Well, it’s five o’clock somewhere at Margaritaville Ocho Rios, Jamaica, where we spent the day swimming and enjoying the beach.
We took a seven-day cruise on the Norwegian Prima out of Port Canaveral with stops in the Bahamas (Cancelled due to high waves), Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.
Start of the Day
The cruise ship came into the cruise port in the morning at Ocho Rios, where I took in the views of the mountains in the distance and nearby resorts.
From the ship’s deck, you can see Margaritaville Ocho Rios. It’s the beach area just northeast of the cruise port. (Main Blog Photo)
After breakfast, we walked to the blue-roofed cruise port area, which has shops and restaurants. We packed my son’s snorkeling gear and sunscreen in a backpack and wore our swim trunks since it was a short walk.
We paused near the gangplank to wait out a quick rain shower. Luckily, our day hadn’t really started yet.
At Margaritaville Ocho Rios
It’s a short walk to Margaritaville Ocho Rios from the port. After crossing a pedestrian bridge, you’ll find shops and restaurants on the west side. Just stay on the beach side, and you’ll reach the complex.
We rented a chair and umbrella in the VIP section of the beach. Sometimes the water comes up. I had to grab a Croc before it went out to sea.
Pool Area
My husband headed into the water for a swim. My son asked if I could go down the 60-foot slide with him. You reach this by going up a set of stairs. It wasn’t busy, so we were able to go down as many times as we wanted without a line.
After some time in the pool, I found a ledge along the side of the pool where you can sit and watch your kid shoot down the waterslide.
Coconut Stop
A nearby coconut vendor was on a boardwalk above the beach, chopping up coconuts with a machete for a cool, refreshing drink. My son spotted him, and I gave him a food bucks for him to try one. He thought it was a bit sweet, but he enjoyed the coconut meat that you can eat.
Village Wander
After swimming for a while, I left Margaritaville Ocho Rios to explore the Island Village area. There are lots of restaurants and shops there, including an ice cream shop.
In the back area, you will find a pool filled with colorful fish.
Back at the Beach
We looked up to see someone parasailing high in the sky.
It was fun to take photos of the cruise ship from the beach since we were so close.
My son also got a photo with the word Jamaica spelled out in big letters.
After relaxing a bit longer, we made our way back to the ship.
Final Thoughts
We were looking for a simple, relaxing day in Jamaica, and this was perfect. The food and drinks were reasonably priced, and there were souvenir shops nearby. Another rain shower passed through, but since we were in the warm water, it didn’t bother us. The beach isn’t very big, but it’s great if you want some beach time close to the cruise ship.
Hours: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Monday-Friday; 10 a.m. – 10: 30 p.m., 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m., Saturday; 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sunday
Address: Margaritaville Ocho Rios, Turtle Beach, Ocho Rios, Jamaica
ALTERNATIVE IDEAS
Dunn’s River Falls
A lot of cruise passengers go on excursions through Norwegian Cruise Lines, like Dunn’s River Falls, but that means climbing the falls with big groups, which my son didn’t want to do. He preferred a laid-back beach day. We could have chosen a bigger beach through the cruise line, but we wanted something more relaxed that let us return to the ship in the afternoon.
Mystic Mountain
Another major activity is Mystic Mountain, which features a bobsled ride, a canopy zip line, a hummingbird garden, an infinity pool, and a waterslide.
NOTE: Check the Norwegian Cruise Lines website for information on other popular excursions.
Turtle Beach
East of Margaritaville Ocho Rios is the larger Turtle Beach, which has lockers if you want to try that instead. We chose Margaritaville because we wanted easy access to food and drinks.
MORE CRUISING
Taking a Norwegian Breakaway Cruise
We took a cruise on Norwegian Breakaway with plenty of activities for kids from water slides to games and sports competitions in Splash Academy.
Taking a Norwegian Escape Cruise
Cruise out of Port Canaveral on the Norwegian Escape and visit Caribbean Islands and onboard activities like a ropes course, mini-golf, and water park.
