I need a vacation! Destination, Negril, Jamaica, Mon!

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:32 pm

Dallas International Guitar Festival May 5-7.
Guitar and Bass Expo August 19th, Wyomissing, PA.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:35 pm

No budget, amount of days, or geographic limitations?

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:38 pm

I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:40 pm

Skinypupy wrote:I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.

Brian might be able to offer you a cruise to fill those gaps.

GargoyleBoy · Post by **GargoyleBoy** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:46 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:
Skinypupy wrote:I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.
Brian might be able to offer you a cruise to fill those gaps.

CAUTION: you may see his penis.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:48 pm

Back yard
OctoCon
Vegas when they are coinciding with featuring your thing.
E3
Origins
GenCon
Essen
Bryce Canyon
Alaskan Cruise
"Europe"
"Australia"
The Pyramids
Mardi Gras, New Orleans
Back yard

Default · Post by **Default** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 5:14 pm

No preference, although personal experiences lends more weight. The last two "vacations" were spent caring for my mil, before that, I took no vacations for a couple.

Assuming just me, so that knocks costs down considerably.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:19 pm

Default wrote:No preference, although personal experiences lends more weight. The last two "vacations" were spent caring for my mil, before that, I took no vacations for a couple.

Assuming just me, so that knocks costs down considerably.

A few years ago we splurged and did a Sandles Jamaica week vacation and it was awesome.

Swim up bars, private beaches, multiple restaurants, etc.

It's pricey, but all inclusive and awesome. Literally no worries for a week. Other than how much you want to drink and eat daily.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:20 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:
Skinypupy wrote:I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.
Brian might be able to offer you a cruise to fill those gaps.

GargoyleBoy wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:
Skinypupy wrote:I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.
Brian might be able to offer you a cruise to fill those gaps.
CAUTION: you may see his penis.

"may" see his penis?

GargoyleBoy · Post by **GargoyleBoy** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:22 pm

Xmann wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:
Skinypupy wrote:I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.
Brian might be able to offer you a cruise to fill those gaps.

GargoyleBoy wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:
Skinypupy wrote:I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.
Brian might be able to offer you a cruise to fill those gaps.
CAUTION: you may see his penis.
"may" see his penis?

I try not to offer guarantees.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:36 pm

Xmann wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:
Skinypupy wrote:I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.
Brian might be able to offer you a cruise to fill those gaps.

GargoyleBoy wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:
Skinypupy wrote:I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.
Brian might be able to offer you a cruise to fill those gaps.
CAUTION: you may see his penis.
"may" see his penis?

Did you miss that thread?

Jag · Post by **Jag** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:40 pm

Costa Rica

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:59 pm

Coincidentally, we are planning a family cruise. Since it's the entire family this will be a standard cruise so no fear of seeing anything of a "personal" nature.

Which is not to say that we aren't also planning to punctuate the family cruise with a little time just for the wife and I at a nudist resort in Mexico.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 7:34 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:
Xmann wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:
Skinypupy wrote:I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.
Brian might be able to offer you a cruise to fill those gaps.

GargoyleBoy wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:
Skinypupy wrote:I just got back from my second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. It was awesome, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy metal at all.

Next one's not until next February though.
Brian might be able to offer you a cruise to fill those gaps.
CAUTION: you may see his penis.
"may" see his penis?
Did you miss that thread?

Oh no, it's definitely engraved in my mind.

That's why I said "maybe". That's a slight understatement

Default · Post by **Default** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 1:20 pm

Had a suggestion from a buddy that Puerto Rico was maybe a better choice than Jamaica. Anyone vacation there lately?

Scuzz · Post by **Scuzz** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 1:42 pm

Default wrote:Had a suggestion from a buddy that Puerto Rico was maybe a better choice than Jamaica. Anyone vacation there lately?

I have been told that Jamaica has areas a tourist should be careful not to end up in, but I imagine that warning holds for Puerto Rico and many other places.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 2:02 pm

Aruba is a great place for wind surfing... and finding square coins!

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 2:02 pm

I'm sure there are no areas in the armpit of California in which tourist should not end up.

Scuzz · Post by **Scuzz** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:18 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:I'm sure there are no areas in the armpit of California in which tourist should not end up.

Which is why I said "and many other places". There are areas of every big town everywhere that shouldn't be visited by tourists.

I think the discussion came up in regards to comparing Jamaica to Hawaii. In Hawaii there are some bad places in Honolulu, but on the other islands I have always found you could wander around, pull over in your car and feel perfectly safe. Someone I knew who had been to Jamaica said it wasn't like that there.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:38 pm

Health information for travelers to Puerto Rico, courtesy of my buddies at the CDC.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:45 pm

Zika?

cilcks link

Zika.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:59 pm

Don't forget about HepA and Typhoid! Classic illnesses that never go out of style.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 4:13 pm

Stay away from women named Mary. And whatever you do, don't eat anything she has prepared or handled.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 4:28 pm

I can't speak for Kingston, but Ocho Rios wasn't anyplace I'd want to return.

Puerto Rico wasn't much better. We only saw San Juan and the NE coast, however.

Default · Post by **Default** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 4:44 pm

I'm 54. And male. I doubt that I will be getting pregnant.

:-/

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 5:18 pm

Also keep in mind that over the next 2 months, any southern beach destination is going to be at peak pricing because SPRING BREAK WOO! If you don't find that kind of stuff relaxing, you might look into other things.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 6:03 pm

Panama City the last week of April to visit the parents. whoo...

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 6:45 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:Panama City the last week of April to visit the parents. whoo...

Is that where you're from or are the folks retired there? If they are expats, how do they like it? Panama is at the top of our short list of places to live in retirement in a couple of years, and we're planning a trip there around the end of the year to check it out first hand.

We should probably take this to PM to not clog up the thread.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 6:48 pm

I got back from Israel a couple months ago, which was amazing. A lot you can see in what is a pretty small country.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:02 pm

tgb wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:Panama City the last week of April to visit the parents. whoo...
Is that where you're from or are the folks retired there? If they are expats, how do they like it? Panama is at the top of our short list of places to live in retirement in a couple of years, and we're planning a trip there around the end of the year to check it out first hand.

We should probably take this to PM to not clog up the thread.

You'd be disappointed. It's Panama City, Florida.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:21 pm

I always wanted to visit Ybor City and start my quest of visiting places that begin with "Y".

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:43 pm

Been to Jamaica a bunch of times starting in 1994 and love it. It will always have a place in my heart and I always look forward to our next trip there. If you don't go to Negril or Treasure Beach you are doing it wrong. If you have only seen Ocho Rios or Montego Bay you have not seen Jamaica. If you have only visited for a few hours during a shore trip while on a cruise I don't blame you at all for not liking the place.

We have been to Kingston but you really want to be part of a tour group or have a private guide to do that, mostly because it's a big bustling city not really set up for tourists. There are tourists things to do there but the city is not necessarily tourist oriented.

Been to Puerto Rico once and loved it. Old San Juan is a beautiful, magic place.

Having said that, it depends on what kind of tourist you are. Do you want activity or do you want to chill? Do you want to get out and meet locals or do you want to stay at an all-inclusive and never leave the gates?

I've been in sketchy areas in both Jamaica and San Juan. That's the kind of vacation I like, active and meeting locals. Having said that, I prefer Jamaica's sketchy places versus San Juan's sketchy places because I can't speak Spanish and I understand Jamaican patois enough to follow a conversation. I feel silly speaking it but I can at least chime in to a conversation when they think they can talk about us behind our backs!

When we go to Jamaica we take the local taxis, not the tourists taxis. It took years to learn that system but we pay $1.15 per ride versus whatever the driver wants to charge you for that ride. We share rides with locals and learn wha'gwon for de day. Where's the party that night? Who has the best road-side jerk cart? What do they think about the upcoming elections? What do they think about Rihanna's latest single? Better than Beyonces's? YES MON!

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:47 pm

I also lived on Maui and could tell you where to stay and what to do.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 9:18 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:
tgb wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:Panama City the last week of April to visit the parents. whoo...
Is that where you're from or are the folks retired there? If they are expats, how do they like it? Panama is at the top of our short list of places to live in retirement in a couple of years, and we're planning a trip there around the end of the year to check it out first hand.

We should probably take this to PM to not clog up the thread.
You'd be disappointed. It's Panama City, Florida.

Default · Post by **Default** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:36 am

El Guapo wrote:I got back from Israel a couple months ago, which was amazing. A lot you can see in what is a pretty small country.

One of my ex's best friends is an Israeli...

Default · Post by **Default** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:43 am

,

Z-Corn wrote:Been to Jamaica a bunch of times starting in 1994 and love it. It will always have a place in my heart and I always look forward to our next trip there. If you don't go to Negril or Treasure Beach you are doing it wrong. If you have only seen Ocho Rios or Montego Bay you have not seen Jamaica. If you have only visited for a few hours during a shore trip while on a cruise I don't blame you at all for not liking the place.

We have been to Kingston but you really want to be part of a tour group or have a private guide to do that, mostly because it's a big bustling city not really set up for tourists. There are tourists things to do there but the city is not necessarily tourist oriented.

Been to Puerto Rico once and loved it. Old San Juan is a beautiful, magic place.

Having said that, it depends on what kind of tourist you are. Do you want activity or do you want to chill? Do you want to get out and meet locals or do you want to stay at an all-inclusive and never leave the gates?

I've been in sketchy areas in both Jamaica and San Juan. That's the kind of vacation I like, active and meeting locals. Having said that, I prefer Jamaica's sketchy places versus San Juan's sketchy places because I can't speak Spanish and I understand Jamaican patois enough to follow a conversation. I feel silly speaking it but I can at least chime in to a conversation when they think they can talk about us behind our backs!

When we go to Jamaica we take the local taxis, not the tourists taxis. It took years to learn that system but we pay $1.15 per ride versus whatever the driver wants to charge you for that ride. We share rides with locals and learn wha'gwon for de day. Where's the party that night? Who has the best road-side jerk cart? What do they think about the upcoming elections? What do they think about Rihanna's latest single? Better than Beyonces's? YES MON!

Quoting you, Z, because the phone doesn't lend itself to editing.

I booked a room in Negril at a place called Foote Prints, that was recommended to me by one of my guitar buddies. Basically, between the overwork and my mil's passing, I just want to lay on the beach and vegetate. I don't know anything about the tipping situation or anything else. This is a "what the hell, I've never been there" kind of trip. Any advice would be welcome. I'm going the second week of April, so I have a bit to plan yet.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 12:36 pm

Default wrote:
El Guapo wrote:I got back from Israel a couple months ago, which was amazing. A lot you can see in what is a pretty small country.
One of my ex's best friends is an Israeli...

Great! So you've got someone who you can crash with there. I'm sure that wouldn't be awkward at all.

Default · Post by **Default** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 12:59 pm

Not at all!

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 2:36 pm

Default wrote:Quoting you, Z, because the phone doesn't lend itself to editing.

I booked a room in Negril at a place called Foote Prints, that was recommended to me by one of my guitar buddies. Basically, between the overwork and my mil's passing, I just want to lay on the beach and vegetate. I don't know anything about the tipping situation or anything else. This is a "what the hell, I've never been there" kind of trip. Any advice would be welcome. I'm going the second week of April, so I have a bit to plan yet.

I am just home briefly for lunch but I will put some thought into it and type up a PM for you later. Congrats on the trip!

first thing I would recommend is check out http://www.negril.com. I've been hanging out at this site since it first went up in the late '90s. DEDICATED to Negril people there and they love to answer questions too.

And ah jeez, too bad...as I take a peek at the site I see you are going to miss the 14th Annual Stepping High Ganja Festival going on this weekend. Bummer...