Negril 1st timer couple of questions

Hi boardies! First I want to say thanks to Rob for this site, I cant express how much help it has been in planning this trip. I've literally spent hours reading through old forum posts & feel like a Negril veteran already! We've previously done the Mobay AI thing, but thanks to this site and the wealth of info it contains we've instead opted for Negril for this trip.

So, a couple quick questions:


1) We arrive the in the middle of June on a Wednesday, landing at MBJ 1400. We are staying at CCLP for 8 nights. We are going to book a private driver from the transport section on this site. What are the chances of us making it to Negril in time to shop at HiLo before they close for the day (I think 7pm??)? Do you think we would have time to check in at CCLP, drop our bags, and then go to HiLo? Best to plan on stopping at HiLo on the way to CCLP? Or best to plan on hitting HiLo the next morning?


2) In your opinion, how important is it to book a transfer that provides a cell phone for the trip? I've noticed some do & others don't. I don't want to deal with buying a sim card & unlocking my phone, so if we need a cell it will have to come from a driver. Is this a must have? Will not having a cell phone make the trip less enjoyable or more difficult? Does borrowing a cell from a driver obligate you to only use their services while in Negril?


3) For you CCLP veterans, is there any particular Jr Suite that is better than the others? Are all of the JR suites in the old section? If someone can recommend a great room I was going to email CCLP with a request.

Thanks so much for the help :D

Welcome to the board brother! Most drivers side provide you with a cell phone and charger. You will have plenty of time to hit up HiLo. But I would ask your driver to stop and just grab a few things to get ya by for the nite. Then get the rest at Traders. As for the CCLP questions. Have'nt been there. So I have to pass on those questions. "Once ya go then Ya know"!

Hi Redfish,

You should have no problem reaching Negril in time for HiLo to be open.

A phone is very useful for calling your driver or for anything else. No charge except for the credit which is negligible

And it it not necessary to use our service for every little thing you want to do.

Of course I recommend Linston (he's my son)

As to CCLP I'll leave that for others as I've only visited friends there

Regards

Cap

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Originally Posted by captaind & Linston

Hi Redfish,

You should have no problem reaching Negril in time for HiLo to be open.

A phone is very useful for calling your driver or for anything else. No charge except for the credit which is negligible

And it it not necessary to use our service for every little thing you want to do.

Of course I recommend Linston (he's my son)

As to CCLP I'll leave that for others as I've only visited friends there

Regards

Cap

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Hi David. You took the words right out of my mouth (and you know just how unsanitary that is?). I would recommend Linston as well. Quality of driving, reasonable rates and extensive knowledge of how things run and where you can do and get the things you need make him my choice.

Having a phone is a good choice. You can easily buy a card and call home, get a taxi or arrange a tour anytime you want. When I get a loaner phone and find myself out having a drink or a bite to eat and someone asks for help with something, I only have to pick up the phone and call.

Have a great trip.

Peace and Guidance

Hi Redfish. We stayed at Coco a couple times last summer. If the scenery matters to you stay in the old area of the hotel. The flowers and trees are mature and the wandering sidewalks around the round buildings and pool are sooo pretty. We stayed in a deluxe category room and had a dining set, fridge, and patio table/chairs outside our door. The room was huge and well maintained. We loved it as we like to sit outside in the evening and listen to the tree frog/crickets sing.
The new section has a lot more concrete and less garden areas. But its new!
If quiet during the day matters to you ask for a room far from the main dining room as they are doing a major expansion on it this summer. They only work during the day though so it may not affect you.
Coco is a good transition from the A1 scene.
When you are there in June, stop by the woodcarver Donavan's stand on the beach at Coco and tell him his next door neighbors say HI! He is an awesome person and we just got back from a 3 month stay at our new house next door to his in the mountains of Hanover.
Have fun!

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me-personally recommend,
WHEREAS,
this is your first-trip to Negril

first day :::: DO & Plan Nothing.... no stops... no nuttin' .... just ride & check-in
..... soak-up the vibe, atmosphere, ambiance, experience, blah blah blah

Negril AIN'T like MoBay.
....do nothing :::: chill .... sit back and be amazed

there's nothing like that virgin-nal (( sp?? )) Negril trip

You're gonna love it.
my first few trips, I didn't use or need a phone. Bars are happy to call you a driver. Although, once i had a phone (used a loner a couple times, then bought a cheapo JA cell) I appreciated the freedom it allows. Meaning, you're not *obligated* to use what ever driver the establishment you're at uses.
As others have said, plenty of time to hit the hilo but you could also go to megamart in mobay. I actually prefer this because once I get to negril, I'm already mellowed after the ride, vibes and sweet air.

Either way, i suggest doing it day of arrival, so you can totally unwind the next day. As Smith said, do not plan anything your first day. Wake up, crack a red stripe and walk out to the beach, sit in a chair, marvel at the beauty and let it all melt away.

And dont forget to come back and write us a trip report. We all love hearing about people's first Negril experience.

We also bought a cheap ja cell.. Really not expensive for the phone loaded with more minutes than we needed for our 2 weeks stay... I wanna say like 35$ usd

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikeyNYC

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And dont forget to come back and write us a trip report.

We all love hearing about people's first Negril experience.

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oh, yeah..... THIS is VERY important..!!!..
...length, grammar, etc etc NOT important
.......write/post SOME-thing, please

pics..??... no biggie .. but appreciated
number of pics..?? --- again not important the=amount or *quality* ... just ''something''.
./
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if you got help from the board,
then pass it on to future boardies,,,,
...and satisfy the long-ings of not-so-new boardies

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 541lion

.............. Really not expensive

for the phone loaded with more minutes than we needed for our 2 weeks stay... I wanna say like 35$ usd

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yep yep
dunno why,
but calls FROM Jamaica are a LOT cheaper now days, compared to back-in-the-day

Some people get really upset if you don't make proper paragraphs though

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 541lion

Some people get really upset if you don't make proper paragraphs though

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lol
lol
lol
lol

THIS ain't no Ja-CSX test...!!!

or a PhD English thesis

lol
lol
lol

do dem use *proper* paragraphs on FaceBook-y or Tweety
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self-SAY:::>> '''.. it's TWITTER fool....''
me-SAY:::>> ''... WHAT-ever... grrrrrrrrrrrr....'''

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by 541lion

Some people get really upset if you don't make proper paragraphs though

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haha. I do get borderline motion sickness reading Smith's posts...Good thing it's quality content. :p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by captaind & Linston

A phone is very useful for calling your driver or for anything else. No charge except for the credit which is negligible

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Cheers CaptainD! I'm guessing this credit is in the form of "pre-paid" minutes on a card? Also, sending an email to the address in your signature.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Accompong

You can easily buy a card and call home, get a taxi or arrange a tour anytime you want. When I get a loaner phone and find myself out having a drink or a bite to eat and someone asks for help with something, I only have to pick up the phone and call.

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Yes, this is what I was thinking. I just wasn't sure if it was acceptable to use one drivers phone to call another driver if you needed a ride home from a bar late at night. etc, seems like drive adultery lol......glad to hear this is OK to do.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Linder

If quiet during the day matters to you ask for a room far from the main dining room as they are doing a major expansion on it this summer

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Thanks for this info Linder....I was not aware of construction. Hoping the dining room will be open? Either way we are easy going folks, we don't allow little matters to deter from our enjoyment & relaxation!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by smith744

Negril AIN'T like MoBay[/U][/B]

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Thanks Smith! This is what we are most excited about. Mobay was fun, but it felt a bit ...hmm...fake? Or like we were missing something. That strip ain't so hip IMO, and we really wanted to get out & walk & explore, but it just didn't seem to work like that for us.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikeyNYC

And dont forget to come back and write us a trip report. We all love hearing about people's first Negril experience.

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I promise I will, after all I've taken from this great resource of info, it only seem right to make a deposit back into that bank of knowledge!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikeyNYC

haha. I do get borderline motion sickness reading Smith's posts...Good thing it's quality content. :p

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Ha! I'm used to it now, been reading for a few weeks......at first it would take me a couple mins once I hit smiths posts! But, I didn't dare skip them because there was usually a few good nuggets of knowledge in each. Now, It's like I've become fluent in another language, and can blaze right through them.

On my last trip I arrived at 2:30pm but I get my driver to stop at Mega Mart in MoBay. This way I can then go directly to my hotel and relax. I do find things are cheaper there than in Negril and it's become part of my trip.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SLP

On my last trip I arrived at 2:30pm but I get my driver to stop at Mega Mart in MoBay. This way I can then go directly to my hotel and relax. I do find things are cheaper there than in Negril and it's become part of my trip.

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YEP, We drop by Mega Mart on da way too.

Might want to consider stopping at HiLo or MegaMart in MoBay. I've found that there are more beggars, hagglers, etc. at the Negril HiLo. I recommend a phone to contact taxi drivers for rides. It's easy to get a ride, but I feel more comfortable just reusing some of the drivers that seem friendly and/or professional, especially after dark.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Redfish

Thanks for this info Linder....I was not aware of construction. Hoping the dining room will be open? Either way we are easy going folks, we don't allow little matters to deter from our enjoyment & relaxation!

!

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We are good friends with the man with the wood craft stand at Coco and he told us that the dining room was expanding both to the left and right beachside and that guests would be accommodated at their other restaurant the beach bar which usually sells lunch/snack foods. The main kitchen was to remain open so menu for main restaurant stayed the same.
When we were at Coco last summer they were constructing the new beach bar where you will now dine. Theres also a bit of brick patio and sand between the the beach bar and the restaurant that offers tree shaded dining tables if you wish to feel more outdoors.

Construction is done only during the day and is curtained off as much as possible. Never bothered us a bit. You are going to love the food there. Bananna bread. jerk chicken bbq, and their spicy shrimp appetizer......mmmmm.

I had no cell phone for a week. I am on vacation. I found no phone to be very relaxing and peaceful. The damn thing drives me nuts...

The way phone service is now, I personally don't need a local phone. I have TMobile and International is pretty cheap for the few calls I do make. Texting even cheaper, for me its not worth the bother of setting up a Ja phone. Just make sure you get international set up on your phone, which in my case I just did online...no charge.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Linder

Construction is done only during the day and is curtained off as much as possible. Never bothered us a bit. You are going to love the food there. Bananna bread. jerk chicken bbq, and their spicy shrimp appetizer......mmmmm.

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Saw these pictures on FB, looks like they've started the project already....maybe it will be done by the time we arrive. Either way, it looks like they mostly walled it off so I can't imagine it would have much impact as long as the services are relocated. We are very excited about the food.

Attachment 45172

Attachment 45173

We ended up booking Linston, he is going to loan us a phone. I don't know if we will need it or even use it, but having it just in case certainly provides some peace of mind.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Redfish

..... Mobay was fun, but it felt a bit ...hmm...fake?

Or like we were missing something.

That strip ain't so hip IMO,

and we really wanted to
get out & walk & explore,

but it just didn't seem to work like that for us.


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'''..get OUT & walk & Explore..''' has been my mantra for years & years.!!!!!!!

take Mobay-hip-strip for example::::::
...about 50-yards from the hip-strip....in the OPPOSITE direction from the Sea,,,,you'll run-into St. James Street, with SamSharpe Square

next-time, to MoBay ---- you MUST *explore* that area / street / area / eateries / shops /stores / street-side vendors.

there's NOT of tourist-type stuff for sale,
but you WILL find it *interesting* & enlighten-ing
and
definilte-ly NOT ''fake''
.
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Quote:

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Originally Posted by smith744

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'''..get OUT & walk & Explore..''' has been my mantra for years & years.!!!!!!!

take Mobay-hip-strip for example::::::
...about 50-yards from the hip-strip....in the OPPOSITE direction from the Sea,,,,you'll run-into St. James Street, with SamSharpe Square

next-time, to MoBay ---- you MUST *explore* that area / street / area / eateries / shops /stores / street-side vendors.

there's NOT of tourist-type stuff for sale,
but you WILL find it *interesting* & enlighten-ing
and
definilte-ly NOT ''fake''
.
.

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So well said. Thank you thank you thank you.

Redfish, now that you have your driver and phone questions answered, just my thoughts on the first day....

We stayed at Coco La Palm June 2015, it was wonderful...

Flight arrived around noonish and were at Coco La Palm by 1:30pm and floating in the water by 2:30pm.
The next morning we went downtown to go shopping.
Maybe save the first day for chilling and get your errands done on day 2??

Enjoy,

VVHT

we are coming mid june also.. but we have our driver stop at Mega Mart in mobay. This way when we get to our hotel ... we are all set with rum, rum cream, beer and cups..