Treated bad in Jamaica

[Monte65]

Hello, Just got back from Enchantment of the Seas last Thursday. Had a great cruise except for Jamaica. First the people there at Dunns River Falls in the shopping area are rude. At least five different guys tried to sell my 17 year old son and 23 year old son-in-law marijuana. Then they called my daughter an animal because she kept walking while holding her husbands hand while they were trying to pull him aside. Then the worst part came when we went to board the ship. The Jamaican official there pulled myself and the our two sons and our son-in-law aside and went through everything in our backpacks and even search the boys from top to bottom, making them pull their pockets out and patting them down. All of this happening while hundreds of other people are walking right by. When my wife asked why they weren’t checking anyone else, they told her to shut her mouth, in those exact words. I told them we wouldn’t be back to spend any more money on their island, and her words were, “So what, we don’t care.” Has anyone else had this happen to them? I know we won’t be going back to Jamaica. And I plan to talk to someone from Royal Caribbean about this also. Other than this, we had a great cruise.

[Folgy]

Hello, Just got back from Enchantment of the Seas last Thursday. Had a great cruise except for Jamaica. First the people there at Dunns River Falls in the shopping area are rude. At least five different guys tried to sell my 17 year old son and 23 year old son-in-law marijuana. Then they called my daughter an animal because she kept walking while holding her husbands hand while they were trying to pull him aside. Then the worst part came when we went to board the ship. The Jamaican official there pulled myself and the our two sons and our son-in-law aside and went through everything in our backpacks and even search the boys from top to bottom, making them pull their pockets out and patting them down. All of this happening while hundreds of other people are walking right by. When my wife asked why they weren’t checking anyone else, they told her to shut her mouth, in those exact words. I told them we wouldn’t be back to spend any more money on their island, and her words were, “So what, we don’t care.” Has anyone else had this happen to them? I know we won’t be going back to Jamaica. And I plan to talk to someone from Royal Caribbean about this also. Other than this, we had a great cruise.

 

 

This is a set up. Don't go back . (not a nice place)

[JanetMarie]

I've posted my thoughts many times on these boards re: Jamaica. If the ship goes there, we don't even bother disembarking. The women chasing me around with their nasty dirty combs wanting to braid my hair and the men chasing dH around to take us for a cab ride - ugh! :mad:

[98Charlie]

Monte - Sorry (but not surprised) to hear about the problems you had in Jamaica. Count us in the group that would stay on the ship if we ever go back. For us it would definately be a deal breaker in choosing between two ships/itineraries.

 

I'm doubtful that the cruise lines can or will do anything. They make money from the stop or they wouldn't be doing it.

[Catnip]

One visit to Jamaica is more than enough, IMHO. Whenever we go back to Jamaica, we never get off of the ship anymore. I enjoy a nice, quiet day by the pool---but more & more folks are not getting off, either! Soon the ship will be crowded with experienced cruisers not wanting the hassle of getting off. :rolleyes:

[Vicar]

Sorry to hear about your experience, but I am also not surprised.

 

 

I am another one who would saty on the ship if Jamaica was ever on a future itinerary.

 

I got a little tired on being pawed and pulled aside by these people trying to sell me things, granted they are there to get customers and make money, but its just a little too much.

 

The second we got out of the cab in the shopping area of Montego Bay they started.

 

The only good part of our stop in Jamaica was the catamaran snorkleing tour we took. That was excellent and the crew on board was great. But as far as just roaming around town amongst the locals , NEVER AGAIN.

[Cruisehappymn]

I went on the Rose Hall tour in Mo Bay. That wasn't bad but then they dumped us off in this shopping village by downtown. We got off the bus to look at the crap in the shacks and made it to 2 and turned around and went back on the bus. Then they stopped dwtn. and people were trying to get us to open the windows etc. Sure, I want to experience other countries etc. but not with that kind of behavior. The shops right as you get off the ship are pretty bad to. And if you do buy something, the guards won't let you back to the ship until they examine, sniff, act rude and do whatever else they feel like. I won't be getting off the ship any longer if Jamaica is one of our stops.

[hstrybuf]

It's reports like these that made us decide to book a tour with Peat Taylor for our first trip to Jamaica. I've heard he's pretty good and keeps the locals from hassling his group. We'll see what happens. I sure wouldn't want to go through what happened to Monte65!

[Travelgrrl]

In Montego Bay, we simply took a cab to Doctor's Cave Beach - an excellent beach and a beautiful, no hassle day.

 

So there are things you can do to avoid the vendor hassle, if you like a beach day.

[LLM]

hstrybuf, We had Peat Taylor booked for our stop there in October. We had no problems at all. I loved Dunns River Falls. The people in the market may be alittle pushy to get you to buy things but we just kept walking and said no thank you. After that Peat took us on a tour and then back to the ship for lunch. He picked us up an hour later and brought us shopping. He stayed close by to where we were. We really enjoyed our stop there.

 

Lisa

[FMDAIL]

It seems lile most everyone who has been to Jamaica has the same opinion.

 

I try to avoid a stop there, but if I can't we stay on the ship. One time in Jamaica was enough.

[joyceyw]

I'm sorry that happened to you too.

 

Unfortunately when we are in another country we don't have the same rights as we would here in America, and they do have the right to search you. As a matter of fact, illegal searches happens here in L.A. all the time.

I've never had problems in Jamiaca and I've been there several times. With and without a cruise ship. Maybe because I look just like them, and treat them with respect. I speak to everyone, and give a firm no when I don't want to buy something. This has always worked. The most I've got is men wanting to give me their employments checks. As Jamiacan men love full figured women. I will get off the ship everytime we stop in Jamiaca, it is a beautiful island with a rich culuture and heritage, and there are some very nice people, contrary to what others think.

[Driftwoodgal]

I will be one of cruisers that get off at Jamaica on our next cruise there. We had read about the vendors near Dunns Falls so we just walked through them without stopping. Of course they were trying to sell their wares to make a living and tried to get you to buy from them. I guess I am used to these type of vendors as you would get the same in Nueveo Laredo, Mexico. It is a shame though that you were stopped by the official, and treated so poorly. We didn't have a tour set up for this stop as they changed from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios the day before we docked. We approached one of the officials that was wearing a red hat and had her discuss transportation with our driver. There was about 14 of us on a 25 passenger bus and we were charged $25 per person to drive us where ever we wanted to go. Our guides at Dunns Falls were wonderful, as well as our driver that took us to Fern Gully, shopping at places that the ship recommended as well as a local vendors across the street. At no time did we feel threatened physically. Did we have some agressive vendors trying to sell stuff.... yes we did. Did they speak to me as I was a shopper in Macys department store, no they didn't but I am in their country and they do have a different culture. Our friends were in the same local shopping area that we were and we lost them. I had a lady approach me and ask me to come back to her stall. I had told her" no thank you" earlier. When she saw me looking for our friends she approached me again and said "I know where your friends are." Sure enough she took us right to them. She asked again if I would look at her wares and I said "yes"... Glad I did I bought a wonderful outfit from her and a shirt for DH. She was just trying to get people back to her stall so she could make a living. It has to be tough to completely depend on cruisers and their purchases to make a living.

 

We will get off the ship when we dock there again, knowing full well that it isn't the USA and you have to be careful and use common sense. Saying that don't you have to do that in any country now, unless you are at a resort?

[atonal1]

I have to agree with Joyce. I have been to Jamaica twice (third time in less than 3 weeks) and will get off the ship. Yes the vendors will hound you to make a purchase, but a firm no will suffice. I have also had natives try to sell me marijuana, and a firm no works just fine.

[Rustynail]

I guess I'm in the minority in that we had a wonderful time in Ocho Rios last December. Yes we did have people approach us for hair braiding, taxi's and even 'reefer' but all we had to say was no thanks and that was it.

 

We ended up in Margaritville on the beach sipping tropical drinks and swiming in the ocean. When we had enough sun we joined our shipmates at the bar and had many laughs.

 

It's too bad that many of you have had a bad experience in Jamaica however I think it's unfair to tell people the island isn't worth getting off the ship for.

To be honest I've had worst times in many big cities in North America (including my own!).

I've read many great reviews from people who have had a fantastic time in Jamaica but everyone has the right to make their own call.

 

Rusty

[DMorris]

I have to agree, I loved Jamaica. We did the falls tour with Ionie McBeam and it was wonderful. I am sorry you had a bad time and were searched like that. It is a great place IMHO, I would get off the ship again if we ever go back there.

[yarlenna]

Jamaica is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. IMHO for physical beauty it left Hawaii in the dust. It is really easy to forget the economic desperation of the Jamaican people. Most of the people you see as a tourist are not full time employees. Benefits may come from the state, but usually not from an employer. They work very hard and often live in poverty we only see on the fringes of our own society. So here we have the problems

1. They see rich tourists coming off the ships. They have urgent needs. Nice guys finish last most of the time. So they are agressive.

2. They have learned from media and experience that many youth coming off the cruise ships will purchase marijuana (or something sold as marijuana) at a price to give them a real profit.

3. They cannot afford to think in terms of long term. You are there for a few hours. You may never come back. If they can't get money from you now, they won't have anything to take home for themselves or their families.

4. Culturally they ARE different from us. They don't do business from across a distance. They get close. To experience what they experience trying to business at a distance, have a conversation with a friend with your eyes closed the whole time. It will be close.

5. Even in our countries, areas of towns and cities populated or frequented by people living in great poverty are areas of great crime risk. Why should that be any different in the Caribbean?

IF ALL cruise ship tourists NEVER purchased drugs and DID purchase the trinkets they manufacture for us to take home as souveniers, then things might change. Other than that, things will stay as they are. One island that is as physically beautiful as Jamaica is Haiti. When was the last time you saw Port of Prince (or any regular port in Haiti) as a port of call? RCI has a compound where we go and enjoy the beach without having to encounter the locals. The only people who profit from our visits are the few who own or work at the facilities. Cruise lines have stopped going to Haiti because it was even more difficult for tourists to take than Jamaica. That is our loss as well as the great economic loss for the people of Haiti.

[Matisse05]

Monte65, sorry you had such an awful experience in Jamaica.:(

Sometimes it's hard for tourists to handle the pressure of the local vendors. Heck, I've had the same kind of hounding while vacationing in the States (NY, New Orleans, San Fran. (Fisherman's Wharf), Boston, etc.) and usually a firm "no thanks" works here as it does in Jamaica. Jamaica gets a bad wrap (understandably so with what happened to you), but it's a truly a beautiful island filled with culture. Don't let the "hounders" stop you from enjoying the island.:)

Hstrybuf, we've used Peat Taylor twice with much satisfaction. He and his family are wonderful!:D

[hstrybuf]

I'm glad to see so many of you still have positive things to say about Jamaica. I forgot to mention that those positives helped me make up my mind a few months ago when we booked with Peat. I just can't imagine going to Jamaica for the first time and NOT getting off the ship! :)

[PhoenixCruiser]

Three weeks ago, we went to the Island Village and Margaritville without any problems, we thought the locals in Cozumel were much, much, worse. I say get off and try it, if it gets too bad, you can always go back to the ship early.

 

Sorry to hear that you were searched Monte...

[CrUiSiNGrL17]

I had a good time in Jamaica (YEA Peat Taylor all the way!) BUT the vendors are really aggressive...I went there last year , and I was 12 or 13 (I'm 14 now) and those people are even rough on the kids! One guy wouldnt let me leave his little shop thing until i bought something, and I didnt have any money on me! When you go to Jamaica, never hold anything the vendors hand you...and NEVER tell them your name! This one guy had me holding all his merchandise and rocks and necklaces and all, and when he asked me my name, I finally threw the stuff down and ran to my family. And they kept calling us names...like my dad has a beard and they were calling him Beardman and Moses. It was pretty funny, but come on! We dont go on cruises to be made fun of! I'm sure parts of Jamaica are very nice, but next time, I'll stay on the ship.

[MrsPete]

Sadly, I think the truth is evident here: People are buying marijuana from these locals -- if someone wasn't buying, they'd stop offering; if they didn't find it on cruise passengers on a regular basis, they'd stop searching. There was a thread on these boards recently about how easy it is to find drugs and how safe it is to bring them back onboard; it was shocking. I expect your son and son-in-law fit the profile of the typical buyer: young men. It's too bad that innocent people are caught up in this mess.

[Littlegoo75]

I have heard similar stories as well, but I have never been to Jamaica and would like to visit at least once to experience it for myself. I know that the hounding is annoying, but I have been to many Mexican border towns, Morocco - where is can be VERY scary, and I also lived in Southern Spain where the Gypsies will grab your hand, do a palm reading and then demand you for money and chase you down the street if you don't give them any. It is sad - I saw some older British tourists practically get tackled by a Gypsy woman.

You have to be a smart traveler, look like you know what you are doing, and STAND YOUR GROUND! Don't get offended when they call you a "cheap American" or an "animal" or a biatch....or any other name - they are trying to intimidate you into buying something from them - and there are a lot of people who fall victim to this, so as long as they succeed, they will keep doing it. They will try to butter you up and say " Hey pretty lady" or "girl with the beautiful leaps" Just ignore them - don't think of it as being rude, just think of it as standing your ground. I know these are just people trying to make a living, with kids to feed, but there are also nicer, legitimate vendors that won't intimidate people as much, and are a lot nicer - maybe they have more respect for travelers. Those are the vendors that I choose to buy from. I know that the more depressed countries rely on us, and I would love to help out a family in need, but not if they are going to be jerks about it. When I was younger, I used to want to cry when a vendor in Juarez, Mexico called me a "cheap little American B - T- C -. But you know what, I have learned from that, and just walk on by, not letting these creeps get the satisfaction of intimidating people so much that they have to buy something from these horrible people.

A friend of mine was getting haggled visciously from a Moroccan leather maker, and almost got assaulted when she stood up to him and said "NO!", but we stood by her, and stood our ground and got away from there at once. 5 of us girls stood together and survived Morocco without returning home with a bunch of crap that we didn't want. We taught them that you can't always intimidate young, blonde white women!

Anyway, the best advice I can give you is do your research before you travel to any foreign country. We all knew what we were in for when we traveled to Morocco - we wanted to experience it anyway, but we were prepared. Anyone who reads these posts will learn a lot, it's the smartest thing you can do before visiting a place you have never been before.

[Steph68]

As the other half of Monte65, I would like to say that it is sad to think that an island as beautiful as Jamaica could have people who treat others in such in an ugly manner. Though we were very friendly and offered a kind "no thank you" to all the vendors who approached us, we were still called nasty names, and had men and women alike pulling at our clothes and our arms trying to get us to purchase the items they had for sale. It felt as though we were being assaulted. We completely understand that that is their means of making a living, but I feel that there are better ways of approaching people. Had they been kind, friendly and greeted us warmly, we would have been more than happy to have stopped and purchased some trinkets to take home as souvenirs. But being harassed and having obscenities shouted at us resulted in us just wanting to leave. And having been treated like criminals by the Jamaican officials while in the process of getting back on the pier to get on the ship was completely uncalled for. If our sons (being young men) did fit their country's profile of those who may purchase drugs and try to take it back on the ship with them, there was absolutely no need to treat any of us the way they did. I could understand if we brought it on ourselves, but we know we are in another country and that we are only visitors which is why we were never nothing less than kind to all of those we came across... regardless of how rude we were treated. We were only hoping for the same from this island that we were looking very much to visiting. Unfortunately, we felt so unwelcome, that if we do take another cruise that has Jamaica on it's intinerary, we feel it may be best to stay on board. I'm sorry if we've offended anyone with regards to the island or the people who live there as relates to our personal experiences. But regardless of who you are or where you live, I feel there is never a need to treat someone with as much disrespect as we were treated with knowing we greeted everyone with a smile.

[gkrebs]

The searching of pax has been going on for quite along time now. This was done to my son when we were on the VOS in Dec. 2002. They searched the same way that was described above, but they didn't find it. The searching does no good, the people who buy will get it on one way or another. Once its on, the cruise staff don't care if you smoke it in front of them or not. Its basically the casual buyer or the first timer that gets nailed because they put it in their pockets.