What to do?

We will be in Montego Bay off of the carnival dream in March, 2017. I do not care for any of the ship tours and prefer private tours anyway, I cannot find much advice on what to do in Jamaica and am worried about just getting off here and doing our own thing due to things I have heard about safety in Jamaica. We like to just relax at the beach, snorkel, etc.. Not interested in the rafting or dolphin thing so I need some advise from those that have been there, it will just be my husband and I.

We will be in Montego Bay off of the carnival dream in March, 2017. I do not care for any of the ship tours and prefer private tours anyway, I cannot find much advice on what to do in Jamaica and am worried about just getting off here and doing our own thing due to things I have heard about safety in Jamaica. We like to just relax at the beach, snorkel, etc.. Not interested in the rafting or dolphin thing so I need some advise from those that have been there, it will just be my husband and I.

I've been to Jamaica three times:

1. Haven't worried about safety any more than any other port I've been to;

2. Done stuff ranging from a "historical house tour" (Good Hope Great House) to a fantastic 4-hour ATV ride with a couple of great guys heading it up.

3. Ditto on private tours, especially since the cruiseline-sponsored tours are getting way out of hand cost-wise.

I've seen quite a few recommendations for (and just booked a tour through) jamaicacruiseexcursions.com. They're part of the much bigger Island Marketing Ltd out of Grand Cayman, which also has ops on Cozumel and about ten other Caribbean ports-of-call. (Just change "jamaica" to "cozumel" or whatever in the url. But on the right side of any page you can find links to their other locations.)

Note, for Jamaica they have a list for each port you might dock at. For me it'll be Falmouth, but Montego Bay is there. Both have their own webpage, so be sure you're looking at the right one. The link above should show you at least three different port towns to select.

One notable (for us) is they have a Dunns River Falls option where climbing the Falls is not the big thing, but you can climb it if you want. I might, she might or might not.

As for beaches, that's usually not our focus so can't help there specifically. My main emphasis here is private vs. cruise ship, and safety. No big worries on the latter, and in my experience Jamaicans can be as welcoming and sociable as anybody.

I've been to Jamaica three times:

 

1. Haven't worried about safety any more than any other port I've been to;

 

2. Done stuff ranging from a "historical house tour" (Good Hope Great House) to a fantastic 4-hour ATV ride with a couple of great guys heading it up.

 

3. Ditto on private tours, especially since the cruiseline-sponsored tours are getting way out of hand cost-wise.

 

I've seen quite a few recommendations for (and just booked a tour through) jamaicacruiseexcursions.com. They're part of the much bigger Island Marketing Ltd out of Grand Cayman, which also has ops on Cozumel and about ten other Caribbean ports-of-call. (Just change "jamaica" to "cozumel" or whatever in the url. But on the right side of any page you can find links to their other locations.)

 

Note, for Jamaica they have a list for each port you might dock at. For me it'll be Falmouth, but Montego Bay is there. Both have their own webpage, so be sure you're looking at the right one. The link above should show you at least three different port towns to select.

 

One notable (for us) is they have a Dunns River Falls option where climbing the Falls is not the big thing, but you can climb it if you want. I might, she might or might not.

 

As for beaches, that's usually not our focus so can't help there specifically. My main emphasis here is private vs. cruise ship, and safety. No big worries on the latter, and in my experience Jamaicans can be as welcoming and sociable as anybody.

Thank you so much for this information!

De nada, happy it was helpful!

I'm having a hard time deciding what to do also. I think we're just going to end up doing Dr Cave's and M-ville. I'm going with a group of 9 - my family (I have four kids ages 18-11), my 22yo niece, and my parents. My parents can't really do things like the Falls, and my dad is afraid of doing anything really outside the boat/tourist area. Not sure yet how he'll like taking the taxi to and from the beach, but <shrug> It's really limiting what we can do.

Like y'all, I have no desire to pay for a boat excursion.

OH! And Moonarino - glad to see you give the Breeze 5 stars. That's what we'll be going on. :D

I'm having a hard time deciding what to do also. I think we're just going to end up doing Dr Cave's and M-ville. I'm going with a group of 9 - my family (I have four kids ages 18-11), my 22yo niece, and my parents. My parents can't really do things like the Falls, and my dad is afraid of doing anything really outside the boat/tourist area. Not sure yet how he'll like taking the taxi to and from the beach, but <shrug> It's really limiting what we can do.

 

Like y'all, I have no desire to pay for a boat excursion.

 

OH! And Moonarino - glad to see you give the Breeze 5 stars. That's what we'll be going on. :D

My husband and I, both in our late 50s, will be in MoBay in December on the Dream. We've been to Jamaica but that was at a resort we never left. We are not wanting to do an excursion but would like to do a little shopping (Blue Mountain Coffee for sure). Will there be taxis at the pier?