Caribbean DIY excursions...

Hi all

starting to get excited about our Dec cruise on Ventura N131 :D

we have been to some of the ports of call before in 2009 ,and as it was our first time cruising we went mainly with arranged trips booked on board

this time however we are keen to do things a little cheaper ( hopefully!) and book ourselves

our ports of call are :

St Lucia ( have bookmarked Cosol tours )

Barbados

St Kitts

Tortola

Catalina

St Maarten

Dominica

Antigua

St Vincent

so if anyone has any ideas / hints / tips about what to do ,where to go ,book etc please share :D

Hi all

 

starting to get excited about our Dec cruise on Ventura N131 :D

 

we have been to some of the ports of call before in 2009 ,and as it was our first time cruising we went mainly with arranged trips booked on board

 

this time however we are keen to do things a little cheaper ( hopefully!) and book ourselves

 

our ports of call are :

 

St Lucia ( have bookmarked Cosol tours )

Barbados

St Kitts

Tortola

Catalina

St Maarten

Dominica

Antigua

St Vincent

 

so if anyone has any ideas / hints / tips about what to do ,where to go ,book etc please share :D

Here are some ideas :-

St Lucia ( have bookmarked Cosol tours ) - Good Choice

Barbados - have rented a car and driven up the East Coast to Bathsheba and Bottom Bay (idyllic beach). Also if you are there Fri Night - go to Oistins Fish Fry

St Kitts - have taken the ferry to Nevis in the past

Tortola - try either the ferry to Gorda or better still this boat trip to Jost Van Dyke ( http://tortolacharters.com/excursions/jost-van-dyke-tours/) This was the highlight of our trip last year

Catalina - Don't think you will be going there - Ventura/Azura are too big to go there

St Maarten - Did the Ships tour 'Americas Cup'

Dominica - Have done a jeep tour in the past which was good.

Antigua - taxi to Dickensons Bay Beach

St Vincent - took the tour to Bequia on a previous trip

Here are some photos from last year showing some of these places. The St Lucia ones are from the Cosol trip.

http://picasaweb.google.com/107693552597250328299/Carib11Photos?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Hope this helps

Really like the look of the trip to Jost Van Dyke. Does anyone know if the boat docks in White Bay or do you have to swim ashore?

Really like the look of the trip to Jost Van Dyke. Does anyone know if the boat docks in White Bay or do you have to swim ashore?

It stops at anchor in White Bay, there is no dock there - the water is about 8ft deep. I cannot swim but got ashore easily with a waist flotation belt and one of the boat guys guiding me in.

It was superb trip with the journey out and back just as good as the island itself. There were free chairs at the Soggy Dollar bar and we had a good lunch there.

Here is a photo from the boat

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

We are going on a similar trip your tips and photos are very much appreciated.

In St Maarten, we booked a tour with Bernards Tours (Google it). There were 8 of us on our tour, mostly from Allure of the Seas, but it was nice to compare cruises. Our driver took us to several places, including Orient Bay for an hours relax and swim if you want, Marigot, a French town (had the best patisserie we have ever tasted or Cafes which sold goat stew if you want to be adventurous) and finally then to the famous beach to watch the large planes just clear the beach and sand blast the sunbathers (have a look on You tube). A fantastic time for $40.

If you want something a bit different in Antigua have a look at Eli's Tours, they pick you up by either catamaran or power boat next to where you dock and the tour, the beach (snorkeling if you want), the food and the staff are fantastic. We have done the Eco tour and have booked the power boat for our Christmas/New Year cruise. A bit expensive, but definitely worth it and they are very aware of getting you back on time.

fab,thanks guys

some great ideas to look for / google

bee what was the Americas Cup excursion like ? hubby is a mad sailing fan and would love to do this

myself and the 2 kids wouldn't do it though as the youngest is only 9 and you have to be 12 :(

RE : Catalina,aha that's why no excursion info then haha !

Dominica: rain forest tram

Antigua: helicopter to Montserrat

Both tours are excellent.

There are no excursions on Catalina anyway, it is a small private island which the cruise ship hires for the day.

The crew perform miracles transporting everything required for a beach barbecue party ashore by tender, cook and serve lunch and drinks, then transport it all back again.

All the passengers have to do is take the tender ashore, relax on a sunbed, enjoy the food and drink, swim, sunbathe, shop at the stalls then take the tender back to the ship. It's a tough port of call!

Ventura did run aground on a sandbank there one year.

We did the America's Cup yacht race on St. Maarten; if your husband is a keen sailor he will love it. There are three yachts which race each other round a course and you are a crew member on one. Everyone is given a job to do: pulling, winding and goodness knows what else. I couldn't physically keep up when it was my turn to wind my handle so let the competitive men take over and just enjoyed the ride! My mum's job was handing out the beers from the cool box!

On Tortola you can book independently on-line before you go for the dolphin swim if your children would fancy that, I don't think P&O offer it. It's a short taxi ride from the port. We thoroughly enjoyed this.

On Barbados I would recommend the turtle swim, either through P&O or a local independent tour.

Carol x

There are no excursions on Catalina anyway, it is a small private island which the cruise ship hires for the day.

 

The crew perform miracles transporting everything required for a beach barbecue party ashore by tender, cook and serve lunch and drinks, then transport it all back again.

 

All the passengers have to do is take the tender ashore, relax on a sunbed, enjoy the food and drink, swim, sunbathe, shop at the stalls then take the tender back to the ship. It's a tough port of call!

 

Ventura did run aground on a sandbank there one year.

 

We did the America's Cup yacht race on St. Maarten; if your husband is a keen sailor he will love it. There are three yachts which race each other round a course and you are a crew member on one. Everyone is given a job to do: pulling, winding and goodness knows what else. I couldn't physically keep up when it was my turn to wind my handle so let the competitive men take over and just enjoyed the ride! My mum's job was handing out the beers from the cool box!

 

On Tortola you can book independently on-line before you go for the dolphin swim if your children would fancy that, I don't think P&O offer it. It's a short taxi ride from the port. We thoroughly enjoyed this.

 

On Barbados I would recommend the turtle swim, either through P&O or a local independent tour.

 

Carol x

sounds fab! think hubby will definitely be doing this one!

what could me and the kids ( 15 and 9 ) do while he is doing that ? i'm thinking just chilling maybe a spot of shopping,nothing too strenuous ! lol

done the turtle swim in Brabados last time ,but the dolphin swim in Tortola is def something to look into as we have never done that before,loved Tortola,was one of our fave ports of call

oooh the Catalina trip sounds like my cuppa tea :D

Thank you for your ideas

x

Here are some ideas :-

 

St Lucia ( have bookmarked Cosol tours ) - Good Choice

 

Barbados - have rented a car and driven up the East Coast to Bathsheba and Bottom Bay (idyllic beach). Also if you are there Fri Night - go to Oistins Fish Fry

 

St Kitts - have taken the ferry to Nevis in the past

 

Tortola - try either the ferry to Gorda or better still this boat trip to Jost Van Dyke ( http://tortolacharters.com/excursions/jost-van-dyke-tours/) This was the highlight of our trip last year

 

Catalina - Don't think you will be going there - Ventura/Azura are too big to go there

 

St Maarten - Did the Ships tour 'Americas Cup'

 

Dominica - Have done a jeep tour in the past which was good.

 

Antigua - taxi to Dickensons Bay Beach

 

St Vincent - took the tour to Bequia on a previous trip

 

Here are some photos from last year showing some of these places. The St Lucia ones are from the Cosol trip.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/107693552597250328299/Carib11Photos?authuser=0&feat=directlink

 

Hope this helps

We really enjoyed your pictures Bee-ess. The ostrich one is so funny and you have some excellent bird shots.

We are visiting some of these islands in a couple of months so thanks for sharing.

Hi RachieB....we are also on this cruise, I can't wait!!:)

I have been looking at Cosol Tours, great reviews!

I think we'll get a cab to Pineapple Bay in Antigua, we have stayed there before and loved it!

Still researching the others....but we like beaches and snorkelling, sure they'll be plenty of choice:):)

Hi RachieB....we are also on this cruise, I can't wait!!:)

 

I have been looking at Cosol Tours, great reviews!

 

I think we'll get a cab to Pineapple Bay in Antigua, we have stayed there before and loved it!

 

Still researching the others....but we like beaches and snorkelling, sure they'll be plenty of choice:):)

ooh another to check out

we went to Dickensons bay last time

It's so hard deciding what to do and where ! you want to see loads ( from land and sea) and do activities but also have beach time aswell

argh !!!

I have thought about taking a private taxi to some of the beaches but was worried that we would be in a panic trying to get a cab to get back to the ship.

Is it easy to get taxi's to get back to the ships?

I have thought about taking a private taxi to some of the beaches but was worried that we would be in a panic trying to get a cab to get back to the ship.

 

Is it easy to get taxi's to get back to the ships?

A lot of the time your taxi driver will ask you what time you want to come back and so far for us, they have turned up amazingly. Sometimes they even stay with you. (not exactly with you if you know what I mean lol)

Taxi drivers hang out at all the regular tourist spots so it's unlikely you'll get stuck unless you go right off the beaten track.

If we are going to a beach, we often ask for a little tour first if there's anything we want to see. They are really good at showing you the places of interest along the way.

A lot of the time your taxi driver will ask you what time you want to come back and so far for us, they have turned up amazingly. Sometimes they even stay with you. (not exactly with you if you know what I mean lol)

 

Taxi drivers hang out at all the regular tourist spots so it's unlikely you'll get stuck unless you go right off the beaten track.

 

If we are going to a beach, we often ask for a little tour first if there's anything we want to see. They are really good at showing you the places of interest along the way.

Thanks that's really reassuring.

RIOSt

fab,thanks guys

some great ideas to look for / google

 

bee what was the Americas Cup excursion like ? hubby is a mad sailing fan and would love to do this

 

myself and the 2 kids wouldn't do it though as the youngest is only 9 and you have to be 12 :(

 

RE : Catalina,aha that's why no excursion info then haha !

Hi,

We've done some pretty memorable trips

St Kitts - Island tour by open railway upper desk car, fantastic

Tortola - Swam with Dolphins never to be forgotten!

Dominica - Whale watching saw mother and calf sperm whales and lots of dolphins.

St Lucia - Cosol tours without doubt the best ask for Yellow Bird the brother he was great.

I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Carl

A lot of the time your taxi driver will ask you what time you want to come back and so far for us, they have turned up amazingly. Sometimes they even stay with you. (not exactly with you if you know what I mean lol)

 

Taxi drivers hang out at all the regular tourist spots so it's unlikely you'll get stuck unless you go right off the beaten track.

 

If we are going to a beach, we often ask for a little tour first if there's anything we want to see. They are really good at showing you the places of interest along the way.

that's what we did at a few ports of call last time we went ,worked really well,as you pay at the end

we will be ready for all the people touting for business this time ! was a bit of a shock to the system when we arrived at our first port of call :eek:

RIOSt

Hi,

 

We've done some pretty memorable trips

 

St Kitts - Island tour by open railway upper desk car, fantastic

 

Tortola - Swam with Dolphins never to be forgotten!

 

Dominica - Whale watching saw mother and calf sperm whales and lots of dolphins.

 

St Lucia - Cosol tours without doubt the best ask for Yellow Bird the brother he was great.

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy.

 

Carl

thank you fellow South Walian :D

On St. Maarten there is a good shopping centre, bars and beach in Phillipsburg which you can get a water taxi to from the ship.

If you fancy a bit of excitement, take a taxi to Maho beach and watch the planes come in to land and take off over your head. Make sure you watch from the safety of one of the beach bars at either end though, don't sit in the middle on the beach itself like we were silly enough to do last New Year...(videos on YouTube).

Carol x

We did the America's Cup yacht race on St. Maarten; if your husband is a keen sailor he will love it. There are three yachts which race each other round a course and you are a crew member on one. Everyone is given a job to do: pulling, winding and goodness knows what else. I couldn't physically keep up when it was my turn to wind my handle so let the competitive men take over and just enjoyed the ride! My mum's job was handing out the beers from the cool box!

 

Yes, everyone gets a job, if you don't want to do anything, grab the Beer job or the timekeeper. I just wanted to take photos so I was timekeeper. It was a really good fun excursion and I got some good photos.

I have thought about taking a private taxi to some of the beaches but was worried that we would be in a panic trying to get a cab to get back to the ship.

 

Is it easy to get taxi's to get back to the ships?

Yes Catherine, as U2cruiser says they really do you want your business for the return as well and we have never been let down

All the well known beaches have taxis there all day anyway, if you did get stuck but the more isolated ones don't.

Bottom Bay on Barbados does not have taxis and for that reason it normally almost empty and all the better for it, so if you you went there or similar I would advise car hire, which coupled with a scenic drive around the Easy Coast makes for an enjoyable day.

Yes Catherine, as U2cruiser says they really do you want your business for the return as well and we have never been let down

All the well known beaches have taxis there all day anyway, if you did get stuck but the more isolated ones don't.

Bottom Bay on Barbados does not have taxis and for that reason it normally almost empty and all the better for it, so if you you went there or similar I would advise car hire, which coupled with a scenic drive around the Easy Coast makes for an enjoyable day.

The great thing is most of the time they don't charge you until the return journey, so you know they are going to turn up. Just make sure you negotiate a price you find reasonable for the 2 journeys as they will try to get as much as they can from you. We always walk away from the port and into town in the Caribbean to get a taxi. It's far too chaotic at the port to even think straight. If we think it's too much, we say no thanks and walk away, then they come back with a reasonable price. Make sure the car at least looks roadworthy :)

Your pics of Bathsheba bring back good memories of Barbados a looong time ago. We were staying on the West coast and hired a car. Beautiful scenery. Last year we walked miles along the south west coast, onto the boardwalk. It's so beautiful and mainly deserted. Best rum punches ever at Hastings beach :D

On St. Maarten there is a good shopping centre, bars and beach in Phillipsburg which you can get a water taxi to from the ship.

 

If you fancy a bit of excitement, take a taxi to Maho beach and watch the planes come in to land and take off over your head. Make sure you watch from the safety of one of the beach bars at either end though, don't sit in the middle on the beach itself like we were silly enough to do last New Year...(videos on YouTube).

 

Carol x

:eek: that's crazy mental ! my kids would love it lol !

The great thing is most of the time they don't charge you until the return journey, so you know they are going to turn up. Just make sure you negotiate a price you find reasonable for the 2 journeys as they will try to get as much as they can from you. We always walk away from the port and into town in the Caribbean to get a taxi. It's far too chaotic at the port to even think straight. If we think it's too much, we say no thanks and walk away, then they come back with a reasonable price. Make sure the car at least looks roadworthy :)

 

Your pics of Bathsheba bring back good memories of Barbados a looong time ago. We were staying on the West coast and hired a car. Beautiful scenery. Last year we walked miles along the south west coast, onto the boardwalk. It's so beautiful and mainly deserted. Best rum punches ever at Hastings beach :D

that was such a shock for us !