visit regrets and $ ramblings

[irie always]

Corso - I guess you haven't met that many Canadians - odd remark -
perhaps if the shoe was on the other foot you would have some empathy

[Corso]

I'm on the border and have plenty of friends from there...when they come over the 3 places they always hit is Walmart,Mardens,&the all you can eat Chinese place Lol...wasn't meant to be odd...was meant to be funny...I mean are you going to give up paradise cause a beer cost an extra buck?
As far as empathy...our dollar fluctuates against yours...meaning we've been wearing those shoes you speak of for a while now! 😁

[Drifter141]

So, is the issue and reason for concern the fact that right now the Canadian dollar doesn't hold as much weight against the US dollar, and therefore doesn't go as far in Jamaica as it had the past few years? If so, I totally understand the frustration -- one of the (countless) reasons Jamaica is our favorite spot to visit is how reasonably priced everything is compared to where we live (the D.C. area), and having that change would definitely be a bummer.

That being said, I definitely wouldn't take the fact that a lot of businesses price things is US$ personally. My guess it happens for the following reasons: 1) as mentioned before, Jamaica gets a lot of American visitors, many of which stay on resorts, and when venturing off haven't changed money, 2) the US$ is accepted in a lot of places, and 3) it's pretty stable, and with how unstable $JA can be, the American dollar can be pretty valuable for the locals.

My wife and I live in the US, and we still pay in $JA when we visit Negril. It's easier, and you're usually paying a little less (since most places we deal with either charge in $JA or do a 100:1 conversion for ease, which errs in the favor of paying locally). And to be honest, I've never come across a restaurant/bar or business that won't accept $JA. If anything, if they want to go by the current exchange rate, they have to redo your bill, but again, usually the 100:1. To be honest, we usually look for places that charge in $JA, because they tend to be the more local spots and less expensive.

I mean, if you were in another country, you would usually have to exchange money for the local currency. I'd say, convert Canadian money for $JA and go that route. The price is what it is.

[Kahuna3]

The largest item on the Negril visit budget is the accommodations. No way one can pay for that in $JMD. All accom in Negril is in $USD. So there's no escaping the approximately $100USD to $144CDN conversion.
But its not going to change, rooms will always be in $USD.
So, Canucks will either just pay more, shorten their stays or not go at all. Two of my friends who prefer Jamaica are going to other Caribbean spots this winter due to the $ issue. If the $CDN stays low, Negril will notice fewer Canucks.
Since the $CDN is correlated to the price of oil and the management of the Canadian economy, it will remain low until oil goes up and current fiscal management and policies improve.
Thems the facts. : (

[wrtiii]

I know that as a country Jamaica has major loans denominated in US dollars, so the national debt in JMD has skyrocketed. I wonder whether the resorts also have mortgages or other loans that are in US dollars, and whether they have to pay for imported goods in US dollars (if prices are quoted in JMD but change steadily with the exchange rate, that's the same thing).

[johng]

As far as Canadians go if a lower than desirable exchange rate is your biggest problem then you are doing pretty good. You have a beautiful country, great people, awesome women, no wars, little poverty, clean air and water, relatively honest government by comparison. How and why exchange rates on the CD could be a long debate.

So if Negril costs you more and Jamaica is your destination there are other places to go that are less expensive than Negril. Just get off the beaten path and you'll find some great places to go. I'm sure the CD will rebound soon enough so like other Janadians have said, check out your own wonderland this year and put off Ja until it makes more sense.

[Georgia]

As far as Canadians go if a lower than desirable exchange rate is your biggest problem then you are doing pretty good. You have a beautiful country, great people, awesome women, no wars, little poverty, clean air and water, relatively honest government by comparison. How and why exchange rates on the CD could be a long debate.

So if Negril costs you more and Jamaica is your destination there are other places to go that are less expensive than Negril. Just get off the beaten path and you'll find some great places to go. I'm sure the CD will rebound soon enough so like other Janadians have said, check out your own wonderland this year and put off Ja until it makes more sense.

i am old enough to have seen the $ fluctuate both ways numerous times over the years... but generally speaking, the US $ reigns supreme.
Although Jamaica is my favourite winter destination, when the Cdn $ is so distressed, we try to travel to another Caribbean destination. Cuba or Barbados are popular choices for us and we don't have to worry about the US $ problem in Cuba. Well, not yet anyway.
Having said that, about a year ago, friends approached us about going to Hawaii this winter. Fortunately , we booked and paid for 2 of the 3 weeks at that time. Dollar has really tanked since then.
This summer, when we sometimes head over the border to visit our American neighbours, we sadly won't be. As you stated, johng, we will be heading to the Canadian maritimes - a place we've never been.
Jamaica will be there when we next decide to visit.

[johng]

wow sandman66 I was just asking. So if the USD dollar is not currently in demand in Cuba it won't be long. As far as your CD "Tanking" I know nothing about Justin or his political objectives, etc... Oil prices have dropped in the US too, to record lows but the USD seems strong against it???? More than just oil

USD / CAD


Georgia, make sure you check out St. Andrews while in the Maritimes, a really beautiful town as well as the rest of NB, NS, PEI. That will be great fun

[slimjim]

I don't understand the angst of my fellow Canadians. In the last 2 years the C$ has dropped roughly 20% in value against both the US and Jam $ so in my opinion it doesn't matter what currency the hotels use. Accommodation, food, etc for Canadians is 20% more than 2 years ago.
I suggest we look at the issue from an American perspective. If the us$ increases against the Euro or pound, an American gets more bang for their buck in Europe. Since most things here in Jamaica are priced in us$, American visitors are not gaining any such advantage from their strong dollar.
In my opinion it's the Americans that should be vexed.

[TAH]

Slimjim; that was very well put, and is absolutely true. I understand the need to look at cheaper places with their dollar going down, but those places would be cheaper in the good times as well. It isn't a JA/CA dollar thing, it's just the overall value of the currency dropping. It will affect all destinations equally on a percentage basis.