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For the first 39 years of her life, Morgan never thought of herself as “a birthday kind of girl.” Her friends didn’t think of her that way either. She’s a bit shy. Laid back. Cool. Surprises or being the center of attention are not her thing.

So, you can imagine how surprised Morgan’s friends were when the humble Carolina girl sent them an uncharacteristic invitation:

“Some of you have anniversaries coming up. Let’s go to a beach in Jamaica to celebrate each other. And by the way, it will be my 40th birthday, too.”

Instead of making a big deal out of herself, Morgan made a big deal out of Sandals Negril. She sent a link to pictures of Seven Mile Beach, the gorgeous pools, and staff members with smiles as natural and inviting as the emerald sea. It would be just seven couples, detached from the world on a dreamy Caribbean island. They could pack light and let loose.

“I knew it would be hard for anyone to say ‘no’ to that,” Morgan says.

She created a group text and gave it a name as easy-going as the destination itself: Jamaica 2024. Whenever those words appeared on Morgan’s phone, the unflappable birthday girl felt a little tingle on her skin.

“The thought of Jamaica excited me, not the thought of my 40th birthday,” she says. “The birthday and anniversaries were just excuses to escape with close friends. I didn’t need any surprises.”

Morgan shared the dates with the couples in Jamaica 2024 had agreed upon with a Sandals travel specialist, Nicole, and then got out of the way while Nicole did special things.

“She made the process seamless,” Morgan says. “All we had to do was show up at the airport.”

With little more than swimsuits and sunhats, the seven couples boarded a plane in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 7 a.m. By 9:15 a.m. they were filling their lungs with the easy Caribbean vibe. It took barely two hours to get to the island and about 90 seconds to melt into it. Before lunchtime, everyone had a drink in hand while exploring the property. Then they all convened at the top-floor suite of Morgan and her husband, Daniel, to wet their feet in the private infinity pool and fix their eyes on the endless ocean.

“We were relaxing,” Morgan says, as if they’d discovered a long-lost concept. “My birthday didn’t really matter, which was fine with me.”

That evening, with hair still damp from the pools and minds emptied of concerns, the group gathered on one of the world’s longest, softest beaches. The colors of a Caribbean sunset filled the sky. The scent of jerk chicken filled the air. Tropical drinks filled their hands.

And there in the sand stood Nicole, holding a poem.

“That was a surprise,” Morgan says.

Nicole began to read:

“Your birthday celebration is starting …”

Morgan became the center of attention, and actually, she didn’t mind. Her surprise celebration would include a spa day for the girls and deep-sea fishing for the boys. A photographer and a videographer would capture memories. And then the celebration would culminate with a special Sandals birthday dinner on this same beach, Negril-style.

“The dinner would be the biggest of all the surprises during our stay,” says Daniel.

Privately, Morgan began to enjoy returning from the pool to find champagne in the suite. She appreciated the thoughtfulness of a perfectly timed platter of fresh fruit and cheeses after an afternoon of paddleboarding.

“The butler team knew what we wanted before we asked for it,” Morgan says.

The entire Sandals Resorts team kept the little surprises coming, without disrupting the serenity. While the Jamaica 2024 group snorkeled from a glass-bottom boat, or played ping-pong near the ocean, or “became involved” with signature drinks at the pool, the staff would make dinner reservations without being asked.

All around the property, Morgan heard spontaneous greetings from bartenders, entertainers, landscapers, and managers:

“Hey, you’re the birthday girl!”

She couldn’t believe the friendliness, the level of caring. She was also beginning to relish the subtle attention.

“But at the same time, our friends who were celebrating anniversaries were going back to their own suites to find surprising touches like flowers and champagne,” Morgan says.
“I can see why Sandals Resorts is the perfect place to celebrate an anniversary because it’s romantic and personal. But I think it’s an even better place to celebrate a birthday because birthdays are meant to be shared.”

With that in mind, the group shared laughs on the beach and snacked on fresh-made pizzas at Morgan and Daniel’s private infinity pool. They poured drinks with top-shelf liquor from the in-suite bar. On the night of the birthday dinner, they all strolled down to the beach where Morgan entered a very Caribbean kind of surprise.

“Happy Birthday” had been quietly etched into the sand.
A table and 14 chairs sat at the edge of the shushing ocean.

“The staff set everything up as perfectly as a wedding reception,” Morgan says, “but in a way it was even better because none of us had to plan it.”

As the sun sank lower, the surprises gradually escalated. A steel-pan band played. Bartenders poured drinks into coconuts engraved with “40,” a silent reminder of why they were here. The staff served a sumptuous spread of Morgan’s favorite Latin food. A birthday cake made an appearance. The singing started. And there sat Morgan. Surprised. The center of attention. Happily soaking in every micro-second with her closest friends.

“The whole trip started as ‘Hey, let’s just go have fun together,’” she says, “but then we met the friendliest staff in this incredible destination. Without any effort on my part, it turned out to be the best birthday I’ve ever had, by far.”

As soon as Jamaica 2024 returned home, Morgan created a framed display of memories—the menu cards from dinner, the place settings, pictures of Sandals Negril, and a copy of Nicole’s poem. Then she and Daniel sent out another invitation to friends:

“Let’s go to Sandals La Toc in the spring.”

It’s on the calendar, and the tingles have already started.

“People hear about my fortieth birthday in Jamaica and ask, ‘How do you top that?’” Morgan says. “I’m not trying to top it. We just want to experience Sandals again. That’s a good enough reason to celebrate.”

Could there be a better way to celebrate a birthday than with friends at Sandals Resorts? Book now and find out!