Scoop on Dunn’s Falls (Falmouth)

[rere101399]

I’m looking at booking the Dunn’s Falls Express port adventure. 70 minute long bus ride there and back seems long, is it worth it?


We’re really ship people vs port people but want to dabble in some half day excursions. I know my kids would rather eat ship food than the included lunch, and we’d all rather get back to the ship sooner vs staying an extra hour, which is why I think we’d choose the Express option. Can I bring some packaged snacks with us?

Once at the Falls, how do you handle things like towels, phones, wallets, clothes, etc? Do you leave most of your belongings on the bus?
Thanks!

 

[BlondieinFL]

We did the falls a few years back - but, I don't remember the bus ride being 70 minutes. Whatever the ride time was, it definitely seemed worth it. We did an excursion that was the falls plus a skylift-type experience (can't recall the name). The Dunns Falls was a great experience, and we're glad we did it! We did leave all of our belongings on the bus - no problems there.

 

[Capt_BJ]

Unless recently removed there are lockers for rent ... they are simple wooden affairs but they exist. Last time I went you rented a lock and key and then used any locker. You got some of your $ back when you returned the lock and key). And there are snacks available at DRF ... ice cream bars, bagged chips and standard 'snack bar' fare.



dd going 'up the middle' ... we never use guides or hold hands . . .


again we're up the middle, to the far left you see the typical cruise excursion on the marked path and holding hands .... once up and back on the bus. My first time was 1986 . . . Falmouth to DRF is around 45 miles on the coast road where traffic doesn't do 75 like I-95. 70 minutes is probably a lil fat on the time estimate but allows cushion in the estimate.

As I said the standard cruise excursion is whan bam thank you .... one time up the falls, holding hands with a guide. They put you in sticks of a BUNCH of folks. BUT DRF is a national park and you pay for a day's admission to the PARK .. technically climbing the falls is 'free'. So as far as DRF is concerned you can stay all day and climb and play as much as you want ... and use of guides is NOT required. Along the length of the falls there are areas with pools and stopping and just chillin' in these is A O K.



wrt keeping phone camera etc dry .... most recently I bought a simple phone 'waterpoof bag' which held an iPhone XR just fine and kept it safe for snorkeling. Used another to hold some a credit card, lil money and ID (but these ARE waterproof ... no need to carry full wallet)! I found a package of FOUR such waterpoof cases on AMAZON for $13 .... not EACH, for a package of FOUR. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075ZQGW9T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



sounds like 'no way' for the price but we snorkeled for hours at Discovery Cove and all our phones were bone dry .... I tested one for a couple of hours in the pool first.

 

[soniam]

I feel that the bus trips in Falmouth are way too long. They are close to an hour each way. The falls are pretty cool, but our family is done with it. It's very active, and one or more of us has gotten mildly injured, ie scrapes, bruises, cuts, both times we have done it. We are actually staying on ship for Falmouth on our cruise next summer. I wouldn't leave anything on the bus in Jamaica. There are lockers. Jamaica always seems like a really long day.

I would possibly consider a different port to do an excursion. If you are doing a Western Caribbean, then the excursions in Cozumel (not the ones that take a ferry to the mainland though) and in Grand Cayman have much less travel time. I would consider doing an excursion on one of these. We usually snorkel in Cayman in the morning and are back on the ship mid-day/early afternoon.

 

[daedelus]

I agree with @soniam - we did Dunn's Falls last year and while it was neat to do once, it is NOT for anyone with any kind of joint issues or unable to climb and deal with slippery surfaces. The guides are really good (and nimble as mountain goats) but we were all bushed at the end.

There was also too much emphasis (IMHO) on tipping. As DCL says, you should never feel compelled to tip, it's a reward for excellent service. No one told the folks at DF that. They basically camped next to our bus with their hands out, which I greatly dislike. They also will sell you a DVD with your photos and video of the progress up the falls, which I think they wanted $60 for.

Cheers!

 

[Winston Wolf]

It's the best port adventure I've ever done. So fun, but yes...it's not for those who have trouble getting around or younger than maybe 8.

 

[Henwen88]

We did the zip line then falls. I think I would take a guided zip line again way before the guided falls excursion. They just kind of hustled us up the falls (which were beautiful, and fun, and COLD), then hustled us back to the bus. We only got a few minutes for restroom/changing (which was challenging). They did the tip routine too - which I did not care for since we had like 4 separate guides and I had only brought one 20 for our excursion guide. Oh well, will prepare better next time.

 

[starvenger]

wrt keeping phone camera etc dry .... most recently I bought a simple phone 'waterpoof bag' which held an iPhone XR just fine and kept it safe for snorkeling. Used another to hold some a credit card, lil money and ID (but these ARE waterproof ... no need to carry full wallet)! I found a package of FOUR such waterpoof cases on AMAZON for $13 .... not EACH, for a package of FOUR. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075ZQGW9T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

View attachment 445868

sounds like 'no way' for the price but we snorkeled for hours at Discovery Cove and all our phones were bone dry .... I tested one for a couple of hours in the pool first.

Agree with the Captain. These cases (and you can find them all over Amazon) are great for keeping your phone dry. Have used them at the beach and doing Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls and everything inside stays dry. A worthwhile investment IMO, especially with the price of smartphones nowadays.

 

[susan4875]

We went last summer with my kids, 9 & 7. The water at the falls was most often waist deep for me which was chest deep on my youngest. The falls were scary for her and she cried and trembled with fear. I know this wasn’t your original question but since you mentioned kids, I wanted to bring up my experience.

 

[starvenger]

BTW I would get some aqua shoes if you're doing the Falls. Not that I think that the grip is the best on those things but it'll protect your soles from anything unexpected.

 

[kiford]

We did this three years ago along with the bobsleds afterwards. I wasn't sure what to expect but we had a blast. I might even be tempted to do it again. We did it on a DCL excursion. We left our belongings in the bus which they locked up. We did have guides up the falls and I'm glad we did. We did purchase the DVD after (which I think was $40 - we split it with our friends and DH just uploaded the video for them). Not something we normally do but it was a nice souvenir and gave me an excuse to make sure DH left his camera behind!

Definitely wear water shoes - they recommended that and they do sell them there. I would suggest bringing your own though. Although they were only about $10, the quality was about $10 worth. Good enough for a couple of times but you can probably get better quality elsewhere which will last longer.

I was wearing a bathing suit with a swim shirt over it. Even though it was a hot day, the water is a bit chilly so it was more comfortable wearing a shirt. Plus it then kept me cool while it dried after (we did the bobsleds after the falls).

 

[MomOTwins]

There was also too much emphasis (IMHO) on tipping. As DCL says, you should never feel compelled to tip, it's a reward for excellent service. No one told the folks at DF that. They basically camped next to our bus with their hands out, which I greatly dislike. They also will sell you a DVD with your photos and video of the progress up the falls, which I think they wanted $60 for.

To be fair, the full quote from DCL on the excursion webpage doesn't end there. You can't just look at what comes before the "however":

"

You should never feel that gratuities are expected from you. However, it is customary to leave a tip in recognition of service for exceptional excursion guides and drivers. It is always up to you as to what you feel is appropriate."​

 

[starvenger]

I've seen more blatant tip grabs. One time when my wife (then gf) and I went to Vegas we took a bus tour to the Grand Canyon. After the trip the driver/tour guide flat out said "I'm gonna walk through the aisle and personally thank each and every one of you".

 

[Capt_BJ]

some random comments:

First time visitors to Jamaica are often turned off by the culture which features rather aggressive 'bargaining' and solicitation of tips. It is just the way it is there and has been for a long time with little prospect for change IMO. Similarly not unusual to be approached to buy drugs altho the offer of grass is probably less of an issue today as many in the US can buy it openly anyway. (DOES NOT mean OK to buy btw .... possession and trying to bring back to US is still against FEDERAL LAW and strictly proscribed by all the cruise lines)

I've been to DRF many times since 1986 and even with many of my crew of young men often with too much beer in their system doing stupid stuff have never had an injury more serious than a bruise. In the 80's and 90's when I'd bring the ship here for R&R they would sell us tickets at reduced rate and let us bring our own beer and burgers and provided grills so we could have a beach day. being about the only thing to do around Ocho, we'd get a significant portion of the crew here for a good part of the day.

a good option for 'water shoes' is to bring an old set of tennis shoes you were going to toss. wear these and dispose at the end of the day. (I wear my regular hard sole dive boots)

I've never ventured to DRF from Falmouth ... only visited from Ocho where it is a 5 minute ride from the pier. There was no 'port of Falmouth' until Royal needed a place to park OASIS class (or was it FREEDOM) since they can't fit in Ocho. Ocho WAS a tourist stop for a long time ... Falmouth was not and RCCL built the pierside complex. Hence, there is little to do until you ride to Ocho or Montego Bay. Personally I'm surprised DCL has stayed with this port. For me this is more of a 'stay on board' place than Nassau!

If a James Bond fan and familiar with Dr NO ...... DRF was a filming site!

 

[MickeyD74]

We did the catamaran with snorkeling /falls excursion last year. The bus ride was long, but by 2 boys (8&10) really enjoyed the falls. The catamaran ride was fun, but snorkeling was just ok. We entered the falls from the bottom so we did not have to walk by many of the vendors. We left our belongings on the catamaran and any valuables in a waterproof pouch. I was glad we did the excursion but if we went back I would not do it again (only because of the ride). We did nap on the way back so that helped a bit

 

[LAX]

This sounds fun. Has anyone here done DRF on their own? I guess the challenge would be to arrange reliable transportation to and from the park as it's far away from the port. Any recommendations appreciated. TIA.

LAX

 

[DisMommyTX]

We have cruised a lot and are comfortable in most Caribbean ports, but this is not one I would recommend a diy, ever. Overall safety is not the best, and you need a good guide to take you up the falls. Also, this site in particular had the worst hoard of people aggressively selling stuff I have ever had to navigate. Climbing the falls really was a cool experience, until our guide abandoned us half way up. Please make sure you are with a strong, reputable guide.

 

[lpandorf]

I debated on Dunn's Falls due to the long bus ride but booked it in the end. My kids loved it! Said it was the best excursion of all their cruises. They still mention it several years later.

 

[Capt_BJ]

for enjoyment

but the ride from Fal' is a PITA

A much better excursion from Ocho . . .

 

[LAX]

We have cruised a lot and are comfortable in most Caribbean ports, but this is not one I would recommend a diy, ever. Overall safety is not the best, and you need a good guide to take you up the falls. Also, this site in particular had the worst hoard of people aggressively selling stuff I have ever had to navigate. Climbing the falls really was a cool experience, until our guide abandoned us half way up. Please make sure you are with a strong, reputable guide.

Thanks for the warning. I read on another forum that not having a guide actually allowed them more freedom as they don't feel rushed to finish the climb, which is one of the reasons I am contemplating doing it on my own. Not only that, the guides (or may be I am confused with other vendors/personnel) are often very aggressive about tips.

LAX