marvelmates

Falmouth, Jamaica

Jamaica was our favorite port on our RC cruise. We booked a Blue Hole Secret Falls tour with Patrice Bailey Independent Private Tours. Her company is legit and has clearance inside the gated port. You can ask for her at the information desk. Her staff met us with smiles on their faces bright and early. We enjoyed the company of Kay while we waited for Patrice to arrive. When she did she set us up with our tour guides Mario and Teo. They gave us cold water for the 45min ride to Ocho Rios. Mario was very knowledgeable about the island and the history. He was funny and engaging and our ride flew by. Once at Blue Hole we were able to change and head up to the start of the falls. Mario said many tour companies that are not certified thru the tourism board will just drop you off at the bottom and leave you to your own devices to hike to the top. Our guide Alex was very patient and held our camera and took some great shots. The water is beautiful and clear, so refreshing but cold. It is slick so water shoes are a must. I'm not scared of heights but jumping into the water was intense! So much fun. I think in all we were there for almost 2 hrs. Back in the van we stopped at Scotchies for lunch. Delicious jerk chicken and a Red Stripe. The service was great. I wanted to souvenir shop so we went to the shops just outside the port gates. Our guide Mario didn't leave my side. I got what I wanted and when I got uncomfortable with the pushy vendors it was time to go. Patrice called us personally to ask how our day was, which I thought was so thoughtful and professional. We said our goodbyes and took pictures with them. We did some more shopping at the port and then back to the Ship. Jamaica is such a beautiful country with gracious intelligent people. It's sad that the cruise line makes you feel unsafe if you venture outside of the gates. If you are just going to stay in the port you may as well stay on the Ship, and why are you going to go on a cruise if you are scared to venture out and see a new country? Do your research, read reviews on tour companies, and use common sense, you will have a great time. Would love to visit Jamaica again.

George Town, Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman is beautiful! I hadn't booked any excursion because I wanted a full beach day. We got on a bus right at the port, took us to 7mile beach/Calico Jacks. I believe it was $8 per person. It was Election Day there which they take very seriously so there was no alcohol served on the island. I'm not a big drinker so I didn't mind too much. We had a coconut milk and some Jerk Chicken from a food truck because Calico Jacks wasn't serving food either. We rented 2 chairs and two umbrellas for $5 each. The water is crystal clear and the sand is white. We played in the water and soaked up the sun most of the day. There were guys renting jet skis, and I saw some paddle boarders as well. We left when some of the local vendors got in a dispute about money and the police showed up. We needed to get back to the Ship anyway. We caught the bus back, really enjoyed our beach day! I would love to visit Grand Cayman again.

Cozumel, Mexico

We took a Tulum tour but booked off Cruise with Genchi Family Tours. Emy is so friendly and talkative. I would highly recommend her. There was a bit of confusion finding her when we got off the ferry. My phone wasn't working there and I couldn't text her. Another tour guide could tell we were lost and he had her phone # and gave her a call for us. Turns out she was right around the corner. If you book with her make precise arrangements on pick up. Her van was large and air conditioned. It was just myself and my husband, so it was nice and private. The ride to Tulum wasn't bad, we stopped to eat on the way. A local spot, Taqueria El Arbolito had delicious breakfast tacos with homemade tortillas. Yum. She bought the tickets to Tulum and dropped us off near the front. It was a ways of a walk to the actual entrance. It was very hot and humid, like dripping sweat the whole time and my shirt was soaked. A hat and umbrella are musts, as is plenty of water. My husband is knowledgeable about the ruins so we didn't get a guide. All of the people I saw with guides looked so bored anyway. After we were done we went out of the exit that we could have sworn we entered thru. Turns out it wasn't, we were so turned around and after walking a good ten minutes we found a taxi to take us back to the entrance. I still don't know how we got so far away because the taxi ride was about 5 miles. I was so grateful when we found Emy again. We did a little shopping but turns out the power was out in the whole peninsula. We were supposed to do a cenote, but with no power I was worried about the ferry, so we decided just to go back and catch the ferry. We were exhausted anyway. The Ruins were an amazing sight to see, but if I'm ever back in Cozumel I would stay on the island and enjoy the beach.

Galveston, Texas

We took an Uber to Galveston from Hobby. We stayed at Comfort Inn, the rooms were nice, friendly staff, nice breakfast. Getting around the town was a bit challenging. There is no Uber to Galveston, so we took a Get Me to the pier. He responded right away and it was only $8. The pier is fun, scary fast rollercoaster, but a little pricey. The food at Bubba Gumps was terrible as was the service. We couldn't get another Get Me to take us back to the hotel so we had to take a $22 taxi. The same Get Me driver drove us to the pier the next morning with no problem. A lot of traffic which was to be expected. We arrived at 10:15am and were on the ship by 11:30am. As long as you have patience, expect long lines, bring a snack and water and it will all work out. I would sail out of Galveston again.