What is Ocho Rios like in terms of safely shopping?

[Crismess669]

We’re doing on excursion, but I’m hoping we’ll have time to buy a coffee mug with a pot leaf colored with the Jamaican flag or something classy like that. What I’ve read about Ocho Rios hasn’t been great (apparently some people are scared to leave the damn boat). I don’t want to be screamed at by shopkeepers, sexually harassed or asked if I wanna buy ganja. Of course I wanna buy ganja, but not in a foreign country. I’ve seen Locked Up: Abroad.

 

Are there shops in the port? Google Maps shows a little shopping area nearby. Is it sketchy?

 

-I should note this has nothing to do with Jamaica as a country. It’s Ocho Rios specifically. 

Edited September 15, 2022 by Crismess669

[tunafish]

Ganja is legal in Jamaica now so it will sit next to your mug on that vendor's street spread. Of not I noticed much less solicitation to buy drugs compared to 10-15 years ago. Maybe I am getting old.

[ballarinamom]

There is a shopping area a very short walk from the pier. The vendors can be very aggressive. We've never felt unsafe but we've had to keep to ourselves and not be chatty with people. just get what you want, have a close to corect cange as you can and go.

[MontezumasRevenge]

As soon as we walked out of the gates of the cruise port and on the street we didn't walk 25 feet and some guy said do you want any ganja or brownies, and so I said are the brownies like grandma used to make and we all had a hearty chuckle I can tell you that.