Montego Bay Cruise Terminal

[lbb2014]

Our plan is a simple tour of MoBay, Drs Cave beach, and Margaritaville. Plus some local Pork Pit fare and trinket shopping. This thread has made me realize that I am really glad I hired a driver for our group!! He's to meet us 1 hour after we dock, so hopefully a lot of the crowd will have dispersed a bit. My parents aren't necessarily mobility-challenged, but they are a bit older and don't do well with the shoving, etc.

 

Hello Ready2Cruise2016 . What company are you using for transportation. Thank you.

[Ready2Cruise2016]

Hello Ready2Cruise2016 . What company are you using for transportation. Thank you.

 

Hi lbb!! We are using Chester's Tours.

[maldenmusic]

Hi lbb!! We are using Chester's Tours.

 

Thanks for the info.

[Athankfulheart]

We were in MoBay last December. We had booked a catamaran charter

(freestyle) and they picked us up right in front of the ship at a shorter dock. When we got back we went to venture into the "shop" area and it was in very poor shape. There was a fairly aggressive guy wanting to be paid for having photos with him, which is fine - if you want to get a picture. It was pretty uncomfortable, and we aren't new to traveling.

 

The building didn't have anything actively going on inside besides security. There were a handful of vendors under tents on very rough and muddy ground beside the terminal "building". All seemed to be in a very negative mood, prices were high and they just had this strange thing about them like every one of the people there were trying to steal from them. The thing is that because of the sogginess and lack of selection, there just weren't many of us out there. I would have to discourage anyone with mobility issues to from doing a walk off at this port.

 

We have been to lots of places, but this port just felt creepy, unhappy and just plain uncomfortable. The sea in the MoBay area had so much trash in it too

[SMSACE6]

Please post here after your September trip and let me know what you ended up doing.

 

a bit of a long story, except did not get to do anything..lol.

 

As noted before, I am now walking with a cane, and walking any distance is quite painful for me now. But when we pulled into Montego Bay, I was delighted to see we pulled in right beside the terminal building (down a fair ways from the photos that mitsugirly posted), and I gather from what I heard from other cruisers on my ship, that one never really knows until docking if they will park up a ways buy those old buildings and shuttle you down to the main terminal, or sometimes you will dock directly beside the terminal building.

 

I waited until I saw the crowds dissipating getting off the ship, like two hours after docking (because I could not stand long in line waiting to debark). I made my way down, and across the dock to the terminal building, and once inside I saw the line for the hop on hop off bus immediately. There were about 100 or more people lined up, and the line did not move hardly. I found a place to sit and waited a half hour for the line to dissipate, but it just got longer.

 

I finally gave up and hobbled my way back on board.

 

When you exit to go back to the ship, there is a sign that says walking on dock probibited, please wait for the free shuttle. I waited about 20 mins, no shuttle, no one to ask, so I got up and walked back to the ship, no one stopped me. So pay no heed to that sign. ( I am not one for breaking rules, or suggesting others do, but there was no such shuttle when I was there, so I just got up and went.) If you can walk the dock from the ship to terminal building, then why is it prohibited to walk back to the ship?

 

I was slightly disappointed, but am getting used to the deal that I am dealt now. I just cannot walk distances anymore, and perhaps upcoming surgery will help, and maybe not, remains to be seen. However, as long as I can walk with a cane, I will still cruise, and still try to make it to shore. If I cant do it, then so be it, back on board to a quiet ship.

 

The scenery visible from the ship was beautiful though. Would love to have done a round on that hop on and off bus.

 

so nothing of importance to report, except, that you may or may not be docked right at the terminal, or up along a ways.

 

As long as you are able bodied then I recommend you get off here, regardless of how far from the terminal building you dock. Better it will be if dock right beside the terminal building like we did, and if you are able bodied, then a lineup should not deter you, since lineups are par for the course in most of these port of call.

 

hope you get out and do the sightseeing that you want to do, and wish you a great cruise.

Edited September 12, 2016 by SMSACE6

[roses313]

Good to hear you made the best of it. Hope you can enjoy many more cruises.

I'm very impressed with your positive attitude.

[boaterette]

Can anyone tell me the cost of the hop on hop off bus? Thank you.

[SMSACE6]

Sorry I don't know for sure because I never made it to that line up to get a ticket. but from all the searching I did before my cruise, I found anywhere from 15.00 to 20.00, so thinking that 20.00 might be the more recent and up to date cost. Hopefully someone will chime in and give an update on that fee.

[maldenmusic]

Sorry I don't know for sure because I never made it to that line up to get a ticket. but from all the searching I did before my cruise, I found anywhere from 15.00 to 20.00, so thinking that 20.00 might be the more recent and up to date cost. Hopefully someone will chime in and give an update on that fee.

 

That sounds about right for what I've been told. Thanks.

[jragan@gmail.com]

Thanks for this thread. I'm going to do a small hijack though. We are going as a family to Mobay in November. There will be at least 7-8 of us that will want to go to Dr Cove's Beach. Would it be cheaper for us to get a taxi (or two perhaps?) than the hop on/hop off bus? $20 a person adds up. Is it easy to find a taxi or do you have to venture 'over the fence' to get a non-licensed one?

 

My parents are older and have already said they might just stay on the boat. They've been to Mobay before and were not impressed. The rest of us (with 4 kids under 10) will want to check out the beach. Of course, it looks like we'll have to play it by ear to see if there will be anything for my folks to get off the boat for. But organizing 10 people is not the easiest thing, so knowledge of the area is the best resource.

 

Thanks for all the other helpful information.

[SMSACE6]

I think you will definitely be better off with taxi/or taxis, depending on the size of the taxis, compared to hop on hop off bus. Since I was not able to get anywhere due to my physical limitations, I cant speak to how the taxi situation is, but am sure that you can arrange one, and if you don't like the first price quote, then there will more taxis lined up, and willing to "deal". Your parents might be like me, and enjoy a quiet day on board the ship, and enjoy the scenery from deck side. wish you all a great cruise.:)