Montego Bay shuttle to DRs Cave Beach/Margaritaville (Hip Strip)?

[pcvtmom]

With the recent travel advisory for Jamaica, from the US State Department, my husband is leery about the plans I had for our cruise visit to Montego Bay in April.  I planned to shuttle or taxi to Margaritaville (brief visit, we're Parrotheads 😉), and then go to Dr's Cave Beach for the day.  I cannot find any recent posts on travel sites about the shuttle from port to the Hip Strip, and I wondered if that is still an option.  If so, what's your experience? I believe he'd be more comfortable with a shuttle than a taxi. 

 

Older posts (pre-pandemic) on Tripadvisor and other sites mentioned that Carnival offers a shuttle, but that isn't in our shore excursion list, so I guess it's been discontinued.  None of the Carnival shore excursions appeal to me.  The only excursion to Dr's Cave Beach involves a dolphin encounter, which we aren't really interested in doing.

 

I appreciate any feedback you can provide!

[hammer76]

I have the same question about Margaritaville. Wondering the distance from the cruse port to Margaritaville.

[Cuckoo7]

On 2/13/2024 at 1:23 PM, pcvtmom said:

With the recent travel advisory for Jamaica, from the US State Department, my husband is leery about the plans I had for our cruise visit to Montego Bay in April.  I planned to shuttle or taxi to Margaritaville (brief visit, we're Parrotheads 😉), and then go to Dr's Cave Beach for the day.  I cannot find any recent posts on travel sites about the shuttle from port to the Hip Strip, and I wondered if that is still an option.  If so, what's your experience? I believe he'd be more comfortable with a shuttle than a taxi. 

 

Older posts (pre-pandemic) on Tripadvisor and other sites mentioned that Carnival offers a shuttle, but that isn't in our shore excursion list, so I guess it's been discontinued.  None of the Carnival shore excursions appeal to me.  The only excursion to Dr's Cave Beach involves a dolphin encounter, which we aren't really interested in doing.

 

I appreciate any feedback you can provide!

 

We were there about a year ago, and yes, they still have the shuttle.  There's a kiosk in the port where you pay.  I believe we paid with our sign and sail card, got a wristband and then boarded the bus.  You can hop on and off at any of the stops, and it includes Margaritaville and Doctor's Cave.  It ends and turns around at this little shopping area across from Rose Hall.

 

You may get offered some pot, but we never felt unsafe at all.

[pcvtmom]

Thanks so much for your response!

[P27159]

I am wondering about this also, but we aren't sailing on Carnival, we are on MSC. I assume if a shuttle is using a sign and sail card, then they may only take Carnival passengers?

 

Our cruise was supposed to go to Ocho Rios, but at the last minute, they had to do a port change, so I am assuming that MSC doesn't use that port regularly and therefore doesn't have an existing infrastructure of excursions and shuttles (their site has had no choices of excursions for at least a week now from the date the port change announcement was made.  Due to the State Department travel advisory, we are also looking for a safe, short distance transfer, and figured that might be our best bet.  If anyone has any info we can use, I'd appreciate it.  Thanks

[Cuckoo7]

I'm guessing it's only for Carnival passengers, for the reason you noted.  While we took the shuttle the last time we were there, my brother and his family just grabbed a cab outside the port because they only wanted to go to Margaritaville.  They didn't feel unsafe.  The only problem they had was that the driver said he'd be back to pick them up at a specific time and he didn't return.  So they had to get another cab for the way back.  If I recall, it was pretty expensive, so negotiate in advance and I'd say don't believe them when they say the amount is for both ways.

[P27159]

2 hours ago, Cuckoo7 said:

I'm guessing it's only for Carnival passengers, for the reason you noted.  While we took the shuttle the last time we were there, my brother and his family just grabbed a cab outside the port because they only wanted to go to Margaritaville.  They didn't feel unsafe.  The only problem they had was that the driver said he'd be back to pick them up at a specific time and he didn't return.  So they had to get another cab for the way back.  If I recall, it was pretty expensive, so negotiate in advance and I'd say don't believe them when they say the amount is for both ways.

Thanks for the the information. It was very helpful.