If this is your first trip to Jamaica you might want to book one of the guided tours. There are many to choose from depending on the port you come into.
Jamaica is a fun place to be and there are activities for every member of the family, horse riding across land and into the sea, scuba diving, snorkeling, zip-lining through a spectacular lush landscape, climbing waterfalls, floating down a river on a bamboo raft or just spending time shopping or sipping a divine rum punch.
The cruise visitor will find many duty-free shops, crafts markets and shops selling familiar name brands. In the craft market you may find that you are expected to haggle over a price. This you can do in a friendly, joking way and you will fast get the feeling of being a real Jamaican.
If you cruise to Montego Bay, you will find that Freeport is a few miles from the centre of the town, but if you on your way to Ocho Rios, Falmouth or Port Antonio, you now know you can just get off the cruise liner and walk into the heart of a town in Jamaica.
Visit Jamaica
The cruise passenger will find a shuttle bus that goes into town. But, if you decide to take a taxi be aware that there are two types in Jamaica, the charter or tourist taxi that will take you from the cruise pier to your destination and the route taxi that picks up passengers and drops them off along a specific route. Both have a red license plate with white letters and numbers one letter being a P. Even if the price is written, make sure you understand how much you will have to pay before getting into the taxi.
The cruise passenger may book an excursion directly from the cruise operator for an extra fee or online. Some may prefer to organize their own excursions with an onshore operator. There are those who will advise taking a full day excursion so that you get to see as much as possible in your stay on shore. Others may prefer to have some concentrated time doing a particular activity and the rest of the time free to wander about on their own soaking up the sights and the music of Jamaica.
If you want to do a little research on your own, you can click on the link to the Jamaica Tourist Board, to see what is on offer. There are links to descriptions of beaches, activities, restaurants, family outings and tours. The site will give you a little of the feel of Jamaica and what you can expect to find once you get here.
So, feel Irie, as we say in Jamaica, feel all right and have some fun in the sun!