stuckinbuffalo

We live in Buffalo and have always flown in the day before simply because we don't want to chance it with the weather.  We leave next week for our cruise and we will be watching the weather very closely.  This is the FIRST time we are supposed to fly in the same day as our cruise and if it looks like snow will be a problem, we will call the airline and see what we can do about changing our flights.  

So glad I happened upon this list, such great ideas!!  One of the things I always bring is a small blanket.  I like to read on our balcony at night and having a blanket keeps the chills at a minimum.  

Really enjoyed your review! I appreciate both the positive and the not so positive aspects of your trip. I know that a lot of people get upset with the negative reviews that they read, but I usually take them with a grain of salt. People have so many different opinions about what "should be" etc. It takes very little to make us happy that I'm not at all worried.

We sailed on the Getaway last January and really enjoyed it! We leave on the Escape in 6 days and your review has really gotten me incredibly excited! Thanks for taking the time to put together the pictures and video's!!!

Although I have been on several cruises, I always like to see what other's are bringing! I always bring the following:

*Highlighter to highlight things in the dailies.

*Coffee mug (for some reason I always like to have my own)

*Large baggies (hubby likes to have the pretzel rolls and we can keep them somewhat fresh in the baggies)

*At least one sweatshirt because it can get chilly at night

*a beach bag to throw everything in for the days by the pool

*Benadryl, ibuprofen, sunscreen etc. because like everyone says, it's much more expensive to buy that kind of stuff on the ship.

Hope this helps!!

We are staying at the Pullman. Not sure how close it is to the Port but it's my understanding it's not that far. I think that calling a cab is our best option. Their shuttle service does not leave until about 11 and we like to get there earlier than that.

Keith, thanks for the info. I have been using this board for ages and because I'm so used to just reading certain boards, didn't even realize they had a florida transportation thread!

We have always stayed near the Miami Airport and taken the hotel's transportation to the port however this year we are staying closer. Although the hotel offers a shuttle, it's later than I would want. Is there a specific company that picks up people at Miami hotels that I should book, or should I just call a cab. There will be three of us, each with probably 2 bags.

Just found this reply on the subject which was very helpful. I'm not that savvy with the message boards so will just copy and paste the info

Originally Posted by Host Anne View Post

tar heel ~ here's the info I provide to family/friends who want to visit St. John while on a cruise with a stop in St. Thomas:

Getting There & Cost

• Roundtrip taxi from ship to Red Hook ferry: approximately $20

• Roundtrip ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay: $14

• Roundtrip from Red Hook to Trunk Bay: $14

• Disembark the ship as soon as they allow you to get off. If your ship is in early and you can possibly catch a taxi by 7:30 you might be able to make the 8:00 AM ferry.

• Jump in a taxi and head to the Red Hook Ferry ($10 per person)

• The ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay departs on the hour and is approximately 20 minutes long.

The Island

There are only two towns on St. John. Cruz Bay on the west end of the island where the ferry will drop you off and Coral Bay on the east end. Cruz Bay is far bigger (lots of shops, restaurants, grocery stores, car rental agencies, hotels, etc). Coral Bay is barely a town but it’s a great place.

Beaches

The best beaches are along the north shore of the island. North shore beaches are easily reached from both Cruz Bay. Hawksnest, Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Maho and Leistner are among our favorite north shore beaches. Trunk and Cinnamon have snack bars (yes they serve alcohol) and facilities to rent snorkel gear, beach chairs, and lockers. You can take a taxi (safari type) right at the ferry dock to your beach of choice.

Shopping & Restaurants

For a small island, St. John has a lot of great restaurants and some fun shopping. Mongoose Junction in Cruz Bay is a pretty high end outdoor shopping area with great shops, restaurants and a fun atmosphere. There is also a fun area to the right when you get off the ferry. It’s called Wharfside Village and there are bunches of great bars that line the beach here. High Tide (the first bar next to the ferry dock) and the Beach Bar (a short walk down the beach) are two good ones to grab a bite to eat and enjoy a blender drink!

Returning to the Ship

The ferry returns to St. Thomas every hour, on the hour. We always take the ferry three hours before our ships departure. For you cruise that would be the 1:00 PM ferry. Afternoon traffic on St. Thomas can be heavy but you'll be going back early enough it shouldn't be an issue for you. Between the ferry ride and the taxi back to the ship, you are typically looking at about 45 – 50 minutes total. There are plenty of taxis waiting at the Red Hook ferry terminal when you return to St. Thomas.

Have a great time. There's no place like St. John for me!

Thank you so much for all this helpful information! That is exactly what I needed, all in 1 message!! We are super excited about visiting St. John, as it has been on my bucket list for years now!! Just a little nervous about wandering that far out of our comfort zone lol

We are interested in the same information. Going to continue searching this site as I'm sure it's on here somewhere, but we are also interested in going to St. John on our own. We arrive at 8:00 am and don't depart until 6:00. We also want about an hour or so in St. Thomas. Is it do-able??

Will be on the Escape in January so this was great to look at!! Thanks so much for taking the time to post these!!

We have done the ship excursion to St. John, but I cannot remember if it was with NCL or Carnival. We did one that hiked through St. John and then were left to snorkel on a beautiful secluded beach for a good amount of time. We then were taken back to St. Thomas and had time to shop. We were one of the first of the boat so it was a great, long enough day. I will check my photo album to find which excursion and ship it was and let you know.

Thanks that would be helpful!!

Would like to do some shopping in the morning after arriving in St. Thomas and then head to Sapphire Beach. Can't remember how we did it the last time. Is there somewhere specific we need to go to catch a bus??

I am posting this question here versus the St. Martin board because it really pertains to the actual excursion through the Getaway.

This will be our fourth trip to St. Thomas and I'm thinking instead of spending the day there, we could do one of the excursions to St. Johns. I'm wondering if anyone has done one of the tours and if the scenic tour actually allows for some beach time or if it's simply driving around the island. Would like to experience both the beach and the town but not sure if the Saint John island tour allows for both. The other excursion I"m looking at is the Saint John beach escape and snorkel.

The OTHER question I want to ask is if we do one of these tours, do I still have some time in St. Thomas as we enjoy stopping at the Liquor store there.

Appreciate the input!

Thanks everyone! Think I will be requesting a pot of coffee through room service each night before I go to bed! I guess it beats trying to figure out what to bring to make my own....:)

We have gotten the room service in the past delivered but hate to do that when I don't have to. We will be on the Getaway so maybe we will have a smaller single serve with pre filtered?

This is my fourth cruise with NCL so you would think I would remember this but I don't! Both my husband and I are coffee drinkers and hate to leave the room every morning to get a cup. I can't remember how big the coffee makers are and I want to bring my own filters and coffee......

We have always used SAS to transport us from the Fort Lauderdale airport to a hotel near the Miami airport but just saw they are no longer transporting to Miami airport hotels. Does anyone else know of a reasonable company that can transport us??

I have just spent several off and on hours reading this thread and have totally enjoyed doing so. We are sailing on the Epic on Jan. 14, 2012 and I cannot wait! Thanks to the amazing reviews I am now completely excited!