absolutely love your trip report. it sounds and looks amazing. the kids are adorable and i love the two shots of the girls, one in the sea and one on the blanket....too cute !! my son also adores meat patties, as a matter of fact i just ordered three dozen, lol, thanks for the website, marion.

we traveled often when our kids were toddlers, lugging, sweating, carrying....but it was ALWAYS worth it !! my children are young adults now, and we are still traveling !

thanks so much for a wonderful report.

happy travels !!

albee

Now I'm hungry for some jerk chicken and Ting. "Ting fever" -- love it. That stuff is addictive. I can understand why your son loves it. Can you find it in your area? We have it at a couple of grocery stores out here.

Marion - Patties... yum! I'm checking out that link too.

Great trip report! And your family is lovely!

We'll be there in 6 days! Can't wait! Makes me regret not bringing the kiddo just a tad....but not enough to change our plans...We need the alone time in a BIG WAY!

This will be our first trip to Negril, so if we like it we'll take the little munchkin along next year!

Hi Brett,
Thanks for posting such a great trip report with pictures! I imagine that travel day was brutal, but the outcome is so worth it. We just got back from STJ late last night and I can relate to the HOT factor. The days were really warm. Nothing a little beach time couldn't help though . Glad you had such a nice time after the long wait.

Welcome home Brenda !

Looking forward to your TR

I hope everything was wonderful for you and Gary

Marion

Thanks for the great reports... and the pics. The kids are adorable. It makes me want to return with the kids now. Jamaica is really a great place. Way to go for already booking the next trip.

CS: I LOVE the trip report! I bow to you and your wife for taking on this trip with all the kids!! They are ALL sooooooo cute by the way!! 7MB looks as beautiful as we've left it last year.

My parents were able to join us for 4 days during the tail end of our vacation. That seemed only fitting on my 20th anniversary of Negril trips as they were the ones responsible for my Caribbean affliction, in general, and love of Negril, specifically, with a trip to Negril in 1987. As much as Negril has changed over the years, so much has stayed the same. The moratorium on development being restricted to the tallest palm tree has helped the area maintain its tropical charm. Here are my parents toasting to 20 years of travel to Negril. http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AcMWTdi5ctU
We feel two weeks is the perfect length for our trips to Negril. We are usually pretty ready to get back to our normal routine after two weeks. One week is never enough.

Saturday came and it was time to go. It is always hard saying good bye to our old friends from former trips and to the new ones we make on each new trip. Of course it is never “good bye” for good. As our family grows we will most certainly continue to take annual trips, at the very least, to Negril. As a family destination, it is severely underrated. H did her best sand crab imitation http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AcMWTdi5ctU
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AcMWTdi5ctU
B loved the freeze pops left to us from some nice ladies from Toronto. http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AcMWTdi5ctU
and he loved going to Margaritaville to get his “landshark” outfit made by the balloon artiste! http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AcMWTdi5ctU

I want to thank everyone for their kind words and comments. If I can be of help to any of you in planning your trip to Negril, please don’t hesitate to ask. In addition to making our reservation for next May, J & I have decided to take a quick trip in September to celebrate our 5th anniversary. We are planning on taking the twins and leaving B & N home with the grandparents. Coco gave us a deal we couldn’t refuse!

As the Jamaican Tourist Board ad says “Once you go, you know”. http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AcMWTdi5ctU

Until then, I wish all of you safe travels wherever your plans and planes take you! Cheers! http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AcMWTdi5ctU

Fabulous report, Caribbean Soul.
The way you intersperse the photos and the text, makes me feel like I was right there with ya! Your family is beautiful - especially those happy grins!
Thanks very much.

CS great report! If all goes as planned we will be in Jamaica in July following our time in Mexico's Riveria Maya in June. Love the Carribean!

Hi Marion!
I still can't believe I goofed on calling you when you were here! #-o Oh well...next time.

CS,
I haven't gotten around to reading the rest of the Trip Report. I hope to do so later tonight.
I just wanted to tell you though that Ting Fever can usually be cured by visiting a West Indian or Jamaican grocery store. They'll usually carry Ting. But I think they usually sell out pretty darn quickly!

Awesome....I love all the pics. You are all certainly sporting that Jamaican tan on those last photos. September with the twins. Have a great return. You now have me looking at a fall trip. I don't think we can find sitters, but maybe a trip with the kids for a long weekend...hmmmmm. Thanks again for taking all of us on your trip through the photos.

Lovely photos and report. Your kids are so cute and I can tell they are having a blast!

Thanks everyone! I can thank Caribtravler for her photo integration idea. Her trip reports are the best!

Thanks again for all the kind compliments. It was a bit of a working "vacation", but worth every effort. I took almost 200 photos! This is a great site and the contributions by all of you are very valuable.

CS, As I read your report, I found myself thinking about how, why, and what makes a certain destination a favorite with a desire to return over and over. I think it is a wide range of factors.

Our family of ten was at CLP at Christmas a few years ago. Our opinions, I feel, were formed because of the holiday crowds. There was a HUGE group of long time friends with their families (and nannies) staying at CLP. I think it was their 16th year to celebrate the New Year together. Same place, same time. The best rooms. They totally took over the resort. CLP even let them have the bar on New Year's Eve to themselves. I understand "about" repeat guests. This group did not spend much time with their children, nor did they really want them to mix with our family. They couldn't keep them away when they saw how much fun my big kids and grandchildren were having trying to dig to China, and building in the sand. We were more than happy to include them. When we think about CLP, we think of this group. Fair to CLP? Of course not.
It was not one of our favorite family destinations.

Thanks for taking the time to post a terrific report. I enjoyed reading it and seeing your family. Owa

Sounds like you guys had a great trip.What a cute family you have.I really like the pictures of H&H in the sand. I am suprised that they liked the sand...at that age..my kids hated it.

We are off to Vieques tomorrow!!I cannot wait!

Take care!
Christie

Jamaica in Maine for Marion:

1) On Rt.1 in Cape Neddick, the little
Jamaican roadside take-out has reopened for summer, with patties (made in
Brooklyn by the main Jamaican Stateside
purveyor, jerk, curry goat and Ting (in GLASS bottles).

2) A 'care package' is slowly winding
its way up from island to you so you
can picnic JA style while watching
the shenannigans at Walkers Point....

Always the gentleman, Tiverton comes to the rescue to ease Marion's island fever

JAGIRL: I am looking for a good jerk sauce recipe. Do you know of any? I made an excellent one last weekend….but it is more of a marinade. Do you have any recipes that resemble a smoother, sauce like recipe? Best in the West, in Negril, has my favorite sauce and it resembles that smoother style.

tivertonhouse
I always wondered about that place on route 1, I was a little scared, there never seems to be much action there...we will definately have to check it out, thanks