Trip Report
Hedonism II March 30, 2002 April 06, 2002
With this being our third trip to Hedo, it was proven once again that Forrest Gumps mother was right in Ya never know what your gonna get. Overall it was a good trip, but there were subtle changes throughout.
Early Saturday morning found us in the Air Jamaica line at the airport. We were able to get decent seats without much haggling, however they did have up a sign stating that the flight was overbooked (big surprise) and that they were looking for people willing to accept compensation in return for taking a later flight. I realize that overbooking has become standard practice in the airline industry, but it seems to me that if they have received payment for all the seats, they cant loose money on the flight if people dont show up. In MHO, the government should force a stop to this practice. Immigration and customs were about standard, and were No Problem Mon. We were promptly met for our Tim Air flight, and quickly found ourselves in Negril. At check in we were able to obtain the rooms we had requested with a minimal wait.
Clothes off and drink cups in hand we found our way to the nude pool where Scumba was waiting with his sunglasses and smile to provide weary travelers with their first drink of the week. The resort was running about 40% capacity for most of the week. This had its pluses and minuses. The drink lines at the bar were minimal, towels were plenty, and it was rare for the restaurants to run out of that special dish. However, it was overall a much quieter week than in the past. The old faces that were left were a pleasure to see, and really made us feel at home. However there was a less than friendly attitude conveyed by some of the staff. I assume that there are still cuts ongoing from the reduction in guests, however the remarks made and attitudes expressed do not convey a please come back again attitude.
One of our major concerns was the lights on the nude beach. We didnt find them intrusive and were not bothered by them during our midnight hammock encounters. The improvements on the prude side were very impressive. With the exception of the mini-golf course, rock-climbing wall, and ice skating rink, they really improved the look and atmosphere of the resort. The gym is top notch and actually encouraged me to get out of bed at 7AM the first few mornings. The spa is wonderful. We enjoyed a couples deep tissue massage, and had drool coming out of our mouths by the end. The addition at the disco was nice, but again since the resort was only at 40% capacity it was difficult to ascertain its value. We did lead a revolt of abut 40 people to the prude waterslide one afternoon, and met no resistance other than the prudes that left the pool and stood a distance away to watch the spectacle.
We had decided that this was the year to make our way off the resort for something other than shopping at Times Square and the Sunshine Shops. One morning we took a cab to Margaritaville. The atmosphere and drinks were well worth the trip. Having arrived at around 11AM we had already soaked up some sun, sand, and drinks when the tour bus arrived. The food was first rate and is highly recommended for those looking for a quick get-away for the afternoon. Some will be happy to know that the ganga situation is in full swing, and has never been more prevalent. For the first time we were asked at the airport if we needed some. The odd part was it was BEFORE we had cleared customs! We were approached several times before we even got on Tim Air, and didnt bother counting after that.
Overall it was a quieter week than normal for Hedo. As I said before the old faces really make you feel at home, however the general attitude of the others were less than friendly and at times outright rude. I really hope this is not the trend of the changes at Hedo and only a blip on the screen.
Maximum respect,