Reports by:
Brenda

Royal Decameron Montego Bay, Jamaica, Darrell and Brenda, Halifax, NS

My husband and I have just returned from our vacation in Jamaica. We stayed at the Royal Decameron Montego Bay, May 9-16/10. This was our first trip to Jamaica but I don’t think it will be our last. Would we go back to the Royal Decameron Montego Bay? Yes we would. We have also been to Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

We flew out of Halifax direct to Montego Bay with Nolitours on a Canjet plane. Flights were very smooth both ways. On the way to Jamaica we were given a breakfast type meal. Yogurt, Scone (pretty dry), banana and I think there was a little something else (can’t remember, should have written this as soon as I got back, lol) They also offered Champaign and OJ. On return, the meal was a pretty tasty chicken cold cut sandwich, cookies and an apple. They also offered a complimentary glass of wine. The departure tax was included in our AI package.

It was really nice just having a 5-minute drive to the hotel from the airport. The Montego Bay airport is bigger than it looks. Anyone with mobility issues should arrange for a wheelchair. We had quite a walk from the plane to the Customs/Immigration area. After you pass through them, you go pick up your luggage and go through another checkpoint. I think it took less than an hour from the time we landed until we arrived at the hotel. Beer at the airport was $8 US

The resort is small and everything is easily accessible. This resort may not be for everyone, but it was the perfect choice for us. Check in was quick and we found the front desk staff to be very friendly and professional. We were given our bracelets and towel cards ($20 if you loose your towel). We got the safe key ($100 replacement fee if lost) when we got the room key. We arrived before noon, and our room was not ready until 3:00 (which we expected). We went and got something to eat at the buffet and I found a nice spot under a palm tree to have a snooze. Hubby went exploring. There is a room that they will lock your luggage in while you are waiting for your room.

We were given room 14 in the two floor building (looking at the ocean, to the right of reception). The view was beautiful. This was in the older building in the quiet sections of the resort. Our room was a ground floor room with French doors facing the ocean and a back door that opened onto a walkway garden area. We entered our room through the French doors. Our room had a patio on the front that faced the ocean and it was large enough to hold four chairs. The room was large and well kept. We had two double beds. (I think it was time to change the mattress, a few springs could be felt). I did have a good sleep but awoke sore. The room was clean, no mold, no bugs, no bad smells, no worries, plenty of hot water and the shower pressure was perfect. There is an in room safe in the large closet, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, phone, table with two chairs, armoire with three drawers, TV and one table between the beds. The clock seemed to have a mind of it’s own, I couldn’t figure it out. I just hit the button until it stopped buzzing. Lol The A/C worked great. There was a counter with a chair and mirror across from the sink area (which had a mirror also) of the bathroom. The tub/shower and toilet were in a separate room. We did not need our converter for the plugs. There are several English TV channels, including movies. Bottled water supplied to the room. The room only had one picture on the wall (the size of the room probably could have used one or two more). All in all the room was fine except for the mattress and even that was not a deal breaker.

As for weather, the days were simply gorgeous. We had one day that had rain for 2 hours in the morning and a couple of 5-minute showers on one or two other days. The rest of the week was sunny with the odd clouds passing by. Make sure you bring sunscreen, I saw a lot of sunburned people.

The RDMB has a boardwalk that runs the entire length of the property. The actual beach areas are not that large but they are sufficient unless you like the mile long type beaches. You can enter the water pretty easily. Watch for a couple of rocks. We took water shoes but didn’t need them in the water. I wouldn’t put my feet down if you are swimming off the beach unless you look under the water first. There are huge spiny urchins just waiting for you to step on them. The RDMB also has areas of sand that have shade huts. You enter the water from a ladder off the boardwalk or dive/jump in in this area. There are also two areas with sun beds (no shade) along the boardwalk. I would classify the snorkeling immediately in front of the resort as snorkeling for beginners. The fish are small but there are plenty. I think this is the nursery area. There are corals and other sea life to look at also. Dive boats left the resort frequently to take the divers out to the reef. There is also a Glass Bottom Boat that you can take directly from the resort.

There are two pools. The larger pool has a swim up bar. I didn’t spend any time at the pool so I cannot comment on pool activities. There is a Jacuzzi. There was a board posted by the lobby that highlighted the day’s activities. We did not take part so I cannot comment.

Nightly entertainment – I get up early in the morning so I am usually gone back to the room long before the entertainment starts.

There are three bars at the RDMB, the lobby bar, the beach/swim up bar and a bar beside the buffet in front of the entertainment stage. Make sure you ask for Appleton rum. Bar shots, beer, frothy, blender drinks. Some drinks were better than others. The Margarita didn’t taste like it had Tequila in it. Try them all and then you can pick your favorite. : ) My husband liked the beer, it was on tap.

We only ate at the Buffet. We had no problem finding food. Breakfast was great, lots to choose from. Bacon, sausages, egg station, pastries, fruit, yogurt, cereal, etc etc. Lunch was good also. There was always something in chicken, pork and fish, vegetables, rice, salads, no shortage of fresh fruit, deserts, breads and rolls. Supper – Fish, Chicken, Pork, beef, vegetables, rice, pasta, salads, fruit, etc. Great deserts. Lots of selection, we never got tired of it.

If you did not want to eat at the buffet, at lunch there was a menu you could order from at the beach grill. If you want to eat at the restaurant, you booked in the buffet on the morning of the night you wanted to go. They had menus available at the buffet so you could preview the choices.

They had computers (fee) in the lobby but I did not use them.

There were kayaks, peddle boats and a hobbie cat. Someone came by with wave runners ($). There is a dive shop.

We hired Zipp, Juta tours to take us on a few outings. We had him drive us up into the mountains to get a feel for the countryside. We also went to the Luminous Lagoon. If you go to Jamaica, this is a must see. Simply awesome! We also had Zipp take us to Dunn’s River Falls. This was the first time we have hired a private taxi to take us on a tour, we preferred it to the organized big bus tours. We will certainly be doing this again on future trips. Zipp is great and I highly recommend him. He is a safe driver and takes pride in giving his guest a pleasurable trip. You can find him across the street from the RDMB. Ask for him at the guard booth, he is well known.

We also did lunch at the Montego Bay Margarittaville. We ordered the pizza, one pizza is too much for one person, you can easily split it between two or three people. The prices were not overly expensive for a tourist spot. Prices in the gift shop where a little on the high side IMHO.

This is the first vacation I have taken in about five years that I came home without any insect bites. I don’t know if it was because I spent very little time on the sandy beach or because I was not out after dark for very long. I also put bug spray on before I went to supper.

Overall, we had a great vacation. The Royal Decameron Montego Bay is a great place. It is in the perfect location, just steps away from the “Hip Strip.” For those that don’t know what the is, it is a street that is full of gift shops, places to eat and other stores. The strip is patrolled by Courtesy Cops and tourists are as safe as you are anywhere else. Use your common sense when leaving the resort and stick to the main drag and you will be fine. You can easily do day trips to Negril, Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay, etc from this spot. The resort is very close to the airport so you will see planes landing frequently throughout the day. We didn’t mind the sound of the planes, you didn’t even notice it after the first day. A couple of nights when we came back from supper the runway lights were already off meaning no more flights would be arriving or departing that night. We could look out of our door and see planes flying by the room.

We personally had a great vacation and we have no complaints about the resort. We would go back if the opportunity presents itself and we would have no problem recommending this resort to family and friends.