Beaches Ocho Rios, Jamaica Review

I recently had a lovely time at Beaches Ocho Rios, Jamaica with my family.  Having a child that uses a wheelchair for distance I thought that this resort would have been an impossible one for us to enjoy, but I am happy to say it is possible to use a chair here! There is an elevator to get from the main resort area down to the beach area. While there are steps throughout the resort (like most Caribbean resorts) there is always a way to get around, you just have to look for it. This resort was very quiet when we were there in October.

Greek Beachfront Concierge Terrace Suite (OTK/OTD) Room #2202 

While these rooms are basic, I am in love with the walk out directly from a balcony and then down a few steps to the beach. There is only the patio entrance to these rooms which means it is easy to see into the room if you don't have the curtains drawn. To get to the main resort area there is a flight of stairs or an elevator. All of the rooms have privacy curtains for the patios as well as inside the doors. 

 They consider these rooms to be suites. I think the best part about them is the location and access to the lounge. Suite Concierge Services - in suite bar with alcohol and soft drinks,

invitation to a weekly cocktail reception, his and her robes, and access to a suite concierge lounge that is open daily.

Great view from the deck! Just remember that off your balcony is a boardwalk where everyone can walk. If you love to be outside but need shade, this could be a great option for you.

Caribbean Honeymoon Ocean view Concierge Veranda Suite (HOVD/HOVK) Room #1205 

While this is labeled as a "honeymoon" room, it is perfect for families due to the sunken living room with the sofa bed that pulls out! The patio was very large too. This is set farther back from the beach.

The sunken living room gives you a little privacy from the sleeping area, this is great if you've got a little one that goes to bed earlier than you, or naps mid day.

The grounds are so beautiful here. In Ocho Rios you really feel like you are in a tropical paradise built into the hillside of Jamaica. There are paths in different areas to take a stroll and enjoy the beauty of the resort.

All Beaches Resorts have a waterpark! Ocho Rios has some great water slides, a toddler pool, and a fun area with a variety of things to climb, and crawl around, as well as a large hot tub.

Zero entry pool area!

Plenty of water slides to choose from. The only lifeguards we saw were for the water slides on this visit.

Near the activity pool they have this little toddler/baby pool with kid size lounge chairs. 

The main pool by most of the dining options always had a few people swimming.

Watersports are included at Beaches Resorts! Glass bottom boat rides, snorkeling at select sites by boat or directly off the beach, kayaking, banana boat rides.... Keep that in mind when you get a quote from us. There is so much included that you need to know about!

Traveling with family and friends is great, and Beaches makes sure that there are plenty of common areas for everyone to meet up and relax. It's easy to meet new people too. My family enjoys bringing a card game with when we travel and these areas are perfect for some fun family time outside of the sun! There are also some games that you can borrow from the resort to play.

They are located on a beautiful stretch of beach in Ocho Rios. Watersports that take off right from the beach are included! It is a more private beach than other resorts in Jamaica due to the location.

There are a variety of activities offered for kids of all ages, even events that include the opportunity to hang out with Sesame Street Characters. 

There are character meet and greets daily, in addition to the nightly shows and scheduled parade and activities. The shows were great with little kids that want to get up and dance. They also offer themed nights with a cookout, and shows that will interest everyone.

I love when they bring locals to the resort with their hand made goods. It's great to directly support locals without having to drive off the resort to find them somewhere.

Tweens and Teens (even some adults) love hanging out in the X-Box lounge. They have a variety of games available to make everyone happy. My children like hanging out here after enjoying the water all day while the adults get ready for dinner. There are also X-Boxes in all of the rooms. 

Beaches Resorts offer supervised childcare from infant to 18 years old. Once they are 12 years old though they can come and go as they please into any sponsored events going on throughout the resort. There are not as many planned activities when the school year is in session for the older kids. We were there over Mothers Day and our teen was the only 1 at the resort for the first half of the week. We knew this was possible, so it wasn't a surprise. We just had a plan in advance of what he would do. The staff reached out to him and found things that interested him so my husband and I could go off one afternoon and not have to worry about the kids staying at the resort.

It is possible to make healthy choices while on vacation! Actually doing that is another issue... They will also customize anything you want, ALL INCLUDED! They offer a variety of restaurants to meet everyone's wants and needs. 

Ready to chat with a Certified Beaches Specialist! I would love to plan your next amazing vacation.
~Jennifer Hennequant
Travel Depot
jenniehenn@gmail.com
770-924-7116

Adventure Ocean - Royal Caribbeans Children's Program

The entrance to Adventure Ocean. There is only one entrance to the whole area which is where you will find one of the many Kids' Arcades on the ship, a Craft/Workshop room, Adventure Science Lab, Adventure Ocean Theater, Infant/Toddler area called PLAY, Nursery for those under 3 years of age, Aquanauts Room (3-5), Explorers Room (6-8), Voyagers Room (9-11), and Imagination Studio.

Build a Pet at Sea! There are designated times that this is open. It was almost always open from 9-10pm when parents are picking the kids up from camp. The clothes that they sell for the Pets at Sea will fit most Build a Bear animals!

The Arts and Crafts Workshop is where activities are held for all ages to enjoy. Some of the crafts have a fee and are noted in the daily planner. This room is not open at all times. There was a table of example crafts that they make right at the entrance.

Directly across from the Workshop in the main entrance hallway to the kids program area is the Kids' Arcade. 

For those with children under the age of 3, the Oasis of the Seas has this large play area for a parent to hang out and let their little one run out their energy in a safe environment. We saw quite a few little kids in there throughout the week. Some parents were playing with their child, while others got a few minutes to relax on the floor and read a book or play a game on their phone. I was very happy to see staff in there cleaning the play structures daily! This area is free to use.

The Adventure Science Lab was my sons favorite. Together as a family we participated in making a volcano with staff guidance. The only complaint was that it was on formal night, right before dinner! We all had fun though. They also take the kids as a group into the room and do activities with them. 

My cuties making their volcano. Each family got a kit to do. We saw one adult couple come in but they seemed very uncomfortable and left shortly after the staff said it was family focused. I kind of felt bad for them, who doesn't like making a mess? They did leave by choice though, they weren't told that they couldn't participate but I didn't see staff encourage them to stay.

Imagination Studio ~ Art room!

They had the barbie kit on display.

Adventure Ocean Theater

There were movies shown at various times throughout the week as well as a few sensory friendly showings.

The Voyagers room is for children ages 9-11. Children must be signed in and out of this program. You can give your child (if responsible) the right to sign themselves out after 10 years of age. All children under 10 have to be signed in and out. 

They had tablets, special computes, and a Pirates of the Caribbean themed computer. They really focused on physical activities when we sailed. There were designated times for video games. Every time that I stopped in they seemed to have everyone engaged in an activity. 

The Explorers Room is for children ages 6-8. Whenever they combined for an activity with the 9-11 year olds, they always gathered in the Explorers Room or moved to the Science Lab. If they are at capacity they typically do not combine. It is all dependent on the number of children sailing within each age group.

Same open floor space for lots of group activities. At least half of the times my daughter was in camp she returned with a craft.

The Aquanauts room is for ages 3-5 and is almost identical to the Explorers and Voyagers rooms! There was a small play structure on the one wall with a slide. The only other difference was that they had step stools at the sink area, as well as in the bathroom. My daughter was in her age group, the Explorers, but she is very short due to medical reasons and they were nice and moved a spare step stool over to the Explorers bathroom so she didn't need assistance.

Same open floor space for group games. One day when we passed by the 3-5 year old children walking through the ship and the counselors were dressed in NASA space suits and all the kids had crafted costumes on too. It was very cute to see them on their "Space Walk!"

Fun play area within the Aquanauts area.

Royal Babies! For those little cruisers under 3 years of age, Royal Caribbean offers a childcare program for a fee.

They store each child's things in a cubby when they arrive.

There was a nice sized playarea, cubbies for toys and rocking chairs. They also had the television going with age appropriate programs every time that we passed the door. While I'm not a fan of them having the tv going, at least it was age appropriate content!

As soon as your child visits the Adventure Ocean area they will get their sail and sign card hole punched and given a lanyard! This made things so much easier for the kids. When they checked into their age group they had them remove their shoes, place them in a cubby, hang their lanyard on the wall, and then wash their hands before they participated. I love routines like that!

For those that have a child with ANY special needs they offer these phones. They weren't very reliable. More than once they gave it to me when it was almost dead..

On day 2, the second time my daughter went into play they pulled this form out and said that I had to fill it out for my daughter because she has special needs... She has a rare form of dwarfism but keeps up with her peers for the most part. Nothing happened to trigger them handing it to me, at least according to my 8 year old and they said they must have forgotten to give it to me on day 1 even though I sat with a counselor on the first day with my children present and asked a hundred questions. Once you fill out this form they force you to take the phone, which I didn't want! My daughter is good on her own and honestly, I was more worried about my son whom is on the spectrum but they didn't make me fill out anything extra for him. Even after I reminded them he is the one with issues.

While Royal Caribbean lists ages 12-14 and 15-17 as being divided they seemed to have everything grouped together. The entrance to the Living Room. There were very few teens on our sailing in early September.

They did teen programs in this area including talent shows and Karaoke.

Plenty of video game stations as well as foosball.

They had a bar area for the kids to sit and chat but no drinks or snacks are served in this area. It might be for event times though..

There was an abundance of awesome sitting areas throughout the LARGE space given to the 12-17 age group. I look forward to my kids hitting this age group very soon! I think my son would love the more laid back environment and quietness here during the day. While Royal Caribbean says they are Autism Friendly their program for those aged 3-11 have a semi rigid schedule they have to follow if they are in the camp. The alternative is staying with the parents the whole time.

The Music Studio looked like fun!

 

More cool sitting areas. I wish they had spots like this through out the ship! I think it would be used more in open spaces than restricted to the teen area.

Click here to see the Daily Planners for the Children's program!

To book your next Royal Caribbean Cruise, contact me today!

Jennifer ~ 412-716-5065

jenniehenn@gmail.com