is taking a car quicker...and willwe miss too much fun on shuttle..first timers.. so let us now..thanks; )
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is taking a car quicker...and willwe miss too much fun on shuttle..first timers.. so let us now..thanks; )
IMHO, I'd do the shuttle. You get to meet others going to the same resort and why pay extra for something that's already included. You won't save any significant time getting to the resort.
A private car is no quicker and would be quite expensive. You have already paid for the included shuttle and the shuttle is fun and can be informative.
i am not sure what the benefit would be of hiring (and paying for) a private car. the shuttle is included in your room price.
The shuttle is part of the experience. It's where we met some of our first friends. And depending on which driver you get, they can give you a driving tour of the area. We were on one where the driver and no one else said a word. NOW that was a long ride!
I can not see how a car would be faster, you have to take the same route.
We enjoy the shuttle ride. Gives you a chance to meet some other people. Which you should really do... even if it's not usually your "thing." We had much more fun on our second trip when we made a point to meet people. :-)
The private car isn't going to save you any time ..... You're just going to be in a van by yourselves instead of with others & normally there's only 2 other couples with us in the van anyway so it's not crowded. We enjoy the shuttle ride ..... Meeting other couples that we become friends with & chatting with the driver. I'd save the money since the shuttle is included.
Take a driver if you have a place you NEED to stop (Scotchies, a friend's house, etc, etc). Most of the shuttle riders just want to get to the resort(s).
We have always taken the included shuttle services offered in the packages until our last trip to Jamaica this past April. We went to a resort other then Couples with some friends and the package did not offer transfers so we had to purchase our own.
We went with a well know company and did private transfers. The driver was excellent, full of information, incredibly safe and early for our return trip to the airport. We decided we would go with the same company again on our return trip in August to CN/CSA. When we told the driver this he was very happy and invited to his house us to meet his family when we return.
We may not save time but making new local friends is why I love Jamaica and her people so very much ;-)
We are not fans of the shared shuttle for Couples or any resort. We do not want to make any stops and we do not want to wait at the airport.
We always either fly to Negril or book a private service. We enjoy the personal touch and it gives us a chance to begin our vacation with just the two of us.
We have been happy with both companies we used for transport.
Next trip we are flying one way and then will use Couples transport on the return. No stops and no waiting and going home just is not as important.
You get to sing that song “wheels on the bus go round…” ok.....maybe not. The bus ride is really part of the experience. The driver will point out highlights along the trip and you get to meet some great people. Songs are optional.
Life is good :)
Oddly enough we were told at th airport that the shuttle was independant. We tipped the guy that carried our bag and the driver. We didn't mind doing so, and as for the stop. It was quick. We got gouged a little on what we got, but we are on vacation and it's all good. I got dragon stout, and rum cream which were two of the things i wanted to check off of th list. Shuttle driver was funny, told good stories and even educated us a little. Shuttle is the way to go, especially if you are in Jamaica early. You wont be able to get into our room until 2-3pm anyway..
Shuttle is the way to go over a private car (as so many others have said).
But we LOVE flying to Negril if the budget and schedule support it. I think for our December 2011 trip we were at the pool bar, drink in hand at 11:26 a.m. Usually the travel day is a bit of a wash...unless you can be at the pool bar, drink in hand at 11:26 a.m. I call that a full day of vacation fun! (thus rationalized the cost of the flight :) )
We enjoy the shuttle ride. The driver is usually knowledgeable about the sights and generally fun to be around. Being with other people going to the same resort is a big plus, making friends and hanging with them during your stay.
I love the shuttle ride especially when taking someone to Jamaica for the first time. A bit of a drive, would be the same distance with a private car, and we like to meet and socialize with others. We have made it straight through without stopping and have stopped (usually because we were partying on the shuttle) and have enjoyed both. You will pay a premium price for anything you buy wherever you stop along the way, but that is just part of the experience. With that said though, if we are by ourselves and have gotten in early, the plane to the Negril Aerodrome is the way to go and like Bert said, if you can get there before noon it is like an extra day almost.
Do a private car/driver. We have been to Jamaica 7 times and do not care to hear the same stories over and over nor top at the available stops we just want to ge to our resort and start our cation without adding another hour or so to the ride. If your first time do the shuttle but if not get a lprivate driver quicker.Quote:
Originally Posted by smroot
We took the shuttle - (Hey it's free, might as well) - it was our first time to the island and our driver was great - it was just us and two other people (both female and not staying at couples) they were staying about 3 min away from CTI - can't remember where exactly they got off....
Apparently they had been traveling for some time and were hungry and they asked the shuttle driver to stop at Scoties because they had seen it on the travel channel - he asked us if it was ok if he stopped and we were glad he did! Scoties was really nice! Got some Red Stripe, some Jerk Chicken.
Total trip (including the stop at Scoties for 15 min) took us about 1hr & 45min - not bad