We just got back from a week in wonderland and (5/11 5/18) thought wed share a trip report while everything is fresh in our minds. This year due to our travel dates we split time between the Geminis and Wet Wild and Wicked groups.
Are we there yet?
Kudos to Air Jamaica. After the horror stories we heard last year we were a little worried but they did a great job getting us to Mo Bay 20 minutes early. Customs and immigration lines were short and the bus ride uneventful. Our room wasnt ready yet (when is it ever?) but Barb managed to wrangle a pool front room for us (with a little help from Robert?).
Have we really been up that long?
Thursday night we wore black togas with the Gemini group. Some of the group had reservations at the Pastafari and were able to squeeze us in (thanks!). The food was ok and the service acceptable. Phyllis got a bottle of wine to go and was very happy. Unfortunately our Pastafari experiences went downhill from there. After dinner we did the standard piano bar (the new bathroom is great), disco, hot tub rounds. We finally decided it was time to go to bed around 2:30 after being up for almost 23 hours. At least we lived by the dont overdo the drinking on the first day rule.
Let the party begin
Friday slept in and then met up with some of the Geminis for lunch and then we hung out in the pools. The Geminis had schoolgirl night on Friday and WWWs was Saturday so we decided to do it just Saturday night. We had dinner at Munasan and it was good as usual. After that we did the standard evening rounds.
Wheres Waldo?
Saturday we got up to say good-bye to the Geminis. It was sad to see everyone go, especially since we didnt get to see much of them. We hung out at the nude pool the rest of the day as more and more of the WWW group started arriving and we started meeting the people wed been chatting with for the past several weeks / months. Thanks to David and Tracey for bringing the name necklaces, even though by day 2 most werent wearing their own names. (Denny started looking much better!) We had 2 tables at Munasan for dinner. Dinner was good when it wasnt being interrupted trying to track down a certain someone who should remain nameless (but wont Jay!). All the ladies looked lovely in their schoolgirl outfits (Kevin on the other hand looked a little scary!)
Arrrgh! Prepare to be boarded!
Barb got out diving on Sunday morning and had a nice time. We ate breakfast and settled into our normal daily routine of hanging out at the nude pool laughing, joking, drinking, and generally having a great time. Sunday night was Pirate night and the WWW meet and greet party. Ive got to say my pirate costume was the hottest thing Ive ever worn in Jamaica. I think Lynn called it a plastic bag! Next year there may have to be some modifications made. The party was nice. Congrats to Jason and Tracy for winning the 3 free nights you bastards!
Whose day was it to watch Barb?
Barb tried to dive on Monday morning again, but had equipment issues that lead her to end up back on the boat. We played lazy when she returned and didnt really get moving until the WWW gift exchange. Polly did a good job of MCing and everyone had fun. We learned that twizzle sticks arent just for drinks. After that I guess Barb was making up for lost time but I wasnt paying close attention. We had dinner at Munasan for the 3rd and final time. Once again we had 2 tables and Barb & I ended up at separate tables. I was a little surprised after dinner to find her very drunk. She made it to the piano bar and to the disco for a bit but didnt last long. I put her to bed but wasnt ready to stay in for the night. I ended up hanging out with several in the group (thanks for letting me play creepy single guy for the night).
Quiet on the set please
Barb did not get up to dive on Tuesday (actually she did get up, just didnt get far). We both slept in and went to the pool after lunch at the Bonnet. Tuesday night was WWW Patriotic night for dinner, which we did at Pastafari. After the standard rounds and slide runs, we ended the night in the quad hot tub and discovered that there is room in it for a 2-person float and it makes a nice stage.
How tough would you like your steak medium, well, or extremely tough?
Even though it was after 3 am when we got to bed on Tuesday, Barb did dive on Wednesday. I got up at 10am to say good-bye to Polly and Kevin. Her energy level had still not let up. She was getting rides on the luggage cart while waiting for the bus. Shortly after breakfast it began to rain. It was the first rain we had seen except a brief shower during the gift exchange so we knew we had been lucky up to that point but still, dont spoil our last day! We passed the time playing ping-pong and foosball and the rain ended by early afternoon. Wednesday was the WWW glow night as well as retro/pimp/ho night. Thanks to Jay & Lynn for bringing the necklaces and bracelets and Ken & Deb for the toe rings. The Pastafari dinner was not a good experience at our table but most seemed to do ok. We had to ask for menus, bread and oil, for someone to take our order; we got wine from another table, were shorted an appetizer, had to ask multiple times for steak knives, and then only got 2 of the 3 we asked for. Thank for sharing Lynn!
His rump is shaking so fast you cant see it with the naked eye
After that the night got much better. First of all karaoke night at the piano bar was a blast. It was packed and there were a ton of good singers. The ECs even made the not so good ones fun. Then it was off to the disco where the good mood from the piano bar continued. The glow stuff was really glowing in the black light and Sams outfit stood out like a neon sign. The pimp and ho contest was a hoot with Wayne winning best pimp with his rump shaking routine on the disco pole.
They look like gerbils in a Habitrail
Next up was the slide runs. But this time someone brought along a bottle of water-proof lube (thanks Alison!). After lubing up it was time for the great experiment. Maybe it was all in the mind, but we all felt that weve never been down the slide that fast. I lost count on how many trips up the stair we made but they finally cut us off. As we loitered around the slide exit, someone came with the news that Alison was in the tube above the disco. Sure enough, there she was, sitting in the tube just before it went clear above the disco. Then we noticed Don was in there too. The two slide out purely on silicon as the water was turned off!
The newest Olympic sport long duck jumping!
After that the night REALLY got fun. We talked Don into going back to the room and getting the duck. Soon after that it was lined up in the pool just outside the hot tub. I dont remember who made the first attempt, but soon the girls were all lining up for their turns to try to jump from the tub onto the duck and successfully stay above water. After the girls all got done, the pressure started to build for the guys to try. Once the ice was broken, it wasnt long until every one of the guys had tried. Thanks to Anthony for upholding the male honor by being the only guy to do it successfully, though Chet had the never give up attitude even as he was almost drowning.
Is that the sun coming up?
After some relaxing around the pool, we headed off to the quad tub as the nude tub was pretty busy. Barb and I walked in as the group was singing Margaritaville. The sing-along continued for several more songs. Thanks Kevin for playing song leader. After we could think of no more songs to sing, we turned to silly conversation and other fun. Before we knew it, the sun was starting to come up. Barb and I wandered off to our room around 5:30 to catch a few minutes of sleep before getting up to pack and head home.
Jamaican Farewell
And so our trip came to an end. We did get to see Jason & Tracy at breakfast and Jay made it down to say good-bye. It was sad to leave after the great time we had and meeting so many great people, but all good things must come to an end but hopefully a temporary one.
Other observations:
They must have gotten the washer/dryer situation addressed as there seemed to be plenty of towels to go around, if not enough washcloths.
They are definitely making an attempt to improve the property. Things seemed cleaner than in the past. The 700 & 800 building were closed for cleaning, painting, etc. We heard no complaints about mold or the crud.
The hot tubs were too hot as usual. We asked what the temp was one time when they came to check the quad tub. He said it was 100 degrees but everyone in the hot tub was guessing it was way over that, including the several that owned hot tubs. The tiles on the nude tub are peeling off left and right. The pussy fountain at the nude pool was not working and neither was the waterfall in the grotto but the grotto has been cleaned very well.
We didnt eat at the buffet for dinner but the reports were mixed. The lunches were about normal. Not great but OK, somewhat inconsistent. Breakfast was good omelets were delicious, the French toast yummy, the bacon over crispy. The midnight buffet hit the spot for the munchies at 2 am after naked slide runs.
The food at the Scotch Bonnet / Reggae Caf was very good. There were some service issues including one time we sat down at 11:30 (opening time) and didnt get a waitress until 11:50.
Munasan was good as usual. Servers and cooks pleasant and the food was good and consistent (the one complaint I heard was that it all tasted the same).
Overall the service was good. Most employees were friendly and pleasant. Probably more so than in our previous 2 trips, more than last year for sure.
The water was hot, but the shower fluctuated temp about every 30 seconds.
Other Memories:
Pollys energy and attitude
Finding Jay sprawled out in pain in the quad
Having to go find Jay in the first place
Discovering Tina was born minutes from my boyhood home
The beer fountain(s)
Renees voice (and patriotic boots)
And mostly the great people that we hope will be long time friends