Tag: Negril

Like so many people, we were ready to take a vacation, but knew we had to plan carefully. Options are limited and you really need to make sure you know all the rules and expectations of the country you are visiting. I have been following many of the tourism authorities within the Caribbean. I have attended their webinars and checked the government websites daily to track what was opening and what the requirements would be for US travelers. Jamaica has a great plan in place and although things changing almost daily, I could see Jamaica’s plan was working well and they were not making huge last minute changes to that plan.

I hadn’t been to Sandals Negril before and thought this was the perfect time to go and check it out! Prices are great and Sandals is being very flexible with changing travel dates if needed.

In case you are thinking of going, but want to know what the process is like, I will explain what it was like for us. Of course things can change and your experience could be different. I would just like to emphasize that if traveling at this time, you need to be extremely flexible about changes and possible last minute cancellations with flights and resorts. Go into this knowing that you may need to change dates at the last minute. If you are not comfortable with that level of uncertainty with your travel plans, you may want to plan your trip for 2021.

Jamaica requires a Travel Authorization form be filled out and submitted a max of 5 days before arrival. That form has to be approved, printed out and carried with you. If you fail to to do this, you will not even be allowed to board the plane here in the US. You also have to agree to the their safety protocols. This currently mean you would stay on the resort unless you are on a resort approved excursion. These resorts and excursions have been through a certification process and are deemed safest options at this time.

The requirements for visiting other countries is always changing. Please check with your travel advisor for the latest rules and protocols.

We flew on Delta. The airlines are very flexible right now with changes and this worked out great for us. Originally, we were scheduled to go on a cruise to Alaska out of Seattle in August. That cruise was cancelled, so I called Delta to change to flight to Negril. The agent on the phone was fantastic. She helped me get the flights I needed and managed to get back my Skymiles back that I had used to upgrade on the original flight. The only downside was the 3 hour wait on the phone to get an agent. This was not a surprise as things are crazy right now with flight cancellations and changes.

We flew from Raleigh to Atlanta and then to Montego Bay. When we arrived at the Raleigh airport, we had to go straight to the ticket agent because I had been unable to check in online. There wasn’t any line and check in was handled quickly and easily. There was a short line for TSA and it’s the fastest I have ever gotten through. Delta is currently leaving the middle seats empty, but most of the other seats were filled. Masks were required at the airport and the entire time on the plane (unless you were eating or drinking at the moment). Our temperature was taken as we boarded the plane in Raleigh, and again when we boarded the plane in Atlanta. We were handed a sanitizer wipe each time as we boarded the plane. After the plane took off, we were all given a baggie with a small bottle of water, two snacks and hand sanitizer pack.

We flew economy from Raleigh to Atlanta and Comfort + from Atlanta to Jamaica (and same for the return trip). The reason I mention this is to discuss the small difference in service. In economy, after getting the baggie with the food and water, that was the end of service (and that was perfectly fine). In Comfort +, after we received the baggie, we were then asked if we wanted any wine or beer. I don’t know for sure, but this is my theory on why it was available for one group and not the other… Alcohol is free in Comfort + and I think it was allowed since no money had to be exchanged. In Economy, alcohol is not included and it would have been difficult to manage payment in the current COVID environment. The only other difference in Comfort + was when we were offered a headset to watch movies. This was not offered in economy. I think a lot of people travel with their own headset, so this is likely not a big issue.

 These are the overwater bungalows at Sandals Royal Caribbean in Jamaica. It was great to catch a view of them as we flew over!

To make our arrival in Jamaica easier, we signed up for Club Mobay. If you are not familiar, it is a service that greets you as you exit the plane, expedites getting through immigration, customs and security and offers a place to hang out while waiting for car service to your resort. The food and drinks are also included in the price. And now, Club Mobay offers another great service – getting to the front of the health check line. This was a huge time saver!

As we exited the plane, our Club Mobay rep was waiting for us with a sign with our names on it. She escorted us to a table where we handed over our Travel Authorization forms, had our temperature taken and were asked general questions about our health. Since we we live in NC, we did not need to have a COVID test before arriving. We knew that they might test us at the airport, but we were lucky and not asked to test. Please note that even if you get tested before coming to Jamaica, they can test you again at the airport. We were then given a number and had to show that to security and immigration. I think the entire process from getting off the plane to getting in our car to Sandals was about 30 minutes. I have heard from others that the process was a couple of hours. I think time will vary depending on how many planes are arriving and if you are using Club Mobay.

Sandals also has a lounge to hang out in until your car arrives and that is where we stayed. But we didn’t get a chance to enjoy it as our car arrived almost as soon as we sat down (and we were super happy about that!)

We were escorted out to our car and were the only passengers for the entire trip. It takes about an hour and twenty minutes to get to Sandals Negril. For those that would prefer to avoid a long car ride, there are two Sandals locations much closer to the airport – Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean.

If you would like to read about my week at Sandals in our Butler Suite, you can view my post “Visiting Sandals Negril During COVID-19”