How bad is it with numerous ships in port?

[debbs0723]

For those of you really seasoned cruisers, How bad is it when there are 5-6 ships in port? We are going on the Allure over thanksgiving.

 

There are 6 ships in St. Thomas , 4 in St. Martin and 4 in Nassau.

 

Thanks,

Debbie

[macruisefan]

In St. Thomas, you will be at Crown point, either alone or with one other ship, so the port won't be that bad. The town will certainly be busy.

 

In Nassau and St. Martin, 4 ships is pretty standard. It'll be busy, but nothing they aren't used to managing.

[debbs0723]

Well then I guess I better have a good plan for St. Thomas. Thanks for the info.

[jo24]

Well then I guess I better have a good plan for St. Thomas. Thanks for the info.

 

Definitely have a good plan for here - it can be hectic at the best of times. Plan well and then relax and go with it and I am sure you will have a fantastic time.

 

Jo

[yogimax]

I guess it's personal, but it really doesn't affect us at all. Whether it's one ship or six, we simply enjoy wandering around town.

[shaggyofwv]

Just be careful walking around Charlotte Amalie with so many ships in port. :)

[debbs0723]

Well I haven't even picked what I want to do that day. Our last cruise was so chalk full of every activity you can imagine that I feel like we checked everything off for the kids. Swim with the dolphins- check, snorkel-check, swim with stingrays- check. horseback riding on beach- check. Fun, but this trip I want to visit beautiful beaches, snorkel and I guess I could handle a little bit of shopping. And by a little bit I mean like an hour. I needed a vacation after our last vacation.

 

Debbie

[JMG]

We find that the mornings can be great in town since many of the passengers are on ship excursions so they are off doing their thing. As the excursion people come back, the town starts to get more crowded.

[Tim,n,Sue]

Our first time in St Thomas and we did a non-ship tour of the island. We were very surprised to see how early the roads leading back to the port became crowded. If you take a cab anywhere outside the town ask the cabbie how long it takes to get back. Do not base your estimation on how long it took to get to your destination or you may be sorry. The worst picture you can take is the aft of your ship as it leaves without you.

[Aquahound]

December 2012, we were one of 7 ships in Cozumel...6 docked, 1 anchored. Of those 7 were several big boys, including Allure, Liberty, and Carnival Magic. It was awful.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Aquahound

[TheCalicoCat]

Those ports should be able to handle it.

 

Always pay attention to your surroundings & the time.

[yogimax]

December 2012, we were one of 7 ships in Cozumel...6 docked, 1 anchored. Of those 7 were several big boys, including Allure, Liberty, and Carnival Magic. It was awful.

 

We've been in Cozumel with that many ships and it was fine. The downtown area is fairly large and stores and other venues were not crowded.

 

Why was it "awful?"

[setsail]

Its never affected anything that we wanted to do off the ship

[Aquahound]

We've been in Cozumel with that many ships and it was fine. The downtown area is fairly large and stores and other venues were not crowded.

 

Why was it "awful?"

 

The day we were there, downtown was packed. It was shoulder-to-shoulder on the sidewalks. I agree...Cozumel is normally better. I've been there about a dozen times. This one day, however, was bad. It was the only time I'd seen 7 ships, so I could only conclude that was the reason.

[negc]

It mostly depends on the port. Most can handle large numbers of ships and their passenger complements. The only port where we encountered large and unmanageable crowds was in Georgetown, Grand Cayman where the downtown area was shoulder to shoulder crowds. We quickly caught the next tender back to the ship. Had we headed out to Seven Mile Beach or one of the other locations on the island, it probably wouldn't have been bad but we have been to GC so many times that we were satisfied to spend the rest of the day on the ship. Traffic can be bad on some of the islands, even when there aren't a large number of ships in port, so gauge your return time carefully if you venture far away from the piers.

[lady_cruiser]

I guess it's personal, but it really doesn't affect us at all. Whether it's one ship or six, we simply enjoy wandering around town.

 

We feel the same way.

[LBumb]

in some of these ports i feel safer with many ships. safety in numbers if you venture off the beaten paths

[summersigh]

For those of you really seasoned cruisers, How bad is it when there are 5-6 ships in port? We are going on the Allure over thanksgiving.

 

There are 6 ships in St. Thomas , 4 in St. Martin and 4 in Nassau.

 

The Island's resources can be stretched thinner with a lot of ships in port.

When there are a lot of ships in port & we plan on booking a ship excursion we try to do so soon to be assured of the time we want.

In Phillipsburg we booked with a local company to be sure we got out to Moho beach to watch the planes landing right above the beach - at the Sunset Bar & Grill. It was fantastic and we didn't have to worry about finding cabs when we needed them. Was worth the money to not worry over transportation.:)

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

A lot depends on the particular port and how much you tolerate crowds on the streets, in stores and restaurants. I don't like crowds myself. When there are a number of big ships in St Maartin, the streets can get pretty crowded. The water taxis fill up fast and every seat is taken. Popular bars and restaurants fill up, as do the most popular shops such as the Belgian chocolate shop.

 

Another port that can be very crowded at times is Key West. I really, really don't like to be in Key West when it is crowded and would rather there be there on the hottest, most humid day in August than fight the crowds that were there the first week of January, 2014.

 

I have been in Cozumel when the main waterfront street was very crowded and it was hard to walk along it. I have been there when everything was just fine too.

[bigboffs]

We have been in St Thomas many times and with 6 huge ships in port you will find crowds, slow service and no shopping bargains ashore. On 11/27 the Allure's port mates will be Westerdam, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Getaway, Carnival Conquest, and Regal Princess. To us, these are huge ships. In St Martin on 11/27 there will be the Norwegian Gem, Regal Princess and Celebrity Silhouette. Again, you can expect crowd problems. In Nassau on 11/24 the other ships will be Grandeur of the Seas, Carnival Conquest and Carnival Fascination.

[bigboffs]

oops, St Thomas is 11/26. Sorry

[Alyrica]

On Trip Advisor many of the bad reviews for Cozumel activities were directly related to overcrowding so I was disappointed to discover we were going to be one of 5 or 6 ships in port for our only port stop in February. Luckily Nachi Cocum only allows 100 guests.....problem solved! Whew since I am not a fan of crowds. :D

[bigboffs]

In addition to the number of mega ships, the original poster will be there during Thanksgiving when the ships will be full. We did a b2b on Independence over Thanksgiving 2013 and virtually every port (including those mentioned) had a number of mega ships all full of passengers. Even people who had excursions complained about the crowds and the consequences. The worst was Grand Cayman with 9 ships in the port, all tendering, dumping people on streets so crowded that people had to walk on the streets dodging cars.

[debbs0723]

In addition to the number of mega ships, the original poster will be there during Thanksgiving when the ships will be full. We did a b2b on Independence over Thanksgiving 2013 and virtually every port (including those mentioned) had a number of mega ships all full of passengers. Even people who had excursions complained about the crowds and the consequences. The worst was Grand Cayman with 9 ships in the port, all tendering, dumping people on streets so crowded that people had to walk on the streets dodging cars.

 

Yep that is me, the OP. We used to take our kids out of school for a week to do things like Disney and cruises, but unfortunately that isn't really an option for us right now. They will be missing 2-3 days of school. I really look forward to the days when I can travel again with them and with my husband during non peak times. We did Cozumel, Falmouth and Grand Cayman last year during Spring break. The day at Grand Cayman was the worst due to the lines to tender back to the ship. that was PAINFUL. However, that is the day we booked with Captain Marvin and well the ocean.. it is big.

 

The comment about the worst picture you can take is the aft of the ship as you are leaving. Very funny. :D

 

We have been booking excursions off the ship lately but I will also look at what the ship offers to see if it might be worth booking with the ship for St. Martin and St. Thomas. I don't even care if I get off the ship in Nassau.

 

Most of you have commented about how crowded it will be in town. I think any activity we will be doing will be water related. I guess beaches will be a nightmare as well? Either way, the trip is on but I will just need to find the best way and least crowded beach to try to go to.

 

Debbie

[ncsteeler]

We were in port St. Thomas with 3 ships one being Oasis. The town roads were packed, and Megans Bay beach was loaded. If you go rent your chairs and drag them as far to the left as you can there is another bathroom and shower building way down the beach wher it is quiet and empty. We were in St. Maarten with 8 ships and we choose to stay aboard and enjoy the quiet ship.