I am considering purchasing the club mobay arrival package for our upcoming trip. As we arrive at 1PM on Dec 21 I am guessing the lineups will be horrendous. Anyone here use it before? If the lineups are long can we expect to save a lot of time?
The trick I learned last trip (not that we used it), is to fake a knee injury and get into a wheel chair. I lost count of all the wheelchair bound individuals being wheeled thru the lines by their companions last time.

just want to wish you a great vacation! don't know a thing about club mobay.

Why would you even consider Club MoBay for arrival? I could kind of understand for departure, but arrival? That - to me - would be a total waste of money as well as completely unnecessary.

When you arrive in Mobay, you go through immigration, then customs... walk out the door to your ride. Why would you pay for Club MoBay to do that? It's no big deal. Guess I'm just confused.

Trip #50; about 4.5 - 5 years in JA - if you total the number of weeks I've spent there.

I only use the Club Mobay (or VIP service if they are the same thing) on arrival. I travel alone, usually have too much luggage and by the time I get to JA I am so happy to have someone meet me as I walk down the first ramp, help with all my luggage; go to the "special line" that doesn't snake around and around; THEN (since I usually have stuff for friends, my home...etc) get to zip through customs instead of being re-routed to the dreaded tables. Your "person" stays with you until you are loaded into your vehicle. I don't go into the lounge area unless I need to grab a couple of waters. For me, it is sooo worth it!!!! Now, if I were 30 years younger it may be a different story.

I know when I arrived in November the "special" line had more people on it than the "line" I was on - which was no line actually - we sit in first class, off the plane, right up to an immigration agent. Had to wait a minute for the bags to come off the belt and luckily ours were some of the first.

My "waits" are usually a longer time at immigration (the longer the stay often enough the more questions they have) and customs (10 bags total - what's in there? Bedding and clothing - no, you can't be on the nothing to declare line - move over there)

Within seconds there was a porter there to help schlep the bags to the curb.

Even with those small delays I was out of the airport in less than 1/2 hour. (Had to wait for my driver for an hour but that's another story for another time) Granted I travel during low season and mid-week (Tuesday or Wednesday usually) at I always arrive at a non-busy time for flights landing (before 1:00pm) For me personally this would be a total waste of money - as, again for me, the departure service as well.

The bottom line is you and only you know how you like to travel, if you like the VIP treatment, if you are unsure about navigating the airport if you absolutely cannot stand in line, not for 5 minutes - and if any of the above apply for you the $50 per person might very well be well worth it.

The reason I was considering it is because of the day we arrive, Dec 21, is probably one of the busiest days at the airport (am I wrong?). Our last trip we also arrived on the Saturday before Christmas and it took more like an hour and a half at least before we had our luggage, the lines were huge.
We are flying first class though this year and so will be among the first off the plane, but obviously it will depend on how many flights arrive just before we do.
As we are spending our first night in Montego Bay its not like we are in a panic, but I don't enjoy line-ups. I have also heard of stories of the "vip" lineups longer than the regular one in so that's why I am asking the question.
It's too early to check the exact number of incoming flights that day so I will probably wait till a few days before and decide if I want to spend the money.

"I have also heard of stories of the "vip" lineups longer than the regular one in so that's why I am asking the question. "
Yeah - that's the gamble - you are probably right the airport will be a zoo that day, that whole weekend actually as it starts the busiest two weeks in Jamaica and pretty much everywhere else. But that can also mean that the "VIP" line would be equally as huge.

I know that if I spent $50pp and saw that the non-VIP line was moving faster than mine I'd get irritated. I know that doesn't help but I understand your quandary.

Well, when we arrived in April 2012 the VIP treatment was looking pretty good. This is what happens when some planes are late and some are early. Total gridlock.

WOW. In all my years in that airport I have never seen it that backed up. Just...WOW.

Those pictures bring back memories, looks just like our last 2 trips. You can see by the smiles on faces how much people are enjoying the wait.