Budget Things to Do

We are cruising in October on our honeymoon and this is one of our port stops! We are on a budget so we are looking for recommendations on things to do, best beaches, etc. We might splurge on snorkeling since we have never been. :) If anyone has any suggestions, this is our first time on a cruise and first time out of the country!! Thanks in advance. :)

The Boatyard Beach club - $5 each cab ride and $15 each for admission (covers chair rental, one free drink, and the cab ride back to the ship). Wonderful beach, fun water toys, good drinks, etc.

For $20 each you can go on a glass bottom boat, snorkel over a ship wreck from WWI, and swim with the turtles (and the glass of free rum punch is more rum than punch! :D)

Check tripadvisor form ore reviews and photos. Enjoy! :)

I second the boatyard, but if you want a save a few extra bucks, you can walk there. We took a taxi the first time and had to wait almost half an hour for them to fill it up. The next time we went there a week later, we walked and it took about 20 minutes. Your return to the ship is included with admission.

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You can walk to the downtown area of Bridgetown (15-20 minutes) and browse through the shops there (no cost unless you buy something). The walk is along the shoreline, so you can see the ocean while you are meandering. You also can walk to the Mount Gay distillery and take a tour with a rum tasting for just $10 per person. That walk is the opposite direction from the downtown area and is through an industrial park that not as pedestrian-friendly as the walk to downtown, but there were several passengers besides us who chose to burn off some calories and traveled on foot when we did it several years ago.

I know you are just looking at beach things to do, but Barbados, there is a lot more to do besides beaches. I understand you don't want museums and history, but how would you like to feed the monkey or be taken on a quick, wonderful tour of the island to see how magnificent it really is.

We were there on a cruise day and we booked a great tour with James (very inexpensive). The tour was about 3 hours with rum punches along the way. We stopped to feed the monkeys and everyone loved that, from the kids to my DW. After the tour James dropped us at any beach we wanted, and asked him when to pick us up. he even supplied the cold drinks. Just a wonderful day and James is the best. Plenty of time for beach as well as some other things to do.

Cheers

Len

Doggielover68: Can you please give us more information on how to walk to that beach. We have a very large family group and taxi fare does add up. It would be great if we could do a 20 minutes walk to Boatyard or some other beach. Thank you very much for the info.

You can pull up the directions on Google Maps, but essentially you walk out of the port, turn right, and keep the water on your right until you arrive.

Thank you John. I'll walk toward that way, to the beach and decide where we want to stop. We will snorkel and try to get to the turtles, on our own.

Thank you John. I'll walk toward that way, to the beach and decide where we want to stop. We will snorkel and try to get to the turtles, on our own.

Good luck - I tried doing it on my own but it was a long walk from the Boatyard and a long way out from the shore. I went in, enjoyed a beer, and paid $20 to have the boat take me out. Your results may vary! ;)

:D Let's see if we are determined enough, to do it. lol

The Boatyard Beach club - $5 each cab ride and $15 each for admission (covers chair rental, one free drink, and the cab ride back to the ship). Wonderful beach, fun water toys, good drinks, etc.

 

For $20 each you can go on a glass bottom boat, snorkel over a ship wreck from WWI, and swim with the turtles (and the glass of free rum punch is more rum than punch! :D)

 

Check tripadvisor form ore reviews and photos. Enjoy! :)

Who did you do the glass bottom boat/snorkeling with?? I can't find anyone who only charges $20!

Who did you do the glass bottom boat/snorkeling with?? I can't find anyone who only charges $20!

I don't know if it's something that's advertised online. When we were at the boatyard there were people walking up and down the beach offering the glass bottom boat tours for cheap

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Who did you do the glass bottom boat/snorkeling with?? I can't find anyone who only charges $20!

A vendor on the beach at the Boatyard (or any of the other nearby beach clubs) will arrange this. I paid $20 and the boat went over a ship wreck from WWI, then we snorkeled the same wreck then moved to another location to swim with the turtles.

I guess once could do both - walk to the downtown area first and then go to that Boatyard Beach, right? That sounds like a nice day. Will look at Google Maps to see where that Boatyard Beach is - we don't mind walking, we actually like it (and will need it, what with the constant eating on board!!)

:eek: Carnival wrote: "U.S. Embassy in Barbados has issued safety advisories due to high levels of crime. We encourage you to remain in the main tourist areas....avoid carrying large amounts of cash or jewelry .....

This made us nervous and I left my simple rings in the safe. We followed the directions and started to walk to Boatyard Beach. The beginning walk was through a waterfront park. This was fine. we were forced onto the sidewalk and we walked & walked. It was very hot & humid. It was not a 20 minute walk. We passed the Marina & Jolly Roger place. I was ready to drop and we just turned right onto A beach. There was a bar and the chair was $10. I never found Boatyard Beach. There were pebbles & rocks as you walked into the water, however we enjoyed the water.

We tried to walked back through town and did not feel comfortable and went back to the street hugging the shoreline.

Lots easier to just take a taxi to Boatyard! :D

I agree! :)

:eek: Carnival wrote: "U.S. Embassy in Barbados has issued safety advisories due to high levels of crime. We encourage you to remain in the main tourist areas....avoid carrying large amounts of cash or jewelry .....

 

This made us nervous and I left my simple rings in the safe. We followed the directions and started to walk to Boatyard Beach. The beginning walk was through a waterfront park. This was fine. we were forced onto the sidewalk and we walked & walked. It was very hot & humid. It was not a 20 minute walk. We passed the Marina & Jolly Roger place. I was ready to drop and we just turned right onto A beach. There was a bar and the chair was $10. I never found Boatyard Beach. There were pebbles & rocks as you walked into the water, however we enjoyed the water.

 

We tried to walked back through town and did not feel comfortable and went back to the street hugging the shoreline.

It took us 20 minutes to walk there. It depends on your pace and how used to the weather you are. As for the travel advisory, the majority of crime there occurs at night on empty beaches. Of course you should always use common sense and not flash money or valuables

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I walk slow normally and the weather, made it worse. I'm upset that we never made it to Boatyard.

We were there a few years ago and went to the beach where there were turtles. The ships tour came after we were therefor an hour. Followed the directions of a cruise critic post. Walk to the bus stop about a mile away. Tickets for bus were .75 cents each way per person. Got off of the bus and walked across the street to the beach. Rented two chairs and an umbrella for $20. Bars and restaurants with rest rooms there. Locals told us were to swim to find turtles and found them with ease. Between the chairs drinks, food and bus ride spent around $50 for the day for two adults and three kids. Boat wanted$95 a person. Local transportation is the way to go. Gypsy buses run on the island and accepted our bus pass for the return ride. Played music people were friendly and got back in plenty of time. Just booked a cruise that will stop here and we are looking forward to a day with the turtles again.

Good info in here!

Thanx!

I have always found Barbados to have some of the friendliest people of the Caribbean. Have never felt unsafe there day or night. Now, Jamaica is a different matter.

Out of interest I looked up what the British government says about visiting Barbados.

No warnings about it being dangerous. Another (frequent ) case of the US government being scaremongering.

Brings to mind the glass house, doesn't it :D

I have always found Barbados to have some of the friendliest people of the Caribbean. Have never felt unsafe there day or night.

We've been to many of the Caribbean cruise stop islands (and a number of them numerous time). Barbados is my favorite...it's not only beautiful, but I agree about the (genuinely) friendly, kind, decent folk. Can't wait to get back there in March.

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