For Jamacia I would recommend Carolyn Barrett Tours..........she is wonderful and will pick you up at the ship and specifically make a tour designed for you. Even though we didn't care for Jamacia.........this particular tour is still a highlight for us we talk about to this day.
If anyone would like her website or e-mail I will be happy to provide it..........I felt 100% safe and it was a great tour we desingned ourselves with her help.
We had great success using Pete Taylor tours in Oco Rios in April of this year.
He has a canned one (Dunns River Falls, Tubing, Lunch, Shopping), or you can ask for a customized one.
We chose the customized one for three of us. Pete's son, O'Neil, was our personal guide, and he was absolutely fabulous - engaging and informative! Here's what we did:
First stop: Dunns River Fallls, which we opted not to climb, but he showed us all around, educated us a little about what we were seeing, and took pictures of us with our cameras.
A Drive through lush and beautiful Fern Gully.
A very educational and informative drive around the island. During this drive, he stopped any time we asked so we could take pictures of things we saw. (We asked a LOT) Along the way, many times he had the driver pause, and he would reach out or get out, and pick a leaf or flower, pass it around, have everyone smell it, and tell us what it was and how it was used on the island. All kinds of spices, fragrances, etc... that was very cool. He even stopped to show us a native spider in his web, but cautioned us that it was very deadly, and told us a little bit about its habits.
We had wanted to snorkel, so, for our last stop, he took us to a local beach (hardly any cruise ship visitors there) and helped us hire a boat (very reasonable) to take us out to a snorkeling site. He went along and helped with gear, cameras, etc.
He got us safely back to the ship in plenty of time.
We were quite impressed with this very personable young man. I will most certainly look for him on any return trip to his Island.
We are cruising Rhapsody of the Seas in January 2006 and docking at Montego Bay. I read good things about the Sunset Beach Resort all-inclusive deal for cruisers...costs about $20 for adults. Has anybody done the beach trip there?
Thanks.
Lightsluvr
We were there last fall. We also used Peat Taylor and enjoyed climbing Dunn's River Falls although I didn't make it all the way up. Besides Fern Gully, I had requested Wassi Art Pottery Factory. They had some amazing pieces, and they ship! We opted not to take the rest of the tour in the afternoon and instead went to Margaritaville and shopped in the Island Mall there as well.
We went to Ocho Rios & I wasn't too impressed. I also found it a little scarey with the locals asking for money or trying to sell things to you. We took a bus to the Dunns River Falls & the falls were lovely. But when leaving we had a man walking alongside us asking us if we wanted to do some 'shopping'. I can imagine the stuff that he was selling. Ugh.
Then close to the ship were some people just sitting by the side of the road begging.
The island looked beautiful though, so I would like to go back to do an island tour maybe. But I wouldn't go alone walking on the street.
We go there several times a year, however it is on business. It is one of our favorite islands. I find the people warm and friendly, the culture is very different from the US but hey, thats why people travel!! The island has wonderful beauty and the food is out of this world.
I find that most of the islands in the Caribbean imitate Jamaica, the music, the food, the fashions..... there has to be some reason for this! I encourage anyone I know who wishes to be a traveler and not just a tourist....visit Jamaica.
We go to Jamaica as often as we can...but we stay on the island...no cruising to our favorite place and only get 8 hours to stay!!! That would crush us!!
We've stayed in Negril and Ocho Rios multiple times and I've stayed at Mo' Bay before meeting DH....Ahhhhhh....Heaven!!!!!!
I find that the island is beautiful and the people are wonderful. In my opinion, I think those who dislike the island (for the most part....certainly not all though), don't realize that Jamaica is truly a 3rd-world country. The people are poor and sometimes desperate, but not at all threatening or mean. The beggars and peddlers can be assertive, (but it's that way in Mexico too...actually I've found it worse in Mexico), but nothing that a firm "no" won't handle. We've never felt threatened or intimated by the people and like with any place, respect their culture and land and they'll respect you...
We look forward to returning as often as possible....
We had a land vacation many moons ago in Ochos Rios. Had a marvelous time. We did the normal, Dunns River, Fern Valley and a jewelry plant. The thing that stands out in my mind the most was a horseback ride up in the mountains. A local took us through his village, most of the "homes" were shacks in horrible shape. It was our first 3rd world experience, and quite a shock. The scenery was beautiful and the people were friendly. "no problem" is really what its
all about there.
We have stayed at Couples Ochos Rios (Soon to reopen as Couples Tower Island) in Ochi and at Couples Negril in Negril. Both of these all-inclusive resorts are fabulous and about half the price of any Sandals.
While we loved the time spent there (and will certainly go back), one does not get a true "feel" for the island IF you stay at the resort. We did not. We did all the usual, including Dunn's River and horseback riding. We also traveled a bit, where we did see lots of poverty but met some truly nice people.
MOST Jamaicans are warm, loving people! Now Kingston . . .THAT is another story. Stay away.
By the way....someone else posted to stay off the roads. True . . .true! VERY dangerous, so do NOT try to drive!!!! Let a local do it.
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there has to be some reason for this! I encourage anyone I know who wishes to be a traveler and not just a tourist....visit Jamaica. 
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