How do I...

[RobinandMark]

Well, there is some hope. Your friend is actually brave enough to use her passport, it's a start I'm liking the guided tour approach, AI type people are quite often game for that kind of thing. My first two trips out of the country were to all-inclusives in Cancun then the Dominican Republic. It didn't take long to realize that the trips were interchangable. This will be our first trip to Jamaica, and I was really nervous about it until I found this board-THANKS YOU GUYS! We've been to Playa Del Carmen five or six times now staying in town and walking everywhere or taking the collectivos but our bravery has been cumulative. Lots of people that know us think we're f-ing nuts for going to Mexico-they're losing their minds over non-sheltered Jamaica! MORE RUM FOR US Let your friend take baby steps and bust away when you have to.

[lisapat]

seems to me....if it's just a general safety issue....that a strategically placed goat on the road from MoBay to Negril could be a potential disaster for any one..going to any resort....in any vehicle.....so, if this person is that paranoid, maybe they should'nt even leave Mobay, if they are gonna just stay on property...and pick an AI there....it will greatly increase their chance of living

[Lorax2]

TandJ, everyone here has given you great advice...Go out, have fun, take a bunch of pictures of you having fun, bring them back a t-shirt...show them the pics...
I hope EVERYONE has a good time and enjoys Jamaica, it really can be a special place if you let it...

[Fred Stripe]

Yeah it's scary to go out in Negril.....In NYC they are celibrating the "plunge" in homicides...Yeah,,,,only 414 last year ?????

[Melody]

I'm single and took a friend to Negril in November. He's never travelled outside Canada/US and is pretty set in his ways. I told him about the pub crawl and that I wanted to go. He never seemed too excited about it and then when I asked him directly about it before leaving, he said he doesn't drink (much) and wasn't interested in it if it was like the rural pub crawls around where we live. I said it's not all about drinking, you've got to look at it as a free tour of some cool little places on the cliffs....a way to meet people and have fun. He said he wasn't interested in meeting people. I replied that it wasn't speed dating, but a way to go out with a group rather than just the two of us. The short of it is that he had a negative idea in his head about it right from the beginning. He did go, and the bus was packed. He got out at the stops and complained about the loud music from the speakers right over his head, couldn't hear a thing. He doesn't drink much, but he will have a drink....but he did not have one single drink on the pub crawl. He found a couple of people to talk to at the stops, but as the evening wore on, and people had more drinks he closed off pretty much completely and went and sat off to the side, essentially waiting for the bus to leave. I felt obligated to sit with him. As a result, neither one of us had a good time. The next day he told people where we were staying that he had an awful time. All it cost him was about $10 to tip Lenbert. I had only one drink as I didn't want to get tipsy so as to really p*ss him off.

So....depending on the person and their mindset going in....I have to agree that it's best not to try to do any convincing. If someone doesn't want to go, they shouldn't go as they could ruin the experience for others. My friend should not have gone, seeing as he made no effort to enjoy himself. I would have had a better time by myself. There were other occasions during our week's stay where his attitude hampered what I wanted to do. I had a good vacation despite that, but it just confirmed my idea that I should travel by myself. I have another trip planned for April, was going to go with a friend who just cancelled about a month ago. That was a pain to have to readjust everything on short notice, but I'd rather have it out of the way before leaving rather than put up with someone who doesn't really want to be there. My solo trip has come sooner than I'd thought!

In your situation, it's probably best that you're with a group and because of your friend, that you're at an AI. That way she can make her choice and do what she wants. Hopefully, the rest of your party will also feel free to do what they want, and not stay back simply because of her. In the end, it is everyone's choice what they decide to do, and it's best that they make it for themselves. The more that you can clear the air about that before your vacation, the better it will be.

Have fun!