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Not been to the Riu or Negril, but we were in Jamaica at Easter (Ocho Rios) for 2 weeks.
Negril is meant to be lovely, with superb sunsets and I'm looking at possibly staying at a Beaches resort there next year.
I believe the journey time from Mo Bay Airport to Negril is 60-90 minutes, dependent on whether the driver makes a stop.
I've done Jamaica in September and the weather was great. There is more rainfall than the peak months of Dec to Apr, but it tends to be short sharp showers which soon clear. Bear in mind there's always the chance of a tropical storm/hurricane at that time of year, though by October the risk has mostly passed.
As for excursions, that's maybe the one disadvantage of staying in Negril, most of the attractions are going to be a fair drive away, as you're at the very west end of the island. The "must do" tour is climbing the Dunns River Falls, probably the best thing to do in the whole Caribbean.
Rafting down one of the many rivers is also great and there are many other attractions such as plantation visits, Rose Hall and rum distillery tours.
Local to you is Rick's café where you can watch the locals high diving off the rocks into the sea.
I'm sure the Riu will have loads of tour info in reception.
As for currency, definitely US dollars, you'll find virtually everything is priced in USD.

We've just got back from Beaches Negril (just down the road) and will be returning in Oct (half term)
The beach is fantastic!
I've heard that Oct is the rainiest month but it's usually drier on the West coast than Ocho Rios.
The transfer was about 90 minutes and due to a flight delay, we drove in the dark but if you land in daylight it's quite a nice route.
Definately take US dollars, we did get change in Jamaican dollars though.
We also recommend Ricks Cafe which is about 15 minutes away and has a great atmosphere.
We had a fantastic holiday and can't wait to go back