Good to hear you enjoyed snorkling with Alphonse.
But why was your trip disappointing?

I thought that the value for money was not there. San Pedro is expensive! I was way disappointed with places like Crazy Canucks and the Chicken Drop. (Friday night at the chicken drop had 8 people there..Yipee...lol). I went to Crazy Canucks twice for their happy hour and never saw more then 8-10 people. The beach scene is pretty much non-existent. I am used to 7 mile beach in Negril where people are alive, vibrant and act happy to be there. I am not talking about the quality of the beach itself, just the attitude on the beach. Walk down the beach in Negril and the music follows you, almost forcing you to "get in the spirit" and dance. People are laughing out loud, obviously happy to be there. My wife and I walked many, many times from Banana Beach to town and back and thought I was at a funeral. The water is so shallow and weed infested that anyone in the water having fun is quit a ways from the shoreline. You'll read that "the swimming is good from the docks". I am at a BEACH RESORT, who wants to walk 1/4 mile out on an old splintery dock just to go swimming? The town itself has no character for me. Just a tourist town full of ex-pats trying to make a living off their North American cousins. I think that most of the people that post here extolling the virtues of San Pedro are probably the same ex-pat owners talking each others place up to keep people coming down! LOL

All that being said, I did not have a bad trip, just not near as much fun as Negril. I think that if one was looking for a SCUBA destination and planned on doing a lot of diving..this is the place. If your looking for a place to enjoy the beach and the company of your fellow vacationers..look elsewhere.

Ooooh- sounds perfect for us! We would never want a Negril-like experience!
Sorry you didn't like it though.

Just goes to show AC is not for everyone. A lot of us like it because it is NOT Negril (or Cancun, or Playa Del Carmen, or the Mexican Riviera, or anywhere else). A lot of us like laid back without a lot of drunken revelers. A lot of us bring our own fun and don't depend on others to have to furnish it. That's what the magic of AC is. I have been to Negril and the others, and don't go back. Too many drunken college age kids, too many people who want your money one way or the other. Too many hostile faces (you notice them if you are sober). I don't care if I can't swim from the beach (when I swim, I don't put my feet down. If I do, then it is wading). I like to eat in a dark restaurant with a sand floor, no crowds of people drunk and screaming. I like to dive with an operator who will respond with something other than "no problem, mon" when your regulator hose breaks. For those Jamaica goers, "no problem, mon" really means "not my problem, mon.." I see what Laazzyy is saying and whoe heartedly agree. If the Negril scene turns you on, more power to you, but don't waste your hopes on San Pedro.

Great posts Laazzy and Bobber! This is exactly the kind of information that people need so that they can make a choice that suits them. Most people here, including me, are big fans of San Pedro but it is a unique destination...thank goodness.

I do take exception to Laazzy's assertion that San Pedro is That is untrue and mean spirited.

Hon

Amen Hon. SP is a tourist town of course, but at any given moment you can walk out in the middle of the street (and a lot of times from the beach) and see more locals by far than tourists. As far as expensive, poof, depends on where you want to go. I spend less on a big lobster at Papi's than I ever did at Ricks. And no college kids to speak of in AC. Did you ever wonder about those spring break kids? I can see why they are in school, they do and say some of the stupidest things imaginable, obviously not the brightest bulbs in the string. A lot of them are weeding out the gene pool for the rest of us.

Amen. Lazzyy just perfectly described the charm of San Pedro, hopefully he won't keep it to himself.

One word, ............. mellow.

Not, ............... red, green

and yellow.

You mean there ISN'T a Hard Rock Cafe, Carlos 'n' Charlies or Senior Frogs every 30 feet blasting fun right through the walls telling me just what kind of fun to have, who to have it with, how to look while having it, and when said fun is done?!?!?! We'll I guess I'll just have to make do Differnt folks, different strokes.

Some stick.

Some sail on.

Everyone is happy.