Last year we traveled to the Dominican Republic during the week of Valentine’s Day. And while we were there, we met a group of four couples from one of my favorite places: Canada. Well, we hit it off. So when they started planning their winter vacation for this February, they asked us if we wanted to meet up.
“Well, yeah,” I said. “But where are we going?”
They didn’t know yet, but they said that they would let me know when they found out. “Sweet,” I thought. I’ve never gone anywhere without spending weeks and months planning every detail of the trip. All I hoped for was that they would pick somewhere I’ve never been, mainly because I like to visit new places. Then one day I got the email I was waiting for.
“We’re going to Jamaica.”
Getting my ducks in a row
Once I found out where we would be traveling, I started trying to figure out the cheapest way to get there….with points and miles of course. And the good news was that I had signed up for and met the spending requirement on a Chase Ink Bold card at the end of last year. So, I used about 55,000 Ultimate Rewards points to book our flights to Montego Bay and paid $96 in taxes. Boom.
Next up was the hotel. Our Canadian friends love to relax on the beach, so they chose an all-inclusive resort in Runaway Bay called the Grand Bahia Principe. And even though that particular resort isn’t part of any loyalty program, I had another trick up my sleeve. We both signed up for a Barclay Arrival World Mastercard last year and still had about $600 in travel credit to spend, so we used that credit to pay for about half of our hotel stay, paying for the other half in cash (on a rewards card, of course).
So, all in all, we spent around $700 for our flights, hotel stay, food, and drinks for a one week stay. On top of that, we paid for round-trip transportation to and from the airport and around $250 in tips for all of the hard-working people that made our vacation so amazing.
We had a blast, mon
First things first: The parts of Jamaica we traveled through were absolutely breathtaking, with crystal clear turquoise water, tree-lined hills and valleys, and the bluest sky I think I’ve ever seen. Since we were visiting friends, we spent a lot of time on the beach lounging and having a good time. The resort itself was huge, with 840 rooms and one of the biggest pools I’ve ever seen in my life. One thing I really liked about it was that it had a few different beaches to choose from, some that were good for snorkeling and another huge expanse of golden sand and turquoise water perfect for swimming. Since it was an all-inclusive resort, most of the activities were free. We took advantage of that fact by kayaking and riding paddle boats in the sea. We also did some snorkeling and saw beautiful tropical fish of all shapes, colors, and sizes.
The Grand Bahia Principe in Runaway Bay is also super family-friendly with all kinds of activities and special attractions for kids. Along with the kid’s pools, the ocean itself was perfect for little kids to swim in because the water was extremely shallow….you could walk out for what seemed like forever. Even better was the fact that a small reef broke the waves far from the shore, creating a magnificent Caribbean bathtub of sorts. It was awesome.
Then things got expensive…maybe
The day we were supposed to fly out (February 12th), a giant snow storm was pummeling the southern United States. So almost all of the connecting to flights to Indianapolis were cancelled, and the ones that weren’t cancelled were already full. Because of the storm, we were unable to go home for an additional two days, which meant that we had to pay for an additional two nights to the tune of $520. Ouch.
Fortunately, one of the rarely mentioned perks of the Chase Ink Bold card is the free travel insurance it offers when you use it to book your flights. So, the good news is that most of our unexpected travel expenses will likely be covered. I just got the paperwork to submit my claim and will likely write about the process in an upcoming post. Travel insurance is one of those things you never think you’ll need…until you do, right?
Have you ever been to Jamaica? If so, what part? Did you like it?
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Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
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- Card Type: Travel
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Breakdown
Earn (pt.)
Spend
3 months
0
$3,000
Per dollar on eligible purchases with Delta Purchases
2.00
$1
All Purchases
1.00
$1
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