ramjet

Message: well all i can say is if your willing to shell out 400-600 a day for a place that can best be described as worn, weathered and wrapped up in its self (me thinks ole butch has pulled the wool over alot of peoples eyes with his glossy photos and ultra (lol) slick advertising. but no matter whose opinion you get there will always be the poor soul who sugar coats sandals to death (check out web site tropictravelonline) and are willing to overlook the poor service, below average food, chancy watersports activities, the joke of premium liquor, and overall bad value. These idiots are willing to give their money to this overpriced organization for some "rest and relaxtion". Sandals says all you need is love; well you better bring it with you because it will be the only thing to get you through. I feel sorry for these people but you know my grandfather said its bad to be blind in one eye but still possible to be stupid in the other. Carry on Butch, but I for one am on to your game.<BR><BR><BR>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR>

ramjet

goober, I would say something about your name but... if you had read my post dummy, thoroughly, I said love was the only thing I had. Now as I remember it we did stay in the room alot! (because of the inadequate resort)

maya

Expectations.<BR>It's always about expectations.<BR>The more research you do before a trip, the more likely you'll anticipate what to expect. <BR>Were you expecting more than what you got, RJ?<BR>What were you comparing to?<BR>That is, have you been to other all inclusives which better met your expectations? Which ones?

Maureen

We have been to Sandals Antigua several times and were happy but during our last stay (early December) we noticed how service had become poor. The entire week we were there these things did not work: two jacuzzis were so cold you could not use them and no one adjusted them although requested, phones did not work, air conditioner did not work--changed rooms --the second A.C. hardly worked and they fixed the A.C. the LAST day we were there. When we were at the bar near the beach, several vendors asked us for food. So, Sandals you must look at your problems the entire year and not give poor service in the off season. Everything else was very good--the cuisine, the staff etc. but when you're paying a lot of money at a resort you want good service. You lost a good customer, we won't be back.

jan

I don't know about what Sandals used to be like since we've only been there once, but i'll agree that for the money, it just isn't worth it. Unless you're a huuuuge drinker, you could stay at a 4 or 5 star hotel, eat and play for the same price (at least in Jamaica) as Sandals. We stayed at a 5 star hotel, then moved to Sandals and regretted the move because when we got down to nickels and dimes, our 4 days at Sandals cost the same as our 4 days at the 5 star hotel (including food, drink, activities). <BR><BR>It was a good trip, but I just didn't see what the big deal was about the place. Luxury wise, it's definitely not the Ritz (not even a couple steps below the Ritz). In my younger days, I visited Club Med. I found that at Sandals, the rooms were better, but the food and service were about the same. Club Med's staff was much friendlier and more fun as well.

anon

How about tacky too. Their precious "Sandals" logo is on everything. Yuk!

a Travel Professional

Even though I am a Certified Sandals Specialist, I usually sell away from Sandals. People expect it to be like the Tv and Magazine Ads or their Brochures. It is not.<BR>The food is not as good as other AI's, nor is the Service. Some rooms are run down. There are others such as the Superclubs, Couples or Riu Resorts that are better.<BR>Many of the AI's in Mexico are much nicer at Half the Price.<BR>Also Sandals just did a reorganization and screwed a lot of Long Time Employees.

ramjet

maya, what were my expectations? My trip averaged out without airfare to be about 470 a day. Maya, surely you have traveled and know what that amount will get you ANYWHERE. For that amount i did not expect sloooooow service, an average looking room, only THREE choices of beer (two were DRAFT), no choice cuts of beef, a few minutes of water skiing, hassle after hassle from the locals, a smell I couln't quite pinpoint, run down golf, NO entertainment, a debris free walk to my room, a CHOICE of premium liquor, NOT being able to get in one of the nicer resturants, need I go on? And by the way Maya I travel alot, Ive seen alot, Ive experienced the BEST alot, and Sandals is far, far from it.

Maya

Your last post provides evidence that you know what kind of experience CAN be had at a nice resort.<BR>And you're right, that at close to $500/day, you can enjoy some very nice places.<BR>Had you read anything about Sandals before you went?<BR>The reason I ask is that I've never been to an AI because I know they're not my style. Don't have to spend the money to find out. I've read and heard enough to know that the kind of service, room quality, food and freedom I want on vacation simply aren't available in any Caribbean AI.<BR>I'm wondering if maybe you're not in the same camp, ramjet.<BR>Have you ever been to an AI that met all your expectations?<BR>If your standards are quite high, I question whether you can satisfy your expectations at an AI.<BR>That's not a criticism in any way.

ramjet

Goober, Whats a Branson?, sounds like something you'd find a GOOBER in. As for Myrtle Beach the beaches are a hell of lot nicer looking than ANY Sandals beaches I've seen! At least you dont have to share it with a local constantly yelling at you.

tivertonhouse

RAMJET, you're spot-on about Sandals, but the luridness alone of the ads shoulda been a tip off. Why repeat travelers to island recommend Sandals is a mystery to anybody who knows Jamaica -- which has far better alternatives for holidays outside AI land, including but not limited to price.

excitable

Regional Note: Most Southerners recognize the terms goober and goober pea as other names for the peanut. Goober is related to Kongo or Kimbundu n-guba, “peanut.” The word is especially interesting as one of a small stock of African language borrowings brought over by slaves. Most of these words have to do with the food items imported from Africa for the slaves to eat. In this category are gumbo, “okra,” which is of Bantu origin, and yam, which is of West African origin. The noun cooter is related to the Mandingo word kuta and the Tshiluba word nkudu, both meaning “turtle.” Cooter is still used in South Carolina, Georgia, and the Gulf states to denote the edible freshwater turtle of the genus Chrysemys and, by extension, other turtles and tortoises

Jung

Hey 'excitable'.<BR>You need to go to a psychology or psychiatry text and look up the definition of the term 'tangential speech'.<BR>Your picture appears there right next to the definition.

ramjet

Tivertonhouse, Thanks, all I'm trying to be is helpful to someone who might consider a Sandals property, as facts dictate a response from me because too many people accepy midiocrity in todays world but I for one think people should stand up to mega resorts like Sandals. Its all about value and honesty.

wow

What concerns me is what the travel professional said about Sandals.

Island Girl

My only Sandals experience is the Royal Bahamian in Nassau which the ads rate as the best of the Sandals lot. It wasn't worth the money. It was nice but I had a better time at Compass Point even without the All Inclusive aspect.

tangirl

We stayed at sandals royal bahamaian in Sept. and we could not believe how run down the place was. They upgraded our room so we could have room service and a full bar in the room, which was nice. Our room was the best part of the trip. The food was a 5 on a scale of 1-10. The bar staff was always rude, they did not have an outside bar in the evenings. Who wants to go to a warm weather destination and sit inside of an english style pub? NOT US!!<BR>They closed the outside swim up bar at about 630-7pm every evening.<BR>The places to eat were filthy, wall paper torn and the floors looked as though they hadnt been washed in months. You pay a lot of money to stay at Sandals. In my opinion, not worth the money. The wine list sucked.<BR>We have also been to the sandals in Negril. We enjoyed it. I'm not sure if it was because of all of the ganja that clouded our opinion!!

Maureen

I went to Sandals in Antigua last year and one of the things I was unprepared for (and the brochures and ads don't show) is how much I was hassled on the beach right in front of the property. Vendors thought nothing of coming and sitting on my lounge chair to try and sell me stuff. I really wasn't impressed.

Mike

Goober-three, you obviously have a problem with reading comprehension.<BR><BR>Stick it out, buddy, and go back and get that GED you missed out on back in the 1970's. You can do it! Then you can stop pumping gas for a living.<BR><BR>Ramjet was complaining that the resort failed to meet his standards. You are saying his standards are too low.<BR><BR>Get it? You missed the whole boat, gumby.

ramjet

Thanks Mike and all you other people; Now lets all forget about goober; people like him try their best to irritate and cause anger when in fact they are just internet clowns and exist everywhere. I hope that with my post somebody out there sees that for your hard-earned money Sandals is just not the A1 they used to be and there are much better vacations in the caribbean that can be had which is obvious to the posts i've seen. Thanks again, I'm done for now and I TRULY hope that everybodys vacation is what dreams are made of!