Just saw this article on CNN = Travel Alert For Jamaica

[LadyD]

As long as your tour bus doesn't run thru this particular ghetto in Kingston, you should be fine. Not all of Kingston is bad...just certain areas.

[JanineA]

Thanks for posting this Aisha, one of my friends on FB posted this last week and I was wondering whether to post here but I know most brides are marrying in MoBay, Negril and Ochi which is far removed from all this drama. Man sucks these drug lords I tell you...Mexico, Jamaica, they make a mess of things for everyone! Thanks for thinking proactively and about your fellow besties.

[Charrey]

We are flying out June 13 with 13 guests and this news is making me very nervous. My fiance is ready to cancel (we have traveler's insurance so we would not lose much), but I don't want to do that unless we have to! The thought of moving EVERYTHING and our guests just makes me sick.

 

Right now we are looking for alternative places with available rooms to have in our back pocket and watching the news closely.

 

I certainly do not want to put ourselves or our guests in danger. Right now everywhere says to avoid Kingston, but Negril is really only four hours from there. It's not very far! Technically it's on the other side of the island, but the island is small.

 

An article by the economist states "Mr Coke could escalate the conflict by calling on armed backers elsewhere in the country, like the Stone Crusher gang in Montego Bay, a tourist haven, to stage further attacks."

 

I just hope they hash it out FAST! Don't they know I'm getting married?!?

[JMarie]

Hopefully they will get the situation under control very soon. It would be awful if a bride had to cancel everything that she work sooo hard to plan

=(

[selassie11]

This situation will not spread beyond Kingston. In fact, even for the folks in Kingston, the situation is isolated to one area of the city. My friends in Kingston tell me that things are tense, but they live far enough away from Tivoli that they feel safe - and they're right in Kingston. My WP is in Negril and says everything is cool and the amount of travelers has not changed. Trust me, Negril is quite far enough. Pack your bags, go and have a BLAST. Don't feed into the U.S. Culture of Fear!

[Jamaica Guru]

Selassie 11 is correct. I live in Kingston and this situation is not affecting our tourist areas. So please don't worry and continue with all your wedding plans.

[ames]

thanks for sharing this info.

[donutdjn]

I have in laws family near Negril and everything is fine there so please don't worry - it is a small island but still a few hours away.

[mswhatever]

Here is the latest

 

Hunt for Jamaican drug suspect to resume - CNN.com

 

"The president of Jamaica's Chamber of Commerce, Milton Samuda, said more businesses reopened Friday.

"I anticipate and hope that it will be fully back to normal by Monday," he said."

 

I hope he is right.

[Helen G Events]

Hi,

 

Just to let everyone know that most business places downtown Kingston was open on Friday. The courts and alot of banks and companies were open downtown. I drove downtown and was able to conduct business and had no problem. From Thursday the situation has been under control and I have gone to most areas in Kingston and Spanish Town without any problems at all and the tourist areas are definately not affected. It seems business as usual as if nothing happened. Everyone moved about freely except for in the troubled areas and I even drove pass one the barricades to get where I was going on Marcus Garvey Drive and no problem.