Traveling to Jamaica or Aruba??
 

We had booked an all inclusive with friends for Jan in Jamaica and now they are cancelling. They say covid and crime bad!? Any thoughts on that? Should we cancel too? They go every yr to this resort and said it's wonderful and that's why we booked??

Jamaica is a crime ridden country and you are only safe at those resorts as long as they have great security. Personally I wouldn't go there even if someone else paid for it. Just google Jamaica's crime problems. There are plenty of other islands with all inclusive resorts. google those as well since it seems you didn't do so for Jamaica initially. luck.

I lived in Jamaica for 2 years long ago but still go back once in awhile but not since before Covid , much of the crime is centered in Kingston and violence on the island against tourists is minimal . The all inclusive resorts are probably safer then the villages , the problem I have with those type of resorts is that you don’t experience much of any country when stay in one of those, to me there no different then cruise ships but to each his own . I have friends in Boston that go 2 or 3 times a year to Aruba and never even mention being unsafe

No actually we didn't research as our friends have been there many times and said it was great! We took their word for it. Any other islands yo recommend that are safer with the COVID and crime?

Jamica has a long history of being crime-ridden

make sure you stay 'on property' if you go there...even then be alert

we've been to a number of islands...Jamica is one that I'd NEVER go to

Been to both, in the past 20 months or so. I can't speak to the COVID in those places as I got back to the States just as it was spreading here.

Aruba seemed safe; locals were friendly (though their aim was to separate you from as much of your money as possible) but it was within bounds. We wandered around Oranjestad pretty much at will. We took a bus trip into the countryside but not much to see; some ramshackle houses (and some pretty nice ones, too), surrounded by cactus and scrub brush. Not quite a desert, but close.

Jamaica--another story. We docked at Falmouth: the city and surrounding countryside looked incredibly picturesque from the ship as we got there just after dawn. We left the ship at about 10:00 AM, after the initial rush to get off, intending to check out the usual touristy things (such as the racks of "authentic" Jamaican baubles and doodads all made in China). The appointed tourist area was pretty small--and crowded. We decided to wander off the reservation. We hadn't gone two blocks before a guy at one of the stalls tried to slip a joint into my shirt pocket. I hastily gave it back, and left the area: good thing as one of the scams there are to give a tourist drugs (ganja, cocaine, whatever) pass along word to the people working with you and then having the local law stop said tourist. Drug possession over a certain amount is illegal in Jamaica. So you're looking at possible arrest and a serious drug charge. You can, of course, offer to pay the "fine" upfront--which as I understand it is commonly done. But even if you make it back to the ship with the joint in your pocket (and you may not even know that you have it) no cruise line that I know of tolerates drugs taken on board and if you're found out odds are that you get handed over to the Jamaican authorities anyway. And this is just one of the dangers of wandering off the reservation.

Jamaica is picturesque. And I understand that the (ridiculously overpriced) ship-arranged tours are safe (and would make the same assumption about the resorts, though I don't know that for a fact). But I wouldn't go exploring on my own. Just not worth it.

Agree with this. Went to Jamaica all inclusive resort several years ago. Resort was great and felt very safe but wandering off the resort the abject poverty was disconcerting. That’s why I’m just not a big fan of the Caribbean but to each his own.

Your loss , lots of friends there who would never live anywhere else

I have never understood why people want to travel to other countries, especially these small islands. Every time I travelled outside the U.S. for work, I was always disappointed by the inferior quality, reduced safety, and higher prices for almost everything. If you want to go to a nice place with a beach, go to Hawaii.

Until Covid hit I alternated winters Jan, Feb and march between Hawaii, Thailand and Miami Beach if your complaining about high island costs and its cheaper in Hawaii you haven’t been back in a long time, travel isn’t about all the comforts of home it’s about new experiences and different environments and people FYI I’m back after booster and off to Thailand this winter

Nothing would ever entice me to visit Jamaica. Aruba is lovely

Prices are high in foreign countries so people should go to Hawaii instead? Seriously? Besides the 12 or so hour flight each way, prices in HI are insane. This is true of any island where goods have to be brought in.

Caribbean islands have one thing in common with the U.S. -- there are lovely areas in each state and areas that one is well-advised to avoid. Same goes for the islands.

Your comments remind me of "The Accidental Tourist" by Anne Tyler. Great book, made into an excellent movie. :)

kathy

Sorry, but having travelled a lot, I stand by my recommendation. I always felt like I was getting ripped off in foreign countries, and it was often not safe. Not just crime, but the lack of road safety provisions, food safety, medical care, utilities, etc. I will never forget the bus ride in Mexico from the airport to the hotel. The tires had no tread (as an engineer, I check these things), and the driver was speeding on winding roads, with inadequate guard rails, along a hilly road overlooking the ocean. But, thanks for the movie recommendation.

Been to both, and wouldn’t go back.

Aruba is the only family vacation that the whole family agreed to leave a day early. We changed flight and left.

Jamaica is crime ridden, you can’t leave the resort, unless you are escorted. Even then, I didn’t feel safe, and we were not in Kingston.
There are many MUCH better places to go in the Caribbean.

We are heading to Curacao for the 12th time. Very safe island. Higher standard of living than most of the Caribbean. Potable water - in fact some of the best water anywhere straight from the tap. New hospital. Most citizens speak English along with Dutch, Papiamento, Portuguese, Spanish. Incredible snorkeling right from shore. Willemstad is a World Heritage City. Easy to navigate. International cuisine. Wonderful fish.
I really cannot say enough.