We always thought going on a cruise would be out of our league and we’d never be able to afford it. In our minds, it was synonymous with luxury travel and was one for the bucket list, but we didn’t know if we would actually achieve it.

Then a brochure for P&O fell through our letterbox advertising Caribbean Cruises. The offer was, if you booked before a certain date, you would receive £200 on board credit, plus the cruises weren't as expensive as we thought – deal clincher for us then! AND we flew there and back to ensure we received the most amount of time in the Caribbean as possible – WINNER!!
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We were super excited about visiting the Caribbean together for the first time and seeing some amazing countries, and this part of the world definitely did not disappoint!

Our first trip to Jamaica was on a Caribbean Cruise for our wedding anniversary which meant we only had one day in this enigmatic Country... but there was only one place I wanted to see – above everything else – it had to be Bob Marley’s home!  

We found a company that combined a tour of Bob Marley's birthplace at “Nine Mile” with Dunn’s River Falls – the latter being the No. 1 tourist attraction for a visit to Ocho Rios. The company we used no longer runs this as a tour but there are many companies who do and, due to the ever-changing tourist industry, I would advise you find one through reviews on Trip Advisor – that is how we found ours.

Out of the entire two-week cruise, Jamaica was the place I was most excited to visit! I had heard so much about the beautiful landscape and its people and I couldn’t wait to experience it for myself. 

It didn’t disappoint!

​I grew up in England where Christmases are generally wet and miserable and if you were lucky, just a little bit overcast and grey! In 2010 we had snow, proper snow where it covered the ground making it pretty and white – now for us Brits, that is the perfect Christmas, the stuff kid’s dreams are made of!

When I was 17 years old, I lost my Grandmother on Christmas Day so for me, the “magic of Christmas” had gone. I didn’t feel I could “celebrate” in the same way so over the years, I discovered that being away from the UK made me the happiest, plus, any excuse to have a holiday, right? I have since experienced Christmas in five different continents with both snow and sun. I love them both for different reasons, but one stood out for me the most … when I was 3ft deep in snow!

The cold isn’t for everyone …. so which do you think you would prefer? 

I have always been curious about nudist beaches...
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Why do people do it? What does it feel like to have the breeze cool areas not usually on public display? Would I forget the wobbly bits and accept my body for what it is? We were born naked so would I feel comfortable being around others who were embracing that?

​A five minute walk down the beach from where we were sunbathing in Negril, Jamaica, was a Couples nudist beach and so the temptation to go was too strong…

From Gospel Church to Nudist beach – and everything in between.....
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Irie mon from di island of Jaaa-mey-ca!! 

So what can I tell you about Jamaica that you don’t already know? I guess the first question would be “have you been there?”.  If you have, well you will already know about the lush green land; the inviting turquoise sea; the soft white sand lined with coconut palms; stunning sunsets; locally brewed rum used in just about everything; delicious jerk chicken served in abundance; reggae music played everywhere and last but by no means least ….. the people and what enigmatic characters they are!
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If you haven’t been and you already know some of the above, I will tell you about our time here and the few adventures we had.