sign up for excursions at port dock ?

I have mobility problems, and am going on a cruise in Nov, ports of call are Georgetown at Grand Caymans and Ocho Rios in Jamacia. I know that Grand Caymans is tendered, so I have doubts of being able to disembark, but at Ocho Rios, I don't know. I don't want to sign up for an excursion, and then not be able to go, so, is it possible to sign up at the dock?

How trustworthy are cabs, if I would decide to take one to the places I want to visit? Some excursions may go several places, and some I will be unable to do, can you visit the ones you want, and then get a cab back to the ship?

Thanks for the help

Jly

Are you traveling alone or with someone? Can you walk a few steps or transfer from a wheelchair?

Everyone's mobility is different. DH doesn't leave the ship because he can't walk and has trouble even transferring from his powerchair to a manual chair. He would not be able to get into a taxi, for instance.

But he enjoys cruises for the ship experience!

You would do well to read the Ports of Call section of t his board, if you haven't already. There is a lot of valuable info there also.

As far as Ocho Rios, my feeling is that you should book an excursion either with your ship or from a reputable local. I would not want to just make a deal with a cab driver.

The Ports board here offers a number of names of local tour guides who are helpful and provide interesting, low-cost tours.

I don't think there are a lot of tour vehicles that are accessible, if you need a ramp or lift.

Btw, if you book a tour with a local, usually you don't pay until the end of the tour. So booking ahead of time is not a problem.

Also, most will customize their tours to fit your needs.

What cruise line are you on? What dates in November?

First of all, are you planning to take a wheelchair or scooter? Today's ships are very large and can be difficult for those with mobility problems. If not, I would suggest thinking about renting a scooter. If you do, be sure to get one that will fit through the cabin door if you not have an HC cabin.

If the waters are not rough and you can walk stairs with help, you should be able to go ashore In Grand Cayman even though it is a tender port. The ships' crews are used to assisting people with mobility problems. They will even carry down passengers in wheelchairs. Once ashore there, I would not worry about the taxi cabs. There is little crime in Grand Cayman and I have never heard of any issues.

You do need to be more careful in Ocho Rios; howevre the taxis inside the gates of the pier area should be okay. My memory is that most were vans, but there might have been some regular taxis also. My husband is tall and can get into the front seat of a van so on our first visit we joined a tour at the pier and went to Fern Gully, a hotel with beautiful gardens and Dunns River Falls where he watched men playing dominoes while the rest of us went up the falls. Then, of course, we went shopping. On our second visit we and another couple asked the driver to show us other areas so we went into the mountains beyond Ocho Rios. We enjoyed both visits.

You have to purchase all ship's tours beforehand---you cannot sign up for those tours on the dock. They usually ask that you sign up for tours at least two to three days before you arrive at a port.

You need to be really, really careful in Jamaica. Crime is a problem there so if I were you, I'd stick with a ship's tour. Since you're docking in Jamaica, there shouldn't be a problem with you getting off the ship and joining a ship's tour. I don't get off the ship whenever we go to Grand Cayman because everytime I've been there, the tenders were so bouncy that it was impossible for me to get onto the tenders.

You do need to be very careful in Jamiaca. The cruise line tours often are not very friendly to those with mobility problems. We have been booking private tours when we go to Jamaica so that the driver will pick us up at the pier, the tour will go where we want to go, and we will be the only ones in the tour so the tour guide can give us their full attention and assist when we need it. There are several good tour guides who have been recommended on the Jamaica forum. You can check that out for information and advice.

You need to explain to the company with which you book about the mobility problems and make sure they can accommodate you. Also, make sure they will have an air conditioned vehicle. Confirm it is just your party on the tour as well.

We have used A-Z planners and been very pleased with them. Their website is http://www.a-zjamaicaplanners.com. There are other good tour guides discussed on the forum. I would caution you about using Peat Taylor because although his tours are private, they include others who have booked with him for that day. So you may end up going to some places you didn't want to go and having to share the tour guide and vehicle with these others. His price for a completely private tour with just us was not competitive with A-Z Planners or other tour companies we contacted.