I am taking a cruise with Carnival Cruise Line in May...?

Question

we are visiting the ports of Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios. Has anyone been to these ports and what excursions have you tried? Any advice on visiting these ports?

Answer 1

CruiseCritic.com has reviews of excursions at every port of call.  Click on "Boards" then "Ports of Call".

In Grand Cayman, the big attraction is Stingray City, which is not a city at all.  It's a sand bar out in the sound where the stingrays come to be fed by visitors.  This is best done [and very easily, too] with a tour not through the ship [those will be cattleboats].  I've done both Captain Marvin and Nativeway - preferred the latter, mostly because we did the Rays, Reef and Rum Point tour - outstanding!  [But we just did make it back to the port in time to catch the last tender, so be careful!]

In Cozumel, both Paradise Beach and Chankanaab Park are popular.  I've done both and preferred the latter, though I haven't been there since the hurricane in 2005.  Coz is an easy port to do excursions on your own, too.  Just grab a cab [rates are controlled] and go.

Ocho is a mixed bag.  Dunns River Falls is the "must-do" here but it is usually mobbed and the vendors at the exit are extremely annoying and persistent.  [To avoid them, go back and exit through the entrance.]  We did the White River Tubing, which was a lot of fun, but after what happened on a ship-sponsored tour there last year, I'm not sure I'd ever do a tour there again.  [Details on CruiseCritic - suffice it to say, people were terrorized at gunpoint but survived.  This was a "plantation" tour.]  The last two times we went to OR, we just walked over to Margaritaville and hung out there.  I don't usually go for that kind of thing, but it's literally five minutes' walk from the ship [you will still have to brave the gauntlet of vendors, but not for as long!] and is inside Island Village, which has controlled entry, so no "locals" are allowed inside to hassle you.  Sure, it's a "plastic" island experience [just like Disney is unreal] but you can go and relax without being bothered.  You buy a drink [soft or hard], get a wristband that allows you to use the facilities [hot tub, small pool, small beach, beach volleyball, "toys", etc] - at least that was the procedure a couple of years ago.

Read the advice at CruiseCritic - so much great advice!

Answer 2

Check out Paradise Beach in Cozumel. Easy cab ride. Free admission. Been to Chankanaab, like this (a lot) better.

Check out Sting Ray City in GC. We've done Soto's instead of the ship excursion. Affordable and a great trip.

Have also done Cemetery Beach  in GC. Easy, cheap ($2.50 pp ew) ride on public transportation. Great snorkeling.

OR basically sucks. Dunn's Falls is man made and is a tourist trap. There are hundreds, gee maybe thousands, of friendly but persistent locals wanting to sell you everything from a car tour to trinkets to the local herb. Last September, we did find $1 Red Stripes at an upstairs bar downtown.  But any deal found isn't worth the aggravation. Some folks swear by the tours that Peat and Marva do. If you want to drop $$$, the Couple resorts offer day passes. But, IMO, it's a good place to enjoy the ship.

For more information, check of the "ports of call" boards on cruise critic.

Answer 3

I have been to Cozumel twice, The first time we took a 4X4 jeep adventure, which was fun but not quite the "off-roading adventure" that was advertised. The lunch was fantastic and the hospitality was so wonderful it made up for the fact the myan ruin was a old church set in a little market area. I think it was a good excursion as long as you aren't expecting Tulum and serious off roading. The second time we did the Tulum excursion which was awesome. There is a forced march trhu Playa del Carmen, which was long and hot, and then a hour long bus ride (theres a stop to shop and sample tequilla 1/2 way) The ruin were great and the beach you can walk down beautifil, I will do this one again to swim (we didnt bring our suits) and to explre the ruin better.

In the Grand Caymen's we did the pirate ship adventure. We had our 12 year old with us so though she would have fun. It was fun, all the kids were forced to swab the decks and got pretty wet when they ahd to walk the plank ( with life jackets on) There was also unlimited rum punch for the adults and a ladder we could climb down to swim.

Our ship didnt stop in Ocho Rios so I can't help there but have fun

Answer 4

I have been to all of them multiple times.

In Cozumel you want to do beach stuff or take a tour that goes to the mainland to Chichenitza (Mayan Ruins) or Excarat.  We took a tour of the island once and found that there was not much to see.  But Cozumel is the snorkel and scuba place, as well as a beach place.

In Grand Cayman I suggest just taking a taxi/mini bus to Seven Mile Beach.  You can get a taxi/mini bus to the beaches right at the port for $4 or $5 each depending upon which beach you want to go to.  Taxis are at the beach stops whenever you want to return back to the ship, same fare. AT the beach there will be places where you can go para-sailing or rent a jet ski if you want to do more than just sun on the beach. There is a small town, Georgetown, where this ship docks and you can do some souvenir shopping before crossing the street to get back on the ship.

In Jamaica there are two main attractions that you do not want to miss.  One is Dunn's River Falls.  You will need to take a tour or a taxi to the falls and wear your swim wear as you will be walking up a rocky river falls.  The water is not deep and the flow is not real fast but its fun.  Then the other Jamaica attraction is a river raft trip.  Its a very nice raft trip on flowing water but not rapids.

Answer 5

i love ocho rios... we hired a taxi for the whole day it was 100.00 for 4 people and we went to all the main attractions. loved dunn rivers its great to climb

in gc i would either do the sting ray tour or just take a taxi to 7 mile beach where you can snorkle or just relax

in cozumel i would go see the ruins

Answer 6

I've been to all three ports.  In Cozumel you might want to try swimming with the dolphins at Chankanaab National Park.

http://www.dolphindiscovery.com/cozumel/

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In Grand Cayman try swiming with the stingrays at Stingray city ...

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In Ocho Rios I enjoyed both the river tubing ...

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and Dunn's River Falls ...

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