susanbratwurst

The splash academy dailies for each age group are posted here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2055428

I leave on Saturday for GA. Splash Academy hours on Sea days are a little annoying based on comparing them to the regular Dailies. Many reviewers have complained about missing events that are geared toward adults because they are only offered during times Splash Academy is closed (noon to 2 and 5 to 7). Port days are more flexible.

Thanks for the information, very helpful. One point of clarification you stared decks 9/10 and 12 have the largest balconys. Logic would say 9/10 and 11. Was that a typo or is there something strange that would make 11 smaller than 10 an 12?

It's about 30 minutes. Hilton rose hall is about 20.

Is there any benefit one over the other of the aft cabins in the dead middle vs the ones closest to the aft haven suites located on the corners?

Sunset Grande in Ocho Rios has been sold to another hotelier and is closing for remodeling. Depending on when your cruise is you may want to check into other options. Guests who are booked to stay at this resort are being relocated to other properties.

Even Scott the GM of the resort doesn't know with any amount of certainty...things run on island time. It gets done when it gets done mon. :p

Projections are not before the first of the year. Even without the water park I would encourage you to book this resort if you are looking for a beach/pool day with good food and drinks included. Its a nice resort.

Cricket cruiser, I will be on this same sailing. There is a fb page set up as well as a cc roll call. Someone has also organized a meet and greet on Sunday.

I have stayed at both resorts as a guest for a week. Hilton rose hall is going to be closer than sunset beach. By about 20 to 30 minutes. Hilton is a much nicer property and their drinks are much better. The lazy river is great. Sunset beach is an older property, still good food but very bottom shelf alcohol. Service much better at Hilton. Neither one has a great beach as the north side of the island is not known for its beaches.

About equal distance from Falmouth as sunset beach but in the opposite direction is jewel runaway bay which also does day passes. If you are looking for a great beach you will want to go here. It's a great resort with good food and drinks and amazing service. It feels like a resort. Hilton feels more like a hotel with a couple pools.

Reggae tours is still very much in business. I have used them 20 plus times when on the island Gregg Connell is the owner, and they have a website. If you contact them directly they will customize a day trip for you if you decide not to go the resort route.

Hope that helps.

Wondering if you can get a mimosa in the MDR on debarkation day. We are sailing on the Getaway and it is a tradition to have a couple mimosas at breakfast on our last day. Just wondering if I need to bring a bottle on board for this purpose or if we can order them that morning.

The manager of jewel is an active poster on trip advisor. The waterpark is not open yet.

Thank you for solving the mystery. I just noticed that also. Mine says amo50. Not sure what the amo stands for. I also have dincgn, dinlac dinleb which I assume stands for dining cagneys, le bistro and la cucina, as we got these as part of our booking. Gratuities that were included with the booking aren't showing anywhere. They were part of a promotion with the big box place I booked through. Does anyone know how that usually shows up or is it applied as a credit on your account once you are on board.

rsullivan, I am referring to ordering an orange juice or cranberry juice at the bar. My son does not drink soda, but thought I had seen this as an add on to the soda package.

Thanks for the info about it only being available for purchase in the atrium on the first day. I will make sure to ask there specifically.

I recall reading somewhere that you could upgrade the soda package to include juice from the bars for $3.00 per day. Now I can't find anything. Did I imagine this? Was it a previous option and now it isn't?

I tried searching the threads but got bored after reading 20 posts about what type of juice is available in the buffet.

There isn't the option on the NCL website when ordering the soda package which leads me to believe it is an option that no longer exists, but wanted to check.

Thanks

I buy those springy bracelet key chains from the dollar store and use those. Just put it around my arm. Use a lanyard for my son, but I feel a little less silly with the arm thing than the lanyard around my neck.

I suspect we are perhaps dealing with a little British humor? Pants vs trousers?

Mitsugirlu, love your reviews. Been lurking on them. Hilton is beautiful, the landscaping is amazing and my son and I spent hours and hours on the lazy river. It's a tough choice. Can't go wrong with either. Price difference for a family would definitely be a tipping point.

I've stayed at both of these resorts....for a week each. Hilton has a really cool lazy river and some slides, jewel does not (they are building a water park but on Jamaica time won't be done before the end of the year). Hilton has a tiny swim up bar in the waterpark area, jewel has a nice infinity pool with swimup bar overlooking the ocean. Drinks are better at Hilton, jewel has a bar right on the beach which Hilton does not. Beach is WAAAAYYY better at jewel. Hilton beach is dismal. Food is about the same at each with the edge maybe going to jewel as their pizza place has great woodfire pizza and the grill has great jerk nachos (not on the menu hut ask for them). Hilton is slightly closer to Falmouth but only by about ten minutes.

If I had one day and had to choose I would pick jewel. Hilton felt a little too much like a Hilton that could be anywhere. Jewel had a little bit more Jamaican charm and friendlier service.

Hope that helps!

Sunset beach in Montego Bay is an all inclusive that has a nude beach on the far end of their property. There is a beach bar nearby but you will need to put clothes on to get a drink. There is no beach chair service.

N resort in Falmouth is an all nude resort very close to the pier, but the resort is currently closed, or will be closing soon and it's future is unknown. Other options are in Negril which is going to be too far for a quick day trip.

Just as an FYI time and place is closed, and the former breezes trelawny reopened as royalton white sands about 10 months ago. I believe they offer day passes if you contact them directly. If you are looking for a nice beach, jewel runaway bay is about 30 minutes from Falmouth, has the best beach on the north coast and sells day passes.

thanks everyone. Going through insuremytrip it had a "if you are going on a cruise...." instructions. It specified country of first port...with a generic option for Caribbean.

When getting a quote for travel insurance it asks you to select a destination country and depending on what you select a State. Since a cruise is multiple countries, do you just select the State where you are embarking from?

I stayed at this resort for a week last summer. It has a great beach, three pools, decent food and a nice lobby bar and beach bar. Great pizza at the sit down pizza place by the lobby, and the jerk nachos at the grill are amazing.

Note that grand palladium is actually an hours drive from Montego Bay.

Lrgpizza I too was going to joke and say coffee and a smoke on my balcony but figured that fell under the category of "too soon". Ha ha

This really depends on your idea of luxury. I stayed in the highest cabin category on ncl jewel, and while really nice, that experience wasn't even what I would classify as luxury vs some land vacations I have taken.

With that being said....I have had some of my most fun vacations on cruises. Fun and luxury are two different things. I will take fun over luxury any day. With that being said, if you lower your expectations regarding luxury.....sorry, small cabins, buffets, main dining rooms and jostling to get off the ship during debarkation are not ones overall definition of luxury if you have experienced land based definition of luxury and pampering, you will have a great vacation and memories for a lifetime..