Montego Bay

Well, when planning this trip I didn’t plan to write a post about Montego Bay because we weren’t supposed to be going to Montego Bay! One of my favorite parts about traveling is all the research I do leading up to the trip! I had a day full of activities planned for Ocho Rios so when they announced (while we were already at sea without access to free internet) that we’d be stopping in Montego Bay instead I was pretty bummed.

So, with limited resources we figured we couldn’t go wrong with heading to a beach in Jamaica!  I hardly ever book excursions through the ship since they’re very overpriced but with limited time we decided to pay for the shuttle bus direct to the beach!  This was also our best option because it required the least amount of walking and we could ditch the car seats/stroller. 
Without any planning we ended up at Doctors Cave Beach (where the bus dropped us off!) It’s located about 15-20 minutes from the cruise terminal on Gloucester Avenue.  Gloucester Avenue is also known as “the hip strip” where most of the bars, restaurants, shops and beaches are located in Montego Bay.

Admission to get into the Doctor’s Cave Beach is $6 for adults and $3 for children.  You are also able to rent an umbrella and beach chairs for $6 each from Doctor’s Cave Bathing Club.  They will set up your loungers and umbrellas in a spot of your choosing – get there early to get a spot right at the shoreline! We were a row back but as the day went on there were probably 3 more rows behind us! The best part about this section of beach is there is bar service! We had a wonderful server who was very attentive.   To kick off a great day we ordered some mango daiquiris and settled into our beach spots!

As you can see, Jude LOVED his first time in the ocean! The water was gorgeous, calm and the perfect temperature.  Davis and I waded in the water from one end of the beach to the other.  It was magical, until it wasn’t! All of a sudden Davis grabbed his leg and kept saying “Ouch, mama it hurts!” So we raced out of the water. Sure enough his thigh was very red and he kept itching it. We have no idea what happened – we think he was probably stung by something.  A nice local gentleman overheard us and he mentioned that the lifeguards keep a spray bottle of vinegar handy in case of jellyfish stings.  So, I ran over to the lifeguard stand and grabbed the vinegar – thank god for that man because it really helped Davis feel better! We thought he may be a little scared to get back in the water but after a quick lunch break he was begging to go swimming again!

The food and drink are from The Sand Bar and were pretty reasonably priced.  We got the Jerk Chicken, BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich and of course more sweet potato fries than any one person should eat! Dais was a big fan.  I’d say the food was about as good as you’d expect for beach food! Not bad, but nothing to write home about either.

Overall we had a great day at the beach! I would definitely visit Doctor’s Cave Beach again if I we are ever in Montego Bay.  It’s a quick 20 minute drive from the cruise terminal. Prices are very reasonable for admission and beach chairs. Added bonus if you’re really missing a piece of home there is also a Starbucks right on the beach!