Destination Review: Montego Bay, Jamaica

Scott and I have been on three cruises that stopped in Montego Bay. There are many opinions out there about this stop. I fully believe it just depends on how you see and handle things. There's an authentic feel around MoBay. Unless you go on a ship excursion, you likely won't see what you see on tv. Most of the excursions I saw travelled outside of Montego Bay. Not all, but most. That being said, with some careful planning, you can still have a nice visit.

Our first visit was on our third cruise in 2009. I had done some research prior to leaving home and had found out about a way to get around Montego Bay, hitting all the main tourist areas, for $15 per person. The Hip Strip Hot Spot shuttle pass was an all day pass that allowed us to get on and off as many times as we wanted. I did a little searching today and I can't find any information about it. I get the impression it's not available anymore. I could be wrong though.

We rode the shuttle around, getting a feel for Montego Bay. The shuttle took us to stops that included a shopping area, a craft market, and what was to be our goal destination, Doctor's Cave Beach. I believe there were a couple other options, but conveniently, there was only one other couple on with us and the driver asked if we were interested in the other stops. The other couple said they were interested in Margaritaville and Scott and I were just going with the flow. We stopped at the craft market and the other lady with us got off, but within just a couple minutes she got back on saying something about being overwhelmed.

We did did not get off at the craft market, but did get off at the Margaritaville stop. I didn't care to go in, but I saw some nice photo ops as we pulled up. For those interested, this Margaritaville location has a water slide that goes from a second story, down into the ocean. I thought that was pretty awesome. There were also water toys in a roped off area.

About 15 minutes later we caught the next shuttle to come around and go back to the ship because we didn't have our beach stuff with us. Knowing how easy it was to get back to Doctor's Cave, we quickly got back on the ship to change, get our stuff, and also a quick snack, and soon we were back on another shuttle. This time it was just us. The driver, after noticing our attire, asked if we were heading to Doctor's Cave. 10 or so minutes later we were walking through the entrance. It cost us $5/pp (now it's $6) to get in with the option to rent umbrellas, chairs, etc, for an extra fee. Doctor's Cave Beach is clean and beautiful. However, it was fairly crowded when we first arrived. We were looking for a place to lay our towels in the sand when someone who was leaving came up and offered for us to use her umbrella and chair. It was very thoughtful of her and made for a nice shady spot when we weren't in the water. We did a little snorkeling and saw a few fish, but it's not a rocky beach so there weren't the pretty colorful fish you think about when you think of snorkeling. It was still fun though. We only stayed an hour or two at the beach. We saw a dark cloud rolling in and it was making me nervous, so we went back to the ship early and enjoyed the view while eating pizza on deck.

Things to consider when visiting Montego Bay: I wouldn't tell someone that they should not visit, but just be careful. We were approached a couple times by drug dealers, but a polite no thank you was all it took and they would leave us alone. Even in their offering, they were not forceful or rude. I'd have thought they were simply offering to give us directions if I only paid attention to their tone. The biggest "problem" we had was the taxi drivers. I had read that we should only ride with JUTA taxis while in Jamaica. They are licensed taxi drivers and their plates will be red. No matter who you get a ride with, make sure you have an agreed upon fare before getting in the cab. Not all cabs are metered and I have yet to find any kind of rate in my searching online, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. Just don't get caught in confusion where you think it's going to cost one thing, but once you get to your destination and it costs more. There were numerous drivers asking if we needed a ride. We made sure to be polite but confidently tell them we didn't need a ride. Only a couple of them continued to ask us. We said no thanks and kept on walking.
The traffic is pretty crazy. I thought we could maybe walk from the pier terminal to Doctor's Cave. Google maps tells me that it's about 3 miles. My husband and I are runners so we figured a 3 mile walk would be good. It's really not a safe option though. I was somewhat shocked at how many local pedestrians were just crossing 4 lanes of traffic in the middle of the street. A couple times we even saw someone come up to the window of the shuttle to try and sell something. All the while there'd be a motorcycle going down the road between lanes, or other cars/shuttles weaving in and out.

Our other visit to Montego Bay was when we cruised with my brother and his wife in 2012. Scott and I went back and forth about whether or not we would get off the ship this time. In the end, we did go shopping in the terminal area for just a bit, but decided to take advantage of being almost the only ones on the ship. Or at least it seemed that way.

My brother and his wife had a very similar day to our first visit and spent some time at Doctor's Cave. You can read more about how Scott and I spent our time in This Post.


The third visit to MoBay was spring 2016 and we had our kids with us this time. We did even more research than usual. I wanted the kids to experience Jamaica, but we were budgeting and couldn't afford an excursion at more than one stop. We decided to play it by ear once we arrived. This time things were a bit different. There is a building right off the ship that usually has some shopping and a small snack type restaurant, but it seems to be under construction, as all the vendors were set up under canopies outside the building. We walked around the shopping area for a little bit before looking for an inexpensive way to get around. You are not allowed to walk away from the pier. There is a sign that says no walking, shuttle only, and if you try, security will turn you away. So your only option for leaving is to book an excursion or pay for a taxi or the hop on hop off shuttle. There was not a sign for the shuttle but as of this cruise the prices are $19 for adults and $8 for kids 3-11 years old. The Hop On and Hop Off Shuttle stops at two different craft markets, Margaritaville, Doctor's Cave Beach, and The Shoppes at Rose Hall.
The taxi fares varied, but I was able to take a picture of the board. It was located inside the building near the doors that lead to where the taxis and shuttles wait.

We decided to not go anywhere so we went back through security to get back on the ship, but first walked along the area right outside the ship. It is ok to do this, but you do have to be careful because it is also a roadway used for tour buses and smaller shuttles. If you're interested in how the rest of our day in Montego Bay went, check it out Here. :)


Like I said before, it's not that I would recommend Montego Bay as a stop to not get off the ship. I would however, make sure to do plenty of research or plan to do a cruise sponsored excursion. Or enjoy the view from the ship.