Port of Call: Montego Bay

Jamaica was not our first choice, in fact, we chose this cruise itinerary because it did not include Jamaica. We had no choice but to follow along when we were informed the itinerary had been changed and we would be stopping in Montego Bay. All we could do was hope that Montego Bay vendors were less aggressive than those in Ocho Rios. We chose to spend our day at the Rose Hall Beach Club, a beautiful, white-sand beach which offered water sports, specifically SCUBA diving.

Quick Tips:

Remember, this is Jamaica. Everything moves very slowly here (well, except for the cab drivers!)

Best Way To Get Around:

Our cab driver in here was very talkative. He told us that the mayor of Montego Bay had cracked down on the vendors here and asked them to be less pushy. Ocho Rios has received such a bad reputation because of the vendors, he was hoping to attract more visitors to this side of the island. The driver also told us about the poverty in Jamaica and his aspirations of going to school in America.

Despite my deep-water fears, I decided to try SCUBA diving. The couple we travelled with and I took certification classes and were able to complete 2 of the 4 required certification dives before we left home. When our planned completion in Costa Maya fell through, we hastily booked with this company via internet and a couple of costly long-distance cell phone calls. Owners Rodney and Sharon Davis were very accommodating and assured us we'd get those dives completed, weather permitting.

After disembarking in Montego Bay, we were pleasantly surprised that the vendors here were much less pushy than those we had encountered in Ocho Rios. After a 1/2 hour cab ride to Rose Hall Beach Club, we stepped out to catch a stunning view of the beach and grounds of the club. The sand was bright white, the ocean turquoise. Inviting blue and white striped lounge chairs beckoned us to spend the day relaxing.

If we'd only known how our plans would waft away in the trade wind, we’d have changed our expectations and just enjoyed the beauty here. First, the power was out, so there was no way to fill the SCUBA tanks. We got fitted for the rest of the gear, then relaxed in those striped lounge chairs and enjoyed the view, hoping the power came on soon. Did a little splashing around in the blue-green water. Met a man from England who had been trying for the entire week of his vacation to get SCUBA certified here. There was always some problem. He had only 1 dive left. Ah! The power's on; quick fill the tanks! Load everything onto the dive boat! Let's go! The Englishman and 2 teen girls join us. Rough water, bob around on the surface, and try not to throw up, finally, sink toward the bottom and show off those skills so they can be checked off by the dive master. Dive 3 complete, finally.

Rest time between dives is spent eating a non-descript lunch, enjoying sun and water. Uh oh! It's clouding up. Suit up quickly, get the 4th dive in, just off the beach. Waiting at the bottom, I see my 2 companions flounder on the surface. Then I hear the strangest sound. It's like a soft roar. I look up and can see rain pelting the surface, my companions still struggling above me, with not enough weight to descend. I ascend and we wade back into shore.

A dismal end to this day. I've at least completed dive 3, but I'm not certified yet. Due to the Dive master’s inability to keep track of 6 divers, one of my companions was not asked to show one of the skills, so wasn't even given credit for the 3rd dive.

I would go back to Montego Bay and the Rose Hall Beach Club only if I don’t have any plans or expectations. The saying here is, "Jamaica No Problem!" Go with the flow and Jamaica will be no problem for you, either.