Sandals Vacation?

Question

My husband and I are planning a trip and I thought about going to Sandals Montego Bay. I know it is all inclusive, but how much money should we plan on taking for extras? I mean, should we plan for extra snacks or drinks that aren't included with the meals? Souvenirs? Pictures? Spas? Activities? Night events? I just want to make sure we have our bases covered and my credit card is ready!! Thanks for the advice in advance!

Answer 1

First, go to TripAdvisor.com and type in your resort name in the search area.  You will be able to read lots of reports written by previous visitors, view photos that some of them posted, watch videos by some of them, and in general learn a LOT about your resort.

Second, plan on as much as $100 (US) for tipping at the resort.  Most all inclusive resorts say they have a no tipping policy but most people tip the staff anyway.  You might want to take trips off the resort property and they often cost about $75 per person.  You will want to buy gifts for family and friends back home.  The best place for that is the airport on the way home.  They have a duty free area where you can buy rum, Blue Mountain Coffee, etc for such gifts.  Prices in Jamaica are about what you would pay at home so don't look for great bargains.  Also, take what you think you will need with you.  Such things as sunblock can be bought at the resort but cost is higher and selection is much more limited.  

Finally, take small bills with you.  You can spend US $ anywhere but Jamaican law requires they give change in Jamaican Dollars.  That is why small bills should be used.  Otherwise you will have a big handful of Jamaican Dollars and no place to spend them.

Answer 2

My boyfriend and I went to Sandals Grande Ocho Rios for spring break last year. It was wonderful. It was around $2,600 for both of us for five days, including airfare. We had a suite with a butler which I highly recommend. They are right when they say everything is included. The only thing we spent money on was a couple's massage on the dock at sunset (beautiful), the party boat to Dunn's River Falls, and a package of photos (which they take at every opportunity, but they did turn out well). Since we were only there for such a short time, we spent the whole vacation at the resort. I believe we paid an extra $700, including souvenirs at the airport. It was still a wonderful deal. I would definitely go back. All-inclusive is the only way to go. Have a great time!

Answer 3

Yes, check out trip advisor!  It's a great place for info.  We go to Negril and put our wallets away when we get there.  You don't have to pay for ANYTHING at the resort.  Souvenirs of course and they do offer special wines at a price, but the house wine and champagne are just fine with us.  We do give some tips at the end of our stay (discretely) for exceptional service but then again all of the service is usually exceptional.  You'll just love it!  Enjoy!