I'm cruising to Jamaica, any suggestions?

[mechanicdave]

The wife and I are going on a 5 day cruise. One port will be Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We've heard some comments both good and bad concerning local attractions. Has anyone been there and done that?? What to do and what not to do?? Bon Voyage !
Dave

[TDPRI]

I've been to Jamaica. It was lovely but I was staying at Round Hill which is pretty isolated and upscale (Paul McCartney checked out the day we arrived).

Jamaica is lovely but pretty much a 3rd world country. The people were very nice and when we got away from the resort we had a lot of fun. However, one time when I was in downtown Kingston I did begin to feel unsafe due to a crowd of pan handlers that grew around me and followed me everywhere.

The roads are jammed with little teeny cars going 60 mph with 5 or more people crammed inside. Everyone with a car automatically becomes a Taxi service for the locals. The food was great and the scenary fantastic.

We stayed a week and hope to go back one of these days.

Paul Green
PS. Have fun and see as much as you can.

[mechanicdave]

Thanks for your input, Paul. Your comments are pretty much inline with others we've spoken to. Some sugest the Dunns River Falls, while others say go to Kingston for the Bob Marley experience. Just be cautious on or off the beaten path. I'd probably be happy with a good plate of some jerk and a cold bottle of Red Stripe, kind of my own version of those Carona comercials.

[tahoebob54]

Originally Posted by mechanicdave

The wife and I are going on a 5 day cruise. One port will be Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We've heard some comments both good and bad concerning local attractions. Has anyone been there and done that?? What to do and what not to do?? Bon Voyage !
Dave

check out the web page http://cruisecritic.com/and go on the message boards about the different ports it is the TDPRI of cruising. there is information on everything there ports, cruise lines, food everything.

happy cruising
Bob P.

[Billy Claire]

Go tanning for a couple of weeks before you leave. Having a good tan won't immediately identify you as a tourist to the locals... unless you're wearing an obvious t-shirt... it will save you from some of the hassling.

[boogaloo]

on the Martha Bray (river, that is). Hey Mon! Highly suggested raft tour down the Martha Bray. Our guide was great and very knowledgable about the flora and fauna. The bus ride up river to the debarkation point was thrilling too (imagine a 7 foot wide bus/van doing 60 up a winding 5.5 foot wide road and you'll get the picture!)

I agree with Paul- the downtown / tourist areas can be downright obnoxious and then some.

Most people who "really like" Jaimaca stay on private resorts with private beaches. Hope you have a great time though!

Brian

[Geo]

Some things that we found and purchased when there
were
Blue Mountain Coffee beans (packaged)

Rum - there are two brands that are not available in the
US that are exceptional and quite different from ones
sold here. I'm not even a Rum or spirits drinker but still
appreciated these. Customs allowed two bottles.

Red Stripe or other local beers. I got tired of paying
ship prices and brought two 6 packs of Red Stripe
back onboard.

We went to Montego Bay so can't help much on what to
see. They try to play up the deals on jewery but
I didn't see any all that great.

[mark norwine]

I'm cruising to Jamaica, any suggestions?

Yeah...stay on the boat.

My parents endured a 15 hour siege in their 5-star hotel room on one trip. Shots fired...people killed.

On another trip, a good friend of mine was murdered in Montego Bay.

No amount of money could entice me to put my feet on the soil of that backwards, lawless country.

[blue water girl]

Brent and I are going to Jamaica in June and we have been there three other times with our children each time. This time we are going by ourselves. We stay at a fabulous resort in Negril. It's all good on resort property where you are protected from the CONSTANT solicitation that goes on everywhere else and particularly at the shipping ports of call. You will even be grabbed by the arms and it gets really scary. That's why I hate cruises. You can't really visit these islands when all you see are these ports of call because they do not represent the true spirit of the place. This isn't to say that Jamaican people are bad because this happens on all the islands in the Carribbean that have ships with tourists being let off at ports. It's a free for all. No thank you.

That being said, pretty much all the Jamaicans I have met are really nice, helpful and FUNNY. Very laid back.

My personal suggestions are do not go to Kingston unless you have a death wish. It also is a long drive from Ocho Rios. The roads are just unbelievable - I can't describe it, you'll see when you get there. So there are ups and downs to Jamaica. Having such a short time to experience it is a real shame because we have come to love it.

Dunns River Falls will be pretty close to you and I recommend it. It was awesome to climb all those waterfalls and stand under them and swim in the pools on the way up. Wear water sox so you won't slip on the rocks and fall, it goes up very high. Do not hire one of the "guides" who will be trying to get you to pay him to help you up the falls the safest and best way. They do know the secrets of getting up the falls the best way, but they will rush you like crazy so they can get another couple and make some more money and so on all day long. Just do it yourself and take you time and swim and take pictures. And be very careful when you do leave the falls. AVOID the shopping village next door to the parking lot. It was the most disturbing of all the shopping areas in Jamaica. I was actually grabbed by my shoulders and spun around to look at items on another guys's display table and then the two vendors starting violently fighting with each other for my business. People were having to run, really run, to get to their cars and escape. And the people selling stuff were CHASING US I am assuming to beg us to stay and buy something but it seemed like it was to massacre us. It was awful. But these vendors are not allowed out of the fenced shopping village so if you are stupid enough to go in there be ready.

All that terrible stuff being said Brent was just saying last night how he couldn't wait to go to Jamaica and he wished we were already there. He could just picture us laying on the beach under a thatched umbrella looking at the blue blue water drinking red stripe beer and eating jerk chicken. Ahhhhhhhhh. It's irie mon.

[slauson slim]

Appleton's Dark Rum. Dragon Stout beer. Buy lots. Drink them.

[Billy Claire]

Rent and watch Ryan Adams: Live in Jamaica. The music (mostly acoustic) is fantastic but you really get a feel for the markets and watch Ryan get taken by the locals...

My friend and second guitarist, Frank, goes to Jamaica fairly often, mon. He and his wife got married on the beach in Jamaica. They grabbed a couple walking along the beach as best man and maid of honor... people say "Who's this black couple in your wedding pictures?"

Frank's been to Bob Marley's grave (see it soon before his widow moves Bob to Ethiopia), and even went into Keith Richards' house (those guys will take you anywhere for a price apparently). Frank showed us the pictures from Keith's living room, and we went, 'Yeah, right...' Then we saw a documentary on Keith and he's sitting on the same couch as Frank...

That's Frank on the right in Keith's house.

[kaibu49]

Been to Jamaica too...echoing everyone else's advice to beware the haggling folk. I was there on a spring break and didn't feel unsafe as we did stuff as a pack of people.

Keith's house, that is cool! Billy is that the same house that Peter Tosh stayed at for a while? I would love to hear more if you got any.

[lenny]

Originally Posted by blue water girl

... It was the most disturbing of all the shopping areas in Jamaica. I was actually grabbed by my shoulders and spun around to look at items on another guys's display table and then the two vendors starting violently fighting with each other for my business.

i think i would have started the violence myself if anyone started grabbing women and trying to make them shop at their area.

[mechanicdave]

Appleton's Dark Rum. Dragon Stout beer. Buy lots. Drink them.
Now that sounds like my kind of cruise to Jamaica!
Dave