Rob & Bnewb are quite liberal.If not ,I wouldnt still be here,trust me !
Rob & Bnewb are quite liberal.If not ,I wouldnt still be here,trust me !
^^^^^ Tru dat Fred Stripe!!!
Congrats on your marriage & your trip to JA. We took our first trip to Negril July 2012 & I booked our second the week we got home. You sound exactly the way I did. I booked the AI, then found this board, cancelled the AI & never thought twice about it. I didn't know The Caves was AI, but whatever it is, it looks outstanding! And you have the added bonus of knowing you aren't stuck on the resortIf I can help you in any way, LMK ... I think my husband & I did our first trip pretty darn good ... thanks to the people I met here.
Maybe we'll pass in the airport! I land the day y'all leave ... Have a wonderful marriage & a safe trip!!!!
You never see it coming ... and the next thing you know ... UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Originally Posted by HarryS
Rise early, treat everyday as though it's your last and your last day as it's your first.
We're relatively newbies...three trips in last 4 years ( missed one due to illness). To me, the positive experience you will have is based in part by your own expectations. Go with an open mind and heart. Be curious and respectful and learn to fit into the rhythm of the island. Learn to let go and take time to do Nothing! (its a noble activity) I appreciate every moment and this amazing opportunity...not just the shocking beauty of the turquoise sea and the riotous colours of nature but more importantly the welcoming and patient people of Jamaica. There are old hats here and newbies. You can learn from both!
Either way's fine with me
Greetings and welcome to the board.
I live in Jamaica a long way from Negril but when I visit there, I like to take the One Love Bus Crawl and the Saturday Night show at Seastar is a must in my opinion. Rob and Lisa are somewhat liberal but it must be taken into account that this is a tourist promotion board and, as such, has to regulate certain topics and discussions that are not tourist related, opinionated or based on hearsay and enuendo. I personally believe that this is the reason that so much good and factual information can be gleaned from these threads. It is often said that "once you go, you know" but that can also be changed to "once you go, you THINK you know everything!"
A few years back I went to The Caves as a Press Representative to cover the Film Festival. I loved the property. There is a tunnel that connects the properties on both sides of the road. Here a a few random shots I took for the article I wrote. Forgive the quality as I write better than I take photos. Hope this gives you a likkle idea.
Peace and Guidance
Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.
Thanks everyone for all of your warm welcomes, wishes for an enjoyable trip, and helpful info. Like I said, I appreciate how welcome I already feel among you.
saeyedoc (and anyone who has been to the Caves), I'm gonna post my random questions here so the answers can benefit others who are also curious.
How recently were you there? I checked out your posting history checking for a trip report and didn't see one, so I suspect your more recent trips were elsewhere.
What places are a safe daytime walk from The Caves? (Meaning distance, traffic, etc.)
Did you use the spa when you were there?
Cave Dinner?
What is up with the Blackwell Rum Bar? It looks like we have to pay when we go in there?
How did you handle tipping?
Did they have their WiFi up when you were there? How was the bandwidth? I plan to take lots of pictures and want to back the high-resolution files up every night to clear off my memory card for the next day.
Anything you wished you knew before you got there?
Last edited by TKim; 03-29-2013 at 07:45 AM.
Welcome TKim! I don't post often but I"m here quite a bit.
I feel its safe to walk just about anywhere during the day.
Can't help with the spa..not my thing, but I"ve heard great things about their massages etc.
WE did do the Cave dinner. I have mixed feelings on it, it was a cool experience but I was kind of disappointed in the meal, nothing special. I'm not sure if its true or not, but I"ve read that they are now charging extra for it. It was included in our stay(of course a really nice tip was given)
And as far as tipping, I think we left a tip for the housekeeping everyday but waited until the end of our stay to tip the rest of the staff.
We saw the Rum Bar but it wasn't open at all while we there. We did talk to some people that said they made their own party down there one night.
Wifi was sketchy. Couldnt get it in our room, but was able to get it in the main breakfast and dining areas.
The Caves as on our bucket list and I"m glad we got to expereience it.But like you've discovered while reading this board,the cliff area is full of great places to stay and eat that it was most likely was a one time experience for us. I"m sure your going to love it and I"ll bet this isn't your last trip to Negril! What room did you book?
I just clarified this question because I meant based on distance and traffic. Was looking for places that are close by that people would walk to so I could read up on them!
We have this booked but I am having misgivings about it. Yes, they are charging extra for it, now. (That was not the case when we booked at The Caves, or at least they hadn't updated their site, yet.) They are charging guests $150 for it. (I believe the cost for non-guests is double, but I'm not sure.)
I think the site says it is open Weds thru Sat - was that incorrect, or were you just not there those nights?
Was it also very slow when you could get to it?
When we asked for a specific room, they told us they couldn't confirm that until our arrival. We are in a downstairs cottage room... and they all look lovely so we won't be disappointed no matter what is available upon our arrival.
Thanks for the responses! It's incredibly helpful! And you're right, bucket list/once-in-a-lifetime experience, but for cost reasons, future trips will be far more budget-friendly so we can do it more. I haven't even been, yet, and I already want to book my next trip now.
We were there most recently Jan 2011, stayed for 3 nights after a week on the beach at Nirvana. We stayed in Moondancer, which is a 2 BR, but it's the same price as the suites if it's just two of you. If it's available, you could change your booking, you will get the specific room since it's the only 2BR that has that price.
We left a tip on our bill when we checked out, mainly because we were running out of cash at that point and didn't want to go to an ATM. I think I left $50/day. It would probably be better and cheaper to tip as you go.
We passed on the Cave dinner both times we stayed there, just didn't appeal to us with the high humidity, was more comfortable eating on the outdoor deck up top.
The rum bar was not open when we were there, heard they do charge extra for some of the rums. Wifi was spotty, but it was easy to find spots where it worked, mostly around the eating areas.
We didn't use the spa services.
There's not much to walk to, going towards town, the road is very busy and can be dangerous at times. You can walk to LTU, Rick's etc. if you want. I borrowed the bikes from them and rode the other way where it's quiet and peaceful with little traffic.
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