*** PHOTO Trip Journal aboard Carnival's CONQUEST (Sept. 2012, Caribbean) ***

Now we missed the "Love and Marriage" show as dinner wasn't over until way past 10PM...

However, after the New Orleans style Party, we headed to the Latour Bar for drinks... and people watching too : - ))

Now the Queen of Hearts might have won the CruiseMiles best costume prize...

However, our BAYWATCH blonde was probably the most popular that night!

Gay or straight, married or single, woman or man, EVERYONE loved the Baywatch girl!

On Tuesday night, by the Latour Bar, EVERYONE looked for the Baywatch girl!

Irish or English, the gents (and ladies too) had to get closer to the Baywatch girl - Miss Congeniality for sure that night!

Even our Cruise Director, Gary from UK, wanted a picture with the Baywatch sensation:

The late night comedian, Kim from SC, was also present and shared some laughs with us that night:

Thanks for the great pics. We are on the Conquest Nov 11th. Now I am excited.

Arguably the night's funniest comment was delivered in the Latour Bar by this handsome fella (above) to the Irish man (pictured below).

The English talking to the Irishman (who was soon celebrating his 30th wedding anniversary):

"Sir, you have been married for 30 years to this lovely lady.

However, based on what I'm seeing here, let me tell you that your wife is actually... a lesbian." : - )))))

After the "Adults only comedy show," it was time for us to say "Good night, Moon!"

Thanks for reading! JAMAICA is coming up NEXT!

Wednesday morning (September 26th 2012) was a glorious day!

Our Carnival's CONQUEST cruise ship arrived in sunny Montego Bay, Jamaica!

On Wednesday morning, we received a very warm welcome to Jamaica and the tropical shores of Montego Bay City!

Carnival's CONQUEST arrival in Montego Bay, Jamaica on Wednesday morning (September 26th 2012)

Montego Bay, Jamaica - "Being the Second City in Jamaica is not easy; it is like being the second child in a family:

not always first, not really last, but you get to wear the hand-me-down's from your older brothers or sisters.

So not everything gets fixed in time, roads and other infrastructure need repair."

Now once we got off the ship in Jamaica (Montego Bay), we HAD TO take a shuttle to the actual Pier as NO walking around is allowed!

The shuttles are FREE and the ride to the Pier is a short one.

However, note that the vans are very much crowded,

so make sure you give yourself some extra time, especially if you have a pre-scheduled shore excursion.

See the free shuttles next to the "Conquest" ship here:

As we took the short but crowded van ride to the Pier, we got to see Carnival's MAGIC docked in Montego Bay, Jamaica as well:

MONTEGO BAY has always been the Tourism Capital of JAMAICA and nobody can take that away from the locals!

The Montegonians are proud people, always different from the Kingstonians, the Big City people;

they call themselves "The Republic" and "The Friendly City" and that's what they are.

HEY MON, NO PROBLEM !

In Jamaica, like many countries, there are many people who are nice, warm and friendly and unfortunately you also meet

people that make you feel uncomfortable (like hustlers, pushers and pimps). Just ignore the last group and you'll be all right!

Say "No, thank you!" if you are not comfortable, and go your merry way!

At the Pier, we were welcomed by colorful flowers and reggae music!

Inside, there are several shops if you're interested in little shopping and an Information desk

if you're planning to book a taxi or a last minute shore excursion.

The Carnival's daily also lists a HOHO type of SHUTTLE (but we did not use it):

In Jamaica, we got off the ship late morning and didn't have a pre-scheduled excursion booked.

However, we did know what we wanted to see, so we stopped at the Information desk and the young lady called

one of the agents that had a van available and who was willing to accomodate us all for 11AM that day.

Had a print out from a somehow similar private excursion, so it came in handy in negotiating our price and itinerary for the day

with Marie, the lovely agency's rep:

Bottom line: for $50.00 USD/pp, all four of us had a private van for the remaining of the day with the headline being

a BAMBOO RAFT ride along the Martha Brae River (everything was covered in the original fee paid to the driver).

The driver picked us up by the Pier around 11:15AM, served as our tour guide as well, stopped when and where we wanted him to

and by 4:45PM he dropped us off back at the Pier that Wednesday afternoon.

We did enjoy Mo-Bay (as the locals call it) and other local attractions too!

We said "COOL MON" and "SOON COME", and as we enjoyed ourselves we got to say "IRIE" (same as COOL or GREAT)!

We started the day with a lovely one-hour drive through the mountainous interior of Montego Bay,

heading to Martha Brae (for our bamboo raft).

Carnival's CONQUEST & Carnival's MAGIC - Montego Bay, Jamaica (September 26, 2012)

Montego Bay is the capital of the Parish of St. James and the second city in Jamaica.

When Columbus sailed into the area in May 1494, he was the first European visitor.

He made friends with some of the local Tainos, and called the Bay " El Golfo the Buen Tiempo".

We continued our one-hour drive through the mountainous interior of Montego Bay,

heading to Martha Brae (for our bamboo raft):

Margaritaville Mo-Bay = a short 10 minute ride from the pier (typically via the available taxis or shuttle buses):

Hailed as the place to be on Montego Bay’s “Hip Strip,” Gloucester Avenue, Margaritaville is perfect for anyone looking for

exciting entertainment, a lively, fun atmosphere, delicious food and fun concoctions.

(we'll stop here on our way back, later that afternoon)

Our one-hour drive through the mountainous interior of Montego Bay continued,

heading to Martha Brae (for the bamboo raft):

The city of Montego Bay is backed by picturesque low mountains.

The coastland near Montego Bay is occupied by numerous tourist resorts, most of them newly built.

Our one-hour drive through the mountainous interior of Montego Bay continued,

heading to Martha Brae (for the bamboo raft):

Today, Montego Bay is known for its large regional hospital (Cornwall Regional Hospital), port facilities,

second homes for numerous upper class Jamaicans from Kingston as well as North Americans and Europeans,

fine restaurants, and shopping opportunities.

Our one-hour drive through the mountainous interior of Montego Bay continued,

heading to Martha Brae (for our bamboo raft experience):

The coastland near Montego Bay is occupied by numerous tourist resorts, most newly built, some occupying

the grounds of old sugar caine plantations with some of the original buildings and mill-works still standing.

Our one-hour drive through the mountainous interior of Montego Bay continued,

heading to Martha Brae (for the bamboo raft):

The coastland near Montego Bay is occupied by numerous tourist resorts, most of them newly built.

The most famous are the White Witch's Rose Hall and Tryall, both of which now feature world-class golf courses.

Our one-hour drive through the mountainous interior of Montego Bay continued,

heading to Martha Brae (for our bamboo raft experience):

It was a sunny day and the driver entertained us with local stories and anecdotes.

For example, did you know that the Police in Montego Bay is the only police station with a swimming pool?

The building used to be a hotel but with the recesion, it eventually became a Police Station.

However, the swimming pool has no water as the local Police has no funds to maintain the pool properly: - ))

Our one-hour drive through the mountainous interior of Montego Bay continued,

heading to Martha Brae (for the bamboo raft experience):

The infrastructure of the city is going through a series of explosive modernizations which once completed,

aims to keep Montego Bay as a top destination in the Caribbean and the world.

Our one-hour drive through the mountainous interior of Montego Bay continued,

heading to Martha Brae (for our bamboo raft experience):

Several scenes from the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die

(in which Roger Moore appeared as Bond for the first time) were filmed around Montego Bay.

As we got closer to Martha Brae, we passed by a sign that read "FALMOUTH" and we got to see

the "Allure of the Seas" cruise ship docked there.

(our driver was super nice and later drove us right by that Pier to have a close-up look at the beautiful ship)

Allure of the Seas in Falmouth, Jamaica (September 26, 2012)

Allure of the Seas in Falmouth, Jamaica (September 26, 2012)

Almost one hour after we left the Montego Bay Pier, we were arriving at Martha Brae

(where we boarded the 30-foot bamboo raft for the next hour, covering 3 miles).

~ The Caribbean adventure continues soon with the BAMBOO RAFT RIDE in Jamaica ! ~

Thanks for the great pics.

 

We are on the Conquest Nov 11th. Now I am excited.

You should be - with the latest upgrade(s), it will be a fantastic experience!

Thanks for following our Caribbean adventure and for taking the time to provide feedback! Much appreciated!

This has been a great review so far!! I'm loving your photos...thanks for taking time to post!! **Subscribed**

This has been a great review so far!!

 

I'm loving your photos...thanks for taking time to post!! **Subscribed**

Your kind words and loyaly to this thread made my day - thank you sincerely!

Now before posting the next installment (bamboo raft ride along Martha Brae River in Jamaica) allow me to note couple of things:

- This ride may not be for everyone! It is pretty safe but for some may be too slow and uneventful hence boring...

Personally, to some extend, I'll compare it to the train ride in St. Kitts (that also gets mixed reviews usually).

- If you're looking for a scenic view and adventure, this activity may not meet your expectations!

- If you're like us, visiting Jamaica NOT for the very first time, and you're looking for a relaxing afternoon, for a new and unique experience,

then we highly recommend the bamboo rafting!

It was everything we expected and then some! We never felt unsafe, it was a slow and entertaining ride due mainly to our funny Raft Captain

that flirted with us, serenaded us at times, told us local stories and jokes... without being too intrusive or getting too wild!

The only negative aspects that some may view as deal breakers (minor factors for us, so NO biggie overall!) are the atempts made to sell you souvenirs...

Someone from the landside sent a "mini-raft" flying into our bamboo raft... Only to come back few minutes later and ask for $5.00 USD for it

("we sell it if you like it")! We politely declined and he did not insist but rather concluded by saying "OK, enjoy your ride!"

VIDEO (selling souvenirs on the river in Jamaica):

Finally, our own Raft Captain carried a backpack with some hand-made artisan pieces and he presented them to us at one point.

Again, we appreciated the talent and work but we politely declined and that was it!

Our Bamboo Raft tour in Jamaica started at the “Rafters' Village”, less than one hour outside of Montego Bay.

"Min-raft" anyone? : - ))

Our Bamboo Raft tour in Jamaica started at the “Rafters' Village.”

Ginger Lilly

Before our Bamboo Raft tour in Jamaica, we entered the “Rafters' Village” to stretch our legs and to enjoy the beautiful nature!

Ginger Lilly

Ginger Lilly

Restroom facilities were available on location; very clean and well kept.

Before embarking on the Bamboo Raft tour, we were able to take a stroll through "Miss Martha's Herb Garden" -

a presentation of Jamaica's herbs famous for their medicinal and healing properties.

"Miss Martha's Herb Garden" - a presentation of Jamaica's herbs famous for their medicinal and healing properties.