Mariann and Alan

Mariann and Alan's Trip Report at Royal Plantation by Beaches - 11/29/2002 - 12/6/2002

Let me preface this by saying I have traveled quite a bit. We were the first guests at Royal Plantation by Beaches and this was our 2nd visit. This is a travel trip report and is in my opinion.

Thanksgiving & Friday

We had a lovely dinner at my brother's house. We arrived home at 12:30am; I called to confirm the car. I gave Mom & Dad the weekly run through and weekly instructions (18 pages, yikes). At 2:30 the limo service called back to confirm my address. I am so glad they did as they were sending the car to the correct house address, wrong town. All was well and the car was at our door at 3:20am. We had a friendly driver who got us to the airport promptly. Air Jamaica check in counter opened within 15 minutes of our arrival. We were both exhausted (up over 24 hrs) and already weary. We decided to upgrade our departure tickets to first class so that we could get a bit of sleep comfortably on the plane. We were given some juice and fell fast asleep. We were awoken 45 minutes later as there had been a delay (we had no idea). Despite the delay, we arrived at Sangster International Airport on time. Customs and Immigration was a breeze. After getting our bags we were greeted with big smiles and "Welcome Home's by Sandals employees.

We were quickly taken to our car. It was just Alan and I so were given a car with a wonderful driver, Leslie. We chatted the entire drive, which was fun. We stopped for a quick Red Stripe and a $5.00 bag of pretzels. We pulled into the driveway of Royal Plantation we were so excited. There was no longer any signs of construction and it looked magnificent. Allister was there to greet us. Big smiles and welcome homes Hugs and Kisses all around. Within minutes "Sunshine" came out to greet us with his usual warming smile, again more kisses, more hugs. The four of us reminisced a bit and we were brought ice-cold champagne and lovely lemongrass scented cold face towels. As we waited Chef Hugo popped in to welcome us. More hugs and more kisses, we chatted a bit. I can't express in words the warm and welcoming feeling! I had tears in my eyes from shear happiness. Alan and I strolled outside to look at the incredible vistas. Dwayne (he's the RM I believe until Suzanne returns from maternity leave) came over to greet us and we had some nice conversation he's a terrific person and professional.

Within minutes we were brought to our room. "Sunshine" had the room prepared, he turned on the A/C and the drapes were drawn. We were given suite 255. They opened the door and I was in awe. The suite was absolutely perfect. We had a beautiful canopied king size bed, a loveseat, an armoire with a television and VCR. There was also an attractive writing desk and coffee table. A lovely cheese and cracker platter awaited us it looked stunning. The table was covered with a cloth, dishes and silverware and decoratively folded napkins. On the end tables next to the bed were beautiful lamps and a clock radio CD player, which I was prepared for as I brought my Carol Di Florio, Karen Smith, Bob Marley and Harry Belefonte CD's, all of which I love. There are also 2 telephones, one is cordless. We stepped out onto the balcony/patio, which was almost equal in size to the bedroom. The view was breathtaking. We looked out on the turquoise sea, the magnificent Royal Plantation property, gorgeous foliage and the Jamaica Inn in the distance and the hills beyond. On the balcony were a wrought iron table and chairs with a chandelier above. A lovely marbled top wet bar with a sink overhead recessed lighting, coffee maker, a basket of tea and coffee and bottles of Absolute, Beefeater, Appleton and Johnny Walker. The refrigerator was in a cabinet below fully stocked with Champagne, Red Stripe, Heineken, Pepsi (diet & reg.), Ting, Seven Up, bottled water and various juices and mixers. There was a drying rack with two peach and white striped beach towels. Two wonderful teak wood loungers with comfortable cushions and head pillows positioned perfectly for a great view. In the corner were 2 large cushioned wrought iron chairs and an end table with a beautiful lamp. This was a great spot for reading, having a cold drink and taking in the sights and sounds. Joyous tears in my eyes once again. The walls were lovely golden stucco and adorned with paintings. The floors are tiled. There is a ceiling fan on the balcony and the main room. The bath is off the main room with an open doorway. My goodness, this is a fabulous bath. There are 2 sinks with a marble vanity. There is a mirror over each sink; on the wall were a blow dryer and a lighted magnifying swing arm mirror. There was a wonderfully large Jacuzzi tub with handsome fixtures and a shower spray. The shower is large and open. The walls are beautifully done with decorative marble inlay. The toilet, bidet and the dreaded scale are in a small room off the bath portioned with louver doors. There is also a telephone on the wall. Off the bath is also a walk in closet with wonderful shelving, a personal safe and a rod to hang clothes; louver doors also separate this room.

Allister and "Sunshine" left; we opened a bottle of Champagne. Alan and I snacked on the cheese, crackers and fruit while relaxing on the loungers taking in the view whilst sipping champagne. We called home collect, as I forgot to buy a calling card. My children were so happy to hear from us. They could tell by the sound of my voice that I was ecstatic. But I already missed them! We washed up and changed into our swimsuits and cover-ups. At that time I realized I had no shoes!! I packed them in Alan's golf bag, which he gave to concierge to hold. We set off to find Sandy McKoy and my shoes (ha ha). Luckily we found Sandy in the Lobby, she had called us but we missed the call as we were already on our way. Sandy is a lovely woman, very sweet and professional. More hugs and kisses and more smiles. I went to the office as Alan went with Allister to find my shoes. Sandy was very grateful for the school supplies. We had a nice chat and I had the pleasure of meeting everyone in the office. They are a wonderful group of people. Sandy and I returned to the lobby and Alan met us there with a bag full of shoes. I brought two pair of beach shoes; he only had one of each! Off he went again, ha ha ha. We all had a good laugh. Teatime was in progress. To my delight they had Omas Garden tea, my favorite. I wasn't hungry but Alan had some lovely lady sandwiches (salmon, cucumber etc.) and fruit tarts. No lemon tarts today. We listened to the piano on the verandah and popped in to say hello to Andre. More hugs and kisses. We sat on the verandah now sipping champagne and Dave (bartender) stopped by to say hi. More hugs and kisses, we reminisced and chatted for a while. How nice it is to see the faces of our old friends. When Andre finished playing (fabulous) he came by to chat a bit more. Alan and I were both very tired; we went back to our room. The message light was on. We had received a call from Debbie (my dear friend) we were thrilled. Alan took a nap and I sat on the balcony for a bit and got ready for dinner. He slept about 45 minutes and then had to be pulled out of bed! Our room was in a terrific location. There is a covered open walkway with lovely gardens. The walkway leads to Bayside.

We were given our favorite table by the railing where you could hear the waves crashing and look down and see the shoreline and waves rolling in. For an appetizer I had the prociutto and fresh fruit and Alan had escargot. Both were delicious. I had the carrot soup (mouthwatering) and Alan had the Fish Chowder that he enjoyed very much. Alan had a Caesar salad and I had the Market salad with mango vinaigrette dressing. For our entrees, Alan had the Ostrich and I couldn't make up my mind between the prime rib and the lobster tails, so I had both. I was given two large tails that were bursting from the shell with a jerk butter sauce that was delicious. They bring the prime rib to you as you could choose your cut. It was tender and juicy. We ordered a bottle of Merlot, it was very good Argentinean wine. For dessert we both had White Chocolate Crème Brulee garnished with a butterfly wafer cookie and fresh berries. This was to die for. Service was impeccable and very friendly. Meal presentation was brilliant. During dinner we listened to a flutist who played peaceful music as well as a few Christmas Carols. We then listened to a wonderful band with a marvelous guitarist. We were stuffed to the gills and couldn't keep our eyes opened. We returned to the room early. We sat on the balcony for a while listening to natures music and the sounds of the band in the distance. Wonderful! We both fell asleep early.

Saturday

In keeping with my normal routine, I awoke at 4:30. I was treated to the songs of nature and the twinkling of the stars and property lights. I turned on the lamp and read for a while waiting for the sun to come up. I called room service for some Blue Mountain coffee and some pastries for Alan. This is truly heaven. We went down to breakfast at Bayside. We ate indoors in the small room. We had a wonderful fruit plate; the watermelon and pineapple were especially sweet. I didn't care for the cantaloupe. Alan had two eggs over easy and I had my variation of Eggs Benedict (Scrambled eggs on an English muffin with hollandaise sauce). It was delicious. I booked my spa treatments and we went down to the beach. It was mostly cloudy all day with sun peeking through occasionally. We met some lovely people and chit chatted most of the day. Daniel from water sports (Scuba) came by for a visit. More hugs and kisses. He had happy news. He had a new son seven weeks ago. He shared his pictures, his children are adorable. We laid out on the beach. The sea was great although a bit choppy. I went to the whirlpool for a while and back to the beach. We had lunch at Royal Café. I had the Gazpacho and Alan had the oyster's brushetta. We shared a market salad with grilled shrimp and we both had lobster BLT's. All were delicious. The mento band played many of my favorites such as Hole in the Bucket, Mary Ann (of course) Come back Liza and Shame and Scandal. I sang with them a bit and it was great fun. Alan had the gigantic ice cream sundae "Jamaican Friendship Coup". I couldn't believe he finished the whole thing!! We had a nice visit with Siboney and back to the beach. It began to pour, we all went up to the Royal Bar and when it stopped, back to the beach. At 4 we went up to the whirlpool and at 4:30 we went to high tea. I had Omas Garden tea and Alan had some Earl Gray with some lady sandwiches. We later had a glass of champagne and went up to our suite. Alan still wanted more to eat. Unbelievable!! We ordered jerk chicken and French fries, and a bottle of champagne. The chicken was spicy and tender; the French fries here are great. We ate on the patio listening to the waves crashing and some Marley. It was quite comfortable outside and the ceiling fan made for a perfect breeze. Alan napped and I rested in the Jacuzzi. The shower handle in the Jacuzzi is very powerful; make sure you don't turn it on to full strength.

We dressed and went for our 8:30 reservations at Le Papillon. It had been drizzling so Bayside had indoor service only and the entertainment was indoors as well. We decided to eat indoors at Le Papillon as there would be no music for us to listen to and it was humid. I love the intimacy in this restaurant. It's done with an eclectic country French flair and they play fun French cafe music. For appetizers, I had quail and Alan had the frog's legs, he loved them. I didn't care for the quail, but Alan loved it. We ordered a lovely bottle of the Chilean Merlot (We liked the Chilean better). We both ordered the hearts of palm and tomato salad with a creamy garlic dressing. It was good but the tomatoes could have been a bit riper. They served a refreshing mango sorbet. For our entrees we both chose the rack of lamb. It was delicious, perfectly done with a hint of rosemary. The service here was also impeccable. Marc Chin, the restaurant supervisor (I think) checked on our table often. He introduced us to the kitchen head and the pastry chef. It was a pleasure to meet both these women as they do a wonderful job. It was nice to let them know how much we are enjoying the food. We both had Burnt orange crème Brulee, wonderful! We wanted to catch Andre playing the piano in the music room but we didn't finish dinner until 10:15 and we missed him. We headed down to Appleton's. I had a rum crème (yummy) but I was so full and content from dinner I could barely sip it. It was club soda for the remainder of the evening. To my surprise we met up with Dave & Holly. We had a nice conversation and we all agreed we were having a great time. I was happy to meet them, as they are a lovely couple. Andre arrived at Appleton's, we all had fun playing name that tune. Time went quickly and it was 12:30 (way past my bedtime). Alan had to get up early. We said our goodnights and headed off.

Sunday

I woke at 6am, which is late for me. I called room service and asked for a cheese omelet (the chef answered the phone). I asked if they could rush it, as Alan needed to be in the Lobby before 7. The food arrived within in minutes. Much quicker than I could have imagined. Alan ate and left to meet the shuttle in the lobby. I enjoyed the glorious view and solitude. I just love the sound of the waves. I had a light breakfast and chatted with Giovanni (the night manager, this is temporary). He is a very nice man, very friendly and professional. I went over to the Spa. I had requested Genevieve as she had given me a wonderful massage the last time we were here. I arrived early, but they were able to accommodate me right away. I had a wonderful steam bath with eucalyptus and the 80-minute deluxe massage sampler. It was absolutely dreamy. Once again Genevieve was terrific. After the massage I headed to the beach. Today was a gorgeous day, sunny with tropical breezes. Alan met up with me there and we relaxed on the beach the rest of the day. I treated myself to a Campari and Grapefruit with a lot of ice and Alan had his usual beer.

We had lunch at Royal Café, I had a market salad with chunks of tender lobster and mango dressing, it was scrumptious, and Alan had the seafood salad that he liked very much. We also had the leek and potato soup that was out of this world. At about 4 we sat in the whirlpool visiting with people we met. Off again to tea and back to the suite to take a nap. We went to dinner at Bayside around 7ish. Andre on keyboard, Kingsley - DePass violinist and Shakey on drums jammed. Very honestly this was one of the best musical performances I have heard in my lifetime. They were amazing. Annezette came by to say hello, as we hadn't seen her yet. More hugs and kisses and catching up on life. I ordered a Kir Royale with a strawberry and as usual this was no problem, just more smiles. For appetizer I had the shrimp cocktail (lovely large shrimp), Alan had little neck clams risotto (which he loved) and we both had market salads. He was a happy man. For our entrees I had the beef tenderloin and Alan had lobster both were delectable. A very nice couple we met joined us for dessert, I had warm peach crepe with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce and Alan had Amaretto cheese cake both were yummy. Again, presentation was marvelous. We choose to sit outdoors and catch the jazz trio's second set. A palm reader was on property. For fun I decided to try it. The cost was $20 for a palm reading, tarot reading and crystal ball. He was a nice Rastafarian gentlemen. We had a nice chat regarding how terrific the music was and how talented they were before he began the reading. He told me some answers to some problems I came to sort out without me even asking. I liked what he had to say and I hope he's right J The resort was very quiet this evening. Alan and I went to Appleton's. We had some good conversation with Alda and Norman, we also met a very excited couple who had just arrived for their honeymoon. It was almost midnight. Off to sleep, that bed is so comfortable.

Monday

I woke at 5:30 to pouring rain. I sat on the patio again. Listening to the wonderful sounds now with the added reverberation of rain, it was exquisite. We had breakfast sent to the room. I had fresh fruit and muffins and Alan had eggs. They set it up nicely on the patio table. We enjoyed breakfast and the sky's cleared, it turned out to be a perfectly sunny day. We met up with Marcie and Dick. They are many times Sandals returning guests and very lovely people. We sat at Bayside, they had breakfast and we headed for the beach. We laid out on the jetty and had quite a few laughs. We all had lunch at Royal . We all had burgers that were good. We had a nice lunch and then it was time for them to go home, we said our goodbyes. Alan and I spoke with Andrew a bit,( he is here helping out management as work is being done on the Sandals Inn). He's very nice and professional, lovely to speak with. We relaxed on the jetty (this is a good place to get sun for most of the day as the sun leaves the beach around 3ish). We kept with our usual schedule (whirlpool and tea). No lemon tarts, no worries as we met up with Chef Hugo and he promised them for tomorrow J. We went back to our suite and quickly got ready for dinner.

We went down for the Managers cocktail party on the pretty brick pool deck. Mr. Mario Machado the GM was there, he had been ill early this week. We had some interesting conversation. Hugo joined us. We spoke about some small changes I noticed. I was very pleased to hear that some things would be returning. He is a very professional and nice man. Mario has some terrific plans for this already terrific place. Vivian stopped by and more hugs and kisses. We chatted for a while sharing a few laughs and reminiscing. Tanya and Mrs. Green joined us. I knew I missed everyone but I didn't realize how much. At 7 we headed down for the beach party. They had a wonderful hot and cold buffet set up around the Royal Café. Tables and chairs were set beautifully on the beach and tiki torches lit the waters edge. We sat with Mario, his lovely wife Fiona, two nice couples, one from New Jersey and the other from London England. The mento band played, taking requests. We had delicious salads and seafood. There was pasta and quite a few choices from the hot buffet. At the carving station they had roast beef and ham (both superb). As for the sweets table, all I could say is "Heaven". A steel drum band played. They have a fire show that was amazing. I lit the fire wheel (yikes!) This gentleman does some incredible stuff. Dinner was wonderful as usual. After dinner we stopped by Appleton's and back to our suite by 10.

Tuesday

I woke at 5:30 and relaxed on the patio (I miss this greatly). Alan woke at 6:30 and off to the golf course by 6:50. Breakfast arrived at 7:30. I had pancakes, bacon, grapefruit juice and coffee. The pancakes were thick and yummy. I took a walk around the property and marveled at how mature and gorgeous all the foliage has grown. I headed to the spa a bit early again. It was a very humid morning and decided to bypass the steam bath and sat inside the charming waiting room and read some magazines. I had a wonderful oxygenating facial with eye treatment again with Genny (sp?). I highly recommend her, as she is truly astonishing. Afterward I headed to the beach. I laid out on the pier. It was quite nice; I had a Campari and Grapefruit. Alan returned from golf at 12:30. He waited 45 minutes for the bus back. It didn't happen, he hopped on the bus to SDR and they dropped him off. His game was off and the late bus didn't make him to happy. He was hungry so we had lunch at Royal. Alan and I had been remarking all week about the wonderful maid service and how immaculate the suite was. He had forgotten his hat, so I went up to get it. The maid cart was by the door and the door was open. Much to my surprise it was Patricia. She had taken care of us on our last visit in the East wing. She immediately recognized me. We hugged for at least 5 minutes. Patricia is a sweet and warm person. She's a star. We chatted for a while to catch up on things. She had gotten married a year ago and was so happy.

I had to run as I left Alan sitting at Royal. It was so nice to see her. We both had Cream of Asparagus Soup. The soups have been world class!! I look forward to the soup everyday. I had jerk chicken and Alan had the seafood Salad and a lobster BLT and a beer. He quickly became a happy man J We relaxed out on the pier and had a Red Stripe. The sea was beautiful and warm. Wonderful! At 3:30 we joined Mario for a tour of Beaches Boscobel. It was a striking but I could not help myself but to compare it to Beaches Turks and Caicos. There are many stairs to climb here and as a family vacation I prefer BTC. I have not seen BN so that is an open option. We had a lovely day; it was quite fun and a nice break. We chatted a while and had a nice cold drink. I truly appreciated Mario taking the time to spend with us. I was worried about missing those lemon tarts; we arrived back at RP at 5. Yes, Hugo made the tarts but they were gone, every last one had been eaten, but no worries, it's all good! Nicole arranged to have some made special for us and sent to our room at 7. She is a sweet and helpful person, an asset. We went to Appleton's, Alan had Heineken and I had Kir Royal's. We had a nice chat with Alda and a local radio personality. Alda went off duty and Siboney arrived. We had a wonderful time. We had a little sing along of some mento songs. Alan and I returned to our suite at 6. Yes, as promised the Lemon Tarts were delivered to our room at 7. The search was over! We sat on the patio eating tarts and sipping champagne.

This is an ideal suite. We napped and went to dinner at Bayside at 8:45. I had grilled vegetables with goat cheese and Alan had escargot. Again delicious. We had the Caribbean Lobster with vegetables and potato garnished with breadfruit that again was big and quite delicious. For dessert we had chocolate mousse garnished with wafer cookies in the shape of a fork and spoon. It was to die for. The pastry chef is outstanding. We had coffee with Hugo and his lovely wife. It was very enjoyable. Alan and I went to Appleton's for a bit. Siboney was singing and Norman was doing back up. I chimed right in. We sang some Marley and mento. Siboney has a wonderful voice and did some Lionel Ritchie. Andre was off this evening but was having dinner with his family. They popped in and he played a while. Mr. Brown graced us with his incredible voice. What a treat! We were back to the suite by 11:30.

Wednesday

The wake up call came at 5 room service arrived by 6:30. Alan played in the Sandals Golf Course Tournament. He left before 7. I relaxed and had coffee on the patio listening to the waves. I went down to Bayside for breakfast I had a chocolate croissant and some fruit. I headed off to the spa for a Combo massage (Swedish/reflexology). I requested Genny again. Of course it was incredible. I made my way to the beach. Alan returned, he played a good game but didn't win anything, no problem he was happy. We had lunch at Royal; O'Neill has been our waiter for most of the week. We know him from our last stay. He is a terrific waiter, very professional and sweet. We just love him. I had the gazpacho and Alan had a fish soup. I had jerk chicken and Alan had the smoked salmon with boursin cheese and fruit. We each had a Red stripe. Alan went for a sail and I walked around. I made my way to the pool, it was great. Crystal clear and a bit cool. I had the pool to myself and loved it. I sat in the whirlpool and Alan returned and joined me. We made our way back to the beach and chatted with Cleon.

We went to the suite a bit earlier today as tonight was the Returning Guests cocktail and dinner. We relaxed on the patio for a bit and got ready for dinner. We headed down for cocktails; the ladies were all given red long stem roses. Gifts had been sent to our rooms, we received 2 very nice tee shirts and a pound of Jamaican coffee. We all chatted and had a lovely time, we took a group photo and headed to Le Papillon for dinner. We sat outside and the table was beautifully set. We had Pinot Grigio and the Chilean merlot. Appetizer was lobster cocktail with Marie Rose Sauce. Soup was Spicy Pumpkin Chowder. Homemade Sorbet. Our entrée was pan-fried tenderloin steak with asparagus tips and red wine served with seasonal vegetables and potatoes. For dessert we had White Chocolate Crème Brule and petit fours. The menu sounds wonderful doesn't it, well; it pales in comparison to the wonderful taste and flavors. Everything was delicious! The celebrity group began to arrive today. I recognized some. This evening there was a reggae band as female guitarist/singer and the Hatfield Cultural Group. All was fantastic. After the show we had a cocktail at Appleton's and back to the room to pack and get ready for our departure tomorrow. We packed up all our things and went to sleep.

Thursday

We woke at 6. I watched the NY news and found out about a big snowstorm in my area. I called home to check on the situation. They were expecting 6-8 inches. I started to panic. We put our bags out at 7 and headed down to the game room for pre-check in. I asked if the fights were on going out as planned. They said yes but I had my fears, as I'm not a good flyer to begin with. We had breakfast and I called home again, now I was told that they were expecting close to 10 inches. My Mom said there was major delays and cancellations and advised me to stay if at all possible. Even if the fight were to go, we would have difficulty getting home. Alan and I returned to the lobby, we spoke with Mario and Lisa. Lisa called Air Jamaica for us and had our reservations changed. We were now booked on the same AJ flight for the next day. The next problem, where will we stay, we were willing to go anywhere, a tent on the beach sounded great at that time. RP was completely full. We all pondered about what to do. Dwight, Andrew, Mario and Lisa discussed this for a bit. To my great shock, they offered to have us stay in Plantana, the resorts private villa. I started to cry, I cannot tell you in enough words, how caring and concerned the management and staff is here. They have all become part of my family. RP is like no other; it is truly unique in every way. They did not need to do this for us, it was AJ's problem, and they went above and beyond. I am truly grateful to all.

Our bags had been sent to the airport, so we had our swimsuits and cover-ups . We were fine with this. We called home to let them know we were staying. We headed down to the beach and relaxed all day. We saw Pat O'Brien, Chris Kirpatrick from N*SYNC, a bunch of soap stars, Brian Dunkelman from American Idol. We had lunch at Royal, we shared the vegetable Crudités with Hummus, we asked for some Feta cheese and bread (which O'Neil brought special for us). Alan had the Seafood linguine and I had the market salad with lobster chunks. We had a few glasses of champagne. We rested on the beach until our room was ready. It was a rainy day in Jamaica today. Plantana was ready and we picked up the keys at the front desk. "Sunshine" took us over. I was shocked! It was beautiful. It had a full kitchen outside the main living area. "Sunshine" open the front door and I was in Awe. It was a few thousand square feet, with what we guess to be 25 to 30 foot ceilings. Stunning décor, lovely tropical prints and mahogany. Decorated with Wassi Art and other local artists. In the main room there were couches TV armoire and lovely chairs. There was a mahogany dinning room table that could seat 12 easy. There was glass wall with plantation shutters and sliding doors out to a beautiful patio. The patio had a wrought iron dining table that could seat 10 or more and a beautiful private swimming pool. There were two bedrooms and two baths with dressing rooms and huge walk in closets. Downstairs was another bedroom but we did not go down. Since we were sure when our clothes would arrive we went for a swim and invited a nice couple we met over for dinner. We ordered salads and soups and lobsters. We had a bottle of Pinot Grigio and Merlot. Vivian then came to check on us and our luggage arrived. We would have loved to have him stay for dinner but he was working and could not (next time I will plan better). We had a lovely dinner out on the patio by the pool. Alan and I changed into clothes and went to bayside for desert and coffee. We listened to some music, but I could barely keep my eyes open. I was pretty stressed out in the morning and it was time to sleep. We said our goodnights early and headed back to Plantana to sleep. The bedrooms are decorated much like the rooms at RP. A comfortable 4-poster bed waited, and I was asleep in seconds.

Friday

We called to have our luggage brought up for early check in again. We arrived at 7 and the AJ reps were late. We were told we could not check in early because we needed to pay for the penalty at the airport and have new tickets issued. That was not a problem. We settled our bill, and was very pleased with the $250 spa credit, Alan was quite thrilled as wellJ! We went for breakfast at Bayside with our friends. I love to cook and we were discussing recipes. I was giving my Broccoli Rabe recipe and a gentleman asked me how I do it. It was Paul Sorvino. He makes his the same way I do! We had a nice chat. He's a nice man. It was a cloudy/rainy day. After breakfast Alan and I sat in the whirlpool and Mr. Sorvino was singing with his amazing operatic voice on the verandah. Another treat J We then headed for the beach, we relaxed for a while and were told the flight from Boscobel was delayed and we would need to take the bus. That was no problem for me J. We returned to the villa to get washed and dressed for our return. We said all of our goodbyes, hugs and kisses all around. I missed my children very much and as much as I wanted to stay I wanted to get home to them. The ride to Sangster was fine and went quickly. I had to stand on the Ticket line and they took me right away as our flight was leaving in an hour or so. Alan stood on the check in line. We were cutting it close. Everything went smoothly and we boarded pretty much on time. The flight home was wonderful and on time. The limo driver and snow greeted us.

In closing, this was a vacation of a lifetime. Royal Plantation is a wonderful place with loving people from maintenance to management. I cannot say enough. I highly recommend it for those looking for peace and quite in an upscale atmosphere. It is by no means stuffy it is very comfortable and gorgeous. It is wonderful to get to know all the staff and the guests. It is cozy and warm. I very much look forward to my return. Everything is truly first class and no stone is left un-turned.