We did not book an excursion in this port deciding instead to walk ashore and decide what to do then.  We went to the freelance tour section and paid $10.00 per person for a round trip shuttle ride to Dunns River Falls.  At the Falls, we paid $20.00 to enter and enjoy the beach and the bottom of the falls.  I'll leave it to others to report on climbing the falls since we decided to just enjoy watching the others make the climb.

The locals were were very aggressive.  We were barely off the shuttle before beads were being placed in our hands - supposedly free.  It didn't take long before we realized that the beads were free for "the wife" but cost money for the "husband".  Carvings were shoved into our hands to look at while the local chatted with you to learn your names....only to begin to carve them into the wood to bait you into buying them both for $40.00.  

On the beach, a local asked if we wanted "smoke".  Upon being told no, he threw down a bag of pot onto our beach towel.  I was asked by the Kayak tour guide and the jet ski tour guide if I wanted "smoke".  A 17 year old reported being approached 7 times as he walked beside his parents.

Margaritaville was wonderful.  The music and competitions were very entertaining although the food was pricey.  The shop attendants were very helpful in picking out a Shirt for us to bring back for our daughter among other items we asked for.  She held our bags and our Margaritaville glasses for us so we could visit what we were told was safe beach....

Upon entering the beach we saw two security guards and assumed they were there to protect us; wrong assumption.  They were actually there to protect the locals who immediately swarmed us and separated my husband and I.  Four women surrounded me while three men surrounded my husband slowly trying to move us further and further from each other.  Beads, carvings and necklaces were being shoved into our hands.  At one point, I found a bag of pot in my hand.  My husband found one being put in his pocket. Two of the women began to braid my hair without permission and I later learned that the men were telling him that I wanted my whole head braided and trying to get him to pay them.   The experience ended with my husband having to resort to yelling at the locals to back off.  

The remainder of our time onshore was spent literally having to be rude to the locals to keep them away from us as we returned to the ship.  In fact, one local grabbed my husband's arm causing him to drop the bag with the glasses in it, breaking one of the two.

We don't regret the trip to the Falls or our afternoon in Margaritaville, but we warn you to not go onto the beach unless you are ready to be totally rude to the locals who swarmed not only us but nearly every group that set foot out there. Don't assume that security is there to protect you, it appeared that they were there to make sure that the locals were paid for the beads and braids that were being forced on to people who weren't wary from the moment their feet touched the sand.

Ocho Rios

As we approached the port, the waters were filled with trash.  Bottles, boxes, cans.  We decided there and then that we would not be entering the water but still intended on going of ship to explore the beach.

Not having to leave in order to catch an excursion, we went to a late brunch at the WindJammer and to lay by the pool for a bit.  As we lounged, folks began to come back aboard the ship.  

There were two ships docked at Labadee, ours arrived two hours after the other.  There were no chairs available on the beach and the debris that we saw on our approach was there in the waters near the shore as well. Our diner companions reported picking up trash as they kayaked. 

There were no towels available on the island and there were few available on the ship.  There were many frustrated passengers now milling about the decks of the Liberty.   Needless to say, we did not even get off.

Labadee

Superior Balcony Room 7366.

Not enough room for more than two people to share comfortably.  

Door does not close automatically; it must be pulled to close completely.

The balcony was cramped with a small table and two upright lawn chairs.  It is too small for a lounger.

But the final straw was the fact that after experiencing guest services of  far less quality than we had experienced with our previous two Carnival cruises, our stateroom attendant and our dining room waiters reminded us to give them final tips and to provide "excellent" comments and mention them by name on the survey filled out before leaving the ship.While we did in fact leave final tips and excellent commentary on the survey regarding our room attendant and waiters, it was more because we understand that good service is a result of policies that come from the top down, the remainder of the survey involved filling in the bubble for "Poor" far more than "Fair" or "Good".

Liberty of the Seas Review

5 night Ochos Rios Jamaica and Labadee Haiti

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Superior Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony

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