Excursions tips for Cayman and Ocho Rios

[frisbeeace]

RCCI offers dozens of different excursions for our 2 days in Grand Caymand and Ocho Rios. Are they needed or should I tour those places on my own? Which ones are a must? Should I book with RC or with any agency upon disembarking to save money? Any tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[sped01]

We went to Jamaica last march on the voyager of the seas. We did a private tour to the dunns rivers falls. There was 20 people or more in one group and you hold hands walking up the falls because they are so slippery. Its soo pretty though and was very inexpensive. The water was freezing but its an amazing experience. We had plently of time after the falls we walked around near the port and went shopping, they were great tour guides, i forget who we went through if i can figure out the two gentlemens name ill be sure to post back!

[justus4recks]

In Ochos Rios we went with Mark Morris. It was just our group of ten. He was amazing and we felt very safe. He took us to Dunns River Falls and then we did the river tubing. He then took us on a tour and it was awesome. I cannot say enough nice things about him!

In Grand Caymen we went with Captain Marvins on the snorkel stingray city tour and we had so much fun . If you go with Mark tell him hi from Laura in Oregon :D

[ArkieCruisin]

When in Grand Cayman my daughter and I used Moby Dick for the stingray city snorkel. They were awesome and I highly recommend them. We were there in March of 2007 and if my memory serves me well it was $35 a person. We booked this on our own, not through the cruise line. My wife and other daughter did the seven mile beach excursion thru the cruise line and they really enjoyed the day at the beach although they could have just caught a cab and basically done the same thing on their own.

[jonsmom]

In Ochos Rios we went with Mark Morris. It was just our group of ten. He was amazing and we felt very safe. He took us to Dunns River Falls and then we did the river tubing. He then took us on a tour and it was awesome. I cannot say enough nice things about him!

In Grand Caymen we went with Captain Marvins on the snorkel stingray city tour and we had so much fun . If you go with Mark tell him hi from Laura in Oregon :D

 

Do you have a link to Mark Morris?

[cb at sea]

It really depends on what you want to do! Shopping or the beach in GC is totally doable on your own! No need to pay for an excursion to do those things.

[J & G]

RCCI offers dozens of different excursions for our 2 days in Grand Caymand and Ocho Rios. Are they needed or should I tour those places on my own? Which ones are a must? Should I book with RC or with any agency upon disembarking to save money? Any tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

We used NativeWay in GC and did the Rays, Reef, and Rum Point Tour in 2006. We liked it so much that we are doing it again in Feb!

 

In Jamaica, we used Trevor Hudlin! He took us to DRF, tubing on the White River, to the pottery factory (our request....nice pottery), and several other places! We absolutely love him!!!! Since 2006, he has toured several of our friends and they all think he is awesome. We will be seeing him again in Feb also, but this time out of MoBay.

[nanfromatlanta]

RCCI offers dozens of different excursions for our 2 days in Grand Caymand and Ocho Rios. Are they needed or should I tour those places on my own? Which ones are a must? Should I book with RC or with any agency upon disembarking to save money? Any tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

 

Regardless of whether you book with the cruiseline or with a private company, you must swim with the stingrays in Grand Cayman. If you are not a good swimmer, I recommend the Stingray City sandbar excursion. They will take you to a sandbar where you are in water which is only waist to chest high. It is an amazing experience.

[ken_nyc]

We used NativeWay in GC and did the Rays, Reef, and Rum Point Tour in 2006. We liked it so much that we are doing it again in Feb!

 

We also used Native Way (private excursion) and had a great time!! The amount of people was a lot less than others excursion operators. First stop is Sting Ray City, this was fantastic seeing, feeding and touching these great creatures. As you are on the way to snorkeling near Rum Point you are given a menu to select for your lunch. While you are snorkeling they order for you so when you get to Rum Point your lunch will almost be ready for you. It is a nice resort area and you eat at picnic table by the beach. Afterwards you can relax in a hammock or lounge chair on the beach. This was very nice and the food was much better than I was expecting.

 

We booked privately with Phil Lafayette to Dunn’s River Falls. Phil was very personable and funny. He provided us with an overview of the area along with the do’s and don’ts to prevent getting ripped off. After we purchased our tickets we went with our tour guides Wilson (Papi) and Paul to begin our climb. Wilson was GREAT! He helped my very nervous wife make the climb. It was a lot of fun for both of us. We bought the CD of our tour. Then Phil took us sightseeing while the others went tubing, everyone who went tubing had a blast, we didn't go because my wife does not swim. I highly recommend both Phil for his excursion and Wilson for the falls climb. At the end of the excursion we did some shopping at the pier.

[ecmcm]

We did the Chukka Canopy Experience in Ocho Rios and loved it. You do have to book this excursion through RCI.

 

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[Rogi51]

I highly recommend Mark Morris as a tour guide in Ocho Rios. He was wonderful; knowledgable, friendly, safety-conscious, and very proud of his country and his community. Mark's website is www.markstours.com . We (my wife, myself, and our two daughters - ages 57,48, 15 & 10 respectively) were there in 8/07 and had a terrific time. We joined 2 other familes who also signed up with Mark. We all went to the falls, and then dropped the other families at the tubing start location (to be picked up later by Mark) while Mark took us on a really cool tour of the back roads of his community. I had asked him in advance to do this with us, and he was more than happy to do it. My thought was that I did not want to spend the entire day just doing water adventures; I wanted my family to experience a bit of the real local community and culture. It was wonderful, and totally safe. Mark knew everyone and he took us to a few really neat places that we would never have been able to go to by ourselves. My daughters loved it.

[abhb]

Be careful of Native Way. They left us by the side of the road because they put us on the wrong tour bus. There was nothing around. They told us another bus would be by in less then 10 minutes. Almost an hour later they showed up and the bus was filled to capacity.

 

Since I was in a cast (broken wrist) the other passengers made room for me on a seat. My family sat on the floor of the bus. We got back late and almost missed the ship. We were on the last tender back. It was a bad experience. We will never use them again.

[coast2coast]

We used NativeWay in GC and did the Rays, Reef, and Rum Point Tour in 2006. We liked it so much that we are doing it again in Feb!

 

We've done this same tour twice and loved it both times!!!

 

Also highly recommend Phil Lafayette in Jamaica- DRF and tubing.... used him twice, too!!! You'll have a phantastically phun time with Phil! :D

[DonnaK]

in Ocho Rios, we did river tubing with Marva Shaw and her son Javia. www.knowjamaica.com They were amazing tour guides whom I highly recommend.

 

You can make arrangements at each of the ports on your own. Go to the ports of call board here on Cruise Critic for advice on what to do, and for recommendations for private tour guides at each place.

[J & G]

in Ocho Rios, we did river tubing with Marva Shaw and her son Javia. www.knowjamaica.com They were amazing tour guides whom I highly recommend.

 

You can make arrangements at each of the ports on your own. Go to the ports of call board here on Cruise Critic for advice on what to do, and for recommendations for private tour guides at each place.

 

Did you see anything gross about the river?

 

River tubing in Ocho Rios got a really bad review on the Jamaica board( http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=870142 ). We have done it before and are planning to do it again in February, but we are concerned since this review. :confused:

[justus4recks]

I highly recommend Mark Morris as a tour guide in Ocho Rios. He was wonderful; knowledgable, friendly, safety-conscious, and very proud of his country and his community. Mark's website is www.markstours.com . We (my wife, myself, and our two daughters - ages 57,48, 15 & 10 respectively) were there in 8/07 and had a terrific time. We joined 2 other familes who also signed up with Mark. We all went to the falls, and then dropped the other families at the tubing start location (to be picked up later by Mark) while Mark took us on a really cool tour of the back roads of his community. I had asked him in advance to do this with us, and he was more than happy to do it. My thought was that I did not want to spend the entire day just doing water adventures; I wanted my family to experience a bit of the real local community and culture. It was wonderful, and totally safe. Mark knew everyone and he took us to a few really neat places that we would never have been able to go to by ourselves. My daughters loved it.

 

Thanks for posting his website www.markstours.com. He actually emailed me a thank you yesterday.I would go back just to visit him! I am glad that you had the same experience that we did. It was priceless :) I hope everyone going to Ocho Rios reads this!

[Bakincakes]

The Chukka tubing through RCI is a great excursion.

 

We've taken many friends on that excursion and have always had a great experience.

 

The water is crystal clear and the guides are excellent.

[hollon]

We just got off the Mariner a week ago and we did the chukka (sp?) Canopy Tour Zipline thru Royal Caribbean. It was great! It wasn't just one zipline, you go through 9 zips. A bus takes you to a certain point, then you hike up the mountain (which is nice) then, start ziping, then a nice walk through the jungle at the end. Grand Cayman we did the Atlantis Submarine which I thought was interesting. We saw a sea turtle, divers, and the underground world. Hope you have as good as a time :oas I did.

[DonnaK]

Did you see anything gross about the river?

 

River tubing in Ocho Rios got a really bad review on the Jamaica board( http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=870142 ). We have done it before and are planning to do it again in February, but we are concerned since this review. :confused:

 

No, not at all. The water was cool and clear.

 

Perhaps that review was written after a bad storm that stirred up gross things, or something atypical like that?

[J & G]

No, not at all. The water was cool and clear.

 

Perhaps that review was written after a bad storm that stirred up gross things, or something atypical like that?

 

Thanks....that makes me feel much better! It was one of our favorite excursions and we are really looking forward to going back!