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“No problem mon!” is the attitude in Jamaica! And that’s just what I heard throughout my stay at Jewel Runaway Bay in Jamaica. Many people would be surprised to know with all my traveling that I have never done an all inclusive resort gateway before. Thanks to my family I enjoyed my first one in the Caribbean. If you are looking for a tropical family trip I urge you to check out the Jamaican sunshine! Read on for my full review of Jewel Runaway Bay Beach & Golf Resort. Spoiler alert, I loved it!

If you are looking for an adults only resort in Jamaica check out my post on the Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Jamaica. 

Food

Despite how much I love being in and near water, one of the things I was most looking forward to on this trip was food. I really can’t think of many things in life that are better than all you can eat food! While my poor Dad could have done without all the fancy food and just ate cheeseburgers for every meal, I was loving all the multi-course Caribbean and Seafood meals. Beforehand I was wondering if the food would be good quality if it was unlimited. I thought all the meals at the restaurants were top-notch. The buffet and grills had great options too.

There is food available from 7am – 2am. My only wish was that there were more snack type items available between 4 – 6pm and after 10pm. That being said there was typically some baked goods in the lobby at all times and popcorn and chips available at the grills. If you have butler service you can also ask for food to be delivered for free!

Here are some of the places you can eat at Jewel Runaway Bay.

The Jade Samurai

This hibachi style restaurant is the one place you need to make a reservation. I would make it at least a couple days ahead of time if possible. I think my family members would agree with me that this was the best restaurant at the resort. Not only are you eating dinner, but you are getting a show as well. I almost choked trying, but I wowed my nephew by catching rice in my mouth!

Court Jesters

Court Jesters is not your typical pizza place. Don’t go expecting to get a pepperoni and sausage pizza. What you can expect are unique pizzas and innovative seafood dishes.

Moonstone Restaurant

This is probably the best night-time sit-down restaurant for picky eaters, because they have a create your own pasta option. The sausage soup was particularly memorable to me. Plus there is outdoor beachside dining. Be aware that whenever there is a buffet on the beach at night, Moonstone closes.

Platinum Restaurant

If you are looking for the flavors of Jamaica, this is the restaurant for you. For the authentic route, try the Oxtail. A good choice for seafood lovers is the snapper.

Coral Cafe Buffet

This is the only option for breakfast and my favorite choice for lunch. For this more casual buffet you can come in a swimsuit as long as you have a cover-up. Some of my favorite food here came from the create your own and make your own stations.

Beach or Poolside Buffets

Every Monday on the beach and every Thursday at the pool the coral cafe buffet moves waterside. Usually there is special entertainment to go along with the food. We were there for the Bob Marley birthday celebration, which was an additional beach buffet night! Food includes anything from delicacies like lamb or salmon to kids favorites such as fish sticks and jello.

Beach

Unlike many Jamaican resorts, Jewel Runaway is located directly on the beach. You can walk out your room door and be steps away from the sand. Even though there isn’t a huge stretch of coastline, it didn’t feel crowded at all. There was plenty of space for lounging on a beach chair or swimming in the ocean.  There is a designated roped off area for swimming. We went out of the roped off area several times. Sometimes we got whistled out, other times no-one noticed! While many people go out further to snorkel, you can actually see quite a few fish close to the shore.

Water Sports

If you get tired of relaxing on the beach or want more adventure than splashing around in the waves, try one of the included water sports! Kayaking, windsurfing and going for a hobbie cat ride are some of the water sports available. One of the only downsides of the trip for me was that it was very windy and we weren’t allowed to do many water-sports. There is a colored flag you can keep an eye on which lets you know the conditions of the ocean and what you can do.

For an additional cost you can do some motorized sports and scuba diving.

One day when the flag was yellow we went out on the hobbie cat a couple of times.  In case you are like me and didn’t know what a hobbie cat is….well it’s the thing in the picture! At the resort you are sitting the whole time and a life guard goes with you and does all the work with the sail. It was my first time and I was equal parts thrilled (hanging on so I wouldn’t fall of) and relaxed as we sailed over the waves on our way to Cuba….okay not that far, but if you are scared of water it might feel like it! To me I could have gone even further!

Pools

Three pools and two jacuzzis (one warm and one cold) will keep you busy. With the swim up bar at the infinity pool you don’t even need to leave the pool to get a drink. The pools feel pretty chilly when you first get in, but if you give it a minute of uncomfortableness you will be rewarded!

Infinity Pool

Aquamarina Pool

Turquoise Bay

Lagoon Waterpark

If you need some variety from swimming in the pools or the ocean, head to the Lagoon waterpark. There is a water play jungle for the little ones and one tube slide and one body slide for older children…and adults of course! My favorite was going around and around on the lazy river. Just don’t get too comfortable or you might get surprised by a waterfall!

Rooms

All of my family was located in an older building on the right side of the resort if you are facing the ocean. A couple people thought the rooms smelled musty and ended up moving to the building on the left side. I don’t know if their rooms smelled differently, or I didn’t notice, but my room was perfect!

Maids come into the room several times a day to clean, re-stock the refrigerator with drinks and bring clean towels. You will have plenty of free bottled water. They also do a turn down service in the evening. If you are lucky you might even get a towel animal on your bed!

Some rooms have their own personal plunge pool!

Radiant Spa

Radiant Spa is located in colorful and shabby chic beach huts in the middle of the resort. The spa offers massages, pedicures, facials and some other unique services. Would you believe me if I told you the part of the trip that made me the most nervous was getting my first professional massage!? All nervousness aside it was a relaxing experience.

Entertainment

I was looking forward to swimming in the ocean, trying out some water sports and partaking in copious amounts of eating. One thing I didn’t realize was that there would be daytime and nighttime entertainment. There was a wide variety of activities for children, families and adults. We typically watched the evening shows. I should really say we participated in them, because we got called up on stage several times!

The shows could include traditional dancing, music by the resident band and singers, magic, or even random stunts like the guy who balanced chairs on his head! One evening we played blackjack during casino night, another evening we watched karaoke and yet another evening we played bingo.

We were too busy during the day to take part in any of the games or activities, but there was everything from water balloon fights on the beach to Jamaica trivia at the bar.

What makes the entertainment so great is the people that run it. There is a group of about five Jamaicans who come to the resort all day, every day with smiles on their faces to make sure you have a great time.

Other

If you want to stay fit on land, don’t fret, there are many options.  A gym with machines and dumbbells is available. There are also a few exercise classes from visiting instructors every-week. Aqua zumba and sunrise yoga took place almost everyday. I made it to the last 20 seconds of an aqua zumba class! An 18 hole golf course and tennis courts are on the property too.

In our week at the resort we saw two beachside weddings taking place!

There is a kids and teens camp, as well as the Red Ruby Ranch that provides child-care and events, such as dive-in movies and laser tag.

Excursions

There is so much to do and don’t forget, eat, at Jewel Runaway Bay that you don’t even need to leave the property. But if you want to experience a bit more of the country, try one of these excursions.

Swimming with Dolphins

Since I was little I’ve loved dolphins. Swimming with dolphins has probably been on my bucket list longer than any other experience. I knew there was an option to swim with dolphins in Jamaica, but I figured there was so much to do at the resort that we might not go off the property. Even though we had plenty to do, we took a family trip to the Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios. It was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

I did the swim experience where I was able to do two swims with the dolphin and an extra because I was in a small group and we got a VIP experience! In between the swims we could interact, touch and play with our dolphin. We also learned a lot about our dolphin, Jacks, and the facility and dolphin care in general. I was happy to know that because dolphins can jump so high they could actually leave if they wanted to, but they choose to stay!

The encounter experience is also available where you go waist deep into the water and do all the interactions, except for the swims.

Dunn’s River Falls

Dunn’s River falls is is the must do excursion in Jamaica for many people. Due to recovery from an injury I sat this one out, but my brother and sister-in law had a great time climbing the falls. You need to be able to walk down quite a few stairs and then climb a slippery water fall with the help of your group and a guide.

Other Excursions

Whether you want a cultural, relaxing or a more adventurous excursion, there is an activity for you in Jamaica!

 

FYI

• It takes about an hour and 30min to get from the Montego Bay airport to the resort. Book here.
• WiFi is rather spotty at the resort. It didn’t work in my room the entire time of my stay. Once I figured out that it worked on my balcony I had decent reception for the remaining days, except the last day where it didn’t work anywhere on the resort. The lobby is your best chance for consistent WiFi. Speeds can be slow though.
• Most people bring their children here. You can still have a great time if  you are traveling without children, but you might want to consider staying at an adults only property instead.
• If you are coming from the USA, you won’t need to bring any adaptors or converters with you.
• I thought most of the water served at the restaurants tasted funny. You get bottles of water in your room that you can bring with you. You can also get bottles of water at the grill and the concierge desk in the lobby. The best non-bottled water comes from the soda fountain in the grill/moonstone restaurant. You can go anytime to get a glass of water there and take it with you.

So what are you waiting for!? Book your stay in the Jamaican sunshine at Jewel Runaway Bay Beach & Golf Resort today!

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