00 pm. Therefore, Clive's is meeting us at Beach Club Condos in Negril at 9:30 am on 12/30. Cost of transportation is $30 per person (children travel free). We will travel to YS Falls and Appleton Rum Estates, and will stop for lunch at some point.

If anyone cannot meet at 9:30 am, please let us know. Clive's is flexible and we can move the time back if necessary.

To those asking about water shoes - It is recommended for YS Falls that you have water shoes. However, I don't believe this is mandatory. If you only plan to swim, for example, you probably won't need them. However, if you want to go tubing or on the canopy ride, i would recommend a shoe that won't fall off and that you don't mind getting wet!

Credit Cards & Money

If you plan to use credit cards in Jamaica, it may be worthwhile to call your cc company and let them know you'll be traveling abroad. Otherwise, they may lock your account thinking someone's fraudulently using your card. Keeping the numbers of your customer service handy while in Jamaica may be a good idea as well should your cards become lost or stolen. You may also wish to understand your card's policy on foreign transactions and what the associated fees for exchanging currency are (if any). I remember a day when they would just give you the current exchange rate without fees...

As for cash, it's difficult to say whether having cash in US $ or Jamaican $ is best. From what I've been able to research, most places will accept US $ but may only give change in Jamaican $ (and probably not at the best exchange rate). Of course, the standard rules for traveling apply: Don't carry tons of cash on your person (or leave it unsecured in your resort).

Traveler's checks are great as long as you can find a place to deposit them (certainly something to investigate before traveling). I've spent many an hour walking with friends who need to find an establishment that would cash them.

Wedding Day Information & Schedule

As noted on the invitations we sent out, our ceremony will be at 4:00 pm on Friday (1/2/09) at Couples Swept Away (north end of the 7 mile beach, see map below). Judy is arranging some taxis heading up from Beach Club condos for our family staying there. At $5 per head, there's not much savings over a regular taxi; so for our friends staying at other resorts, we recommend just getting a taxi to Couples. If you need to call a taxi, contact the official carrier: Jamaica Union of Travelers Association or JUTA (876-957-9197 in Negril). Taxi rates vary, but are figured by car, not by passenger. Fares average about US $5-7 for 10 miles. Guests will be given a ceremony pass upon arrival to the resort which allows you to enter the resort and is good for two hours, plus cake and champagne after the ceremony.

The reception will follow the ceremony at Traveller's Beach Resort lounge which is next door to Beach Club condos (again see map below). We'll have a buffet-style dinner, drinks and entertainment here beginning at 5:30-6:00 pm. We're in the process of arranging transportation for everyone from Couples to Traveller's. We may do this in two groups with the latter staying for pictures.

Evites

While we are going to take the week very casually (or at least try to!), there are a few things requiring a role call to the who's all interested. To this end, we'll be sending out two evites which allow for rvsp'ing (for those of you entering into web 2.0).

The first evite is for those interested in New Year's Eve celebrating. We're thinking of doing dinner (possibly in a few groups depending on the #) and meeting up for drinks afterwards.

We'll also be sending another evite out for a day excursion up to the YS Falls and Appleton Rum Distillery (described below). Getting this information will again help organize transportation for those involved, and facilitate splitting into groups if necessary.

Please let us know if you (or your significant other) did not receive one by Thursday (12/18).

Cell phones & Communication in Jamaica

For staying in touch with others on the island during your stay, a prepaid cell phone appears to be the best alternative.

Some of the resorts appear to have cell phone rentals available from the front desk:
Beach Club Condos
White Sands - Can even request a phone number before arriving

There are apparently two major cell providers on the island:
1) Digicel Retail Locations, including one in Negril and several in Montego Bay
2) bMobile / C & W (Cable & Wireless) which apparently was renamed to LIME, but I can't be sure what's going on with this company(s)

Additionally, there are phone plans you could purchase (and should do so shortly) and have shipped to you prior to leaving (shipping back when you return). Cello Mobile is one such provider, but please note that it is not prepaid and bills you when you return.

For calling home during your stay, calling cards or prepaid accounts (similar to RingYard) may be the best option.

Numbers to remember: (Most just pulled from the web, so not verified)
Couples Swept Away (876) 957-4061
Beach Club Condos (876) 957-4323
Mariner's Beach Club (876) ???-???? - Let me know if anyone has found one
White Sands (876) 957-4291
Country Country (876) 957-4273
--> Don't see your resort? Let us know where you're staying!

If you get a cell number, please let Jes or I know and we'll discretely (i.e. not put on the blog) circulate it to interested people.

Map of Resort Locations in Negril

Some people have been asking where the different resorts are in relation to each other. I found this map that shows Couples Swept Away (where we are staying) and also includes some other that we have people staying in such as Beach Club Condos!

Activities in Jamaica

We're beginning to compile a list of activities for our Jamaica trip. While we are approaching our time down there with a laid back attitude, we will try to arrange some activities of common interest! Please feel free to add comments/additions to the list!

Activities around Negril:

• Kool Runnings Water Park - family friendly entertainment
  
• Whitewater Expedition - 3-4 hr tour, ~ 45 min from Negril
• Mayfield Falls - bring your flip flops or 'water' shoes!
• Royal Palm Reserve - Nature reserve
  
• YS Falls - quite possibly the largest set of falls in Jamaica, ~ 1 hr from Negril
• Appleton Rums - Fermination and Distillation (very near YS Falls - could make into a day trip to both)
• Golf (Negril Hills Golf Club - website was down when I checked)
  
• Margaritaville
• Negril Lighthouse
• Booby Cay (small island off coast where some of '2000 Leagues Under the Sea' was filmed)

Also, many of these activities will accept and are listed in US $. If not, the currency conversion is 1 US$ to 71 J$!

Activities available through Couples Resort:
For those not staying at couples, the activities below are still available when you purchase an entry pass which come in 3 flavors: Day Pass (10am - 6pm) or Evening Pass (6pm - 1am) for $100, or a full day pass (10am - 11pm) for $200. This pass gets you access to all the activities at Couples including (among others):

• Scuba diving
• Reef Snorkeling
• Glass Bottom Boat Ride
• Windsurfing
• Catamaran Cruise

Invites are out!

We've sent the invites out, so please let us know if you haven't received one by the end of the week (10/10). For easy reference, we've registered at Bed Bath & Beyond and Target. We're finalizing the details of the reception to follow the ceremony and look forward to putting more information up in the near future, so please check back soon!

Condos instead of Resorts

For those who are looking for a cheaper alternative to the all inclusive resorts, here are a few condo's that my mom in investigating. Please keep in mind that these do not offer all the amenities of a resort (for the more adventurous at heart), but do usually include a kitchen and often have restaurants nearby. This part of Negril also appears to be more tourist-y.

If you are interested in a condo, please let me or my mom know (or just drop a comment). We're trying to get numbers of people together, again trying to keep people grouped as much as possible. From my understanding, our travel agent will be of little use booking these condos.
-Bob

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Hi All,

Below are links to sites which describe the accommodations at Negril Beach Club Condo's. This looks to be a good alternative to the pricey all inclusives. studio, one and two bedroom units are available on the websites. I believe 3 bedrooms units are available as well per one of the reviews.
This is located down the beach from Couples Swept Away where Jes and Bob will be staying, approx 4-5 miles. It is close to the city of Negril.

I have sent an email to the resort requesting information on their rates, location, transportation to and from the airport in Montego Bay (about 40 miles away) and safety issues. When I hear from them I will pass it on as well.

Let me know what you think. The prices are an estimate. I searched for a one bedroom through Expedia.

Judy

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147313-d259826-r14165441-Negril_Beach_Club_Condos-Negril_Jamaica.html

http://www.negrilbeachcondo.com/

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-6845486-negril_beach_club_condos-i

Passports

Traveling to Jamaica does require a passport. With typical processing times of 4 to 6 weeks (and the backlog they have due to the revised Canada / Mexico regs) getting your application in before the beginning of the start of the fall is recommended. You'll need to fill out a form and attach a passport photo, all of which can typically be done at your local post office. Additional information from the state department.

Resorts

All inclusive resorts seem to be the status quo for vacationing in Jamaica, mostly because conditions can drop off fast outside your resort. With that in mind we're trying to get as many people as possible into as few resorts as possible to keep travel and resort day passes to a minimum. Our moms are taking point on choosing a resort, so please feel free to contact either Terry or Judy (or either of us) about your reservations. We're staying at and planning the actual ceremony at the Couples - Swept Away resort north of Negril, Jamaica. This resort is a couples-only type, so we are looking into a few other possibilities for those more budget minded folks or those with little ones. Check back soon for more information.

Booking your trip

We encourage those planning on attending our wedding to book their travel and accommodations sooner rather than later. Please see the posting on Resorts below for accommodation-specific information.

Our travel agent has set up a NWA World Vacations for our wedding. What this means for you is access to unpublished rates (hopefully lower) and an additional discount. It also means that we can get a kickback for each booking that is made for our wedding. From our understanding, your travel does not necessarily have to be on NWA, so please do not let this limit you. When you are ready to book travel and accommodations (booking these together seems to give the best rates), please consider calling our agent Kelly Mathies at 812-478-6129. She's usually available Tuesday through Thursday 8am-5:30pm.

Typical things you'll want have decided beforehand:
-Flight numbers and dates
-Resort and room type (if applicable)

Activities in Jamaica

For those who wish to supplement sitting in the sun, the following are some useful links:

A great place to start in the Jamaican Tourist Board.