Sandals Royal Caribbean – The Perfect Long Weekend
By: Rebecca JonesMarch 20, 2018It had been over eight years since my husband, Paul, and I had been on a vacation without our kids, and I was ready to just get away. Don’t get me wrong, my kids are amazing and family-time is my favorite time, but I wanted to have a few days with just “us.”We decided to take a long weekend in December 2016 and travel to Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Neither of us had been to Jamaica, and it was the perfect time to go, with winter looming around the corner.At the airport, we got through Customs, and our complimentary shuttle arrived. It was a 30-passenger bus that stopped at all three Montego Bay-area Sandals resorts, including Sandals Inn and Sandals Montego Bay. A benefit to staying in this area is that you can stay at one resort, but you have access to all three resorts in the area for dining and activities.When we arrived at Sandals Royal Caribbean, we were greeted with cool hand towels to refresh ourselves and cocktails to start the vacation. The lobby was open-air and gorgeous, with comfortable seating to relax in while we waited. We were escorted to our beachfront room by a friendly porter, who showed us the restaurants and available activities along the way.
Our room had a king-sized bed, which is standard in all rooms at Sandals resorts. There was a bathroom with a shower, nice-sized closet, safe, tv with a few US channels, coffee service, and the fridge was stocked with various juices and sodas. The best part of the room, though, was simply its location. We were about 4 feet from the beach and sand in our toes. It was so easy to get anywhere on property, and I loved sitting on the patio watching the ocean.During our weekend, my husband and I slept in each day, something we never get to do when we have our children with us. We were able to relax and lay on the beach, and enjoyed Royal Caribbean’s private offshore island one morning.
At Sandals Resorts, the experience is truly all-inclusive. The food, snacks, drinks, everything was included in our stay. We didn’t have any out-of-pocket costs once we were onsite, not even gratuities. I enjoyed most of the food we had at the resort, but I wasn’t quite prepared for the laid-back pace of the service. Paul and I had a difficult time shedding our American pace for the slower Jamaican pace of life, and that did cause some frustration on our part, I have to admit. But, the servers were typically friendly and very accommodating.
The activities at Sandals resorts are also included. There were games to play, from chess and checkers to shuffleboard and lawn chess. There were pools and hot tubs, hammocks to relax in, and tennis and basketball courts. We could also go paddle-boarding, use a kayak, or take advantage of the two free Scuba dives per day, if we were certified. If we wanted to venture offsite and mingle with the locals, the front desk would call us a taxi, and there are also paid excursions for activities throughout the island that we could have reserved and experienced. One of the highlights of our trip was the time I spent at Red Lane Spa. My massage was heavenly!
On one evening, we went to Sandals Montego Bay, about a 10-minute drive away, using the shuttle that Sandals provides for guest use. The shuttle takes you between all three resorts, at scheduled intervals. This resort was gorgeous, although it was under construction at the time. We enjoyed sipping wine as the waves rolled in, then had a great dinner at the Asian grill restaurant there.All in all, our four nights in Jamaica went by quickly, but it was just what we needed. We had a quick getaway to reconnect and spend time together, as just the two of us. Sandals was the perfect location to do that.If you’d like more information about a Sandals vacation, please contact me at (325) 733-8399 or Rebecca@wishesfamilytravel.com. I’d love to chat with you!