All aboard Island Routes Reggae Family and Island Routes Reggae Sunset Family Catamaran Cruises departing exclusively from Beaches Ocho Rios in Jamaica, offering fun in the sun every time they set sail.

Our vacation plans were a no brainer, we had been to a Beaches resort in Jamaica before and everyone had a ton of great memories from their time there. This time around we decided we would head to Ocho Rios and there was one excursion we knew we definitely had to go on, the Island Routes Reggae Family Catamaran Cruise Boscobel.

Although we knew the hotel would have a ton of stuff to keep the kids busy, we felt that exploring more of what the island has to offer is always a must when taking a trip to another country. We had done interesting trips with Island Routes before including having the kids participate in a turtle hatching adventure which taught them about conservation work while helping adorable baby turtles get to the sea as well as SNUBA diving, that’s right, not SCUBA. A full underwater adventure where the kids got to explore under the ocean and yes, they are now all asking to get SCUBA certified which I am sure will lead to even better adventures on our future travels.

We thought we would like to make a day of it now that the children were a little older and we were looking for something we could really all enjoy as a family, so when I called Island Routes to ask what they had as suggestions for things to do with kids in Jamaica that we could all do together, they suggested their family Catamaran outings. With both a boy and a girl who can swim it sounded like the perfect choice. My husband and I had considered the family sunset cruise which seemed fairly similar to the morning cruise (after all who doesn’t want to enjoy a spectacular sunset on the sea?) but we saw that the midday cruise included snorkeling and my kids tend to get up at the crack of dawn and then conk out pretty early when on vacation!

After arriving in Jamaica, our first day was dedicated to just sort of settling in and enjoying being in the tropical warmth of the Caribbean. We tanned, built sandcastles, ate great food and enjoyed the evening’s entertainment. We enrolled the kids in the pre-teen program at the hotel and while they went on scavenger hunts and learned to make pizza (which I intended to take advantage of when we got back home) my hubby and I lazed by the pool and decompressed with a good book.

The next day however, we were ready to jump in with the kids and the Island Routes Reggae Family Catamaran Cruise was set to depart at exactly ten in the morning. After an amazing breakfast we showed up where the smiling crew were waiting for us along with a few other families with kids of various ages, including some as young as two and three years old. I was probably more excited at this point than the kids to go do an active adventure in Jamaica as the last time we had travelled I had had a minor hand surgery and was unable to participate so now I was raring to go!

The music on deck already set the mood and some kids immediately started making friends while the shyer ones stuck by their parents looking at the view as the wind filled the catamaran’s sails and we headed out to sea. As boat rides go, it is truly amazing how smooth the ride is and it felt like we were just flying across the water.

We travelled along the coastline torn between looking at the beautiful scenery onshore or the stunning Caribbean Sea stretched out before us on the other side of the boat. Once I had thoroughly doused the kids in sunscreen as well as myself and my husband (reef and eco-friendly of course!), I turned my face up towards the warm sun and allowed the wind to blow my hair back. I felt transformed as a complete state of relaxation took over. I was no longer a hard working woman, wife and mother of two, I felt like Amphritrite (Poseidon’s wife for those of you not familiar with Greek mythology) or whatever goddess it is that rules the sea.

I was brought out of my reverie as one of the Island Routes staff began telling us about a ton of interesting facts about our destination, James Bond Beach. I immediately wondered if we would see them filming the new James Bond movie as I had heard the filming was already underway in Jamaica. Alas it wasn’t to be, but the trivia was fascinating all the same. We were essentially in the land of the super spy James Bond, one of the most popular characters in popular fiction created by Ian Fleming, a retired spy himself, who fell in love with the island and moved here after the war. He had decided to just embrace the island life, swim in the sea and write books (which sounds like a reasonable life choice to me). Those books of course became his series of bestselling novels about James Bond.

So he moved here, built a beautiful home (which people can actually stay in) and started to write. The first film with Sean Connery, ‘Dr. No’, was also partially shot all over Jamaica, as was ‘Live and Let Die’ when Roger Moore was playing the titular role. I felt we were actually sailing into pop culture history as we arrived at the beach named for the famous world famous Casanova and spy. So now I began to feel more like a movie star on my beautiful gleaming sleek catamaran than a Greek goddess.

Reality crashed in with the predictable excited shout of “Mom!”.  After all of that fascinating trivia we were headed for the part of the trip my kids had been talking about all morning. To be honest I was now just as excited to pull on my life jacket, fins and mask as it was time to snorkel! We anchored in a secluded cove which made me feel like I was the one in a movie. Each of us entered the water as some people stayed on board with the captain and some crew members. Other crew members joined us in the water, not just to make sure we were safe at all times but they also guided us to some of the most spectacular things to gaze at. Colorful fish darted everywhere I looked as I excitedly pointed out every bit of marine life to the kids that I could see.

The crew had a little trick however as they had come prepared with a few tasty nibbles for the fish already swimming all around. As the fish came for a snack, we could just tread water and take in their beauty. My husband was also thrilled because he finally got a chance to use his waterproof cell phone to take some amazing pics of the life under the sea. My favourite of the set of course is the four of us grinning like crazy underwater with bubbles all around our happy faces.

Next thing I knew we were being told it was time to head back to the boat. The children climbed aboard, a little reluctant to leave the water. However, once on deck tummies rumbled and like magic the crew once again proved to be way ahead of us. The snacks were already laid out and waiting for everyone to dive in. We snuggled in the giant towels we had brought along with us as the breeze dried our hair and our faces. Full of food and actually tuckered out from the snorkeling, my husband and I leaned back ready to laze in the warm sun. The kids however were thoroughly refueled and ready to go. Luckily this is when the crew started the dancing which included some old favorites we all know so well (YMCA anyone?) and teaching everyone some of the latest soca, reggae and dancehall moves, which made my kids pretty popular at school for a while after their trip as they showed off their new skills to everyone once we got back home.

A mind reading Island Routes crew member presented us with a delicious rum punch each as we sat back and watched our kids having a blast. I only slightly regretted not choosing the sunset family cruise but I knew this had been the right choice for us. I had heard however that Island Routes also had a Lovers sunset cruise and, since the hotel offers great child care, I was already imagining my husband and I would be on that cruise one night before we left the island, sipping drinks as we sailed off into the sunset.

Check out some of our amazing adventures in Jamaica by clicking here for some great videos.

For more information on Island Routes Catamaran Cruises and other excursions they offer in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean check out www.islandroutes.com and they’ll help you to book your perfect adventure today!

You can also chat online or call 
US Toll Free: 1.877.768.8370
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International: 1.305.663.4364

Also read Angling for a Fantastic Deep Sea Fishing Charter Adventure in Jamaica

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