visit regrets and $ ramblings

[Mike_D]

Big Frank, I feel your pain. I can certainly see how hotel pricing in USD can affect your budget, especially if your paying with a Canadian credit card.

We were in Negril last week, as well. In my experience, it was mostly the larger restaurants that charged in USD. Places like Charela (Le Venedome) and Ciao Jamaica gave us a bill in USD and I asked them to convert it to Jamaican, as that is what I was carrying. To be honest, I didn't take note of the exchange rate. Smaller restaurants like Shark's, Quality's, Chicken Lavish, Mango Tree and Sun Beach presented the bill in JMD. In addition, a few vendors gave me a price in USD, probably because they thought it would be convenient for me. When I asked for the price in JMD, they used a conversion rate 1:100 which was in my favor. No problem with that.

[booger]

The strong US dollar is bound to have a negative effect on tourism as well from Americans. I'll use my example to demonstrate. Last month I spent some time in Europe due to the strength of our dollar. The dollars vs the Euro has improved roughly 30% from a few years ago, therefore I figured now was a great time to go. Normally I would have just made my way to Jamaica.

[groove16]

first, i don't see how being called tight is an insult.....lol

i shop at walmart, if i knew what maritimes was, i'd prob go there too...i eat off the dollar menu for lunch when at home, i eat box lunch in jamaica....nothing wrong with stretching your money, even on vacation...it can turn a one trip a year budget into a two (or three) trip a year budget...lol...

but seriously, i spend everything in JA....we carry 100 ones for tipping and quick change for places who claim not to have any....everything else is spent with ja dollars....if pricing is in US, i"ll take a cheap item off the menu, do a quick conversion in my head, and i'll know the diff before i order...alot of those same big name resturants charging in us dollars are also adding the gratuity in with the bill......i wonder how much, if any, the workers get of this.....

one thing to remember, if u are frustrated with a bill or something.....it is not the servers/workers fault, they just work there, usually have nothing to do with the pricing....i saw a tourist get all over a server this last trip about something she couldn't control....

[Georgia]

first, i don't see how being called tight is an insult.....lol

i shop at walmart, if i knew what maritimes was, i'd prob go there too...i eat off the dollar menu for lunch when at home, i eat box lunch in jamaica....nothing wrong with stretching your money, even on vacation...it can turn a one trip a year budget into a two (or three) trip a year budget...lol...

but seriously, i spend everything in JA....we carry 100 ones for tipping and quick change for places who claim not to have any....everything else is spent with ja dollars....if pricing is in US, i"ll take a cheap item off the menu, do a quick conversion in my head, and i'll know the diff before i order...alot of those same big name resturants charging in us dollars are also adding the gratuity in with the bill......i wonder how much, if any, the workers get of this.....

one thing to remember, if u are frustrated with a bill or something.....it is not the servers/workers fault, they just work there, usually have nothing to do with the pricing....i saw a tourist get all over a server this last trip about something she couldn't control....

LOL I think a few of my fellow Canucks were insulted because the entire nation was painted with one brush. Not true of course. I am a "thrifty" Canadian (Scottish heritage) and I eat box lunch in Jamaica too... it's how we afford more than one vacation from our miserable winters each year.
As for your query on Maritimes, Google is your friend
"The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island."

[rellim]

first, i don't see how being called tight is an insult.....lol

i shop at walmart, if i knew what maritimes was, i'd prob go there too..

The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island ( I also include NFLD ). just north of the state of maine.

I did get a good laugh out of that one, I like how you roll man!

[jamaicarob]

first, i don't see how being called tight is an insult.....lol

i shop at walmart, if i knew what maritimes was, i'd prob go there too...i eat off the dollar menu for lunch when at home, i eat box lunch in jamaica....nothing wrong with stretching your money, even on vacation...it can turn a one trip a year budget into a two (or three) trip a year budget...lol...

but seriously, i spend everything in JA....we carry 100 ones for tipping and quick change for places who claim not to have any....everything else is spent with ja dollars....if pricing is in US, i"ll take a cheap item off the menu, do a quick conversion in my head, and i'll know the diff before i order...alot of those same big name resturants charging in us dollars are also adding the gratuity in with the bill......i wonder how much, if any, the workers get of this.....

one thing to remember, if u are frustrated with a bill or something.....it is not the servers/workers fault, they just work there, usually have nothing to do with the pricing....i saw a tourist get all over a server this last trip about something she couldn't control....

maybe you do not see it as an insult but we do, not only do we tip large to our resort staff, but we support a Ja family and our beautiful Ja god daughter as well we also give out the cheap dollar store toys as well, L.O.L.M soon come

[groove16]

chill, dude....sticks and stones....lol...you know who you are, dont let someones sarcasm on the net ruin your vibe...

maybe you do not see it as an insult but we do, not only do we tip large to our resort staff, but we support a Ja family and our beautiful Ja god daughter as well we also give out the cheap dollar store toys as well, L.O.L.M soon come

[Stoners6]

Did Newfoundland just fall off the map?

[Georgia]

Did Newfoundland just fall off the map?

No.
But, apparently Newfoundland is not considered a Maritime province.

[Patricia]