Is it worth getting off the ship in Mo Bay?

[bahami]

We found Mo Bay beautiful. We went on a trip to Mayfield Falls and it was an incredible experience. I actually found out about it on these boards and we had a group of 11 people - everyone (young and old) absolutely loved it. It was one of our favorite excursions of the trip!

[PhoenixCruiser]

We are going to be on the same cruise as you! Only 6 more days! I have been a little nervous getting off on Jamaica also, I have heard a lot of negative comments. I decided to go for it, I would be disappointed in myself to have gone all the way, and NOT get off the ship and say I have been in Jamaica. My friends/family are doing the zipline tour too, we are doing the morning one, we have some who are afraid of heights, but they are doing it because they know once they get over the first one, they'll have a blast!

 

Exactly!! Get off the ship and experience the port for yourself :D

 

###

[HookedOnCruisin'2]

I would love to do the zipline tour but am afraid I coudn't. Walking is difficult for me but I can do it. I just keep seeing a picture of a pole you have to climb and I"m not so sure I could manage that.

[one9marine]

we did not do an excursion so i can't comment on that. however we did take a trip to a shopping district in a downtown area. when we got on the bus we almost had to revolt to get them to take us where we supposed to go. it was 8.00 a person. the guide tried her best to convince us to go 12.00 dollars a person to go to a different location. tried to convince us that RCI were in cohoots with the stores downtown and we couldn't get any good deals. the area was dirty,cramped,shop owners VERY pushy. after an hour or so we escaped back to the ship and loved the emptiness. unless there is some excursion that you feel you can't miss,stay on board and just relax.

[K1200S]

I have been to Jamaica twice. We did Dunn's river falls the first time and did a zip line the last time. I prefer to form my own opinion about a port and that is what I tell people to do.

[Oville]

We were in Cozumel last week and love this port--especially the Chakanaaub State Park where people can swim with the dolphins. We noticed people trying to sell stuff but never felt harassed by any.

 

We never got off in Ochos Rios because I was ill but it looked lovely--very mountainous. We wanted to take an island tour my TA recommended. Hope to see it in the future. Zip line sounds like fun. I may try it on my winter cruise to the southern caribbean.

 

Sorry, you misunderstood or I did a bad job of explaining my point. We too love Cozumel but vendors do bark at you when you get off the ship at both the international dock and downtown. Say no and they back off, no big deal. Our favorite excursion of all the places we've been in the Caribbean is Passion Island on Cozumel.

 

To the OP, as I said earlier, never felt threated in either Jam. ports. Ya, there are guys selling marajuana but it's legal there. Don't want it, don't buy it. No one gave us a hard time for saying no. Maybe they are just too mellow to harass!;)

[KIDS LUV CRUISIN]

i just got back today from liberty of the seas and it was great

when we were in jamaica it poured all day long

however we used marva shaw and had maxine as a guide it was wonderful.

her email [knowjam@yahoo.com]

tell her corie sent you

she wass great

[ala-kat]

Jamaica.. had no problems there. Margaritaville (MB)- overly priced, but just up the road and across the street is 'the brewery'. This being a beer cruise for us was calling our name. Sadly they weren't brewing their own beer, nor had a large selection - BUT - we had a great time there. Not crowded, very pleasent and significantly cheaper.

 

We stayed close as a group and had no problems - 'no thank you' works fine. Don't be stupid there. There are places you really don't want or need to be and no secret is made of it.

 

Funny, the one thing that sticks out in my mind from that trip (2002) was there was not one vehicle that was not damaged. The driving there is awful - side-swipping going on at literaly every turn.

[ala-kat]

Ya, there are guys selling marajuana but it's legal there. Don't want it, don't buy it. No one gave us a hard time for saying no. Maybe they are just too mellow to harass!;)

 

Not to question you, but is it really legal there? My cousin and his friend were arrested for buying, bought their way out, and then the cops tried to sell it back to them!!

 

Things that make you go hmmmmm....

[Luv4dacruise]

Count me in as one fo the "Dont get off's". Enjoy your time on the ship while everyone else is off. Been there once, never again, the people were very pushy, and the island itself was just, im sorry to say it, dirty. However to each there own, but i would just like to point out that many people have said how they enjoyed it and had a great time and stuff, but the majority of you, if not all also said that you were in the confines of a resort. Jamaica is one of those places that it is a totally different world outside the walls of a resort, which is what most cruise passengers experience. Just some food for thought....Happy Cruising!

[Cloud9 Bob]

Been there once to experience it. If it's ever a port on a cruise I'm on, I doubt I would get off the ship too. The locals were extremely pushy and made me feel I was there for them ($$$), rather than there for me (my vacation). Also, every time I seemed to take a photo of a general scene, someone would rush me and demand to be paid cash because they may have been in a tiny corner of it. It really got old after awhile.

[Jimmers]

Also, every time I seemed to take a photo of a general scene, someone would rush me and demand to be paid cash because they may have been in a tiny corner of it.

 

That's funny. Funny haha. not funny peculiar.

 

They have all sorts of tricks you need to watch for. Like handing you something and then demanding that you pay them for it.

 

Or asking you your name in a friendly manner. The next thing you know they're carving it into a piece of wood and telling you that you just bought it.

 

Funny stuff.

 

Jimmers:)

[rosebud1g]

Hi COT427.. I am from the Burgh too!

 

My hubby and kids stayed on the ship at Mo-bay

and enjoyed the H2O zone almost empty!

 

I got off the ship with our tablemates and bought

the hot-spot shuttle pass recommended by RCI

smart shopper. BEWARE! The driver took us

to the best beach in town and was charging

RCI passengers $5pp and keeping the money!

It was a crappy beach. A few weddings were

going on. I would NEVER get married on that beach!

I later found out it was a FREE beach. He also

on the 1st stop took us to a so called shopping

area, that was nothing but wood nailed together

in a getto type place. We did NOT get off the shuttle.

We did get off at Doctor's Cove and got on a private

small boat to snorkel.

Then we walked down the street to Margaritaville and

the Bobsled Cafe.

These were fun places...not appropiate for young kids, as they were having a shake your bootie contest on the bar.....Along the way the locals kept

trying to LURE us into their shops to Buy, Buy, Buy.

You have to keep walking and say NO!

Then we took the shuttle to city center and bought

coffee, booze, rum cake.

Here they are extremely PUSHY! At City Center...

beware of the lady with the rotten fruit on her head..

she demands a tip!

I could not wait to get back on the ship!

Taxi drivers hustle you to take their cabs too.

Once they see your hot spot shuttle armband

they leave you alone. You have to keep saying

NO to all the locals there...

I never did see Miss Smart Shopper to tell

her about their recommended Hot Spot Shuttle.

I was not happy with our driver and his

recommendations.

[Fury1995]

I've been on many cruises and have experienced pushiness. I've been to Jamaica 3 times, the first time about 15 years ago and the last 2 within the last few years. 15 years ago people warned visitors and I just laughed and thought they were ridiculous! We saw Jamaica, went to the falls and the straw market with another couple and had a great day-my dh told me later that he had been warned by some locals "not to leave his woman alone" it wasn't safe! I tend to shun things like that and the 2nd time I had my two boys who were 14 and 17. They told me they had been approached several times in shops (that were oked by RCCL) to buy pot! I was right there! How did they do that! The third time we went the locals were so obnoxious I turned around and went back to the ship. This summer a cruise line excursion was HYJACKED! while on an excursion and people were robbed at knife point. I'm not a Polyanna but I will never step foot in Jamaica again.

 

 

This happened to us within feet of the gangplank in Antigua. We had been forwarned this might happen there and sometimes it's actually a sting by the local authorities. We just pretended we didn't speak english as we walked through them. :D :D Kinda ironic..huh.

[gooselover]

I agree with the others. If you have never been there, don't let this pass you by. Yes, there are negative and positive about it and we experienced both.

 

I would say stay away from the "beaten path" because it could cause trouble and/or a bad experience (we had one - well kinda frightning anyway - weird). But we also did the helmet dive and it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something that we could NEVER do here in Oklahoma!

 

Our bad experience was after we got done with the helmet dive, we decided to "walk" back into town. Not far mind you. However, we were met by a guy that knew our names and said he was on our ship and he was our cabin steward and needed a few bucks. I was absolutely stunned but at the same time realized after a few minutes that he was NOT our cabin steward. He wanted us to go into this little shop, but we then declined after we got our witts about us. How he knew our names, I will never know, but I am thinking he MAY have been in conjunction with the helmet dive people running it - not sure however. It was just weird, but as the others have said, a simple no will suffice.

 

However, the a very unsettling thing happened upon our return to the ship. We were NOT allowed to board (no one was) and we had to stand outside the ship in the pouring rain. Evidently, from what we gathered, the Jamaican authorities had "arrested" the ship stating that they could not "park" the ship there (We were on Carnival Conquest). We had to stand outside for almost 2 hours in this wet pouring rain and believe me, people were NOT amused. As far as the pot problem, I think that this is a definite problem and MAYBE our ship had come under the "gun" per se as the authorities were looking for pot. Not for sure though.

 

Would I go back to Jamaica? Oh probably, and do the Dunns River Falls or something else, but I would stay with my group and not go shopping at all.

 

Stay with your group and you will be fine. Enjoy!

[cot427]

Hi COT427.. I am from the Burgh too!

 

My hubby and kids stayed on the ship at Mo-bay

and enjoyed the H2O zone almost empty!

 

I got off the ship with our tablemates and bought

the hot-spot shuttle pass recommended by RCI

smart shopper. BEWARE! The driver took us

to the best beach in town and was charging

RCI passengers $5pp and keeping the money!

It was a crappy beach. A few weddings were

going on. I would NEVER get married on that beach!

I later found out it was a FREE beach. He also

on the 1st stop took us to a so called shopping

area, that was nothing but wood nailed together

in a getto type place. We did NOT get off the shuttle.

We did get off at Doctor's Cove and got on a private

small boat to snorkel.

Then we walked down the street to Margaritaville and

the Bobsled Cafe.

These were fun places...not appropiate for young kids, as they were having a shake your bootie contest on the bar.....Along the way the locals kept

trying to LURE us into their shops to Buy, Buy, Buy.

You have to keep walking and say NO!

Then we took the shuttle to city center and bought

coffee, booze, rum cake.

Here they are extremely PUSHY! At City Center...

beware of the lady with the rotten fruit on her head..

she demands a tip!

I could not wait to get back on the ship!

Taxi drivers hustle you to take their cabs too.

Once they see your hot spot shuttle armband

they leave you alone. You have to keep saying

NO to all the locals there...

I never did see Miss Smart Shopper to tell

her about their recommended Hot Spot Shuttle.

I was not happy with our driver and his

recommendations.

 

Thanks for the info. I am going to Mo Bay on the Liberty next October. Right when the weather starts to get cold here. :)

[cot427]

Ooops. Sorry, Double Post.

[theodoron]

We're leaving next weekend on LOS Western Caribbean. From all the reviews I've seen, it doesn't seem worth getting off the ship at Montego Bay. My DH and buddy will be doing the zip line thing but my girlfriend and I have chickened out. Would love to hear from anyone who has other recommendations for a shore excursion or should we just stay on board and enjoy the pool area?

 

I have been to Montego Bay many times over the years (about 10X). I has changed a bit over the years and you need to be aware of the flow of the country and the region, but IMHO it is always a joy exploring a new place. The people, the food, the beauty of Mo-bay is definitely worth exploring. It depends if you have an explorer's spirit. Some people don't or would prefer the quiet of the ship when everyone's off. That's cool!

 

As other posters have stated, in Jamaica and other places where there seems to be "pushy" people, you need to practice your "no thank you". It is an art to say it and keep moving without taking the constant asking personally. Understand that it is a part of cultures all over the world. Have a great cruise!:)

[Jamaicaholic]

Not to question you, but is it really legal there? My cousin and his friend were arrested for buying, bought their way out, and then the cops tried to sell it back to them!!

 

No it is not legal, don't let anyone tell you it is. Yes, you will see it everywhere and will probably be offered some... a "no thank you" is all that is required. Jamaica is a different culture and alot of bad experiences could be avoided if people would educate themselves somewhat prior to visiting the island.

 

You can probably tell by my screen name that I love Jamaica. DH and I just returned last week from our 28th trip (since 1987). Jamaica is a beautiful island with beautiful people. In 20 years, I have never felt unsafe. My DS's (16 & 17) travel with us at least once a year and always come home with a renewed appreciation for what they have.

 

Now, to the OP...depending on the length of time in port, you could hire a driver and go to Negril. 7 mile beach and Bloody Bay are two of the prettiest beaches in the Caribbean. I've never understood why people go to Ochi when Negril is closer. With the new road it is about 50 miles and takes around 1hr 15 mins. BEAUTIFUL scenery all the way. You can get day passes at either Riu hotel on Bloody Bay. Both hotels are AI and I think the day passes are around $75. There are several AI's on 7 mile (Hedonism, Sandals, etc.) that have day passes as well as local hotels. You can visit the Office of Nature on BB for some awesome lobster & red stripe or go snorkeling at the cliffs or Booby Cay (where 20000 leagues under the sea was filmed). Also, there is Mayfield Falls & YS Falls (Dunns River is waaayyyy overrated)....so many things to do, so little time.....I can't wait to get back!