2nd time better than the first

Just returned from our 2nd visit to CN (Sept 8-15). Same week as last year. This time it was even better!!! The weather totally co-operated too. Only real rain was on the drive back to the airport.

New Manager Karl at the Dive Shop was fabulous. We arrived after 4pm when the dive shop closes at 3:30pm and Karl stayed late to do our paperwork so we did not have to rush in the morning.

Jovane, Sugar & Richard were as great as always and new DM Tafoya was amazing. Very friendly but also very safety cautious. We got in a total of 12 dives including one paid night dive.

Food selection seemed better this year. We ate at the Helconia Grill 3 nights but inside as the bugs were worse this year. (We were told because of the solid rain the last 2 weeks of August)

We had a garden room once again in building 3; top floor which is our preference. (Have to work off those extra calories). Shelly-Ann did an amazing job keeping everything spotless and giving us more towels that we ever needed. Comment: Love the fact this year that we did not have to keep track of ours towels (though we did) and hand them in to the Watersport Hut to get a card to hand in at checkout. Though others thought this meant leaving old towels everywhere. :(

As repeaters we loved the t-shirts and the $100 resort credit on top of our $300 resort credit for early booking. Spent $360 of the $400 on coffee. 10 lbs this time as 7 bought last year did not last the full year. Surprised though that the price had gone up from $34 to $41 a pound but who is counting when it is bought on credit.

Our favourites at the grill bar were Elke & Camille. I did not know they made iced coffees!!!! Yummy. Did not even have to ask Camille at dinner. She just brought them over. Our favourite at Otahiti was server Shawn. Had him twice last year and again twice this year. He even remembered we are not drinkers.

We are already booked again for next year (to get the early booking credit) and we were not sure we would return for a 3rd time but after this trip we will be going back for sure. We met some wonderful folks from the UK & US and are trying to convince some new found friends to join us next year.

It was nice for people to remember us from last year. Staff as well as guests. We love CN and we will keep returning.

Fantastic Betty! My wife and I have CN trip 5 booked for April 2013. I think we have found each successive trip to be better. One word of caution though...

On our last trip, my wife and I both had the same thought (unspoken until after we got home). On day 2 while sitting on the beach I thought "shucks...have I done this too much? I am bored and I have 6 more days of this." But then I grabbed a cocktail and a floaty and went into the bay. That's when I realized "oh, I LOVE this...that feeling of boredom was just the transition from hectic NJ time to laid back Jamaica time. " Those next 6 days were great! Now I know to recognize that transition (and then I only need to grab a cocktail and a floaty :)).

Funny post Bert. We don't get bored because we do the 2 dives a day so it breaks it up.

Breakfast @ 7:30
Dive 8:30-10:30
hang out by the pool and get a small lunch at the grill 10:30-1pm
Dive 1-3pm
hang out by the pool and get a snack at the grill 3-5 or 6
dinner
bed

What a life!!!

We will be only going once more in September 2013 as we are retiring in the summer of 2014. Supposed to be to Hong Kong so we won't be back to the Caribbean. We thought about Jamaica on this last trip. Even did a tour of Little Bay Country Club (on the point) but no dogs allowed so that is off. And now we are looking at Cozumel (our dive trip destination of choice) but there are no direct flights from CZM to MBJ. Actually it has 2 stops so we won't be doing that.

Love CN and was so glad it just keeps on getting better.

Betty, It sounds like you no longer have to turn in your beach towels and obtain a receipt to give at checkout time. Am I correct?

Yes oxbgirl. That was new this year. Nice except people were taking 2-3 towels each and leaving them everywhere. You never knew if the lounge chairs were taken or not. Hubby figured "no personal item - it's available"