Considering Jamaica vacation with kids 13 and 16. Looking for best pool and beach combo and activities.

Beaches Negril has a beautiful pool and great activities plus one of the better beaches in the Caribbean. There is also Renaissance Grande in Ocho Rios that attracts alot of families and the pool there is very neat!

Hi, Penny<BR>Yes, I also vote fro Beaches Negril.

Been to Jamaica lot's of times. Be careful with kids, as they will be offered Pot numerous times a day. I've seen teenage kids of all ages offered weed by the people who wander the beaches, as well as the security and hotel staff of many of the major all inclusives (Riu, Couples, etc). If you don't mind your kids smoking a little "weed", then no proooblem, maaannnn...<BR><BR>Eric

Eric,<BR>Being offered 'weed' and smoking it are two different things. We took our two pre-teens to Beaches Negril and felt completely safe. What a fabulous place!!!! They will love it. One of the parasailing guys offered to sell my husband pot but when he said, 'no thanks' it was, "No problem, mon!" We loved Jamaica and would go back anytime. You just can't beat the beaches in Negril.

The difference between pre-teens and teens is great. Your pre-teens probably weren't offered Pot at all. Teenagers will be offered pot dozens of times per day (far more than you or your husband). If you let your teens out of your sight, they will be offered weed, coke, XTC, mushrooms, etc. I personally witnessed this on my (3) past trips to Jamaica. While I'm not trying to scare anyone away from Negril, I just don't think I would bring my kids there (if I were a parent)... I even spoke to a few groups of high-schoolers while I was there last month. It was funny, once they opened up, how they all basically admitted to smoking pot while there, and how none of their parents knew about it at all... They loved their vacation, but it did make their parents seem a bit nieve. I used to teach high-school, and now teach college, and can attest to the fact that teenagers parents often seem to be (blissfully) ignorant of their kid's activites.<BR><BR>Eric<BR><BR>Eric

Eric your a teacher and you can't spell naive? Now that scares me more than the pot sellers/smokers in Jamaica!

Dear XXX: Does my spelling error really scare you ?? Sorry if you are scared. I teach music at a college, and yes, like others, sometimes type faster than I think... Don't you have anything better to do than play "spelling police"? <BR><BR>By the way, don't you mean "Your'e a teacher"? (instead of "your"). <BR><BR>Get a hobby...<BR><BR>Eric

Ijust want to point out that if you're worried about your teenager in Jamaica, then you should probably be concerned at home as well. My daughter tells me all that goes on in our local middle school and it's not much different than in Jamaica - the main difference is that the people offering it at home are "friends" and likely people they trust. I'm a travel agent and have been to Jamaica many times. I'm not worried about taking my daughter there because I'm confident that she can do there what she would do at home if she so desired.

I'm not so sure I agree with the previous post. I teach in a public school, and I've been to Jamaica. Huge difference. If my kids were being offered drugs as often as in Jamaica, I would switch schools.