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Anyone Recently back from Falmouth?

Mommy4lyfe

By Mommy4lyfe,
in Jamaica

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Mommy4lyfe

Mommy4lyfe

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Just off the Navigator of the Seas. We docked in Falmouth on March 10th and we booked Falmouth & Montego Bay at Leisure thru the cruise line for $39pp. I am not posting any pictures because there are plenty of pictures out there of the port and the surrounding markets. I would like to say that I enjoyed Falmouth and would go back. Yes the pier is still under construction but the entertainment was so spectacular that I did not pay attention to the construction. The small market place have very reasonable prices. The entire cruise port is enclosed by fences with police and security presence.

 

The tour was basically sightseeing and shopping and we stopped at a place called pier one in Montego Bay that was nice were we had free coffee and banana bread. What I learned and recommend:

  1. I recommend booking your excursions thru the ship because the crime rate is high and the Jamaican authorities have provided police presence for all RC excursions. (I am one who always book private excursions from CC recommendations.)

  2. The trolley train excursion thru Falmouth have a police escort during the entire excursion.
  3. All those who sell merchandise at the port and provide excursions for RC must take a training class on how to treat RC cruisers. This info was provide by some of the vendors and our tour guides. They must be kind to us and can not do any high pressure selling. They suppose to display their merchandise prices.

  4. I don't recall the place where we stopped and shopped but it was duty free. It was like a strip mall and had an upstairs. Across the street there is security with guns presence provided by the merchants to get the cruisers to stray over there and I did. I saw so a lot of security. TheDuty free is a rip off. The cost is so much higher than the non duty free that you will get better deals with paying the taxes. Example $25 for either 6 or 8oz at a duty free store for 100% Blue Mountain coffee and I paid $17 for a pound of the same coffee. Magnets $2 vs $1. Rum cake 6 pack $32 vs $27. Purchase daughter a soccer jacket for $27 vs $40. All items were exactly the same.

  5. The ship provides free bus transportation to and from Rose Hall shopping center. Taxi cabs are not allowed to pick up there and transport passengers back to the ship; you must take the buses assigned to the ship back.
  6. RC is the largest employer in Falmouth and the people are glad they are their to help a very poor economy. With that said everyone was kind and friendly including the residents. After returning to the port I venture across the street to visit the Jamaican version of the IRS:eek: and I notice that security kept there eyes on me. I met some kind beggars and was passing out $1s because they asked so polite that it was hard to refuse. When I came back security said that I should not have passed out money; that is how I know they were keeping an eye on me.

  7. If venturing off on private excursion use wisdom and be safe. Let someone know where you are going and with who.

  8. Enjoy the port and the people and the sights. I had a blast.:D

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Mommy4lyfe

Mommy4lyfe

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Just off the Navigator of the Seas. We docked in Falmouth on March 10th and we booked Falmouth & Montego Bay at Leisure thru the cruise line for $39pp. I am not posting any pictures because there are plenty of pictures out there of the port and the surrounding markets. I would like to say that I enjoyed Falmouth and would go back. Yes the pier is still under construction but the entertainment was so spectacular that I did not pay attention to the construction. The small market place have very reasonable prices. The entire cruise port is enclosed by fences with police and security presence.

 

The tour was basically sightseeing and shopping and we stopped at a place called pier one in Montego Bay that was nice were we had free coffee and banana bread. What I learned and recommend:

  1. I recommend booking your excursions thru the ship because the crime rate is high and the Jamaican authorities have provided police presence for all RC excursions. (I am one who always book private excursions from CC recommendations.)

  2. The trolley train excursion thru Falmouth have a police escort during the entire excursion.
  3. All those who sell merchandise at the port and provide excursions for RC must take a training class on how to treat RC cruisers. This info was provide by some of the vendors and our tour guides. They must be kind to us and can not do any high pressure selling. They suppose to display their merchandise prices.

  4. I don't recall the place where we stopped and shopped but it was duty free. It was like a strip mall and had an upstairs. Across the street there is security with guns presence provided by the merchants to get the cruisers to stray over there and I did. I saw so a lot of security. TheDuty free is a rip off. The cost is so much higher than the non duty free that you will get better deals with paying the taxes. Example $25 for either 6 or 8oz at a duty free store for 100% Blue Mountain coffee and I paid $17 for a pound of the same coffee. Magnets $2 vs $1. Rum cake 6 pack $32 vs $27. Purchase daughter a soccer jacket for $27 vs $40. All items were exactly the same.

  5. The ship provides free bus transportation to and from Rose Hall shopping center. Taxi cabs are not allowed to pick up there and transport passengers back to the ship; you must take the buses assigned to the ship back.
  6. RC is the largest employer in Falmouth and the people are glad they are their to help a very poor economy. With that said everyone was kind and friendly including the residents. After returning to the port I venture across the street to visit the Jamaican version of the IRS:eek: and I notice that security kept there eyes on me. I met some kind beggars and was passing out $1s because they asked so polite that it was hard to refuse. When I came back security said that I should not have passed out money; that is how I know they were keeping an eye on me.

  7. If venturing off on private excursion use wisdom and be safe. Let someone know where you are going and with who.

  8. Enjoy the port and the people and the sights. I had a blast.:D

 

 

Forgot to mention that we received a very nice Historic Falmouth Jamaica Commemorative Guidebook 2011 and a nice back pack drawstring bag!!!!!:D

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jb58

jb58

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They were passing them out to us as we entered the market area. I believe they were employees of the port.

 

You were sitting right behind my daughter and I on the tour. :)

 

You did a much better job shopping. I agree the strip mall duty free shopping was not much of a bargain. Got to wonder what the kick back is? I also liked the visit to the pier. The coffee at the pier was great, not so at the strip mall, very weak, but I like my coffee strong and black.

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Mommy4lyfe

Mommy4lyfe

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You were sitting right behind my daughter and I on the tour. :)

 

You did a much better job shopping. I agree the strip mall duty free shopping was not much of a bargain. Got to wonder what the kick back is? I also liked the visit to the pier. The coffee at the pier was great, not so at the strip mall, very weak, but I like my coffee strong and black.

 

 

I remember; how did your pictures come out!!!

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Cruise Cat

Cruise Cat

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Where was it you found the pound of Blue Mountain Coffee for $17

 

 

 

 

Just off the Navigator of the Seas. We docked in Falmouth on March 10th and we booked Falmouth & Montego Bay at Leisure thru the cruise line for $39pp. I am not posting any pictures because there are plenty of pictures out there of the port and the surrounding markets. I would like to say that I enjoyed Falmouth and would go back. Yes the pier is still under construction but the entertainment was so spectacular that I did not pay attention to the construction. The small market place have very reasonable prices. The entire cruise port is enclosed by fences with police and security presence.

 

The tour was basically sightseeing and shopping and we stopped at a place called pier one in Montego Bay that was nice were we had free coffee and banana bread. What I learned and recommend:

 

  1. I recommend booking your excursions thru the ship because the crime rate is high and the Jamaican authorities have provided police presence for all RC excursions. (I am one who always book private excursions from CC recommendations.)
     
  2. The trolley train excursion thru Falmouth have a police escort during the entire excursion.
  3. All those who sell merchandise at the port and provide excursions for RC must take a training class on how to treat RC cruisers. This info was provide by some of the vendors and our tour guides. They must be kind to us and can not do any high pressure selling. They suppose to display their merchandise prices.
     
  4. I don't recall the place where we stopped and shopped but it was duty free. It was like a strip mall and had an upstairs. Across the street there is security with guns presence provided by the merchants to get the cruisers to stray over there and I did. I saw so a lot of security. TheDuty free is a rip off. The cost is so much higher than the non duty free that you will get better deals with paying the taxes. Example $25 for either 6 or 8oz at a duty free store for 100% Blue Mountain coffee and I paid $17 for a pound of the same coffee. Magnets $2 vs $1. Rum cake 6 pack $32 vs $27. Purchase daughter a soccer jacket for $27 vs $40. All items were exactly the same.
     
  5. The ship provides free bus transportation to and from Rose Hall shopping center. Taxi cabs are not allowed to pick up there and transport passengers back to the ship; you must take the buses assigned to the ship back.
  6. RC is the largest employer in Falmouth and the people are glad they are their to help a very poor economy. With that said everyone was kind and friendly including the residents. After returning to the port I venture across the street to visit the Jamaican version of the IRS:eek: and I notice that security kept there eyes on me. I met some kind beggars and was passing out $1s because they asked so polite that it was hard to refuse. When I came back security said that I should not have passed out money; that is how I know they were keeping an eye on me.
     
  7. If venturing off on private excursion use wisdom and be safe. Let someone know where you are going and with who.
     
  8. Enjoy the port and the people and the sights. I had a blast.:D
     

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Mommy4lyfe

Mommy4lyfe

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Where was it you found the pound of Blue Mountain Coffee for $17

 

I don't recall the name of the store but it was across the street from the strip mall that we stopped at on the excursion thru the ship. Falmouth & Montego Bay at Leisure. I do that it was in Montego Bay and it was at the beginning of the entrance to the shopping area (3rd store). Maybe some one else can help with the name of the duty free shopping area. Just my opinion but I think you can get the coffee cheaper at any store that is not duty free. Negotiation is what I did;).

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