Just wondering if anyone else is going March 3rd-10th to Sandals Grande Ochos??? Quiet SAMMI..I know your going!

Oh darn.. .. .. .

make sure you tell us about the trip, especially the about the rooms, etc. going the end of april.

My wife-to-be and I will be there on our honeymoon Feb 28th-March 7th. We're staying in the romeo and juliet suites on the manor side. It looks nice on the website although some of the reviews have me a little worried. It seems as though there is nothing to do at night but a piano bar and an empty club. I've heard about some things to do outside of the resort like Jimmy Buffet's place and something about a party cruise. Anyone else know of things to do at night?

LOS,
We just thought that we'd just get there and seek out some entertainment. I don't think it's going to be hard to find! We are going with 3 other couples and one of the couples is getting married while we're there.
March 3rd is the date of the wedding..so look for some crazy Minnesotan's and you'll have found your entertainment!

Anyone staying that week?

Nebraska Honeymooners

gooch,

we are also planning a trip from MN, did you book your trip from someone local?

Send me an email if you dont mind sharing info.

Ron

hogg@bevcomm.net

My fiance and I are getting married April 23rd (Saturday 3:00PM) at SOR. We have approx. 26 people flying down with us. I have been reading this board amoung others for weeks now. With everything I have read, I am starting to become a little nervous. My fiance and I are pretty easy going people, however this is a vacation for everyone else as well. They are paying alot of money to go here. I have been affraid to tell them about some of these horrid reviews I have read. Can someone put my mind at ease? Someone said that there was no beer on the bus ride from mobay to ochi.. ..is this correct? I am trying to prep everyone for the bus ride, etc. I guess that we will see.

David
Indianapolis

We're going to be there Feb. 25 to March 7. Looking forward to the sun and sand - see you there!

Sorry. That was me above - wasn't logged in.

To answer the question about the beer on the bus, we have never had a problem.. . Most of the drivers do not want you to bring ice on, but we have bought beer at the airport and brought it on without the bag of ice.

With all of the reviews, a lot of them you need to read with an open mind. The vacation is what you make of it. I have read the reviews and am amused by a lot of the complaints, most seem petty and ridiculous. if you run into a problem at the resort, yelling and throwing a fit will get you nowhere, things move slower there than in the U.S. but that's the beauty of being on vacation, you can afford to move slower!!

In the past two years that my fiance' and I have been to SOR we have not run into any problems, and have not had to tip to be treated well. if you are kind to the staff they will bend over backwards to help and please you.

All of the weddings I have seen done at the resort have been beautiful, we even considered having our's there.

Try not to worry to much, if you do your research you won't be surprised by things and that can make a world of difference in what kind of trip you end up having.. .

Every ting is irie mon!

I say how the HELL can you have a bad time with all the beach, pool, booze, food and compay that you can get. Man.. ..you have to MAKE a good time.. ..its not going to ring your doorbell. Im not worried at ALL.. .. ..my fiance and I will be there June 6-15th. CANT WAIT!!!

We have two couple going Feb 19-26

from st cloud,mn - we will be there march 6-12

Rubycheez.. .. ..gooch, myself, and spouses, along with another couple are from Willmar, MN.. .. . we are so excited.. .. ..we will be there march 3-10, hope to see you there!

My husband and I just purchased a trip to SOR today, for March 4th-11th. I am very excited about it, but I think the mixed reviews have my husband a little worried. I am tending to agree with the more optomistic posters. We got married at the Sandals Grand Bahamian, and had an absolutely wonderful experience. But, my husband reminded me that he read some negative reviews concerning that resort before we went. I figure that some people may just have had a bad vacation, due to the confusion during the opening. I am sorry that their vacations were not enjoyable, and I do hope that they get a full refund. I am also hoping that many of the kinks will be worked out by the time we get there. We are staying in one of the villas w/semi-private pool. I think I can deal just fine with the laid back atmosphere. And, I figure that the bus trip to get there, can't be worse than DC traffic, which we deal with on a frequent basis.

Rubycheez.. .. ..Does this mean we have to be good? What happens in Jamaica stays in Jamaica.. ..right??? HEE HEE!
Maybe see you there!
Gooch

gooch.. ..good, schmood - vacations are to have fun - i have to be good all work week long - what side of sor will you other minnesotans be staying on ? we are on the riviera side, oceanfront honeymoon penthouse concierge something or other (far from our honeymoon, though). . look for us - it would be great to meet up for a drink and laugh about all the other poor minnesotans who are freezing at home while we are in paradise !! my husband will be the bald chubby guy with white legs who normally is only seen in a harley shirt and i will be the one laying on the beach with an icy cold red stripe in each hand just saying "aahhhhh" !!! counting the days . .. .. .. .

gooch
p.s. look for the morning glory tattoos - that will be me !

rubycheez.. .. .
we are staying at the manor house. I hear the new pool at the manor house is awesome, so I'm sure we'll be spending some time there. Along with beach I'm sure. Yes, we will have to meet up for a drink.
27 days to go!
gooch

Hey!!! No laughing too loudly at us other Minnesotans, I may hear you! Ha!

Have fun! We can't wait to go.. . Only 86 more days!!

Where in MN are you all from?
We live in the St. Louis Park area.. .

from st. cloud

[quote="ddough6262"]My fiance and I are getting married April 23rd (Saturday 3:00PM) at SOR. We have approx. 26 people flying down with us. I have been reading this board amoung others for weeks now. With everything I have read, I am starting to become a little nervous. My fiance and I are pretty easy going people, however this is a vacation for everyone else as well. They are paying alot of money to go here. I have been affraid to tell them about some of these horrid reviews I have read. Can someone put my mind at ease? Someone said that there was no beer on the bus ride from mobay to ochi.. ..is this correct? I am trying to prep everyone for the bus ride, etc. I guess that we will see.

David
Indianapolis[/quote]

We were there 12/27 - 1/1/05 and witnessed a family freaking out because their rooms were NOT in the rooms they booked. The family was spread out throughout the two resorts, which are now one. This resort's standard operating procedure is to over-book, and that warning is written in your ticketing paperwork. You won't get the room you booked.

Why would anyone risk all that money, time and mood on a vacation that is repeatedly getting mixed reviews? Open your eyes, we who have bad experiences don't publicize it because we are proud of making a huge mistake.

Go to a resort that has 99% good reviews.

Yo, chill Honeygirl. Like me they probably chose SOR because of the 40% discount. I recently spent a week there and besides the fact that I had a 5 minute downhill walk to the beach from the Manor House and a 3 minute bus ride up, it was pretty much cookie cutter Sandals Experience. Those that complain about the food are absolutley NUTZ! The drinks, the bartenders, all good. You would be surprized what happens when you put on a smile, you are greeted with a smile, you are asked "what can I get you?" with smile. If you find yourself in a group of people waiting for a drink smile and make eye contact and I guarantee you will be served next. I can't believe the one review of the couple who said they were constanlty hassled for tips. In my 4 stays at Sandals I have NEVER once felt pressure from an employ for tips, nor have I ever tipped anyone including the maid. I can't understand why a maid deserves a tip more than any other employee. We maintain a clean room all they do is bring new towels. Everyone there works hard to make our vacations what we wnat them to be. Sometimes they work hard to make them seem as they are working hard. Here's a funny story: one morning at the Manor House I had my breakfast and wandered out the patio of the Market Place restaurant. I began walking to the left of the pool where there is a ramp from the pool level to the main level. There I witnessed a young man struggling with his head down pushing what appeared to be a 7 foot, 300 pound refridgerated cooler, up the slippery ramp. I said "let me help you with that" and he replied "no, thats ok " but I insisted and got behind and gave a push and was humorously shocked to find we were both pushing an empty plastic buffet table on wheels that couldn't have weighed more than 50 pounds! Yep, things just get done a litle slower down there.

A&E.. ..we are from Willmar.. .. ..1st timers to SOR.. ..but can't wait!