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Why You Need to Book Club Mobay When You Travel To Jamaica

When I traveled to Jamaica and Beaches Resorts earlier this year, I knew I wanted to book Club Mobay going to and from the airport in Montego Bay. Fortunately, they worked with me and provided me with a discounted rate in exchange for sharing my experience. Would I use it again? Absolutely!

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Ticket to Club Mobay Lounge

I had never been to Jamaica in the past, but I had heard tales about customs in Jamaica taking longer than one might like. The lines can be long, and the last thing I want to do after getting off a long plane ride is spend time standing and waiting.

On the flip side, returning to the airport can be dicey with a hurry up and wait mentality. The Montego Bay airport does have shops and restaurants, but I wanted a comfortable place to wait for my flight home.

Couple that with other benefits, and booking with Club Mobay in Jamaica becomes a no brainer. The cost is not exorbitant, and it’s well worth the fees.

You can choose to book arrivals, departures, or both. I strongly recommend booking both and booking in advance.

If you book online before your trip, it costs less than purchasing the departure service later. You cannot purchase the full arrival service at the airport though you can access the lounge for a fee if they have availability.

Currently, rates are:

  • Arrival Service: $50 per adult, $25 per child 2-12 (under 2 is free)
  • Departure Service: $32 per adult, $22 per child 2-12 (under 2 is free)
  • Bundle for both Arrival and Departure Service: $80 per adult, $40 per child 2-12 (under 2 is free)

Note: I like to book this through Viator, which offers the same prices and services were you to book directly through Club Mobay but also allows you to cancel up to 24 hours before your travel in case something comes up. I’ve had to cancel excursions through Viator before, and they have always been incredibly customer service friendly.

Does Club Mobay ever sell out?

It absolutely does. Book early!

If you want only the arrival service, you are more likely to be able to book last minute. The departure service and the bundle service sell out much more frequently and earlier

When I looked in June recently, many dates through July were already sold out. If you plan to travel during a busy season – Thanksgiving, winter break, spring break, etc – definitely make sure you book well in advance.

When you first book your vacation, add this as a to do, and then you don’t have to stress about it selling out. Remember that if you book through Viator, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your trip for a full refund.

In fact, when you do that, go ahead and book other excursions for your Jamaican holiday via Viator at the same time. They have a ton of great options from trusted vendors with the same 24 hour cancellation policy for most excursions.

What do you get with a Club Mobay Arrival?

When I departed my plane, I had a Club Mobay employee waiting for me just past the gate. She had my name on a sign, so I knew exactly where to go.

I was her only priority and not bundled with another group. She took my carryon luggage and checked my customs forms to ensure I had no errors. I didn’t, but many miss filling out pieces, which can slow the customs process.

Club Mobay has a dedicated line in immigration, which meant my wait was significantly shorter than others without this service. Once I made it through immigration, my assistant rejoined me and helped shepherd me through customs in record time.

That alone was worth the cost to me.

Once through immigration and customs, the escort offered me the option of visiting the Club Mobay arrivals lounge or heading to the Beaches Resorts lounge, since they offer a lounge, as well.

I chose to visit both to compare, and the Club Mobay lounge exceeded my expectations. The Club Mobay lounge offered a more relaxed vibe, as employees greeted me at the door with a cleansing towel.

I had my choice of drinks and snacks, ranging from small sandwiches to pasties and more. The snack size was perfect for me to recover after my flight.

Club Mobay arrival lounge snacks

The unexpected benefit was the complimentary wifi. This allowed me to verify with friends and family that I landed safely and get a bit of work done before my resort shuttle arrived.

How Does Club Mobay Departure work?

The departure process was slightly different, but with the amount of time spent in the airport before my flight, I appreciated it just as much, if not more.

Before my escort left me in arrivals, she provided me with my lounge ticket for my return trip. Do not lose this, as it is not replaceable.

Each traveler is responsible for getting through check-in at the airport. Once you deal with your airline, show your departure ticket to the agent near security, and you have a special (shorter) line to get through security and immigration.

Again, this makes life easier, especially for those traveling with children.

Once through security, head to the Club Mobay lounge, which is down one wing of the terminal (not near my gate but no more than a 5 minute walk). Again, present your ticket to enter, and your first class experience awaits.

Club Mobay Departure Lounge entrance

Club Mobay provides complimentary wifi in the departure lounge, making it easy to relax and stay entertained while waiting for your flight. The lounge also contains plenty of televisions with cable if you choose to watch tv.

The lounge knows what flights its customers have, and you periodically hear reminders via announcement as passengers need to leave the lounge for flights. You can also check flight monitors located within Club Mobay to determine the status of your flight.

Once inside, you’ll be as shocked as I was at the size of the lounge. It isn’t a simple room, which is what I had expected.

Club Mobay offers so much more than I had imagined.

Had I come straight from the beach, still sandy and grubby, Club Mobay has shower facilities.

Traveling with kids? Club Mobay has a children’s play room for them to let off steam and remain entertained.

Adults only in your group? Club Mobay offers an adults only lounge (where I stayed) with a set of three quiet rooms to relax.

Club Mobay has something for everyone

The food and drink are enough to sustain you prior to your flight and include a variety of dishes from sushi (not a large selection but available), sandwiches, Jamaican patties (my favorite), plenty of fruit, salad, soups, tapas, and more.

In the family lounge, you can also find cheese pizza and mac and cheese for hungry little tummies. Beverages are also complimentary inside Club Mobay, with a variety of fun alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.

Waitstaff periodically roams the rooms to determine if you need additional service and take away plates.

Snacks in the Mobay Lounge for arrivals

Within all the rooms, you will find plenty of plugs to ensure your devices are fully charged before your flight. The seats are comfortable and range from single chairs with small tables to table and kitchen type chairs for eating to stools at a counter. There is something for everyone.

Additionally, Club Mobay includes a small spa inside the lounge. You can purchase services at an additional cost.

I nearly did, but I had less time before my flight than I had anticipated. One last relaxing moment prior to my flight? Yes please!

Would I book Club Mobay again?

I absolutely would. The ease of traveling through the airport both coming and going couldn’t have been better.

I started my vacation on the right note, with no stress from the airport. The lounge was far more comfortable than any restaurant or bar could have been on the way back, let alone sitting in an uncomfortable chair in a departure gate.

Couple that with the complimentary wifi and the food and beverage that made me feel like my vacation hadn’t truly ended yet, and this was well worth the nominal cost for the personalized service.

More than anything, I appreciated the snacks to refresh myself both before and after my flight. I appreciated the variety and flavors, and I stayed hydrated.

Snacks at the Club Mobay Lounge in Jamaica

Remember to book before you travel. Not only is it less expensive than booking once you arrive in Jamaica, but seats are limited. In the busy season, you end up without a seat!

Can I access the lounge with Priority Pass?

Yes, Club Mobay is one of the participating lounges with Priority Pass, but note that there needs to be availability in the lounge for you to use your pass. If you travel during a peak period, you may prefer to not risk it and book access in advance.

If you don’t have a Priority Pass membership but travel frequently this may be a fantastic addition to your travel arsenal, as it grants you access to over 1300 airport experiences (lounges and more) across the world from the three New York airports to Paris to Punta Cana and so many more.

They offer three levels of membership, depending on how often you travel and your travel style. Note that if you purchase your membership now, you can save up to 30% on your first year!

  • Standard membership ($99 – currently $69 for your first year) gets you $32 visits to lounges for yourself and any guest traveling with you
  • Standard Plus ($299 – currently $224 for the first year) gets you 10 free visits, then $32 visits after that, and guests are $32 per visit
  • Prestige ($429 – currently $364 for the first year) gets you unlimited visits with no extra fee and $32 guest fees

Have you ever traveled to Jamaica? Did you book Club Mobay?

Check out my experience with the Sandals Foundation Reading Roadtrip at Beaches Resorts, as well.

Reasons to book Club Mobay when you fly to Jamaica, This personalized service is first class all the way and makes your travel so much easier. Check out what to expect and why you need to use this service as you travel to Montego Bay

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  1. John Chaffee says:

    Hi Michelle – this is very helpful and we will likely use Club Mobay at least for arrival. Couple questions: 1) what is a Priority Pass? 2) how close is the arrival lounge to where you catch your private car transport? Thank you.

    • Michelle says:

      Priority Pass is another program that offers lounge access to in various airports across the world (including MBJ) for an annual fee. If you travel often, this may be something that makes sense for you to join. Some of the commenters on this post are members already, so they have access to the lounge as long as there is space available, which is the downside to that program compared to booking straight with Club Mobay where you know you will be admitted to the lounge and have additional perks.

      The arrival lounge is in the main terminal and near all the other lounges (Beaches/Sandals, etc). It was a quick walk from there to the private transport, and we were escorted by our private transport. If you think about how airports are typically set up where before security is minimal, the same holds true here.

      I hope that helps!

  2. […] How to make customs fast and easy in Jamaica […]

  3. Stan says:

    We have Priority Pass. I’m thinking of paying for the Club MoBay package on arrival but not departure. I like the idea of being whisked through customs on arrival. I believe Priority Pass would give me access to the lounge but not the expedited service. Thoughts?

    • Michelle says:

      If you already have Priority Pass, then yes, you can use that to get access to the lounge. That’s the benefit I most cared about before I left. The arrival customs help made everything much smoother. I know some get through easily, but I’ve also heard horror stories from people of taking 2 hours to get through customs. A lot I’m sure depends on when you travel. I would absolutely go the route you suggest!

  4. Laura says:

    We are traveling to Montego Bay this summer, and we both are TSA PreChecked approved, (along with Global Entry). Aside from the lounge area, and the MoBay representative meeting us upon arrival, does this help us the same way as having a MoBay pass? In other words, would we have the same expedited service going thru immigration/customs on both arrival/departure?

    • Michelle says:

      Really good question! So the precheck and global entry doesn’t (unfortunately) help you while in Montego Bay, just Stateside. Yes, you have expedited service to go through the immigration/customs, which makes it a ton easier and faster than without a “guide” if you will. For departure, you don’t go through the customs again – just when you land, and you’ve got Global Entry to expedite your way there. The benefits on departure really start with the lounge, but getting through the security on the front end isn’t an issue. It’s pretty quick and painless. Given how early you often have to get to the airport though, the lounge is 100% worth it in my opinion.

  5. Shawn Mewhorter says:

    My spouse and I are traveling to Jamaica in Dec. We are interested in using club Mobay for arrival and departure from Montego bay. Can you advise me on the cost and what it includes.

    • Michelle says:

      The inclusion is pretty much what I detailed in the post above. You have an agent meet you and ensure your forms are filled out correctly, escort you through customs and immigration, and bring you to a lounge where you have complimentary food, drinks, wifi, etc. On the departure side, there’s a great lounge you can spend time in that has snacks, beverages, wifi, televisions, showers, etc plus optional services like the massage. The cost hasn’t changed – $50pp arrival and $30pp departure per adult.

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