Which route is better

[lojill]

We are trying to make a decision which route is better Ochio Rios and Grand Cayman or Key west,Cozumel,Belize.

[Nliedel]

We are trying to make a decision which route is better Ochio Rios and Grand Cayman or Key west,Cozumel,Belize.

 

Ocho and GC:

OCHO: Dunns river falls are wonderful to climb. It does get crowded but climbing a water fall is not something you can do on a regular basis. Some people do not like Ocho and I cannot blame them. The port area is not what it used to be. There are ways around it. Jamaica is a lovely island if you can get away from the ports. Take a jeep tour, raft the Martha Brae, there are wonderful excursions away from the town and the island, well it smells like flowers and sweat and history and people who are not like your neighbors in the US. If you want to know about other countries, places that are third world, and have a sense of adventure then Jamaica is for you.

 

Grand Cayman. I am not a fan of the island, who cares? I dive and some of the best diving in the world, the Caribbean for sure, is off GC and not far off either. Like animals? Stingray City. Don't bother with the ships tour. Get a Nativeway charter instead. You get to a quieter place on the sandabr and have the place to yourself! No crowds at all.

 

Key west,Cozumel,Belize

 

Key West:

Are you at all xenophobic? Then you are all set in KW. It's the good ole USA. Also if you are a Hemingway fan this is a great place. Art galleries and bars are great.

 

Cozumel:

Also good diving and snorkling and Mayan Ruins. Not so much on Cozumel but they also go to mainland ruins that are more formidable. Shopping too. I have heard people just rave about shopping in Cozumel. I don't shop much on cruises so someone else can explain that.

 

Belize:

Much of this country is a preserved Eco park. Babboons, a world class zoo and more diving and snorkling as well as other Eco related trips. The city itself is not really very safe but still safe enough for cruise ships. Take a tour here.

[bibb]

We've been to all the ports but Key West and agree with Nlidel's post. They are all good ports. Maybe the one with three ports would win for me but only because it has three stops instead of two. I'm a port person.

 

Good luck,

[lojill]

Thanks for the info. Anybody else please give me your intake.

[lojill]

Thanks Nliedel for your information. We just came back from Key,Cozumel,Belize and thought if the other choice was not that great we choose the same route. But why not try something different-is it worth repeating or trying Ochos- Grand Cayman

[DEL67]

It depends what you like. Here's my take:

 

- Ocho Rios/Grand Cayman. Dunns River Falls in Ocho Rios was fun, but otherwise I do not particularly like it as a port and am not in a hurry to go back. Grand Cayman is a clean island with great snorkeling, nice beaches and good, but expensive shopping. You can also swm with the sting rays there which to me is a once in a life time experience - I enjoyed it, but am not interested in doing it again.

 

- Key West/Cozumel/Belize. Personally, I think Key West is just okay. I like both Cozumel and Belize because of the variety of choices in each of these ports, but have not been back to Cozumel since Wilma destroyed much of the island. Both Cozumel and Belize have good snorkeling. In fact Belize's is as good as Grand Cayman. You can visit Mayan ruins from either. You can go cave tubing and zip lining in Belize. You can also swim with the string rays, but my impression is that it is not the same experience as in Grand Cayman. In terms of shopping both Cozumel and Belize offer native craft items as well as having duty free stores.

 

As I said, it depends on what you like. As I am sure you can tell, having been to all these ports I would pick Key West, Cozumel and Belize over Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman, but since you have not been to them, you might want to do so.

 

There is one other factor. Are the cruises the same length? If so, with only 2 ports, you would have an extra sea day. Would you prefer an additional port or a sea day?

[lojill]

You brought up some great points that I will bring up to our group.Thanks for your opinion it helps.