Are there lounging floats
for the pool?
Are there hair-dryers
available in the villa?
Is there a stereo, CD and
Tape player?
Is
a converter or special plug needed for US appliances, computers etc?
Suppose I want to cook when
I am there?
Suppose
we want to go out for a night on the town, could we leave the kids?
Can I have guests over
if I rent the villa?
How do we shop for food?
Do grocery stores accept
credit cards?
Are there any items
we should bring with us?
What does the villa come
equipped with?
Should
we provide you with a list of things we want at the villa when we arrive?
Is there a place
to buy decent wine in Jamaica?
What would you recommend
for staff tips?
Should we rent a car in Jamaica?
How easy is it to exchange money?
Will they accept US$
cash just about everywhere?
Are there an ATM machines in Jamaica?
What documents are
required to enter Jamaica?
I have heard there are safety issues in Jamaica. Are there
any "problem areas" we should avoid like Kingston?
What arrangements are
there if I get sick?
What is the Departure
Tax at the airport?
What do I do in case of a Hurricane?
Can family and friends
call us at our villa?
Will my telephone
credit cards work in Jamaica?
Can I use my wireless
telephone in Jamaica?
What
can I do if I need wireless service but my phone will not work in Jamaica?
How do I access the internet
in Jamaica?
How closely
do you adhere to your cancellation policy?
Is there a minimum rental period?
Is there an added service
charge?
Some villas have floats but as these are perishable items, we cannot guarantee they will be there for your visit. We advise
our guests to purchase any pool toys in the US if they really want them
and take them down. Most pool toys and floats can quickly become unusable in the hot sun and when this happens are
disposed of by the staff.
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Many of our villas have hair dryers. Please check the 'Features' link on the villa page for information for your specific villa.
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Each villa will be uniquely equipped by the owner. You can find the specific electronic equipment in a villa on our web site
at: http://www.sunvillas.com/featurecom.htm, or on each villa's web pages.
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The current in Jamaica is 120V the same as US. All your US appliances,
radios, computers will work in Jamaica. The telephone lines also
have standard RJ-11 plugs.
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You may use the kitchen. Please ask the staff to help you if you
want. There is no rate reduction if you do your own cooking.
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Yes you may. We can arrange for nanny service. Depending on
how late you will be out you may have to pay for the night or pay for
the taxi for the nanny to go home. The rates will be extremely reasonable.
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You may have a few family members or friends over to visit; however, there may be additional
charges for meal preparation and for any other services or facilities
used beyond that provided for the rental party. You may not invite
groups of people (separate from the rental party) to the villa for
functions, such as family reunions, meetings, weddings etc. without
prior written consent. Guests separate from the rental party may
not stay overnight. We ask that you do not invite strangers (people
you did not know prior to your trip) into the villa for security reasons. The
occupancy for the villa is as stated in the reservation invoice and
may not be modified except by prior written agreement.
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There are a couple options. One option is to let the villa staff
purchase all the food on your behalf based on a menu that you prepare. The
staff will present you with an estimate for the cost for the cost of
food and transportation and return any change along with the receipt. Some
villas have prior arrangements with the grocery store to provide groceries
in advance of payment: please check with your villa staff. The daily
cost for food and beverages per adult per day runs about $30-40 per person
depending on whether you are a light or heavy eater. The cost would
be more if you add in alcoholic beverages - especially imported wines
and champagnes. The second option is that you go to the market and
grocery store either with the cook or by yourself and purchase the food. We
find that a trip to the market with the cook is quite interesting. Making
at least one trip to the market and grocery store will also give you
a perspective on the cost of food in Jamaica.
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Yes most of the larger grocery stores do accept credit cards: General
Foods, Ocho Rios, Scotties, Discovery Bay, L&M Supermarket, Runaway
Bay and Shoppers Fare in Montego Bay.
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Sun block, mosquito repellent, favorite foods, film for cameras, pool float, snorkel equipment, duty free imported liquors.
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Your villa comes fully furnished and with a full staff. This includes
items such as beach towels, bed sheets, room towels, tableware, cutlery
etc. A complete list of of amenities for each villa can be found on each of the villa's web pages.
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We ask for a pre-order list of food items one month before your trip. This
includes the menu for the first night dinner and next day breakfast,
any problem foods, and any liquor you might like to have us pre-order. You
will pay for this at the local grocery store after your arrival (next
day).
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Yes you can purchase wine and liquor in most supermarkets. They have a fair selection of South American,
French and Australian wines; but a more limited selection of California wines. Prices may be slightly higher than
in the US. We advise our guests to bring in wine if they have
very specific requirements (2 bottles per person allowed). You may also check out our selection of wines and specialty foods, Gourmet Order Form that would be purchased before your trip and delivered directly to the villa.
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Tipping guidelines are provided on the Villa Guide for each villa. A 10-15% tip (percentage of the full villa rate) is suggested for the staff to be distributed the day you
leave. A suggested allocation might be:
Cook-50%,
housekeeper-35%,
Gardener-15%
If your villa has a butler we suggest:
Cook – 40%
Butler – 30%
Housekeeper – 20%
Gardener - 10%
We typically place the tip in individual envelopes for each staff member. We
give it to them when the van picks us up for the airport. You should also tip your van driver (10-15% of the van package rate) after he drops you off at the airport on your return.
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We strongly advise our guests NOT to rent a car as driving themselves
in Jamaica can be a hassle (bad roads, left hand driving, no signs
etc). We suggest you consider a van or car and full time driver. We
price this package less than if you rented and drove yourself. The
rate includes one tank of gas and unlimited mileage. You can go anywhere
in Jamaica. We have excellent drivers very familiar with your
villa and the area who can also act as your guide, take you cook to
market and just basically insure that you can focus on your vacation
and not have the worry about driving in Jamaica. Take a look at
our web site details for ground transportation.
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It is very easy to exchange US and Canadian dollars at local Cambios. All they do is exchange
money. There is much less hassle than going into a bank, which we
never advise doing unless you have to as the lines are awful and the
exchange is not as good.
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You can use US$ in most places but you will probably not get the best
exchange rate and you will get Jamaican $ back as change. For street vendors and in the outdoor markets you should use Jamaican currency.
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Yes; most banks have ATM machines. The
ATM will dispense Jamaican dollars and some now dispense USD. There is normally a charge for using the machines, and they have daily limits of about $200-300. Your US bank will charge your
account at the current exchange rate.
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USA/Canada Citizens: Valid passport: as of January 2007 the US Government requires a passport for re-entry into the United States. Those visiting
as tourists may remain for a period not exceeding six months. If
you are married and using a birth certificate you will need a copy
of your marriage license to show the name change.
UK Citizens: Commonwealth citizens need passports (no visa is required).
Japan Citizens: Passport required. Visa is required for stays of over
30 days.
All other countries: Please contact the Jamaican Tourist Board office nearest you for requirements.
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Here is what TripAdvisor has to say about safety in Jamaica:
Jamaica is not the crime ridden, "danger lurking around every corner" island that it is so often painted to be. Visitors (especially first time visitors) are often warned by others to not venture off the confines of their resort. To not do so would be to miss out on the opportunity to really see and experience the wonderful and diverse culture that thrives in Jamaica.
So, what about all those scary crime statistics? Fact or fiction? Actually, a little of both. Jamaica does have a problem with gang violence and turf wars that is confined generally to parts of Kingston, Spanish Town and Montego Bay. Each of those towns have mostly safe areas and are worth visiting. The crime will have little impact on the average tourist providing they do not stray into the crime hot spot areas. Seeking local knowledge or reading Jamaican news sites will guide visitors away from dangerous areas. Reports of violence perpetrated against tourists are actually very low. There are occasional crimes of "opportunity", i.e. petty theft, pickpockets and purse snatching's, but they are few in number and probably occur less frequently than the same things that happen back in the tourist’s homeland on a daily basis.
General safety tips are the same as any savvy traveler would take when visiting a place with which they are unfamiliar. Do not carry large amounts of cash on you; do not go off with "friendly" strangers; don’t flaunt expensive jewelry (better yet, leave the gemstones at home --- you are on vacation after all); don’t wander around alone at night either in the cities of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios or on the beach in Negril. Most importantly, don’t check your common sense right along with your luggage at the airport. Sure, Jamaica is paradise, but if you get drunk and stupid someone, just like in Boston or Omaha, will likely take advantage of the situation. Once you get a feeling for the laid back atmosphere of the island and it’s citizens and take normal travel precautions, you can get on with the best part of any trip to Jamaica --- soaking up the sun, jamming with the music, eating wonderful local foods, and best of all, getting to know some of the wonderful, warm Jamaican people.
Most of our guests rent a car or van with driver which really prevents
them from getting into problem areas. Our drivers know Jamaica
and can allow the guest to enjoy Jamaica and their vacation rather
than worrying about driving. We visit Kingston every year without
problems. The National Art Museum is wonderful and lunch at the
famous Devon House is very enjoyable. We however NEVER drive our
self. We always use an experienced Jamaican driver who knows the
city.
In 2006 there were a total of 82 crimes against tourists: most of them petty larceny. There were 57 in Negril, 13 in Ocho Rios and 12 in Montego Bay. This is significantly less than the rates for most major American cities.
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There are a number of doctors in Ocho Rios area. Your villa staff
will know how to reach a doctor. For serious problems, we recommend Montego
Bay Hope, a new state-of-the-art medical diagnostic and treatment center
which has a link with a hospital in South Florida should you need to
be transported off the island. Before your visit, please check with
your insurance company so you know what procedure to follow just in case
you do develop a medical emergency.
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Jamaica has a departure tax that is payable in cash only at the airport
upon your departure. Currently, the tax is JA$1000 or US$27 (or equivalent
in foreign currency). Most airlines include the tax in the price of your ticket.
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If you are traveling to Jamaica between June and November, please note that this is considered hurricane season. In the event of flight cancellations due to a hurricane SunVillas will do everything possible to help with either extending your vacation or rescheduling at another time. We would encourage you to purchase trip cancellation insurance to protect your investment as villas owners are not required to rebate rent. In the past 55 years only 5 hurricanes have hit Jamaica. These were: August 1, 1951, Charlie, October 5, 1963, Flora, August 4, 1980 Allen, September 12, 1988, Gilbert and September 10, 2004 Ivan.
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Yes. Jamaica uses the North American Dial Plan, so people can call you
at the villa from the US or Canada by dialing 1+ Area Code and the
7-digit telephone number. From other countries, callers should normal
international dialing procedures. The area code for Jamaica is (876).
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Most telephone credit cards will not work from Jamaica. You may be able
to use your AT&T, MCI or Sprint cards from Jamaica by dialing the
respective 800 numbers, but that can be an adventure. You almost certainly
will not be able to use your telephone credit card to connect to your
ISP outside of Jamaica. We recommend that you purchase a Jamaican prepaid
calling card to use instead of your telephone credit card for all international
long distance calls.
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Check with your wireless provider to see if you telephone and calling plan are supported in Jamaica. Cable & Wireless
and Digicell, the major Jamaican providers, do have roaming agreements with
the most service providers.
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If your wireless telephone will not work in Jamaica, rental phones are
available from Cable & Wireless or Digicell. Expect to pay about
US$5 per day for rental and access charges. A deposit of approximately
US$225 is required for International calls: this should be applied to
your credit card, not paid in cash. Any unused amount of your deposit
will be refunded. All charges are computed in Jamaican dollars, so the
exchange rate at the time charges are incurred will affect the exact
US dollar amount.
Digicell Jamaica
C&W Jamaica
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Some of our villas have computers with Internet access, most however
do not. You can access the internet from Internet cafes in all of towns
where our villas are located. Many of our villas now have high speed Internet access; but if you bring your laptop to Jamaica and your villa does not have access,
you can easily purchase a NetKyaad for specific minutes of internet
time. Please review the NetKyaad information at:
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In fairness to our villa owners we must strictly adhere to our cancellation
policy. While we may empathize with you in cases of unforeseen
circumstances, a cancellation is very costly on our part. As a
result of your cancellation we do incur non-refundable charges ourselves,
not to mention the lost opportunity to rent the property for that time
period. To protect your investment we recommend that you purchase trip insurance. Check out www.insuremytrip.com for good choices on Trip Insurance.
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Stays of one week or more are preferred but we will consider rentals
of 4 nights or more.
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We charge a 3% service charge when you prepay for tips, food and activities. Your villa rate includes all Jamaican Taxes, but not food, ground transportation or tips.
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