Greg & Kristin Rudi

Royal Plantation Trip Report

12/12/02 – 12/21/02

Arrival Day:

We chose to spend the night before our flight in the Miami Airport Hotel and are glad we did. We were just upstairs from the Air Jamaica counter – very convenient. We took Air Jamaica #20 9:40am, and it was slightly delayed, but we still arrived MBJ fairly on time (11:00ish). We had the same irritation as our March trip: we got through immigration in a snap, and then waited for our bags for close to an hour. Our entire planeload of people were all standing around, while we saw three other planes land and their passengers receive their baggage immediately. I guess our plane was in the furthest “parking spot” so they dealt with it last. We were all pretty irritated, but hey, at least our bags were not lost, and we were at last in beautiful Jamaica.

Customs was quick and easy, then the Air Jamaica Vacations rep greeted us with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from our travel agent (thank you so much, Sue!!!). We were escorted to a small bus and then waited for about 15 minutes for two other Royal Plantation guests. These two women turned out to be travel writers and were staying for just three nights for a convention. It was nice to talk to them about their jobs, what an interesting job to have! The road to Ocho Rios was rough at times, and the trip did take about 1.75 to 2 hours. We arrived at Royal Plantation about 2:30pm. It was every bit as stunning as the descriptions we’d heard, and the pictures we had seen just don’t do it justice. In addition, the resort was decorated for Christmas. There were several (real) trees and wreaths all over. They did such a beautiful job.

Sunshine and Allester greeted us, and I told them we’d heard so much about them. Grins from ear to ear. We received the wonderfully scented cold cloths and glasses of champagne. After a brief orientation given by Dwight, we were taken to our rooms.

Our Suite:

We were assigned #301, which is a Honeymoon Grande Luxe Oceanfront Suite, in the East wing. We’d received a FOUR category upgrade and were ecstatic. This suite is wonderfully convenient to the main area of the resort, yet it’s completely quiet and private (you definitely don’t have to worry about people “seeing in”). It features a large bedroom area with a 4-poster bed, 2 end tables, 2 chairs, armoire with TV and VCR, and a desk. There was both a corded phone and a cordless. The French balcony, which is set off from the bedroom by a step down (watch your step!), holds 2 (very comfortable) chairs, a dinette set, and a bar. Our view from the French balcony was of the East beach and the Jamaica Inn, I believe it is, across the cove. In addition, we had a traditional balcony off the side of the French balcony which opens up to a view of the pool. This balcony has two wrought iron chairs and a small table. It was really nice to have two separate views. The flooring is done in a beautiful cream colored tile throughout with area rugs on each side of the bed.

The bar was well-stocked: Gordon’s Gin, Johnny Walker Red Scotch, Absolut Vodka, Appleton Rum, coffee maker, teapot, and refrigerator with Kraemer champagne, Red Stripe beer, Cool Runnings bottled water, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Ting, ginger ale, club soda, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, apple juice, orange juice, and pineapple juice.

The bathroom of this suite is a suite in itself. I am a huge “bathroom person”, so I was in heaven. There was a double vanity with two mirrors, a magnifying mirror, and a blow dryer. Just beyond this is a walk-in closet with an electronic safe (program your own code – loved that!). The closet contained two white fluffy robes (much thicker than the ones we get at Sandals!). There is yet another single vanity area next to an “open concept” shower, a one-person Jacuzzi, and then a toilet & bidet room with scale and telephone. We had three telephones and three sinks. Good grief!

Side note: We were really pleased to confirm that things such as the artwork, stucco and tile detail was very similar to the newly-renovated Cottage 19 suites at Sandals Montego Bay, where we’d stayed in March. Being a “room person”, I am SO glad SMB is now offering richly appointed rooms almost as elegant as Royal Plantation. However, that’s pretty much where the similarities of the two resorts end =) .

After taking in all the room had to offer, we enjoyed the “welcome” cheese & cracker plate along with a bottle of champagne. Since we were exhausted from the trip, we didn’t look around the property that night. We had two separate orders of room service and went to bed.

Breakfast:

Each night we marked the order card that the night maid (sometimes) left with turndown service. Most days, our breakfast was not quite right: something was either missing or we got two orders, or something of the like. It was really no big deal to us. I think the problem lies in the fact that those cards are very difficult to understand. What one person sees could mean something totally different to another. It’s probably best to call your order in. The one day I did this (we’d run out of cards), the lady read back to me the entire order to make sure everything was right, and we did receive the correct order.

On the other hand, the service itself was excellent. It was always on time – we generally ordered it for the 9:00-9:30 slot. One day they called at 9:28 and said they were going to be about 10 minutes late. Our order arrived within 5 minutes.

I always ordered fruit, and would usually write in “mostly berries” on the card. One day they had run out of berries (probably because of me!), and the waiter apologized, and I said “no problem”. Well, 30 minutes later, the room service people were calling me, saying that the berries had arrived on the truck, and they’d send up a plate right away! I thought that was really sweet.

Lunch:

We ate at the Royal Café most days. I absolutely love this place. First of all, it’s right next to the beach. I love to eat right on the beach, vs. on an elevated pier above the beach. And the proximity is such that if you’ve set up yourselves on beach loungers, you can leave all of your things there and take three steps up to the café (vs. having to pack everything up and take it with you). Second, they have a wonderful band playing each day, and their music is so soothing. Third, the food and service are just fabulous. Much, much better than the Sandals we have been to. Your drink gets filled when it’s empty!!! The variety of foods to choose from is phenomenal. We ate everything from Jamaican patties to jerk pork ribs to salmon croissants to veggies & goat cheese on foccacia bread to seafood pasta to tuna pitas to lobster BLTs. In our nine days there, we never had the same thing twice, even though I would have liked to. True to their reputation, the soups are out of this world. I really would have been just fine eating soup and sorbet all week. Chef Hugo came by several times during our stay and checked on everyone’s lunch. Very, very nice man he is.

The Bayside was nice for lunch, too, but we were so taken with the Royal Café that we kept with it. This restaurant has an excellent selection, as well.

Snacks:

We tended to call room service to order a cheese/fruit/cracker plate around 5:00ish most days. The one day we didn’t, we heard a knock on the door, and there was Simone with our cheese/fruit/cracker plate! Talk about personal service! It was just so nice to have a little snack and some champagne out on the balcony. I’d use this time to make all my notes for the trip report and watch the cruise ships come and go.

Dinner:

We ate at Le Papillon (French) at least three times during our stay. We liked it much better than the Bayside. Not that the Bayside wasn’t excellent! Le Papillon just spoiled us, I guess. I think the restaurant is known for its seven courses, but we managed to have eight. (Right before dessert, there’s a cheese & cracker plate offered, and I never turn down cheese.) I like the ambience better at Le Papillon. We dined outdoors overlooking the entertainment. That was so enjoyable. Jackets are required for men at Le Papillon. Greg was comfortable wearing his jacket outdoors, no problem.

One night at the Bayside, the entertainment was so loud, we had to shout to each other over the table. I didn’t like that at all. I think that was a couple of fiddle players. One night we were seated indoors at the Bayside, and we liked the atmosphere much better inside.

The food was really excellent at both restaurants, with a huge selection. I think you could stay there two weeks and still not have to repeat a main entrée item.

My only complaints: The pasta wasn’t so great. It seemed to have been sitting with the sauce on it for a long time, instead of being freshly made and topped. Also, the Caribbean crawfish seemed a little mushy/overcooked. But really, I had to look really hard to find ANYTHING that was subpar. One other (minor) complaint was drink service at dinner. We always received our first drink immediately but had to flag someone down for refills. I remember Sandals Montego Bay used to be that way, too. Of course, the water glass is constantly refilled, but your beverage of choice wasn’t. Like I said, pretty minor, but it might be irritating for some.

They might add a few more wines to their list, also. We love Pinot Grigio but didn’t care for theirs. We met a man who was pretty disappointed in the selection; he wished there was an additional list of wines that you could purchase if you wanted to. They had tried this at Sandals Montego Bay years back, and it must not have gone over well because it was discontinued.

Bars:

The bars have a wide variety to choose from. Beers served were Red Stripe & Red Stripe Light (tap), Heineken (bottles) and Miller Lite (cans). There were many top-shelf liquors to choose from, more so than Sandals. I had lots of Bombay Sapphire martinis. I made sure to try the Campari & Grapefruit that Mariann recommended, and I loved it – had that several times – very refreshing. Greg drank mostly rum cream and beer.

Sibony, the bartender at the Appleton bar, was just fabulous. He puts on “The Sibony Bar Show” and tells jokes and sings Kenny Rogers songs – it’s hysterical! Also, one afternoon I was getting a drink there and Sibony told me about his mixology class. The resort doesn’t do a formal mixology, of course, but Sibony still wants to do it. So I grabbed Greg and we sat down for “class”. It is seven fruity drinks (The Seven Days of Sibony) and they were delicious.

Afternoon Tea:

Every day at +/- 4:00pm. This is a real treat! They have a large selection of teas, finger sandwiches, and fruit tarts, and champagne is also put out. Even when occupancy was at its all-time lowest, they STILL put out a large assortment of goodies. The tarts were lemon, raspberry, strawberry-kiwi, and strawberry-blueberry. They were so good that sometimes we brought a plate of them back to the room with us.

Beach:

Groomed constantly, not just once a day like at Sandals. It was thick, soft, soothing sand with a gorgeous golden tan color. There were tons of beach chairs, and when we were there, only a handful of them were used. Sometimes we had the beach to ourselves. Just a note of comparison: it’s hard to believe that this beach can be so soft and silky, when right next door at Sandals Ocho Rios, the sand has more of a consistency of tiny broken shells (which can be sore on the feet). We had stayed at SOR in June 1999, and when we saw the quality of RP’s beach, we thought for sure new sand had been brought in for both properties. So we went over one day to SOR to check – nope. Still kind of shelly. One of the many things that made us glad we chose RP.

There are several cocktail waitresses who serve drinks on both beaches and by the pool/whirlpool. We’d heard about the flag in the sand deal, but we didn’t use them. The waitresses came around plenty. What is nice about RP is that most of the time your drink is served in a “glass” glass, as opposed to the plastic ones you get at Sandals. Even while you’re on the beach or by the pool! I know, it could be hazardous. But everyone was very careful (the few of us that there were)!

Every day, the waitresses came around at 11:00ish with a fruit plate. Very refreshing after lying in the hot morning sun.

Water Sports:

We took just one snorkel trip this time. There weren’t many fish, but lots of coral, of course. The snorkel equipment is quite nice, better than what we’ve used at Sandals. The life vests are interesting: they aren’t inflated to begin with. You push down on a little inflator tube on the side and blow as much air in as you desire. They’re MUCH less cumbersome than the ones we’ve worn before at Sandals.

We didn’t participate in any other water sports, but saw they have Hobie Cats, glass bottom boat rides, water skiing, etc.

Pool/Whirlpools:

The pool is pretty small, but was more than adequate for us (especially since we had it to ourselves most days!). We did miss having a swim-up pool bar, but thought if they had one, it might detract from the elegance of the resort. There are two Jacuzzis, an upper cascading into a lower. There don’t seem to be enough jets. We were glad occupancy was so low while we were there, otherwise it might be tough to find a jet, and so it would have been like sitting in a normal bath. The temperature varied greatly. One day it was a whopping 109 degrees. Scalding!

Fitness Center:

This is a nice facility. It’s air conditioned and has two TVs, a water station, and ice-cooled, menthol-scented cloths. We used the treadmills, stationery bike, and weights.

Spa/Salon:

This is gorgeous. I wish we could have gotten more treatments, but we didn’t want to go over the top. We could have spent a thousand dollars easily.

After enjoying the steam room, we had a couple’s massage out on the pier that began at sunset and ended with a sky full of brilliant stars and a nearly-full moon. It was just incredible! When they were done, they served us each a glass of champagne and let us gaze up at the stars.

I also had my nails polished one day at the salon. I timed it well because it was one of the few rains we experienced. Since occupancy was so low, I was able to do this as a walk-in.

Weather:

We always have good luck with the weather in Jamaica. In 11 times there, we have never experienced a full “rain-out”. This stay it rained on two afternoons for about an hour each, this being the worst weather we’ve ever experienced there. Not bad!

Exchange Privileges:

We had the option of going to Sandals Ocho Rios, Beaches Grande Sport, and Sandals Dunns River. There are shuttles, but SOR and BGS are close enough to walk. We did go to SOR for a few hours one day and had lunch there which was very good. Howard is still working at the swim-up pool bar from when we were there in June 1999, so we got caught up with him. We also visited BGS’s beach club area and had a drink at the swim-up pool bar. The pool seemed pretty cloudy, so we didn’t stay in long.

Returning Guests’ Dinner:

This was held on Thursday night (it’s normally on Wednesday but was moved due to the general manager/director meeting, more about this later). We were greeted in the drawing room by Vivian, the women received roses, and we all had drinks. Sandy McCoy arrived and we took the usual returnees’ photo. We then had dinner at Le Papillon – asparagus with hollandaise, seafood bisque, pineapple sorbet, surf and turf, and white chocolate crème brule. Dinner was excellent and it was nice getting to know Sandy better.

Earlier in the week, we had also received two Royal Plantation T-shirts and a gorgeous wooden box with the entrance of the resort hand-painted on it.

Staff Members:

We cannot say enough about the staff. We didn’t run into ONE person who was “having a bad day” or shying away from us in any way. This is a change from Sandals. Sandals always had one or two who weren’t quite as friendly as the rest, and it was never a big deal, but it was just more noticeable because the rest of the staff was so friendly. But it’s evident that Royal Plantation employees love their jobs.

We formed some wonderful new friendships, mainly with Sunshine, Sibony, Audrey, and Simone. Oh my goodness, Sunshine kept telling us how happy he is and how much he loves his job!!! There were times that he was supposed to be off at 5:00 and he was still there at midnight, grinning from ear to ear, eager to please. I am so glad he is happy, because that truly is the perfect position for him!

Mario, the General Manager, is such nice man! Not one bit stuffy, as you find with lots of people in this position. He was off property for the first couple of days, but when he got back, he went out of his way to introduce himself to us, and he talked to us for as long as we would talk. Then, on the night Butch Stewart was on property, he was the one to introduce us. We didn’t ask – he was just being thoughtful. I’m sure he did this because he could see the excitement in our eyes when we found out Mr. Stewart was there.

Sandy McCoy, the Sales Manager, is a lovely lady. She and Vivian coordinated the returning guests’ dinner and the wedding we attended, and they did a fabulous job. Vivian and I talked about all the past guests who I knew of (all TTO members, of course). I told him if it weren’t for these people, I probably wouldn’t have been at RP!

Check-Out:

The day before we were to check out, we decided to inquire about the Air Jamaica Express flight from Boscobel to MBJ. Minutes later, Allester had confirmed us on the 3:20pm flight back. I also asked about a late checkout, since our shuttle wouldn’t be leaving for Boscobel until 1:15. No problem, Allester arranged for us to keep the room until 1:00 without having to pay any extra (our room wasn’t needed for a new arrival). What a gem Allester is! He went out of his way to make these arrangements for us, and we were very pleased!

On the day we were leaving, we woke up at 7:45am to check in with Air Jamaica for our MBJ-MIA flight. AJ reps are there from 7:00 to 8:00am. We were the only ones there so checking in was quick and easy. We did have to pay departure tax, but that was because we had used frequent flyer miles to purchase our tickets. We went back to bed until our room service came (we are not morning people and hadn’t risen before 9:00am one day in all of our 11 trips to Jamaica!). We got our breakfast and then lounged by the pool to soak up our last of the beautiful Jamaican sunshine. We checked out at 1:00pm and then waited for the driver. He didn’t arrive until 1:30 or so, but it wasn’t a problem, because our flight wasn’t until after 3:00, and the airport was only 20 minutes away.

We checked in at Boscobel and discovered that we and another couple were the only ones to board this flight. We waited quite awhile for the plane to arrive, but it was no problem because we got to chat with this couple (who had just come from Sandals Dunns River), and there was beer and soda available for purchase. The flight back to MBJ was fabulous! I never want to take the bus again! It’s only 15 minutes, yet there is a flight attendant who actually serves you a glass of champagne. We had to drink it quickly! The views were incredible. Since the four of us had the plane to ourselves, we could pick and choose our seats so that we had the best views of the island. I waved to Royal Plantation as we flew by.

The Trip Home:

Security was an absolute breeze this time around, at both MBJ and MIA. However, our flight was delayed, and of course, there was no explanation offered. We went off to Jamaica Farewell to purchase our duty-free alcohol: 1 liter Bombay Sapphire, $15.00; 1.75 liters (big plastic bottle) Appleton Estate, $18.00; 705 ml Appleton Estate Extra (18 year), $14.00; and 1 liter Grey Goose Vodka, $22.00.

We then hung out at Margaritaville for about the next two hours and had pizzas and margaritas. Then we just kind of transferred from here to there and waited. And waited. I laughed each time they announced another Air Jamaica flight. It became a joke. Every five minutes they were announcing yet another delayed AJ flight. Pretty bad. Glad it wasn’t that way on our trip TO Jamaica!

Our 6:55pm flight left at 10:00pm, and nearly all passengers were supposed to be connecting. They missed their connections, of course, and were being put up in hotels in Miami (we could relate and sympathize – this happened to us a few years ago, too). Glad we just had the 2.5 hour drive across Alligator Alley ahead of us. We arrived home at 2:30am.

General Notes & Highlights:

Occupancy during our stay was incredibly low. There were two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) where we only saw two other couples other than us. We literally had the pool to ourselves 7 out of 10 days. We felt like we had our own private estate for awhile there. What an excellent time to go, because the staff was still in full force.

There were lots of celebrities there just prior to our arrival. One of my favorite soap opera actresses, Kimberlin Brown (aka Sheila Carter, The Bold & The Beautiful) was there and made a real hit with the staff. I asked who had been occupying our suite before us, and Victor said it was Brian Dunkelman (former American Idol host).

We met a couple from Salt Lake City the night before their wedding and they asked us to attend. It was held out on the pier and was just phenomenal. The reverend’s voice was so gentle and his words so kind. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten to bring Kleenex – I was really crying hard! The reception was held in the drawing room. Sandy and Vivian coordinated it. It was so beautiful! They served canapés and cake, and of course, champagne. We were so glad to have shared the bride and groom’s special day with them!

Perhaps the biggest highlight of our trip (actually, there are two):

• We were fortunate enough to meet Butch Stewart and some of the international directors who sit in the Sandals/Beaches organization just beneath Mr. Stewart. He had called a meeting of all of the directors and general managers (we saw Horace Peterkin but we didn’t get a chance to say “hi”). Anyway, what a treat that was! These people are not at all stuffy or the least bit intimidating. If you didn’t know him, you would never guess that Butch is a multi-millionaire mogul who owns like 80% of Jamaica. We had plenty of time to chat with the director of insurance (who is from Wales and is a huge Packer fan, by the way), director of construction, and director of the spas/fitness centers. They said they were pleased to have the opportunity to talk with some real-live guests – it’s a rare occasion for them.

We also spoke with Wayne Cummings, who we recognized as a former manager of Sandals Montego Bay, and he said he is now managing Negril Gardens. I didn’t realize that Negril Gardens is under Butch’s ownership. He said not many people do.

• We were also able to witness some of the staff Christmas party. Sandy had told us about the staff appreciation party where everyone gets a cake and receives their Christmas bonus, and then they dance the night away. Well, later that night, we were having our usual nightcap in the Appleton bar, and Giovanni (now the night manager) brought in several staff members who hadn’t been able to attend the main party because they had to work. They all received their goodies and had a drink. Then, one by one, they each sang one of their favorite songs (some required a lot of coaxing by Giovanni before giving in!) That had to be our favorite Sandals/Beaches moment. It was such a treat to finally see these hard-working people get the chance to let their hair down and have some fun. I told Giovanni this, and thanked him for letting us be a part of it.

As the night wore on, everyone was being silly, and the night room service guy, Trevor, came in to the bar and took “room service” orders from us and the two other couples we were with. Since I knew the soup was seafood bisque (which I could eat all day, every day), I said all I wanted was a bowl of that. Greg said he wanted the same. Greg joked, “In fact, you can just bring us one big bowl to share.” Well, Trevor proceeds to bring out a GIGANTIC bowl of soup – this thing was the size of those salad bowls you get at Olive Garden. It required two – no, three – hands to support it! But of course, we had no problem finishing it off. We all had a good laugh at that. One of the staff had our video camera and was taping all of us in the bar that night. It was just so much fun. We have some great footage, we were very grateful to those guys for recording us and the other staff members so we could all let loose and enjoy. It was so nice to have some footage that contained BOTH Greg and me, as opposed to the usual “one or the other”.

To sum it up: we definitely want to return to Royal Plantation and would highly recommend it for a luxurious and peaceful getaway.