Most of the reviews here are spot on. The facilities are quite dated, although the accommodations are roomy and clean, (thanks to your nanny). Our fridge was always stocked with food for the kids and beer for us. Our 2-bedroom townhouse had a balcony that overlooked a lovely, lush courtyard. Our room was near the staff area but we liked that. It was nice to get to know people and see a little behind the scenes. There was some construction going on and it seemed like someone was always painting, but it wasn't a significant inconvenience. We went during a slow season, two weeks into January, and the resort was quiet. It picked up with locals on the weekend. Most everyone was in bed by 9 or 10:00, which made it easier to get the kids to sleep. Seemed like the bar was always open late though for grownups. A.C. was plenty cool in rooms. Beds were comfy. Rooms were quiet. All slept well.

We found the food to be plentiful and flavorful, and often downright delicious. Not sure what folks were expecting. Always a meat, chicken, seafood and pasta option at every dinner. Everything was fresh, not fried. Breakfast buffet was hearty. Lunch was decent. Kids loved the kids grill but survived mostly on ice cream and popcorn. We liked eating the grill's jerk chicken and I'm still craving the coconut drops served on Jamaican buffet night. We gained five pounds in a week. Our favorite nights were the beach buffet and entertainment (which we mostly missed b/c the kids were beat) and the Jamaican buffet.

We visited in January so the pools were chilly. Even the kids complained. The one hot tub was adults only, which was a bummer. The wet slides were on the slow side. We spent most of our time on the beach, reading books and sipping drinks in the many chairs or hammocks. The staff will show you how to avoid the sea urchins in the water. The best part is that on a sunny day you can walk out to the reefs and snorkel for hours. My boys are 6 and 2 1/2 and they enjoyed fishing, building sand castles and swimming. They didn't want to leave the beach for many activities but stopped playing long enough to do the glass bottom boat ride and crab race. We went a few times to the beach at Breezes resort next door. It's gorgeous and very easy to get to. We took our nanny, Natalie, with us. You will get sold stuff if you go to that beach, but we found when Natalie was with us they left us alone. Also a security guard from FDR stood on the property and watched us and our stuff the whole time. Great snorkeling there too.

My husband and I dove once. The equipment was good. The boat went out at least twice in the morning. The fees were affordable. The staff was not the friendliest. The visibility was amazing and the dive sites were just minutes away. No motion sickness! After diving places like Belize and Costa Rica, I didn't think the sea life was that great. From talking to other divers it seems like the reefs in Runaway Bay are some of the best on the coast though. Really we were just happy to be able to dive together thanks to the nanny. But we stuck to snorkeling for the most part when we saw how accessible it was.

So, the nanny. Natalie was great. Very friendly. Great with the kids. My six year old still talks about her. My 2 1/2 year old had a hard time going with her the entire time. It seems to be the stage that he's at though, rather than anything she did wrong. Still, she sat with him in the room while he slept for several hours every afternoon and played with him while we laid in the hammocks on the beach. And we hired her to take the kids during dinner two nights so we could have adult dinner time. Highly recommend doing that. Dinners out are such a nightmare, although the staff was friendly with the kids. Natalie even went with us on excursions. It was way more relaxing than any other vacation we've taken thanks in big part to her.

The rest of the staff was also fantastic. They pride themselves on having a 1:1 ratio, guests to staff, but I would say it was almost 2 or 3:1. We never lacked a drink on the beach or someone to give us information or help get the kids snorkel gear. The staff is really something special.

Overall, we wished we could stay longer, and we hope to go back soon. The kids can't stop talking about it. When the weather was good it was a little slice of heaven. There was a snafu with my reservation, but they remedied it quickly and politely to my satisfaction. I recommend writing down the names of who you speak with when you make your reservation and confirming all the details before you arrive, since I never really got anything in writing and it seems like the staff is pretty consistent. Also, read the many reviews here on this site so you know what to expect.

To the resort I would only say that I'm dismayed to see how overly vigilant they are in defending their reputation on tripadvisor.com. Not a great approach to reassuring folks who are looking for honest opinions. The people and staff at FDR are warm and helpful and the responses should reflect that spirit while respecting guests' privacy.

Recently returned from a 12 day stay at FDR. We actually got to experience FDR at a peak fullness (New Year's Eve) and also at almost empty (the week after New Year's). I am glad that we got to experience both.

I can say, honestly, that I did not notice any differences in food quality or quantity- over the busier time we waited longer to get items from the grill and smoothies from the bar. Over the slower times, one of the adult restaurants would be closed each night. But, no problem, mon :) There were still plenty of options and we never went hungry. Would have been great if there were more options for fresh fruits. There were always honeydew and watermelon, papaya, pineapple and bananas. Would have been great to see some mango or berries. But, like I said, we always managed to find something to eat.

As for activities, the slower half of our trip, we felt like there was less going on for adults, but that was due to no fault of the staff. The limited number of adults meant that if there wasn't enough interest in things like volleyball or water aerobics, they didn't happen. But, the staff did try in earnest to get those things going. The ocean was also a lot rougher that week, so the boat couldn't go out as often for snorkeling or glass bottom boat rides. The kids activities, however, were always limitless and entertaining. I never once heard the words, "I'm bored" from any of our 3 kids.

Our room was ok. We had an unrenovated 2br suite facing the pool. The view of the ocean was stunning from the balcony. But, the internet did not work in our room. No LAN access and the wireless only worked in one spot if you sat on the stairs that went to the second floor. The resort has since assured us that they are addressing the issue. It was great that they were so responsive to feedback. While our suite was not 5* quality, it was PERFECT for what we needed. It was kept immaculately clean, we had lots of space to stretch out. And having two bedrooms meant that my husband and I could watch tv and chat in the living room after the kids went to bed. We also had an electrical problem in our room during the last night of our stay. The staff addressed the problem promptly.

On several occasions we took the kids to the beach outside of the FDR property. Never had to climb over a wall or found it difficult to get there. Just walked through the staffed gate and down the sandy beach. We also used a private tour guide, Peat Taylor, to spend a few afternoons exploring the island. Visited Green Grotto Caves just down the road, Luminous Lagoon, Dunns River Falls, Enchanted Gardens, Turtle Falls and Irie Blue Hole. Highest recommendations to Peat!

This review wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention our truly amazing nannies (we opted to have 2). The truly made our vacation the memorable experience that it was. By the end of our stay, they felt like members of our family. They were kind, compassionate, thoughtful, professional and truly went above and beyond anything that we could have ever imagined. With their help, not only were our kids able to have the most amazing vacation, but so were my husband and I. We got to read books poolside, enjoy adults only dinners and also spend quality time with the kids. Our nannies truly allowed my husband and I to enjoy our vacation.

Actually, all of the staff were wonderful. I accidentally dropped my waterproof camera off of the pier while fishing with my 5 year old :-/ Our nanny went and found a lifeguard who actually jumped off of the end of the pier and swam down to the bottom of the ocean to retrieve my camera-- and all of the memories that were contained on it's memory card. That was far above and beyond.

In the end, would I recommend FDR? Yes, I would. But, I would suggest reading the reviews here so that you enter the resort with the right expectations. The facilities aren't 5* quality, but the staff (which is what really defines your vacation) far exceed 5* quality!

We just booked our third visit to FDR. We never thought we would return to the same place, but FDR is a special place for families. The place isn't fancy, but the service and attention that is paid to your child is amazing. It is the most relaxing vacation I have taken since I became a mom. We look forward to our trips for months beforehand.

Also one nice thing about the resort is that all of the guests have something in common. We're all families who picked this very kid friendly place. And everyone is friendly and having a great time. We've met some really nice families on our trips and had a nice mix of family time and socializing with other guests.

FDR has been a constant go to over the years. If you are a stressed out parent (with kids under 8 years of age) and need a true rest while your kids have a great time this is the place for you.

However, this trip we were a bit disappointed in the pre-teen and teen activities. The usual energy and coordination to get the kids involved just wasn't present. Also there wasn't a fitness coordinator on-site. Guests volunteered and offered great yoga classes on the pier.

The food was good as usual. Their Jamaican restaurant was our highlight.

Again the truly unique aspect of FDR is their nanny program. The nannies make our holiday relaxing.