Anyone done the FA63 - Good Hope Estate in Falmouth?

[FigmentSpark]

Grotto in Falmouth was just cancelled by DCL. Now what?

I was looking forward to seeing the Grotto excursion in Falmouth, but today, I got an email that it was cancelled. That broke my heart. It was the one thing that was different that we would be doing. Fishing was cancelled in Castaway Cay, the Coral Reef submerged buses wasn't offered in Georgetown and we even in Cozumel had to pick something different than we had last time because there were so few other options, our first pick was sold out. I am so disappointed.

Anyway, we're looking at Good Hope Estate (FA 63), now. Anyone have any opinions on it? Do they take you on a tour or just dump you at the entrance and tell you to find something you want to do? What extras will I be paying for (like a chair or activities)?

The youngest of us is my DS17, so we don't have to worry about being limited to what younger kids can do, but also, he won't want to do some of the activities geared towards younger kids.

 

[mndisfam]

The shore excursion they seem to be offering now is different than when we did it. We boarded a bus and drove to the estate. It’s on top of a mountain and gorgeous. We took a tour of the house, and ate lunch and enjoyed the views. Very pretty gardens.

Below, the house, down the steep hill, there is some water activities and beer and restaurants. They have tours about the slaves that lived there, and some of their housing. I appreciated seeing that.

Its in a really pretty place, but also very sad, obviously. I will say, the people at the house were friendly. The people down below - at the cafes, etc, were some of the rudest people I ever encountered traveling ever. Didn’t bother us at all, it was actually funny. And it wouldn’t have changed anything, there was lots to do and you could move on if something didn’t appeal to you.

 

[FigmentSpark]

That does sound a little different. Also, not quite what we're hoping for.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

We did this tour on our first Western in 2016 and it was horrible. During the bus ride the tour guide 'serenaded' us with a version of One Love by Bob Marley. Awesome. Arriving at the base of the mountain they 'conveniently' dropped us off at the gift shop for 45 minutes claiming that the smaller busses going up the mountain were all unavailable at that time. Finally got up the mountain - which had AMAZING views - to see the house.

The house guide was a friendly young lady that was not well trained. "This is the dining room. This is the parlor," were the extent of the explanations. She did hold forth knowledgeably about the outdoor tub, though. Unfortunately, the house was not well maintained.

The lunch was hit and miss. The pigeon peas were fabulous but the fish & jerk chicken were dry. I was ravenous so I choked the protein down. After the bus ride down the mountain to - you guessed it - the gift shop, we waited another 45 minutes before the long bus ride back to the piers.

All in all, I do not recommend this excursion

 

[anjuan]

Our Dunn River Falls and Catamaran Tour for the end of March was just cancelled today so I feel for you.

 

[diablodancer]

Not the one your asking about but I’d really recommend ‘Highlights of Falmouth and Greenwood Great House’. The bus tour guide was great and really friendly for the first part of the tour. Greenwood was AMAZING, the tour guide was very knowledgable and friendly, and there was a lot of history in the house (we were impressed at some of the things preserved compared to the UK even). It’s at the top of a hill and has stunning views over the bay. There were some teens and even a few kids on our tour.

 

[FigmentSpark]

This is the description of the one that's currently offered as FA63:



It doesn't say anything about going to the house or lunch. So maybe it's different than what was offered in the beforetimes?

 

[Geomom]

This is the description of the one that's currently offered as FA63:

View attachment 648283

It doesn't say anything about going to the house or lunch. So maybe it's different than what was offered in the beforetimes?

I've looked at the general port adventure list for Jamaica, and they list multiple ones at Good Hope estate, some with lunch, a high tea one, etc. Are there any others listed right now?

Just looked at the general list--1700 plantation tour, chukka taste of Jamaica at good hope, high tea at good hope, and the one you listed

 

[FigmentSpark]

That's the only one with "good Hope Estate in the title. There are a few that are Estates, though. Most things are not available or booked.

 

[EskiLvr]

Not the one your asking about but I’d really recommend ‘Highlights of Falmouth and Greenwood Great House’. The bus tour guide was great and really friendly for the first part of the tour. Greenwood was AMAZING, the tour guide was very knowledgable and friendly, and there was a lot of history in the house (we were impressed at some of the things preserved compared to the UK even). It’s at the top of a hill and has stunning views over the bay. There were some teens and even a few kids on our tour.

We just did this tour last week. As a history nerd, I was definitely in awe of some of what they had on display, and the tour guides (both at the Great House and on the bus) were knowledgeable *and* good at presenting. It’s also a quick tour - we had time to eat lunch on the shop when it was done.

 

[DisneyJade]

Has anyone done this tour recently? It looks like the description has changed in the last year:



We would love to spend time in the tiered pools by the waterfall, explore the historic buildings, and eat some authentic Jamaican food. Are visitors able to explore at their leisure?

We are traveling with two children and are primarily concerned about safety while in Jamaica. Is this a safe area and a fairly private location?

One of the older reviews mentions two forced stops of 45 minutes at a shop. If that's the case, we will skip, as we don't want half of the tour to be spent in a gift shop.

Thanks for any recent insights!

 

[Anna131517]

We went in 2019 and had a blast. It was safe and self contained. There was a bus from the estate you could take up to the old house for a tour or down to the pool.

 

[FigmentSpark]

It was a whole year ago, but we did it. No forced stops, but then, Covid protocols were in place in 2022. We enjoyed it.

My sister did the horse-riding one. She enjoyed that, too, if you're looking for options.

 

[jujubiee4]

So is the swimming just for excursion guests? Anyone know? Also sounds like with new update
that lunch is not included.