HELP! Need to book ASAP! Montego Bay or Ocho Rios?

Looking to book for January or February 2017 cruise. Never been to Jamaica. Which of this 2 ports is better - as far as excursions and safety is concerned. Thanks in advance!

Looking to book for January or February 2017 cruise. Never been to Jamaica. Which of this 2 ports is better - as far as excursions and safety is concerned. Thanks in advance!

Neither. Stay on the ship. IMHO.

If I were you I would post this question under the Ports of Call --> Caribbean --> Jamaica thread, you may get more info there.

Hope someone gives you the answer you need soon! Thats all the help I can offer. I have only been to one of those ports. :cool:

I would say Ocho Rios because it is where the most of the excursions are. I haven't been but we are docking in Montego Bay and all the excursions I would have liked to do are about a 2 hour drive away.

We stay on the ship in Jamaica, we feel it is too dangerous. If you feel you need to see Jamaica at least once, then I would suggest Ocho Rios, and walk the falls. We have been to both and Ocho Rios is the better of the two ports.

If you want to walk 600 ft of falls Ocho Rios is nice,

Montego Bay has a nice beach Dr Caves.

Just be prepared to say no thank you when people come up and start talking to you and than keep offering to sell you drugs.

We love Jamaica have been there 3 times and would go back in a heart beat, have been to both ports. We have taken private tours in both ports on 2 trips and gone to Dunns river falls and a plantation thru the ship the first time because everyone on here says how horrible it is, not true to us. The private tours were amazing. Montego Bay last time, the most amazing river tubing we ever had. Do I think it is a dangerous port, not anymore than others, remember a kid was shot in St Thomas in the back of a truck a few years ago. There are streets in the US that I would not want to be on, so just be careful. I think most of the people who saw it is so horrible never leave the port area and do not know how beautiful it can be if you get out in the country.

We loved the Bob Marley bus tour from Ochos Rios. I do not know if they do that excursion from Montego Bay.

In addition to the great music, you get to see a part of Jamaica rarely seen by tourists.

Ocho Rios! We did a private excursion and climbed Dunn's River Falls, river tubing, shopping and beach time. Everyone we encountered was very nice and we never felt uncomfortable. Ocho Rios is one of my favorite ports!

I would say Ocho Rios, the obvious attraction which is very close by to the port is the Dunns River Falls and then you can get some local food if your interested. If your not comfortable you can always just get back on the ship. On a safety level you just need to be sensible like you would anywhere else. It would be a shame not to experience the island on other people's own experiences whom you may not know.

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Definitely Ocho Rios. Ships only stop in Mobay when Falmouth and Ocho Rios are full and they generally bus everyone to Ocho Rios for excursions. The traffic in Mobay is horrible and based on the little trucks driving around full of guys in camo with rifles it's probably not the safest place in the world.

If you want to walk 600 ft of falls Ocho Rios is nice' date='

 

Montego Bay has a nice beach Dr Caves.

 

Just be prepared to say no thank you when people come up and start talking to you.[/quote']

 

As I understand it, half the problem in Jamaica is the way WE as Americans respond to pushy vendors. Automatically we say "no thank you" to be polite. In the Jamaican jargon, that phase means something else. When you say "thank you" in that context, to them, you mean you are accepting their offer. So when you say "no thank you" you are making a conflicting statement....no ..then yes.

If you don't want their offering just say "no" and you won't have a problem.

 

We love Jamaica and we love Ocho Rios.

Have to agree with most above posts with Ocho Rios, but be prepared for change. We booked with Ocho Rios about a year out, and then they changed it to Montego Bay about 4 months out. We were really disappointed because all of the excursions we wanted to do were so far away from that port. We didn't want to spend a 2 hour drive each way just to get to the excursion. We actually ended up staying on the ship and enjoying the scenery and relatively empty ship. But we were disappointed with the change of ports the was sort of last minute.

I LOVE Jamaica. Spend a week there every couple years and have cruised there many times as well.

I agree with the "No, Thank You" advice given. Just say No and keep walking. We've never felt in "danger" the hundreds of hours we've spent on this island. It's a little rough around the edges, but if you wanted Disneyland, you should head there. It's a Caribbean Island with it's own flavor and part of that is the customary "pushy sales peoples". It's what they do. If you go to a market, be very prepared to just say NO and keep walking. Do not take anything to "hold" it or they will consider it sold. Engage them in conversation and you'll have a great many stories to tell. Jamaican's are notoriously friendly people if you give them the chance. If you are rude....they will be rude as well. A smile goes a long way.

Ocho Rios has many more excursion activities AND you can walk off the ship to some places nearby (Beach, Margaritaville, shopping). In Montego Bay, you would have to take a taxi or an excursion to get out of the dock area.

Never been to MoBay but Dunns River falls is right there in Ocho Rios and is amazing. There's also a Margaritaville just down from the port that we enjoyed

Have been to Montego Bay, and not Ocho Rios. I did not get an unsafe feeling, but didnt like the pushy vendors and drug dealers bothering you in the streets downtown. Drs Cove is nice and a drink on the Margarettaville deck overlooking the bay is relaxing. Both are within walking distance of each other, but you must run the gauntlet of the vendors and drug dealers. Would like to go to Ocho Rios to see the falls. Wife will not set foot on Jamaica soil again.

Ocho Rios has to be the most improved port that I've witnessed. My 1st time there many years ago I was accosted by beggars, cripples, dealers, hookers, and other entrepreneurs, the streets were filthy, and the roads were rutted. I still enjoyed my walk to a local jerk chicken diner.

My last time there maybe one year ago, everything was totally cleaned up, crews were landscaping along the roads, no beggars to be seen and overall, a total make over.

You can do Dunn's River Falls from here, Marley tours, resort for a day, shop for Blue Mountain coffee.

I've stayed on Doctor Caves Beach in Montego Bay as well as the Secrets Resort off the pier. I like Doctor Cave's beach a little better, good snorkeling behind the rafts. Secrets has the jerk chicken cart.

Many people don't like Jamaica because the vendors can be persistent. If you use respect and talk there language, smiles get generated. "No no no I don't smoke it no more" or "One love, Mon" works wonders. I get accosted just as much by the vendors on Phillipsburg beach in St Maarten, but not many posters on CC complain about that.

I wager that in a few years, as pot reform in Jamaica becomes more widespread and poverty levels hopefully rise, many cruisers attitude about Jamaica will change. Perhaps I'm biased, having grown up in the Bronx, I'm used to diversity and dealing with difficult people. Supervising Teamsters and operating sober homes also helped me develop people to people skills.

Ocho Rios. We've done Jamaica twice. Try Blue Hole. Absolutely amazing.

From what I've read, Ocho Rios is probably the best bet. We've been to Jamaica before on a land trip and are going to MoBay this December on the Dream. We plan to get off the ship briefly but not planning much there.

Jamaica is one of my favorite ports, mostly because I love the people if you just give them a chance. I like either port as well. There is great zip lining and river tube excursions at both. I have also done a great horse back mountain excursion out of Ocho Rios. Don't leave Jamaica without trying authentic jerk chicken (not from the tourist traps) and buying some Sangter's rum cream. Yum!

While we've never been to Ocho Rios, we have been to MoBay twice and would go again in a heartbeat. That being said, the first time we were planning to go, I kept hearing people, both on this site and friends that I know personally, telling us how dangerous it is, stay on the ship, etc. I kept researching and found Sunset Beach Resort (now called Sunscape Splash) through resortforaday.com and we enjoyed it immensely. I'm so glad we didn't just stay on the ship.

With their day pass (current price is $80 per person), they pick you up at the port and bring you back that afternoon so it's very safe. It's a short five minute ride from the port. You can actually see it from the ship and you get a beautiful shot of the ship when standing in the lobby. It's an all-inclusive package which includes a full buffet and all you can drink (even though we don't drink alcohol). They have a couple of water slides, a lazy river and three different pools. There are also not vendors walking around trying to get you to buy their wares. There's usually someone selling paintings but I've never had them approach me.

All in all, we love Sunset Beach and would more than likely return again. Here's the link in case you're interested: http://www.resortforaday.com/Sunscape-Splash-Montego-Bay-Day-pass-p/mbjassp.htm

Hope this helps!

With all the negative comments I've read on these boards over the years regarding Jamaica, I did not expect to like it as much as I did (finally made it there on our most recent cruise)! So take everything with a grain of salt and always keep an open mind.

We docked in MoBay, but selected an excursion that took us all the way to Ocho Rios. We had a blast climbing Dunn River Falls, riding the chair lift and riding the bobsled. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much of MoBay. But considering all the excursions that sounded interesting to us were in Ocho Rios - I would have to say Ocho Rios :D

Jamaica is one of my favorite ports, mostly because I love the people if you just give them a chance. I like either port as well. There is great zip lining and river tube excursions at both. I have also done a great horse back mountain excursion out of Ocho Rios. Don't leave Jamaica without trying authentic jerk chicken (not from the tourist traps) and buying some Sangter's rum cream. Yum!

Great suggestion about eating Jamaican jerk! I thoroughly enjoyed the Pork Pit when I stayed in MoBay's Beaches Hotel (which may now be a Sandals).

Don't forget the Blue Mountain coffee either! Just make sure, like Kona, it is not mixed in with other varietals.

Neither one. Sorry but have been there and I find both horrible places to visit. I would stay on the ship.

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Neither. Stay on the ship. IMHO.

Exactly what I was going to say. Caribbean view,NYC crime