I am planning a family reunion to Jamaica. What are tips for planning? Should I find a travel agent?

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daveduncan40

A family reunion in Jamaica sounds like a great time! Something to consider is what type of resort you are interested in staying at. Some resorts cater to children while others are adults only. Some are all inclusive but not all are. Some are set up for relaxation while others have a party atmosphere. Jamaica has LOTS of stuff to do for all ages and interests but some thinking and research will be very helpful. Check out TripAdvisor.com for information on specific areas and resorts. You will find it extremely useful.

Macaw_Lover

I have to disagree with tiffany, but well I am a travel agent. However here is my reasoning for why I disagree with her.

If you call the hotel directly they can not put together a package price for you. You would be booking your airfare separately. Vendors have pre-contracted rates on what they can sell hotel rooms for. These prices vary by season/room category/availability/specials running/etc. Vendors will give you a break on airfare in booking with a package.

I myself cross reference all reservations so the hotel does know that you are traveling with one another. With planning a group usually there is a main coordinator in your group say for example yourself, however do you really want to be the 3rd party person on all questions? It is better to find a good agent and give your family members the phone #/email address and say "This is who I made my reservations through if you to would like to use them for your travel". Keep in mind if you were to call the hotel directly, someone else books online, someone books through one travel agent another books through another. These reservations can't be cross referenced EVEN if you are staying at the same resort.

If you get an experienced agent then we know which vendors tend to price better with certain destinations. For example for Jamaica I have a few I always check with and one of them always prices better for Jamaica. Instead of you trying to call Jamaica, email them or spend HOURS online when you can have an experienced person put this together to make it stress free on you and all you have to do is look forward to going!

With Travel, problems CAN happen. It is much better to have an agent to go to bat for you instead of trying to fight with it on your own which you would be doing. Hotels/Airlines tend to not want to irritate an agent for the reason that yes if they upset you, then you will word of mouth say don't go there or fly them. But Agents word of mouth reaches many more ears than a single client can. There are SOME things agent or no agent they won't wave that you need Travel Insurance. Again, isn't fair for the one who didn't buy insurance to get the same benefits as the one who didn't?

To give you an example of something that was OUT of the clients control was I had a person go down to Mexico for a week. There last 3 days there this hotel had water problems and they had no water in there room for 3 days! Horrible yes? Well this was something that I went through the vendor and hotel and got them there money back for the 3 days they were highly inconvenienced. They didn't have insurance, but that was a different circumstance if you will. The hotel researches this so sometimes it can take a bit of time for something like this to show credit back on your card.

Odds are you are not medically covered internationally so you really should consider asking/looking into travel insurance. Many aren't covered for the reason that not everyone travels internationally. If the insurance companies did it this way, premiums would go up which isn't fair to the ones who never leave the country. Also it covers trip interruption, trip cancellation, medical, delays, etc.

Because of Jamaicaâ€™s location it is a prime spot for hurricane season so be cautious on when you travel. Hurricane season is June- November. It has to do with the water temps. Such as S. Caribbean doesn't tend to get hit as often, usually the hurricanes dissipate down to a tropical storm, but they are still in the hurricane belt.

Sorry to get long-winded here, just thought I would try and give you as best information that I can give to you in "Yahoo Answers" =) If you would like further assistance I would be happy to help you. I have worked with several groups over the years.

Hope this Helps! Either way you go on booking this, Jamaica is Fabulous! Just remember where you stay in Jamaica DOES matter on what type of experience you will have! You don't have to stay at the most expensive, but this isn't the place to go as "cheap" as possible.

Barbados Chick

I totally agree that you should always use a travel agent. You have no "come back" in the event something changes if you book on your own.
We live in Barbados and have travelled the Caribbean - and what you see on the internet or in a brochure is not always what you find and it is not always a nice surprise either!
Reputable travel agents do their home work and usually know what the conditions are.
For Jamaica, you will want to be very cautious - go north and stay out of Kingston. Check out the Blue Mountain if you can.
Travel safe and be smart.

t00sweets2

I am so sorry I never like to challenge another answers. But the worst thing would be to book your group vacation overseas solo and for the purpose of getting a better rate. Working directly with a hotel overseas could not be more false and far from accurate. You could negotiate a rate but how would you know what is a good rate?

Hotels and resorts give rack rates to direct guests who work with them directly especially over seas where they see the "US traveler" as rich. Travel agents and suppliers get discounted rates or often 10 - 30% off the rack price or they make commission. Either of which leaves them room for them to discounted rates.

DOING IT SOLO
Most people do not represent them selves in court or do their own car tune-up even when they can.
Sure you can represent your self in a court however there is twists and turns in that law they you are unfamiliar with and things that you might not have to go through if you had someone who is an expert at coordinating, rebutting things in your defense, or who is great friends with the district attorney. Same with a travel agent.

More of your trip will be tailored, complimentary upgrades, someone who is looking out for you and your family's best interest on vacation, they can tell you the do's and don't of the destination, and pre plan all the needs of your family before you go. Crib for the baby, As a travel agent you know when you want your client to get the best treatment who to book the vacation through, talking to the hotel manager so they can flag the reservation, helping with dinner reservation at hard to get in resturants at the resort, making sure flight arrangments are firm, checking on meeting room and space....service service service. Trust me... most my new clients are previous clients of a site that encourage picture and book. I have heard the horror stories of an unsatisfied vacationer especially during hurricane season when they can't get a flight out of harms way and those who had an agent are home in their bed.

I will not ramble any further but DEFINITLY get a travel agent or supplier to help you get the most out of your vacation you and your family deserve it. If i may make a recommendation

MAJESTY TRAVELER
reservations@majestytraveler.com
Phone: 1-866-421-5323 International:678-985-1724
site: www.majestytraveler.com

Tiffany

I would contact the resort directly...they could probably give you a better rate and help coordinate events and fun activities.
Try an all inclusive resort.

Have a great time!!!

bear

I have to agree that you should definitely find a travel agent. you can certainly do online research, but for that final booking - use an agent!!!

My family had a reunion at SunVillage Beach Resort in Montego Bay, and we had such an awesome time. There is a fabulous waterpark where the kids spent almost all of their time. I never once heard "I'm bored" in 2 weeks! Pay extra for a room NOT in the towers - trust me!!! It gets VERY loud there.
There is a beach side grill where the kids would go and helpthemselves to burgers, fries, pizza , Jerk, ice cream popcorn whenever they wanted. I would definitely go back!!!

travel guy

As someone who has planned and executed many family reunions let me give you three pieces of advice #1; no matter where you plan to host the reunion USE A TRAVEL AGENT !!!
They're the best and add nothing to the cost! #2 start your planning AT LEAST 1 year in advance. #3 the destination really doesn't matter.

Enjoy!

Super G

Stay in Jamaica, dont come back, it **** here

intriguedtravel

Do you really want to do all of that work?
That's like selling your house by yourself.
This is what we specialize in. All I need is the dates and we'll handle the rest. The only charge is to tell everyone about our great service.

customerservice@intriguedtravel.com

onyi

http://www.rhodatravel.com

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