Western Caribbean
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Western Caribbean |
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Home Australia Canada England Mexico U.S. E-Caribbean W-Caribbean |
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| General: | We took a Carnival Cruise ship on this trip. Our stops included Cozumel, Mexico, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica. I believe the ship was called Mardi Gras, but I don't think that ship does this same tour now.. This was in 1986 so a lot may have changed since then. We also used Carnival to go the Eastern Caribbean in 2003 and we did not enjoy the cruise line on that trip. We did enjoy the trip we took in 1986, it was fantastic. That is why we chose to take Carnival again. But I'm pretty sure I won't again. See E-Caribbean for the latest trip. | ||||
| On this trip we meet some really great people at our dining table. We enjoyed each other so much we spent much time together and even went on a couple port tours together. We wrote a couple times back and forth after the trip and received a crate of oranges from the couple from New York, but have lost track over the years. | |||||
| The couple from New York were Andre and (Debbie-I think). I believe Andre was an artist. He was a great tipper and the ship dining staff made sure they kept our table very happy. I will never forget one night the matre'd asked I would like him to cut my duck. I watched as he intricately cut the meat off the bones for me. What a life! | |||||
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| The other couple was from the south, but I don't recall the state, there were both very young about 17 I think. They were newlyweds, I think there names were Pam and Don White. This couple kept us in stiches the whole trip. They told us the reason they spent so much time in their cabin was because the sea-sick medicine was knocking them out. We said, ya right! | |||||
| Cozumel | |||||
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Cozumel was our first port on this trip. This country is part of Mexico, but is very clean, fun, and less poor areas as we had found in Puerto Vallarta (see Mexico page). It is a fun place and I really enjoyed our short stay there. We took an island tour that took us around the island and to several of the Mayan ruins. The tour guide was lots of fun and filled us in on much of the historic background of the Mayans. It is great fun to stand where they stood and touch the stones left from so many years ago. If you go, study a little about the Mayan history so you can appreciate the historic significance of these treasured places from the past. Link here for more info on Mayan Ruins. | ||||
| Grand Cayman | |||||
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Our second port was George Town, Grand Cayman. This is a beautiful place and was my favorite stop. The beaches were wonderful. George Town is a very modern city. The island was very neat and clean every where we visited. The beaches are beautiful. This island is an international financial center, so there were many high-rise buildings in town, which surprised me. There is some really good shopping here too. The ship advertised a shop that specialized in cut black coral with artistic designs that you couldn't find anywhere else, so of course I had to have one. My husband bought me a necklace with a slice of black coral with gold swirled in the center. More (Map) | ||||
| Jamaica | |||||
 Photo:Dunn Falls-Jamaica-amazingmail. |
Last port on this cruise was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Jamaica is a very poor island. The people are very nice but they will run all over you to try and make a few dollars. The want to help you, braid your hair, sell something to you show you around, anything. If you tell one, no thank you, you get offers from a dozen more. It was so bad we turned around from our short walk off the boat and took a tour. Tour areas are fenced off to keep people out. (Map) | ||||
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| When our tour bus stopped on the way out, it was swarmed by people shoving jewelry, carvings, and trinkets in the windows, trying to sell them. This is a beautiful island, but it is hard to see so many of the people who are so poor. Many of the homes we passed were small shacks. At least this was true for the area we visited. | |||||
| We had a great time on the tour we visited a large garden, the Dunns River Falls, and downtown for some shopping and beverages. At the gardens several of the gardeners would whisper to my husband "hey you want some good stuff?". We probably would not have known what they were talking about, but the ship personnel warned us before we disembarked. Jamaica is a known drug haven for Cocaine. I guess they run a racket on these islands, the locals sell the cocaine to ignorant tourists. Then they turn them in to the island law enforcement for a nice finders fee. Once arrested the island makes quite a nice fee that the unhappy tourist must pay to "forget the whole thing". Hopefully they still have time to get back on board the ship before it sets sail. We were also approached on the beach near the ship. There the women as well as the men were approached. If visiting Jamaica, if someone whispers, do you want some coke, they don't mean "coca cola"! | |||||
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| The falls are not quite Niagara Falls but they were very refreshing on a hot day. The tour guide balanced about 8 cameras and took our picture as we waded between the large boulders and holes to get far enough in for the picture. Amazingly he kept all the cameras straight for each couple. The tour guide was very nice and we all give him a tip at the end, for his excellent service. | |||||
| Overview | Information below from Carnival Cruise Lines (Triumph) - some cruises have changed. Check for cruises through Expedia. | ||||
| Miami This vast array of wonderful beaches offers you opportunities to swim with the dolphins in a tropical lagoon and come face-to-face with alligators during an Everglades airboat tour. Or stroll through a tropical rainforest while hundreds of butterflies flutter above you. | |||||
| Cozumel Mexico’s largest island is a heralded destination for divers and snorkelers. More than 30 reefs are strewn across the coast, and famous Palancar Reef offers more than 40 superb dive spots. Safari Jeep rides and horseback tours offer tremendous excursions through temples, caves, beaches and ruins. | |||||
| Grand Cayman The largest of the three Cayman Islands features British infused charm and Caribbean mystique. Dive and snorkel in Stingray City, walk the breathtaking shores of Seven Mile Beach, and dance in Club Inferno – located in a small city called Hell. | |||||
| Ocho Rios Once known as a sleepy fishing village, this favoured Caribbean cruise port is now a flourishing tourist target. Shopping plazas are popular hotspots for buying arts and crafts, while Dunns River Falls is Jamaica’s best-known attraction. Shawpark gardens features decorative shrubs, roses and flowers and a pristine, cascading stream. | |||||
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| Conclusion: | This concludes my notes on cruising the Western Caribbean that I am familiar with. There are many other areas to discover. Transportation including taxis are reasonable. If you have ever gone on a cruise you know the time goes by very quickly and you don't have a lot of time at each port. I have tried to document as much as I can remember about each place but there is so much more that I was not able to experience. If you go, be sure to research each location so you can decide before hand which excursions you wish to participate in, there are many choices. | ||||
| Disclaimer: | The links provided are links I found in searching the net. Some are to travel agents or other services. I have not used most of these services, so I am not recommending any. I am only adding these links to provide additional information to my travel documentaries above. | ||||
| I suggest you do your own research before traveling and only book your travel adventures through a reputable travel company. Buyer beware: there are lots of scam artists that use the travel industry to make a quick buck, don't be a victim. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. | |||||
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| Updated 3/27/04 | ||
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