I recently went on my first ever cruise! It was a western Caribbean Cruise on board the Freedom of the Seas. We had stops in Labadee, Haiti, Falmouth in Jamaica, George Town, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico. At each stop you have the option to arrange shore excursions. In the Falmouth Jamaica cruise port, we arranged a Chukka tour to visit the Good Hope Estate and do a zipline canopy tour and river tubing. Thanks to Royal Caribbean International for hosting myself and my kids on this amazing vacation so that I could have the opportunity to share this experience with you. All opinions are mine and those of my family. I hope you enjoy this vacation planning insight and family vacation review.
Falmouth Jamaica Excursions
I have to tell you there are a plethora of options in each cruise port. I believe there were about 45 shore excursion options in Falmouth, Jamaica! Our Falmouth Jamaica excursions were a family adventure option and we truly enjoyed every part of it. The Chukka tour guides did a fabulous job at making us feel welcome and they had a great sense of humor! They kept us laughing on a regular basis with their relaxed and fun banter. One lady said, “There are no problems, only situations!”
Chukka Zipline Canopy, Falmouth Jamaica
First we got all suited up with our safety equipment and then the guides took us over to the starting point and gave us a safety briefing and instructions. You really do get to soar on horizontal traverses through the trees and above the trees and even over the river on this zipline canopy tour. My son and daughter are 8 and 10 and they loved it! It is a bit nerve racking as you prepare to embark on the first zipline that seems to disappear into the jungle but the guide helps you out and sends you off and there is always another guide to help you off at the next platform. We all really enjoy the zipline canopy tour!
After flying through the air looking at the jungle scenery, they fed us the most delicious Jerk chicken with these hush puppy tasting fried cornbread and some kind of delicious fruit juice. Yum!
Chukka River Tubing, Falmouth in Jamaica
Next up was a relaxing (for the most part) tubing trip down the famous Martha Brae River. We had several river guides and they spilt us into teams and tied the tubes together so that our only job was to relax and enjoy the ride.
They told us a few stories along with some whoppers to keep us laughing and they got us all wet with their splashing. It was an easy float down the river and we spotted some wildlife as we went.
Good Hope Estate, Jamaica
All of these Good Hope house photos are courtesy of Cher Kachelmuss of momandmore.com
The Good Hope Estate boasts more than 2,000 acres of lush plant life. The Good Hope Plantation House set high up on a hill so you get majestic views of the estate. I enjoyed the tour as the guide told us all about the history of the estate and house.
The Good Hope Estate began as a sugar plantation in the 18th century. The house was built as a wedding present for the wife of John Tharpe, who was then the largest land and slave owner in Jamaica. The guide also told us that John Tharpe treated his slaves much better than the most slave owners. His estate was one of the few that was not ruined later during the slave revolts. I absolutely loved the architecture of the Good Hope House- it was truly beautiful.
After a full day enjoying our shore excursion in Falmouth, Jamaica, we headed back to the Freedom of The Seas. We then enjoyed a lovely dinner at Giovanni’s Table, an Italian trattoria style specialty restaurant. Giovanni’s Table offers rustic dishes with a contemporary flair, including toasted herb foccacia, pastas, braised meat dishes and stews, served family-style.
Then we ended our day with a movie by the pool! Fun times!
If you want to plan your your amazing family vacation you can read more about the Universal Orlando Resort and Royal Caribbean Collaboration here.
Have you ever been to Falmouth, Jamaica? Feel free to share your ideas for things to do in Falmouth, Jamaica, if you have had a great experience there!
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Jamie says
Scarlet this looks AMAZING! What a fun experience. I still have not been on a cruise. My family traveled to Montego Bay, Jamaica, when I was young and the last time I went was in high school. It is gorgeous. Can’t wait to look at all the pictures from your incredible trip.
Scarlet says
Thanks so much!
Jane Gordon says
These pictures are beautiful! Looks like it was a blast! Jamaica is one of the places on my vacation list! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Scarlet says
Thanks! It was so much fun. I want to go back and spend more time there!