Tour to Hilton Rose Hall = How Much Time There?

Leaning towards booking the Hilton Rose Hall thru resortforaday now that Red Stripe Beach is no longer an option.

Oasis will be in port from 10 am to 7 pm our day.

It's coming in a bit more than I had wanted to spend, considering not much of a beach area. However, the lazy river sure looks interesting & the idea of AI drinks is appealing since we're not buying a liquor package onboard.;)

For those who have visted the resort thru this provider, wondering how much actual time will we have there to enjoy the resort? I've been on more than a few long hauls/waiting around for tour bus to fill up before departure.

Is it unrealistic to hope to arrive around 11:30 am for a sold 5 to 5.5 hours before the tour bus picks us up back up?

Any comments on safety in this area - or safety in getting to this area since "warnings" When did the warning start - I wonder how long it will last?

Any comments on safety in this area - or safety in getting to this area since "warnings" When did the warning start - I wonder how long it will last?

Warnings? :confused:

First I've heard of anything other than standard buzz re this Island which is the only reason I'm even considering doing a 'tour' i.e. Dedicated bus to/from the resort.

Normally, would just book it & grab transport but finding the price appears to be a wash.

My wife and I did this on her birthday a couple of years back.

Pros

*Absolutely beautiful property. Lazy river with a water slide. Beautiful pool. This really looked like someplace I would like to spend a week if not for the last con.

*Very comfortable motor coach transportation.

*Pretty good food.

Cons

*The motor coach left over 30 minutes late because they insisted on waiting on people that evidently couldn’t read the departure time.

*Time at the resort was not more than 4 hours. This is just not enough time given the cost. They leave fully 2 hours before time to get back on the ship.

*Way too expensive for what you get. If it hadn’t been my wife’s birthday and the next stop Grand Cayman where we might not get to tender due to high seas we would never have spent the money.

*It’s in Jamaica.

My wife and I did this on her birthday a couple of years back.

 

Pros

*Absolutely beautiful property. Lazy river with a water slide. Beautiful pool. This really looked like someplace I would like to spend a week if not for the last con.

*Very comfortable motor coach transportation.

*Pretty good food.

 

Cons

*The motor coach left over 30 minutes late because they insisted on waiting on people that evidently couldn’t read the departure time.

*Time at the resort was not more than 4 hours. This is just not enough time given the cost. They leave fully 2 hours before time to get back on the ship.

*Way too expensive for what you get. If it hadn’t been my wife’s birthday and the next stop Grand Cayman where we might not get to tender due to high seas we would never have spent the money.

*It’s in Jamaica.

I get that people can run late out of of pure ignorance as to how long it can take in some ports (tender especially) to reach their designated tour pickup spot.

Have to wonder why is it that the late comers never seem to be ruffled or concerned? I'd be a hot mess lol. Almost as though they fully expect that the bus will wait for them to materialize hmmm

I would be disappointed with only 4 hours @ the resort.

Back to drawing board to explore other options

My wife and I did this on her birthday a couple of years back.

 

Pros

*Absolutely beautiful property. Lazy river with a water slide. Beautiful pool. This really looked like someplace I would like to spend a week if not for the last con.

*Very comfortable motor coach transportation.

*Pretty good food.

 

Cons

*The motor coach left over 30 minutes late because they insisted on waiting on people that evidently couldn’t read the departure time.

*Time at the resort was not more than 4 hours. This is just not enough time given the cost. They leave fully 2 hours before time to get back on the ship.

*Way too expensive for what you get. If it hadn’t been my wife’s birthday and the next stop Grand Cayman where we might not get to tender due to high seas we would never have spent the money.

*It’s in Jamaica.

I just wanted to chime in about spending a week here. My family did that last March and absolutely loved it. We only left the resort once for an hour to go shopping at the little place a mile or so away that the hotel shuttled us to.

The buffet food and jerk chicken hut that are available for lunch are excellent. I preferred the jerk chicken hut, but it is kind of hidden. I am sure the cruise excursions are long gone before the nightly food options. First of all, they had 3 specialty restaurants which were very good. We tried each one of them. The problem is the main buffet was amazing each night and it was difficult to choose which nights for the specialty restaurants as that meant we had to miss out on the buffet. Each night was a different theme. Our favorite was the Jamaican night. The buffet was set up outdoors for that.

The nightly entertainment was pretty good. Although it was over a little early for our liking - maybe around 9:00 or so. There is a night club, but the week we were there it was pretty dead each night. I can't remember how late it was open, but am thinking 1:00 or so.

The lazy river was great. I spend several hours in it each day floating around with a drink in hand. You could stop at a bar without getting out of the water. The pool and slide were pretty good also.

The beach was disappointing. I didn't even go every day and when I did it was only 30 or 45 minutes.

The organized activities were good and always had good participation. My kids, especially my son, joined in on most of those. The volleyball was probably his favorite.

Warnings? :confused:

 

First I've heard of anything other than standard buzz re this Island which is the only reason I'm even considering doing a 'tour' i.e. Dedicated bus to/from the resort.

 

Normally, would just book it & grab transport but finding the price appears to be a wash.

Nothing like quoting yourself lol

Just wanted to update that I received copy of the level 2 warning from US state dept. putting my plans on hold until shortly before cruise to decide whether to book

The United States Department of State has issued a level two travel advisory for Jamaica, telling its citizens to exercise increased caution in Jamaica due to crime.

It has advised them not to travel to Spanish Town and some areas of Kingston and Montego Bay.

The areas it says should be avoided in Montego Bay are Flankers, Canterbury, Norwood, Rose Heights, Clavers Street, and Hart Street.

In Kingston it warns against going to downtown Kingston, which is defined as the areas between Mountain View Avenue and Hagley Park Road, and south of Half-Way Tree and Old Hope Roads.

It says it also includes Trench Town, Tivoli Gardens, and Arnett Gardens; Standpipe, Grants Pen, and Cassava Piece.

The US State Department says violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, and homicide, is common.

It also says sexual assaults occur frequently, even at all-inclusive resorts.

The State Department claims local police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.

It says US government personnel are prohibited from driving outside of Kingston at night.