Our the bars we will stop at priced in JA or USA?
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Our the bars we will stop at priced in JA or USA?
We always pay in US dollars. & pub crawls so far. #8 and #9 scheduled for April
I paid in US and it was ok. If I had J I would have used it just the same. Probably better pricing. I paid about $4 plus a $1 tip per red stripe, times about 6 or 7 stops.
$4 a beer is stiff. I would use Jamaican money and you surely will do better than that. Outside of Ivan's I have not seen a beer price close to that. Some businesses do raise the price with the One Love bus comes along, so that might have something to do with it. They get charged per head, therefore it is passed on to the consumer.Quote:
Originally Posted by LivinInThe603
$4 seemed average, but most of the beer I purchased was at night at bourbon beach or Alfred's, or drifters, so I expected it was high. I know there are cheaper places along the beach. You might get better pricing with J, but honestly, everywhere I went was kind of a tourist place and everything was quoted in us, fueling the us v. J debate.
Just bringing Ja this trip and already know my go to places.Thanks for the info.!
When we were there I found that if they priced on their boards/menus in USD, they would convert the USD in real time (calculated the current exchange) to JAD if you paid in JAD; if they posted JAD prices on the boards or menus, the smaller places would do a 1:1 USD:JAD conversion (as in USD4 or JAD400). The bigger places brought out the calculators regardless. Guess it depends on how they are financed.
The economy sucks, and as the USD strengthens, all the rest of us are going to pay more for everything. Even at USD4 per Red Stripe, it's still cheaper than a freaking green pepper here ($6.15), and beer's more fun than a green pepper. Before we left on vacation, I was at a business function in a downtown hotel. I had a small-by-Jamaican standards rum and coke and it was $11.93 - without the tip. I only had 1 (found out after the boss was paying!) DRAT!!!! $4 a Red Stripe and $5.50 a rum punch looked mighty good to me PLUS they came with an ocean view and temps well above freezing. It's a trade off. Walk the beach and "plan" the happy hours! I think Yellow Bird starts the earliest.
It's still cheaper than home for us, so we were good! Plus the view and weather. It's nice to go for a drink or 6 without having to huddle into down parka. That's worth every penny!
And don't cheap out - tip the driver, the charming Lenbert! (The Love Bus itself is free! Can't beat that for a designated driver in Paradise!)
Most of the bars are local type joints to JA is always a good bet. No one will turn USD down, but you may receive JA in change or may pay an extra buck as some places do just convert 1:1.
Does Lenbert get that increased amount? If so, we are tipping the establishment on Lenbert's payment and then tipping Lenbert also?Quote:
Originally Posted by booger
It's not really an increased amount... The posted price was $4-5 us. So that's what I paid, just about everywhere I went. Some places were $3. I ow you can get cheaper beers elsewhere, but on the crawl that's what I paid.
Lenbert does pretty well, the pictures of his new house are amazing. Most people tip about $10 per person, give or take. I do t think he gets anything back from the bars. He seems pretty genuine in wanting to support his community. He's done quite a bit for Negril.
Lembert does not skim from the bars on each drink, no. You tip him at the end, we always give $10pp. The fuel costs in JA are crazy and he provides transportation, security, entertainment, education and above all fun!Quote:
Originally Posted by BeachTramp
Lembert is very active in Negril as far as the community goes as you stated. He works a lot with the folks on the different solutions for the the perceived beach erosion issue, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by LivinInThe603
$4 US for a Red Stripe is priced in the stratosphere. That is excessive pricing, plain and simple. Support the establishments that don't overcharge with your patronage and generous tips. It would be a shame if the One Love Pub Crawl gains a reputation for visiting establishments with excessive pricing.
300J for a cold Stripe anywhere in Negril should be about top price at a pub, roadside shop, bar! (All of this in my opinion).
FYI - always pay in J's if you want to save some money in Jamaica....
also places with US pricing tend be higher than places with prices in J's.......
at No Limit Bar the Red Stripe beers are $200J's.....across da street at Pee Wees dem beers are $250J's
and dat the most mi have ever paid for a beer here.......none of dat $4 and $5US pricing
and pay $300J's for a well drink......like a Rum and Coke/Pepsi.......no need to pay more here if you smart
Cool Runnings, Marko
Well said Marko!
Yup, I set my limit at $3 unless I am at Ivan's or something like that. I always ask first as well. I have not noticed excessive pricing on the Pub Crawl and I don't believe Lembert would participate in that. We have gotten the happy hour pricing at Sea Star on the crawl and paid usually $3 everywhere else. It has been awhile since we have done the crawl though, it has gotten so big and popular that its a bit crowded for us.Quote:
Originally Posted by sunray
That's it basically. He has a good gig going for himself, I respect the ingenuity.Quote:
Originally Posted by BeachTramp
*I'm editing this because I don't want Lenbert to be unfairly judged, if in fact I have it wrong. Even if I was right, still nothing wrong with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by RonMon
Are you certain that is happening? I would hate to see that put out there if it isn't true. As I said before we have not done the crawl in three years but when we did we got happy hour pricing and then paid normal price at Xtabi, No Limit, etc. This past trip we ran into the group at the Sunset Bar I believe it was called deep on the West End and we only paid normal pricing.Quote:
Originally Posted by TAH
No, I can't say it's something that I have personally witnessed so maybe I should lighten my insistence. It's just something that I've seen posted by a couple of posters here and on TA, but they're individuals that I "trust" about as much as you can someone on the internet. I do want to stress though, that I don't see anything wrong with it.
Really, anyone is free to do their own pub crawl, but doubt very much you will get a ride to 6-7 bars and back home for 10.00 per person. 6 of one and half a dozen of another! Fun times come at a cost and a great crew on one of the One Love Pub Crawls is priceless, no???
I don't see anything right with it!Quote:
Originally Posted by TAH
I don't know the dynamic at work with the One Love Pub Crawl Bus, and don't want to speculate on who benefits from the higher prices, but I would not want to patronize an establishment that temporarily raises prices because a busload of tourists pulls up.
(I have witnessed this happen on JUTA shuttles from the Sangster airport to Negril, and I don't buy anything at a shop if I believe they have inflated prices based on the customers they see before them). In fairness to JUTA shuttles, they have also stopped at shops that don't raise their prices.
I have a friend on the island and we had dinner with Lembert on my last trip. I will ask my friend if there is any truth to this issue. I truly don't know, I have not seen any evidence of it myself.
If the average person tips Lenbert $10, he's doing well for himself, much better than your average Jamaican in my opinion. If he also gets kickbacks from the bars, he's doing even better and a smart businessman.
It's really no one's business what his business model is.
Haven't done the crawl in a few years but the last time we did in 2014 there was at least one bar that was inflating prices for the crawl and my understanding is it was addressed and doesn't happen anymore, at least at that location.
Done the bar crawl almost since it started ,at least once per visit and twice per visit a couple of times.Had a great time and met many awesome people who we share bar crawls with yearly.It is pretty much all about the fun,the laughter and the comaraderie and for new folks getting to see places they never knew existed on the westend.Everyone has their own thing and it is not for all but we know a lot of people that we talked into trying it that go every trip now.To each his own as long as everyone has respect!See some of you the last week in April!
Agree billndonna! We are doing it twice the last week in April. Sunday and Wednesday. Since we are doing Sunday we will miss the boardie bash at Drifters.
Just did my first bus crawl recently, had a blast of course, will return.
$0 to get on, maybe pay a likkle xtra at the bar, tip what you want at the end, no problem mon.
At one stop, a young boy looking for a handout sang me a Jamaican lullaby his grandmother taught him, highlight of my trip. :cool:
I guess we need to hit the Weds. bar crawl,hate to miss out on that!Quote:
Originally Posted by gregandkelly63
I'm thinking Wednesday is my day too! I'll be at drifters Sunday.Quote:
Originally Posted by billndonna
The price of the taxi rides to enjoy this one of a kind excursion exceeds the deal you pay for the pub crawl.............
Really don't care if Lenbert has "someting worked out" with the bars he stops at. On our last pub crawl, we stopped at a new likkle bar called "D Hot spot" I tink. It's right by Red Dragon, and a few of the negril regulars ran over to Red Dragon right away to have a drink there. Lenbert did not like that at all, and scolded them a likkle bit. Lenbert is trying to spread the wealth around, and I suppose it doesn't look good if his pub crawl riders immediately go to the closet bar on the da trip. Over-all what he is doing is a great idea, to let some of the AI people start to see some of the "real" Jamaica, and for some of these small bars get a boost in their beer & rum sales. A win-win situation, and a heckof a good time to boot. Rock on Lenbert! Great tunes on the bus as well.... whoop whoop! It's a party mon'
You can always bring your own, last time I went I had a large insulated cup filled with aged Appleton and ginger beer and just got some more rum at one of the stops.
Some bars will not allow you to 'bring your own'. For instance; Seastar a regular stop for the drunk bus has a sign that says no outside food or drink beyond this point, or something similar.
Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. We didn't go to Seastar on the last crawl, no other place had any problem, of course they were swamped with business at the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big_frank
It's not uncommon for a driver/tour guide to get a "kickback" for directing tourists to certain businesses. Case in point - the JUTA bus driver who always stops at his favorite bar on the way to Negril.
On one trip, our driver kept suggesting that we try Sweet Spice. We finally decided to give it a go. After walking into the restaurant with us, the driver went over to the counter and was given a free smoothie. That's fine with me, as long we still paid the regular menu prices and weren't charged any extra.
The kickbacks happen everywhere. I always assumed that Lembert got something from the pubs, I just didn't think the price was raised on the drinks as well. I still don't know if that is the case or not as no one seems to have direct knowledge.
Today I stopped at Drfiters, Alfred's and Boat Bar on the beach and the price at all three was 350 JA
Lenbert has created an amazing product that has entertained and enlightened tourists and provided a stimulus and incentive for Local mom and pop businesses. I embark every trip and always learn something new each time. If places gouge, than the marketplace will respond. One stop saw the beer prices at the regular price even though it was Happy Hour. PubCrawlers noticed. Sales were not good. I wouldn't want my job compensation scrutinized by strangers.
How do you think Lenbert thinks about all this? If you don't like what is offered then don't buy. If you don't like his choice of places then don't go. We are all just visitors to another people's home. They live and work together year round so they do what is necessary so everyone can eat.Quote:
Originally Posted by dash
As you said,I am not saying this just to you, dash, but to the thread in general.Quote:
Lenbert has created an amazing product that has entertained and enlightened tourists and provided a stimulus and incentive for Local mom and pop businesses
Peace and Guidance
????So Accompong, you are repeating and agreeing with what I said??