Hello Miss Muffett! You will get a lot of your questions answered here. You may already have gleaned this from reading the comments here or from some of your previous research, but Negril offers two very different "vibes," each of which are excellent, depending on your particular preference. The Seven Mile Beach is beautiful, gorgeous, hip & fun, like no other!! It can be very busy during the daytime, but early morning walks you'll have quite a bit of it to yourself! (You may want to walk with another person to ensure your safety, as with many other places in the world, however.) If you like to sand & sun it, then this beach is for you! However, if you seek more privacy, quietness & perhaps a bit of snorkeling directly in front of where you're staying (like I do), then the cliffs might be more what you're after. Whereas on the beach, people are walking all up & down in front of you, on the cliffs, that is not possible due to the geography there. I'm not a real "sand-lover," but prefer to be able to go snorkeling & leave my insulin pump & glucometer nearby in my room. When I get up in the morning, nothing pleases me more than to go to the cliff wall with my cup of hot tea, just sit there & gaze at the sea & watch the birds come to land on the sea grape trees nearby! To me....this is total HEAVEN. You will not have people walking by trying to sell you something if you stay on the cliffs, although that might happen once you get out on the road walking somewhere. There are many great local restaurants both on the beach & the cliffs.
I really LOVE the Treasure Beach area! The drivers drive much more slowly there & the pace of life is just better, IMHO. My mom said that she thinks that's because everyone knows everyone else there. The sea is different down there, I thought, and there are fewer snorkeling places.
What do you specifically enjoy doing on your vacation?