Barbara

We were confirmed for the weekend at Beaches Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay, and surprise surprise, we've just been told that we need to be placed at one of their other properties because the place is closed for the weekend (or, did they bump us??). The other places available are Sandals Montego Bay, Dunns River Falls and Beaches Royal Plantation. The latter two are in Ocho rios I think. If we are flying into Montego Bay, how long will it take us to get to Ocho Rios -- will it blow two days, coming and going, such that we really will need to go to the Montego Bay property?<BR><BR>Is there recourse to being bumped? Its my 50th birthday, and I really didn't need this hassle -- it was supposed to be a wonderful, quick, easy get-away with my husband.<BR><BR>Thanks for any suggestions.

paula

Naaah, by bus from Mobay to Ocho Rios it is approximately 1.5 hours - depending on all kinds of things...a slow moving truck, animals on the road, etc. It is not a bad ride - you defitely do not want to stay in MoBAy - the planes are overhead constantly......go for Ocho Rios. We stayed at Royal Plantation when it was Ciboney - two kinds of accomodation....Great House (good size room in the main house) or villa... I have heard that DUnn's River site is VERY nice....

traveler

If I were you I'd take Beaches Royal Plantation...it is very luxurious and pampering. The best property in the Sandals/Beaches family! The food is great. It takes 1.5 hours from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios via shuttle van. You can fly for about $70 per person, one way and it will take about 1/2 hour. Enjoy your trip.

Barbara

Thanks for the recommendations. Can you tell me what the beach is like at the Royal Plantation. I've looked at a number of sites, and they show all the other features of the hotel, but not many of the beach, and what they do show looks more like a postage stamp-size area. Is there a nice beach there for sunning and what is the water like?

royal

One thing to consider is that people staying at Beaches Royal Plantation are offered free air trnsportation from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios. It's about a 15 minutes flight. When you check in at the &quot;Beaches&quot; desk, they will tell you when the next flight is leaving and you cand ecide whether to wait for the plane or to take the shuttle bus.<BR><BR>The beach is divided into two sections. Neither side is very big, but there is always plenty of room for people to spread out. The hotel has only 80 rooms, so it never felt crowded to me. We noticed that a lot of people sat didn't even go to the beach. They would appear at dinner, but never went to the beach. The water is very clear and the beach and water areas are very sandy. We sat on the beach every day from 10:00-4:00. The best thing is the flags that you put out to flag over the beach waitress. <BR><BR>This place is the real deal. People who hate all-inclusives will tell you this place is the same as all the rest. It's not. The only warning I would have is that this place is very quiet. There's no entertainment to speak of. If you're looking for relaxation and pampering, this is the place.

Frank

Ditto to what Royal just posted. Going from Sandals Royal Carib. to Beaches Royal Plantation is a big upgrade in rooms, service and overall quality. This place is meant to pamper even the most demanding guests. Sandals Royal Carib is more active and has swim up bars that BRP doesn't have. However, SDR and SOR are a quick shuttle ride away if you need more activities. Take the upgrade! It costs a lot more $ at BRP.<BR>