Previous Falmouth Cruisers - Your Wisdom is Needed on the Ports of Call Board

[MississippiMom]

I am BEGGING all of you who have cruised before, hop over to the Ports of Call section and give advice.

 

Personally, I would love more recommendations on what to do with 13 travelers, ages 5 - 84, when we are at the Falmouth port.  (I have been to the Cozumel and Grand Cayman ports that are also on our itinerary.). There are so many threads that just need to be updated/resurrected.  Really, for all of the ports.

 

Thank you in advance for helping all of the CC travel-planners.

[orville99]

Our son took his 16 1nd 12 YO tubing in Falmouth, and they had a blast.

[lfox02]

We did a culinary walking tour that was a blast! We ate and shopped like locals, but with a tour guide that knew the whole town. It was not a rigorous walk, but was a very hot day. 

[elklemi]

Martha Bray rafting is close and a unique adventure.

[coldflame]

On 6/12/2021 at 8:58 AM, MississippiMom said:

I am BEGGING all of you who have cruised before, hop over to the Ports of Call section and give advice.

 

Personally, I would love more recommendations on what to do with 13 travelers, ages 5 - 84, when we are at the Falmouth port.  (I have been to the Cozumel and Grand Cayman ports that are also on our itinerary.). There are so many threads that just need to be updated/resurrected.  Really, for all of the ports.

 

Thank you in advance for helping all of the CC travel-planners.

 

That age range is pretty insane for everyone to do the same thing and be enjoyable to all. My suggestion is to break the group into like-minded/capable/weight subgroups. Will be much easier to find things to do that way. The only exception would "beach break" excursions, which are suitable for everyone.

[miamimommie]

We did this:  https://www.shoreexcursioneer.com/falmouth/all-inclusive-royalton-white-sands-day-pass.html

 

we had toddlers to grandparents and there was something for everyone 

[EatonDoolittle]

12 minutes ago, miamimommie said:

We did this:  https://www.shoreexcursioneer.com/falmouth/all-inclusive-royalton-white-sands-day-pass.html

 

we had toddlers to grandparents and there was something for everyone 

 

I would second something like this. 

If budget is a consideration, RC offers a ship sponsored excursion to Blue Water beach club. It's not as fancy or  as nice as this one looks, but includes transpo, lunch, and they had kids activities also.  

I can't imagine going back to Falmouth (you'll see, it's a one-and-done sort of place) , but if I did, I would go back to that beach. 

 

 

[FLcruisergrl]

Martha Brae rafting

 

[StanleyandGus]

On 6/12/2021 at 6:58 AM, MississippiMom said:

I am BEGGING all of you who have cruised before, hop over to the Ports of Call section and give advice.

 

Personally, I would love more recommendations on what to do with 13 travelers, ages 5 - 84, when we are at the Falmouth port.  (I have been to the Cozumel and Grand Cayman ports that are also on our itinerary.). There are so many threads that just need to be updated/resurrected.  Really, for all of the ports.

 

Thank you in advance for helping all of the CC travel-planners.

Are you cruising from Galveston? We have the same ports, and we have been to none of them!

My husband particularly wants to visit a coffee plantation. I’m hoping for recommendations.

[MississippiMom]

On 6/13/2021 at 12:05 PM, StanleyandGus said:

Are you cruising from Galveston? We have the same ports, and we have been to none of them!

My husband particularly wants to visit a coffee plantation. I’m hoping for recommendations.

It will be our first time cruising out of Galveston.  The bells & whistles on Liberty of the Seas are really for my nephews, otherwise we would have picked a closer port to us - NOLA or Mobile.

 

Cozumel has so many options that we aren't too worried about that one.   If a pay as you go beach club (LOVE Paradise Beach) is an option, we will be doing that.  If we are required to select a cruise sponsored excursion, we plan on Playa Mia (we have never been there) or Chankaanab (haven't seen it, since they finished all of the after the hurricane rebuilding).

 

For Grand Cayman, we are leaning toward one of the tours around the island.  We have been to that tender port twice.  First time, just hung out at 7 mile beach.  Second time, we swam with dolphins, petted stingrays and visited the turtle farm. (Exhausting, but our three kids LOVED it.)

 

If Grand Cayman won't allow cruise ships in 2021, then I hope RCCL tells us several months in advance of our revised itinerary, so we can plan accordingly.

[StanleyandGus]

We have to fly anyway, so we’re doing a b2b. Although my husband says it’s only a 27 hour drive, so why don’t we drive...🙄! In January. 

[StanleyandGus]

And I hit submit before I was finished. 
 

I think the stingray place might be interesting!  My daughter has gone there, and says it’s quite the experience.  For Cozumel perhaps Nachi Cocum. I’m holding off booking anything for perhaps the same reason you are- we don’t know if we will be restricted to Royal Caribbean excursions. 
 

Hopefully all the cruise ports will be doing as well as the Americans are- and we are starting to be- in terms of vaccinations.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Stingray sandbar in Grand Cayman is a must. We didn't go last time because we had my elderly parents with us :(, but we really wanted to and our kid was finally old enough to enjoy it. We did it several years ago and it was so much fun! Word of advise: bring your own snorkeling masks and mouth pieces. The disinfection process of the stuff they give you was yucky even before the pandemic.

 

If we are ever in Falmouth again (we try to avoid it at all cost), we are just going to stay on the ship and enjoy all the great things RCI ships have to offer without a crowd.

Edited June 14, 2021 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Russ Lomas]

On 6/13/2021 at 12:31 PM, EatonDoolittle said:

I can't imagine going back to Falmouth (you'll see, it's a one-and-done sort of place) , but if I did, I would go back to that beach. 

Agreed.  Our Odyssey cruise just got Falmouth added and Labadee removed 😥.

Personally, we would have preferred any other port (even Nassau).

We plan to just stay on the ship and enjoy the bells and whistles of the new ship while others hopefully go ashore and leave us alone on the ship 🙂

[vswan]

Been to Falmouth once. They have a fenced shopping, restaurant, bar area when you get off the ship. No pool like some of the cruise-built areas. There seemed to be an organized group of taxi drivers who would walk through the crowds and organize who wanted to go where that weren't on ship excursions. We went to a beach club type of place - don't remember the name - for a couple of dollars. Taxi's dropped off and picked up routinely. When we came back decided to explore outside of the fenced in area to get more of a local feel - and to support the "real" locals rather than the built up port. Walked less than half a block out the back, decided it was not for us and came back. If not just interested in going to the beach this is one port stop I would stay on the ship or take an excursion.

[LeeW]

Our favorite spot for Falmouth is Hilton Rose Hall, Royalton second favorite.  Both AIs have lots to do for all ages and great food.  Check them out through Shore Excursioneer, Shore Excursions Group or Resort fo a Day.  Royalton is closer but both are less than 1/2 hour with included transportation.  More adventurous could go to Chukka Rose Hall Estate (rafting, tubing, slides, ...).  Ship may or may not offer tours to all three of these, probably at higher cost.

[Peachypooh]

On 6/15/2021 at 6:54 AM, vswan said:

Been to Falmouth once. They have a fenced shopping, restaurant, bar area when you get off the ship. No pool like some of the cruise-built areas. There seemed to be an organized group of taxi drivers who would walk through the crowds and organize who wanted to go where that weren't on ship excursions. We went to a beach club type of place - don't remember the name - for a couple of dollars. Taxi's dropped off and picked up routinely. When we came back decided to explore outside of the fenced in area to get more of a local feel - and to support the "real" locals rather than the built up port. Walked less than half a block out the back, decided it was not for us and came back. If not just interested in going to the beach this is one port stop I would stay on the ship or take an excursion.

When we were in Falmouth we just stayed in the fenced area. Had a good lunch, listened to some great music and shopped for souveniers  Some friends of ours decided to venture

outside the gate (even though we were advised it was not a good option) and headed back almost immediately.

[whyrlygig]

Falmouth is a stop for us this year too.  Been there once and that was enough.  We had a lovely day at a beach (that no longer exists) but the port leaves a lot to be desired.  We will plan it like sey day this time.  

[1Texansgo]

Second Miamimommy and Royalton White Sands; my reservation would be the elderly may get bored but the kids would have a great time

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

I think I'm in the minority. 

 

Myself and my 3 older teens/YA's left the fenced area and walked up through town to a small grocery where we bought supplies for a beach picnic - replete with packs of Red Stripes and some Appleleton rum and pineapple juice for me,  as all but one was of legal drinking age in Jamaica - with the intent to go to the local public beach called Burwood Beach.  There were tourist police that approached and were quite surprised we had ventured out beyond the fence. 😂 I guess it's not the norm, but, rest assured, we weren't the only ones outside of the gates and the tourist police were really great about keeping all of the more adventurous cruisers safe.  They called over a local taxi for us after we shopped and the gentleman driver was amazing.  He arranged a low hassle experience for us at the mainly locals beach when we arrived, and then returned earlier than the arranged time to ensure that we were not being bothered too much by the vendors.  We mostly had a fabulous experience there at a gorgeous beach, but, did have to frequently say no thank you to the MANY things offered us at the beach, some of them quite innovative, like massages with the juice of freshly cut aloes hacked up from a machete tucked somewhat indiscretely in the waist band of said vendor's swimming trunks. 🤯  It also happened to be a local school holiday of some sort so the younger children that arrived at the beach later were quite fascinated with us being there and we all made friends easily.  I'm sure it was educational for them to be able to talk with us at length about the life in the States and their favorite sports and big stars. 

 

From the beach, we went for a jerk chicken meal at one of the driver's favorites, a local shack that I wish I could remember the name of and we had some great conversation with him about life in Jamaica compared to the states.  He was supporting two college aged daughters attending university in the states and had several other family members living in the states that he had visited so, he  understood that some cruisers have also saved up a very long time for such a trip and aren't just wealthy foreign tourists to target.  He explained that most Jamaicans we'd encounter at the cruise ship ports and popular beaches just see rich tourists on ships and look to make a quick buck because they have no concept of what it might mean to be middle class and also working hard to be able to take these cruises on a mass market line. 

 

I very much enjoyed that day and my children also remember the day fondly.  The machete looms larger and larger in each retelling of the stories of that day along with a few of the other things offered, which I will leave to imaginations.  I suppose some would say absolutely not for them and I get it.  But, I would do it again. I never felt unsafe.  And, I'm glad my children had the opportunity to really experience some lovely Jamaican people in a more natural setting than the sanitized and fenced in port shops.

 

The beauty of cruising is that we have so many choices.  There is something for everyone.  Next time, I think I'll look at the Martha Brae rafting - independently - or a walking tour of Falmouth.  Good luck in your search for something that you will enjoy!