Ocho Rios, Jamaica Port Reviews

Fulfilled my expectations. A place I would like to see more of.

Visited: Oct 29, 2016

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Absolutely loved Jamaica. Some complained about the locals being pushy but we didn't really experience that. Went sightseeing and finished up at Margaritaville before getting back on ship

Visited: Oct 22, 2018

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Love Ocho. The cruise port is quite small.and crowded but there are a few things there. MARARITAVILLE, and a small mall at the peir. The main part of town is a short walk. Worth it. Shops and restaurants along the way. Bars are there too. The locals market will be on the right. Don't enter with out expecting to be approached by pushy local selling their goods. Personally I take 10 ones and try to purchase 2 or 3 small items at different "shops". These are poor people trying to make a living. A little helps alot. Downtown is a typical port town. Shopping and restaurants ect. This is a excursion port. By far the no 1 is Dunn's River Falls. A must do ,a least once,for a Ocho vistor. Many other offers,bamboo raft tours, zip lines, Jamacian bobsleds,gradens, Fern Valley and others. My favorite is THE BLUEHOLE. it is not on any ships tour I've seen. They don't pay back to the cruise lines. It is undeveloped Jamaica. Many pristine blue water falls and pools. Small to smaller crowds. Jump off cliffs, rope climb down a waterfall and dive into perfect blue water. Grab a rope and swing out let go and make a big splash. Walk the paths and enjoy the flowers and foliage. It has grown in popularity, as more people have discovered it, since my first visit 10 years ago. If this interests you, check out PEAT TAYLOR TOURS . Pick up right outside the port and minibus you to the Bluehole and Dunn's River. Entrance fees are included in the 50 to 60 dollar per person price. Almost half the ship's price and much more enjoyable.

Ocho Rios was cool. We found a tour guide through a facebook group and used him while in Ocho Rios. He gave a great price for everything. Had our own large van (with AC and WiFi) for a party of 7 to take around. We went to Blue Hole which was a ton of fun. And then to Scotchies for lunch. The jerk wasn’t as good as I expected it to be but we made the best of it. And we also stopped at a local shop for souvenirs. Overall it was a fun stop. And would go back again. We didn’t have enough time to get to the Dunn River Falls. So next time we will do it. 👌🏾😏

We booked on Facebook with Dr Fun Tours. He was amazing!!! We got pick up directly across from the pier. The Dr Fun himself took us to the Blue Hole while sharing the insland's history. At the Blue Hole the driver remain in the parking lot while we had our on tour guide Javier(best guide ever) he jump into the water with us and he guided us down. My 15 year old felt comfortable the entire. We then went to the bar and grabed a soda. The fun began again as we traveled to fern gally. He stopped for us to take photos. Then we went to the Jerk center to eat.(recomended). Then he returned us to a very safe shopping area across from the pier. Everything about this tour was top notch. If I could I would invest in this man and Dr Fun would be the biggest name in all 3 ports..

Loved Dunn's River Falls climbing was a family memory we will never forget. Enjoyed eating with locals and great shopping! We had the best taxi driver, it was our family only and he made us feel safe and had a great time!

Visited: Jun 09, 2019

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Ocho Rios was absolutely beautiful, but we were turned off by all of the people peddling tours, taxis, necklaces, etc. They were SO persistent and would not take “no” for an answer. It was exhausting simply trying to get out of so many of those conversations throughout the day. We felt like we couldn’t just relax. Everything was also extremely expensive, even when compared to U.S. prices. From the shops to the restaurants. We would love to go back to Jamaica, but will stay away from the port areas to avoid this.

Dunn's River Falls - crowded but a must experience

Visited: Mar 25, 2017

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Don't be afraid to find a taxi outside the port. When you arrive there will be tons of taxis lined up ready to take you where you want to go but the prices are much harder to negotiate. I spoke with others experienced cruisers who said they felt pressured to pay the taxi prices because they said it was set by the govt. In actuality they did do some negotiating with larger parties; while it was more rigid with a pair like myself and my husband. The islanders my come across a bit more aggressive to unseasoned travelers but I assure you its not rudeness or predatory, its a cultural thing. Don't be afraid to assert yourself! On of the taxi ladies tried to charge me an extra $10 but I stood my ground and she took the appropriate fare. We did the White River Tubing and we LOVED IT! The price is great at $25 per person and I would say we spent about 1.5-2hours. The water is COLD though! LOL But the environment is stunning and half way down the river there is a beach bar you can buy drinks and trinkets and there is a restroom. The attendants were not pushy at all and the drinks were cheap! Try the "Meh Rass" cocktail its only $7...much cheaper than the ship! Overall it cost us $40 for transportation and $50 for the tubing admission, $14 for 2 drinks and we left a tip for our driver (We hoped that he would share with the bar man since we had to pay at the bottom of the river where you get out.) I recommend the river tubing 100%!

Visited: Aug 19, 2018

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This is my third time climbing the falls but my first time doing the bob sled. I had a blast. I always do when coming to Ocho Rios. The hand crafted artwork is exquisite and colorful. Can’t wait to come back!