Failing in Falmouth

[dmwnc1959]

that is very awesome data!!! Thanks you so much for the information- moreso that you added the walking tour! That is very helpful!

 

I will review it with DW in the next few days.

 

Glad you liked it! I work midnight shifts so I wanted to get that posted before logging off for the day.

 

:D

[gambee]

Sorry. Been busy. I picked up a port map from the main entrance building when I was there (labeled Terminal on the second map, this is also the ONLY way to enter the complex and get to town) and since I don't have a scanner took a picture of it just now and downloaded it.

 

The town is quite small so the gauntlet, although seems like it lasts forever, mainly runs from the complex main exit gate for one solid block (highlighted in yellow). There are also some 'sales people' on the stretch up past the blue Clock Tower building near the Albert George Market but no where near as aggressive.

 

I also indicated on the first map where Club Nazz is located.

 

 

 

Damn, that is some very good info. Thanks, it is much appreciated. :)

[Ocean Boy]

I've been to Falmouth (on Freedom in April of 2011). IMO, the port is lacking. The buildings were built by RCI, so they are not authentic. Most of the good excursions are based out of Montego Bay or Ocho Rios, so people simply pass right through Falmouth. In addition, they are a long drive so when you get back, there isn't much time to spend in Falmouth.

 

It's unfortunate that the locals don't necessarily feel like they are benefiting, but Jamaican tourism as a whole certainly has to be. With 3 major ports, instead of 2, there is room for more ships/passengers to come spend their dollars on the island.

 

There may be room for more ships but are there actually more ships being scheduled or are the other piers sitting idle more because of RCI moving their ships to the fabricated port?

[tahqa]

There may be room for more ships but are there actually more ships being scheduled or are the other piers sitting idle more because of RCI moving their ships to the fabricated port?

 

And there were plans (at least as recent as 2008) to turn Port Royal into a cruise port. :eek:

 

 

http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20080308/news/news10.html

[redlobster]

We enjoyed our visit to Falmouth in summer, 2012. The enclosed port area is expanding and we heard that a hotel is planned for the not to distant future.

 

Everyone benefits with this expansion.

[BillOh]

Are they going to build Margaritiville inside the gate or outside? If it is inside then it will mostly not help the locals to much. They need people to go outside and spend some money IMO.

 

Other than a few jobs. As the article states, much of the money goes to international chains. I'm pleased to say I've never given a dime to Diamonds International. I don't think the comparison to Labadee was totally fair as their is no obligation to allow locals in for anything, but they do.

 

I've been debating on my return to Freedom as to go eastern or western because I'll have been on Eastern twice on Allure recently. If we did go Western, all I probably would do is shop the inside the fence local area at that stop.

 

It's just one person, but this stood out for me in that article - "The pot is starting to boil and, trust me, it will boil over if things don't change around here,"

[micmacmissy]

 

Our next visit on 6 weeks, will be a beach....

 

TEXASMUNK...which beach? We are going in January. On a past trip to Labadee with just me and my husband, we actually enjoyed the Straw market and all the haggling- didn't bother us in the least (we used to live in NYC, and have pretty high comfort levels in crowds).

 

However, in January we're taking our 12 year old son and 10 year old daughter with us. We were thinking of doing the Chukka Beach Break. I would love to walk around the town and have the kids see the "real" town of Falmouth, but I have to admit, I'm nervous about it. It's one thing, people grabbing at me or my husband. But the kids? No way! Not to mention, I think it would scare them- they aren't used to that.

 

So...Any beach advice?

[BillOh]

On a past trip to Labadee with just me and my husband, we actually enjoyed the Straw market and all the haggling- didn't bother us in the least (we used to live in NYC, and have pretty high comfort levels in crowds).

 

I'll look forward to going back to Labadee. In 2006, the "straw market" was in an enclosed area way in the back and it was as bad as people have said. I was not comfortable with people grabbing my wife and pulling her into booths. In 2008 that area was all open and closer to the main populated areas. I was much more comfortable letting my wife shop there.

[ncbamafan]

TEXASMUNK...which beach? We are going in January. On a past trip to Labadee with just me and my husband, we actually enjoyed the Straw market and all the haggling- didn't bother us in the least (we used to live in NYC, and have pretty high comfort levels in crowds).

 

However, in January we're taking our 12 year old son and 10 year old daughter with us. We were thinking of doing the Chukka Beach Break. I would love to walk around the town and have the kids see the "real" town of Falmouth, but I have to admit, I'm nervous about it. It's one thing, people grabbing at me or my husband. But the kids? No way! Not to mention, I think it would scare them- they aren't used to that.

 

So...Any beach advice?

 

We went on the same excursion you're considering with our daughter (13) and son (10) last year and had a great time - and you do go through Falmouth in a van on the way to the beach. We had a very good driver that took his time telling us a lot about the area we were going through.

 

It's not the same as actually going in to the city, but honestly, having gone through it in a van I'd pass for now unless you're doing it as a ship excursion.

[ncbamafan]

We went to the market in Labadee on our first cruise (2003) and have not been back and will not go back. My wife loves to shop and has no problem telling people no, but we're not interested in putting up with that crap.

 

We had no issues with the vendors inside the port gate at Falmouth, very easy to deal with.

[Doug S]

By chance, the wife and I were on board for the inaugural RCI docking at Falmouth, and it was quite a big deal to the locals. Parades, ribbon cutting, dancers, musicians and stilt walkers everywhere. The locals were taking our pictures for a change... We have been back twice. It was far from complete at the first visit, but things are slowly progressing. In my opinion, the plan to keep venues like Margaritaville inside a controlled area is a no-brainer. Even when we taxied out 30 minutes to a beach it was a private area behind a gate that kept the environment safe.

 

I always take the little trolley tour to get a feel for the local culture and historic churches, and that by itself reinforces my belief that you are ill advised to venture out into the uncontrolled area without local escort. It is an incredibly beautiful island, but poverty among the population is very apparent. I'm a pretty big guy, and I would not take my chances roaming around on my own... and there's no way I'd let my wife wander the surrounding area.

 

But the claim that no money is making it to the local economy seems a bit thin... Our tour guides and the vendors inside the gates were all locals, but they had obviously been well screened and trained. Granted, the cruise lines and excursion companies are controlling the flow of money into the area, but what did they expect??? They were naive or stupid to think it would be any different.

 

We were on one of the very first local trolley tours that left the gates on the inaugral docking. The only food venues we saw were little 'bob-sled' carts loaded with raw potato/sweet potato looking tubers, and one falling down shack with a wood plaque nailed to door-frame that had "Chicken - Pork" crudely painted on it. There were absolutely no facilities outside the port that were welcoming to tourists. Water was stored in gravity fed barrels perched above the shacks, and we saw one elderly lady filling a water bottle from a spigot in what looked like a drainage ditch. For any tour they sold beverages out of a cooler.

 

Jamaica is also the only place my family has ever been approached by an agressive drug dealer. My son was about 14 at the time and a local punk tried to discreetly lure him off to the side near Och Rios to sell him some pot. We still laugh when we talk about it, and say "Yo Dadee no Laak me!" in a bad island accent. 'Dadee' messed up his deal and ran his scrawney arse off...

 

I love Jamaica, but like many other caribbean destinations, the general abject poverty of the locals makes it necessary for cruise lanes to make any port stop there a more controlled experience to protect their passengers. It is what it is.

[grand isle joe]

We enjoyed our visit to Falmouth in summer, 2012. The enclosed port area is expanding and we heard that a hotel is planned for the not to distant future.

 

 

 

.......I wonder how they will incorporate the guard towers into the basic design?......:cool:

[Movieguy214]

I was at Falmouth last April off the Allure. It definitely didn't look welcoming to wonder outside the gates, and it kinda seemed like RCI designed it that way. The look of the some of the vendors, while passing in the bus, looked sketchy and unwelcoming as well. And being harassed by vendors is really the last thing a person wants on vacation. I agree that it is unfair, but the port is relatively new and things could change. Our cab driver, who drove us back from Montego Bay, said he really didn't know anything about Falmouth when we asked him what there was to do there.

[roe2ship]

However, in January we're taking our 12 year old son and 10 year old daughter with us. We were thinking of doing the Chukka Beach Break. I would love to walk around the town and have the kids see the "real" town of Falmouth, but I have to admit, I'm nervous about it. It's one thing, people grabbing at me or my husband. But the kids? No way! Not to mention, I think it would scare them- they aren't used to that.

 

So...Any beach advice?

We did that excursion in July and would not do it again......especially with kids. The beach is nice but the same agressive vendors are there. The first hour wasn't too bad but the later it got more vendors became present and they all became way too pushy. One lady at the very end wouldn't take "no thank you" for an answer.....it was quite annoying. That is not my idea of a fun or relaxing excursion.

[bajathree]

Other than a few jobs. As the article states, much of the money goes to international chains. I'm pleased to say I've never given a dime to Diamonds International. I don't think the comparison to Labadee was totally fair as their is no obligation to allow locals in for anything, but they do.

 

I've been debating on my return to Freedom as to go eastern or western because I'll have been on Eastern twice on Allure recently. If we did go Western, all I probably would do is shop the inside the fence local area at that stop.

 

It's just one person, but this stood out for me in that article - "The pot is starting to boil and, trust me, it will boil over if things don't change around here,"

 

Unhappy local just trying to stir the pot....wouldn't even blink at that one.

[Ocean Boy]

Other than a few jobs. As the article states, much of the money goes to international chains. I'm pleased to say I've never given a dime to Diamonds International. I don't think the comparison to Labadee was totally fair as their is no obligation to allow locals in for anything, but they do.

 

I've been debating on my return to Freedom as to go eastern or western because I'll have been on Eastern twice on Allure recently. If we did go Western, all I probably would do is shop the inside the fence local area at that stop.

 

It's just one person, but this stood out for me in that article - "The pot is starting to boil and, trust me, it will boil over if things don't change around here,"

 

That also caught my attention. I am not sure what to make of it but somehow I suspect it won't be good for RCI, tourists, or the locals.

[BillOh]

We went to the market in Labadee on our first cruise (2003) and have not been back and will not go back. My wife loves to shop and has no problem telling people no, but we're not interested in putting up with that crap.

 

 

I hope you go back and read my post regarding 2006 vs 2008. In that time period it improved dramatically. I haven't been back since 2008.

[BillOh]

Unhappy local just trying to stir the pot....wouldn't even blink at that one.

 

Your probably right, its one thing I'll keep in mind as I won't be there till 2014 at the earliest.

[mousemom11]

We'll be there on the Allure next June. If we decide to book an independent excursion, are there cabs inside the gates?

[Creepella]

I hope you go back and read my post regarding 2006 vs 2008. In that time period it improved dramatically. I haven't been back since 2008.

 

Sadly, the incident I described occurred in January 2011.

[cruzeluver]

I hope you go back and read my post regarding 2006 vs 2008. In that time period it improved dramatically. I haven't been back since 2008.

 

We went to Labadee in March and loved it! No problem whatsoever with aggressive vendors. Yes, as you walk by they solicit you to come see what they have, but a polite "no thank you" worked every time. Can;t wait to go back to Labadee next Spring.

[BeachChik]

We did that excursion in July and would not do it again......especially with kids. The beach is nice but the same agressive vendors are there. The first hour wasn't too bad but the later it got more vendors became present and they all became way too pushy. One lady at the very end wouldn't take "no thank you" for an answer.....it was quite annoying. That is not my idea of a fun or relaxing excursion.

 

We did the chukka beach break also. Our experience was the opposite. They had people that kept vendors off this portion of the beach. Unless you wandered down the beach there was no contact with any outside people. And when any vendors came close they were chased off by the staff. We found it to be a relaxing day.

[Ocean Boy]

Unhappy local just trying to stir the pot....wouldn't even blink at that one.

 

Maybe so. However, and coming fom someone who loves Jamaica, there are enough people who are already skeptical about Jamaica as it is. All it would take is a group of disgruntled locals to hold a demonstration ouside of the gated area. Because of people's peceptions of the area it would most likely have a bigger impact than it is entitled to. Just imagine a group of Haitains demonstrating outside of the gate at Labadee. Do you think it would just be business as usual inside the compound?

[erbunny]

DH and I were on the very first port visit to Falmouth, on Voyager. The people were so upbeat, it was wonderful. Because it was our first visit to Jamaica, we took at excursion to Dunns River Falls, which we really enjoyed, including the drive where we saw a lot of the country and our guide and driver were terrific. We were looking forward to returning someday to see the progress and take the walking tour which does look very interesting. I like the fact that the town has not been Disneyfied.

 

That being said, I am not so sure now. The townspeople sound rather disappointed. I agree that some of their behaviors seem self-defeating. I agree that the government should spend revenue on the town itself, but people need to understand that most North Americans hate the haggling and pressure, and will avoid confrontation even if they had planned on spending money.

 

As for Labadee, it is physically more beautiful tham Coco Cay, but the rudeness of the vendors make it unlikely we will return. It is beyond me to understand why some people think berating me will make me want to give them my money. No matter how much I like the goods, and there was a piece I really wanted, but not enough to deal with the abuse. The vendor lost a sale.

[cjdixon4]

Well you asked...I gave my opinion:)

 

 

bajathree...i agree with you. I thought your opinion had some worth and made sense. Seems that since the OP has decided that they're going through the "gauntlet" regardless, then let him figure out the DEPTH of it on his own. Good grief...:eek: