What to do on a Western Caribbean cruise?

What to do on a Western Caribbean cruise- Cozumel, Ocho Rios & Cayman Islands!?!?!?!?

• I'm going on a cruise in a few months to the Western Caribbean. The places we will be stopping are Cozumel-Mexico, Ocho Rios-Jamaica, and the Grand Cayman Islands. I was just ...show more

• Answer:

  Have been to all these ports several times. You don't mention what kinds of things you like to do, so it's hard to give specific answers that would apply to you. However.... In Cayman, as others have said, you should go to Stingray City. It's not a "city" at all, or even a developed area. It's a shallow sand bar out in the bay [water will be knee deep to shoulder deep] where the stingrays gather because they get fed by the tourists. It is a terrific experience, even if you're a "scardey-cat" like me. You can arrange for this trip on your own - there are several reliable people who do this trip [Captain Marvin and Nativeway are ones I've used] or if you might have a tight time frame, you can do it through the ship. The ship's tours will be VERY crowded, however. In Cozumel, Chankanaab Park is beautiful. [They have a website - check it out.] You can snorkel, lie on the beach, take a nice walk past "ruins", etc, etc. This is very easy to do on your own. Just get a cab outside the port and go. When you want to return there will be plenty of cabs waiting. Just don't cut it too close on the time getting back to the ship. Many people like to shop in Coz, which again is easy to do on your own. If you want a less "touristy" experience, go in a block or two from the main drag. Most places will "bargain". In Jamaica, I would not try to do a tour on my own. Everyone says that Dunn's River Falls is a must-do. It is pretty, but it's also very crowded and unless you like to get wet while climbing up the slippery falls, this may not be your cup of tea. There is a boardwalk you can use to see the falls without having to climb. You might want to consider doing a "party boat" or some such that goes to the falls and back. If you do go to DRF, you can avoid the annoying vendors at the exit by going back to the entrance and exiting there. One thing we did that we really enjoyed was tubing on the White River [not to be confused w/rafting on the Martha Brae]. It was a lot of fun and very easy. If you don't want to go on any excursions, you could walk over to Island Village, a limited-access [no locals] recreation of a Caribbean village shopping area. There is a Margaritaville there, and if you buy a drink [soft or hard] you get a wristband that allows you to use the facilities. It's literally a five-minute walk from the ship - you will still be harassed by locals to buy various things [legal and not] and/or get your hair braided; just politely say "no" and keep walking. Some people like to shop in Jamaica and there is a shopping area in Ocho, but it will be a gauntlet of vendors. For more info on things to do at these ports, go to CruiseCritic.com, click on "Boards" and then "Ports of Call". Have a great trip!!