GOT THE responsibility of co-ordinating dinners and family fun time during the Christmas holidays? Those who do can confess to how seriously stressful it is to get everything done in and around the big 2-5.
Think about the extra shopping, baking, picking up relatives from the airport, then throw in the usual quarrels that erupt when too many people are sharing the same small space and you will understand why some people prefer to bolt for the beach.
This season, why not throw the whole family into the car and head for the coast? Say bye bye to backbreaking labour of the Yuletide season. Or, if you are single, here is your chance to avoid the holiday blues of aloneness.
Depending on the depth of your pocket, you can find a hotel without the frills or one that offers the pleasures of a pampered getaway with such things as massage services, gymnasiums, scuba diving and a casino. If quietly lying about is more your style - well, no one will disturb you, if you put the right plans in place. The best deal, of course, is the all-inclusive where children are taken care of by hotel-hired child minders.
What will a Christmas getaway cost? Get out your calculators to do the math. Here are prices at a glance for a few properties. Prices are quoted for double occupancy, per night:
Sandals Royal Caribbean US $288
Grand Lido Braco US $320
Breezes Runaway Bay US $283
Breezes MoBay US$190 -312
Starfish Trelawny US $240
(includes accommodation, some meals and activities but not all)
Franklyn D. Resort US $150 per adult per night
Couples, Ocho Rios J$10,800 per night for 2 nights or more
Boscobel US $300 double occupancy
Some properties may have variations in price (less or more) according to the size of the beds, ocean view, Jacuzzi, etc.
Note also that children are not accepted at all properties. For example, naughty Hedonism hotels are adults only at US$299 per night and children are not allowed at luxurious Sandals Royal, one of several properties that cater to couples only. So remember to ask if children are welcome, before you book.
At Starfish Trelawny, the additional charge for children between 2 and 13 is US$25 each. At Boscobel that charge is US$45 each for children 2 to 15. In the main, children under 12 may stay free at most properties, while those over this age are treated as adults. At Boscobel, those aged 16 pay the adult rates. Again, make sure to ask when you make your booking.
Child minders are available at such hotels as Star Fish Trelawny, Franklyn D. Resort, Boscobel and the Jamaica Renaissance Grande. The kiddie centres offer activities such as beach and pool games, string craft and lawn games.
If you feel more comfortable in a smaller hotel and/or are interested in historic towns, you may consider the option of exploring the olde worlde charm of Montego Bay from the Coral Cliff hotel. The cost is $3,500 per night double occupancy - and includes breakfast. Children under 12 stay for free.
At the Doctor's Cave Hotel up the road, it costs a total of US$93 per night for two adults and an additional US$20 for a third (a total of US$113) for each night. A continental breakfast is included and if you hang around until the New Year, you can let loose at the New Year's Eve Party.
In picturesque Portland, Goblin Hill in Port Antonio offers one-bedroom suites with king sized beds and an ocean view for $7,200 per night. Standard rooms (only a partial ocean view) cost less. Two-bedroom suites with ocean view are $9,440 for each night. A maximum of three persons are permitted in the one bedroom, but the third person will be billed $500 extra per night. A maximum of six people is allowed in the two bedrooms. The 5th and 6th persons will be billed an additional $500 each per night.
Villas are fully self-contained and many, including Goblin Hill, offer as a part of their packages the service of a housekeeper cook. Be prepared to shop for your own groceries, however.
Nearer to Kingston, Morgan's Harbour hotel in Port Royal provides a getaway at $2,700 per night, single or double occupancy. Three persons may stay in a room, but the third person will be billed an extra $300 per night.
Enjoy the attractions around you in each locale that you decide to stay. On the smaller properties you may have to make your own entertainment by venturing into nearby towns. If you are not in the mood for sightseeing, make sure to pack the board games from home.
If you are addicted to the bright lights, you may have your cake and eat it with the choice of a property like the Jamaica Renaissance Grande. Located in the heart of Ocho Rios, St. Ann, the property features beach front facilities, swimming pools, air-conditioned rooms, Jacuzzis, slot machine casino, and a nightly show.
One hundred yards up the beach are such properties as Fisherman's Point, Sand Castles and Turtle Towers where you will have to do your own cooking. At Sand Castles, however, where the nightly rate is J$4,176, double occupancy, for one-bedroom suites (two bedrooms are quoted at US $168 - a maximum of five people allowed), a buffet breakfast of Jamaican fare is included in the nightly price.
At this and other properties located in Ocho Rios, do yourself a favour and sample the night life (the Strawberry Bar, Margaritaville) as well as the nearby Dunn's River Falls. See the dolphins and go horseback riding at Chukka Cove.
From our research, it appears that Christmas Day at the hotels is very low key (you likely will not find Jonkunnu dancers and carolling) as all energies are directed into the preparation for New Year's Eve parties. Therefore, be prepared to provide your own Christmas spirit.
THE CHRISTMAS PACK
1. Clothes for eating out (restaurants do not permit beachwear), duds for dancing, and do not forget bathing suits, trunks and towels for the beach.
2. Toiletries, including sun tan lotion, moisturiser.
3. A Picnic basket, though you could ask the hotel for a hamper of goodies (you may have to pay for this extra service).
4. If you are going to a villa, make plans for your own entertainment (bring the CD player. How about a kareoke system, too?)
5. Cash, debit or credit card to pay for visits to Dunn's River, Chukka Cove and Margaritaville and other attractions.
6. If you have chosen a villa or suite, instead of the all-inclusive package, pack your own bottles of sorrel, gungo peas, turkey ham, etc for Christmas dinner.
7. Prepare to tip the kind ladies and gentlemen who have left their own families behind to serve you during the holiday.
8. Leave space in your suitcase for pottery and other souvenirs of Christmas on the coast.
