Just wondering....
Just wondering....
What Spring Break? Negril hasnt had a real Spring Break since 2004....
Last year, during the 5 weeks of the old Spring Break, we had a total of maybe 600 college students for the entire time period. In 2003, we had 6000 in one week. Spring Break is no more.
Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!
Yeah, we couldn't tell it was Spring Break last year. Not a bit.
Last year the largest group we saw was seven college students at one time...
Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!
We took the kids to Montego Bay and day tripped to Negril just to show them Dad's favorite spots. There were a couple groups of kids at our hotel in MB but we saw no sign of anything in Negril.
Makes me think of about three years ago we ran into a group of about 6 or 8 kids on the beach and they were telling us they were "looking for the party". They expected a Cancun type atmosphere and the Capital of Casual just wasn't getting it for them!
What changed? Why is Negril no longer a spring break destination? Do other parts of Jamaica see an influx of spring break tourism? Where do the kids go these days instead?
My thoughts are that Jamaica is too expensive for most college students.
Years I ago I was there during march break and I met a cpl guys out late one night that worked for the group that had a lot to do with getting all those kids to Jamaica for spring break and arranging accommodations and entertainment and stuff like that. The told me that it wouldn't be long before they stopped doing spring break there in large numbers. A lot had to do with the cost and drugs. One of them told me it's just to easy for the young kids to make dumb choices when they were drunk and get into trouble. I used to sit on the beach in front of donaldsons in a lot late at nite and on more than one occasion I helped a young kid who was so wasted they could barely walk and weren't sure where they were.donaldsons inn is kinda far from the hotels they used to stay at. Once me and our security guard sent one back up the beach in a cab so he would be ok. I think that was the year one or 2 college kids got caught at the airport with a few bottles of liquid cocaine in thier luggage on the trip home. I am not a business owner in Negril but I would bet that most would say that Negril is better off without all the spring breakers.
A few years ago I was discussing taking my kids on a spring break A/I and didn't want to break the bank. My kids were pre-teen at the time so no partying or anything. I mentioned that I usually go to JA but was open to whatever good deal we could find as we were booking late. The TA went to to explain that JA was relatively cheap during SB because no one got behind the big junkets and trips that they do in Mexico, Punta, etc. I asked why kinda assuming the answer and she said JA was just viewed as to dangerous and too spread out for drunken kids.
She went on to tell me that the buzz in the travel agency was that even those the SB'ers are college kids parents are likely paying the bills. The parents were typically not on board with JA because of the drug and violence reputation and it had fallen out of favor. She said places in Cancun and Punta were more enclosed and resorts were all tied in with each other so kids could move around while in relative safety compared to just hitting the town on their own.
I am not saying any of this is true or untrue, but the SB thing has clearly dropped off the map. We had one or two small groups at our hotel in MB and I talked to them and they just said it was the cheapest option they found so they gave it a try.
It's been over 16 years since I've been on college spring break to Cancun, but I would tend to agree with Irieonline and RonMon. Cancun is much better suited for the spring break junket thing. With it's main boulevard lined with all-inclusives and American bars and restaurants, it's hard for the kids to wander off and get in trouble. Once you arrive at the hotel, they herd you like cattle to an area where you sign-up for daytime activities (i.e. tours) and nighttime parties at the various clubs. Basically, every minute of your stay is booked with some type of organized (and chaperoned) event. Aside from the fact that every club played crappy American dance music, I hated being told where to go. Really, the only time I enjoyed was hanging out by the pool or beach (which, BTW, can't hold a candle to Negril's).
Sorry, I digress, but yeah the Cancun environment is well suited for college kids who want to pay a cheap price to party a lot and not care about any culture. I did not like the vibe, at all.
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