Best Celebrity Excursions in Falmouth, Jamaica?

[laura.merks]

My boyfriend (24m) and I (22f) are going on the 7-night Reflection western Caribbean cruise leaving on March 12th. It seems like we are only allowed to leave the ship in Falmouth if we have booked an excursion through Celebrity but none listed are popping out at us. Does anyone have any favorites or reviews they would like to share to help us make our decision?

[MarkE]

Is Falmouth closed to walking around port we are on March 26 Cruise, we will have to look at excursions now, We have enjoyed the vendors in the Port area in the past are you allowed to get off to  shop there, but not allowed outside the gates?

[keesar]

10 hours ago, laura.merks said:

My boyfriend (24m) and I (22f) are going on the 7-night Reflection western Caribbean cruise leaving on March 12th. It seems like we are only allowed to leave the ship in Falmouth if we have booked an excursion through Celebrity but none listed are popping out at us. Does anyone have any favorites or reviews they would like to share to help us make our decision?

 

Our favorite is Dunn's River Falls.  From Falmouth, it takes a little over an hour to arrive there but well worth it.  Bring water shoes if you have them.  The drive is very scenic and you may see some "interesting sights" along the way.   Jamaica is a special place to visit..

[Ipeeinthepools]

43 minutes ago, MarkE said:

Is Falmouth closed to walking around port we are on March 26 Cruise, we will have to look at excursions now, We have enjoyed the vendors in the Port area in the past are you allowed to get off to  shop there, but not allowed outside the gates?

 

There's very little to see outside the gates in Falmouth.

[mfs2k]

13 minutes ago, keesar said:

 

Our favorite is Dunn's River Falls.  From Falmouth, it takes a little over an hour to arrive there but well worth it.  Bring water shoes if you have them.  The drive is very scenic and you may see some "interesting sights" along the way.   Jamaica is a special place to visit..

It's amazing how Dunn's River Falls is still the place to go...  

I went there in 1985 during a Montego Bay vacation at Rose Hall.  They served the best Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee in the morning.  Sigh... I'm pretty sure we didn't leave the resort for any other occasion.  

[mfs2k]

This post will be relocated in 3-2-1...

[TeeRick]

There was a thread a few days ago about Reflection (Feb 26 cruise) having the port switched from Falmouth to another destination.  Is Falmouth now closed to Celebrity ships or was that just a one-off thing?

 

[TeeRick]

7 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

There's very little to see outside the gates in Falmouth.

We have done the walking, guided Jamaica Culinary Tour there (before COVID) and it was pretty good.

[micmacmissy]

We always stay on the ship in Falmouth and enjoy discounted spa services and a quiet pool deck.

[leaveitallbehind]

A tour that is, unfortunately, not typically listed or provided by the ship is Mayfield Falls, which is located between Montego Bay and Negril.  If port permitted, you would have to arrange it yourself and it is a bit of a drive from Falmouth, but probably similar to the distance going to Dunn's River.  Admittedly when we did it we were docked in Montego Bay, so it was easier as it was closer to do.  But it is well worth researching.

 

Not as dramatic in terms of falls height and the climb, but very picturesque and relaxing and IMO was one of the better experiences we had in our numerous visits there.  Quite a scenic  - and rather dramatic - drive through the mountains to get there!  Google it. Just as an alternative and something most visitors to Jamaica aren't aware of.

[Loracpin2]

14 hours ago, laura.merks said:

My boyfriend (24m) and I (22f) are going on the 7-night Reflection western Caribbean cruise leaving on March 12th. It seems like we are only allowed to leave the ship in Falmouth if we have booked an excursion through Celebrity but none listed are popping out at us. Does anyone have any favorites or reviews they would like to share to help us make our decision?

 

3 hours ago, keesar said:

 

Our favorite is Dunn's River Falls.  From Falmouth, it takes a little over an hour to arrive there but well worth it.  Bring water shoes if you have them.  The drive is very scenic and you may see some "interesting sights" along the way.   Jamaica is a special place to visit..

Another vote for Dunn's River Falls. Climbing them is a great experience especially since there are many Jamaicans posted along the way to help (I certainly did in my mid-40's) pull you up to the top!! 

Of course, at your ages it will be...full speed ahead!!! 

[keesar]

We had a great time on a Celebrity tour which included Shaw Park Gardens and Dunn's River Falls.  The Gardens included a narrated tour and there is some amazing views from there.  Dunn's River Falls provided alot of shade and is a destination for many.  

[DaKahuna]

11 hours ago, TeeRick said:

There was a thread a few days ago about Reflection (Feb 26 cruise) having the port switched from Falmouth to another destination.  Is Falmouth now closed to Celebrity ships or was that just a one-off thing?

 

Jamaica has been closed to cruise ships for a while.  We were originally scheduled to go there in December but that was changed over a month before sailing. 

 

[dkjretired]

22 hours ago, laura.merks said:

My boyfriend (24m) and I (22f) are going on the 7-night Reflection western Caribbean cruise leaving on March 12th. It seems like we are only allowed to leave the ship in Falmouth if we have booked an excursion through Celebrity but none listed are popping out at us. Does anyone have any favorites or reviews they would like to share to help us make our decision?

At your age you will remember Dunn’s river falls for years. We did a boat tour to the fall, must do in Jamaica.

[hiccups]

28 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Jamaica has been closed to cruise ships for a while.  We were originally scheduled to go there in December but that was changed over a month before sailing. 

 

Strangely enough, even though Falmouth was cancelled on Reflection's 1/29 and our upcoming 2/26 sailing, it stopped in Falmouth during the 2/12 cruise!  No idea why that sailing was allowed to stop not others.

[DaKahuna]

1 minute ago, hiccups said:

Strangely enough, even though Falmouth was cancelled on Reflection's 1/29 and our upcoming 2/26 sailing, it stopped in Falmouth during the 2/12 cruise!  No idea why that sailing was allowed to stop not others.

 I do not have an answer only speculation -- I believe some Caribbean ports are restricting the number of ships permitted per day.  But I have no hard evidence or proof, just a suspicion. 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

We were just in Jamaica last week on the Reflection. Here’s a picture of the Dunn River Falls and what the main attraction is. Here’s to hoping Jamaica reopens to cruising again real soon!

 

[TeeRick]

12 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

Jamaica has been closed to cruise ships for a while.  We were originally scheduled to go there in December but that was changed over a month before sailing. 

 

As far as I'm aware there is no ban or closure of cruise ships.  Other CC members have visited on cruises very recently.  Tourism is open in Jamaica in the Resilient Corridor which is on the north coast and includes major cruise ports including Falmouth.  Now of course it is possible that any given ship might be denied port access on any given day for COVID cases on board or other reasons.

 

Here is a link just recently updated.

 

https://intentionaltravelers.com/jamaica-travel-restrictions-2021/

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

As far as I'm aware there is no ban or closure of cruise ships.  Other CC members have visited on cruises very recently.  Tourism is open in Jamaica in the Resilient Corridor which is on the north coast and includes major cruise ports including Falmouth.  Now of course it is possible that any given ship might be denied port access on any given day for COVID cases on board or other reasons.

 

Here is a link just recently updated.

 

https://intentionaltravelers.com/jamaica-travel-restrictions-2021/

FWIW here's what @Ipeeinthepools posted on the following CC thread on Feb 17 at post #12.

 

From the Roll Call of the current Equinox sailing

 

@lexmiller

 

The cruise director, Eddy Jenkins, mentioned on his morning news show on channel 2, that Jamaica wouldn’t let us off unless every passenger was administered a covid test. 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[TeeRick]

1 minute ago, Ken the cruiser said:

FWIW here's what @Ipeeinthepools posted on the following CC thread on Feb 17 at post #12.

 

From the Roll Call of the current Equinox sailing

 

@lexmiller

 

The cruise director, Eddy Jenkins, mentioned on his morning news show on channel 2, that Jamaica wouldn’t let us off unless every passenger was administered a covid test. 

 

 

So I wonder if there was some threshold level of COVID positives exceeded on board?

[Ken the cruiser]

8 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

So I wonder if there was some threshold level of COVID positives exceeded on board?

As far as I know when we were allowed to dock at Jamaica on Feb 15, we had 1 positive C19 passenger. But, of course, the Feb 26 Reflection sailing was still in the future, so it would appear it's a new Jamaican policy, hopefully temporary, that hasn't been reported in an internet article

[PTC DAWG]

• My only visit to Falmouth was on an NCL ship...the Wife and I took a tram around Falmouth..visited a very interesting old Catholic Church...stopped and went into the ocean, which they said added 10 years to my life (thank you).  Saw a very heated argument in the street regarding someone not knowing the current traffic etiquette...very interesting, I learned some new slang words.  

 

[TeeRick]

20 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

• My only visit to Falmouth was on an NCL ship...the Wife and I took a tram around Falmouth..visited a very interesting old Catholic Church...stopped and went into the ocean, which they said added 10 years to my life (thank you).  Saw a very heated argument in the street regarding someone not knowing the current traffic etiquette...very interesting, I learned some new slang words.  

 

We have been to Falmouth 4 times.  We have always walked "through the gates" into town.  Never had an issue.

[Woody14]

I would also vote for Dunn River Falls.   We did a trip one time that did mountain bikes down the mountain which ended at the parking lot for the falls and then went in to the falls.   It is a memory I will never forget.

[PTC DAWG]

2 hours ago, TeeRick said:

We have been to Falmouth 4 times.  We have always walked "through the gates" into town.  Never had an issue.

It wasn't really an issue..was entertaining to me.  It bothered some of the folks on the "tram".