jamaica DANGEROUS?

[misstee7]

read a canadian travel advisory recently--Jamaicia is having a general election on 8-27-07- could lead to civil unrest in the entire country! All visitors were warned to be extra cautious! should we just stay on board the ship-- we sail 9-02-07 in ochos rios 9-04-07??

[kanigeta]

I wouldn't get off in Ocho Rios at this time. Given that particular warning, plus all the stuff you can read about in other posts on these boards about robbers holding cruisers at gunpoint. Just do some searches on this board and on other travel websites and you'll find lots to be wary of.

 

We got off in Ocho Rios in February, at which time we knew that other travellers had experienced problems, but we hadn't seen such stories as those of late. And...we weren't comfortable a few times. I'll try not to go back and if an itinerary takes me there, I'll stay on the ship.

 

I agree with lots of others....we should all let the cruise lines know we think they should take it off their itineraries.

[wernew2cruising]

Such a shame, isn't it? I chose the itin. I did because it went to Ocho Rios instead of MoBay. I really want to see Dunns Falls and the cave there. We had an unpleasant experience in MoBay and don't ever want to go back there. Thought OR would be ok...guess I thought wrong. :(

[YoPhilly]

What a shame! We traveled many times with our family to Ocho Rios, staying in a private home, with just a few minor (non-violent) problems.

 

In terms of beauty, I think Jamaica beats every other Caribbean island. It has everything for a truly successful tourism industy: gorgeous beaches, mountains, lush green hillsides, wonderful resorts. It's so very unfortunate that isolated incidents tarnish the island's appeal.

[bubbadog]

i would just wait and see when you get there, it doesent necessarily mean its going to be an uprising, you should contact the tour operators first and see what they say:))):p ;)

[Hiwayman]

I won't be going back to Jamaica, ever. My experience was negative, to say the very least. :(

[CrusinAgain]

I would never go off on my own in Jamaica and always go with a well known tour operator. We did not have any problems but it did feel like we had a body guard with us. We took a tour and saw the falls, shopped a little at the port and had a drink at Margaritaville. We didn't feel unsafe but we were warned by others on this board so we kept a keen eye out. I guess I would play it by ear and see what the ship crew say about Jamaica once you get onboard. I hope they would take the proper precautions if they feel it is unsafe for their passengers. It is a place that once you have seen it, once is enough for us.

[Iceberg2]

We will be in MoBay in Jan. 2008 and will probably not get off the Coral. Our previous experience with Dunns Falls having to walk through the vendors market on the way out was very intimidating. Wearing only a bathing suit,with the vendors literally block your path and chase you for their wares was not very pleasant. Unless, I hear better news until we leave, we will be relaxing on board.

[JPRLHR]

We have been to Jamaica on numerous occasions and have never once felt remotely threatened. Mo'Bay used to have a bad reputation but is much much safer now and Ocho Rios is very low key.

 

Bearing in mind that the vast majority of tourists stay in & around either the Island Village shopping centre or one of the other small shopping centres and there are security staff at each entry point, it is perfectly safe. Just use your common sense which unfortunately, far too many people seem to leave at home when they're on holiday.

 

If you're going to either Dunns River Falls or River Rafting then it only makes sense that you'd be better off to go on an organised tour.

 

A lot of people seem to mis-interpret polite inquisitiveness from a local or even an offer of some weed where a simple No Thank You will be sufficient for them to leave.

 

Jamaicans are genuinely friendly people but like everywhere, they have their bad apples too. You wouldn't go walking around some areas of your home town on your own or at night so the same applies in Jamaica.

[crusdiva]

We have been to Jamaica on numerous occasions and have never once felt remotely threatened. Mo'Bay used to have a bad reputation but is much much safer now and Ocho Rios is very low key.

 

Bearing in mind that the vast majority of tourists stay in & around either the Island Village shopping centre or one of the other small shopping centres and there are security staff at each entry point, it is perfectly safe. Just use your common sense which unfortunately, far too many people seem to leave at home when they're on holiday.

 

If you're going to either Dunns River Falls or River Rafting then it only makes sense that you'd be better off to go on an organised tour.

 

A lot of people seem to mis-interpret polite inquisitiveness from a local or even an offer of some weed where a simple No Thank You will be sufficient for them to leave.

 

Jamaicans are genuinely friendly people but like everywhere, they have their bad apples too. You wouldn't go walking around some areas of your home town on your own or at night so the same applies in Jamaica.

 

I completely agree with this fair and level-headed response. Thank you, JPRLHR for expressing my thoughts so succinctly. Jamaica is indeed one of the most beautiful places anywhere - don't miss it.

[gooch47]

I have no idea if they still offer it, but we had one of the best snorkeling trips ever right off the dock in Jamaica. I'd have to look it up but I'm pretty sure it was Ocho Rios.

[serene56]

read a canadian travel advisory recently--Jamaicia is having a general election on 8-27-07- could lead to civil unrest in the entire country! All visitors were warned to be extra cautious! should we just stay on board the ship-- we sail 9-02-07 in ochos rios 9-04-07??

 

 

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20070810T000000-0500_126141_OBS_CANADA_ISSUES_ELECTION_TRAVEL_ADVISORY_TO_JAMAICA_.asp

 

It mentions Montego Bay and Kingston area and mentions for the 27trh only.

 

 

 

I am pretty sure that if a port is having a problem like you mention they probably wont be stopping there.

Cruiselines will not be putting their passengers into jeopardy.

[lvtotrvl1]

I was there during an election and it was only the day of the election that you saw anything....lots of people out waving thier party flags etc, but we did not have any problem...the day after, everything was bak to normal. The Jamaicans are very loyal to thier political parties, and it was very interesting to see .

[ArizonaRalphie]

Jamaica? Hell no, I never even kissed her.

[J&KCruisers]

Ocho Rios is our number one destination for the Caribbean!!

 

The area is very beautiful and the exotic location that allows you to see a different culture altogether. We have taken tours into the hillsides and done some of the best tours anywhere we have visited.

 

This December, we will do our fourth year in a row which will include Ocho Rios and we are scheduling our fifth. We have two children 13 and 11 who learn quite a bit from seeing the schools and children of Jamaica.

 

If you are concerned, schedule a tour and "Don't worry about a thing, cause every thing is going to be alright!!"

 

No Problem, Mon.

 

Arie!!

[woodofpine]

I've been to Jamaica cruise and non-cruise. I think that the UK poster's claim to have not experienced anything "remotely threatening" sort of mis-represents the tourist situation there. That said, I like Jamaica.

 

Jamaica is uniquely beautiful. It's culture is DEEP. The locals can be very friendly one on one, but... But the country has great poverty in increasingly heavy urban situations (high population youth loaded) such that crime IS something to be aware of and to take precautions to avoid. The area around the piers are not too pleasant because - we appear on schedule, we've got money, they don't - resulting in heavy comes on from all kinds of hucksters. The local populace has a "personality" that compares most closely to St. Lucia (IMHO - and another beautiful place). Dunn's River has the same sort of high press. Just remember and never forget - NO. - is a complete sentence... :)

 

I wouldn't necessarily let an election change my plans there; the line will advise if something unusual arises on port day.

 

I think that cruise passengers should go ashore in Jamaica. But I do recommend that cruise passengers can't change the fact that to many of the locals they're, "Fresh food, right off the pier!". So arrange a reputable driver-guide in advance to get you away from the pier and to shown you a fascinating lovely island.

[indiaksue]

I guess I would proceed with caution. We have been to Jamaica twice. Once to Montego Bay with a cruise. We went to Sunset Beach and had a great time. The other was a week long All-Inclusive in Negril and had the best vacation of our lives. That said we were approached to purchase drugs and we just said no. He was a really nice guy that came to the beach every day and chatted with all the people. We just said no and he left us alone. Both times in Jamaica we felt completely safe where we were. I don't know if we would venture out on our own, but we will be going back to the most beautiful beach we have ever seen.

[stoneharborlady]

If you are concerned, schedule a tour and "Don't worry about a thing, cause every thing is going to be alright!!"

 

No Problem, Mon.

 

Arie!!

 

 

Telll that to the Carnival passengers who were held up at gunpoint (kids included). They were on an escorted tour, I believe sponsored by the ship.

 

Karen

[Jacqueline]

I had a Jamaican housekeeper for many years. All I can say is that the violence there is real. Stories of gunfire, hiding under furniture, random and tragic death is not out of the ordinary there. It's not a just a bad apple.

That said, there is no taking away from the beauty of the island. Inclusives seem to be the safest choice.

But for many of us, this is a vacation. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the cruiseship while in Jamaica.

Maybe if tourism suffers, the govenment will be more motivated to make a change. It's not doing anything to help improve the economic situation of a vast number of people on this island.

[CrusinAgain]

Telll that to the Carnival passengers who were held up at gunpoint (kids included). They were on an escorted tour, I believe sponsored by the ship.

 

Karen

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, you are absolutely correct Karen and here is the link to the event and I'm sure you will find lots of info on the Carnival forum about this.

 

http://blogs.usatoday.com/cruiselog/2007/06/carnival_passen.html

[woodofpine]

You better not go to Puerto Limon, Colon (fer sure), and Aruba - ? - confer with the Holloways... Cartagena we won't discuss...

 

And if your travel 'must do' list includes an African safari (you're f'd)...

 

I suppose if your cruise leaves from Miami - you'd better cancel the whole shibang!

[stoneharborlady]

You better not go to Puerto Limon, Colon (fer sure), and Aruba - ? - confer with the Holloways... Cartagena we won't discuss...

 

And if your travel 'must do' list includes an African safari (you're f'd)...

 

I suppose if your cruise leaves from Miami - you'd better cancel the whole shibang!

 

 

 

 

I know what you are getting at, but to be brutally honest with you, no vacation on earth would be worth having a gun pointed at my grandchilds head. I know we are not guaranteed anything in this world, the ship could sink, the car could crash, there are no promises. But Jamaica seems to me to be too risky, I was not comfortable even within the ships gated area. I dont enjoy a beach surrounded with barbed wire, or being told "No change available for your purchase" when it was obviously not true. They told the same story to everyone who bought a T shirt. As for a gorgeous beach, well the one we were taken to was filthy, never again. Why they dont do two days at Princess Cays, or Grand Cayman I will never know. Or an extra sea day. Jamaica is not beautiful to me.

Karen

[friend of Eeyore]

I know what you are getting at, but to be brutally honest with you, no vacation on earth would be worth having a gun pointed at my grandchilds head.

.......

Jamaica is not beautiful to me.

Yes, I agree about the gun situation. I would probably still be fearful if I were in that group/on that ship. However, one does have to take the statistics into consideration. How many ship's tours/private tours have occurred, and how many of those robbery stories have you heard?

 

I've been to Jamaica once, and I found it very beautiful. Yes, my husband was approached to buy drugs, and I was approached to get my hair braided, but a simple "No" sufficed all the time. I would just keep a couple of things in mind:

1) Go with a pre-arranged tour -either ship's tour or private. I would not, as people on the Jamaica board have suggested, simply get off and take a JUTA cab to the waterfall. You can arrange tours to just the waterfall through companies such as ABC or Peat Taylor, and I'd feel much more comfortable with a company that has a reputation.

2) If you just want to get Rum Cream or go to MargaritaVille, just walk off the pier and shop right there at the port stores - I don't think I'd even walk the 1/2 mile or less to the other shopping area.

3) Remember the words "No" and/or "No thank you". It does work.

4) Only carry the minimum that you need to for the day, and keep it in a secure place.

 

For that matter, #3 & 4 are important for anywhere. We were just in the Med, and needed to use both of those tricks everywhere as well!

 

I think if things were looking really dangerous for Jamaica right after the elections, than the ship would either make it really obvious, or skip the port altogether. You should be fine.

 

Check out the Jamaica boards for more help (that's where that Carnival thread ended up, I believe). Click here for the board.

[TwinCruiserMom]

You will get a lot of info about Jamaica on the "Jamaica" board under ports of call. We were there in July and had a wonderful time because we had Marva Shaw as a tour guide. You must schedule a private tour as the well known operators work very hard to ensure your safety. I wouldn't just pick up a taxi and go with the flow in Jamaica.

 

Marva picked us up at the port and took us directly to Dunn's River Falls. We were in one of the first groups up and it was beautiful! She waited in the parking lot for us the whole time and we left our belongings with her. AND if you want to avoid the sellers area at the end of the Falls, just walk out the "In" gate. Some locals will tell you that you are going the wrong way, but it will take you right back to the parking lot where your guide is waiting. I was traveling with my DH and 3 children so you better believe safety was a huge concern for me. I never once felt unsafe with Marva. She is very well known in the area. You can just tell her what kind of tour you want, the falls, a beach, to see Jamaica (which is what we did) - and she will quote you a price.

 

You can also correspond back and forth by email with the tour operators and ask questions. I always received quick responses and actually felt like I knew her before the tour. There are several other well known operators who have favorable reputations - you really need to check out the Jamaica board.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences, I will be in jamaica in January and feel better now. I have been offered weed in St Thomas and St Maarten, no big deal to me. Growing up I was offered weed at school, on the street, happens here in the U.S. too. To those with negative experiences, I am very sorry and will take my precautions.