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Moon Palace Jamaica Grande Vacation Review

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We stayed at Moon Palace Jamaica. Now we are sharing our review of our rooms, what we did, what we ate, and if we would ever vacation there again.

reese family its a lovely life

We still have that happy vacation glow from our getaway to Jamaica a couple of weeks ago!

Pretty much from the moment that we stepped foot on this beautiful island, we have said we wanted to go back soon. It was that awesome of a family trip.

moon palace jamaica grande ocho rios

Before we left home I was searching for Moon Palace Jamaica Reviews and everything I read got me more and more excited for our vacation at our partner, Moon Palace Jamaica Grande Ocho Rios. Every wonderful thing we heard was true. This resort is top-notch in every way!

cold towel welcome

From the minute we arrived, we were treated like the only guests at the resort… as were all the other guests. Everyone felt very welcomed from the red carnation you receive as you exit the vehicle, to the cold washcloth (Emmy’s favorite thing about visiting resorts), all the way to the punch they bring you to cool off and start your relaxation. 

Palace Resorts is located close to downtown Ocho Rios and felt safer than I thought it would with that location.

check in experience moon palace jamaica
moon palace welcome drink

As soon as we arrived at our room we were captivated by this view. We could see the pools, beach, blue waters, and even cruise ships coming into port in Ocho Rios. 

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We were also greeted with some champagne and a fruit basket. Each room was also stocked with beer, wine, and soft drinks. The family suites that we stayed in also had juice boxes which Emmy polished off. They were refilled each day too. I love how family-friendly the resort was.

fruit plate

Our family suite had two rooms and two bathrooms with an adjoining door. When you are traveling with kids, and especially older kids and teens, this is the best way to ensure a relaxing visit. 
family deluxe moon palace jamaica grande

Pete and I had a king-size bed that was so comfortable. I always say that I judge a room by cleanliness, style, the comfort of the bed, and the water pressure from the shower. All of those earned perfection scores from me. I loved the way that the resort was luxurious and still had the Caribbean flare.

moon palace jamaica bathrooms

The bathrooms are wonderful too, and we loved the CHI products they provide. 

kids room

The girl’s room had no alcohol and had cookies waiting for them along with beach toys.

kids room service menu moon palace jamaica

What Emmy and Ashley loved the most was the special kid’s room service menu. They just get kids at Moon Palace Jamaica Grande. So many special extra touches are done for the enjoyment of every member of the family. We didn’t end up ordering the 24-hour room service all too often!

All around the resort, there was so much food to eat.  We were stuffed when we finally made it back to our room every night and yet we still found room for more! When we did order room service, it was delivered very quickly. Here is one order Emmy and Ash made.

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The rooms also have coffee makers and safes. I didn’t end up using the coffee maker instead opting for another one of my favorite things… room service coffee. Filling out that door hanger at night gives me so much happiness knowing a fresh pot of coffee will be waiting for me. I was prepared to have to drink my coffee black, instead of with my favorite soy milk and raw sugar… but Jamaica was very vegetarian and vegan friendly and they had soy milk everywhere at the resort. At the specialty coffee shop, they used a separate steamer and everything. Maddie and I lived there. We had soy lattes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’m not kidding. They were so good! There were also desserts and fresh crepes served there.

Isn’t this morning’s view perfection?
coffee

The kid’s room also had kid-sized robes. Em never wanted to take hers off. The big girls took mine and Pete’s and they enjoyed their room service order while wearing them. I normally am the last to fall asleep, but after we placed the room service order, I sat down on the bed to finish some work on my computer. Pete said less than 30 minutes later our meal was delivered and he found me fast asleep. The beds are so comfy. I’m just bummed I missed taking pictures, thankfully Pete got one for me the next morning when Em had cereal in bed.
room service

Here is some proof that I wasn’t the only one who loved the beds.

moon palace jamaica grande reviewAnd then there are the pools.

They are wrapped around the whole resort. You can’t walk too many feet without another one to cool off in.
luxury family resort jamaica

There is a water slide too… We all loved going down it…

slide

moon palace pools

Love swim up bars? Yep, they’ve got that too! Seriously delicious drinks for everyone in the family too!

swim up bar moon palace jamaica grande

kids pools moon palace jamaica

Maybe you want some beach time? There is one of those too. The chairs are all waiting for you… water sports for you to enjoy like paddleboarding and sailing! 

beach at jamaica moon palace

One of the benefits of staying at bigger resorts is that there are normally a lot of activities. Moon Palace Jamaica Grande was no exception. For an all-inclusive resort, there was more than average. I think that most people think about all-inclusive as food and drinks, but at Moon Palace, it also means activities, kids club, fine dining, and more. The only thing we didn’t get to was the Awe Spa. We heard great things about it, but with all the included activities, we just didn’t find the time. We should have vacationed longer!

jamaica family all inclusive resort

Pete, Ashley, and Emmy even went sailing.

We put off sailing because we thought we had to do the actual sailing ourselves, and since it had been a while since Pete and I sailed, we were not sure it was the best thing to do. Neither of us wanted to end up visiting Cuba unannounced. We were totally wrong about how it worked here. They take you out sailing. You just sit and relax. Maddie and I stayed on shore sipping lattes and taking pictures and videos.
sailing lessons

There are also paddle boats, aqua trikes, stand up paddleboarding, snorkeling, and more! No reservation was needed either. You just walk up, put on a life vest, and go! Look at how clear the water is!

jamaica sailing
moon palace jamaica grande wedding gazebo

We found a sweet little spot right past the volleyball court where we could look over the side and see fish and other creatures swimming by.

family travel to jamaica planning

kids vacation in jamaica

Emmy loved to gaze into the water wherever we were on the resort, and this picture was taken at the end of the wedding gazebo. This is one of my favorite wedding spots ever.

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Here is another look at the gazebo…

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The food is great too. There were a lot of options. More than we expected. From pizza to paninis, to sushi and snacks by the pool too. That’s just the casual food you can find available throughout the day. Then there is the upscale buffet with options from stir fry to pasta bars for lunch and dinner and an omelet station in the morning. Ash loved the oatmeal too. The salad bar had tons of fresh fruit and veggies which were missing from other all-inclusive experiences. 

moon palace jamaica grande dining

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The resort also features fine dining.

Everyone was still in resort casual attire, but the restaurants are a la cart with table service. We were able to just walk right into Gondola to have an Italian meal one night. We weren’t even planning on eating at the fine dining options because the food at the buffet was great and there was something for all of us there… but then Pete went and looked at the menu and I knew we had to try it once. The food was so good. My only regret was that we didn’t try the other restaurants too. There is also a Japanese live cooking restaurant and a steak house that I heard wonderful things about. 

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In the evenings when Maddie and I had to have a latte, we would go to the espresso bar and Em would have ice cream and little cakes. Her favorite was the strawberry cake. They also have a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter too.

desserts at moon palace jamaica

This is at the buffet… we loved sitting poolside with the beach straight ahead.

all inclusive family resorts in jamaica

How about eating over the ocean… we did that too!

dining at moon palace jamaica

The drinks were wonderful…

drinks at moon palace jamaica

Another latte break…

coffee shop

Every restaurant had kid-friendly options too…

kids food moon palace jamaica

The inside of Moon Palace Jamaica Grande looks like a castle doesn’t it?

jamaica family resort

The resort is just as beautiful at night as it is during the day…

boat rides jamaica
sunset in jamaica

first night in jamaica with kids

The Moon Palace Jamaica Grande is running a special right now for all my readers. Clicking my link here will take you to their best available offer. We had such a great time at this beautiful resort and I really think you will too!

Here is our post from Day 1 at the Resort

Here is our post from Day 2 at the Resort

Here is our post from Day 3 at the Resort

Here is our video tour of the Moon Palace Jamaica Grande:

Here is our family suite room tour at Moon Palace Jamaica Grande:

Here is the pool tour of Moon Palace Jamaica Grande:

We really enjoyed our stay at Moon Palace Jamaica Grande and would absolutely recommend this all-inclusive resort to anyone traveling with children and looking for a great big resort property with a little resort feel. They treat you like you are the only guest staying there while still having so many wonderful things to do, see, and eat!

Learn more about Moon Palace Jamaica Grande on their website.

Have you been to Jamaica?

Heather Reese
the authorHeather Reese
Heather Delaney Reese is the storyteller and photographer behind the lifestyle and family travel blog, It's a Lovely Life®! For the past decade, she has vacationed over 150 days a year with her family. She is a vegan, and loves being by the water, spending time with her children, husband, 2 Shih Tzus and Cat.

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