Starting 5/31 carnival is no longer going to falmouth jamaica?

I am heading out on the Breeze on 5/31 and this morning got a notice of a port change. I double checked with the Port Authority of Jamaica's website and sure enough, all of Carnival's port calls in Falmouth have been changed to either Ocho Rios or (in my case) Montego Bay.

Based on my notice and a friend on another sailing, here are the changes that Carnival has notified (some) passengers of.

MoBay instead of Falmouth:

5/31/15, 6/14/15, 8/9/15, 8/23/15, 9/6/15, 11/1/15, 11/15/15, 4/17/16

Ocho Rios instead of Falmouth:

6/28/15, 7/12/15, 7/26/15, 9/20/15, 10/4/15, 1/24/16, 3/6/16

If you booked with a travel agent, the notice went to them instead of you directly.

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I have been to both Montego Bay and Ocho Rios and both are yucky. I have seen pictures of the Falmouth cruise port and it looked really nice. I wonder why they would do that?

Pure speculation on my part: I think there must be some cost issue with Royal Caribbean. The Falmouth port area is owned by Royal Caribbean and Jamaica - Im guessing Carnival doesn't want to pay Royal for the use of the facility. I just recently learned that the money from all the shops in the gated port area of Falmouth actually goes to Royal Caribbean and not the locals.

Pure speculation on my part: I think there must be some cost issue with Royal Caribbean. The Falmouth port area is owned by Royal Caribbean and Jamaica - Im guessing Carnival doesn't want to pay Royal for the use of the facility. I just recently learned that the money from all the shops in the gated port area of Falmouth actually goes to Royal Caribbean and not the locals.

I have also heard that Falmouth was an RCCl port, and was surprised that Carnival was even going there considering that.

I think also that this might be the reason why.

We are booked on the June 28 Breezr sailing, and today received an email that we are switching ports from Fallmouth to Ocho Rios.

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Pure speculation on my part: I think there must be some cost issue with Royal Caribbean. The Falmouth port area is owned by Royal Caribbean and Jamaica - Im guessing Carnival doesn't want to pay Royal for the use of the facility. I just recently learned that the money from all the shops in the gated port area of Falmouth actually goes to Royal Caribbean and not the locals.

And the $$$ spent in Carnival's shopping corrals like Mahagony Bay and the new Amber Cove goes to Carnival and not the locals. This is not a big secret.

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I have been to both Montego Bay and Ocho Rios and both are yucky. I have seen pictures of the Falmouth cruise port and it looked really nice. I wonder why they would do that?

I've stayed in 2 different Montego Bay Hotels, one on Doctor's Cave Beach that is now a Couples or other yuppie brand resort and Secrets St James which was real nice.

I had a port stop in Ocho Rios in January I think, and it wasn't anything like I remembered it. The roads were paved, locals were picking up trash and doing landscaping, no beggars or phony dealers around to hassle pax, I was quite impressed with the improvements. The actual port area was rebuilt, and excursions were orderly and on time. Had I not been there when it was decrepit, I would have wondered why there were lots of negative comments from past visitors.

You're lucky. The port area itself is nice, but there is nothing to do in Falmouth. All of the good stuff is in Ocho Rios, and it's a 1.5 hour drive from Falmouth to Ocho Rios. We planned to do Cool Blue Hole and the falls on the Victory in Feb, but due to the distance and the ship getting in late, we were only able to do Cool Blue Hole (HIGHLY recommend). Not stopping at Falmouth is a good thing.

I hated Falmouth. All of the excursions involved an hour bus ride to Ocho Rios. I'd rather just dock at Ocho and not have to endure the road trip to go to Dunn's River or Blue Hole.

Ocho Rios instead of Falmouth:

 

6/28/15, 7/12/15, 7/26/15, 9/20/15, 10/4/15, 1/24/16, 3/6/16

 

Were those dates just for Breeze? We're on the 3/6/16 Magic sailing, and it's MoBay on our itinerary. Just checked online again to make sure.

I've only ported in Falmouth, never in MB or OR. Falmouth is a very nice and clean strip mall, but driving for 75-90 minutes to get to all excursions is a pain. I don't think it's a loss at all to not go to Falmouth.

Falmouth sucks too - The port is nice, but that's all that is. - The port is fenced in and I didn't feel safe outside of the port fence. - I don't book Jamaica cruises anymore.

I find it to be a good thing personally. We stay on the ship when we go to Falmouth. Now Ochos Rios, love it!

Were those dates just for Breeze? We're on the 3/6/16 Magic sailing, and it's MoBay on our itinerary. Just checked online again to make sure.

I just saw notices for the Breeze. I did not look at other ships that were scheduled for Falmouth - although I did notice the RCI ships are still making port there.

You're lucky. The port area itself is nice, but there is nothing to do in Falmouth. All of the good stuff is in Ocho Rios, and it's a 1.5 hour drive from Falmouth to Ocho Rios. We planned to do Cool Blue Hole and the falls on the Victory in Feb, but due to the distance and the ship getting in late, we were only able to do Cool Blue Hole (HIGHLY recommend). Not stopping at Falmouth is a good thing.

Unfortunately my sailing changed to MoBay and not Ocho Rios. Having traveled to Jamaica on land based trips, I am not a fan of MoBay. I'll find something to do, but it is even further from the nice stuff in Ocho Rios.

Falmouth sucks too - The port is nice, but that's all that is. - The port is fenced in and I didn't feel safe outside of the port fence. - I don't book Jamaica cruises anymore.

Exactly. I don't understand what the big deal is. There was actually someone on Carnival's FB page threatening to never cruise if Carnival didn't compensate them for the change. Honestly, I swear no one reads their cruise contract.

We are going to be on the Freedom, so we were already going to be at Montego Bay. But the other carnival cruise ship was scheduled to be at Falmouth. Hope it is moved to Ochos Rios instead of Montego Bay.

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I have been to both Montego Bay and Ocho Rios and both are yucky. I have seen pictures of the Falmouth cruise port and it looked really nice. I wonder why they would do that?

Because Falmouth is worse then the other 2 ports. Do not waste your time even getting off in Falmouth unless your going some where. It's 90 min from anywhere. and the Port shops are inside a 12ft Fence wonder why?

The October cruises on the Dream still show Falmouth.

I have also heard that Falmouth was an RCCl port, and was surprised that Carnival was even going there considering that.

 

I think also that this might be the reason why.

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Mine was switched to MB, doesn't matter tho, I can stay on the ship at either port.

Visited Montego Bay about a year ago and the first impression was not a good one. Will think twice before going back there again

Falmouth is probably my least favorite port I've ever visited, and that's saying a lot seeing as I've been to Nassau. :D

The port area is really nice, no denying that. But there's a lot of commotion, loud music, chain stores, etc. It's not the environment we would choose for a port day in Jamaica. Leaving the port area, the village of Falmouth is kind of a dump. I didn't feel unsafe (myself, DW, and DD), but there wasn't much to do. We walked around looking at some of the shops and craft-market stands some of the locals had. Souvenirs were cheaper outside the port area, predictably. But other than that there wasn't anything to do. Leaving the Falmouth area it's 90 minutes to get to Ocho Rios, where all the good activities are.

Sucks you got MB instead of Ocho Rios, but missing Falmouth isn't a bad thing

We went to Falmouth once. It's just the same stores you see in every port.

If you've never been to Jamaica before, and want to do an excursion, then it's ok. Otherwise...a waste of time. As far as being in Jamaica...it's like having a lay over in an airport. You're physically there...but not really there.

I did get a nice ring there at a good price...probably because the stores have a limited number of tourists.

I am going on Nov 29th and the sailing is still showing Fairmouth.