Anyone been to Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua?

[cruisediva07]

My group of four is thinking about getting a day-pass to the Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua this spring. Has anyone spent the day at the resort before? Would you recommend it.......was is a good choice for a beach/pool day? Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

Dee

[kapeppy]

We were there and had a great time! We "checked in" at the hotel's front desk and were given bracelets to identify us as guests of the resort. We were treated just like the overnight guests with the exception that we couldn't eat at their "upscale" restaurants. We had breakfast and lunch there at the buffet and it was just ok. The beach was BEAUTIFUL as was the pool. The main pool had constant activities going on so we avoided that since we were looking for a quiet beach day but it may be something you would enjoy. The liquor is included and we had a couple of frozen froo-froo drinks that were yummy! I would recommend this place to any friends or family that would ask for my opinion.

 

Feel free to ask any more questions and I will do my best to answer!

 

Happy sailing!

 

PS

Take a look at my Brilliance Port of Call Pics and there are a couple of pictures of the beach and pools.

[cruisediva07]

Thanks so much kapeppy. It sounds like just what we're looking for. We have our 21 year old daughter and her boyfriend traveling with us this cruise and wanted someplace with a beautiful beach and pool to have a nice day. We were planning on visiting Turners Beach, but when I saw the web site for Jolly Beach Resort and found out they did day passes, it looked inviting. I'm glad you recommend it.

 

By the way, could you link me to your Brilliance pics? I'd love to see them.

[1st time cruiser]

Hi Kris I see you are also int he frozen tundra of upstate NY. We are in Liverpool and freezing our tender parts off.

 

Do you remember the cost of the resort?

What about the cab fare?

 

Thanks

jo-anne

serenade on 2/12

[kapeppy]

Dee,

The link to my pictures is down in my signature. I don't know if you can just click on it or if you have to copy it and paste it. There are a couple different sets of cruise pictures there so feel free to look at whatever you like.

 

Jo-anne,

Yes, I am freezing my tush but am counting down the days until my next cruise (4 weeks from today!!!). As far as the resort and cab costs, I cannot say for sure but I tend to keep a journal of my travels and I will take a look at it to see if I made a note of each. I want to say that the day pass was between $40 and $50 and we felt it was worth it. It included meals, alcohol and non-alcohol beverages, towels, beach chairs and use of the pool. I don't remember that the cab far was outrageous but I am guessing around $20. I promise to check my notes and post again with any further info!

[cruisediva07]

Kapeppy, thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures. I enjoyed looking at them. Now I'm really getting excited for our cruise. I saw your pics for St. Lucia....did you take a tour? Last time we were there we went to Sandal's for the day, but the price went up since then. Now we're deciding between day passes at Rendezvous Resort and hiring a cab to see the volcano and drop us at a beach.

 

Jo-anne, the price for day passes at Jolly Beach is $42 for a half day. You can reserve a pass ahead of time if you want to. Your on the Serenade two months before us. We're on the April 9 sailing. It's our first time on a Radiance class ship (we've love the Voyager class) and are hoping we made a good decision. You'll have to let me know about the ship and what you decide about Antigua.

 

Dee

[kapeppy]

Dee,

We did the Land & Sea to Soufrierre tour in St Lucia. We saw lots of interesting sights (banana plantations, fishing village, and volcano) before having lunch and then boarding a catamaran for a sail along the coast. The tour was in a somewhat air conditioned bus that was packed to capacity. While I enjoyed the tour, I was pretty car sick by the time we boarded the catamaran. The sail was beautiful and the rum punch was flowing but it wasn't exactly a "party boat" like some of the tours. We were supposed to stop at a black sand beach but it was a little too choppy so we headed to Marigot which is more protected. The beach was nice but you needed water shoes to really get around it the water. I am not sorry I did the tour but the next time I go I would just like to go hang out at a beach. I skimmed over the highlights of the tour so if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask!

 

Jo-Anne,

We have been on the EOS, AOS, and VOS as well as Radiance and Brilliance and I can guarantee you won't be sorry. The Radiance class ships don't feel much smaller than the Voyager class, although I must admit that I do miss the promenade and Johnny Rockets. The Radiance class are just so much prettier with lots of wood - feels more like an ocean liner than just a cruise ship. Don't miss the pool tables, the Solarium or the Sea View Cafe! While I haven't been on the Serenade, let me know if you have any more questions about that class of ship!

[cruisediva07]

Thanks Kris. I don't think I want to spend the day in St. Lucia on a tour.....we're doing a 5 hour catamaran trip in Barbados the day before...and it's our last island on the cruise. I think I'd like a beach day....just not sure what beach. We might do the Renedevous Resort if I don't hear of anything better. Have you heard of any beaches that cruisers particularly enjoyed in St. Lucia?

 

Was the volcano worth seeing? I mean, it is worth taking the time for a cab ride to it before we hit a beach? By the way, you have me excited to see the Serenade now.

 

Dee

[BornToTrave;]

We spent a week at Jolly Beach about 3 or 4 years ago. It sounds perfect for what you said you're looking for. You can get involved in the poolside activities or you can lay quietly on the beach without being harrassed by vendors. We had no complaints about this place.

 

I've also been to the volcano in St Lucia. It's one of those things that you would probably regret if you don't do it because it's "THE" thing to see in St Lucia, but really it was over-commercialized. I visited the volcano as part of an excurion where we sailed the length of the island on a huge sail boat, visited some gardens, mineral baths, and the volcano. The highlight of the day was actually the sailing along this beautiful island.