Montego Bay Jamaica

[lissa42886]

what has any one done there?? i hear its not an exciting port directly off the boat and you NEED to book something .. i know the falls at over an hour away.. any success in getting there with out booking via the ship. help me with some options please.. sailing in april

[jdcml]

You'll want to check the destinations boards. There is a Jamaica section with a few posts about Montego Bay. The downside is that there really isn't a whole lot of information there either. 85+% say don't trust anyone, 15% say its a great port.

 

The most common seems to be taking the hop on hop off bus to Doctors Cave beach and then a stop at Margaritaville.

 

With the falls at 90minutes away I can't imagine that you'll get anyone saying its a trip to take not on a ship sponsored excursion. There are far too many things that can happen that far away from the ship.

 

We will be in Montego next week and plan to sleep in and enjoy the ship. From what I've seen in our different roll calls, we won't be alone.

[bjd2]

We did the ship excursion to Secrets. It was a lot of fun and a beautiful resort, beach, pool etc. We'd love to go there for a week.

[kona_wahine]

I'm thinking either doctors cave or an all inclusive like secrets. I'm having a hard time deciding also. I wanted to go to the falls but not willing to sit on a bus for a couple hours.

Edited November 13, 2015 by kona_wahine

[Chief1369]

Last time we were there we did the Falls and Blue Hole with Peat Taylor.....highly recommend it.

 

Yes it was a bit of a drive, but we were back in plenty of time (roughly an hour or so prior to departure if I recollect correctly). I know we stopped at two separate places to grab a drink on the way back, so we weren't really pressed for time.

[mamajules]

We did Blue Hole thru Liberty Tours a couple weeks ago. It is a ways to drive but so worth it. Absolutely Awesome!! Stopped for lunch at Scotchie's on the way back and also a stop to shop. Back about 2 hours before ship sailed. Ricardo and Liberty Tours are great.

[jltpeke]

We did the horseback riding where you end up down at the beach and the horses swim. It was really nice. We are going back in May and I think we will either do an all inclusive or go to Doctor's Beach.

[happychippy]

I agree. When I visited Montego Bay in August I booked with resortforaday dot com I loved spending the day at an All Inclusive resort and having the transportation included was a plus. They have the Secrets Resort Day Pass much less than the cruise line. It's just 5 minutes from the Montego Bay Port.

[browns3030]

We sailed on the Breeze to Montego last week. We went to the Blue Hole in Ocho Rios as well. Yes, it was a 2 he drive there, but with the right tour guide, it seemed like 30 mins. I researched a lot, and looked really hard to find something similar in the Montego port area, but quickly realized that awe were going to have to travel to do anything adventurous. That is when we decided on Blue Hole. We booked with Chrisjamaicatours. Chris was amazing!! My boys are still talking about it! It was the highlight of our trip! If you decide to go to Ocho, contact Chris. You won't be disappointed!

Edited November 14, 2015 by browns3030

[lissa42886]

We sailed on the Breeze to Montego last week. We went to the Blue Hole in Ocho Rios as well. Yes, it was a 2 he drive there, but with the right tour guide, it seemed like 30 mins. I researched a lot, and looked really hard to find something similar in the Montego port area, but quickly realized that awe were going to have to travel to do anything adventurous. That is when we decided on Blue Hole. We booked with Chrisjamaicatours. Chris was amazing!! My boys are still talking about it! It was the highlight of our trip! If you decide to go to Ocho, contact Chris. You won't be disappointed!

 

 

do u recall how much the tour costs???

[lissa42886]

I agree. When I visited Montego Bay in August I booked with resortforaday dot com I loved spending the day at an All Inclusive resort and having the transportation included was a plus. They have the Secrets Resort Day Pass much less than the cruise line. It's just 5 minutes from the Montego Bay Port.

 

thanks! i took a look.. its out of the price range i was trying to avoid. but good info

[lissa42886]

We did Blue Hole thru Liberty Tours a couple weeks ago. It is a ways to drive but so worth it. Absolutely Awesome!! Stopped for lunch at Scotchie's on the way back and also a stop to shop. Back about 2 hours before ship sailed. Ricardo and Liberty Tours are great.

 

do u recall the cost??? the website doesn't list prices :( i hate calling people lol

[esdoorn]

We stayed for a week in Montego Bay this past January at the Sunset Beach Resort All-Inclusive. It is right beside Secrets and both are 5 minutes from the port, so you can book at an AI and enjoy your day. Sunset Beach daypass includes all your food and unlimited booze.

 

WHAT EVER YOU DO......DO NOT STAY ON THE SHIP.....AS SOME SUGGEST!

 

Another option (a day trip we took with JTL) is the Bamboo Raft Adventure which is between MoBay and Falmouth (about a 50 minute drive).......my wife and I loved it....

 

....here is the link: http://jamaicatoursltd.com/item_list.php?com=show&type=tours&cat=1&affiliateid=

 

IF YOU GO ON THE RAFT....ask for 'Daly' as your raft captain...he sings wonderful songs and shares the history of Jamaica....there are booze stops along the way....if you need a drink, tell him and he will pull over. The Red Stripe beer is awesome!

 

If these don't appeal, go to Doctor's Cave beach and Margarittville. The tourist staff at the hotels, restaurants and tour companies are friendly and wonderful people.

[browns3030]

do u recall how much the tour costs???

 

 

We paid $220 for the four of us for the entire day with Chris. Then it was $10 per person for the Blue Hole. And then about $40 for lunch. You can customize your day with Chris. He will take you anywhere and everywhere you want, as long as you are ok on time. That, along with the fact that it was just us and not hundreds of others from the ship made it worth it to us.

 

Good luck choosing!

[mamajules]

do u recall the cost??? the website doesn't list prices :( i hate calling people lol

 

There were 9 of us. We paid $75 a piece. I think that was the price for more than 4 people and up. That included transport, admission to Blue Hole and lunch. Well worth it. Use the email to tell them how many people and get a quote. Ricardo is quick to respond and great to work with

[sg4crzn]

We did Blue Hole thru Liberty Tours a couple weeks ago. It is a ways to drive but so worth it. Absolutely Awesome!! Stopped for lunch at Scotchie's on the way back and also a stop to shop. Back about 2 hours before ship sailed. Ricardo and Liberty Tours are great.

 

 

I agree. So fun. Beautiful.

[CCC3]

We went to Hilton's Rose Hall resort through resortforaday.com. Food & drinks were wonderful, the facility itself was outstanding, and we were provided safe, a/c transportation there (my ship docked in Falmouth--it was about a 20 min drive).

[dioxide45]

Definitely don't stay on the ship in Mo Bay. The port area isn't great and there are no shops in the terminal. They all closed a few weeks ago and they are apparently renovating the area. If you want to shop, you have to take a cab or shuttle down town. Book a tour or excursion. We went to Grand Palladium Resort AI and had a great time. There are many other AI options. But don't stay on the ship, that is what sea days are for.

[garagesalegran]

We enjoyed Rose Hall. Lots of history in that old mansion.

[dioxide45]

You and others have mentioned secrets but when I google this company secrets does not come up as an option with or without the dates. Am I looking at the right company?

 

I found it pretty easy with a Google search. Try searching "Secrets Wild Orchid Resort Day Pass". I see it offered on Shore Excursioneer for about $125.

[bamagirl14]

For all of you who went to Blue Hole ... Is the 2 hour ride just awful? I had this excursion booked with Ricardo Riley last March and cancelled b/c of the drive. My 11 and 17 year old are begging me to do it his year. We are sailing again March 27th. I am just not sold on this loooooooooooong drive. Please elaborate on the 2 hr drive. Thank you.

[browns3030]

For all of you who went to Blue Hole ... Is the 2 hour ride just awful? I had this excursion booked with Ricardo Riley last March and cancelled b/c of the drive. My 11 and 17 year old are begging me to do it his year. We are sailing again March 27th. I am just not sold on this loooooooooooong drive. Please elaborate on the 2 hr drive. Thank you.

 

 

We just did this excursion in November with our boys, ages 11 and 16. I, like you, just about cancelled, dreading the drive. However, after taking time to research what there was to do in the Montego Bay area, decided that if we wanted to do anything fun and adventurous, we were going to have to travel the 2 hrs. We booked our private tour with Chris Linton from Chris Jamaica Tours. I have to honestly tell you, the 2 hr drive was NOT BAD AT ALL!! Chris kept it very interesting for us by telling us a bunch of history as well as pointing out things along the way. Before we knew it, we were at the Blue Hole. I have got to honestly tell you......it is SO worth it!!! My boys had the time of their lives!! They still talk about it...almost every day!! I was also dreading the ride back, thinking it would be twice as long and boring as we would all be tired. Not at all! In fact, I felt like the trip back seemed shorter than the ride there! Chris took us to a local restaurant for lunch, then he took us to a small shop so we could do some shopping.

I would HIGHLY recommend that you DO IT!! You will not regret it!! Contact Chris. He is awesome!

[soindcruiser]

We did the horseback riding where you end up down at the beach and the horses swim. It was really nice. We are going back in May and I think we will either do an all inclusive or go to Doctor's Beach.

 

We are looking into a horseback riding excursion from Montego Bay in June. Can you recommend a tour operator? Thank you!