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impressions of Grand Lido, Jamaica (very long)

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To: Public Netbase NewsAgent
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Subject: impressions of Grand Lido, Jamaica (very long)
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From: cole@unix.sri.com (Susan E. Cole)
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Date: Sun, 30 Jun 1996 16:37:37 -0700 (PDT)
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Article: rec.travel.caribbean.6704
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Score: 100

My husband and I recently returned from our honeymoon, which was also our
first trip to the Caribbean. We spent 8 nights at the Grand Lido SuperClub
resort in Negril, Jamaica, and 11 nights at Long Bay Beach Resort in Tortola,
Virgin Islands.
Following are some of my impressions of Grand Lido. I hope to do the
same for the Tortola trip sometime.
I've divided this very long write-up into four sections:
- Suggestions if you're going
- Particularly good features or amenities of the resort
- Features or amenities that were okay but not that special
- Cautions, comments, and other considerations
Disclaimer: This is all from memory and is, as I said, my impressions.
Before I launch into details, here's a summary: Not perfect, but very,
very, good. We'd go there again in a minute. Beautiful resort, exceptional
setting, excellent food and amenities. It's very expensive -- in the
neighborhood of $500/day for two.
Suggestions
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Don't overpack. Don't bring warm clothes; you just won't need them. You
might want to bring a nice outfit -- there is one formal restaurant at Grand
Lido for which you are supposed to dress.
Bring surf booties! You can buy them at dive shops. These are neoprene
foot coverings that will allow you to walk on non-sandy ocean bottoms safely,
i.e., without cutting your feet up on rock or coral, or the ubiquitous spiny
urchins.
Bring good slip-on thongs. Instead of bringing my old blue $3 "flip-flops",
I splurged $20 at the dive shop at the last minute to buy a sturdy pair of
thongs. I was so glad I did -- they were practically the only footwear I
used.
If you plan to snorkel (highly recommend), consider bringing your own fins,
mask, and snorkel. Then they'll fit right, you won't be dependent on the
hours that the water sports office is open, and you won't have to wonder how
well the mouthpiece was sterilized. But remember, you have to pack them to
bring them!
Bring lots of sunscreen. We used at least 4 oz. per day -- and we didn't
sunbathe. It seemed to cost about double there what it did in the U.S.
If you want to scuba, strongly consider getting certified before arriving.
Then you can go right out on the many novice dive trips without waiting to
take the resort course. Scuba is a great freebie and I wish we had been
able to do more dives during our stay.
If you *do* take the resort course there (it's included and it's very well
done), sign up as soon as you arrive, and then show up early the day of the
class. We got bumped once because the class was overbooked. Also, if you
are going on to another resort, be sure to get the two-week certification
card they are supposed to give you!
Also reserve early if you want to eat at La Piacere, the elegant French
restaurant. You are expected to dress up to eat here; jackets are required
for men.
If you prefer nude sunbathing, consider requesting a room on the nude side of
the resort when you make your reservation. (Not that it's a long walk to
either beach from any of the rooms.)
You might want to consider buying SPF-rated clothing if you want to minimize
sun exposure. At the last minute, we had what were essentially a couple
of SPF-30 rated long-sleeved T-shirts overnighted to us. I think the
company was called Sun Precautions, out of Everett, WA. The shirts were not
cheap but they are much lighter and dry a lot faster than regular T-shirts,
and we wore them a lot.
Notably Good Features
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