Courtney Taylor?

[PAgirl_1968]

All set to sail aboard Carnival Liberty this June 2nd. This will be our first visit to Jamaica. Booked today to spend our day with Courtney. It will be my sister, our two 16 year old daughters and I. Based on some of the things I've heard/read about Jamaica, makes me kind of nervous for us 4 girls. Hoping Courtney can relieve me of my anxiety.

 

This is my 2nd cruise so I still feel abit of a newbie. I have a few questions... 1) If we purchase alcohol from any of the intown merchants, are we permitted to carry this back onto the ship? 2) If we visit the spice lady and decide to purchase her spices...are we allowed to carry them back onboard? 3) Which might two 16-year old girls find to be the most fun...the Blue Hole or River Tubing? 4) And last but not least and please forgive my ignorance...but what exactly is a juicy patty?

 

Thanks! :)

[jmwg49]

You will feel safe with Courtney....he stays with you at all times. The cool blue hole was amazing. The water was an amazing colour of blue, and it was quite cold, but very refreshing (we were there in February). We didn't do the river tubing, but I would prefer to do the Cool Blue Hole because it is almost a private place! We were the only ones there and could have stayed as long as we wanted! There are waterfalls that you can swim behind, you can sit in the stream up above and enjoy the scenery...it is just beautiful! Try it, you will be glad you did!

[jty1220]

Is there a website? or a way to contact this person?

[Daycare Provider]

Is there a website? or a way to contact this person?

 

 

We are booked with Courtney when we arrive as well...We signed up to do the falls (again), tubing, and Margaritaville in Ocho Rios...:D..looking for to the Freedom.

Angela

[vcasey]

HI, we are going to Falmouth too, and wondering if we can go with Courtney Taylor for the tours. How did you caontact him?

courtney_tay@yahoo.com

[jty1220]

We are booked with Courtney when we arrive as well...We signed up to do the falls (again), tubing, and Margaritaville in Ocho Rios...:D..looking for to the Freedom.

 

 

Angela

 

We are on the same ship. So your using Courney Taylor for the May 1st freedom? Have you used him before? Is he booked all day?

[Daycare Provider]

We are on the same ship. So your using Courney Taylor for the May 1st freedom? Have you used him before? Is he booked all day?

 

 

Hi JTY1220-We are using Courtney Taylor for our Freedom Cruise. We have not used him before but I have been facebooking with several people that just recently enjoyed his tour. From the information that i have gathered, we are booked with Courtney for the whole day. John and I really love the Ocho Rios side of the island. We don't plan on hurring back to the ship. If you are interested in joining us for the day you are welcome too!

Angela

[binderygirl]

We arrived in Ocho Rios on March 28, Courtney met us at the pier and then we were off, He took us everywhere we wanted to go and waited on us with no worry of time or pressure. The Falls were wonderful and we had lunch on the beach too. He is very nice and knowledgable about the island. He told us all about the history and customs and answered anything else we might have been curious about. The van was clean and air conditioned as well, we were a party of seven and we all fitted comfy into the van. Our belongings were safe with him in the van as well so no renting a locker at the falls. We would highly recommend Courtney Taylor Tours of Jamacia to anyone looking for a tour and he is very reasonably priced also....worth every penny of what he charges. My daughter even thought he was one of the cutest guys she seen there too.:rolleyes:..lol....if your visiting Ocho Rios Courtney Taylor for your tour guide and transportation is a must do....just Google ...Courtney Taylor Tours of Jamacia....he is on TripAdvisor as well as Cruise Critic....we had a wonderful time in Jamacia and it is such a beautiful place with lots of friendly people as well, Courtney will also make such some of the locals dont harass you either....Kudos to Courtney Taylor Tours of Jamacia:)

[wind512]

We've book a tour with in on april 7th. We were on the Freedom and we have to say that Courtney made our trip. They show us around, ask any question they will answer, you want to go somewhere just ask "no problem".

They are relax, your feel safe and very friendly. They always wait for you and if you don't want to be annoy by sales person they will make sure you don't.

 

Going back to Jamaica , Courtney will be our guide.

[Daycare Provider]

We've book a tour with in on april 7th. We were on the Freedom and we have to say that Courtney made our trip. They show us around, ask any question they will answer, you want to go somewhere just ask "no problem".

They are relax, your feel safe and very friendly. They always wait for you and if you don't want to be annoy by sales person they will make sure you don't.

 

Going back to Jamaica , Courtney will be our guide.

 

 

We arrive in Falmouth next week and hired Courtney as our guide. Where did you meet Courtney at? Where did you go on your tour? What time did he have you back? thank you for all of the information.

Angela Ramsey

[lindseesmom]

Take 2 & it is storming here so the internet keeps going down.

I got an e-mail from Courntey where it listed 6 activities for the day but it went on to say how it is $35 per person with at least 4 people. So all 6 activities are included in this price? We really have no desire to climb Dunn Falls but would still like to see them. It also mentions a Jamaican restaurant for lunch on the riverfront? Has anyone done this? What is the name of the restaurant?? I am guessing this is extra and not in the $35?

Thanks!

[lindseesmom]

No one out there who has taken a Courtney tour, has answers for my questions???

[cr8z4cruzn]

In 'ship' time...what time did he have you back to the ship while doing the recommended tour (Dunns River, Fern Gully, luncheon, river tubing, etc)? I was able to find his website for those interested in looking at the packages he offers: http://www.wix.com/courtneytay/jamaicajh

[DiapoTravel]

My wife and I are arriving in Falmouth on June 22nd and were thinking of using Courtney Taylor as our guide. My wife told me that she is a little wary of booking a non-sponsored RCI excursion. It's been about 15 years since I've been to Jamaica, so I can understand her apprehension with all the unrest going on. With all his positive reviews on the internet, I told her we should be okay. We just want to make sure that we get back to the ship safely and on time. We should be okay with just the 2 of us on his tour right? If anyone else is arriving that day and interested in using Courtney Taylor, we're open to having others join us as well. :)

 

His recommended tour that he emailed us includes:

1 -climbing the Falls -fee $15pp, 60mins

2 Sight Seeing in the mountain, 20mins

3 Drive through the Fern Gully Tropical rain forest, 10mins

4 Authentic Jamaican restaurant on the ocean front, live music, dance and bar, 60mins

5 shopping in town, 60mins

6 River tubing -fee$20pp ,45mins

7 NEW Tours- Blue Hole Cliff Jumping $10pp 35mins

 

Based on your experience, if we decide to do all 7 in the recommended tour, do we have enough time to make it back on the ship? We'll be in port from 10 am - 6 pm, need to get back on Allure of the Seas in Falmouth.

 

From the cruise boards, I hear that he takes great care of his passengers. Does he get them front of line passes at the sites and keep them away from the aggressive vendors?

 

While river tubing, do we get a chance to swing on a rope & dive into the cool blue water? Is this similar to the Blue Hole?

 

Since the admission fees per stop does not include tips, how much tip is customary for the DRF, River Tubing and Blue Hole guides? And for Courtney?

 

Which restaurant do you recommend going to for the best Jerk chicken/seafood? We heard of Scotchies and The Big Flag Jerk Centre near Falmouth. I heard he takes you to his neighbor's restaurant by the beach...was that good? How about for some juicy patties?

 

Sorry for all the questions, just want to make sure that my wife's first time in Jamaica is a fun & memorable one! Thanks for your time and feedback, we really appreciate it!

[Daycare Provider]

Wow...this site is slow today...

Ok...we are booked with Courtney for May 4th..I can answer some of your questions since we have done these excursions in the past...

Anybody wanting to do all 7 excursions in one day would have a tough time...Not all of these excursions are on the same property...there is drive to time to be alloted...Falmouth is approximately 45-55 minutes each way...

You do not have to climb the Falls..teh price is still the same for getting into the park. There is a beautiful path that runs along the river that takes you to the beach. At the beach is a small shack that sellls beverages(Red Stripe Beer).

Rivertubing-I will write a review when I return to answer those questions.

Tipping...Basically a dollar or two per person in your group is enough...after several excursions you feel tipped-out....Don't forget Courtney's tip if he has met your expectations.

Have no worries about hiring a private guide...we never go through the cruiseline unless we absolutely have too! Relax enjoy and have fun.

Angela

[funfamilyof6]

My wife and I are arriving in Falmouth on June 22nd and were thinking of using Courtney Taylor as our guide. My wife told me that she is a little wary of booking a non-sponsored RCI excursion. It's been about 15 years since I've been to Jamaica, so I can understand her apprehension with all the unrest going on. With all his positive reviews on the internet, I told her we should be okay. We just want to make sure that we get back to the ship safely and on time. We should be okay with just the 2 of us on his tour right? If anyone else is arriving that day and interested in using Courtney Taylor, we're open to having others join us as well. :)

 

His recommended tour that he emailed us includes:

1 -climbing the Falls -fee $15pp, 60mins

2 Sight Seeing in the mountain, 20mins

3 Drive through the Fern Gully Tropical rain forest, 10mins

4 Authentic Jamaican restaurant on the ocean front, live music, dance and bar, 60mins

5 shopping in town, 60mins

6 River tubing -fee$20pp ,45mins

7 NEW Tours- Blue Hole Cliff Jumping $10pp 35mins

 

Based on your experience, if we decide to do all 7 in the recommended tour, do we have enough time to make it back on the ship? We'll be in port from 10 am - 6 pm, need to get back on Allure of the Seas in Falmouth.

 

From the cruise boards, I hear that he takes great care of his passengers. Does he get them front of line passes at the sites and keep them away from the aggressive vendors?

 

While river tubing, do we get a chance to swing on a rope & dive into the cool blue water? Is this similar to the Blue Hole?

 

Since the admission fees per stop does not include tips, how much tip is customary for the DRF, River Tubing and Blue Hole guides? And for Courtney?

 

Which restaurant do you recommend going to for the best Jerk chicken/seafood? We heard of Scotchies and The Big Flag Jerk Centre near Falmouth. I heard he takes you to his neighbor's restaurant by the beach...was that good? How about for some juicy patties?

 

Sorry for all the questions, just want to make sure that my wife's first time in Jamaica is a fun & memorable one! Thanks for your time and feedback, we really appreciate it!

 

Great information...thank you!!!

[funfamilyof6]

Wow...this site is slow today...

 

Ok...we are booked with Courtney for May 4th..I can answer some of your questions since we have done these excursions in the past...

 

Anybody wanting to do all 7 excursions in one day would have a tough time...Not all of these excursions are on the same property...there is drive to time to be alloted...Falmouth is approximately 45-55 minutes each way...

 

You do not have to climb the Falls..teh price is still the same for getting into the park. There is a beautiful path that runs along the river that takes you to the beach. At the beach is a small shack that sellls beverages(Red Stripe Beer).

 

Rivertubing-I will write a review when I return to answer those questions.

 

Tipping...Basically a dollar or two per person in your group is enough...after several excursions you feel tipped-out....Don't forget Courtney's tip if he has met your expectations.

 

Have no worries about hiring a private guide...we never go through the cruiseline unless we absolutely have too! Relax enjoy and have fun.

 

Angela

 

Please let us know how you like the river tubing...we are planning on doing this in August. Thanks!!!!

[NavigatorReview]

Hi everyone,

 

After seeing all the positive reviews on this site, I decided to book a tour with Courtney Taylor for our group of 6, docking in Falmouth on the Navigator of the Seas. I know it's suspicious for a first post being all these positive reviews for Courtney, but he does email after the tour and ask us to post reviews. I never registered before, just looked through threads. Anyway, on to the review:

 

We had an overall very positive experience, but we did have some things that we wish we knew about (and could hopefully change about the trip). Transportation cost was US$35 per person to within the Ocho Rios area, plus and extra US$3 for transportation to the Blue Hole. He also offered us a drinks package which was reasonably priced (Total of US$25 for a selection of beer/soda/iced tea).

 

 

*ARRIVAL:

Docking time and departure time were on ship's time, which was an hour off compared to Jamaica's time, and which we didn't know about when I was planning, so we were a little concerned about whether Courtney would be there on time. He delievered! He was waiting with his van just outside the main gate to the port, and was very friendly and courteous.

 

Falmouth is about an hour drive to the Ocho Rios area, and the van was air conditioned and comfortable for 6 adults. He gave us history of Jamaica and some cool facts while driving, and answered our questions about the place.

 

====

 

*DUNNS RIVER FALLS:

Because the drive is so long from Falmouth, it wasn't possible to beat the crowds. Courtney was fantastic, in that there was someone else from his company that he introduced us to there that helped us get tickets and explain how to avoid the pushy vendors on the way out. (The guards will tell you to veer right at a certain point into the shops, but they can't make you go right, so you just tell them you're going left and bypass the vendors.) They seemed to assume we were going to hire a guide, but we wanted to climb the falls ourselves, and told them that, which was fine with them.

 

Tips for climbing the falls have been discussed extensively elsewhere, so I'll just add some quick notes that we were are a group of young adults and vastly enjoyed climbing the falls ourselves without a guide, probably much more than joining the chain of people. If you're in reasonable physical condition, I would suggest doing it without a guide. (You can always join the chain if you want, even without a guide, as there are tons of people in basically a giant chain all the way up the falls. We did this a couple times.) All the other tourists are very friendly, but the guides seem to be just trying to hurry the tourists up as fast as possible.

 

You can climb the falls in probably an hour, but we took our time and explored different parts of the falls and took 2 hours.

 

====

 

*BLUE HOLE:

This was our favorite part of the tour. It is definitely off the beaten track, and is basically a pool surrounded by a couple waterfalls and jungle, with milky blue water that you can't see through. It's really beautiful there. There is a Tarzan rope you can jump into the pool with, or just jump over the edge. When we arrived there was only 1 other tour group there, and they left after 15 minutes, so it ended up being the 6 of us in the entire place.

 

Courtney charged us US$3 per person extra to drive us here, because it is another 15-20 mins from the Falls, and he has to drive some gravelly dirt one-lane roads.

 

The "guides" here are obviously just some local guys. THERE IS NO ADMISSION FEE, although the "guides" may ask you if you "bought tickets yet." You can just tell them you are paying through Courtney. Courtney told us they expect about US$5 per person in tips. They do nothing more than give you the rope for you to do your tarzan jump or advise you on the best spots to dive off the cliff, or help you up/down from the pool to the jumping off points. They are not "official" in any capacity, and when we were leaving, I overheard Courtney and one of them exchanging phone numbers so that Courtney could call them the next time he was bringing tourists. If you can, I would try to ask Courtney to not call them, but if they are already there, they are very aggressive in providing their "services" of giving you the rope.

 

====

 

*LUNCH:

We DO NOT recommend that you go to the restaurant he suggests, the one owned by his neighbor. It is clearly a tourist trap, and although he says he knows the jerk chicken there is very good, we thought it was good, but not amazing. He has the menu in his car so you can order while driving there. It is comparatively very overpriced, about US$10 per small quarter chicken. On the way here and out of here, we passed by multiple restaurants offering jerk chicken in the range of about US$2 to 4.

 

We originally asked Courtney if he could take us somewhere that the locals go for jerk chicken, or other local specialties like oxtail soup, but he more or less heavily suggested we go to this restaurant. In retrospect, we wished we either pushed harder to go to a more authentic (and cheaper) place, or brought our own food from the ship and just did excursions while on land.

 

====

 

We didn't have time to do anything else besides quickly stopping by a store to pick up some coffee because it took an hour to get to Ocho Rios from Falmouth and another to return, although it would have been nice to do tubing too. We enjoyed doing everything at a leisurely pace, but you can definitely fit in one or two more things if you budget your time efficiently. The best thing about having Courtney as a private driver is that he was more than willing to adjust the trip however you want and to go by whatever schedule you want to keep.

 

 

I hope this review helps everyone reading it, and sorry it's so long!

 

Daniel C

Edited April 29, 2011 by NavigatorReview

[cr8z4cruzn]

Daniel...for lunch, we're interested only in Scotchies and my daughter wants her patties from Juicy Patties. What is the restaurant you went to?....I'll be sure to tell him not to take us there.

[lindseesmom]

After reading Daniel's review, I am not sure that I am interested in the tour anymore. I did e-mail Courtney back to tell him that we were not interested in Dunns Falls or the tubing. And I did ask about the restaurant but he never responded. Oh well!! His loss not mine.

[funfamilyof6]

Hi everyone,

 

After seeing all the positive reviews on this site, I decided to book a tour with Courtney Taylor for our group of 6, docking in Falmouth on the Navigator of the Seas. I know it's suspicious for a first post being all these positive reviews for Courtney, but he does email after the tour and ask us to post reviews. I never registered before, just looked through threads. Anyway, on to the review:

 

We had an overall very positive experience, but we did have some things that we wish we knew about (and could hopefully change about the trip). Transportation cost was US$35 per person to within the Ocho Rios area, plus and extra US$3 for transportation to the Blue Hole. He also offered us a drinks package which was reasonably priced (Total of US$25 for a selection of beer/soda/iced tea).

 

 

*ARRIVAL:

Docking time and departure time were on ship's time, which was an hour off compared to Jamaica's time, and which we didn't know about when I was planning, so we were a little concerned about whether Courtney would be there on time. He delievered! He was waiting with his van just outside the main gate to the port, and was very friendly and courteous.

 

Falmouth is about an hour drive to the Ocho Rios area, and the van was air conditioned and comfortable for 6 adults. He gave us history of Jamaica and some cool facts while driving, and answered our questions about the place.

 

====

 

*DUNNS RIVER FALLS:

Because the drive is so long from Falmouth, it wasn't possible to beat the crowds. Courtney was fantastic, in that there was someone else from his company that he introduced us to there that helped us get tickets and explain how to avoid the pushy vendors on the way out. (The guards will tell you to veer right at a certain point into the shops, but they can't make you go right, so you just tell them you're going left and bypass the vendors.) They seemed to assume we were going to hire a guide, but we wanted to climb the falls ourselves, and told them that, which was fine with them.

 

Tips for climbing the falls have been discussed extensively elsewhere, so I'll just add some quick notes that we were are a group of young adults and vastly enjoyed climbing the falls ourselves without a guide, probably much more than joining the chain of people. If you're in reasonable physical condition, I would suggest doing it without a guide. (You can always join the chain if you want, even without a guide, as there are tons of people in basically a giant chain all the way up the falls. We did this a couple times.) All the other tourists are very friendly, but the guides seem to be just trying to hurry the tourists up as fast as possible.

 

You can climb the falls in probably an hour, but we took our time and explored different parts of the falls and took 2 hours.

 

====

 

*BLUE HOLE:

This was our favorite part of the tour. It is definitely off the beaten track, and is basically a pool surrounded by a couple waterfalls and jungle, with milky blue water that you can't see through. It's really beautiful there. There is a Tarzan rope you can jump into the pool with, or just jump over the edge. When we arrived there was only 1 other tour group there, and they left after 15 minutes, so it ended up being the 6 of us in the entire place.

 

Courtney charged us US$3 per person extra to drive us here, because it is another 15-20 mins from the Falls, and he has to drive some gravelly dirt one-lane roads.

 

The "guides" here are obviously just some local guys. THERE IS NO ADMISSION FEE, although the "guides" may ask you if you "bought tickets yet." You can just tell them you are paying through Courtney. Courtney told us they expect about US$5 per person in tips. They do nothing more than give you the rope for you to do your tarzan jump or advise you on the best spots to dive off the cliff, or help you up/down from the pool to the jumping off points. They are not "official" in any capacity, and when we were leaving, I overheard Courtney and one of them exchanging phone numbers so that Courtney could call them the next time he was bringing tourists. If you can, I would try to ask Courtney to not call them, but if they are already there, they are very aggressive in providing their "services" of giving you the rope.

 

====

 

*LUNCH:

We DO NOT recommend that you go to the restaurant he suggests, the one owned by his neighbor. It is clearly a tourist trap, and although he says he knows the jerk chicken there is very good, we thought it was good, but not amazing. He has the menu in his car so you can order while driving there. It is comparatively very overpriced, about US$10 per small quarter chicken. On the way here and out of here, we passed by multiple restaurants offering jerk chicken in the range of about US$2 to 4.

 

We originally asked Courtney if he could take us somewhere that the locals go for jerk chicken, or other local specialties like oxtail soup, but he more or less heavily suggested we go to this restaurant. In retrospect, we wished we either pushed harder to go to a more authentic (and cheaper) place, or brought our own food from the ship and just did excursions while on land.

 

====

 

We didn't have time to do anything else besides quickly stopping by a store to pick up some coffee because it took an hour to get to Ocho Rios from Falmouth and another to return, although it would have been nice to do tubing too. We enjoyed doing everything at a leisurely pace, but you can definitely fit in one or two more things if you budget your time efficiently. The best thing about having Courtney as a private driver is that he was more than willing to adjust the trip however you want and to go by whatever schedule you want to keep.

 

 

I hope this review helps everyone reading it, and sorry it's so long!

 

Daniel C

 

Very helpful and honest review..thank you.

[DiapoTravel]

I hope this review helps everyone reading it, and sorry it's so long!

 

Daniel C

 

Thanks for the review & tips Daniel...very helpful & not lengthy at all.

 

Sounds like Courtney just waits for you, while he drops you off to the local "guides" of each activity. He told me that tips are usually $5 each min. Does that sound fair for the service given?

 

Think my wife & I will just try to brave the falls on our own then. Seems more fun when you're not being rushed.

 

With the Blue Hole "guides," I take it there's no way of enjoying the place on your own. From your experience, they seem pretty aggressive. What made your group decide on the Blue Hole over tubing? Courtney said that they're similar in that you also get to swing off a rope in the tubing excursion.

 

Thanks for the tip on lunch, just may have to insist on Scotchies then.

 

Did you drive through the Fern Gully?

 

Thanks again! ~ Leo

[DiapoTravel]

Daniel...for lunch, we're interested only in Scotchies and my daughter wants her patties from Juicy Patties. What is the restaurant you went to?....I'll be sure to tell him not to take us there.

 

Per Courtney's email, the restaurant he recommends (neighbor's) is "The Mohogany Beach Bar & Grill."

[jmwg49]

Per Courtney's email, the restaurant he recommends (neighbor's) is "The Mohogany Beach Bar & Grill."

 

This is the place we went to as well with Courtney...I would have rather somewhere else as well, it was a tourist trap. The food was very expensive as someone else noted. Someone tried to sell pot to my 16 year old in the gift shop. About the Cool Blue Hole, yes, there was a fellow there named Kevin, and he showed us the ropes of the place, then left us alone to sit among the rocks, swim, go under the falls. We tipped him $5 or something. I bought a Red Stripe beer from him for $4, which was probably a bit more than I should have paid, but it was beautiful there, and worth it to us!

[lindseesmom]

I think I am just going to stick with the excursion from RCCL. None of this is really what I am looking for anyway!