2020 Vacation

We went on our annual Caribbean vacation over a week ago. I always wait until after we are home to post whenever we go away. It's just a security hang up.  Each year TBG's company sponsors a trip and pays for most of the expenses.  It's a cruise every other year.  The resort we stayed at on St. Maarten was on the schedule two years ago, but it was badly damaged by a hurricane, so we went to Jamaica... a vacation that was sub-par.  We had high hopes for this newly renovated property that boasted luxury and superior service.  This was the view from our room.

Sadly, the vacation was a waste of time and money -- even though our savings were substantial.  We did not get the type of room promised. This pictures show a series of rooms with swim-up balconies, which we were promised.  We actually  had a horrible room to start.  Promised ocean views, were were aghast to have a balcony on the rear side of the building, overlooking shipping containers, dumpsters and an incinerator.  We complained to our tour director, and our room was moved.  The room we ended up with was better, but still below the accommodations promised.  As a remedy, a $100 credit was put on our room, but we could only use it on resort merchandise, so it was really a $25 hit for them to take.

We were located at Maho Beach, which provides a view of planes landing at Princess Julianna International Airport.  It was cool at first, but  ultimately noisy.  People hang out at the fence separating the beach waiting for the engine blasts to blow them away.  It seemed very "Thinning the Herd" to me -- a real Darwin past time.  We skipped that.

I had been looking forward to the food, but it was horrible.  While I didn't have to cook and clean, meal times were mostly a chore because we had to expend mental energy deciding which venue would be the least horrible to eat at.  Not only was the food sub-par, the service was bordering on negligent.

We live a simple life, so an all exclusive seemed like a luxury and a splurge.  Maybe we have learned to make our life comfortable enough for us that what is considered mass-consumption luxury is really blah?  My bed at home and the sheets on it were far more plush and comfortable than the resort.  We don't go overboard on groceries, but what we buy is good -- and we prepare better meals than the food service staff at this resort.  We don't drink crappy wine -- which was the quality served.

One of my favorite splurges is pretty simple, coffee and a butter-cream filled chocolate covered doughnut.  Not a single meal came close from an enjoyment perspective.  The coffee was bad, served with milk rather than cream.  No meal ever came with  a spoon, so we had to stir the milk and sugar with a fork.  One morning, I had tea and asked for lemon but was told they didn't have any.  At a tropical resort, with multiple bars!  Either they really had no idea of quality food service, or no one was trying.  Apparently, it was both.

Worst of all for me, I came down with a bad sinus thing mid-week and ended up with a plugged up ear.  A local medical clinic nearby cleared it out for me.  I was lucky compared to most folks on our trip.  About 2/3 of the group were struck by a Norovirus/food-borne malady.

I can honestly say, I'd rather have spent a week at our camp, eating out for every meal, instead of taking this trip.  There were some good points and the people we go with are wonderful.  But as far as we are concerned, there is no longer any lure to an all-inclusive resort and we plan to pass in 2022 when the opportunity is offered again.

My take-away is to make your daily life comfortable and appreciate the small luxuries that are important to you.  Paying for something "better" is more likely to disappoint.