Holiday Reviews > Caribbean > Jamaica > Runaway Bay > Runaway Bay Hotels > Royal Decameron Club Caribbean > Read Reviews
Royal Decameron Club Caribbean ReviewsPage 1 2
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr A Barry |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
On arrival I was disappointed and felt that perhaps I had made the wrong choice for my Family. The Chalet/ Huts do need a re-furb and certainly a marketing exercise and some good investment would see this rsort go up a couple of notches. However the holiday was excellent after a couple of days I was enjoying myself and relaxing so much I almost went native. My party consisited of my wife , son (21 ) and daughter (13) and I can only say it was great. Yes there are things that could be better but the whole package came together, the entertainment staff so talented, the majority of the waiters brilliant, the food acceptable varing from very good to moderate but always edible. We travel several times a year and in the late spring had 2 weeks in Abu Dhabi/Dubai who have a lot going for them but to me Jamaica wins.You will be hustled but that is their way fo life, enjoy it some of the interactions make the holiday, do not be afraid to go out it is different but enjoy it. Other people have mentioned George on the jetty, he is a great guy and makes the visitors very welcome. You do need to get out from the site and see other parts of Jamaica but ask me would I go back and the answer is Yes. I am still getting to terms what is was about it the Decameron Club and I would say evertime it was the feel rather than the look but saying that I bet we have all enjoyed staying at some really big hotel only for no one to talk and take a real interest.
I am not an expert but talking with the Jamaicans is a pleasure. We went on several non tour operator trips and enjoyed everyminute as they say in Jamaica 'No Problem'.
My advice go try it and see how it works for you , it certainly worked for us, well done Club Caribbean.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jun 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
travel by Jen |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr MD Mike |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
When we arrived we were frighten by the way it looked in front. It was like an alley way. But when we relaxed and begin to look around it was not bad after all. The cottage was clean and the food was great. The staff was very friendly. We really enjoyed ourselves. Being a small resort, we were able to do things like dance on the stage and playing the drums.
We should not have judge the resort by its front cover. We had alot of fun and would return again.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr M Erskine |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
went for 2 weeks 8th may and was so pleased to have picked here over riu in ocho rios. everything was superb from our own cottage to small and friendly atmosphere of the complex. my wife is a chef and commented that the food was of a very good standard especially in the a la carte restuarants. the staff did everything to make sure you enjoyed yourself, george at jetty bar is the best barman in the world!. hairdryer in the room blew and within 1 minute of reporting , a guy came and replaced it .free watersports included water ski-ing and a glass bottom boat which took you to reef for snorkelling, and all for free.booked trips with raquel our rep , and she organised the outings on specific days that suited us with a no problem man.dunns river falls is a must and si is bob marleys homein nine mile.best surprise was rafting on marthe brae river, good relaxing day out.shopping in ocha rios is a buzz but expect to be hassled a bit. a firm no thanks is always greeted with a no problem man, so don't be afraid to go out and explore jamaica it's great and the people make it an experience not to forget
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
blondesx40x |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
Just got back from 2 week holiday (april 29-14 may) staying at the Royal Decameron in Runaway Bay, having stayed with my 16year old daughter.
Can i just say what a fantastic holiday we have just had, so much so, i have cancelled Cuba in february to go back for 2 weeks in april 2009.
Flight with first choice-good, transfers-good, accomodation- really pleased with garden view cottage(which i requested),food excellent- buffet style and 2 speciality restaurrants.
Entertainment could not have been better, worked hard for your enjoyment, you could do as much or little as you wanted. Watersport activities were free and underused in my opinion, wish I had done more than i did.
Weather beautiful for 13 days out of 14, so that was perfect.
Trips-booked 5 trips with first choice, bit more expensive with tour rep but you have the knowledge of it being safer to do so.
1. Hooves horseriding down a mountain and into the sea, 5/5 brilliant.
2. River tubing, 4/5.
3. Bob Marley jeep safari, 5/5, well worth the visit-moving.
4. Night sunset cruise, 5/5.
5. Cool Runnings trip to Dunns River Falls, 5/5 fantastic.
Last of all, can i just say that the staff of the Royal Decameron were fantastic, from the check in staff, gardeners, maids, towel girl, sanitation staff, bar staff, ent crew and most of all, a big thankyou to the dozens of waiters-who made our holiday the best we have ever had.
They were more than just friendly, they remembered your name, always had time to chat, always with a smile on their face, this for me, you cant buy.
My daughter cried all the way home on the plane, and i felt a little teary too, so this is why we are going back next april. Holidays are what you make them, I went with an open mind and determined to enjoy myself-which i did.
Jamaica is a lovely warm country in every sense of the word, and you will find just a little bit more, when you stay at the Royal Decameron.
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| Board Basis: |
Full Board |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Apr 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs L Davies |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
What an absolutely wonderful holiday!! From the minute we arrived everyone tried their utmost to make our stay special. The food was very good, plenty of it and a wide selection. The food could have been hotter on occasions but when you consider the amount of guests being catered for it was a really good effort. The standard of cleanliness was excellent. Staff are cleaning and tidying the area continually. The dining rooms were really clean with staff wearing personal protective equipment when filling up the serving areas. Waiters were friendly and efficient. Rooms were cleaned daily to a high standard. The only let down was the entertainment, it got a bit tedious when it was the resident dancers but there were some guest performers who were fantastic. There are plenty of excursions to be booked at the resort but we found a really good, reliable taxi driver who charged reasonable rates. Try Dolphin Cove for the swimming with Dolphins, it's a really emotional experience. Dunns river falls and the Bob Marley tour are both top tours.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jul 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
MyTravel |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss K Mair |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
We went to Royal Decameron Club in the summer, it was really good.
This is my rating for everything:
Accomodation - 10/10;
Food - 8/10;
Staff - 9/10;
Activities - 10/10 - all free;
Weather - 6/10;
Cities - 8/10;
Pools 5/10 - closed too early and only 2 pools and kids can only go in 1.
Would recommend beach front hut!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jun 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss K Lawrence |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
Well we have just come back from this beautiful island once again to cold and rainy Britain.
We have had yet another fantastic time at this great hotel. Although the entertainment staff have changed since we were last there, we still loved it.
Food was fantastic, weather wonderful (tan great), hotel staff amazing (yet again), nightly entertainment not so hot, but they try!!
Would recommend this hotel to anyone seeking to go the Jamaica without being in a high rise building, or outnumbered by yanks!! They hotel only has little cottage rooms scattered around the 12 acres of grounds and there is an even number of brits to the yanks so it’s not all HAVE A NICE DAY NOW!!
Wonderful place can’t wait to go back, have to lose the weight from all the lovely food first!!
If you’re going soon, have a wonderful time and say hi to O'Neil from the guys from Liverpool and Suffolk
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
cloudy |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We arrived at the Club de Cameron to a warm welcome and a glass of punch.
We could find no fault with this place at all. The cottages are lovely and it is so nice to have that space to call your own. There are five bays, one which is used for water sport. They are kept clean of seaweed by the very hardworking staff.
A trip in the glass bottomed boat is a good way to spend an hour away from the hard job of sunbathing.
The Food.
There are two restaurants that can be booked. We never got round to it as the food in the main buffet restaurant was fantastic. We both find it quite difficult to eat in hot countries, so the buffet was great as we could chose the amount that suited us.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner the quality of the food never changed it was of a consistently high quality. A touch that we found really useful was the staff continually came round with water. There is no need for anybody to become dehydrated there. They also topped up your wine glass constantly as well.
There is also a beach snack bar that sells burgers, pizza, and jerk chicken open till 5pm.
Burgers and hot dogs are available at night 11pm till 2am
The drink
The drink at the bar was fine sometimes it got a bit busy and there was a queue but hey this is Jamaica. The drinks were given out in little plastic cups that at first were a shock but after a fortnight it was just one of these things, the bar is in the pool area so I suppose there is a health and safety issue there. I wouldn’t let it spoil my holiday.
The staff were cheerful and friendly and couldn’t do enough for you. Some great cocktails and I believe the barmen have their own specials. Had one -wow blow your head off.
Entertainment
This was Ok depended a lot on audience participation. The de Cameron dancers were very good.
The entertainment team did work really hard to keep things going.
What we really enjoyed was the band that played throughout lunch and dinner. Three elderly played “plinky” music while we ate. We found it so relaxing to listen to.
Trips.
Our first trip was to Negril as I had heard it was THE place to see the sunset in Jamaica.
We booked this at the tour desk at the hotel. We were at a disadvantage here as there was only two of us. They would only do the trip if there was four. Fortunately I had overheard a couple in front who requested the Negril trip.
The trip left at 8am and we were taken to a beach club in Negril where we spent the day sunbathing. We had full use of their facilities. There are water sports available.
Negril beach is seven miles of pure white sand and clear turquoise water. It is the beach of your dreams I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
There are people going up and down the beach trying to sell various wares and “substances” but a polite no was enough.
At four our transport arrived and we were taken to Rick’s Cafe for the sunset.
This is where the mad people go. There was tourists jumping off the cliffs. There was locals diving off the cliffs. There was one who had clearly escaped from somewhere who climbed a tree, swung about like a monkey and eventually when enough money was collected dived from the tree.
The sunset was ODD It was lovely as the sun was going down but as soon as the sun hit the horizon the colour went and it was just the round sun disappearing then it was gone . I expected to see beautiful colours afterwards but no it was gone.
Our next trip was one we organised ourselves. As it was our thirtieth wedding anniversary we wanted to mark it with something special.
We booked our own taxi and got a deal because we combined two trips in one day.
We started the day by visiting Nine Mile the mountain home of the late Bob Marley. This is a very special place and you can see why he used it to escape to for peace. A guided tour of his house gives some information about his life and inspiration of some of his songs. It ends with a visit to his mausoleum.
After that we went to Dolphin cove where we did the dolphin encounter which consisted of touching a dolphin, singing, dancing, and kissing a dolphin. We were also given a talk on dolphins. Got the cd and it is really amusing to watch and keeps our grandson amused.
We organised two trips with Thomson.
First was a visit to Appleton rum factory where we were given Rum punch and sandwiches while we watched a video. We then went on an informative tour of the factory and finished with a tasting session.
We then went on to Y S Falls. I can only describe it as a place of natural beauty. It is possible to do a Tarzan jump into the water but we gave this a miss. Lunch was lovely at a place organised by Thomson then we went on to the Black River to spot some crocodiles. We saw three. The Black River was well worth seeing it was like looking at a sea of black ink.
Second trip was a bamboo raft trip down the Martha Brae River. An hour and a half of total relaxation on a raft with an informative captain who points out interesting trees and fruits. Our last ten minutes on the raft were spent with him singing away to himself. Total Bliss.
We then went on to Dunn River Falls. I was told you have not been to Jamaica until you have climbed them. I have some arthritis so was not sure if I could manage it and spoke to some of the guests who said it was not too bad. So off we went. It was manageable for me although I did ache a bit next day. But I would not have missed it for the world.
It was so much fun with the guy who did the video really going out of his way to keep things going. It was also really exhilarating and such a feeling of achievement to get to the top.
We also wanted to go to Kingston and because of the quality of guide on the Thomson trips we decided to go with them. The trip consisted of a tour of lower Kingston. It took us to Spanish town and pointed out various points of interest. We visited Port Charles a former fortress then we toured Upper Kingston which seems to be the richer part.
This ended up a hill for a panoramic view of the city. After lunch we went to Hope Street the Kingston home of Bob Marley. This has been turned into a museum and houses his recording studio which Ziggy Marley still uses. A tour of the house and a film of his life were part of this trip.
A final word about the trips. As I said Thomson trips were of a high quality with the most informative of guides who are eager to give us information on the island. They will break into a song after a story at the drop of a hat. They had little snacks prepared for us and one even stopped at a stall and bought us bananas.
I can’t thank them enough for making our trip to Jamaica so special.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Kuoni |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr Ja Foster |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
Having stayed at the Decameron for 10 nights I cannot fault it, the staff worked tirelessly to please you.
The place was spotless. Food good. And our rep. Maxine was a gem. Bless her.
I found the whole experience visiting Jamaica and stopping at the Decameron magic.
I will definitely stay there again.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs S Cooper |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We went for 3 Weeks and took 19 guests to witness our marriage in the Decameron.
I have been back nearly 3 weeks and there are 21 People still talking about how brilliant it was.
The location, Cottages (especially with a Sea View), Staff. Activities. Other guests that we met, Dunns River Falls, and Cocktails were absolutely fantastic. So needless to say we had the perfect wedding and the perfect honeymoon all in one.
Seriously if you want to get married this is the place to do it, if I had to do it all again, there isn't a thing I would have changed.
Diane and Davian are excellent wedding co-ordinators, in fact they were so good that I was relaxing in the sea a few hours before hand without a care in the world!
George of the jungle in the swing bar is a really top bloke, friendly, funny, and a real asset to the hotel.
Bad points ... evening entertainment needs a bit of improvement, but then hey we were there for 3 weeks!
This was one place I was really sad to say goodbye to... so all I can say is go and check it out.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Dec 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Virgin |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs A Hepden |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
What a fab holiday. We loved every part of it.
The cottages were great, our children stayed in there own cottage next door. The huge bed and large shower area were kept clean and the air con always worked.
You have ample choice of food, and 2 a la carte restaurants that you book daily, you are not limited. The New Year Gala was lovely, every fish food you can think of. Christmas day was great Father Christmas coming in on the hobie cat.
We did not know that all water sports were included; water skiing, banana boats and glass bottom boat rides. That was our first holiday that we did not have to keep putting our hands in our pocket. Towels are also provided.
When we were on holiday they offered us an upgrade to a hotel in Montego Bay, they had overbooked but they did not say that. We did know someone who went but they did regret leaving as our complex was smaller.
You have four beaches to choose from, sandy with no stones and then one with lots of coral.
Lovely holiday overall, would go back tomorrow if I could. Have a lovely time if you have booked.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Virgin |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs L Hall |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
Can I just say what a truly wonderful holiday we had again at this hotel. It was our forth time here we love it - piece of paradise.
We take our kids who are 11 and 9, they cry when they come, so do I. We have made such lovely friends here and we keep in touch with them by phone or email - they are like our brothers now.
We want to say to George on the swing bar we love and miss you and we see you in Sept 2007 again cant wait. We never see our kids the whole time were there, they are kept entertained all the time.
They are fantastic people and don't be afraid to go out of the complex, after all you wont see the real Jamaican way of life. We normally take sweets and toys to the village for the kids they love it .
The food is just amazing and don't go if you are on a diet. Us Brits could learn a lot about Jamaican culture, so chilled out and if you are a fisherman like my husband take a rod and fish off the swing bar great! What a laugh.
Snorkeling good when the weather is OK.
We have never had a bad word to say about the reception, they are good especially Judith.
Over all, from the gardeners to the management, all really lovely people so please don't be put off about what you read about it, mostly our American cousins complain.
But hey, its a three star not 5 star plus - just go chill out and enjoy yourself say hi to George on Swing bar for me - Ire Mon!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Virgin |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs T Miller |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
Just got back from 2 weeks here and it was a really good holiday. Hotel is lovely the grounds are very well kept. We had a garden cottage and were lucky enough to have a patio.
Rooms are kept very clean, but are a bit more basic than we are used to (but then it is only 3*). Spent most evenings at the Jetti Bar (swingy bar as we called it) where we were well looked after by George and the others. Entertainment at the main bar could get a bit loud.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jul 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs R Rogers |
| Overall
Rating: |
1/10 |
| Comments: |
Hated every minute of it!
My husband and I went here for our honeymoon and it was hell. We stayed in a courtyard room which if we had known they were like butlins chalets we would have not bothered.
They were right below the staff quarters and loud music banged on most of the day and sometimes at night - music off sight (ok, which can't be helped) went on till 4-5am!
The hotel was so basic and I know its 3 star, but 3 star hotels in other Caribbean islands are of a far better quality. We never got our honeymoon fruit basket till day 7 and we never received our complimentary champagne!
I begged to be upgraded to another hotel, even at additional cost to us but it was never done. The front desk staff were very rude and unhelpful. Our Rep was nice all the time you were booking excursions but if you questioned her about the complex then she became very rude and unhelpful.
I spent most of the time crying and just wanting to go to one of the nicer hotels that we saw when on some of our excursions, but it was impossible to get transferred and also seemed impossible to get home early either.
The beach was cleaned every day which was nice, but the sea was very very murky and impossible to snorkel in - not really what you expect from a Caribbean island, I thought it would have been picture postcard.
The pools were dirty and closed very early (5pm) many people came down with ear infections whilst we were there because of the swimming pools. I know many people complained about the hotel but nothing was ever done!
On a good note, however, the majority of other staff were very friendly and the hotel food was really nice. The only saving grace of this holiday was the time spent off site on excursions. Highly recommend dolphin dove, Dunns River falls, bamboo rafting, and tubing.
Would never go again and would never recommend to anyone. If you want picture postcard Caribbean go to st Lucia, Antigua, or Dominican Republic, they are much much nicer.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jul 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs K Squire |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
The positives:
The resort was beautiful, my photos of the beach were just like holiday postcards.
The staff were all very hard working and extremely friendly.
The kids club was well run.
The food choices were excellent. The restaurants were clean and you had 3 to choose from - although you didn't have the choice of all 3 every night. Jamaican night (Fridays) was especially good.
The men didn't have to wear long trousers at dinner.
The all inclusive drinks included international brands.
The evening entertainment was OK - not fantastic, simple but entertaining.
The sport choices - both water and land based - were good, although you did have to get up early (by 8.30am) to sign up for the most popular choices.
The grounds were lovely.
Areas for improvement:
The pool didn't open until 9am and closed at 5pm. It could have been kept open longer.
The beach was quite narrow. (Not sure how you can improve on this though)
There was lots of seaweed and in the evening the jelly fish came in as the sun went in.
The rooms were very basic but clean - and it was only a 3 star hotel.
There wasn't a pool table available for the children to play on.
We would definitely go back there again.
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