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Safe/Unsafe ports?


RedbirdFL

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No cruise line will put you deliberately in a port where there is a threat to you well being, take for instance the cancellation of many Mexican ports over the past two years. However, you do need to keep your wits about you in all ports. I would agree with many of the posters, most of the Caribbean Ports are very safe....I may have some hesitation about Port of Spain, Trinidad though.

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Patty: I know what you mean. I'm reading this post wondering about Belize & Roatan now for my cruise. However, I'll have a man with me. I think you just have to be cautious, use good judgement, listen to fellow cruisers, and be on your toes no matter where you go. Staying with a group is the best way to go.

 

I'm glad I saw this post to remind myself to plan accordingly......

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OK, This is our first cruise and its on RC Western Carribean. We are cruising with others who have done the Eastern.

One port of call is Falmouth Jamaica. Now what? Am I going to have to stay on the ship at these ports? I'm getting kinda nervous about what to do when we get there. I have not booked excursions yet.

Thanks

Patty

 

Falmouth is a fairly recently-added port-of-call, not sure if there's a new pier or if its a tender port. Always used to be a bit of a backwater, so no trade there for the ne'er-do-wells, who are concentated in Kingston & Mo-Bay and to some extent Ochi & Negril. But I don't have recent experience.

One of the safer & more pleasant but isolated parts of the island and there was very little to see or do there a few years back.

 

No, don't go thinking you ought to stay on the ship.

The logistics of the place mean you'll need either an activity or transport anyway, so go off in a group - either a ship's activity or excursion, or join a van tour from the pier, mebbe up into the Blue "Mountains"?

Van / taxi drivers are generally safe & savvy. It's wandering around by yourselves that can invite problems.

 

JB :)

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Im with you..I have a second home there and I feel SAFER than the port of Miami.

 

Jamaica gets a bad rap all the time. People see the locals wakling around and assume they are loitering..many do not have cars so they walk everywhere! Peddling ganga, trinkets, whatever..is it THAT hard to say "no thankyou" and move on? Another nation that does things differently than the USA and they happen to have another skin color and that makes it an "unsafe" country.

 

There ARE parts of Jamaica that are not safe and YES they do kill there..not any worse than other cities in the USA..but for the most part nobody is going to bother you unless you make yourself stand out like a naive tourist.

 

Use common sense EVERYWHERE you travel in the world.

 

Dear Lord people stop with the Fear Crap !!! Im 5'7 135 male and went off the beaten Path In Jamacia and was never Harmed !! i was offered WHAT THE Y CALL SMOKE i said no ty and moved on.

 

If your going to Jamacia use common sense enough said!! Get off the ship and enjoy this great country.

 

Ps For your Info Im more scared to walk down the streets in the USA

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I think it depends on what your comfort level is with other people invading your personal space. In many ports, yes, people will approach you and offer you their products; you simply smile and say no thanks and move along. In Jamaica, I've had the experience of people approaching me and my child, touching us, several of them literally following right on top of us for blocks offering to braid my daughter's hair. Now that's unnerving for anyone who has never experienced it before - several firm, polite no thank yous didn't work, I had to get very irate and almost aggressive with HER to get her to back off. Some people would definitely feel threatened by that - to me it was just an irritating incident that had to be addressed. There's where the confusion comes in - was that dangerous or was it just irratating? Everyone will interpret that differently and will describe the experience differently for someone who asks.

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honestly, no cruise line will make a port of call in a truly unsafe port -- whether it's unsafe for weather or for violence.

 

any port you stop at will be fine. exercise caution like you would any place that you don't know well, go to the port talk so you know how to identify official taxis, and if you wind up on an itinerary where one place makes you less comfortable than the others, think about a crusie-line-run excursion.

 

the cruise lines gain nothing but possible bad publicity by making a stop somewhere unsafe; they simply won't do so. what makes ports unsafe is when people don't conduct themselves with vigilence like you should anywhere unfamiliar.

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I think it depends on what your comfort level is with other people invading your personal space. In many ports, yes, people will approach you and offer you their products; you simply smile and say no thanks and move along. In Jamaica, I've had the experience of people approaching me and my child, touching us, several of them literally following right on top of us for blocks offering to braid my daughter's hair. Now that's unnerving for anyone who has never experienced it before - several firm, polite no thank yous didn't work, I had to get very irate and almost aggressive with HER to get her to back off. Some people would definitely feel threatened by that - to me it was just an irritating incident that had to be addressed. There's where the confusion comes in - was that dangerous or was it just irratating? Everyone will interpret that differently and will describe the experience differently for someone who asks.

 

Yep -- although I'm not wild about strangers invading my personal space, I can usually tolerate it (depending on the circumstances). However, touching or grabbing me or a loved one definitely crosses the line -- and you quickly will meet "Momma-Bear"'! :eek:

 

Jamaica is a beautiful country, and we've met many wonderful people from there. That being said, I still would not feel comfortable setting off "on my own" in any of the cruise ports there. BTW -- there are lots of areas in LA, Seattle, and Memphis (or any other big US city) that I would not go wandering around in, either! :cool:

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The only two ports that we've been uncomfortable with were Ocho Rios and Cartagena. In Ocho Rios, gangs of kids and teenagers followed us from the moment we left the dock. After 10 minutes of poking around in shops, we returned to the sanctuary of the ship. We never even got off the ship in Cartagena. Others who did said it was nice, but not spectacular, and many had the feeling they were being closely watched.

 

With today's economy all over the world, "rich" cruise ship customers may look like easy targets. Even taking organized tours may not protect you. A large enough gang of looters may see an opportunity for a big score. Unfortunately, that's the world we live in these days.

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Just be smart in any foreign country you visit, whether you are from a cruise ship or fly in. Don't make yourself a target by wearing things that scream "I am an American with lots of money" like fancy jewelry or watches. When we go to Europe we always dress like Europeans ... walking shoes, dark clothing, rain coat, etc. We get a laugh when we see a tourist complaining about losing their wallet to a pick pocket and the tourist is dressed in jeans, sneakers, a baseball cap, huge Invicta watch, designer purse, etc. Expensive camera equipment will also make you a target.

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Loved St Maarten so much that we took our family (6 18-25yrs olds) back and rented a villa for a week. Never at anytime did we feel unsafe. I was even comfortable letting the kids walk along the beach at night to Mr Busby's beach bar :) Awesome friendly people there. Can't wait to go back! Can even recommend a great little jewelry store that my son bought an engagement ring for his fiance from..upon returning home the appraisal was over double what he paid for it.

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We noticed a large Police presence in San Juan, Cozumel and Cartagena. Cozumel and Grand Cayman are my two most favorites. Unfortunately, Nassau is not one of the safest any longer. We generally take the taxi over to Paradise Island and spend the day there. I agree with most of the posters about Jamaica. They have built a new terminal in Falmouth, Jamaica and eventually, you will not have to leave the terminal area. Right now, there is a great deal of shopping there, so you can stay close to the ship. An excursion to Rose Hall is pretty safe. You tend to be hassled at Dunn's Falls by the street vendors.

 

I didn't care too much for Costa Rica or Panama. I know Guatemalans that will not visit Guatamala. They were robbed while on an excursion. Wherever you go, keep your wits about you, pay attention and observe your surroundings.

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Everyone fear is not the same. I went to Montego Bay and we had a fantastic time. We went out into the country and it was beautiful. Sure people will get in your comfort zone trying to make a sales legally or not legal. Just be aware of your surroundings. Have fun.

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The only two ports that we've been uncomfortable with were Ocho Rios and Cartagena. In Ocho Rios, gangs of kids and teenagers followed us from the moment we left the dock. After 10 minutes of poking around in shops, we returned to the sanctuary of the ship. We never even got off the ship in Cartagena. Others who did said it was nice, but not spectacular, and many had the feeling they were being closely watched.

 

I think you missed a real treat in Cartagena's old city and fort. Not sure what it would take to make the people you talked to say "spectacular" about a city because I'd rate the fort and old city in Cartagena, Columbia as one of the must sees in the Caribbean.

 

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I'l be going on a cruise in December, I was planning on walking to the Ardastra Gardens/zoo, and maybe go to the beach that is near by. And in St. Thomas I was gona take a taxi to Magans Bay Beach on my own. I am a 34 year old female and traveling solo. Would you say its safe for me to do the things that I mentioned by myself?

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My husband and I were chased and had rocks thrown at us in Ocho Rios. We were just walking back to the ship from town. We were thankfully near Port Authority as it's not a long walk. Plus, we're old folks! Needless to say, we've never been back. We've traveled the world and that's the only place we were threatened- make that attacked.

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Belize City, Belize has tourist areas and the rest of the town. There is an actual fence separating same. If you are in the tourist downtown- no problem or on a shore excursion but I was concerned on the other side of the fence where we did not linger.

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