Docking in Montego Bay on Magic in October...

[bernman]

...would you risk a non-Carnival excursion to Ocho Rios?

 

Thinking about doing the bobsled run, but can do it much cheaper privately. Don't want to be on the dock waving goodbye if we get back late.

 

Any thoughts?:confused::confused:

 

Thanks!

[flounder315]

i wouldn't chance it... Jamaica is crazy, too many things can happen...

[firefly333]

I would. Its not that far away. Im only nervous like cozumel to ruins where you have to include a ferry trip.

[bernman]

Thanks for the quick responses...anyone else care to share?

 

Thanks!

[mickide]

I don't have a lot of experience in Montego Bay, but was on the Magic in February and honestly, I wouldn't do ANY excursion that wasn't by Carnival. I usually book private tours but I was not comfortable there and from talking to some of the other passengers after returning to the ship, it just confirmed that I won't be going there again. Granted, we were 2 women walking around, but we just didn't feel safe at all and took a taxi back to the ship fairly early. That said, we had a great time at Margaritaville and the shopping was great...a little pushy & spendy but that was okay.

[tigereye]

Depends on how long you are there. It's a pretty good ride and the roads are not that great all the way. I really enjoy both places, so I would recommend going if you have time.

[crashkart]

We were in Jamaica for our very first cruise, and did the bobsled and falls through carnival. We were fortunate that we did as traffic on the way back was insane and we were just a bit late even with the driver going up on sidewalks (literally), and driving like mad. SInce it was through Carnival, the ship waited for us. I found Jamaica to be quite scary, and when the carnival reps tell you all the things to watch out for on their own sponsored tours, something has to be wrong. We decided that anytime in the future we dock in Jamaica to just stay in the compound and enjoy the ship.

[momof5k]

We were in Montego Bay on Tuesday last week and we did the Sunset Beach Resort through jamaicaforaday and it was GREAT!

 

We hopped onto a van, $3 a person, it took about 5 minutes to get there and then we spent the day. It was all inclusive, beach and water park (lazy river and water slides), drinks, food (Mmmm jerk chicken!!) and non-motorized water stuff (kayaks and peddle boats).

 

We had a great time!

[firefly333]

Im a single female and to be honest, I walked from the ship into Montego Bay alone .. twice. (I wanted to go online and if I had to pay a taxi, to me it wasnt worth it, so I walked the approx mile and a half into Montego Bay. You turn the corner and walk past a police station. Sure I had some taxis trying to give me a ride.. but once you get clear of the port, they pretty much leave you alone. One guy walked alongside me for a while trying to sell me $1 name tags. I knew if I agreed, he would never leave me alone, so I kept saying no. He eventually left.

 

I never felt afraid. I did live in Hawaii in the country and worked with a lot of Jamaicans when I lived in S. Fl, so that might be why I like them and dont fear them.

[TexanTodd]

Jamaica is a wonderful country, I've spent plenty of time there, and wouldn't hesitate to go back. It is one of my favorite islands to visit. There is nothing wrong, and I hate how certain people complain and try to scare others not to go. You will be fine on the tour - if you want references for specific places, drop by the ports of call section of the board here. We have done private tours there many times and never had a single issue. The people of Jamaica are very friendly and welcoming by and large, and it's a great place to visit.

[nwcruiselover]

I would feel more comfortable on the Carnival tour to Ocho Rios. I usually take private tours but in this case I would opt for Carnival's tour mostly because Ocho Rios is about an hour's drive away. The roads aren't that good in Jamaica and I would like the peace of mind of knowing the ship would wait if we were late.

[maritaysa]

...would you risk a non-Carnival excursion to Ocho Rios?

 

Thinking about doing the bobsled run, but can do it much cheaper privately. Don't want to be on the dock waving goodbye if we get back late.

 

Any thoughts?:confused::confused:

 

Thanks!

 

I wouldn't. It's too far, areas can be sketchy, and drivers can be lousy.

[pjhootch]

Jamaica is fine and fun and although some people are scared or have bad experiences, it doesn't mean everyone should skip Jamaica.

 

Do some research and book with a reputable private driver. I've docked in Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, so I haven't felt the need to drive from one to the other. The roads really are awful and so is traffic. I would make sure your driver believes there is a comfortable margin of time to return to Montego Bay.

 

If you decide not to go to Ocho Rios, Montego Bay is a lot of fun in its own right, although there is nothing like the bobsleds or falls right there.

[lobolady]

We did an on-our-own tour in Montego Bay last year. Had a fabulous tour guide from Your Jamaican Tour Guide. Only snafu was meeting him. I thought he'd be in where the buses are and instead he was just outside to the left by the security guard shack. Alrick was fabulous. Did exactly and only what we wanted. My husband has some health issues so we prefer the flexibility of doing out own tour.

[coevan]

it's OK to do private tours, we always do it. Do a little research, most of private tours have websites. They would not be in business long if they did not get their guests back to the ship.

[DebJ14]

Rush hour traffic can be horrible around MoBay. We took a taxi out to Sandals Royal Caribbean - it took about 15 minutes to get there. We arranged with the driver to pick us up at 3:30. We went to the front entrance at 3:15 and our driver was already there. It took us 45 minutes to get back to the ship using the same route we had in the morning. We were in bumper to bumper traffic that was not moving at all in several locations. I wouldn't risk the trip to Ocho Rios unless I was on a ship's excursion. That would be the last place I would want to be stranded. Even the best tour operator can't do anything about traffic jams.