Marks Tours

[abee1989]

Hi!

 

After reading all of these sparkling reviews about Mark I am really considering booking his tour. I like that it seems as if you still get to visit Dunn's Falls (since I have never been) but avoid a lot of the rushes.

 

It looks as if the tour is $40, is this correct? Also, I am curious as to how long the tour is. We dock in Ochos Rios, so if the falls take about an hour, what do you do for the rest of the time? I see that sometimes there is another hour tubing or visit to his father's home. Is that the general theme, or do you visit other sites? Do you stop at a beach?

 

Thanks!

[flashncrash]

Hi!

 

After reading all of these sparkling reviews about Mark I am really considering booking his tour. I like that it seems as if you still get to visit Dunn's Falls (since I have never been) but avoid a lot of the rushes.

 

It looks as if the tour is $40, is this correct? Also, I am curious as to how long the tour is. We dock in Ochos Rios, so if the falls take about an hour, what do you do for the rest of the time? I see that sometimes there is another hour tubing or visit to his father's home. Is that the general theme, or do you visit other sites? Do you stop at a beach?

 

Thanks!

 

abee1989,

 

we just returned from our cruise last Saturday. on his website, markstours.com, you will see his options. the one you mention ($40) does the falls and visits the fern gulley. the $65 option is the falls and river tubing. on our tour there was a family of 4 that were doing horseback riding that I don't see as an option on his website and he transported them to a drop-off site where another vehicle was waiting to pick up this family for their excursion. the $40 option says it is 4.5 hours in duration. our tour (the $65 one) lasted until we got dropped off at the ship with 18 minutes to spare. some people will want to do some shopping so after the falls and other part of the tour he dropped them off and took the rest of us to do some sightseeing before going back to pick up the shoppers. I still had time to hop of the minibus and buy a souvenir t-shirt. so it appears that mark is quite flexible but I would anticipate that the tour will take longer than the 4.5 hours; remember there will probably be others on the tour and not everybody traverses the falls at the same rate. he will get you back to the ship in time. also read the dunn's river falls forum. have a great time because the falls was outstanding and it was our first visit as well.

[tdbird]

PLEASE STOP AND READ....If you are looking to have an amazing time in Jamaica and are looking for a company to take you on that great adventure, you need not look any further than Mark Morris Tours. I have used him twice over the past twelve months. He promptly met us at the port. He provided comfortable transportation in a VERY CLEAN, air conditioned van, was very knowledgeable about the Jamaican culture and even gave us a sample of some of the local fruits.

 

Thank you for the information a friend an I are going in Jan on the Sunshine, was wondering what to get around with. She and I have never been here so this is just what we wanted to know. We are single ladies and the cost is in our budget.

[kimala]

I've gone ahead and booked a river tubing excursion with markstours on his web site and soon after received a short confirmation vie e mail that they had received my order and I will be contacted within the next 24 hours. ...I have a question in all the reviews I've read I haven't seen any specific info as to where exactly and what time he meets us at the pier. In the past that's been the only problem I've had with booking an independant. Sometimes there is some miscommunication about the pickup time in regard to the difference between ship time and island time. What has everyone's experience with Mark been in this respect?

[flashncrash]

I've gone ahead and booked a river tubing excursion with markstours on his web site and soon after received a short confirmation vie e mail that they had received my order and I will be contacted within the next 24 hours. ...I have a question in all the reviews I've read I haven't seen any specific info as to where exactly and what time he meets us at the pier. In the past that's been the only problem I've had with booking an independant. Sometimes there is some miscommunication about the pickup time in regard to the difference between ship time and island time. What has everyone's experience with Mark been in this respect?

 

kimala,

 

I understand your concern and that feeling is probably shared by thousands of others because we don't know what these owners/operators necessarily look like (or their employees). mark morris should also send an email shortly before your cruise again confirming the meeting time (usually 30 minutes after the ship is cleared though he will wait for stragglers like us as I forgot the meeting time). this was our first time in ocho rios and they are very organized. as you may have encountered in other ports where you get off and now have to look for your independent tour while being inundated with tour hawkers. in ocho rios you go by the ship's time and when you walk the pier to land you will be asked by port personnel if you are part of a tour. tell them who it is with and they will direct you; in our case it was to another port person a bit further on who then directed us to mark himself. there are probably others on your cruise who will also make the smart decision to book with mark as well so there is often the fact that mark will be going back and forth between meeting his guests and guiding them to his minibus. have a great time.

Edited August 19, 2013 by flashncrash
addition

[rosebud1g]

I was thinking of doing this the tubing and waterfall excursion through Marks Tours. The description is almost identical to the one Royal Caribbean offers, but is half the price. I was wondering if anyone has done tours through Marks Tours before and if so, what they thought. Thank you!

 

An alternative from Dunn's River Falls is Secret Falls also known as Irie Blue Hole. I have done both and I much rather prefer Secret Falls.

Dunn's is over crowded with cruise ship passengers. There is no ship excursion to Secret Falls, so you have to take your own private tour. So, that means NO crowds! You are not put on a bus either to sit and wait for everyone else to get on and get off. Instead you ride in a mini van.

 

I just went to Secret Falls last Thursday and used Liberty Tours Jamaica.

We had a fabulous day with Ricardo, our driver. He is a native of Jamaica and was very informative throughout the tour. I have vivid memories of Secret Falls.

[cynthe66]

Just booked a tour with him for our trip next month.

[tiffanieb]

We booked a tour and completed our tour with mark and his wife last week it was a great day and can't say a bad word about them they took us to puerto seco beach and we were the only ones there lunch at scotchies it was truly a day to remember please book marks tour you won't regret it

[ROMEOANDJULIET91]

For our trip next week....going to DRF and Blue Hole then lunch at Scotchies if time allows....hope everyone is right about how great he is!

Edited October 9, 2013 by ROMEOANDJULIET91

[Homeagain]

We are just back off the Carnival Breeze and used Mark Morris tours for our trip to Dunns Falls and River Tubing. We had Michelle for our guide and she was wonderful. She took us river tubing first to avoid the crowds at the Falls. When we got to the river tubing we were the only group there! We had the river to ourselves (our group of 4), we were able to do a very leisurely trip down the river and only saw 2 groups on rafts. There was one other group arriving as we took off down the river. It was great. Michelle kept all of our things locked in the van and met us at the end. Once we were done there, we made our way to Dunns Falls. It was very busy, but we decided to climb without a guide and that was the best decision. We walked past a very long line and went straight to the falls. The climb was challenging but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Again, Michelle kept our things locked up - she walked us into the park, right up to the beach and watched as we got started. She then waited at the end for us. Michelle was a great guide - gave us lots of local information, was very friendly and knowledgeable. She was very accommodating also, and would take us shopping or for lunch - whatever we wanted. We decided to go back to the ship and got back before the big rush. Prior to our trip, Mark sent a confirmation immediately and another reminder a couple of days prior to our trip. This was reassuring to us. When you get off the ship there are tour advisors and they will direct you to Mark Morris tours. We ended up walking out of the terminal to meet our guide (with a tour advisor) since it was so busy in the terminal. Payment was made at the end of the tour so again, they are giving you the best day and you do not have to pay up front. It was a wonderful day and I would highly recommend Mark Morris tours to everyone.

[kimala]

Hubby myself and our 14 yr old grandson just got back from a tour with Mark Morris. mark picked us up at the port in Falmouth. He was on time and very engaging there were the three of us and one other couple who were from Cananda who had used Mark tours 3 other times. The ride over to Ocho Rios was pretty long but Mark kept us entertained with singing and story telling about the history and the general vibe in Jamaica. We went to Blue hole where there was a guide waiting and some other natives who were entertaining us with high dives from the water falls. The guide was very strong and very gentle he helped me a lot as you have to climb over a lot of steep and rugged turrain. I am overweight but pretty strong as I work in a warehouse and run a forklift for a living...I'm sure that is why I was able to climb around the falls. I'm not sure I would recommend it to most 53 yr old women with excess weight on their bum though like me! It was absolutely georgeous there and I'm so glad we went. My grandson dove fom the top of the falls but I only jumped from a rocky alcove about two feet up into the clear blue water pool below. The tubing was next and it was OK, I don't think I would bother with it again. Not as exciting as I thought. After wards Mark took us to a Jerk chicken place called scotches very very yummy!!!!!

 

In conclusion, We will definitely go with Mark Morris again he was so very nice and interesting as well!!!!!

 

I

[CountessP]

Another thumbs up for Mark's Tours. Very reliable, and very accomodating. Much better than touriing with the ship. Better tour, customized service, at a better price.

We did not get Mark personally, but he checked up on us,and wanted to speak to us after the tour was over to make sure we were happy. And we were!!

 

FYI, we did the white water rafting, with a stop to have some jerk on the water, and a bit of shopping. It was a great day.

[mackmom]

We also used Mark for our private tour in March. Amazing day,we will use him again. Did the falls ( by ourselves, no guide. Took our 3 kids, 8, 10& 12 and it was great- no lines), then river tubing arranged by Mark. Again no line, just the 5 of us and a guide singing down the river. Scotchies was awesome, best jerk chicken ever. Our kids can't wait to do it again! Highly recommend Mark, so friendly, knowledgeable and trustworthy. We felt very comfortable with him.

[Klutz]

We have a tour booked through Mark in just over 2 weeks, Dunns falls and fern gully. So excited!

[Klutz]

Just following up, our tour was awesome!!! Did Dunns River Falls/Island Tour and had Scotchies for lunch and did some shopping afterwards. We will definitelyt use Mark everytime we go to Jamaica! Very knowledgable and entertaining!

[pjtulsa]

I LOVE Mark :)

You cant go wrong booking with him.

Very personalized tours, he stays with you and is FULL of information about Jamaica.

[cruisingtrs4]

Mark's tours sound amazing. My concern is traversing Dunn's falls without a guide. Is this a challenging climb?

[Klutz]

There are different routes you can take. And you can go with a guide, but they take you right up the edge, and you barely get wet. I loved doing it without a guide, we spent a lot of time just hanging out in little pools and taking tons of pictures. I'd say if you are in okay physical shape, then you are perfectly fine without a guide.

[lisax10]

Five Stars:

 

I took this tour with my 12 year old son and we had a fantastic time. Mark provided a very safe, interesting tour that went far above and beyond my expectations. He catered the tour to what the group wanted to do. We had booked the Dunn's Falls and tubing adventure, however Mark also provided extra stops at Scotchie's, an authentic jerk BBQ place, and a stop at a shopping area. Mark also provided interesting and enlightening commentary on the history, socioeconomic status, healthcare options and agriculture found in Jamaica. I have been on several cruises and all other excursions have paled in comparison.

[SFcruisers75]

My expectations were exceeded by Mark. I was tentative at first because there was no deposit or confirmation number being provided. But eventually I was glad I did my tour through Marks Tour. He was very fun and full of information about Jamaica. We initially wanted to do dunns river falls, but Mark recommended the blue hole instead. Glad I listened to him, since blue hole is one of the highlights of our cruise. I will recommend Mark to anyone visiting Jamaica in their next cruise.

[ROMEOANDJULIET91]

For our trip next week....going to DRF and Blue Hole then lunch at Scotchies if time allows....hope everyone is right about how great he is!

 

Our family of 5 had a blast. My children 21, 18, and 13 helped all of the other members in our group to climb Dunns River Falls without a guide. Some people did the river tubing and they enjoyed it.

[cobia]

We just returned form a Princess cruise and spent a day in Jamaica with Marks Tours.

We cannot recommend him highly enough. He was so helpful in planning our tour ahead of time, drove us around on a brand new bus and he is such a wealth of entertaining information.

We went to the Sun Valley Plantation which was fantastic.The tour with Lorna and lunch afterwards was excellent and it was fun to try the different fruits, juices and foods from Jamaica.

His fathers pottery shop is well worth the stop . The pottery is beautiful and his father is delightful. We brought home a beautiful vase!

Mark helped us maximize our time at Dunns River Falls and took care of all the belongings while we were exploring. He has the ability with smaller groups to creat your own tour of what you want to see.

You will certainly get more then your moneys worth with Mark. He is so conscientious and caring and will make sure that you get to see and do everything you have contracted for. Cannot say enough good things about him !

[paulwolf]

Recently spent a great day in Jamaica doing a private tour with Mark's Tours. My group consisted of six people from ages two and a half to 49.

 

I found a lot of great reviews on Cruise Critic for Mark so I sent him an email asking a few questions. Mark responded very quickly and was willing to tailor our day in any way that we wanted.

 

Mark made it clear that our day would be spent with him or his wife. We met at the port and his wife was our driver for the day. She was a lovely lady, very easy going and personable as was Mark.

 

We went to Dunn's Falls, drive through Fern Gully where we stopped and purchased some wood carvings. Saw some characters along the way doing performances and selling things.

 

Went to a private beach where my other half and two and a half year old daughter were able to do a horseback ride in the ocean for an incredibly cheap price.

 

Went to Scotchies Restaurant for a great cheap meal, stop at a duty free shop on the way back to the ship to purchase some items.

 

The cost for the day was very affordable. I highly recommend Mark's Tours.

[Kel794]

My group of eight took Mark's tour to Dunns River Falls and also the lazy river float. The Falls were our favorite part of the day!Mark told us a lot about Jamaica on our way there, purchased our tickets and left us in the very capable hands of someone who worked for the park. The views at the Falls are gorgeous. I want to go here again. We then went to a local place to eat - Scotchies. It was very good. Mark then took us to the river float. It was so relaxing! It had several rapids that were fun to go down too. We had a great guide there, Dwight. He kept us all together and entertained upon our way down the river. We got back to the dock in plenty of time to shop before getting back on the boat. I will definitely use Mark again. He is a great guide and a wonderful person!

[NS2010]

We had a wonderful shore day (May 21st) in Jamaica with Mark & his wife Jenise. Mark was punctual and extremely well organized. We received many interesting insights on life in Jamaica. Jenise took us to the Blue Hole/Secret Falls, while Mark drove the rest of the group to Dunns river falls. The Blue Hole was a very memorable experience (Jason our guide at the falls was fantastic). After our time at the Blue Hole, we met up with the rest of the group. We stopped at some interesting spots along the way and at a local plaza for coffee, rum and souvenirs. We then went on to Scotchies, for a late lunch that consisted of delicious Jamaican Jerk & Red Stripe beer. Mark & Jenise are very safe drivers and their vehicles were in immaculate condition. They provided us a fantastic tour at a great price! We would not hesitate to recommend or use Mark's Tours when we return to Jamaica. /S&C