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impressions of Grand Lido, Jamaica (very long)

 My husband and I recently returned from our honeymoon, which was also our
 first trip to the Caribbean.  We spent 8 nights at the Grand Lido SuperClub
 resort in Negril, Jamaica, and 11 nights at Long Bay Beach Resort in Tortola,
 Virgin Islands.
 Following are some of my impressions of Grand Lido.  I hope to do the
 same for the Tortola trip sometime.  
 I've divided this very long write-up into four sections:  
 - Suggestions if you're going
 - Particularly good features or amenities of the resort
 - Features or amenities that were okay but not that special
 - Cautions, comments, and other considerations
 Disclaimer:  This is all from memory and is, as I said, my impressions.
  
 Before I launch into details, here's a summary:  Not perfect, but very,
 very, good.  We'd go there again in a minute.  Beautiful resort, exceptional
 setting, excellent food and amenities.  It's very expensive -- in the
 neighborhood of $500/day for two.
 Suggestions
 -----------
 Don't overpack.  Don't bring warm clothes; you just won't need them.  You
 might want to bring a nice outfit -- there is one formal restaurant at Grand
 Lido for which you are supposed to dress.
 Bring surf booties!  You can buy them at dive shops.  These are neoprene
 foot coverings that will allow you to walk on non-sandy ocean bottoms safely,
 i.e., without cutting your feet up on rock or coral, or the ubiquitous spiny
 urchins.
 Bring good slip-on thongs.  Instead of bringing my old blue $3 "flip-flops",
 I splurged $20 at the dive shop at the last minute to buy a sturdy pair of
 thongs.  I was so glad I did -- they were practically the only footwear I
 used.
 If you plan to snorkel (highly recommend), consider bringing your own fins,
 mask, and snorkel.  Then they'll fit right, you won't be dependent on the
 hours that the water sports office is open, and you won't have to wonder how
 well the mouthpiece was sterilized.  But remember, you have to pack them to
 bring them!
 Bring lots of sunscreen.  We used at least 4 oz. per day -- and we didn't
 sunbathe.  It seemed to cost about double there what it did in the U.S.
 If you want to scuba, strongly consider getting certified before arriving.
 Then you can go right out on the many novice dive trips without waiting to
 take the resort course.  Scuba is a great freebie and I wish we had been
 able to do more dives during our stay.
 If you *do* take the resort course there (it's included and it's very well
 done), sign up as soon as you arrive, and then show up early the day of the
 class.  We got bumped once because the class was overbooked.  Also, if you
 are going on to another resort, be sure to get the two-week certification
 card they are supposed to give you!
 Also reserve early if you want to eat at La Piacere, the elegant French
 restaurant.  You are expected to dress up to eat here; jackets are required
 for men. 
 If you prefer nude sunbathing, consider requesting a room on the nude side of
 the resort when you make your reservation.  (Not that it's a long walk to
 either beach from any of the rooms.)
 You might want to consider buying SPF-rated clothing if you want to minimize
 sun exposure.  At the last minute, we had what were essentially a couple
 of SPF-30 rated long-sleeved T-shirts overnighted to us.  I think the
 company was called Sun Precautions, out of Everett, WA.  The shirts were not
 cheap but they are much lighter and dry a lot faster than regular T-shirts,
 and we wore them a lot.
 Notably Good Features
 ---------------------