THE EDITOR, Madam:
I RECENTLY revisited Jamaica on a cruise stop-over in Ocho Rios. As a Jamaican living in the States, I have read the stories in The Gleaner about cruise lines who have allegedly told their passengers not to get off the boat in Jamaica.
The experience that my wife and I had on Carnival Cruise Lines were the opposite to what we had read. (We were not about to stay on the ship, even if we were told to anyway). What the cruise director did say to the passengers were: get off the ship and have a good time.
There are excellent tours available and wonderful places to shop. However, be careful. Jamaican vendors tend to be on the aggressive side in selling their wares, (which I do not need a cruise liner to tell me this), and you will be approached to buy drugs, (we were approached several times), but to politely decline, which we did.
We did have a pleasant stop, and it's still good to see that I can come home and have a wonderful time, however short the stay. I probably had a skewed vision, but my hopes and dreams are for the best for this country of ours, and that one day I will be back living in my 'yard'.
I am etc.,
DENNIS TAYLOR
E-mail:
dtaylor14@snet.net
North Stonongton
Connecticut, USA
Via Go-Jamaica
