sundayb

Like the name says, On Board Credit (OBC) is credit to your account that can be applied On Board. You can't spend something now that you won't get until boarding.

That may be the way NCL does it, BUT Celebrity lets you use your OBC to book excursions, and dining before you go via your planner on the website. I have something planned in Sept and already was able to use

it to book a ship excursion to St John.

We have used Liberty Tours quite a few times and LOVED them!

One time was just my wife and myself so I asked others on our roll call to join our tour and also in our FB sail date group as well. We ended up having a nice group and it cut the price down a good bit. From a business stand point, It is beneficial to Liberty to get a group because their vans hold a lot of people. Just my thought! The Blue Hole is a wonderful experience not to be missed!

We are sailing on INDY August 9th and it is also sold out. I looked last week and saw only 10 cabins available, but they were the expensive suites. Maybe ppl got upgraded and their cabins were sold. Anyone have past experience with that?

SundayB,

 

I was told to inquire with you about trying to tag along with your group to the Blue Hole in Jamaica. My wife and I will be on the Independence the week of Aug 9th, 2015 and I understand your group has the best deal for this excursion. If it is possible to tag a long please let me know. Also, this is my first time using or communicating via a message board so I apologize if I'm doing this incorrectly or improper. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

AB

Yes! you are absolutely welcome to join our group tour to The Blue Hole. There will be 5 in our group. I have done this tour before with Liberty Tours Jamaica and we are booked again for our upcoming cruise on INDY.

Have you seen the video posted above? We LOVED the Blue Hole. Can't wait to do it again!

Can I suggest you check out our ROLL CALL and say hello there?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2067868

Ok, so it has been decided not to do the climb, but I still need to know about the bus! Is it a bumpy ride?

Depends on your driver!

Did you talk to your surgeon about this trip?? I would get his advice.

My husband and I are cruising for the first time and are considering this excursion. We have two concerns: 1) safety in Jamaica while traveling independently from Carnival 2) returning to the ship on time. Does anyone have any advice?

We used Liberty Tours Jamaica twice and are booked again this August while sailing on Independence of the Seas -stopping at Falmouth.

From beginning to end our group was very happy with the customer service provided from Liberty Tours. We even received 2 phone calls from Mr. Richmond, the owner before our arrival. He will answer any questions you have and put your mind at ease.

Our driver was waiting at the designated area inside the pier with a sign and our names on it. We were then escorted to his air conditioned van and given the history of Jamaica and pointed out a few historical spots along the way, which made for an interesting ride, until we reached the Blue Hole. At no time did we ever feel unsafe. Our belongings were kept safe locked in the van.

Personally I felt we were shielded from the street vendors by booking this

independent tour. This above poster is correct. This is their lively hood, they will keep you safe.

In the past in Montego Bay, I bought the hop on hop off

shuttle pass for the day and I felt horribly harassed and constantly

asked to buy. You will NOT have that on this tour! Instead, you have a personal driver for the day that will take great care of you! On my last tour to the Blue Hole, our ship left at 7pm and all aboard was 6pm. We were back by 5:15 pm with plenty of time to shop at the pier for last minute gifts.

IMO this tour with LIBERTY TOURS JAMAICA is a MUST do!!!

What an awesome place. Well off the beaten path and still not that well known. The tour operators that come here are not affiliated with cruise lines (as far as I can tell) and therefore the ships don’t have the Blue Hole on their choices for excursions. I also suspect that this place would not meet some of the safety standards that the cruise lines might demand. But no matter, that just means fewer people and a more exclusive adventure for those who do research and find such hidden gems.

 

First off, what exactly is the Blue Hole? It is essentially a spring fed river with a waterfall and several pools. The guides take you through these areas along a crude path that runs through the river. Path is a generous term here. There really is no “path” rather it is a general outline of where you should traverse obstacles and not fall into a hole in the stream or get clobbered on a rock. Good water shoes are an absolute MUST. It’s one of those things that if you really thought about it you might decide not to do it but since everyone else is foraging up river you just go along with it and do it. The entire excursion pretty much operates on that premise. There are things that could hurt and injure you at every turn here but amazingly I saw no one sustain any kind of serious injury. But it could happen, and if you are the timid sort then this trip won’t be good for you. Wear your swim gear! The bathroom is small; you will waste a lot of time if you all need to put on suits. Also you will leave the bus dressed as if you are going to exit and jump directly into a pool of water. Because essentially, that is exactly what you are about to do.

 

The access to this area is somewhat restricted for people that have mobility issues. There is a steep hill from the parking area with some concrete stairs. However the stairs don’t run all the way from the parking lot. It’s fairly steep but would not be too much of an issue for most people. There is a viewing area here where people who don’t want to do the tour can stay. You get a great view of the waterfall area and the rope swing. Every few minutes a couple of the guides will run by and vault off the ledge and into the pool bellow. A 30+ foot jump. (Tourists don’t do this jump – only the guides). You will have something to watch the entire time you are here, but you will not be able to see everything your group does unless you go up river with them.

 

Up river you come to a beautiful area that has a little waterfall to sit in and some areas to jump into the pools. Everyone takes turns and the guides help you access different things. The view up river from here is spectacular.

 

From there you start making your way down towards the big waterfall doing various jumps in different pool areas. The footing can be tricky and you will fall down, stumble, etc. What is amazing is that you have such tremendous grip on the rocks. The water is flowing at a very fast rate so no moss or slickness builds up on the rocks. Get out of the current and the rocks get slippery.

 

When you get to the big waterfall they take your shoes away. You walk down the waterfall (which looks really steep from the viewing area but is not quite as steep once you are on it) barefoot and guides help you down the rock to the point where you want to jump off and into the pool. Some of us jumped pretty high up and some jumped pretty low. It is an amazing process to watch, the guides run around on this rock like mountain goats, almost like they defy basic physics. They are all just kids but they really know how to get people down the waterfall safely. It is a total rush.

 

Unfortunately we really needed our shoes back for the remaining part of the river and we didn’t have them. They need to work out a better system to get the shoes back to everyone so that the last part of the trip is easier. Those rocks hurt tender feet!

 

One word of caution about who comes on this trip. If your spectators are nervous about watching the rest of you do some of these activities – don’t bring them! One person in our group was an absolute wreck watching the rest of her family do all these things. She was so concerned for their safety and so worried they would get hurt that it really made for a miserable experience for her. She should have just gone to the beach and not come with us.

 

After the waterfall you have a rope swing and then you crawl up some tree branches and a make shift ladder through a tunnel of sorts to get back to the original main pathway. You can also do a high jump from this point; I’d say it’s a 20 foot jump or more. If you hit wrong it will really hurt. I did it and even though I have done many high jumps and dives, the impact still bruised my heal. If you don’t know how to properly hit the water don’t do this jump.

 

There is also a cave behind the waterfall but the crowd was pretty big so we didn’t do that part. Maybe next time!

 

We booked this trip through Liberty Tours and they were great to work with from beginning to end. I booked over a year in advance via email and phone call. They provided complete written instructions and gave us a call the night before we sailed to ensure we knew where to go and what to do. We had a very nice, clean bus that accommodated all 20 of our party comfortably. We had a driver and a guide with us. We stopped for some Red Stripe at a little store right near the distribution center. We stopped for some Juci Patties that were really tasty and hit the spot. Our guide explained a lot of things about the area and was entertaining and informative. After the Blue Hole we went to Scotchies for jerk chicken that was very good, if a bit disorganized.

 

It’s a long trip from Falmouth to the Blue Hole so be ready for that. The road to the Hole is very treacherous but these guys travel it almost every day so you just have to trust them. The scenery is amazing and some guy will try to sell you marijuana brownies. It was a great trip and a real adventure. If you like that sort of thing then I would highly recommend it. We had people ranging in age from 19 to mid-sixties that did this trip and you don’t have to be in top physical condition to do it either.

 

Be sure to tip your guides. Those kids were amazing and they worked very hard to make sure we all got where we needed to go. Just an incredible day in Jamaica’s hidden gem, The Blue Hole!

Glad to hear you had a great tour to the Blue Hole! We also have used Liberty Tours Jamaica and have sent my good friends with them this past year and they also LOVED it.

Now its our turn again! We are going this August and can't wait!

The Blue Hole is truly a hidden GEM! I have done Dunn's before and this blows it away. We felt very safe and secure with our driver. I had a few questions and emailed Liberty, and they were answered the same day. That is great customer service. One reason they keep us coming back.

I highly recommend Liberty Tours Jamaica as well.

Question for Scubagirl...

Does Majestictoursbahamas still sell passes for Atlantis?

A co-worker of mine did this more than a few years back for a single ticket

because he has 3 kids. The other 4 he got from reserving a day room at

Comfort Suites. Just curious if they still sell, since I haven't heard them

mentioned. thanks.

Seriously thinking of booking this this summer. This is a good website with pictures of everything including the fish pedicure!

http://www.shoreexcursioneer.com/cozumel/mr-sanchos-all-inclusive.html

We will be in Cozumel right after Thanksgiving on the Independence of the Seas. Does anyone has any experience with good/reliable independent snorkeling excursions?

 

Thanks

We used Tigersadventures.com a few months ago and loved it.

It is a 4 hour tour that leaves from the Money Bar. $60 pp and includes drinks, soda, water, Corona, poweraide, Margaritas made by captain was well as fresh guacamole, nachos, and fresh fruit. Small boat holds up to

17 ppl plus 3 crew. Great snorkeling and then a stop at El Cielo. Great day!

Our group also has used Liberty Tours Jamaica and am planning another tour with them very soon. They are worth EVERY penny, just to get away from the ship crowd known as the cattle call, be able to experience The Blue Hole that is

unspoiled, peaceful, yet thrilling, breathtaking, with beautiful turquoise water.

You won't get the personalized service on a ship tour (btw the ship doesn't have a tour to the Blue Hole) you will get from Liberty Tours. That alone is worth the cost. I look at it this way, I have spent 3K on a cruise, its worth the peace of mind to pay for a private company to cater to ME for the day!

Enjoy this video posted on Liberty's website, if you haven't seen it already.

Blue Hole all the way!!!

Skip Dunns River and you will be glad you did.

Blue Hole is amazingly beautiful. We did a tour in June with Libertytoursjamaicadotcom(look it up on TripAdvisor) and they customized a private tour for our party of 20. Prices were great and they treat you like family. We had a great time and it was the highlight of our entire cruise!!!! We swam, jumped off cliffs, and had the sweetest guides that were so patient and helpful with our group of all ages. Afterwards we had an awesome authentic lunch at Scotchies. Bring your water shoes, towel and get ready for a great time! Don't forget to tip them well they deserve every penny! You can also see videos on you tube.

 

Enjoy your time and have fun!!

I also HIGHLY recommend LIBERTYTOURSJAMAICA.

This by far was the BEST tour our group has ever done. We have been to Dunn's Falls in the past and there is NO comparison! The BLUE HOLE is 1000 times better!!! You will not find the cattle call of ship passengers here. It is very peaceful, not to mention drop dead gorgeous, you go at your own pace, there is no rushing to get through exploring this lush piece of a hidden gem. I am booked again with Libertytours on my upcoming cruise, and hopefully CC members from our ROLL CALL will be joining us.

Here is the YouTube video posted on LTJ website.

In Belize you are best off booking with the ship or a reputable independent and not wondering around on your own. ;)

Going out by boat/catamaran to snorkel in the Barrier Reef is awesome. (2nd largest barrier reef in the world) :)

LuLu

Can you recommend a private company to visit the Barrier Reef?

who did you use?

<---is sifting through 34 pages of the review to find it :D

 

 

Try HERE

That link did not work. I am interested also.

thanks in advance.

Cavetubing with the cruise ship=$119

Cavetubing with .bz =$50

 

Caves done with the cruise ship=1

Caves done with the cruise ship=2

 

Carry your own tubes with the cruise ship

Have the workers with .bz not only carry your tubes, but go way ahead of you and have them there waiting on you.

 

Awesome home cooked meal at the owners property waiting on you after the tour (included in the price) with private.

 

Private tour more personal with tons of Belize history and information, plenty of stopping along the way to try things out and given the history instead of just a cattle call of walking to the caves and that's it=priceless. :)

Sounds like a NO BRAINER to me! Love doing private excursions. Can't stand being part of the "cattle call"

One question though, is it hard to do? does the water have a strong current and does it whisk you forward or is it smooth and easy gliding?

Scubagirrl or anyone else do you know of a group rate for Atlantis hotel room and being able to use all the facilities? Something like that I was told.

 

 

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You can book a room at the Comfort Suites, an easy walk to Atlantis, down the sidewalk. You can only have 4 people to a room, 2 adults, 2 children. Just did this last month, used our AAA discount. Booked way in advance via their website at choice hotels. Don't wait to book. The closer you get to the date, the higher the price is. Saved us a ton. Took a taxi to and from for $4 pp. each way. You do have access to the waterpark, towels, a chair, and the DIG. Get there early to get a chair. Locker rental is available for use via credit card only. It was a lot of fun!

Good to know! I will check them out, too.:)

 

We are set for Labadee (beach day- no brainer) and Cozumel (Nachi Cocom) for our cruise on the Oasis next May, but have no idea at this point about what to do in Jamaica.

Ginny,

We have used Island Marketing in Cozumel for Nachi Cocum and St Maartin for the 3 island Snorkel Tour and it was smooth sailing for both. Last November, I looked at their Jamaica tours but nothing caught my eye. We found this awesome company called Libertytoursjamaica and went to Secret Falls (Blue Hole)

and it was fabulous! You get your own driver with small group for the entire day. I had been to Dunn's Falls MANY years ago, and Secret Falls was better hands down. We preferred the small group and went at our own pace. Google their website and watch the youtube video. You will be amazed how beautiful it is there. We didn't want to leave.

I really wanted to go to the falls, but an hour each way seems like a long ride. Is there anything else to do near this port besides go to Margaritaville? It will be our first trip to Jamaica. Is it safe to do much outside the port area?

I highly recommend going to Secret Falls! It is not that bad of a ride- TOTALLY worth it, when you arrive and see it in person! We went in November and used Libertytoursjamaica and had the BEST day of our vacation on that tour. Ricardo is the main man, but he also has other tour drivers as well. This company is rated high on Trip Advisor. We did a lot of research before choosing them, and we were 100 percent satisfied!

The cruise excursions are way over crowded, only take you to Dunn's River Falls and you will be there with other cruiseline ship passengers as well. We chose Libertytours to get away from that. Secret Falls was very private, not toursity with very few passengers. We felt as though we had the falls to ourselves. Look at their website and watch the video that is posted and you will want to go there- no doubt!

www.libertytoursjamaica.com

Perfect!!! Thank you guys for your help. I guess we won't be visiting Atlantis. Well now I need to figure out where to go. I've never been there before. If anyone has any suggestions that would be great....but I'm about to head over to the Bahamas forum. Thanks again!!!

 

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My friend just was on a ship this past week that was in Nassau from 8 am to 6 pm. She did the ship tour with NCL to Blue Lagoon Island and loved it.

I saw her pictures on Facebook and it looked wonderful. It was a 4 hr tour with lunch included. There are also dolphin tours available there as well.

I may have to do that tour next time myself!

The only problem is their website doesn't tell you how much the tours cost. :(

It was like that when we booked as well. The reason is they offer different things, for example private or with a group from your ship. We went to The Blue Hole, River Tubing, then Scotchies for lunch. Some in the group did not do the River Tubing so the price was lower. Email them from the website, and they will customize a tour for you.

That's twice in this thread Blue Hole has come up. Anyone care to elaborate before I'm off to Google it? I've still got 300+ days to go.

Our family has also done a tour to the Blue Hole with Libertytoursjamaica recently and LOVED it. As described above it is absolutely beautiful!! You will escape from the ship crowds and have the place almost to yourselves. It was so much fun jumping off the cliffs into the turquoise blue water. Watch this video and you will want to go there! It is thrilling!

I agree with the above posters- skip the crowded ship tours to Dunn's Falls and go to Secret Falls with a private company. I have done both with the ship and private, and private wins hands down. :) We used this company:

http://www.libertytoursjamaica.com after reading many reviews on trip advisor and recommendations on CC. We were very pleased with our tour , the scenery and beauty of Secret Falls. We saw no more than 25 people there. No waiting, just enjoyed exploring the hidden caves, waterfalls, turquoise water, rope swing and hiking. There is also a youtubevideo on Libertytoursjamaica's website.

Is it possible to do blue hole alone without a tour guide or an excursion?

We are sailing on RC so we will port at Falmouth. I am wondering the best way to get to enjoy the blue hole?

 

 

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The best way to the Blue Hole is with a local tour guide.

We used Ricardo at Liberty Tours Jamaica.

It took us 1 hour 20 minutes to navigate us to the falls which is quite an experience.

Our guide at the falls Julian was amazing. Our group did the cliff jumping

rope swing while some relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

And most importantly we made it back with ample time before the ship departed.

I am about to book this excursion through Peat Taylor to irie blue hole. Do any of you know what the heights are on the cliff jumps? I've see. Youtube videos of guides jumping from 25-30 feet with a running start and I was wondering if they let tourists do that as well. Thanks

No, they don't let the tourists jump from where the guides at the falls do.

There are lower ones the tourists jump from.

Everyone keeps talking about the "Blue Hole." If we did not get a tour guide, and had a Taxi take us there, does anyone know what the charge would be to see it, other than the Taxi ride?

I would NOT recommend a taxi to the Blue Hole, or even trying to arrange one. Not even sure a taxi would go there or know where to go, its a dirt, rocky road. Besides that, how would you get the return trip? I did not see any taxi's there when we went in November. Phone service is minimal or non-existent there as well. I left my phone in the locked van for fear of loosing it or roaming charges. What port are you docking in?

I agree with the chuckaluck66 and rosebud's comments on Libertytoursjamaica. We used them in November and highly recommend that company. It was the highlight of our cruise. My family could not stop talking about Liberty and the Blue Hole when we returned. We had a very positive experience with them and would use them again.