Walking around Caribbean nations safe?

[_19disnA]

Anywhere they have guards with machine guns to make you feel 'safe' makes me want to vacation elsewhere......LOL.

 

[ZZBane]

While I’ve never cruised to Jamaica, I’ve been there many times. It is, by far, my most favorite place. I even got a tattoo representing my love for it. After going to the same resort for a few years, we got to know some of the workers and the best time we had there was when we left the resort. The guy took us to Scotchies (the best jerk chicken and pork ever), drove around and saw where he grew up (it resembled a dumpster), and then we went tubing down the most beautiful river I had ever seen. They were shocked when I told them that our rivers were black. They are very serious about their water.
However, with as much as I love Jamaica, they do have their issues. If you are gay (very openly so) or trans, then I’d absolutely not walk around anywhere. I went out with another guy several times while I was there and he took me to a beach party and the DJ was talking (Patois) but I couldn’t understand him, so Patrick translated and the DJ was basically saying F the gays and all kinds of other terrible things. I did point out how they say ‘one love’ and yet they say awful things like that. I digress. It’s a very poor country, but they truly are some of the most wonderful and beautiful people and the country is breathtaking.
Also, yes, if you’re into ‘smoking’ they have some of the best and will happily get it for you

 

[Bonnie1222]

I came across this thread as we are signed up for a 7-night cruise in March that ports at Falmouth. Is there a reason Disney chooses to port there given the Gov. crime warnings?

Personally I am so glad DCL docks at Falmouth. It is nice and clean, lots of open space to wander around and the taxis are in behind the gates. Compared to the last port I went to in Jamaica it is night and day. Nobody from outside is allowed in unless they are with a sanctioned tour company or taxi company. I have seen locals trying to entice tourists to come outside the gate right outside the fence in the past, but last trip they have actually stopped them from crossing the street and they must remain across the road. I have seen guards, but have not noticed multiple guards with machine guns like the other one I was at with Princess years ago.

 

[Mom24Princesses]

I don't recall seeing armed guards in Jamaica but there are definitely guards at the entrance to the Falmouth port who check that you are a cruiser before they let you in. Even at the resort we stayed at near Negril had gigantic tall doors into the parking lot with a bar on the inside and you had to request entrance but no one was armed. In Costa Maya there were armed guards - with hands kept on automatic rifles - that checked the buses going in and out of the port area including running a mirror under the bus carriage. That was in 2005 I think so I've no idea what it's like now.

We sailed 10/12 and stopped in Jamaica. It was not like what we saw on Roatan. The areas

I don't recall seeing armed guards in Jamaica but there are definitely guards at the entrance to the Falmouth port who check that you are a cruiser before they let you in. Even at the resort we stayed at near Negril had gigantic tall doors into the parking lot with a bar on the inside and you had to request entrance but no one was armed. In Costa Maya there were armed guards - with hands kept on automatic rifles - that checked the buses going in and out of the port area including running a mirror under the bus carriage. That was in 2005 I think so I've no idea what it's like now.

Not at all-
We sailed 10/12 and stopped in Jamaica. It was not like what we saw on Roatan. The area off the ship was very safe - gated as mentioned above. We did a Disney Excursion to Dunn River Falls and ii never saw anything like what we saw on Roatan. Never felt any unease.

 

[Rob1872]

Anywhere they have guards with machine guns to make you feel 'safe' makes me want to vacation elsewhere......LOL.

I understand the general philosophy, but it is a very United States-centric comment. Fly into major Western Europe airports and you will see airport security often walking with fully automatic rifles (and becoming not unheard of here in the US). Doesn't bother me at all. On the other hand, when I went to a site in the Horn of Africa and they had 3 layers of armed guards before you got to the conference, that didn't inspire a lot of confidence in the region that they felt that type of defense in depth was needed.

 

[_19disnA]

Security at airports is a post-9/11 reality and is for the benefit of the general public. However, armed guards at a 'resort' area isn't my idea of a vacation.

 

[ChicosWife]

All of the port areas are safe. Grand Cayman would top my list as to where I felt the most comfortable. Cozumel is okay. We have been to Jamaica 3 times and as a PP said, there are good and bad areas. Stay in the tourist spots and you should be fine. I wouldn't recommend walking through non-tourist areas by yourself.

 

[ChicosWife]

I came across this thread as we are signed up for a 7-night cruise in March that ports at Falmouth. Is there a reason Disney chooses to port there given the Gov. crime warnings?

For the most part, tourists are safe in the port area. There is no reason not to come to Falmouth.

 

[otten]

Security at airports is a post-9/11 reality and is for the benefit of the general public. However, armed guards at a 'resort' area isn't my idea of a vacation.

Last time I was in Paris there were armed guards with machine guns patrolling the area around the Eiffel tower.

 

[DCLPrincess]

I reccomend doing a DCL excursion. I expected to see lots of armed guards in Cozumel and Falmouth and didn't see any. It wasn't like I had expected. Both stops were beautiful and I felt as safe as I would in the US.

 

[SL6827]

Grand Cayman is very safe. Spent almost a month there last year. Walked the streets several times at night.