Hitting Every Street in Port Royal

December 12

Our ship, the Odyssey, made a stop in Port Royal, Jamaica, for one day. We were there to pick up a food and supply shipment before heading to Panama to pick up more passengers and cross the Panama Canal.

Most ships stopping in Jamaica go to the north side, Montego Bay or Ocho Rios. They do not go to Kingston or Port Royal. Port Royal is a small village at the end of a peninsula infamous for pirates but was partially sunk in 1692 by an earthquake.

The most interesting thing about this port is that the dock is not a fixed pier. It is a floating dock that is extended after the ship is anchored and tied down.

The process of tying up the Odessey took a while and required a smaller pilot ship to get the lines from our ship and then bring them to port to be anchored. The pilot of the boat was fearless zigzagging around our much larger ship and getting under the lines.

After the Odyssey was secured by 4 lines then the pier was extended out. It took 9 minutes for the first extension to reach our boat and then another 10 minutes for the second one to extend out to reach our exit at the aft.

Some of the residents on board decided to take a taxi into Kingston for a tour, but I opted to explore Port Royal itself.

There was a group of dancers and a drummer to welcome us on the walkway, and they stayed out there all day gathering tips from the residents on our boat.

From our port, it is only about 20 minutes walking to the fort at the very tip of the village, but they provided free shuttles for us anyway. The shuttle ride was only about 5 minutes, and we were dropped off in front of the ticket office for Fort Charles.

It costs $15 to enter the fort, and I didn’t think it could be worth that much, so I chose to walk around outside and not go in. The only thing that I was disappointed about it that there was no way to get to GIddy House without entering the fort.

Giddy House is a building that was sunk on one side during the earthquake in 1907 and gives people a weird sensation when they walk through it. Giddy House, Jamaica – Uncommon Attraction | Uncommon Caribbean

Walking around the fort, I could see large cannons and parts of the remaining walls. There are several plaques around explaining the history of the area.

Across from the fort is a military base and a floodplain area.

Trying to be sneaky, I walked around the fort area, hoping that I could see the Giddy House from the rear. I couldn’t, but I did get to pass by some nice homes.

I could definitely tell that people take pride in their homes here.

From the back of the fort, I made my way up and down the streets of the village, stopping to check out the rocky beach, Port Royal Beach, and a couple of convenience stores.

One thing I noticed was that all of the goods in the store were either locked up or behind the counter. There is nothing out in the open that someone could walk away with.

The village also has two churches, one of which was open.

There also is a Historic Naval Hospital here.

My favorite thing was the animals, though. Goats and pigs wandering around and crossing the roads. Pelicans roost on roofs and boats.

These two came around the corner and then crossed the street.

Pelicans hanging out on the boats at the fishing pier

Goats are good weed and grass control and are free ranging here

It didn’t take long to see the entire village, but everyone was friendly, and it was safe to walk around. There were several pubs and restaurants to get a drink or a bite to eat if one wanted.