Has anyone been to Antigua?

[Judy]

I'd like to find out about the Jolly Harbour Beach Club JHR aka Jolly Harbour Marina & Golf Club in Antigua. The description says it has an onsite beach and SCUBA operation. The most recent TUG review is over a year old and doesn't mention diving. Has anyone been to Antigua? Has anyone stayed at this resort? Has anyone gone SCUBA diving there?

 

[gmarine]

Been to Antigua several times. Love the island. I have been to JH, but havent seen the inside of the units. It looks like a nice place, very large resort with anything you need from restaurants to shops.

Didnt dive but there are a lot of dive boat advertisements.

 

[JMSH]

There are two resorts there, one is the Jolly Harbour Villas at the marina which has the timeshare units and there is the Jolly Beach Resort which is just an all inclusive resort. I have stayed at the resort but not at the timeshare location. There are some very nice restaraunts around there but I am not sure if you can use the restauraunts at the resort as this in an all inclusive property. The diving was not bad but certainly not on a par with Cozumel/Cayman's etc. but good clarity, saw a lot of lobster for some reason. If I recall the dive shop was on site? It was 3 years ago so I am a little hazy? I do recall that it is quite a lengthy boat ride to the dive sites as they all seem to be at the far end of the island. You might try a web site called Trip Advisor for some additional information and reviews.

 

[TravlGrl]

I echo what JMSH said about TripAdvisor.com. I use them for all of my travel research when I can't find what I need on TUG or on wmowners.com. Antigua is one of the areas on my target research list, and I have been looking at putting in a request at The Village at St. James Club. I'm not a diver, however. Here is the link to TripAdvisor's reviews of Jolly Harbour Villas -- http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...rbour_Villas-Antigua_Antigua_and_Barbuda.html

tj

 

[MRSFUSSY]

Antigua

Antigua isn't my most memorable vacation spot. We did a T/S at Trafaglar (if I remember correctly Jolly Roger was almost next door.) Did an exchange thru II and was so disappointed. Gave up a week in Aruba (Marriott) for this and that was even more depressing. Contacted II afterwards and they wouldn't budge. Driving on the island is an experience. Afterwards I happened to mention this to my dentist, he had the same problem and stayed 1 night and left the island on the earliest flight.

 

[gmarine]

Antigua isn't my most memorable vacation spot. We did a T/S at Trafaglar (if I remember correctly Jolly Roger was almost next door.) Did an exchange thru II and was so disappointed. Gave up a week in Aruba (Marriott) for this and that was even more depressing. Contacted II afterwards and they wouldn't budge. Driving on the island is an experience. Afterwards I happened to mention this to my dentist, he had the same problem and stayed 1 night and left the island on the earliest flight.

Your trouble was probably where you stayed, not the island.

Antigua is home to some of the most exclusive and most expensive resorts in the caribbean. Jumby Bay and Curtain Bluff top the list, with St James Club, Galley Bay and Blue Waters right below them.

You are right about the driving though, but it isnt much different than driving on most caribbean islands. Its actually better than a few I've been to.

Its a beautifull island with great beaches and great people.

 

[susiequeve]

We traded into The Jolly Beach Villas in 2005. The timeshare itself was nice (2 bedroom). No complaints there. The resort is all inclusive so we paid an extra $700 (for two of us) to eat, the food was just OK. Good thing we did because there are really no restaurants in the area.

The beach was spectular especially on the timeshare side. We had the whole beach to ourselves every single day, the water is so blue, clear & warm.

We did rent a golf cart to get around the resort because it's hugh.

We went into the city of St. John and was not impressed, lots of people approaching you to buy their "stuff". Certain parts of the city smelled of sewerage. We saw a fight between two men when we were waiting for our taxi driver. We were a little scared to tell the truth.

We did a catarmaran trip one day which was great. The island has approx $360 beaches. Pretty cool !!

There's a small casino on the property, however, the people who worked there looked a little shady, (always staring at you) gave us the creeps. Other than the casino, there's really no big night life.

Probably wouldn't go back to Antigua, it rained the last three days we were there and we went in June, we love Aruba, but wanted to try something different.

Hope this helps!!

Oh BTW, there is a diving hut where you can rent diving equip. on the timeshare side of the resort. Don't snorkle so I can't help you there.

 

[susiequeve]

sorry meant to say 360 beaches not $360. DUH !!

 

[Conan]

Just to balance things out, we stayed at Antigua Village Resort on Dickenson Bay (that's the same coast as Jolly Harbour; about 10 miles north) and drove our rental car all over while we were there.

The people we met were wonderful - - and we met quite a few because we got lost every time we hit the road (no street signs!).

We also enjoyed the swimming at the many beaches we visited. Especially Half Moon Bay, but that's exactly opposite to where Jolly Harbour is. Dickenson Bay is also Grade A, except for the eyesore Sandals Resort construction.

I admit we didn't find worthwhile snorkling anywhere on the island. And the restaurants are mostly good, not great, and definitely overpriced.

Don't miss the Sunday barbecue at Shirley Heights (overlooking Nelson's Dockyard). Everybody from the Island is there - - it's a great introduction and an excellent value too. If you don't have a car, then whatever the taxi charges, it's worth it!

We also found the island history very interesting - - they're working to restore a sugar plantation. You see the relics of the stone windmills everywhere. Why the people are so nice when their ancestors were so poorly treated is an island mystery.

 

[GrayFal]

We traded into the St James Club Sept 2005 after a sighting was posted by gmarine ....it is a very beautiful resort on a penninsula between the ocean and a gorgeous bay beach (Mamora) . The 2BR TS villas overlook this bay, have their own pool (2-3 other pools on the property) and is right near the 'upscale' restaurant at the resort. The main pool overlooked the ocean.

The negative for us was that St James was located 45 minutes from town on VERY bad roads....we pretty much drive anywhere but the road conditions were very bad with no signs. We ventured out to go to Shirley Heights for the sunset and BBQ but we really had a hard time driving home.
Because of this, we opted to take the all inclusive for $75/day per person...not what we had planned as there are supposedly nice restaurants to try - we were just too isolated. The staff was outstanding and there is an 'oh so British' feel about the place we really enjoyed. We went to the little casino/bar lounge every night as it was the only air conditioned public area.

I am not sure if I would go back, but it was REALLY beautiful - I wouldn't go in September as it was brutely hot and humid.

Here is Mamora Bay..we just floated around here every day

Views from our Villa

From Shirley Heights

From the Plane

 

[Judy]

Thank you everybody. Your posts and photos were very helpful.

 

[gmarine]

Pat

You just had to post the great pictures and make me wish I was back there.

 

[GrayFal]

Pat

You just had to post the great pictures and make me wish I was back there.

As I said, truely beautiful!
I have a few others islands that I still want to visit but I would consider going back Oct-April

 

[LGinPA]

Jolly Beach Vacations and Scuba Diving

Hi!
I just found this thread. :whoopie: I'm a new poster here, although a TUG member for many years.

We are huge Aruba fans, but decided to try another island TS this year. We sometimes have a difficult time trading into an island besides Aruba because we require a 2br/2ba unit with our family. We seem to get Aruba often (and Grand Cayman once) since there are so many 2br units there.

But we did get an II trade into Jolly Beach Vacations (II code = JBV) for this June. I am not expecting it to be 5 star, since it is not. However, it doesn't look bad either. I'd like you to notice that this is a different resort than Jolly Beach Resort (JHR).

I called JBV before accepting the trade to get more info. These units are fairly new. If my memory serves me correctly, I think she said 2 years old. Also, I'd like to point out that some of the reviews in the TUG review section appear to mix up these 2 resorts. So be careful when reading them.

Now, onto the main reason for posting here. Three out of 5 in my family are scuba divers. I have been doing research using Trip Advisor also. We decided to not dive with the Jolly Beach Dive shop that is on the property, based on what we read. Instead, we will use : Antigua Scuba Center out of English Harbor. I'd rather spend more time driving and less time on the boat. I was most impressed with the information provided on their web site.

I hope this helps. And if anyone has been to Jolly Beach Vacations, please let me know how it was.

Thank you,
Linda G

 

[Judy]

Linda, Please post here when you get back. I pull up Antigua often and would like to go, but I haven't been able to get a lot of information about the diving there (even at scubaboard.com). I'd be very interested in your diving experience and opinion. I'd especially like to know how the diving in Antigua compares with the Cayman Islands.

 

[LGinPA]

Linda, Please post here when you get back. I pull up Antigua often and would like to go, but I haven't been able to get a lot of information about the diving there (even at scubaboard.com). I'd be very interested in your diving experience and opinion. I'd especially like to know how the diving in Antigua compares with the Cayman Islands.

Judy,
I sure will post when we return. However, I don't even have to go to know that you can not compare the scuba diving off Antigua to the Caymans. I've been diving at the Caymans and it's beyond description. Especially the north and east end.

But I don't need the best of the best every time. I think the south east end of Antigua look interesting. I will go with the dive company in the link in my post above who claims they go to the more interesting and less worn out reefs and places. I'll let you know!

 

[Carta]

Hello, I was at JBV last Feb. 2006. Stayed in a 2 bdrm unit. The t/s is located a short walk down the beach from the resort (JBR). It was great b/c, you can stay in the quiet zone of the t/s, or walk to the more lively resort area. The beach is BEAUTIFUL and the water is calm. The resort is all-inclusive. There is no obligation to take it if you are a t/s user. You do have options of: total AI, just breakfast, just alcohol, just alcohol and dinner. Please don't quote me on the exact opitons. Just call the resort or t/s. Ask for Felmina. She is one of t/s coordinators. She made our trip go smooth and easy.
LGinPA, I also live in northeast PA......Wilkes-Barre.. You are absolutely correct in saying;; there is no comparison between Antigua and GC. 7MB is one of my favorite places in the caribbean. I,m not a diver, just a beach lover.

 

[LGinPA]

Hello, I was at JBV last Feb. 2006. Stayed in a 2 bdrm unit. The t/s is located a short walk down the beach from the resort (JBR). It was great b/c, you can stay in the quiet zone of the t/s, or walk to the more lively resort area. The beach is BEAUTIFUL and the water is calm. The resort is all-inclusive. There is no obligation to take it if you are a t/s user. You do have options of: total AI, just breakfast, just alcohol, just alcohol and dinner. Please don't quote me on the exact opitons. Just call the resort or t/s. Ask for Felmina. She is one of t/s coordinators. She made our trip go smooth and easy.
LGinPA, I also live in northeast PA......Wilkes-Barre.. You are absolutely correct in saying;; there is no comparison between Antigua and GC. 7MB is one of my favorite places in the caribbean. I,m not a diver, just a beach lover.

Hi Carta, my neighbor!
Thanks for more info on JBV. I think I'll call ahead of going to see what our options are. But it's unlikely we'll take any meal option, because there's me, dh, 2 college-aged ds, and 1 dd in high school. It would cost us a small fortune. We'd rather spend the money on scuba diving or the Adventure Antigua Xtreme trip. That excursion alone will make us broke! So we'll have to make meals in the t/s. We usually pack one suitcase with American food the kids can't live without (mac & cheese, pb &j, canned tuna, pasta, etc), and only eat out as we're out and about and not on t/s property. But we'll splurge once or twice for dinner, too.

We traded into GC just once. And of course since we're with II, the only one that ever comes available is Plantation Village. Honestly we had a very bad week there, weather wise. It was tropical storm Lenny, it rained all week, the 1st floor at the resort flooded, (fortunately we were on the 2nd floor), and we never saw the sun shine the entire week, not even for a minute. So we went diving and snorkling a lot, cuz, we were getting wet no matter where we went anyway! We really have to give GC another chance, and see what the beaches are like. We mostly go to Aruba since the trades there are easy. We love Aruba!

But this year, it's Antigua, and we're looking forward to it.
Thanks again!

 

[Carta]

LGinPA, There's a super market within walking distance from JBV. We elected not to take any type of meal plan while there. We made breakfast in the unit and either made lunch or packed a cooler and dined on the beach. We usually went out for supper..... Let me know if you need any more info.

 

[LGinPA]

LGinPA, There's a super market within walking distance from JBV. We elected not to take any type of meal plan while there. We made breakfast in the unit and either made lunch or packed a cooler and dined on the beach. We usually went out for supper..... Let me know if you need any more info.

Do you remember if there was a cooler provided in the unit? In GC, we brought a collapsible cooler. And much to our surprise, there was a nice cooler in the closet!
Thanks for the info, again.

 

[LGinPA]

Back from Antigua!

Hi!
We (family of 5) just returned from our fabulous week at Jolly Beach Vacations (JBV) in Antigua. Please see my previous post about the difference between Jolly Beach Vacations (aka The Suites at Jolly Beach) and Jolly Harbour Beach Resort (JHR) both timeshares, and Jolly Beach Resort which is the All Inclusive Resort that JBV is a part of.

We traded for a 2 br / 2ba at JBV. And as most trades go, you usually get whatever unit came up at the time the trade transacted. I saw that our unit was on the first floor and emailed and asked if we can be moved up higher. And they kindly obliged since it was slow and there were open rooms.

Then we went one step further and emailed and asked if we can have the deluxe jacuzzi suite facing the ocean. And for an additional nightly fee we got it! It was by far the most beautiful timeshare suite we ever stayed in. It was worth the additional $400 a week. But even the regular 2 bedroom suites seemed very nice and all are quite new.

They give you a gold wrist band which entitles you to use the pools, the entertainment and all non-motorized water sports. We went to a couple shows (brought our own drinks), and took advantage of the Hobie Cats (sailing lessons given for free!), kayaks, mats, and windsurfers (lessons too!)

The beach was amazing with plenty of chairs and shade.

We went scuba diving. There was a dive shop right next to our building and left from the bay. There are also other dive companies that pick you up at the harbor. Diving was so so. Very choppy seas and my son and a newlywed woman got sick. Don't go there for the snorkeling/diving.

About the AI resort restaurants that are part of Jolly Beach Resort. You can NOT buy anything a la carte. The restaurants are not set up to accept money. But you do have the option to purchase various packages at these prices per person:

• All Day: $85
• All Week: $511 ($73 a day for each additional day)
• One Evening dinner and drinks: $54
• One day drinks only: $27
• One daytime for breakfast/lunch/ drinks until 5 PM: $45

Personally, I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that. Let me tell you how GREAT this location is. You can walk to a great supermarket (The Epicurean) and cook meals in. We did this a lot. PLUS there are many nice restaurants all within walking distance.

Our favorite restaurants were:

• Coco's (at the south end of Jolly beach). By far, the best food, menu, value for the cost, and the best atmosphere and views.
• We also like the Gladiator Sports Bar located in the Grand Princess Casino, with buy-one get one everything until 8 PM.
• We liked Peter's for breakfast, and liked Mellini's Italian.
• Castaways was closed while we were there.
• These, plus about 2 or 3 more, are all walking distance from JBV.

In conclusion, I think JBV is a super resort in the best location, with very helpful staff. We never felt the need to rent a car and explore since there was enough there to keep us rested and happy for the week we were there.

I hope to get photos uploaded in a day or so, and will post here.

I never did see where JHR was located. Not sure if it's directly on the beach or on a finger of the harbor.

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Linda

 

[JudyS]

I spent just one day in Antigua as part of a cruise. I wasn't impressed by the main town, St. Johns, which seemed impoverished and not especially safe. However, there were some nice shops in St. Johns right by the cruise pier (Heritage Quay.) Antigua was having a crime wave at the time (this was about four months ago), although I think most of the targets were locals, not tourists. Not sure if the situation has improved any, although I imagine it is mostly St Johns that is affected.

We spent most of the day swimming at Dickenson Bay, which was lovely.

 

[elina]

Thanks so much, Linda, for your information about Jolly Beach Vacations. We're going there the week before X-mas this year staying also at the 2 bdr suites, just me and my husband, before going to St. Maarten for X-mas. There's been very little information about JBV on the Internet, seen lots of info about JBR though.

How was the pool area at the resort? In pictures it sure looks very beautiful. I'm really looking forward to this vacation, we just like to relax by the pool and beach, tour around the Island and maybe do some shopping. Did you rent a car? We've never rented a car in the Caribbean so don't know how easy it's to drive there. But don't want to spent a lot of money on taxis either. Are there any buses that go to the town (like in Aruba)?

I guess the next thing for us is to find a decent airfare from JFK to Antigua or St.Maarten which can be a bit of a problem since it's Christmas time...

Thanks again for your info, really appreciate it.

Elina

 

[Judy]

Thanks Linda for posting your detailed report.

You've answered all my questions

 

[susiequeve]

Glad to hear you enjoyed Jolly Harbour & Antigua. The beach there is absolutely beautiful isn't it??