CTI Gift Shop? Lobster Daves? Scotch? Bring home a sea shell? Best deluxe room at CTI

Only 25 days until we get on my first airplane and we see my first ocean together. What an experience to share with the love of my life. We also have a 500$ resort credit to spend at CTI. I have a few questions though.

1) We have 2 tween daughters who each want a sundress (size 10/12 child's and a size small adult), sea shell necklaces, sea shell bracelets, some earrings, and a stuffed animal or steel drum band cd. Do they have these items at the gift shop at CTI or do we go on the shopping trip to Ochi and bring more money? If we have to go shopping how much do we bring?

2) Anyone been to Lobster Dave's in Ochi? Is it worth the trip to Ochi just for his place if we are not shopping?

3) What kinds of single malt premium scotch are there at CTI?

4) Can we bring home a sea shell we found on the beach or will customs give us a hassle?

5) What room number would you recommend if you had the deluxe category at CTI? We like our quiet times in the morning and at night.

6) Anyone mail themselves rum to the states? If so, how did you do it and how much was it?

7) Can we eat at 8 Rivers the day we get there?

8) Husband is computer programmer, Germanic, Iowa winter white, is there shade for him by the beach?

Thanks again for any and all information.

[QUOTE=dragonfeathr;130337]

1) We have 2 tween daughters who each want a sundress (size 10/12 child's and a size small adult), sea shell necklaces, sea shell bracelets, some earrings, and a stuffed animal or steel drum band cd. Do they have these items at the gift shop at CTI or do we go on the shopping trip to Ochi and bring more money? If we have to go shopping how much do we bring? Both gift shops have a nice variety but I did not see alot of childrens clothes. It will be easy to get jewelry at the gift shop. My advice would be to take the shopping shuttle to Island Village where they drop you off. They have everything there, or walk down main street for a few blocks...
3) What kinds of single malt premium scotch are there at CTI? [I]I saw Johnny Walker red & black [I]

4) Can we bring home a sea shell we found on the beach or will customs give us a hassle? lol, I don't think you will find a sea shell on the beach. You can purchase them at the resort & there is a guy selling them (he sits on a surfboard). Put it in the luggage you check in, not your carryon so you wont have to worry about it! No! they will not hassle you

5) What room number would you recommend if you had the deluxe category at CTI? We like our quiet times in the morning and at night. I don't think you can request a room but nothing beats block five for solitude in the deluxe category. Block 3 is lively & block 4 is a little of both.

7) Can we eat at 8 Rivers the day we get there? If they are not already fully booked, yes! Usually they are. As soon as you check in, go to the reservation desk and ask!

8) Husband is computer programmer, Germanic, Iowa winter white, is there shade for him by the beach? Yes! I saw lots of people with lap tops. They even have cozy lounge chairs by the logo shop on the beach

Thanks again for any and all information. [I]One love, and have a great, safe vaction. [I]

1) Yes to all items being at CTI. They might be out of the dress size and you might need to go on the shopping trip. The dresses don't cost much, maybe less than$20.

2) I haven't been to Lobster Dave's, but I have heard great things about it and you should go if you like lobster.

3) I'm not a scotch drinker so I don't know the answer to the question, but if you list what you are looking for I (or someone else) might remember seeing the bottle.

4) Yes, but rinse the shell out well and leave it to dry in your room and take it immediately out of any packaging when you get home. They have a tendency to start stinking.

5) The rooms are wonderful and there is lots of quiet time.

6) You really don't want to mail rum home. It is really expensive and will take forever to get to you. Just make room in your suitcase for it. Mailing the rum home will make it just as expensive if not more than buying it in the States.

7) You may or may not be able to eat there the day you arrive. You will just need to check with the desk when you arrive and see if they have any slots available.

8) There is lots of shade from the palm trees. You might have to move around a bit during the day to keep up with it, but he will be fine.

Let me try to answer a few of these for ya!

Shopping is fun at the markets ONLY when there is not a cruise ship in town... we have found that the prices are much lower when the ships are gone! CTI does have a nice gift shop - our suggestion, take a look at what they have then hit the markets (I would suggest hiring a driver for a few hours) even if you find all you are looking for in the gift shop at CTI, visiting the local market is quite the adventure. You can also visit Dave's Lobster Shack when you go shopping - and yes, it's SOOOOO worth the trip to town just for lunch at Dave's. On our last visit to CSS, 3 couples along with a local driver friend of ours went to Dave's for a late lunch... he cooked us lobster, fish, veggies, rice and peas and we drank our fair share of Red Stipe - we also bought a few rounds for the locals too (this was our 2nd trip to Dave's)! There is a one armed man (I know, sounds like an intro to a stupid joke but it’s true!) named Desmond who sells his home made jewelry behind Dave's... may be something to look at for your girls!!! I bought a great pair of shell earrings from him! We are heading to CTI in July and can't wait to visit Dave's and Desmond again!

We pick up our Rum Cream at the airport... better prices and since we fly non-stop back to Houston, we don't have to worry about checking it in!

Lots of shade by the beach and on the island... which I do have to say, you need to try at least once and on the first day. You just might regret not going there earlier if you wait to the last couple of days... you will meet some of the most amazing people on the island!!!

If there is availability at 8 Rivers when you arrive, I don't see any reason why you can't go that day.

I bring home shells from every destination we go to... we have a very large patio "beach" and all of the shells in the sand are from our adventures in the Caribbean!

Go, enjoy and trust me (and everybody else on the message boards)... you will be back ~ soon mon!!!

There is generally plenty of blended scotch, such as Johnny Walker and Dewar's, but not a lot of single malt. At every one of the resorts except CSS when we stayed in 2009, Glenlivet has been available.

You can get pretty much everything you mention for your girls at the gift shop or shops at the airport (probably much more expensive there). We also did the tie dye class to make shirts for our boys when we went one year. Beach party on Monday nights, there are vendors all afternoon and you find many things at their tables--sundresses, jewelry etc. We like the wood carvings for our kids and they will personalize also. You can't request specific rooms at Couples, just categories. We have never mailed anything back to the states--no wait, we did postcards our first trip and it took almost a month. We buy our rum at the airport. It is much cheaper and they pack for carry on. Granted when we arrive at Atlanta, we have to pack in our checked bags, but the box they pack it in at MoBay works and we have yet to have anything break. We do surround it with clothes though. CTI doesn't have a lot of shells on the beach, but you will find some and yes you can bring them back. Our youngest found a conch shell on our first visit and we brought it back. The only thing we did get through once were some sea urchin spines. Oh well. Mother Nature provides the shade in the form of the swaying palms. Your hubby can always move closer to the building as the sun passes over to get more shade or just go sit at the swim up bar--it's covered. If there is availability you can eat at 8 Rivers on your first night, but just a note, it is dressier as in hubby will need to wear long pants, collared button up shirt with closed toe shoes--no jeans, no sneakers. Don't know about Scotch, and haven't been to Lobster Dave's as the resort has lobster night while we are there. We return on July 2nd and can't wait!

Wow - lots of questions. Good ones too!

1-3 - can't tell you. Don't have girls or tweens for that matter. If you're concerned, check the gift shop your first day and you'll still have time to plan the shopping trip. Haven't been to Lobster Dave's although it has a good rep on the boards. Not a scotch drinker.

4 - if you find one, and clean it thoroughly, I wouldn't think its going to set off any alarms. I don't remember the beach having that many shells though.

5 -its not all that noisy, at least in bldgs 4,5 after dinner and before 11. I don't think you get to choose your room though.

6 - we did not mail ourselves rum, but took it on the plane and it has to be checked, not carry on. We did mail post cards, it took about 3-4 weeks for them to arrive. Not sure why, but it was from the airport. Shipping to Jamaica is expensive, so I imagine shipping from would be too.

7 - you actually have a pretty good chance at 8 rivers, if you go much later or really early. There are a few cancellations and they do try to accommodate you. Now its not open every night, so that may be a problem. And if the resort is full, that also may be a problem.

8 - plenty of shade at the beach - actually might be too much.

As for the Scotch...it's been a couple of years since we were at CTI, but I seem to recall that they had Glenlivet at the bars.

Brought home a sea urchin last year, managed to keep it in one piece....no problems what so ever!