With over 200 kilometres of some of the finest coastline in the Greater Antilles, it does not matter if your cruise ship is docked at a terminal in Montego Bay or Ocho Rios, because you are destined to find a beach to your liking. However, Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean, so there is more to do than sunbathe, sip mojitos and play dominoes. After sailing on the open seas for a few days, you might be anxious to feel some solid ground beneath your feet. Cruises offer a host of day trips and excursions. A new itinerary will be slid beneath your cabin door every morning. You will not only find a list of activities taking place on board the ship that day, but the types of day excursions that are being offered. When you sip your morning cup of Blue Mountain coffee, which is named after Jamaica’s highest peak, you might see the following highlights.
1. Join us for a day of fun and shopping in Montego Bay. Known as MoBay to the locals, this port is the second-largest city in Jamaica. It is believed that Jamaica’s first resort opened in MoBay in 1924. Doctor’s Cave Beach and Walter Fletcher Beach are both found in Montego Bay. Parasailing, glass-bottom boat rides and jet skiing are all available, and the Montego Bay Marine Park is an ideal place to go snorkelling. After a day at the beach, be sure to visit Gloucester Avenue. Filled with seaside bars, restaurants and gift shops, Gloucester Avenue is also known as the Hip Strip.
2. Take a trip with us to Nine Mile to visit the Bob Marley Centre and Museum. This is the community where Bob Marley was born, and it is also his final resting place. You can take a tour of the reggae legend’s house. You can also visit the mausoleum where he is buried, which has become a colourful and spirited shrine and a must-see for any music lover.
3. Come with us on a journey into Jamaica’s past. Greenwood Great House and Rose Hall will give you an idea of what life on a sugar plantation was like. The Greenwood Great House was once owned and operated by the Barrett family. Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the English poet, is a descendent. Rose Hall is a 6,600-acre plantation that comes with a titillating ghost story. A woman named Annie Palmer built the great house, and she is believed by many to have been a voodoo priestess.
After a day of sunbathing, shopping and history, it is time to head back to the ship. Tonight, there is a band playing ballroom classics.
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