Negril Glass Bottom Boat
Not Big Boats
As the picture to the right will show (the boat on the left), these are not large watercraft, and are not the first choice to go out to sea in if mother nature decides to boil the waters of Negril Beach with a windstorm.
I recall one day there was a bit of a blow. The air temperature was still plenty warm, as was the ocean, and we frolicked in the water as the surf thundered ashore. The waves were large enough that as they passed one glass bottom boat moored a hundred yards off shore, the boat would disappear into the wave trough, then reappear as the wave passed, only to drop out of sight again with the following wave. No one was enjoying a glass bottom boat ride that day.
Where They Go
As I mentioned, the glass bottom boats will glide the waters along the entire length Negril Beach.
Some offer sunset cruises as well, and you can enjoy spectacular sunsets along with the gorgeous display unfolding under water beneath the boat.
At the south end of Negril Beach is Negril Village. As the glass bottom boat circumnavigates the village, the shore turns from incredible beach to equally beautiful volcanic cliffs. The glass bottom boat will take you on a turn along the cliff face if you so desire.
How To Book
As you walk the beach, there seems to be a glass bottom boat anchored offshore, or beached, every hundred yards or so.
Most have "keeper" nearby, and these young folks will ask, as you meander by, if you would be interested in a ride.
Pick the boat that suits you, stand on the shore near it, and almost always someone will approach to ask if you want a ride.
The all-inclusive resorts will likely have arrangements with local boat owners, and you should be able to book through your hotel if they do.
How Much
Like almost everything that's available to buy in Negril, the price depends. It depends on how many they have sold that day, if the sun is shining or not, do they like your face, how many in your party, how close they are to leaving, does the hotel take a cut, and so on.
Depending on these factors then, you can expect to negotiate a fare of about $15 - $30 U.S. per person, and this, ultimately, will also depend on where you want to go, and how long will you spend on the cruise. It seems that all of these things are negotiable.
Be a bit cautious when negotiating, and make sure that your boat "captain" clearly understands where you want to go, and for how long you want the cruise. They'll all nod and smile as you tell them what you want, ultimately give you a price, and then some will do whatever they want to do both in direction and time. Make yourself clear, and make sure they are clear. Otherwise, you might not be happy with the ride.
As an aside, I don't know if the glass bottom boat drivers are part of a larger organization or not. I suspect they may be. If so, you can be sure that their wage is a pittance, and the cost of living in this Carribean paradise is quite high. If you can afford it, be generous.
Peculiarities
Not long after our friends launched on their shore-line tour, their boat operator asked if they minded if he smoked.
Neither of them did, but since the boats are fully open, they were amenable.
And, a bit shocked, when the smoke he lit up was a newly rolled ganja joint.
Relax anyway. That's the way it is in Jamaica. Go with the flow, enjoy the ride, since you aren't usually very far from shore anyway, and, if you wish, they will stop and allow you to visit another attraction/feature as you bob along Negril Beach in your own gaily coloured glass bottom boat.
