The Original Canopy Tour, Ocho Rios ~honest review and pictures

[bobbie0253]

We did this tour last week. I have about 100 pictures (step by step of the tour) in the link in my signature. I am glad we brought the good camera with us. It was easy to just wear it around our necks while we did the tour. We also brought a small backpack and that was easy to wear also.

 

This is what I thought.....the good and the bad.

 

It was a great experience. I am glad we did it, but would not do it again. I was loking for something a little more thrilling. Don't get me wrong.... if you have never done anything like that it will be amazing. It just wasn't scarry enough for me. I am a thrill seeker. I love adventure.

 

The crew was very professional, but lacked a sense of humor. Most didn't even smile. They were all buisness. I am used to the tour guides being funny and making sure you are having a good time. All you got out of most of them was ...."Turn around. Other side of the tree. Four on the platform at all times." Etc.

 

The tour itself was very organized. The guides were very professional. The equipment was in great condition. At no point did I feel like I was going to fall. They hook you to a rope every step of the way. The scenery was beautiful and relaxing. Total quiet with only birds making noise. Every time you turned around there was a new bright flower. If you are into photography you will love this added bonus.

 

There are A LOT of down hill steps. My legs still hurt and it's been a week. It was very muddy on the walk back at the end of the tour. It was slippery on all parts of the tour except for the platforms. Bring sneakers with excellent tred that you don't mind tossing at the end of the day.

 

After the zip lines they had you walk back to the pavillion. They had water, rum punch, and fruit punch. There were also bathrooms at the end. I drank coffee for breakfast and by the end of the tour....the bathroom was a great sight :) There was also a tip jar at that point. We gave $10 and it looked like just about everyone else did the same.

 

Then then bussed you back to the main building where you could purchase pictures and a dvd that the guides took while on the tour. I think someone said it was $30 for the dvd and the pictures.

 

They also had a gift shop, bar, and stand where the sold jerk chicken. The beer was cold ($4 for Red Stripe) and the chicken was excellent ($6 I think). There were dogs all over, and they were begging...but not in a bad way they just looked at you with those sad eyes and of course we fed them. They never made a move for your food just sat there looking at you.

 

Our tour was about 35 people. Way too many in my opinion. It just took too long to wait for everyone to complete the zip lines. I felt like most of the day was spent waiting on a platform in the trees.

 

On the ride back we had the same driver we had going there. He kept trying to talk us into going shopping. We said no thanks we want to go back to the ship. He ended up taking us to the shopping plaza anyway and then got mad when no one wanted to get out and shop.

 

Our tour was supposed to start at 9:30 and last 4 1/2 hours. We left at 9:30 and got back to the ship at 3:00. Not sure where the extra hour went.

 

So there it is my good and bad, but honest review :)

 

Bobbie

[pklein9747]

Bobbie,

 

Absolutely aweseome pictures!!! Thanks so much for sharing. We're on the Caribbean Princess end of May and were contemplating this excursion. However, I'm afraid of heights & after viewing your pictures, I think we'll try something else. I'm afraid I will get to the first platform & just freeze!

[bobbie0253]

Bobbie,

 

Absolutely aweseome pictures!!! Thanks so much for sharing. We're on the Caribbean Princess end of May and were contemplating this excursion. However, I'm afraid of heights & after viewing your pictures, I think we'll try something else. I'm afraid I will get to the first platform & just freeze!

 

 

I would say go for it. There were a lot of people on the excursion who were afraid of heights and loved the tour. You really aren't that far off the ground most of the time and at no point did I feel like I wasn't 100% safe.

 

:)

[Bothell]

Odd question...do they weigh you? Does certain weights get certian color harnesses?

[rrt737]

Great pictures. Didn't look scary at all!

Question - is this the same place they take you if you book the Canopy Tour out of Montego Bay? Our ship docks in MoBay and I think I remember someone describing the tour a little differently from there.

 

Pat

[paula2051]

My how things have changed. We went 2 years ago when they first offered the excursion and we had about 12 in our group. We "zipped" right along. Afterwards they set up a cab for us to go to Dunn River Falls. We went again last year with about 20. I would imagine it would not be near the thrill with so many people. The best part was the repel. When they found out DH and I had been before, they litterally dropped us to within a foot of the bottom.

[gatorphin]

Excellent! Can't wait to go in 1 1/2 weeks! Should be a blast. Just one thing: can we bring a small back pack and camera(like you did) and should we wear bug spray?!

[bobbie0253]

Sorry for the late response, if anyone is still interested..... it is easy to wear a backpack and hold a camera. I am glad we brought our "real" camera and not a one time use. Bug spray was a must for us. I am glad we brought a small trial size. I really hate bugs :)

[Inshape]

How did you all see pictures???? Where are they? Thanks!

[Mrs. Gump]

bobbi - How many zips? How high up off of the ground were you? How long were the zips? From your pictures it looks like you didn't use a gloved hand for braking so how did you stop? Was there any rappelling? Just recently did the zipline in belize and I'm trying to compare. Thanks!

[bobbie0253]

How did you all see pictures???? Where are they? Thanks!

You may have the signatures turned off in your CC settings?

 

 

Here is the link to the pictures again..... http://public.fotki.com/bobbie0253/the_original_canopy/

[Ensign Mae]

We leave on April 15th on the Triumph. I really want to do the tour. My question is: I will be doing this alone, the rest of the group is doing the FALLS, can you take pictures while on the line and if not how good is the DVD? My friends won't beleive I did this unless I have proof.Thanks for any response.

[Bothell]

We leave on April 15th on the Triumph. I really want to do the tour. My question is: I will be doing this alone, the rest of the group is doing the FALLS, can you take pictures while on the line and if not how good is the DVD? My friends won't beleive I did this unless I have proof.Thanks for any response.

Doing it alone will be no problem, and FUN. As for taking your own pictures..I would do that next time. We paid $40 for our DVD (we just went on March 3rd) and the DVD was a waste of $40. There were 6 of us and we have 4 shots of each...going on a zip line, but you cant really tell what we were doing....it is just shots of YOU coming down and the photographer was standing by the platform getting the picture. In other words it isnt from way below and you can see what it is you are doing or even from the platform and he gets you from way far away. I guess what I am saying it is like you standing in front of a statue...and taking a picture. You know what YOU look like but now you dont see the statue, too bad they dont get what you are doing more in the picture. Then there is some stock pictures too of flowers, leaves, trees and critters..nothing again to do with the zip lines.

You are holding on with both hands so you would need to ask someone ahead or behind you to take your picture as you are doing it. Also you can take pictures from the platform of the actual zip lines..too bad they dont include pictures of the actualy ziplines and plateforms in with the DVDs.

[Ensign Mae]

Thanks Bothell. Will see if I can hand my camera to someone else to get a couple of shots. my DH and I went horseback riding on our honeymoon and two other couples traded cameras. They got good shots of themselves and took good ones of the other couple. Hopefully someone on my tour will be willing to trade with me. Wish me luck. I am 48years old and this is the wildest thing I have ever done! I am also thinking of doing snuba on Grand Cayman. Anyway thanks again.

[jpcoco50]

Do you have to do a shore excursion through your cruise line to do the Original Canopy Tour? Can you just take a cab there and go?

[yolevin]

Is threw Carnival the only way to book the Canopy Adventure Tour in Janaica?

[Bothell]

Do you have to do a shore excursion through your cruise line to do the Original Canopy Tour? Can you just take a cab there and go?

 

I was told it MUST be booked through the crusie line. There is another Zip line but it is supposed to be pretty lame and very tame and short (comes with a ATV ride also) and you can book that through a 3rd party.

[yolevin]

Thank you............

[oligiz]

Hi Bobbi, Great pictures, I really enjoyed them. We will be going on triumph in January 2007, and have a large group going with us. Did you book through

Carnival, and can you tell me the price of the canopy tour. Thanks

[Coolmama_1]

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[bobbie0253]

We booked through RCCL it was around $99 per person :)

[Yvonne]

Loved seeing your pictures, and reading your review about the excursion.

 

DH and I did the Original Canopy Tour along with his two sisters and their husbands, on our January Mariner cruise and we all enjoyed it. I think I probably enjoyed it the most because this was way, way, way out of my comfort zone! :) I was so nervous, but after doing the first zip it was awesome and I would do the excursion again in a heartbeat.

 

Did you take your gloves on and off to take all those pictures? I found it too difficult to keep taking the gloves off, plus my camera is on a wrist strap so that made it more difficult too. We ended up buying the DVD back at Chukka Cove Farm, ours was $30 and I was glad we did because they include a short video of several of the zips at the end.

 

We had too many people in our group too, so I know what you mean about standing around waiting and waiting. It would have been nicer to have about half as many people in the group. But it was still fun. I enjoyed the walk out too, with all the beautiful trees, flowers etc.

[bobbie0253]

Yes we took our gloves off now and then. We took turns taking pictures of each other.

[232271]

To those of you who have done this:

We have a 11 boy, 13 year old girl, they are not the patient type, so is the standing around really bad and are you getting eaten by bugs while doing this?

 

Some mentioned being sore? Do you use alot of muscle otherwise not used often? Like working out for the first time?

 

I didnt notice alot of younger kids, were there many?

 

I know so many questions, it is just we have this booked and paid for and I dont want to subject my kids or anyone to my "whiney" kids if this isnt going to be anything but waiting and "sliding". Like I said they are not much for waiting and my daugther hates bugs...:eek:

 

any advice is very appreciated!!:)

[wgeddings]

I noticed on their website that HAL is not one of the cruiselines that books through them and we will be on HAL. Does anyone know if it is possible to book it if your cruise line does not use them? The website mentions booking through the front desk at your hotel.