Jamaica

Ocho Rios Overview

Ocho Rios, affectionately referred to as "Ochi" by the locals, is situated on the northern coast of the island of Jamaica, midway between the capital, Kingston, and the popular tourist resort of Montego Bay. The Spanish translation of Ocho Rios is "eight rivers," but the town's name most likely was derived from the abundance of waterfalls in the area (since you won't find eight rivers there). The shoreline is dotted with one hotel resort after another, with the Caribbean's trademark warm sands and turquoise waters in their backyards. Beyond the shoreline, rainforestlike greenery blankets the mountainous landscape. The strikingly lush tropical foliage makes it easy to see why the Parish of St. Ann, of which Ocho Rios is a part, is known as the "garden parish."

Set just slightly past the cruise port, the shabby town of Ocho Rios offers plenty of duty-free shopping bargains, open-air eateries and happening bars on its two main drags, Main Street and DaCosta Drive (which run parallel to each other). Although the town is worth checking out, spending an entire day there would be overdoing it. For cruise-ship tourists, primary points of interest and attractions -- like Dunn's River Falls, Mystic Mountain and James Bond Beach -- lie beyond the actual town and are short 5- to 10-minute taxi rides away.

Ocho Rios gets its fair share of precipitation with the most rain falling in October, and average temperatures in Jamaica are in the 80's and 90's. (July and August are the hottest months, while February is the coolest.) Watch out for hurricane season in Caribbean ports from June until November.

Great Beaches.
Dunns River Falls.

Bob Marley.

Grand Caymen

Grand Cayman Overview

Imagine the stereotypical cruise port -- one with white sand beaches, a plethora of duty free shops selling jewels and liquor, and de rigueur water activities like snorkeling and scuba -- and Grand Cayman might just be the destination the cliche is based on. In addition to the lovely Seven Mile Beach, George Town's retail center and water sports galore, Grand Cayman celebrates marine life at Stingray City and the Cayman Turtle Farm, and even offers a twist on island paradise with the town of Hell (THE place from which to send the quintessential kitschy postcard).Yet the cliche does have a negative side -- and those are the crowds.

It's not unusual to find five mega-ships docked in the harbor at the same time, which makes the tendering process slower than usual and the downtown streets jam-packed. (Building a cruise pier at which ships could berth is oft discussed, but it's never gone beyond the "pre-planning" stage.) The constant influx of cruise passengers keeps the waterfront restaurants bustling, so lunch in port is never a cheap affair. A stroll along the beach quickly turns into an obstacle course of sunbathing tourists, sandy children and watersports vendors.

Visitors have two choices -- embrace the crowds and touristy places with a laidback island mindset or escape them. Secluded beaches, like Cayman Kai or Rum Point, are a cab ride away, and even Seven Mile Beach has its less crowded spots. A mall at Governors Square offers designer clothes, housewares and even a healthy cafe for a refreshing change from pareos, shell necklaces and over-priced seafood. And the seemingly endless stretches of sea never feel too congested when you're swimming peacefully through coral formations.

And like any Caribbean island worth its salt and sand, Grand Cayman has weathered a few hurricanes -- most recently Hurricane Paloma in November 2008. With a solid infrastructure in place, the island survived the storm -- with the exception of a blown off roof or two (the Courtyard Marriott, for instance, lost its top) -- and easily bounced back to its jaunty self. After all, if Grand Cayman didn't offer its 1.7 million cruise visitors the beaches, shops, restaurants and attractions they've come to expect, the cliche wouldn't hold. And where would Grand Cayman be then?

Turtle Farm

Seven Mile Beach


Swimming with the stingrays.