DennyP Travel Forums Travel Information Jamaica Chat Nudes From The Front - Sept 2020 Edition

We have arrived. Hint, when the Travel authorization website tells you that it is also counted as the customs for.... DO NOT believe them. Fill it out again either online or on paper while on the plane. Apparently it doesn't upload correctly.

Very few people on our plane (60-couple out of 144 seats) very low traffic in the airport.

Will post more as it happens.

Judy

Occupancy is at about a third (my estimate). I am going on how unfull the dining room was tonight...lobster night. No tables out on the pool deck either.

Dining service works well though. Not sure how it would work with aa full house though.

Judy

Mid September was always less than half full. Are there any groups showing up?

How is the moral of the staff? How are they coping with this uncertain world we are in?

Thanks for the update...looking forward to more from the September edition of NFTF!! :-)

Bless you, Judy! We are coming next Friday and really appreciate the intel.

Keith

Not sure which one, but was told there is a group coming in today, how big of a group? dunno yet.

Staff morale seems to be good. There are plenty of staff around, due to the covid they need more servers behind the buffet counters so instead of one person just making sure everything is full, there are several to put food on plates for us. I was worried there wouldn't be enough staff on duty to keep up, but there is! Glad to see they are able to work.

Oh rats, looked back at Parrot's post, he asked about the MORAL of the staff. heh heh they seem fairly we behaved, the morals of the guests....LOL Not so much! Love ya Parrot!

Edited to add- I will not post any details about the leaving the property question until we are home. If you are here/coming here in the next week, PM me and I will give you the details. Everyone else, will share when we get home.

Judy

It would be great to have a trip report(s) emailed to me for posting so that others can share in the information. Thanks.

Of course Denny! Will put a nice one together when we get home next week!

Judy

Thanks.

Some sad news, Grantley is retiring after 38 years here. He is working 3 days this next week and 3 days the week after and done.

One interesting thing we have noticed, due to covid, tables are no longer being set in advance, only when you sit down are you brought your silverware etc. Menu's in the restaurants are huge montrosities ( about 2ft x 4 ft) on a stand that are moved around as needed.

Judy

I wonder if, after retirement, one of the staff will write a book on the evolution of Hedo.
We as guests see some wacky things, and only visit once in a while. What would you see in 38 years?
Hurricanes, fights, Butt Crack parades to glow in the dark wieners served at midnight - If the walls could talk...

The guy who could best tell that tale is Kevin Levee, considering he's been with Hedo since he was 16 years old, if I remember correctly.

"All names have been changed to protect..." hmm, there are no innocents here.

Judy

Oooh I remember the Glow in the Dark Weiners at Midnight LOL

.....in the main dining room AND at the pool deck Glow Party !!

That's a hoot, Parrot! I've been working on/off on a Hedo History book for the last two years! And yes, Kevin has kindly agreed to be interviewed. I've been seeking and haven't found yet some pics of the OLD rooms...when they had twin beds and the black wood wall for the dressing room area....anyone?

Chris, I do remember those early rooms with the black painted dressing area. Wasn't the carpeting red? Somewhere I think we have some photos that I'd happily share if I can find them.

No, the carpet was a lovely green shag full of sand and small critters.

For the divers:

The reefs are looking very good. LOTS of fish and color is best it has been in years. I have to think the reefs may have needed this 6 months off to heal some. Lionfish are fewer, and way more skittish than they have been in the past. I hope their skittishness stresses them to the point of inhibiting breeding.

Dive staff is wonderful, as always.

Food and drink have been plentiful and delicious!

Occupancy has about doubled now, Although I only counted about 50 people in the nude pool this afternoon.

Judy

Not so surprised that Boise (Grantley) is retiring. Known him since '84 and was part of my inspiration for becoming a dive master. Usually let him rebuild my equipment before blowing those first bubbles. In the dark days of SuperClubs, he would send me a list of parts he needed to keep the equipment in top shape.

Judy, any word on who is being promoted to minding the maintenance of the diving equipment?

Yes, please, Hedo Antique! Would lick donkey dong for those pics....(Is that an appropriate Hedo-esque response?) When you are ready, PM me and I'll provide email address or mail address to scan and return to you. I need high res. THANKS!

And that old carpeting could house entire gypsy families...boy, didn't we bitch when they tiled the room and we all slipped and slid all over the place till we got our act together and hoarded a gazillion towels to line the floor from the bathroom to the bed? Those were the days! You never near bitching about the slippery floors anymore. Hmmmm.

No he didn't say, other than he was supposed to have retired a couple of weeks ago but they asked him to come in 3 days per week to do all the maintenance on the equipment before leaving. Hence the 3 days this week and 3 next.

Judy

Housekeeping service is upon request only now. We had to ask for a coffee pot for our room, our lovely housekeeper makes sure we have coffee now too.

SOmething we just noticed today after 4 days, there are no cats around. Staff either doesn[t know what happened to them or won't say. We are both allergic to them, so this is a good thing for us.

Nightly shows are PHENOMENAL.

Judy

Judy, which dive boat are they using? ( Asking for my Friend, Bob?)

Dive year? Gear? is the new Cressi gear they bought just before the plague broke out. Boat? the lower sitting one, wider with more seating.

I think I am going to dial back on the 70% occupancy thing. The place is NOT 70% full. With 280 rooms, x2 per room would mean 560 people at max capacity. By what I have been seeing in the dining room/restaurants, in the pools and on the beach, there are about 250 people here, and that is being generous. That being said, there is a group of about 30-40 people here who are "photographers" and "models" who, after their "shoots" are done for the day, hang out in groups of guys and groups of girls. So counting them as singles with their own rooms, you could skew the numbers and truthfully say 70% of rooms are occupied.

Judy

Sorry, autocorrect working overtime! I was asking about the dive boat,and I edited my post to reflect that. Thanks for your kind reply!

Our last full day here. Per staff, Hedo is only at about 11% occupancy. The prude bar and grill are both closed. Buffet was closed last night and probably will be tonight also.

I will work on a trip report when we get home.

Judy

Judy - I'll be watching my email for that trip report. Thank you very much.

Thanks Judy...hope this finds you home safely!

Chris - re: pics: Hummm - just maybe. But you understand this will trash an entire day of this retired dude's busy life! Getting into the "old pic" box is a black hole! I also have an original brochure that I photo'd and sent to Howard - PM me with your e-mail (not sure if I have your current one) and I'll send you what I sent Howard

Trip report is in Denny's inbox.

Judy

It will be posted in the next couple days. Thanks.

I forgot to add in my trip report, and on this thread, that there is a new private hospital being built in Negril now. We heard it is being funded by one of the doctors in town.

Judy

Thanks for the trip report! That's nice news to hear about a new hospital in Negril.

been hearing/reading about a new Negril hospital for almost a decade. Some planners even have US-based fund raising gala that were advertised as tax-deductible events; but, they never applied to the IRS for not-for-profit status for tax-deduction purposes.

See:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/west...es-form-in-Negril_14583307#ixzz2XQXPIucd

https://www.ieyenews.com/enjoy-a-gala-fundraiser-dinner-dance-and-build-a-hospital/

and more recently
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20181025/construction-mini-hospital-negril-start-next-month

So, where is the money?

I will believe these stories when I read/hear/see tractors moving earth.

Chuck

Just because of tourist pressure there will have to be a new hospital at some point, but without government backing I would not put much faith into the news stories.

I saw the building being built myself.

Judy

China quickly expanding throughout the islands building infrastructure, wouldn't surprise me.

Judy, you have an important update.

Where did you see this building located? Across from what resort/hotel/eatery. Between what two existing buildings? Was it an empty field or was something knocked down first?

Oh wow, you ask a lot from someone who was drunk and not paying attention....as you head into Negril, it is on the left, before you get to the lineup of nonstop hotels/resorts on both sides, other than that I just cannot remember.

Judy