Triumph/excursion advise

[sugar n spice]

I posted this question on the Jamaica "Ports of Call" board but didn't get any response so I'm posting it here in hopes that someone will be able to help me.

 

My DH, DD (19 y.o.) and I are going to be on the Triumph this May. Jamaica is one of the ports of call. I have been doing some research mainly on the dolphin swim since we really wanted to do that once. It looks like Jamaica will be the only place we can work that in since our other ports of call will be tours of other sorts. I am hoping to work in a couple more tours along with the dolphin swim so I was thinking of reserving the service of one of the local tour guides. I have seen good mention of Phil Lafayette, Peat Taylor, Orville Taylor and A-Z. I have also read that the dolphin swim can only be booked through the ship's excursions. Can anyone tell me if the dolphin swim is strictly through the ship excursion? If not, which tour guide company (not limited to the above mentioned) would be the best for us? I am not really interested in Dunn's River Falls at this time. We have climbed and played in many waterfalls here in the U.S. so I'd really like to do something new In Jamaica. Suggestions anyone?

[Aero247]

We were there in March. My daughter and I did the Horseback ride and swim at Chukka Cove (www.chukkacove.com) and had a great time. You ride about 15 minutes through the surf then you go on a 45 minute or so trail ride.

[xgdgirl]

We were also there in March on the Triumph. Since we had two children with us this time, we booked river rafting through Peat Taylor. It was a great day with only the 4 of us and our tour guide. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[rl2thnurse]

I would have to agree that if you book a private tour Phil Lafayette is GREAT! We used him last year. It was absolutely the best tour ever. He pretty much customized it to suit us. I don't know about the Dolphin Swim; we did not do that. He did take us to a couple "off the beaten path" places. He took us tubing. That was one I did NOT want to do since I am not a swimer, but he convinced me & had some little boys who would "just appear" from the shore any time I was about to get nervous about going over ...don't guess you would call them "rapids" (unless you are like me & they were scary). He took us to a roadside "restaurant?" that I would have NEVER stopped at, but it was the best (not to mention authentic) food on the entire trip.

 

We are going Eastern on the Triumph this year, but when we go back to Jamaica, we will go back to Phil. He is AWESOME! Roni

[sugar n spice]

Thank you, everyone, for the replies.

 

I had considered the horseback riding. It is still on my list of possibilites. I also looked into the river rafting. I'm really trying to line up some activities that we don't generally have the opportunity to explore. Thank you for the link to Chukka Cove. I will check into it.

 

As for Phil, I emailed him but he is not available for the dolphin swim. He said if I was interested in tours of the island, he could do those. Peat asked me to book the dolphin swim from here and he would provide the transportation and any other tour I wanted to take. However, Orville said he could do it all. I don't know what the difference is in the 3 of them. I had contacted them all with the same information to see who might be available and compare their prices and services. I want to book one of them but until I decide on what else we want to do, I can't book anything with anyone.