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Best Ports to SKIP Excursions?


CountryGuy13
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Hello! We're a first-time cruise family heading out on the Oasis of the Seas this summer. We decided as a family we'd prefer to spend more time on a cruise vs. more money on excursions, so we're taking a 7 day to the following spots:

St. Maarten

San Juan

Laradee (sp?) Beach (private beach in Haiti for RCC)

 

We're looking at the various excursions, and a lot of them are tours. We're all relatively fit, so my question is if any of these ports are worth skipping excursions and to just go exploring (close by) ourselves? For example, we'd like to see some of the ruins in San Juan or the old city - Do we really need a tour for that? Is there a close-by beach or shopping in St. Maarten that makes buying an excursions unnecessary?

 

I'd rather splurge for 1 or 2 of the bigger excursions for the family than buy ones for all three where it may be underwhelming and with minimal risk to missing the boat if we do it ourselves. Thanks in advance for any advice!

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We just did the same cruise and didn't do any excursion at Labadee or San Juan. You are in San Juan such a short time, that there's not a lot of time for an excursion. We went to one of the forts and had lunch at a nice local (non-chain) restaurant.

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In St Martin you can walk downtown to the beach and shopping or take the water taxi. With two adults one person can watch the kids while the other can shop and then switch off. Only expense can be the chair and umbrella rental.

 

In San Juan there is a free shuttle that will take you up to the forts and you can walk back via the gates of the city and the waterfront Boardwalk/esplanade.

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Yep, St Marten and San Juan are both good walking ports as the others have said. So, I will just say welcome to Cruise Critic and to the magical and addictive world of cruising! Have a great cruise!

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Labadee is a beach stop - no problem.

 

San Juan is great for self-guided walkabout: beautiful 16-17th century Spanish colonial city with fortress.

 

St. Maarten - you can walk to Philipsburg in 15-20 minutes -for shopping and so-so beach (sometimes polluted) there are several really good beaches you can taxi to - no need for excursion.

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I agree with San Juan..Old San Juan is easily accessible on foot. Explore the forts. We ate at a local restaurant El Jibarito and it was amazing. They have a chocolate bar that seems really cool but we didn't have time to get to.

 

 

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In San Juan you can pick one of the many tour buses that will be right at the port. We just picked on and for $ 20 the guy drove all around the old area, stopped at the fort, took us into one building ( I think it was City Hall) helped us buy some souvenirs near the fort and gave us a real feeling for the city.

Well worth it.

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San Juan is easily DIY. There's a free tourist trolley that takes you around to the sites, or if you are a walker the whole old town area is walkable.

 

St Martin can go either way. We've done a boat tour and an ATV tour there and enjoyed both of them. But if you prefer to DIY can take a taxi to maho beach to see the plans land and/or shop and lunch close to port.

 

Labadee is a free beach day, really no need for an excursion.

 

 

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In San Juan there are two free local buses you can get across from the pier. These are regular big buses that the locals use too.You can get on and off either bus when ever you want to. There are real bus stops though so you have to get them at the stops- they are well marked. Once we just got on one bus then came back to the ship for lunch then got on the other one and explored San Juan and pigeon sq. where there are more pigeons that you can believe!

 

I highly recommend going to El Moro! This is the fort you pass going in and out of San Juan. It was built in the 1500's and is fascinating to explore. They do have a small open air bus that will take you right up to the entrance. Otherwise it is a long walk up to it by the bus or a cab. The small bus will take you right back to the ship if you take it "home". Goggle El Moro!

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I agree that Old San Juan is easy to explore on your own. Visit the forts, the capital, etc. You can also get off the ship and find a cab to give you a tour for just your family. That is a relatively inexpensive proposition.

 

Labadee is just the beach, there is no need for a tour there.

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The only excursion would suggest is just the bus shuttle transfer from your ship to Orient Bay Beach in St. Maarten. This is a beautiful beach, they give you a lounge chair and a drink. It's worth it for a three or four hour beach day.

 

Otherwise as others have noted San Juan is easily done on your own, Old Town is great and El Morro Fort is excellent full of great things to explore.

 

Labadee, Haiti is a private island. You will have to pay for zip-lining, snorkeling, water slides and dragon coaster.

 

Jonathan

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In case you didn't know, Orient beach in St Maartin has a large portion that is a nude beach and yes we saw a old nude man and an old nude woman walking down the beach when we were in the area where cruise people are taken with no nudes . So you can see nudes anywhere at Orient beach. (and the women are not playboy bunnies by a long shot!)

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In Saint Martin go to Maho beach and watch the planes fly feet over your head or hang on to the fence and get blown by jet wash .

 

 

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My son (and I) will LOVE this - We often drop by our local airport to do the same (although not as close).

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You can Google walking maps of Old San Juan that will show walking trails and explain the various sites along the way. Take a cab to Orient Beach for a good beach day in St. Marten or walk/cab to town. Lots of shopping. Maho is fun just for the experience but the beach is not the best. Check out the Port of Call section on CC. There is a lot of information out there for things to do.

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Just remember Orient Beach in St. Maartin is a nude beach. Cabs drop you off in a part that doesn't have nudes (cruise ship passengers are dropped here) but we saw nude people just walking the beach.

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