stlewis98 Posted May 18, 2004 #1 Share Posted May 18, 2004 My sisters and I were on the Mariner of the Seas last week and visited Jamaica on May 12th. I learned about A-Z from these boards and had contacted Belinda a few times by email before we left. She was fantastic - very responsive and helpful. We were actually on board when we made the final decision to book a tour and Belinda responded to my email from midnight the night before at 7 am the day of the tour to confirm it. We joined another family from our cruise who had also learned about them on cruisecritic. Mickey was our driver and he was wonderful. He moved there 2 1/2 years ago from England and was telling us how the cruise ships tend to steer people towards different shops because they get kickbacks from those vendors - something most of us figured was the case anyway. He told us about how wonderful the people really are and it was evident from the response we all had from them during our tour that this was true. Our first stop was Dunns River Falls where we got there so early I think we were only the 2nd group to climb. We really appreciated that when we were leaving and saw the long long lines of people. When I chickened out after the first level of the falls Mickey accompanied me along the walkway the rest of the time. He was always offering to be of assistance to the whole group. After the falls we went to a pottery factory which really was great. They gave us a tour (no charge) and showed us how they take the clay from the ground, filter it and ready it for molding. The finished products were incredible and reasonably priced. What I really enjoyed was buying authentic souvenirs - they had both small vases, coffee mugs, etc. The people were not pushy at all - we met the artists and they were all very nice. We also went to a roadside shopping area where I again bought some authentic crafts. We had lunch at the Ruins Restaurant which was a beautiful setting and a buffet lunch. We got to meet Belinda personally there and she is a lovely lady. Then we were off to the White River for the River Tubing. This was another great experience and the river guides were a lot of fun and really looked out for us. Along the way we stopped for somewhat of a spice demonstration from a local who would hand us different leaves to smell and guess what they were. I was amazed at the variety of what grows there. Each stop Mickey was very helpful with making suggestions on tip amounts or how much to expect the vendors to drop the prices on their wares. Overall it was a wonderful day and I highly recommend them. Belinda said they don't advertise - they rely on word of mouth. If I ever get back to Jamaica I will be sure to use them again. The tour cost $58 a person - a real bargain compared to what the cruise lines charge and in this case RCCL didn't offer a tour that included both the falls and the river tubing together which were the two things we really wanted to do. Feel free to ask me any questions if you would like more info. Susie Mariner - here we come!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyern Posted July 15, 2004 #2 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Stlewis, how lond did it take to tube? We would like to do both the tubing and falls, but are only in port from noon to 6p. Thanks, ALan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koolcruiser43 Posted July 19, 2004 #3 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Just wondering if you went the area where you swing from a rope into the water. It seems like there are different river tubing excursions and I really want to try the one where you swing on a rope. Has anyone done this or know what I am refering to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyern Posted July 22, 2004 #4 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Thanks y'all. I got my answer from a tour operator. They said it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodlebug Posted July 22, 2004 #5 Share Posted July 22, 2004 I just got back from a Western Carrib. cruise with the Navigator and I wanted to post my review on our wonderful excursion with A-z Planners. We were greeted by Oscar. He was friendly, funny, and very laid back. We first went to the Dunn River Falls and he gave us hints on what to bring or leave in the bus and was there waiting for us when we finished. We then went River Tubing (which was 10 times better then any lazy river ride at an amuzement park). We had a guide that made sure we didn't get caught on rocks and that such. It was beatiful. Afterward Oscar took us on a ride around the area looking at the local houses and we stopped so he could explain this special fruit to us (I can't remember the name). My husband had very bad blisters on his toes and when he mentioned it to Oscar he stopped and got us some band-aids. We were early for lunch, so we took a ride up Fern Gully and we got to see "Ready Freddie". Lunch was delicious and the scenery was beautiful. It was a buffet for about $14.95 (which includes drinks). Afterward we went shopping! First at the tourist place and then to the craft market. It was so nice to have a personalize guide instead of being stuffed into the busses with the cruise organized excursions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firsttimecruiser77 Posted July 24, 2004 #6 Share Posted July 24, 2004 Thanks for posting your stories about A-Z. We are going with them in May 2005 and like to hear good things! I have a question for anyone who has done the river tubing. Are there snakes in the water? Being a native floridian, where every waterway is home to lots of water moccasins, that's always my first thought! Is there anything in the water that can bite or sting? Hopefully, that wasn't too stupid of a question but I had to ask!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riverrrunner Posted July 26, 2004 #7 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Thanks y'all. I got my answer from a tour operator. They said it can be done.My 10 yr old and I are going to ocho rios on 8/29 and would appreciate knowing what you learned as i'm sure he would love to do the samemy email is buzysignal@yahoo.com any help would be appreciated. thanks anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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