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SYMBOLS OF TRUST
Frequently Asked Questions
How affordable is a villa?
Do all the properties come with staff?
What will the staff provide?
What is the minimum stay in a villa?
Do you have to rent the whole villa?
How is the meal preparation and grocery shopping handled?
What about Gratuity/Tips and Taxes?
Are there any additional costs that we should consider?
When is the Check-in and Check-out times?
Can I use my cell phone in Jamaica?
Can we purchase Phone Cards while in Jamaica?
What if I need a wireless service?
Can I access the Internet while in Jamaica?
What is the electrical system in Jamaica?
What is the currency in Jamaica?
What documents do I need to enter Jamaica?
What is the weather like in Jamaica?
What should we bring with us?
Do the properties have security?
Is Jamaica safe?
Should I get Travel Insurance?
Can you tell me about Transportation while in Jamaica?
Can you explain the Payment requirements?
Can you explain the Cancellation requirements?
Are damage deposits required at all villas?
What documents do we need to get married in Jamaica?
What is the departure tax at the airport?
Can I invite guests to the villa?
What if I need medical attention?
How do I handle Jamaican Salesmanship?
What travel documents do I need to enter Jamaica?
1. Why stay in a Villa?
PRIVACY is yours at a villa!!! Staying in a hotel
means that you are sharing your vacation often with a few hundred
other people. You are often met with crowds in the pool, on the
beach, in the dining areas and all hotel rooms can be compact and
they look basically the same.
PERSONAL ATTENTION: Renting a villa assures you
of a Jamaican Villa which has been carefully selected and personally
viewed by Jamaican Treasures. All our villas are fully staffed with
a cook, housekeeper, laundress and gardener. The staff are loyal
and you will find that many of them have worked at the same villa
for many years and they are a large and enjoyable part of the villa
experience. Many of our villa guests return year after year because
of their attachment to the staff they have grown attached to and
the personal attention they receive. Privacy and relaxation is the
ultimate vacation reward found in our villas. Yet, you have the
services of a cook, house cleaner and private driver upon request.
A more personalized service is available to you and you will feel
like you own a home and know what it is like to actually live on
this beautiful and unique island of Jamaica!
FOOD: You are in for a treat! Most of our guests will
tell you that they so enjoyed the cooking in a Jamaican Villa! They
are diversified in their cooking and they are flexible, from cooking
western, Indian, vegetarian dishes, fresh seafood dishes to the most
delicious Jamaican meals. Enjoy the culinary delights of villa cooking!
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2. How affordable is a villa?
Most of the villas represented by Jamaican Treasures range from the $2,000 to $10,000 per week accommodating 6 to 10 people (3 to 5 bedroom private homes). This means each person costs between $420 to $1000 a week. Per day, per person, that works out to $60 to $145 a day. For luxurious living, personal attention from your own staff, fantastic cooks who you can explore the markets with if you wish….it is the best way to experience Jamaica. Most of these villas come with Memberships to best world-class resort facilities and golf courses that Jamaica has to offer.
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3. Do all the properties come with staff?
Yes, all villas that we offer come with staff. Generally, this includes a cook, housemaid, and gardener/houseman. Some of our villas come with additional staff such as babysitters, butler, villa manager and laundresses. Typically, the head of household lives in a separate accommodation on the property and will come into the villa and open it up at around 7am and leaves at about 8pm. A villa gives the most personal attention if you need it, but can also be discreet if you need the necessary privacy.
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4. What will the staff provide?
The staff at each villa usually knows the villa intimately. The staff is responsible for the preparation of all meals, keeping the villa and the grounds properly maintained and cleaned. They will provide you with all household services and also take care of maintenance and security of the property. Domestic duties include cleaning, laundry, shopping, food preparation, cooking, meal service, ironing, bed making and general tidying-up. Your personal laundry may be done at an extra charge. They can also be the best source of local information on attractions, entertainment, local restaurant and teaching you how to speak Jamaican! If you need taxi service, they may also assist in getting one for you. Upon request, you may also ask for a masseuse, chauffeur or nanny to look after the kids.
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5. What is the minimum stay in a villa?
Most villas have a minimum stay requirement of 7 nights during the high season and 5 nights during low season. An exception to this is during the Christmas and New Year season where the minimum stay may be higher and prices on nearly every villa will be higher than the posted high season rate. Villa rates are listed as weekly and can start on any day of the week. Some villas charge a 10% surcharge for less than a week's rental.
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6. Do you have to rent the whole villa?
For some villas, you can rent fewer bedrooms than the villa offers. The rates for less than full occupancy will be shown on the rate sheet. If not all bedrooms are rented, they will be locked. The unused bedrooms will not be rented out to anyone else. The whole villa is there for your private and full use. If you are renting less than a week, there is a 10% surcharge on the days that are rented.
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7. How is the meal preparation and grocery shopping handled?
When you book a villa, we will send you with your documentation a list of groceries and typical menus that you would like for the first dinner and first breakfast. These groceries will be pre-purchased and brought to the villa before you arrive. Once you have settled in, you may discuss with the cook what types of food you like or dislike, if there are any allergies or special dietary needs. You may reimburse her at this time for the pre-purchased groceries, and fund her for the groceries needed for the meals you require for the balance of your stay in the villa. You are most welcome to go with her to the markets if you wish, or leave it up to her to get what you have requested. She will bring you the receipts and the change from the day’s shopping. For 3 meals a day and drinks, a typical cost for groceries for an adult per day may be about $30-$45 a day depending on whether you are a heavy or light eater. If you add alcoholic drinks, the cost will be more. Some luxury villas have higher food budget.
Some villas have prior arrangements with the grocery store to provide groceries in advance of payment. You may check your villa staff regarding this option. If you would like to cook, you may use the kitchen. Please ask the staff to help you if you want. There is, however, no rate reduction if you want to do your own cooking.
Supermarkets (they also accept credit cards):
- General Foods, Ocho Rios
- Scotties, Discovery Bay
- L & M Supermarket, Runaway Bay
- Shoppers Fare, Montego Bay
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8. What about Gratuity/Tips and Taxes?
All villa rentals include taxes in the villa rates. We recommend a gratuity of 10% during the high season and 15% of the low season total villa rental. You may give this directly to the staff on the day of your departure. We usually leave this to your discretion but may we suggest that, instead of leaving one lump sum, you divide up the gratuity among the staff, giving the staff who gave you superior service a larger portion. Tips are generally distributed based on service with the largest amount going to the head of household/cook. An acceptable way to handle the tip is to present them with individual envelopes upon departure.
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9. Are there any additional costs that we should consider?
In additional to the villa rental, the other additional costs may include food costs, excursions or tours, rental of a car, security damage deposit (refundable if no damage to villa), gratuity to staff and any other costs you personally incur at the villa like masseuse, spa treatments etc. International phone calls are also extra so you may want to buy a phone card or give the villa phone number to your relatives and friends so that they may call you. Local phone calls are generally complementary, but your discretion would be appreciated as calling from town to town is considered long distance in Jamaica.
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10. When is the Check-in and Check-out times?
Check in time is 2pm on the arrival day.
Check out time is 11am on the departure day.
We will do our best to accommodate your arrival and departure with your travel itinerary. If no other guests are scheduled to enter your villa on arrival and departure days, you are welcome to check in early and check out as late as you wish. Please inquire and we will check the schedules.
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11. Can I use my cell phone in Jamaica?
Jamaica’s cellular system operates on the TDMA network so it is not compatable with CDMA, GSM or 3G networks. Cable & Wireless and Digicell are the Jamaican providers and do have roming agreements with AT&T, Sprint, Cingular Wireless, Rogers Wireless and Cayman Cable and Wireless. Please check with your service provider if they are compatible with the Jamaican providers, Cable and Wireless and Digicel.
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12. Can we purchase Phone Cards while in Jamaica?
We recommend that you purchase a Jamaican prepaid calling card to use for all international long distance calls. We recommend that you purchase a World Talk Calling Card locally to expedite overseas calls. The staff at the villa can buy this for you in various denominations. Most villas have a cellular unit from which you can charge overseas calls to a credit card. You can also call collect, of course. AT&T calling cards and prepaid phone cards will not be accepted.
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13. What if I need a wireless service?
Rental phones are available from the following providers. Please check their website and contact them before you reach Jamaica.
DigiCel Jamaica: www.digiceljamaica.com
C&W Jamaica: www.cwjamaica.com
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14. Can I access the Internet while in Jamaica?
If you bring your laptop to Jamaica, you can easily purchase a NetKyaad for specific minutes of internet time. Most of our villas are installing internet. Some of our villas have computers with Internet access. Please check with your villa consultant before you book your villa.
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15. What is the electrical system in Jamaica?
110 volts / 50 cycles
We do not recommend you bringing items requiring electricity if you are coming from Australia or England. If you do intend to bring electrical items, you will need the appropriate transformers and adapters. Telephones are standard RJ-11 plugs
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16. What is the currency in Jamaica?
The official currency in Jamaica is the Jamaican Dollar.
US dollars, and travellers cheques are widely accepted.
Commercial establishments will accept credit cards.
We suggest that you pay for groceries and tips in local currency.
You may exchange foreign currency at local Cambios. There are about a dozen of them in Ocho Rios. Their only service is exchanging money. Major banks are also available in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.
ATM machines are at Scotia Bank and Commercial Bank on Main Street in Ocho Rios. The ATM will dispense Jamaican dollars.
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17. What documents do I need to enter Jamaica?
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
Citizens of the US and Canada do not require a visa to go to Jamaica
as tourists and are permitted to visit the island for a period not
exceeding six months. WE STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU HAVE A VALID
PASSPORT TO ENTER JAMAICA.
U.S.A. Citizens: http://www.passportexpress.com/default.aspx?page=news
Additionally, all visitors are required to travel with a round-trip or onward airline ticket for entry into Jamaica.
UK: Commonwealth citizens need passport (no visa required).
All other countries, please contact the JTB office near you for
requirements.
Japan: passport required. (Visa required for stay of over 30 days).
Commonwealth citizens need a passport, no visa is required (except
for citizens of Pakistan and Sri Lanka).
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18. What is the weather like in Jamaica?
Jamaica is located in the Caribbean and enjoys typical tropical weather. The rainy season is more likely to be in May/June and September/October. Jamaica is casual in style and we therefore recommend you not bring expensive jewellry along.
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19. What should we bring with us?
You may want to bring personal toiletries such as toothpaste and shampoo. Sun block and mosquito repellant, favorite foods, film for cameras, baby food. Villas provide bed linens and bath towels; however you may wish to carry your own beach towel. You may also reduce your grocery budget by bringing non-perishable food items like canned tinned goods, jams, peanut butter, cereal, etc. Imported items can be fairly expensive.
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20. Do the properties have security?
All properties represented by Jamaican Treasures are licensed by the Jamaica Tourist Board and like hotels, provide security. This means that the Jamaican Tourist Board personally inspects and certifies that the villas are up to the highest standards before allowing the villa to be rented. As part of an island-wide security measure, all villa properties are required to have a night security guard. This guard will arrive about 6pm and leave about 6am. This is included in your villa rate. We have not experienced any security problems at our villas. However, it is always recommended that you need to take the same degree of care with security that you would in your own home. Thus, at private villas, this usually means that, in addition to the houseman, a licensed security guard comes on duty around sunset and patrols the grounds throughout the night. Most villas have safes on property.
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21. Is Jamaica safe?
Crime in Jamaica is centered in a few neighborhoods in the city sections of Kingston, which is located on the Southern part of Jamaica. The villas are located on the Northern part of Jamaica, usually about 125 miles and a whole mountain range away. Only a tiny percentage of visitors to the north coast experience any crime-usually theft of belongings left on a public beach. Our private villas have no history of crime.
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22. Should I get Travel Insurance?
Circumstances, which are unpredictable, may force you to change your villa vacation travel plans. For this reason, we highly recommend trip cancellation insurance on all private villa rentals. We would also recommend personal and medical insurance especially if you intend to do high-risk activities. You may arrange your own insurance or please click here for free a quotation.
23. Can you tell me about Transportation while in Jamaica?
Option #1: Car packages with private driver.
Through our experience, we have found that the van and car packages with private driver provide the easiest and convenient way. Your driver will personally meet you at the Montego Bay Airport. No need to wait in lines for rental cars. Your party will be comfortably transported, using a private van service, direct to your villa. This way, airport transfers are also included. For large groups, it is economical and less hassles. You may pre purchase this before you get to Jamaica to assure the availability, avoiding long lines and paperwork. We can arrange a fulltime driver, includes all transfers, for $875 per week or $135 per day plus. Click here for more information.
Option #2: Rent a Car and you drive.
You may collect your car at the airport. No need for separate airport transfers in this case.
If you wish to self-drive, you can also choose your car and prepay. This will also assure availability of the vehicle you want and avoid the long lines and paperwork. Excellent private drives are also available on a part-time or full-time basis. You may also prepay for this to assure availability and avoid the long lines to complete paperwork. Please see Car Rental Schedule.
Option #3: Airport transfers only.
If you opt not to have a private driver or a rental car, you can pre-purchase your airport transfers on a round trip basis between the airport and your villa. Please see Airport Transfer Information
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24. Can you explain the Payment requirements?
BOOKING A VILLA
Once you have selected your villa, we will confirm availability. If it is not available, we will offer you alternative properties. If the property is available and your decision is to rent, we will send you a Rental Contract covering the terms of rental, payment schedule and lease agreement. Bookings are secured once you have completed and signed the Jamaican Treasures Rental Contract with a 25% deposit. All correspondence between you and Jamaican Treasures will be undertaken by fax or email.
DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENT
All dollar amounts are US dollars and should be paid in US dollars.
A deposit of 25% of the total rental fee is payable to confirm the reservation and must be received within 7 days of the booking of the villa to confirm and guarantee your reservation. Failure to make this payment subjects your reservation to cancellation unless alternate arrangements have been made in advance. The remaining balance must be received by us at least 60 days before your arrival date. In the event the reservation is made less than 60 days to the start of the rental then full payment is due at the moment of the booking. For holiday periods (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Easter) we may require final payment 90 days prior to commencement of the rental period. Your invoice will specify the requirements.
Upon receipt of your deposit Jamaican Treasures will issue a Reservation Invoice stating the total rental amount, deposit credited, and the total balance due.
METHOD OF PAYMENT
All payments are made by US$ telegraphic transfer, Bank of American Direct deposit, Money Orders, Visa, MasterCard. To secure a credit card payment we will require:
- A signed faxed debit authorization form
- A clear faxed copy of the photo page of the card holder’s passport.
All credit card payments are subject to a 3% handling charge. This convenience fee is waived for deposit bookings. You can avoid this fee by depositing into the Bank of America, or by wire tranfer.
A contract exists once you receive our Booking Confirmation from Jamaican Treasures.
If for any reason Jamaica Treasures declines to accept your booking, the deposit or full payment will be returned.
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25. Can you explain the Cancellation requirements?
CANCELLATION POLICY
Jamaican Treasures must receive notice of any villa cancellation in writing by fax or email and we will present your case for cancellation to the villa owner for consideration.
· A cancellation fee of 20% of the deposited rental value will be charged on all cancellations occurring 60 days or more prior to arrival date.
· In Low Season (April 15-December 14), cancellation less than 60 days prior to scheduled arrival date will result in forfeiture of all funds paid.
· In High Season (December 15 – April 16), if cancellation occurs less than 90 days prior to scheduled arrival, all deposits will be forfeited subject to Note 2 below.
Only under the following circumstances will a refund be made less than 60 days prior to stay or during High Season:
1) Villa becomes unfit for habitation due to natural calamity.
2) Villa is rebooked by another party for the cancelled dates. If only a portion of the cancelled dates are rebooked, a pro-rata refund will be made. Any rental payments that qualify for a refund, whether in whole or pro-rata, will be subject to deduction of 20% administration fee.
There will be no refunds granted for no shows, late arrivals or premature departures, reduction in number of persons in your group. Subletting to another party is not permitted. For events that are unpredictable, we strongly recommend trip cancellation Insurance. For a free, no-obligation quote for travel insurance, go to www.travelinsurancecenter.com
· Please send your payments in on time to avoid cancellation of your reservation.
Note: Some properties apply penalties different to the above to which we are obliged.
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26. Are damage deposits required at all villas?
· A credit card authorization will be required from you for US$500 to be used to pay for any damage caused by you and your party’s negligence. This payment is also used to pay for any unpaid bills incurred by you and members of your party, during your stay at the villa.
· Authorization must be signed and faxed at the time of confirmation. Bookings cannot be confirmed until this authorization has been processed.
· If all or part of the security deposit is utilized, you will be provided with the breakdown of the costs and we will only charge your credit card with the necessary amount to cover the claim.
· If no security deposit charges are necessary, your credit card authorization will be destroyed.
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27. What documents do we need to get married in Jamaica?
Visitors can be married just 24 hours after arriving in Jamaica, providing prior application has been made for marriage license.
Documentation:
- Proof of citizenship - certified copy of birth certificate, which includes father's name.
- Parent's written consent, if under 21.
- Proof of divorce (if applicable) - original certificate of divorce.
- Certified copy of death certificate for widow or widower.
- Italian nationals celebrating their marriage in Jamaica must notify their embassy and a certified copy of their marriage certificate must be forwarded to their embassy to be legalized and translated.
- French Canadians need a notarized translated English copy of all documents and a photocopy of the original French documents.
- No blood test is required.
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28. What is the departure tax at the airport?
Jamaica’s departure tax is payable in cash only at the airport upon your departure. Currently, the tax is JA$1000 (equivalent to US$20)
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29. Can I invite guests to the villa?
The total number of persons allowed in the villa is stated on the property description. We ask that clients respect the stated maximum occupancy as these villas are provided based upon specific agreements. We rent to family groups and responsible adults only. Absolutely no house parties or function such as weddings are allowed without advance written permission. Exceptions are made only for infants less than 2 years old if sleeping in a baby crib and not occupying one of the villa’s beds. They are not included in the villa’s total headcount.
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30. What if I need medical attention?
Montego Bay and the Ocho Rios area have very good doctors. Your villa staff will know how to reach a doctor. Montego Bay Hope, a new state-of-the-art medical diagnostic and treatment center which has a link with a hospital in South Florida is available, should you need to be transported off the island. Before your visit, please check with your insurance company so you know what procedure to follow just in case you do develop a medical emergency.
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31. How do I handle Jamaican Salesmanship?
If you are walking in the streets and are approached to buy something
that you do not want, politely say “No thank you”. Also, remember
that marijuana (ganja in Jamaica) is illegal and should not be purchased
if offered.
32. IMPORTANT FOR ALL PASSENGERS
ENTERING JAMAICA:
Please see new http://www.passportexpress.com/default.aspx?page=news
These changes effective Dec 31, 2005.
WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND A U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUED PASSPORT TO ENSURE
YOU WILL BE PERMITTED TO BOARD YOUR FLIGHT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL THE JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD
: 1-800-233-4582 OR CHECK WITH THE EMBASSY OF JAMAICA ON 1-202-452-0660.
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