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Club Caribbean 03/26/02
Reviewers Rating:  Great
My friend and I just got back from spending a week at Club Caribbean. Over all I would say that the resort was good, a good three star for sure. We flew Air Transat. Customs in Jamaica took about an hour. Then we were greeted by world vacations and taken to our bus. The bus was big and air conditioned. Make sure that you have a few one dollar bills to give the guys that help you with your bags. Some demand it, even if you are not prepared. The bus ride was over an hour and quite bumpy. It was a long ride after the flight and it being so late (11 PM) We arrived to the resort just before midnight and were greeted by staff with punch in wine glasses as we got off the bus. That was very nice. The check in did not take long at all. At first I was disappointed with the 'hut' that we had, we were suppose to have two double beds and when we got to our room there was a king and a single that was against the window. It looked very shabby and there were cracks in the door. We didn't bother to get another room, since the king bed was very big and we were too tired to move. ( I relaxed the next day and it was fine, just to use to things at home I think) We got changed and headed straight to the bar/disco and ordered a drink. The bartender there Greg was very nice and friendly. Snacks were being served in the buffet area, hamburgers etc, late at night. The food at the buffet was always good, not exceptional but good, with good choices and lots of fruit and salads. I must say that the breakfast's were always hearty, the omelettes were the best. Newton is really nice and will make you whatever type of omelette that you want. We ate at the thai restaurant and we both had the pad thai.....it was disappointing, basically it was spaggetti noodles with some garlic onions and peanuts. We didn't eat at the Italian restaurnat but heard that it was nice. The beach was pretty good. We wanted more of a private area and at either side at the end of the beach was great for that, you find more topless and nude bathers there. There are a lot of crabs and sea erchents in the water and on the beach, so be careful of that. There were alot of water sports and boats etc that you can take advantage of, we went on the diving boat with Donavan (he was very nice) The gardens are beautiful and very nice to walk around in. Banana and coconut trees outside your hut...I drank the milk from a coconut one day that a gardener got for me and cut open. We spent a lot of time at the swing bar in the afternoons, there is also a snack grill by the swing bar that serves hotdogs, burgers, fries and the chef there Shawn (I'll talk about him later) cooks up his own recipes of fish and jerk chicken etc, with his own jerk sauce. He is a great chef and a great guy. My friend and I got to talking to Shawn and he invited to take us in the 'real Jamaica' on his day off. We went for a walk outside the resort with him, and spoke to a friend of his and made arrangements to rent a car for the following day @ 45 US. On the walk we met his father and some of his friends and his brother Stretch. Very nice people. The area can be a bit scary and I wouldnt suggest that you go out on your own, but we felt comfortable with Shawn instantly and knew it would be alright. The next day, we met Shawn at the front gates at 8:30 am and went to the car rental place. Shawn took us to see his place, which was no bigger than a meduim size bedroom would be at best. He and his brother live there and he puts his brother through school. We spent some time hanging out and listening to music at his place for a while and then visited a school with 4 and 5 year olds. We had brought candy for them and they were very very happy just to see us and to have their picture taken. Shawn showed us so many places in Jamaica and told us history as well, we went to markets and up to Murphys Hill and to so many places it was great. He also took us to his mothers house which was not much bigger than his house. Neither one of them had washrooms (most don't) This part for me was the best part of the trip, we met so many nice people and learnt a lot. My mother was born in Jamaica and I always wanted to 'feel' my heritage.....the resort is NOT Jamaica, if you want to get a real feel to it you have to go out of the resort! Besides the tropical aspect of the resort, you could easily go to a spa for a week in Canada and have the same thing, but to really have the experience you need to mingle with the people. We ate the real Jamaican jerk at stands and patties in the small towns, there is absolutley nothing like it. The poverty is unbelievable and I would suggest to bring school supplies from the dollar store and such to leave with the kids. Candy is not a bad idea either. We brought school supplies and candy and my daughter (11 years) put together a suitcase full of books and toys and beanie babies etc. I knew the second day who I was going to give her things to. I met a waiter by the name of Barney (Barnswell), he was very very respectful and very polite and friendly. I felt that his friendliness was not a come on at all. (some of the waiters are looking to pick up some fresh tourists) Barney is an older guy who is married and has 2 kids, a twenty year old son that is left home now and a daughter who is nine. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to really sit down and chat with him too much (they keep them really busy) We met up with him the night before we left and we gave him the stuff for his daughter, and some cash. He was very very appreciative. We exchanged address's and we intend to send some things to him and his family every few months. The bar service was great and there was lots of booze, never had a problem with getting a drink. We went into Ochos Rios and to the market there, our driver Steve was very nice (we saw his house when we were out with Shawn and he lives in a mansion compared to the 'regulars') The market was a little over whelming, the people there are in your face at all times, but jsut walking away and politely saying no thank you, works. The nightly entertainment pulled out a party crowd every night and was pretty loud, but everyone had a great time, one night I remember it almost being like a concert, it was great. We went on the Martha Brae bamboo raft ride, that was awesome, we swam off the raft in the river. That was about an hour and a half ride. Very very cool. Funny thing, in the huts there is one picture on the walls. We noticed that in the middle of the vacation, that the maids changed the artwork, that was very neat. Tipping is very easy and much appreciated, just be discreet. Most of the people there make maybe a hundred a week american, so tips really help. You will know after a couple days who you are going to leave money to at the end of the trip. It is a 'close nit' kind of place, we met a few other people that we exchanged numbers with before we left. Not a lot of children maybe 5 %. Most of the staff were great, friendly and willing to help, just be polite with them and don't treat them any different and everything will be alright. The water there is great. You reaaly get into their 'relaxed' and laid back life style. My daughter was laughing at me the day after we came home, because i would get dressed, thenlie down, and brush my hair then sit down, it was very funny and took me over an hour to get out the door to do groceries, that usually takes me 10 minutes. I am still in slow motion but am picking up pace again quickly. We had such an expereince on this trip (our first to jamaica) that I will be bringing my daughter there next year, so that she can have the same exprience. At times it was very emotionally overwhelming (in a positive way) and you leave feeling very humbled. Hopefully I can carry that feeling with me for a very long time to come. If you have any questions, because I am sure that I havent posted the whole trip, just email me and ask. I will try and get my friend to post a review as well to see the different opinions between the two of us. One thing is for sure, we both had an AMAZING time. Tracey
Tracey
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