Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

What's up about Jamaica?

WinnieinWA

By WinnieinWA,
in Princess Cruises

Recommended Posts

kpsmilin

kpsmilin

Posted
Posted

I have been to Jamaica many times as I have a timeshare there in Negril. The experience I've had boils down to a simple R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The country has alot to offer in its lush beauty from the waterfalls, mountains, rainforests and the beautiful 7 mile beach. I've met some absolutely wonderful people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jsgrandma

jsgrandma

Posted
Posted

 

 

Race: an island of minorities. Yes, people might forget to take money for tip and a nice dress for formal night but they pack their prejudice with them

 

I think in Jamaica they are the majority:) I have a few thoughts on Jamaica as well. My son married a women from Jamaica and we had the wedding there. We had a hard time finding a resort to have the wedding that would allow her family and friends on the property. We finally rented a bed and breakfast in Negril for the wedding. I have found Jamaican people to be very proud, self confident, hardworking and honest. The ones I have known say what they mean and mean what they say. So if they are upset you will know it and it won't be covered by U.S. "social skills". Of course there are criminals every where in the world. As far as those aggressive higglers.... have you ever walked in downtown Chicago?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
5fathom

5fathom

Posted
Posted

Number one is Jamaica is truly a beautiful island ! Number two is a majority of the people are wonderful ! Number three is when you are on the Gardens tour, I believe in Ochos Rios, and you go to the restroom and two guys block the door while a third tries to sell you drugs it is time to stay on the ship !

Link to comment
Share on other sites
woodofpine

woodofpine

Posted
Posted

There are broad swaths of the world that one can't go if the prospect of crime or hard hustling street vendors deter you. I don't think that one should be deterred; one should just be prepared and not be an easy mark.

 

Jamaica's problem is that the island's authorities (and populace) have allowed a 'bad scene' to develop in the tourist environs surrounding the country's cruise ports; particularly compared to neighboring islands. The servity of this problem in the Caribbean is unique to Jamaica. It exists a little elsewhere, but it is only truly pervasive and dominating in Jamaica. Assertions that this is the tourists' fault (American or otherwise) are nonsense; if it were then it would be that way everywhere. Jamaica is far less dependent on cruiseline tourism than some places. That is a factor but it is no excuse.

 

Jamaica has a lot to offer touristically. Unfortunately, the island offers up its worst around the piers rather than it's best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ttc_8

ttc_8

Posted
Posted

Actually, it's funny this topic came up because I just spent an entire week in Ocho Rios, Jamaica! Mind you, we stayed on the resort and only left the resort occasionally. It can be quite intimidating when visiting the markets and everyone is swarming you to have a look at his/her shop, but overall I found some locals to be friendly. It's a beautiful island!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kooljamming

kooljamming

Posted
Posted

 

 

touche;)

 

The debate about what's up with Jamaica has been going on for decades, and no doubt will continue. What's special about Jamaica is quite simple.

Jamaica has produced some of the world fastest runners and some fine, beautiful, lovely, self confident, and strong ladies;):D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Crown Prince

Crown Prince

Posted
Posted
The trick to doing an excursion in Jamaica is to get a tour guide who is very highly rated by other cruisers and those are the ones who make sure you feel safe and are not harassed. Being a tour guide is their livelihood and they want you to report back with good reviews for the next cruisers.

Would I just get off the ship and just grab a taxi. NO WAY

Jamaica is beautiful and it is a shame that it has to be such an unsafe place for the average uninformed tourist. You can enjoy Jamaica, you just have to really plan ahead.

 

My daughter and I got a group of 8 pax together when we sailed the Ruby Princess Inaugural 8 November.

 

Wentworth will taylor your shore excursion to wherever you wish to go. He is extremely reasonable and has different sized vehicles. I am using him again for my Island Princess Panama Canal cruise in April 2010.

 

Wentworth serves both MoBay and Ochi. One of the new places I want to visit on Jamaica is the Bobsled, Aerial Trams, and Zipline place.

 

I Love Wentworth.

 

wentworthtours@gmail.com http://www.wentworthtours.com/

 

;);):D;);)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
laughing husky

laughing husky

Posted
Posted

Originally Posted by kooljamming viewpost.gif

What's special about Jamaica is quite simple.

Jamaica has produced some of the world fastest runners and some fine, beautiful, lovely, self confident, and strong ladies

 

Please...let us not forget the Jamaican sled dog team which will be in Iditarod this March....Newton Marshall is one great guy and will do Jamaica very proud......Pauline...check him out.....He is great....PS I had an adopted kid from Kingston.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kooljamming

kooljamming

Posted
Posted
Originally

 

Please...let us not forget the Jamaican sled dog team which will be in Iditarod this March....Newton Marshall is one great guy and will do Jamaica very proud......Pauline...check him out.....He is great....PS I had an adopted kid from Kingston.....

 

I will....Bob sled, idiatrod, world class runners plus lovely ladies....wow! Before long there will be a swimmer in the Olympics, hey it could happen:D.

 

For what's special (not the same as what's up), haters will always ask and the generous lovers will always know;) If one has to ask, please stay on the boat and eat to your heart's content, the bacon at the buffet awaits you and you won't be missed, promise. If you don't know why you are getting off the boat stay on.

 

Thanks, laughing husky, Alaska was fantastic:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
shepp

shepp

Posted
Posted

I went to Ocho Rios a few years back on a cruise my mother booked, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I went for a long stroll by myself through town to Fern Gully, and the only hassle I got was from somebody wanting to sell me weed, which a "No thanks" took care of. The only real aggressive tactics I got were from a couple of hookers right by the pier. But I live in San Francisco, not the burbs, and am somehat inured to aggressive panhandlers and the like (not to mention the wafting aroma of ganja.)

 

However...though virtually all the Afro-Caribbean cultures are homophobic to some extent (thanks at least in part to the influence of British-brought Christian culture...though Rastafarianism may even be worse), Jamaica always tops the list.

 

Time Magazine dubbed it probably the most homophobic place on Earth (http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1182991,00.html ), one where LGBT people are routinely murdered, the officials look the other way, many preachers are rabidly homophobic, and dancehall music celebrates stomping and burning gay men to death. Therefore, I have simply decided - less as a matter of personal safety, really, than of conscience - to join the LGBT boycott and not leave one red cent of mine on the island until folks there get their human-rights stuff together.

 

Same reason I'm not cruising to Saudi Arabia. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tampa Bay Irish

Tampa Bay Irish

Posted
Posted

Jamaica is different from every other Caribbean port that we have been to in 7 cruises. There is no denying the perception that anti-white americanism pervails much more here than anywhere else in the Caribbean. (Did you notice the policemen armed with M-16s guarding the entrance to the fenced in port area?) That being said and understood, I booked my family of four with Phil Lafayette Tours and climbed Dunn's River Falls and never had any problems. Phil even escorted us a diiferent route out of the falls to avoid the gauntlet of pushy vendors. Jamaica has so much potential. It is by far the most beautiful island that I have seen in the Caribbean. If you go. Don't go alone. Get a local tour company. Check out tripadvisor.com and do some research. When we go back, I'll email Phil again. He is the best. He talks and sings a lot, but you'll get used to it.:)

 

P.S. The line on a previous post about "I'd smile all the time too if I was stoned out of my mind all the time" still has me laughing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...