# Going to Jamaica



## gnipgnop (Nov 26, 2011)

My daughter and her husband will be celebrating their 25 Wedding Anniv. in April, 2014.  I know this is way ahead of time but I promised them a beautiful spot in Jamaica (where they spent therir honeymoon25 yrs. ago) as a gift.  Now as I search Interval and RCI .... I'm so confused as to what resorts to add to a search.  Two years out for the search would start in April, 2012 and I have enough TPU's for Jamaica.  Any help would be appreciated.


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## brother coony (Nov 26, 2011)

Well you did not say where in the Island you wanted to send them , Jamaica is a large Island, If you Choose:  Ocho Rios St Ann, then Sandals beach and villas is the resort you need, Large property, AI, with ( private Butler Service extra) #1 for honeymoons and weddings, 9 Restaurants plus 7 beach restaurants for quick eat and go, Great Food
 If you want them to stay in Montego Bay,then you have to choise of The Half Moon Resort, or Coyaba Beach Resort,not AI but great resort, Mo Bay has the best night life and fine dinning,

Want country peace and quite,then head for Grand Palladium in Lucea,Has not stayed at this one, its New, but brother, did and likes it,

 Want to be with the hip crowed,then Negril is the Place, and the place to stay is Breezes Negril

any question on Jamaica Just Post or PM me


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## gnipgnop (Nov 26, 2011)

I'm so glad I found you "brother cooney" ~ sounds like you know quite a bit about Jamaica.  I have never been there so that is why I really need help with resort choices.  First of all they enjoy night life and water sports.  They are in their late 40's and are young at heart.  They have been to Jamaica twice before, once to Naigril and once in Montigo Bay and loved both but they never stayed in a timeshare before.  Are the resorts you mentioned with II or RCI.   Ocho Rios would be fine also.  I'm looking for a Gold Crown - AI resort - 1 BR.  Can you narrow your first choices by this information?  If not what else do you need to know?


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## brother coony (Nov 27, 2011)

OK,Lets start with Montego Bay, Half moon, Secrets Wild Orchid, are all top of the line gold crown with RCI, in Mo-Bay, Jamaica only has two city's, this is the 2nd afther Kingston, so it has everything Restaurants, Clubs like Jimmy Buffet's Margaretaville Etc, Coyaba is not rated,but its top of the line resort,

Negril, is secon choicese, this is the Hip spot like South Beach is Floridia
There you have Breezes Nigril thats with 11, dont know what 11 rates it, but service is tops, great restaurants in Negril also including the Famous Rick Café

Ocho Rios is A more smaller town, but with all the attractions,Dunns River Falls Mystic Mountain, zip lining, Bob Sled, The Greene Grotto caves, ton to see and do, Gold Crown resort,Sandals Grand Riviera,Grand Bahia Principe, with RCI, Breezes is also there with 11, 
 All these resort are Hotels and a few Timeshare Suites and villas,so its hard to get an exchange into anyone of them

Coyaba and Half moon are not AI,
for other resort, log onto RCI and 11 and click on Jamaica,I am in Jamaica at least twice per.year, and I go alll over up to amonth at a time


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## Larry (Nov 27, 2011)

*check AI fees*

Before doing anything I would check out what the AI fees are at both II and RCI. I have not checked them out but in general most AI fees for timeshare trades are outrages where you have to pay more for the AI fee plus the cost of the trade ( Maintenance fee and exchange fee + giving up a week that  can be used more economically on another trade) than what it would cost to  get a package deal on a vacation through any travel agent.

Having said that and having stayed at Sandals Ocho Rios villas on an exchange there AI fee was a bargain and included transfers from airport to resort. I don't remember what I paid exactly since it was about 5 years ago when it was called something like Beaches Grand villas vacation club, but at the time I checked the AI fees to a package price and I saved about $1,500. 

Start researching and plan well in advance as Jamaica is a very difficult trade but Ocho Rios does come up occassionally.


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## tschwa2 (Nov 27, 2011)

Sandals might be a tad harder to get in RCI now because during the last round of adjustments they dropped the tpu's for deposits by 5-8 points.  I was getting 32 for my studio but now only get 24.  I won't deposit unless it is adjusted back up.  RCI has added alot of Jamaica inventory and some with low tpu's but the average exchange fee and AI fee s $1800+ for the week.
Skyauction used to be a decent place to get Breezes in Jamaica but fees have erodèd its value.  You may want to check them out about 10-12 months before the date if you haven't found anything else.


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