We had an amazingly great vacation. We practically lived on these message boards before we went, and we're glad we did. We're also glad we did not listen to the whiny-bird complainers who nit-picked everything. I'll try to cover our many points that we observed/experienced.

Airport--great on the way in; took forever on the way out. Allow yourself plenty of time to get through ticketing when leaving. Security didn't seem to take nearly as long. The porters are crazy trying to get your business, and they expect tips, which we gave. Our transports were via Jamaica Tours, Ltd.; we have a van on the arrival trip and a bus on the way back. The transfers were great and we had nice drivers. The 'half-way' stop for beer, etc. is hardly half-way, and it's a big tourist trap. We got Doritos, Combos, a patty, and a mixed drink and it was $18! Take food with you for the 2-hour ride, or wait until you get to the hotel.

Hotel--The hotel is beautiful and very clean. Our room was spotless; the bed was very hard and seemed to get worse as the trip went on. The refrigerator and liquor dispenser were always well-stocked, towels were no problem, be careful--the tub is slippery and you feel like you're standing in a trough of some kind (uneven bottom). All of the hotel walkways are made of tile; these can be very slippery, especially depending on your shoes. Again, we read about that here, so we were prepared. The grounds are well-maintained; workers were always trimming, weeding, etc. We stayed in a standard room w/ king bed and did not regret not upgrading to a suite. Didn't really see the need to, and they wanted $25/night to upgrade.

Beach--very beautiful. Not quite as powdery white as Dominican Republic, but very nice. Plenty of loungers. Good shade could be a problem some days. It would have been nice to have umbrellas or huts instead of just the palm trees. The jerk hut and mini-grill set-ups on the beach were wonderful--quick, and they smelled great all morning and afternoon. There are no bathrooms close by, and you can't go into the restaurant bathrooms when you're wet. Plan accordingly.

Food & Alcohol--excellent. Drinks were great. Our favorites were Blue Ocean, Banana Mama, Miami Vice, and Pina Colada (not necessarily in that order). Kenny at the swim-up bar is very, very nice, even if a little shy. The buffet had a great selection at breakfast, and dinners were good, too. Most lunches were jerk hut; my husband and I LOVED the jerk chicken. Be careful with the sauce if you've never tried it. It's very spicy. The restaurant reservations system sucks. We went to Mandalay (Asian) and Mammee Bay (steakhouse). Both were excellent; actually went to both twice because we could book ahead. I waited and called one afternoon and booked everything. The two Sir restaurants had to be booked that day. At 9 a.m. when the phone lines open, I'm on the beach, not sitting by the phone. We read the menus posted and weren't that impressed. Don't feel like we missed anything. We were disappointed that the seafood wasn't better; needed more seasoning and less cooking. Ate some new things while there--goat, conch, different veggies, octopus, etc.--yum! Take insulated mugs--we used ours for ice water and then put the drinks in regular hotel cups.

Tours--We did the Ocho Rios Hi-lites tour. Lots of shopping; wish we had known as we only took about $100 and left rest of money and credit cards in hotel. Bargaining with the locals was frustrating for my husband. Take your own water shoes for Dunns River. The place they stop is rent for $5 or buy for $15. Other places they take you on the tour, still before the falls, are selling the shoes for $8. For only $3 more, who wants to wear other folks' shoes? Gross. We had our own, thanks to these boards. There's also duty-free shopping, and trust us--those are the best prices. Someone advised us to wait until the airport. Big mistake for souvenirs, but do buy your alcohol at the airport. Cheap and it's the only way you can take it on the plane with you. Dunn's River Falls was amazing, exhilarating, and scary all at the same time. You need to be a little in shape to complete it. My husband stopped a ways up; I was proud of myself for making it. We are not little people if you get my drift! It was beautiful; make sure you take a waterproof camera. There are guys skipping along beside you with video cameras and they want to sell you a DVD at the end. No thanks. We tried to tip the guide at the end of the hike, but we had ones folded up and he wanted fives, tens, and twenties. He actually gave our money back to us!!! Are you kidding me? That tour also went to Shaw Gardens, which was pretty, and rode through Fern Gully. Pretty, but the roads were in bad shape from the rain and mudslides they had several weeks before.

Jamaicans--very nice, can be pushy, but it's all part of the experience. Those selling stuff on the beach were fine with our "No, thank you's." I did bargain with some of the hut entrepreneurs on the western end of the resort. My advice: be persistent.

Pool--very nice. Hardly any shade. Get there by 8 a.m. to get best shade chairs. Also, there are two types of loungers. Get the ones with blue cloth; much sturdier and much more comfortable. Never had a problem with fresh towels. Good music. Fun games with staff. Some staff were too aggressive getting you to join in, but most were really great about leaving us alone.

Other--casino was just a little room with a few poker machines, electronic roulette wheel, slots. Not impressive. Okay for a rainy afternoon, but nothing more. Did use the Internet. 30 minutes for $9. Worked pretty well. Nurse on-site was very nice and helpful when we needed her. Entertainment was just okay. Staff works very hard; we though the pre-shows were better than the real shows. There is a jacuzzi available free of charge in the spa, but this is not advertised. Just make an appointment and you're good. The electricity kept going off one night we were there, but back-up generators kicked in instantly. Never a problem. Weather could occasionally be cloudy, but only rained once.

Like we said, this was a great hotel with a great staff and it made for a great vacation for us. As the Jamaicans say, everything was "irie". If in doubt, go to Ocho Rios and stay in the Riu. You'll be glad you did. Yeah, mon!