ROYAL PLANTATION TRIP REPORT - 7/30 - 8/6/04:

Let me start by saying, we have been loyal SANDALS travelers since the late 1990's and have been TTO Areaders@ for the past several years. I am not a poster, however, having read and received so much valuable information from TTO I felt obligated to share our RP experience with all of you.

First, Royal Plantation is more than a vacation, it is an experience and this was ours:

We toured RP in March of >03 while staying at Sandals Ocho Rios. We were impressed, however, didn=t think we would ever stay there due to the price and our travel tastes. Somehow we thought it might be too quiet, etc.

We were originally booked for SRC for this time period, however, our fantastic travel agent, Sue, from Discount All Inclusive recommended a change and we took her advice and we were more than happy with our decision..

Flew out of Buffalo with only minor delays and arrived at Mo Bay in the early afternoon. We were directed to counter #13 in the newly remodeled section of the airport and there appeared to be some confusion with our transportation. After many apologies and a 40 minute wait we were taken to our shuttle - small van (we were the only ones), given bottles of water and ice cold wash clothes and told to enjoy the ride. Our driver was excellent (sorry I forgot his name). We made the usual half way stop for refreshments. The only comment I can make on the trip to RP was yes, it was bumpy and long, however, seeing the Jamaican countryside, the native people in their environment and smelling the salt and sea air for the first time in several months was invigorating. The ride took about two hours and many parts of the road are still under construction, however, some parts are completed and make that portion of the road a breeze to get through. When it=s completed, the ride will be great.

AIRPORT NOTE: There is a new section at the airport, don=t know how long it=s been open, however, many of the resorts have lounges there now. Sans Souci, Couples, Sandals/Beaches (which we believe they were working on.) We didn=t go over to it only because we were focused on getting our ride.

We arrived at RP and all we can say is WOW. It truly is breathtaking. There is a serenity that takes over from the minute you walk into the lobby. We were greeted by AOliver@, given a refreshment and told to wait just a moment. We were taken to suite #159 which was lovely. It was an upgrade from what we booked (we booked deluxe). The only problem with the room was there was very large tree blocking our view and we could see nothing.

After getting acquainted with the room, we decided we should ask Oliver if there was any possibility of a room change. He politely said give me an hour and I think I can move you. Sure enough, he found us and moved us to #57 which was even larger than the one we had (I believe a two level upgrade) and we were in heaven. Large room, large sitting area, large bath, etc. etc. We were given an envelope containing a letter from Mr. Frazer explaining that we will have to sign for meals/beverages but it is strictly for Acash control purposes@ between the RP and new EP plan (I=ll explain more about the guest checks later).

We walked around and got acquainted with the grounds, relaxed with a drink and waited for dinner at Bayside.

I will summarize in categories because I could write a novel on this resort. If anyone has any specific questions, please just ask.

RESTAURANTS/FOOD:

The food here was exceptional. Every restaurant, every meal. I would be here for hours detailing all the different food we had, seafood, etc. It was phenomenal. LePappillon (sp?) Is now a seafood restaurant. We ate there twice. It was excellent. It is white glove service. Not only the food but the whole dining experience. Jackets are not required, however, almost all guests wore them and the only person that didn=t looked quite odd. This is also where the caviar bar is located and Dave DeCosta is now as we fondly refer to him ACaviar Dave@. He has a menu and will introduce you to the menu and the sale of caviar while having a pre-dinner drink in the Appleton lounge (which is such a great place to relax before and after dinner). I can=t say enough about the staff in the lounge.

Bayside breakfast, lunches and dinners were also great. Dinners are served on the terrace (we never ate inside once except for Sunday brunch.) If anyone has specific questions on food, menu, etc. just ask. The Flambe is also new and this is located in the small canopy that is used by Bayside for breakfast and lunch. You make reservations in the morning and you are given your food choices for dinner. They need to know ahead of time so they can prepare your meal to order. Entrees were a choice of lamb, beef or shrimp. We tried the beef and shrimp, both were excellent. It was a dining experience. They have Chef Paul set up outside and all your food is prepared outside on a cooking surface. He also visits with you after dinner and likes comments from guests on the food. From appetizer to dessert everything was prepared outside. It was quite nice and very tasty..

For all of you wondering about the changes since EP was implemented, this is what we observed and experienced. All menus now have prices (I assume they didn=t before) As we have never been to RP before only Sandals, Sandals never showed prices. So each course has prices and at the end you are presented with a regular guest check to sign for with a total of your food and beverages. You simply sign and away you go. This is done for each and every meal. Even in the bar and sometimes you even have to sign for water. Example: Appetizer, entree, dessert, drinks, wine, etc would range for dinner $125 - $150. You simply sign the check as you would a paying guest.

We didn=t particularly mind this because after all you are on vacation, however, some guests who are used to AI plans, did not like having to wait at the end of a meal for a check. To us it was no problem. The staff there is so friendly and accommodating, we couldn=t even think about being impatient with them.

We tried for the first few days to keep track of what we would have been spending in food and drink and gave up on the Apaperwork@. The only thing I can tell you is all inclusive for us far outweighs having to pay as you go.

Returning guests dinner: We were invited (on the day of) the returning guests dinner to attend. We must have been considered returnees because of all of out Sandals stays. We received a little bag in our room with a gift card, a beautiful men=s golf shirt with RP logo on sleeve and a ladies T-shirt with RP logo and printing on the back. The women=s shirts run very small as they are somewhat form fitting so I had to exchange it several times.

We met in the drawing room for cocktails with Mr. Frazer, Suzanne and other staff members and were presented with Orchids and a picture was taken which was given to us on check out. There were only 4 couples and only two couples ate dinner because other couples had other plans. We ate in the Bayside and were given the normal Bayside menu to choose from. We had read in previous posts that there is a Aspecial menu@ prepared, however, we didn=t experience. I=m not complaining though as the food we had was excellent.

In visiting with Peter Frazer, Chef Hugo, Suzanne, they are excited about their new EP plan and are definitely making the break from ASandals@. We asked him specifically about the change in RP vs. EP and as far as we can discern the transfers will be an additional $60/pp round trip, room service fee of $10 and a discretionary gratuity form which allows you to tip certain staff members if you so desire.

Entertainment was very good each night. It ranged from jazz to steel band to an awesome cameo performance of Jazz singer Nicole Henry. It was fabulous. To sit out under the stars and listen to good music and enjoy great dining, it just doesn=t get much better.

For all of you wondering about the new pool chairs - yes, there are new chairs. They are wrought iron and sort of a plastic wicker, quite comfortable (nice padding). The only problem is the wrought iron gets very warm in the sun so be careful with your arms. They put beautiful towels on them each morning and make it ready for lounging.

Room service: We enjoyed room service several times. It was prompt, efficient and set up in our room in a very classy way.

I certainly could go on and on and I know you RP fans probably have tons of questions so I will try to address any that I can. I certainly hope that this brings all of you up to date on what=s happening at the resort.

We are certainly looking forward to another trip to Paradise as soon as we can. Overall this resort exceeded our expectations and we have been bitten by the RP bug.

Best to all,

Bob and Michelle