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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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Trip 7/00 Getting There After finishing last-minute packing items, we left for the airport around 7 a.m. We ended up in the overflow parking in North 13. There was a bus waiting near the car. Check-in was easy. We managed to get exit-row seats for both of us to Atlanta and for Todd to Jamaica. We were at our gate waiting around 8 or 8:15 for our 9 a.m. flight to Atlanta. They gave us some strange granola snack mix and a soda going to Atlanta. We were told that our flight to Montego Bay was at gate E26. I had forgotten my headphones, so I went off to buy headphones-- digital for $9.95--and for a Pizza Hut meal to share. It had a pepperoni pizza, breadsticks, and Diet Pepsi for $5+. I watched part of the DVD Heat. We had a layover of over 3 hours. Finally, about 45 minutes before the flight, it dawned on me that almost no one had arrived at gate E26. I went off to an information desk (no monitors anywhere in sight) and found our gate was E29. We went down there, and there was a mob. Our Air Jamaica flight was delayed due to them stocking the plane. We left almost an hour late. We were to get into MoBay at 4:15, but we didn't get in until after 5 p.m. On the plane, we had the same chicken hot meal as before, but it was less tasty. They offered a choice of chicken or pasta. It was in a brown sauce with capers over rice and peas and was accompanied by green mixed vegetables, salad with vinaigrette dressing, and cake with coconut icing. They offered complimentary wine, champagne, and Red Stripe. Soft drinks and juice were also available. The baggage area was mobbed, more than we have seen except the time we went when there was a power outage. We waited quite a while for a ride to the airport, unusual. We arrived at Braco at 6:40 after a 45-minute drive. There was a major crowd checking in, but this time we received a wet towel and some champagne. They also had safe deposit keys. We gave them the Diamond agent coupon that was to get us a room upgrade, champagne, fruit basket, and flowers. Check-In Celine was checking people in, along with several others. After our towel and champagne, she walked us to our room and carried our laptop bag. It was a very short walk to room 1221/1222. Our bags arrived quite promptly. It was a one- bedroom suite in the gardens on the textile side. We stay in the textile side at every resort, and our views and perspectives are from guests of that side, so keep that in mind as you continue to read. We had a refrigerator, as I had requested (hard to get on textile side. Celine made sure it was stocked. It had soda and beer. Very soon, they arrived with a platter of shrimp and smoked fish and champagne. We hung out in the room a little while. The maid came to turn down the bed. We got ready and went to Victoria Market to dinner. It was Sunday night. Breakfast Room Service There are continental breakfast items available from room service from 6-11 a.m. We ordered this one-day and checked the 6 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. time slot. The order arrived at 5:45 a.m. We ordered this so that Todd could get juice before taking the 7 a.m. bus to Breezes for golf. Buffet--Located in Victoria Market Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. They serve a good variety of foods. Service at this meal and location were the worst on the property. They still have the too-runny scrambled eggs, so waiting for eggs to order is a good idea if you want them. All sorts of omelets and eggs over easy were most common. Other items offered are toast (fresh bread), English muffins, bagels, cream cheese, jams, cheeses, fruits, meats, including raw fish, sometimes carved ham, bacon, French toast, pancakes, Jamaica don't touch me sausage, one or two local dishes, cereal, and yogurt. I only saw orange juice, coffee, and tea available for drinks, but I saw someone with cranberry juice more than once. There is a wide variety of tea available if you get service. One day, we even saw people with mimosas and bloody Marys. In order to get any drink service, it was necessary to sit at a table with a water glass, juice glass, and coffee cup. Otherwise, we would sit the entire meal and not even get water. One day we finished eating and I went and asked for water. They were so apologetic, but the next day, it was the same. They also had dried fruits and hot cereal. They had mango and papaya most days (seasonal), along pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, and grapefruit. Our routine varied. We ate anywhere from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Lunch La Pasta--open from noon until 2 a.m., casual dress & no reservations We sat down here to eat on Saturday afternoon. In addition, I ordered one during the week to go, and we ate there on Sunday, the day we left. They have an antipasto bar for salad with quite a few salads, lunchmeats, anchovies, and olives. The scallops and calamari are still on pizza but were not out as antipasto this time. On Saturday, there was no lettuce, so I went to Victoria for salad. When I returned, they had put out lettuce at La Pasta. Todd ordered the roasted garlic soup. I ordered the seafood (frutti) pizza. He took his pizza trio de carne (bacon, pepperoni, and ham) to go. We were served some good Italian wine, but it took a while. This was a big improvement in service over the last stay. On Sunday, Todd ordered Fusilli con Pollo affumicato (pasta with chicken in creamy garlic and leek sauce). He did not expect to like it, and really did. To order a pizza to go, talk to the waitress. They wouldn't take my order at the counter. The pizza was cooked and wrapped when I came back in 15 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised. The noon opening time is a little soft. On Sunday, they were not ready. We were leaving at one, so we were in a hurry, but it was not a problem. Lunch Buffet at Victoria Market--12:30-3:00 p.m. The buffet varies from day to day. We usually stopped by for a look. If buffets aren't for you, you can find plenty to choose from at the beach houses, your room service menu, Nanny's Jerk Pit, or La Pasta. The dining choices are wide at Braco. Each day there are at least 3 entrees, one or two grilled items, a Jamaican entrée, vegetables, salads, one soup choice, fruits, smoked fish & salmon, breads, ice creams, and pastries. Sometimes they have a carved item. Items I liked: Everything grilled--steak, lamb chops (better than those from the Beach house), fish. One day there was a great seafood soup with scallops and shrimp, lo mein, spring rolls, all the fruit. Todd also enjoyed a burger one day and the BBQ ribs. Items I didn't like: Southern Fried Chicken--not crispy or hot, hot dogs--reddish color & different from what I am used to. All over the resort they previously had a great vinaigrette dressing. This time, it was replaced with red wine or balsamic everywhere. Each was somewhat tasteless from what I would have expected. Service here was better than at breakfast. We were able to get something to drink during the meal each time we ate here. You can order wine, bar drinks for soft drinks. Beach Grill & Room Service They offer the room service menu (on both sides of the property) and a good place to sit and eat it. The sit-down service will be faster than room service. That is not saying much. We waited 30-45 minutes for items at the grill. If we ordered just a bottle of wine from room service for the room, it never came. If we ordered food, it was exactly 1 hour no matter how long they told us it would take. Both beach bars offer 24-hour service. On the textile side, the grill is way down at the east end of the property. There is a Jacuzzi there that is little known. We were pleased to see that they thinned the foliage enough that you can see the ocean through it now. We saw an absolutely fabulous sunset from here one night. The sky was several shades of orange and gray, and the sun dropped down seemingly into the water like a big ball. Room service is offered all hours, but for a few hours, it is breakfast only and has no hot items. The room service guys ride around mostly on three-wheeled bicycles with baskets. The room service menu has changed slightly. They offer buffalo wings, potato skins, steak sandwich (replaced tilapia fish), burgers, club sandwiches, pizza (if they will bring it), lamb chops, salads, and desserts. You can also order up bottles of wine or champagne or sodas or other drinks (might take 3 phone calls). The time we ordered food, we had steak sandwiches and salad. You can still pick up a bottle of wine or champagne at any of the bars. We always asked for white wine and received their house French every time. The room had a corkscrew, but they had always already opened it and put the cork back in. At the beach grill, we tried the steak sandwiches one day. We each received a different type of bread. Mine was French (as indicated on the menu). Todd's was "other". One or two times, Todd tried to order grilled cheese or a patty melt. Each time, he offered an explanation, since they weren't on the menu. The day he ordered grilled cheese, he received a cheeseburger. The day he ordered the patty melt, he received a hamburger with a grilled chicken slab on top of it. Go with the flow, and stick to the menu. We ordered a lot of Diet Pepsi. Sometimes, we received it in the bottle. Other times, we received it by the glass. Nanny's Jerk Pit--11 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily Every time we go to Braco, this restaurant is busier and busier. The service here remains good. Although I very much prefer my sauce cooked into the meat, their sauce is great (quite spicy). I recommend their excellent, flaky bread to go with it to cut the heat! They will gladly allow you to choose white or dark and will wrap your plate to go. They serve Jamaican meat patties, jerk items, soup, and a daily special. For drinks, they serve various sodas (no diet), beer, and rum. Dinner at Victoria Market--6:30-9:30 p.m. Daily except Wednesday and Friday We ate the a la carte menu here on Sunday and Monday. They did not have the menu that was posted outside the lobby, as that menu is more not changed daily even though the one at the restaurant is. On Sunday night we arrived at the resort at about 6:40 p.m. We relaxed for a while and then went to White Gaulin, the main bar, for some refreshment. We arrived at Victoria Market at around 8 p.m. The band took a 40 minute break right after we sat down. The dinner menu offered a 5-course dinner. We did not find an appetizer that interested us, so we skipped to the soup. Todd had French Onion, and I had Jamaican Sweet Potato. I warned him that the sweet potato would be one of the best soups on the property, but he did not order it. Of course, he did wish he had ordered it when he saw it. For salad, we had the market greens. The vinaigrette was not the same as a few months ago and not as good!! For dinner, I ordered the snapper. This was listed as a healthy choice and tasted it but was very good and well presented with rice and vegetables. Todd had the Black Angus beef tournedos, and that looked really good. It was served with a baked potato and vegetables. For dessert, I had the vanilla crème brulee. Todd had something else that I don't see on the menu I brought back. The band did start before we finished eating, and a cabaret singer came on after that. We received plenty of wine, although we doubted it was coming sometimes, and they still had the problem of not putting the kind in your glass that was already there. They would dump a California Chardonnay into a French Sauvignon Blanc and so forth. On Monday night, we attended the wine and cheese party at White Gaulin and then went back to the room for a while and then back out to the Victoria Market. You can read about the wine and cheese party in the activity section of this report. The band was on the same schedule as before, play 40 minutes, break 40 minutes, play 40 minutes, then evening showtime. For the appetizer, we had baked lasagna with jerk chicken and fresh vegetables. This was VERY spicy but good. Next, we had the Jamaican Pepperpot soup. Todd wanted the black bean, but I talked him into the Pepperpot hoping it would be creamy. It was broth based, and he said I did the same thing to him on our last visit. Oh, well. It had a good flavor. Todd skipped salad, but I had the same one as on Sunday. Again, the dressing was tasteless, but I am glad I ordered the salad. For the entrée, Todd had the prime rib, and I had the mixed grill of ocean treasures. The prime rib was a thin cut of meat served pink with a double baked potato. My mixed grill had shrimp, fish, and mussels. I could not hold it all, so I gave Todd the fish. Mine was served with steamed vegetables. For dessert, I ordered a fruit tartlet with custard cream, and Todd ordered cheesecake. All of the fruit tarts I had on the property were exceptional, better than Braco has ever had on previous visits. Street Party--Friday Night, beginning at 7 p.m. around the town square We attended the street dance and gala barbeque. The presentation changes here each time. Once, we saw a huge blue ice sculpture. Another time, it was lit up like Christmas. This time, there was a big fountain and flower arrangement at the fruit table. There was an elaborate arrangement of chocolate-covered strawberries in white and milk chocolate. Main selections included seafood pasta (great), steamed vegetables, conch soup, jerk chicken, lo mein, sushi, and the selection here wasn't a huge number of things but all was very well presented and wonderful. I only took grilled lobster, seafood pasta salad, and chocolate covered strawberries. The lobsters are really large crayfish (spiny lobster). Some were the size of shrimp. Others were quite huge. All guests ordering asked for two. I ate 2 small and 1 large of these. Todd ate 3 and had some roast beef. Items we didn't eat: California roll, sushi, raw fish, carved meat, carved beef, many vegetables, fish, chicken, variety of salads, including to order Caesar, and meats and cheeses. There were some breads. Todd and I took some lobster back to the room, and I had some for breakfast the next two days. After the dinner, there was dancing in the street. The social directors start out with line dances with everyone participating. One was what I call the bus stop. It has a bunch of different names. They even did the Macarena, which I still like. I participated in everything until the contests. They do a dollar dance contest for women and then men. They do several groups of 4-6 people and pick a winner based on claps (and their own opinion if they ignore the claps). Then the finals are held with the winners from each of those groups. Each set of people had a different social director to show them the moves throughout the dance. The reward was a large bottle of Appleton Rum. The men were particularly animated. One guy went from dancing with a post to jumping on one of the other guys. A woman in her 50s went out and danced to them. I wondered for a second if the top was coming off, but it stayed on. Beach Party--Wednesday Night, beginning at 7 p.m. Guests are invited to wear their beach outfits. During our stay, the event was moved to Victoria Market due to the threat of rain. It never did rain, however. The highlight of the dinner for me was the sautéed prawns. I ate little else and went back several times. They were cooked in a number of spices until tender. Most people arrived between 7:00 and 7:30, so the line was rather long but moved quickly. They also offered several types of grilled items, ribs, chicken, a carved pig, many salads fruits, and desserts. They had a wonderful variety of fruit tarts. The social directors did a limbo contest. When the event is outside, they have a longer program and a bonfire. Piacere French Nouvelle Cuisine--6:30-9:30 p.m. except Friday, reservations and jackets required We arrived at the resort on Sunday night. On Monday morning, I went to the concierge and was told there was no time available until Sunday. I told them that we were leaving on Sunday. After asking 3 or 4 times, she said that she had 7:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday open. When she turned to that page, it was nearly empty. I was asked if we needed a jacket, and I said that we didn't, as Todd had one along. I highly recommend signing up for this as soon as you can upon arrival. There is still a problem with people that book and don't turn up for their reservation. We have been on the waiting list several times but have never been able to get in when calling to check for cancellations. Todd wore a silk shirt and sports jacket with dark pants and Dockers leather boat shoes. I wore a long casual dress with short sleeves. The resort has some loaner jackets, but I do not know what size they have. We were seated near the entertainers, a Cuban guitar and flute duet. We had already met the girls, who are delightful. We enjoyed sitting there, although they did have a break during our stay. We could see a tiny bit of sunset out the very small window by our table. I recommend going here very hungry. Even then, it will be difficult to partake of all of the food in all of the courses. We gave it our best try. They offer about 5 appetizers, 3 soups, 2 salads, 8 entrees, and 6 desserts. The menu does not rotate and has been static since our last visit. However, it is subject to change at any time. The restaurant is quite elegant. Service here is white-glove and the best on the property. Our waiter smiled and offered champagne, white and red wine and recommended trying all three. We did not opt for any red wine but did have champagne and white wine. If you would like to sample wines, I highly recommend the wine and cheese party held at White Gaulin. I believe it is on Monday night. Our glasses never reached bottom during the evening. For the appetizer, we had sake-marinated shrimp with pickled ginger and glass noodle salad enhanced with Soya garlic and Marin vinaigrette. This was excellent and had an oriental twist. Other appetizers offered included a tuna loin, quail, salmon with crayfish and caviar, and tomatoes and peppers with goat cheese. Todd had the white bean soup. I had the crayfish soap. They also offered a chilled consommé'. We both had the mixed green salad. It is served in a crisp sweet potato basket with oven-dried tomatoes, braised shallots and balsamic vinaigrette. They also have a salad with endive, watercress, and slivers of duck and Parmigiano in lemon-olive oil dressing. All of that filled us up, along with the little bread dollops. However, we went on to the main course. I splurged and had the Black Angus beef, ordering it medium, as we have previously found anything else is served charred. I could not eat half. On a previous stay, I had ordered the veal and prawns (still served) and another seafood dish that is no longer available. Both times, I could not eat half. They bring out a palate cleanser sorbet at some point during the dinner. With dessert, they offer coffee and tea. We did not have either. We ordered the orange and French vanilla crème brulee. Between us, we could not finish it. I felt the crème brulee at Victoria Market was much tastier. Activities Sunday On Sunday, we arrived at around 6:40 p.m. We missed my favorite lame activity, the fishing in the pond. This is now advertised as being held twice a week, but it seemed to only be held on Sunday afternoon, the only time we were not at the resort. I went to the Jacuzzi before dinner and met a few single men from Birmingham, Alabama. I learned the next day that this was the golf pro and his traveling companions. On Sunday night, the resident band played part of the time during our meal. They took long breaks. Showtime started promptly at 9:30. There was a reggae singer (male, dreads) that did a lot of popular numbers. He got people dancing and then started audience participation games. That was our exit cue. I did hear that the games got into asking personal questions, and at least one couple was offended, but most participants probably enjoyed the fun. Monday I awoke very early, about 5:40 a.m. I watched the end of the sunrise and then unpacked our suitcases. I made some tea, but it had a coffee taste, and I couldn't finish it. When Todd awoke, we went to the breakfast buffet and then to check out the golf lessons. These were the beginner golf lessons. Oscar, the resident pro, didn't seem to remember me in spite of how many times I have been to those lessons in the last year and a half. He and the visiting pro, Steve, re-taught me a grip and swing at this range lesson. Every lesson in the morning and the afternoon had at least 5 participants. These lessons last two hours. We stayed there for about 1.5 hours. Todd has played for 30 years; he was just there to see what I was doing. At 11 a.m., I went to water aerobics with Michael (a.k.a. Mighty Mike) in the main pool. Michael's "just 20 minutes" turned into 45 minutes of "tai bo". That afternoon, we also went to the lesson, this time, it was a chipping and putting lesson. At 4:30, I went to the socca aerobics. Michael had us doing the dollar dance and a few others in the gym. The workout lasted about 45 minutes. I quickly changed, and we went to the wine and cheese party in White Gaulin. They featured every white, red, and champagne they have on the property, along with cheeses and appetizers. During the week, the bar had great appetizers around 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. Items served were spring rolls, chicken on a stick, pigs in a blanket, etc. They offered two Chardonnays (California and "other", an Italian wine, a French sauvignon blanc (resort house--VERY dry), and Italian wine, champagne, and a few reds. All were available for tasting. Between the wine and cheese party and dinner, we went out to the beach house hot tub and saw a sunset that was incredible. The sky was various shades of orange and gray, and the sun was a big orange ball that just suddenly appeared to drop in the ocean. The showtime was a black lady w/ blonde hair. She did a lot of popular reggae numbers and involved the audience. Todd didn't make it through the whole show, but I did. I went to the sing-a-long afterward. April, a guest really belted out the tunes after one or two other guests sang. Evidently, she had sand previously in the week, as some people requested her by name. We sang "New York, New York", a Madonna song, and that "Dock of the Bay" song. Camille ran the karaoke. Tuesday On Monday night, I put out our room service ticket to receive fresh fruit and juice between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m. Todd was scheduled to be on the 7 a.m. golf bus. The knock on the door came at 5:45 a.m. We enjoyed what they brought, and then Todd quickly got ready for the bus. He was down there right at 7 a.m. I decided to take a relaxing hot bath. I lay there for some time with my eyes closed. Eventually, I noticed the outfit I planned to put on was laying on the bathroom floor in a huge puddle. The tub had a leak! I had not filled it to the overflow or anything. Luckily we had two bathrooms!! I could not make myself go to the golf lesson, but I did get on a swimsuit and head for the Jacuzzi and then aquacize. Each day, the aquacize had about 15 guests participating. There were a lot of people that just lay on floats watching, and we had the scuba lesson people to dodge during the workout. I lurked on during the music trivia and then got a piece of white jerk chicken with the sauce and headed for the room. Todd had just got back. We went for lunch and then off to the beach. We found some lounges in the shade and noticed a cocktail waitress. She took our order and came back about 20 or 30 minutes later. I got in the water on a float. It was a little cool but relaxing. We went to the 3:00 p.m. golf lesson where they worked on chipping and putting. The lessons are 2 hours, and I left to go to the 4:30 aerobics. The aerobics were reggae/kick-boxing. There were a handful of people there, and it lasted about 45 minutes. The session ended with a fast walk around a portion of the property. I went back to the room to retrieve Todd for the crab races and dinner at Muna Hanna and then casino night and evening entertainment. I was feeling overworked from all of this vacation!! The crab races are run like para-mutual betting, and the same guy has run it each time we have been at the resort. He works comedy into his routine. Each race has different crabs, and a minimum bet per color is $3. We came out $2 ahead by the time we went to dinner at 6:30. We finished dinner in time for the casino night. They had two blackjack tables, but only one was open. Tanya ran that one, and we (along with other guests) played with funny money. Near the end, Todd went broke. I was in. Tanya encouraged us to bet it all. I did not, and I came in 3rd. Unfortunately, only the top two participants got a prize. Next, guests absolutely begged Camille to open the roulette table. She did not want to do it and said she was paying everything 2 to 1 and doing only two spins. She did 3. Everyone played the outside, and she wrapped it up in 5 minutes and handed someone some rum. She had places to be. At the evening show, we saw some costumed dancers, but I was starting to fall asleep due to too much vacation! We saw some staff members in togas but no guests. Wednesday We went to the breakfast buffet and had eggs to order and bacon. I had fruit, Todd had potatoes. Again, we had trouble getting juice or tea. We went back to the room for the golf clubs. I went to the lesson, and Todd played Braco's course. Oscar informed me that I needed to be Debbie and used a posture that put the club in front of my bust!!!!! I found that humiliating, but it honestly improved things for me. That is the way Oscar is. He will irritate you into submission and force you to do better. Next, it was time to try the Internet again on the laptop. It worked this time!!!!!! After checking some email and a live report, it was off to find Miss Cynthia for some coconut and into the Jacuzzi until lunch. We headed to the beach house and had steak sandwiches. After a while in the room and a soap opera fix for me and CNN for Todd, it was off to the afternoon golf lesson. We changed and went to White Gaulin. We tried to arrive some days between 5:30 and 6:00 because they had excellent appetizers. There was a saxophonist playing in the street. Since the beach party was held in Victoria Market, the games were scaled back. We had not planned to attend much anyway and headed to bed by 9:30. I just couldn't manage to sleep past 5:45 a.m. on a single day. Thursday Todd went off to Breezes for golf again, but this time, he did without the juice and headed for the 7 a.m. bus. There was no aquacize that day, and I was having fun looking at the ocean out the window and posting on the Lido boards on the Internet. I put on a swimsuit and went out to the main hot tub. They tried to get people interested in pool Olympics, but they could only scare up a volleyball game. I got on a float and went over to see Wayne for some Diet Pepsi. I went back to the room about noon to see if Todd was back. After his shower, we went off to eat and to the hot tub. I asked him to go play Bingo to win something when I headed off for a facial. I had forgot to ask for a specific type, I had only requested a one-hour facial. The treatment was held in one of the rooms behind the gym. It was a deep cleansing facial with several layers of goodies applied and also steam. She massaged my head, neck, arms, and feet. It was pleasant. I believe this is the day that no gym instructor arrived for the 4:30 aerobics. I did a few weights and headed back to the room. It had rained for about 3 hours that afternoon, so I went back to find Todd still holed up in the room watching sports. It was really raining right before 6 p.m., the time for the repeat guest party. They moved it from the Muna Hanna patio to the conference room. That was fine with us, as it was near our room. The rain quit just in time. We arrived promptly at 6 p.m. and had a long chat with Richard Bourke, the resident manager. We found out that he was moving in a few days to GL San Souci to take the place of favorite resident manger Rajiv who gave notice to pursue private interests such as working in his successful restaurant in Ocho Rios. We also learned of some staff members leaving for Ritz Carlton and management's desire to turn some top suites on both sides of the resort into Jacuzzi suites by year-end, add robes, and more room amenities by year-end. We also learned that a real watersports area would be added at some indefinite timeframe and that it will be several years before we see GL St. Kitts. We spoke with Maurice, the sales manager and several other staff members. I told newest social director Camille that she looked like former social director Ashley, only shorter. She said that everyone tells her that. She also asked Todd if he helped throw her in the a/n pool that day (more than once), as it was a bunch of tall guys. He assured her he was a super-prude and had never stepped foot over there before. A good friend had arranged with the chef to feed us a special dinner in our room. Chef Herbert arranged it with us to have the dinner served at 7:30 p.m. The lobster was served as nouvelle cuisine in a beautiful presentation with excellent spices that I have had on lobster before but can't name and rice and vegetables. Was I in heaven? Todd was done for the day and went for TV while I headed out to see the staff and guest talent show. I just had to see guest April (from karaoke) belt out another song or two. I arrived at the starting time, 9 p.m. and was seated in the 3rd row of chairs for the overflow crowd. I received no drink service (bring your own) but loved the show. The staff did a doctor's office skit that we have seen at several resorts before and could live without (the hypochondria thing). Maurice (sales manager) did a duet with a guest. There were a few other good acts. There was a bad act in the audience--two girls and two guys (there were a lot of skinheads on this trip) that were making out there in the audience. I believe it was this afternoon at the beach house that Todd twisted his ankle and broke his toe. The nurse visited and brought an ice pack and Motrin. It might have been Friday, the days all mix together when you are having fun. This gave Todd a good reason not to dance. Devin, the P.R. manager sent truffles for the sick. We also received some flowers from Rajiv. Friday I woke up very early again. I enjoyed the Internet again and then got Todd to go to the breakfast buffet. After that, I went to aquacize. We had a guest gym instructor, and she explained her experience of teaching on the a/n side (clothed). We spent some time in the hot tub and at the swim-up pool bar (tried Wayne's World and Mango Tango) then had lunch. I had my manicure and pedicure in the beauty salon and had a meeting with some GL managers to show them some of the things on the Internet relating to GL. At 4:30, I went to the Aerobics session with the guest gym instructor. I met Jackie Konder, another repeat GL guest that I had communicated with on one of the Yahoo boards. It was nice to put a name to a face, and I had seen her husband at the class taking pictures. I remembered seeing them in November, but we never met. We went for another hot tub session and waited until about 7:30 to go to the street dance. We sat with another couple from Houston. After the dinner, I stayed for the dance, and Todd turned in. I hung out with all of the other women who were by themselves and recognized a few women I'd seen earlier with men. I made it to the end of the street party. After that, they moved to the disco, but that was the end of it for me. Saturday I woke up very early again, and Todd slept until 9 a.m. I got him up just before what I thought was the snorkeling time. Even though he slept at least 10 hours, he did not feel rested. I munched leftover lobster from the previous night for a breakfast appetizer. At 9:30, I rushed us to the snorkeling. We found out it was at 10:30, so Todd went back to the room. I went to the hot tub. We showed up at 10:15 to get our equipment. The snorkeling boat took us west of the property. We were out gone for an hour. That afternoon, I went to the shops to look around and bought some logo shorts and a sleeveless shirt. As always, the shop wanted cash. We got some drinks and sat in the hot tub and pool. We had lunch, and then the afternoon went quickly. We dressed for dinner and went to the game room where Todd played pool, I attempted darts, and then we went to White Gaulin for drinks and the crab races before our dinner at Piacere. Sunday We were to leave at 1 p.m. so we used this as a day for sun and relaxation before packing and heading out. I was disappointed that we never were able to speak with general manager Anil Sud. We saw him twice on the property, but he seemed very busy. We found out later that he had gone on vacation for a month. The room We were in a one bedroom on the textile side. Our room number was 1221/1222. We were located closer to the main facilities than we have ever been. We were near the town hall, restaurants, pool, and golf course. We had a good view of the ocean this time even though it was in the distance. The balcony was like a gazebo and had two chairs (we were on the second floor in a 3 story building). Nice touches--long mirror for full-length view, iron and ironing board in both halves of the room. Bar soap and GL standard shampoo, soap, and lotion in the wall dispenser were present. Our suite was really like two rooms, but one had been turned into a living room. There was a clothesline in each bathroom. The bed was king-sized and very comfortable. Plenty of pillows were provided, and they were comfortable as well. We had a remote control TV in the armoire of each room and channels were in-house (always on), NBC, CBS, HBO Cinemax, CNN, Espn, TNT, USA, TBS, and FINALLY ABC (thank you Braco management). They'd also have a Japanese station and Playboy. There were two local stations. There was a nice writing desk in our bedroom. We had a couch and two wicker chairs in our living room, along with the refrigerator I asked for. It is fairly difficult to get one on the textile side, but we did get one and were able to get it stocked once after the initial stocking. This feature comes with the rooms on the a/n side. We brought some extra hangers. The safe deposit box will hold two wallets, passports, and plane tickets and a couple of pieces of jewelry. We had a room upgrade for booking with a Diamond agent (also faxed ahead and requested one). We also received a bottle of champagne, flowers, and fruit for booking with that agent and some smoked fish and cooked shrimp and champagne from management for being a many-time SuperClubs guest. When Todd broke his toe and twisted his ankle, they sent truffles, and the nurse came by with an ice pack and Motrin. Spa—treatments, beauty salon, free services & facilities There are a number of a la carte services available. There are various massages, facials, wraps, loofah, body scrubs, paraffin treatments, waxing, and hair treatments. Some treatments are offered in 30 or 60-minute versions, even 80 minutes. Check in with the spa desk for scheduling treatments. This desk is also the location for booking the manicure and pedicure that are included. You can also request use of the sauna or steam room. Vendors The fruit lady, Cynthia goes around with her basket of fruit. She wears her native costume and Adidas. We generally caught her around 10 or 11 a.m. She commented that she never travels but that her face has been seen in so many homes (via the internet). Many people were seen that week sipping the watery milk from the coconuts. The vendor also had sugar cane, but I didn't see anyone try it. This time, I did not see the peanuts or the Popsicles. Craft vendors set up and sell different arts every day. No one nags you to buy. Laundry Service Take advantage of the laundry and dry cleaning. It is included. We used the laundry twice. Both times it was returned in about 1.5 days. You will probably find a laundry bag and ticket in the closet, and there should also be a ticket in the packet in the room that contains the fact sheet, room service menu, rules, etc. Maid service, turndown service, and towels The maid came twice a day. This time, we did not have petals all over the bathroom as before. We did have a decoration made with towels on the bed every day. The maids came in the morning any time from 8:30 to 3:00. They would go around knocking on doors as early as 8 a.m. Staff & Service The staff is very friendly if you make a point to talk to them. The service was good everywhere except the drink service at Victoria. Previous problems had been fixed, so I imagine this problem will be fixed soon, as well. The social directors work day and night to entertain guests and get those involved that want to be. At night, they start off the dancing and sometimes dance with guests. During the day, they organize many contests, games, and events. Golf The resort has a 9-hole executive course. They are all par 3 except for one par 4. It is a great place to practice your short game. Lessons for beginners and intermediate are offered in the morning, advanced lessons are offered in the afternoon. There are no lessons on Sundays. That is a good day to go to Breezes Golf and Beach for the 18-hole course because a lot of people arrive and depart that day, making everything far from crowded. You need to sign up for Breezes with the concierge a day in advance. The bus to Breezes leaves at 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The ride to Breezes is about 25 minutes. Each time Todd has played the whole trip has been about 5 or 5.5 hours. The current caddie fee for 18 holes (subject to change) is $14 plus tip. Todd typically tipped them $15, but many tip a lot less. Todd brings his own clubs, but they are available for rent at both Braco and Breezes. Clubs and balls are provided at the golf lessons at Braco at no charge. I took about 7 lessons at Braco. The resident pro, Oscar, is still there. The visiting pro this time was named Steve. He is a coach at the university in Birmingham, Alabama. He had 3 other bachelors with him (two other guys from the university and one of their sons) and no women. I particularly enjoyed the afternoon lessons where we did many putting and chipping drills to learn the difference in swing distance for various putts, loft distance, etc. Morning lessons were at the driving range. On Thursday night, they have a glow-ball tournament, but we did not attend. Jacuzzis One time, the Jacuzzi at the main pool reached 112 by the time they closed it. At one time, we found the one at the Beach House to be 82 degrees. Generally, though the Jacuzzis were 98-100 degrees. Each side of the property has two, and these are good places for conversation sometimes and to be by yourselves at others. Watersports The resort scuba course seemed very popular. They go out as a group and use the buddy system on dives. There are also dives for certified divers. We didn't do anything but swim and snorkel. Previously, we had only snorkeled off the beach, but this time, we went on the boat. I recommend the morning session held at 10:30 because the water is already rough by that time. There is a hut just behind the main pool that is used for sign up for snorkeling, scuba, and glass bottom boat tours. You can generally get a snorkeling spot one day in advance and often for the later session on the same day. We went out on Saturday. They took us west of the property. I saw a small spotted ray and a large crab. One of the watersports staff fed the fish some sort of fish guts, and the fish just swarmed him. Todd saw a bloat fish or something like that. The water was the clearest I have seen in Jamaica. Our masks (Braco's) didn't fog at all, and this is the first time Todd had snorkeled since he had lasik. Since the water was so rough, it was somewhat of an aerobic workout, but it was a lot of fun. They also had an a/n snorkeling one day. We did not attend. The windsurfing instruction looked good, too, but it was windy. They have sunfish sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, and water skiing. For optional activities, they offer PADI certification courses and night dives. Trip Home We were to have our bags out at noon and to depart at 1 p.m. We were ready right at noon and called the front desk to request someone to pick up our bags. We went to La Pasta and then went for a check out. It was a simple process. We got on the bus right at 1 p.m. It was really full. We got to the airport before two and were placed in a long line for Air Jamaica. We didn't buy a thing at the airport. We were an hour late leaving Jamaica due to "last minute bags". We barely made our connection in Atlanta after clearing customs (on the plane 13 minutes before departure). We were amazed our bags made it. Air Jamaica fed us the same chicken as before, but it wasn't as good. I had tiny champagne, Todd had beer. The flight to Houston was uneventful. We arrived home around midnight. Repeat Guest Party See the activities section of this report. General Comments The watersports staff tries really hard to keep towels at the beaches and pools and the gym & spa staff try to keep them at the gym. There are times when you can't get a towel because some people actually grab handfuls for just two people!!! You do not sign out towels and can return them to whatever location you like or leave them in your room. There are plenty of floating mats in all water areas. General stuff: menus are outside the lobby. The Victoria Market menu can be used to get an idea of the types of food offered. The menu at the restaurant rotates daily, but they don't change the one on the wall outside the lobby daily. I mentioned that to the staff. You can pick up a list of textile & a/n activities, map, watersports activity sheet, and resort fact sheet in the lobby, also. You can view the day's main events on a board by Victoria's market. There are things going on from 7:30 a.m. until evening. You don't have to participate in anything. Brochures for all SuperClubs are available in the lobby. Shops want cash, no charging to the room, at least at the logo shop. You can charge spa treatments to your room. There is often a lot of wind at Braco and other areas of the north coast. We were still able to snorkel and enjoy everything we wanted to do. Braco is a very unique property that seems to keep getting better. Service is great in most areas, with a few glitches. For those glitches, fill out the comment card in detail. Management really pays attention to the comments. If something particularly bad happens, speak to a manager right away. They usually are swift in solving problems. The resort was at near capacity in the 90s, percentage-wise. It didn't feel crowded anywhere but we could tell that the resort has become more popular. On our November visits, we have found more east coast U.S. people and many Canadians on Lido Lottery. This time, we found many Texans on Funjet charters, some from the south and some from the east coast, mostly Americans. There were some Europeans and Jamaicans, also. Rooms are nicer (and pricier) on the a/n side of the resort. I wish this wasn't the case, as we are very much room people but have no desire to stay on the a/n side. For those that like that side, the facilities are huge, they have tennis courts, two Jacuzzis, a pool that you walk into like you walked out from a beach, and a long beach. On the textile side, you have a huge pool that looks out to the town square and hosts a variety of activity and leisure. There is a swim-up bar there, also. There are lots of friendly people to meet, or you can keep to yourselves. Whatever side you pick and however long you stay, you will most likely want to return and wonder why you didn't book more days. From speaking with management, it sounds like they have a lot of ideas to take the resort a little more upscale, and we like that. I imagine it will still be the casual- elegance that keeps GL fans returning again and again.
Trip date 8/1/00 To begin with, If you can..book directly through Superclubs. They have their own website and toll free number. I used MLT vacations and got a good bargain. The big problem is the 727 cattle plane and the service mentality of a charter. The airport checkin and checkout was horrific. BUT ...on to the vacation.. Check in was a zoo at the Jamaica airport....be ready for a delay as it seems every airline shows up at the same time and customs officials are slower than Christmas. The air-conditioned 1hr30min bus ride was actually pleasurable. I expected it to be a nightmare..but it was actually nice to see the coastline and local cities and everday life of Jamaica. I was a little shocked to find out it was as third world poverty ridden as some points in Mexico. Our arrival at the hotel was a bit muddled and we had to wait for about an hour for our room to be ready. They showed us to the bar or out to the poolside for lunch. The room was adequate. HUGE oversized king bed with marble accents throughout. Air conditioning was a joke. It ran 24/7 and never cooled the room to a comfortable level. We stayed in the 2000 building. If you want a pool/beach view try to get an even number room. The food was varied throughout our 5 day stay. Lots of "jerk" meats ..but they laced in some fish, fajita, fried chicken, pastas, etc. You won't go hungry. My personal experience with the service started out on shaky ground. This is MY observation...so take it as you will....I believe the mindset of a typical Jamaican is that of all white people are racists until proven otherwise. At first, if I ordered a drink, I was put off while they tended to others of their race. It was almost as if they were subtly telling you that they would wait on you in their good time. You are constantly, no matter what the atmosphere, told "No Problem". After chumming up to a bartender or waitress or two....and they realized I wasn't some racist Texas pig.....the drinks and service accelerated from just plain bad...to capable. By the way...the Jamaicans have a drink called a "No Problem"....try it ...you'll like it. I at no time got nauseated or had any symptoms of the typical Mexico Montezuma's Revenge. The water was absolutely spectacular. I've been to several resorts and this is the best snorkeling/scuba water I've ever seen without having to pay someone to boat me to a location. Several local hotel boats brought scuba/snorkelers and moored about 100yds offshore to dive. If you are not a scuba person....the snorkel equipment is free to use at the hotel. take either an English muffin or a box of cereal out with you....the sunfish and several other species will literally eat from your hand. I kept an English muffin in my pocket while I snorkeled...and the fish would follow you anywhere. You can see fish less than 15ft into the water and not over knee deep. Wear either fins or some type of shoes in water because there is an array of coral and urchins just feet from the shore. You can swim out nearly 200 or 300 yds if you are comfortable doing so. The coral reef and water was crystal clear. I played golf at the resort. And if you don't take your own clubs...be ready to pay about 70 bucks to play. $14 mandatory caddie fee....$35 rental clubs(adequate). $15 sleeve for balls(3)...cart was $30. The fairways were in horrible shape...August is suppose to be rainy season....they are still waiting on the rain. The greens were fast and very little crabgrass or nutgrass on greens. But they were sparse and you could tell they were having trouble keeping them green. Absolutely NO fairway grass was green. My wife went on a shopping trip to Ocho Rios($15) from the hotel. She enjoyed it immensely. Although they warned her about straying from the group. I usually rent a jeep to survey the area and enjoy the town...but I was warned and warned again about going out on your own. They drive on the wrong side of rode in Jamaica..and if you think they drive bad in Mexico....Jamaicans win the prize for passing on curves and squeezing a 14ft wide bus through a 12ft wide space. This resort has both a Nude and a Prude beach. The nudists pretty much keep to themselves....it was fun watching unwary wanderers along the beach come upon the 30 to 50 or so nudists and gawk. The pool at the hotel was nice sized with volleyball on one end. The mustard algae was so bad on the sidewalls it was in patches of about the size of basketballs in several spots. They keep the bottom of pool looking good...except for the 2 patches of plaster about 2ft by 3ft that will stub your toe good if you don't see it. I can't believe that SuperClubs allows this algae and bad plaster. I don't ever recall a pool being in this bad of shape. The water was clear but that was about it. Nightly entertainment was varied and enjoyable. It goes til 1am....so if you goto your room..be ready to hear music till then. Daily activities were varied and fun for most.
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