FDR Pebbles Resort

FDR Pebbles- review

Vacation Nannies
The "vacation nanny" idea is super: wish I'd visited when my kids were small. Your nanny is available 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (minus an hour for lunch); she'll continue in the evening for $4/hr. She also stocks your fridge with snacks and drinks, cleans your room, and is generally helpful-- for example, signing your kids up for activities.

Many families bond with their nanny, and ask for the same nanny trip after trip. Read guest comments at the Pebbles site.

FDR Pebbles - Activities

Ddaily activity board might list power-walk, glass-bottom boat rides, snorkeling trip, bike ride, aquacize, reggae dance class, etc. Also, check the Kool Katz Club for the kids' program: kids need to sign up for certain outings such as snorkeling trips; parents can come along.

In the Teen Center is a schedule for older kids: maybe a trip to the Montego Bay waterpark. And Kids 10 and up can learn to scuba-dive (at an extra charge).

Unfortunately, when I visited with two kids (12 and 9) we missed some activities due to choppy seas. (June, July, November, and the high-season winter months are best.). Also, there were few older kids for group events; still, activity coordinators reached out to new arrivals, and made sure a campout took place. The weekend before, the resort had been packed.

Here are some activities we did sample*:

• kids' campout on the Martha Brae River: good place to make friends.
• early morning power-walk: a seaside route with shady trees
• escorted bike ride: check the route: ours went along a busy highway; no place for a nine-year old.
• tie-dying: virtually every child makes a beautiful tie-dyed t-shirt, with a nanny's help.
• Kids club open from7:30 am until 10 pm: videogames, toddler play zone, movie-watching zone, craft table.
• foozball, air hockey, pool, in the Teen Centre above the lobby
• scuba: instruction and in-pool preparation, but we couldn't dive due to choppy seas. Scuba is available for an extra charge for ages 10 and up; "Bubble-makers" for younger kids introduces scuba gear in the pool.

A novel nearby outing is "Glistening Waters", or "Luminous Lagoon": a unique night-time boat ride in a large bay filled with luminescent microorganisms. If you hop into the dark water for a swim, sparkles will literally fall off your body. This outing is easily arranged at Pebbles.

Pools
Pebbles has an Olympic size-pool, with little-kid section at one end. My kids enjoyed the big swim-up bar.

Beach
Pebbles has fine sand, good for sand-castles (and sand toys are available.) The beach extends 600' and you can continue walking past the Bamboo Village craft huts toward Starfish Resort. For swimming, two sheltered areas have been created, but we had to cross a rocky strip when entering the water-- should've brought the aquasocks. (Check for updates.)

FDR Pebbles: Meals & Rooms

We sampled two buffet dinners in the Oceanside Restaurant and one beside the swimming pool.

Grown-ups can also head to Sabbia's for a la carte Italian dishes. One night a week, Pebbles has a Jamaica Night with local specialties and entertainment. Most meals including breakfast have some Jamaican dishes, such as "run-down".

One night, a kids' dinner was served above the Oceanside Restaurant; other times, kids had a special buffet section with hamburgers, pasta (sauce separate1), hard-boiled eggs, cheese, carrots, fish fingers, fries, etc. Snacks R Us had pizza, ice cream, etc. We also liked the poolside Beach Side Grill, with fries, hamburgers, plus Jamaican patties and a Jamaican lunch. The swim-up bar was my kids' place to get the "drink of the day."

Also: your fridge is constantly restocked with snacks of your choice, including cheese and fruit platters.

As for rooms: note that "junior suite" means a large room separated by a partial wall. Read visitor comments.

Find out more about FDR Pebbles:

• See the FDR Pebbles site
• Check recent visitor comments at a site like TripAdvisor.com
• Check prices