Day #1: Arrival in to STS Travel Spring Break 2013 aka Jamaican Paradise

 

It’s 10:30 on arrival day. The main lobby of the Sunset Jamaican Grande Resort (aka Jamaica Spring Break Headquarters) is buzzing with good vibes. Every single lounge chair, table, couch, bar stool is occupied with attractive college students. Fast chatter and loud laughter compete with the low thumping bass of the reggae band to set the mood. Tonight is arrival day and night #1 of the week you will remember as the best time of your life.

Groups arrived throughout the afternoon in to the early evening. For most the journey began boarding the plane back in the US, traveling a few hours by air and then finally taking the first steps out of Sangster International airport. Luggage dropped, heads tilted back and smiles emerged as the first sights were set on the bright full Jamaican sun. Your arms began to tingle as your skin comes in to contact with the most potent sun rays you have ever been exposed to. You take your first breath of fresh, warm jamaican air. Upon looking around you notice dark skin and bright neon smiles. Your STS rep waves you over and greets with a hardey “welcome to Jamaica mon!” and directs your group to the outside of the airport terminal. You notice an open air bar to your right surrounded with excited travelers ordering their first Jamaican drink. The bartender catches your eye ” hey pretty darling, what can igetchaa”. You ask what her specialty is. ” Well de rum punch of course, mon”. You order a few for you and your friends. As soon as your drink arrives the huge coach bus pulls around the corner. The blue STS Travel sticker on the front windshield is a tell tail sign you will soon be seated in one of it’s comfortable thick seats.. Your rep gathers your group up and yells “Are you ready for spring break 2013!!?”. The responses and excited screams almost overpower the departing planes above.

The swift bellboy scoops up your heavy luggage with the ease of an olympian and settles it in the back of the bus atop 20 more of it’s kind. You climb the 3 steps up in to the air conditioned bus and sit back in awe of where you are now and where you were this morning. You can hardly believe that just a few hours ago you were bundled up in a heavy coat, Scarf, hats and mittens scraping the frost and snow off your car so you could make your way to the airport.

The hour and half it took to get to the Sunset Jamaica Grande flew by. Roger, your bus driver, kept everyone entertained with stories of Jamaica old and new. Roger pointed out every sight and scene along the way and answered every question thrown his way with ease. As the bus wove through the long stretch of hilly highway you took in the most you could vowing never to get how it felt to actually be beginning the best week of your life-spring break. Roger pops in a Bob Marley cd and your group of 20 bursts out in chorus singing word from word, equipped with a Jamaican accent and all.

“YO YO YO listen up erery’body- in front you will see your home for the next week, The Sunset Jamaican Grande”. And grand it is!. Two huge yellow Jamaican towers stand before you on a backdrop of the purest blue sky, lit by the brightest of suns. “Everyone please follow me to the lobby for a short orientation to get you settled in”. You follow your STS rep in to the lobby and down the cascading spiral stairs. You pass the huge check-in lines and luggage pick up at the front desk. You are relieved to be treated like VIP with STS. Your rep informs you that you have a private check-in for your group and your luggage will be delivered to you during orientation. You walk to a large ballroom and are handed a fruity pink rum punch by a beautiful smiling Jamaican woman. It taste as good as the strawberry fragrance it emits. Your STS rep points out a bunch of large round table and you take a seat. The head STS reps; Chris and Johnny, begin orientation explaining the hotel policies, description of the excursions and the hottest parties of the week. The VIP parties at Margaritaville are all inclusive and include the hottest house DJ’s, and wild theme parties. The excursions include the famed Mystic Mountain (home of the Jamaican Bobsled), scenic Dunn’s River Falls, and the Cool Runnings Booze Cruise. VIP party packages are available for purchase for those who did not purchase them on the STS travel website before arrival. Chris lists the headlining dj’s, hot performers and event schedule for the week. Orientation ends with a video of the week priors Harlem shake booze cruise. The video was awesome and the energy is contagious but you and your crew can top that! You quickly fill out your room information sheet and head over to the check in table and in minutes you have your room key, luggage, rum punch and are headed to the elevators to see your room.

You swipe your room key and open the door to a crisp, clean Caribbean themed room. The rooms is rather large with a nice sized bathroom. You have a closet, a huge dresser, table chairs, huge flat screen TV and a selection of pillows. Your balcony overlooks the Caribbean sea and beaches. To your right you see a huge 10 foot long red, yellow and green wooden sign that says “spring break” planted in to the sand near the STS designated Spring Break Beach. On the beach you spot two tents with dj’s, one is running contests while the other is mixing hot tracks.. To the left is pool after pool after pool!. You see a swim up bar, multiple waterfalls, two rope bridges, the biggest water slide you have ever set eyes on and a ton of sun chairs filled with beautiful spring breakers. The dj starts spinning “We Are Young” and the beach sings in unison word from word. This is going to be the time of your life. You ditch unpacking, throw your bags on the floor and change in to your swimsuit. The party starts NOW!

Tomorrow’s Blog: Spring Break STS TRAVEL Excursion #1- Cool Runnings

Booze Cruise