Coming 2/3- a couple of questions

First of all, I would like to thank all of the Boardies. My wife and I decided to come to Negril and while researching I found the Board and and have used it endlessly since then. Great info and we love the passion of everyone. Can't wait to meet and party with all of you. We booked the Treehouse and also Linston to and from. When I was emailing Linston I told him that I found him on the board and he said he loves to meet Boardies. I'm not sure we qualify yet but have a feeling that after our trip we will become Boardies for life.

Questions-

Credit Cards vs cash. I of course want to use CC anywhere I can and assume the restaurants take them, but we intend to barhop down the beach and cliffs as much as possible. I intend on carrying cash to throw around tip money and for small purchases but am not sure how much cash to carry. Thoughts?

Getting in to MB airport mid afternoon Sat 2/3. Hoping to be settled in somewhere with cocktails for sunset. Got plenty of restaurant recommendations (again thanks). Any good music Sat night? I see some on the events calendar but not sure of times.

Booked the One Love Tour Sunday. Looks and reviews great but are we better off just walking and cabbing around on our own looking for places? We are leaving Wed so our time is limited.

Bob Marley Birthday Bash at Risky Business on Tuesday. Difficult getting real info on this. At Risky Business? A now closed Bar being used for the event. We love the music and are hoping to go. Any insights?

Prob going to get some Red Stripes to keep in the room, best to just ask Linston to stop somewhere?


I'm sure I will be back on the Board between now and next weekend but meantime thanks for the help and can't wait to get there.


Scott and Susan

Hi Guys,

Cash is better than CC. CC takes to much effort to secure.

Linston will be happy to stop for beer and supplies.

Your arrival time is a bit crowded at the airport but the traffic in MoBay will certainly be better than a Friday <grin>

Hope to see you out on Zion Hill sometime

Cap

Most of the small bars along the beach are cash only. Many associated with a hotel will take credit cards, some have a minimum purchase for credit. The B.M.B.B. is a must if you are going to be in the area. just show up and buy a ticket, not sure if you can buy them with a credit card. There are several small stores along the beach road to buy red stripes, bottled water, snacks, etc. I know a lot of people prefer to not carry much cash, but it's much easier for small purchases and tips. I leave most in the safe box at the hotel, bringing smaller amounts with me when we're out and about. You can always go back and get more, or use an ATM.

It is probably better to use a debit card (at an ATM) rather than a credit card unless it is a large purchase. If you are worried about long line ups when getting to MoBay you could invest in a Club MoBay guide. They will get you through really quickly. See the home page for more info about this.

We usually have Linston stop at the Chinamon in Green Island for a case of beer & water

I always use cash in Jamaica.

Evening live music can start as early as 6:30ish to 10:00pm...

One Love tour is great for first timers looking to meet other visitors and see some west end places. While you can take a cab around, the Bus is free (gratuities appreciated) aside from what you want to purchase for food and beverage. It is a long day, anywhere from 2:30-7:00, but well worth it and something I do every visit.

Just saw a link to purchase tickets for the BMBB in a thread a few days back.

If you need anything for your room, ask Linston to stop. He'll know where to go.

Have a great time!!!

You might consider the Saturday night show at Seastar... once you check in to your hotel, you could head there for dinner and their live reggae show.

I usually walk around with about $100($12500 J's)/day for food & drink...


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i found that cc's are not used that often but iwould NOT use a debit card....they are not secure and easier to clone.

I found that having Jamaican cash really helped. We stayed at Catcha and there is a mini mart a very short walk away. After breakfast I would walk there to get my day's supplies, rum, Coke, Red Stripe, etc. When I paid in American dollars I felt confused, she had to get out the calculator, conversion rates, etc. Then on our way to the beach I stopped at an ATM and got Jamaican currency. I thought that helped immensely. When I could use my credit card, I did, when I could not or did not need to I used JA. Note that I have a special "travel" credit card which has a very low credit limit (on purpose) so that if it is compromised at least I can minimize the damage. When I get home I pay it off and start saving again for my next trip! Just my two cents.

Carry JA$. As mentioned it will be much easier for the first time visitor. It is very easy to be short changed if your using US$. Try to use CC as little as possible. Maybe a nice dinner out one night. Have fun and enjoy.
Peace

When Linston picks us up, we typically stop at Digicel store for our SIM cards, drop my wife at hotel with luggage, and then I ask him to take me to HiLo for lots of foods and bheer. Works best for me to drop the luggage before we get the bheer (we get a lot of bheer).

We only use credit card for hotel, high-end restaurant dinners, and HiLo shopping trip.. But more often we use jamaican cash that I get out of ATM. ATM gets decent exchange rate and we never have any problems.

P.S. - I typically only bring enough US cash to pay Linston with tip, about $200 in $2 bills for miscellaneous tips/stuff, and about $200 of emergency cash.

Thank you everyone. Great info. Very excited to arrive tomorrow