Help me decide: Orient Beach or Grand Case Beach

[BobNoxious]

Will be in port for a day in November 2018. We would like to take a taxi to a nice beach with chairs/umbrellas and drinks/food. Also, catching a return cab easily is very important too. Which beach would we be better off at? I don't mind crowds and like to swim and ppl watch. The wife likes beautiful beaches.

 

Orient Beach - Bikini Bar area?

Grand Case Beach - Rainbow Cafe area?

or someplace else?

 

Please reply. Thank you

[cathi007]

Will be in port for a day in November 2018. We would like to take a taxi to a nice beach with chairs/umbrellas and drinks/food. Also, catching a return cab easily is very important too. Which beach would we be better off at? I don't mind crowds and like to swim and ppl watch. The wife likes beautiful beaches.

 

Orient Beach - Bikini Bar area?

Grand Case Beach - Rainbow Cafe area?

or someplace else?

 

Please reply. Thank you

 

I am interested in this post. We are doing the Escape in Jan and I can't decide between Orient or one of the Dutch beaches

[BobNoxious]

I am interested in this post. We are doing the Escape in Jan and I can't decide between Orient or one of the Dutch beaches

 

Right? I keep going back and forth, and now I am thinking Great Bay Beach (Phillipsburg) as there are plenty of people and shops and drinks and food and chairs.. and ppl-watching.

[GomezAddams]

Maho beach is small and crowded.

 

Orient beach is larger and there weren't many people there when we went last week. There's a nice bar/restaurant there that rents beach chairs ($5 per person for the day, if memory serves). There's plenty of taxis waiting around to take you back to the terminal.

[jhsocal]

Is Great Bay Beach close to where ships dock? Do you need a taxi?

[BobNoxious]

Is Great Bay Beach close to where ships dock? Do you need a taxi?

 

walk (or) water taxi. $7.

[SnorkelAway]

If you have not been to the island before, then you definitely should see Orient.

[Eschie]

If your wife wants a beautiful beach, I would go to Grand Case and The Rainbow. I was there in June. Gorgeous.

[BobNoxious]

If your wife wants a beautiful beach, I would go to Grand Case and The Rainbow. I was there in June. Gorgeous.

 

Thanks Eschie. Just checked out their Facebook Page and they are closed until 'sometime' in November.

[topazz11]

Thanks Eschie. Just checked out their Facebook Page and they are closed until 'sometime' in November.

 

The trip advisor site says the Rainbow Cafe is open. I was reading reviews

[myleanne]

I just got back on the Allure after a beautiful day at Orient Beach—bikini beach.

 

It was lovely. Quiet and not crowded. Nice chairs with cushions and umbrellas.

 

Reasonably priced food and drinks.

 

Bathroom facilities and outdoor shower.

 

Pleased with our choice.

[BobNoxious]

Rainbow Cafe closed (for now). From the owner: Hello sorry we're closed until November 10th

[msthomas57]

My sister and I will be making this stop in 3 weeks and this one will be an important one, her birthday!! I need a little help from those who have actually been on the ground there since the storms. I would very much like to be able to get her a massage on the beach that day if the mood strikes her. If you have been there in the last year, did you happen to see anyone doing beach front massages, on any beaches?

This will be our first time to this side of the Caribbean so we don't have our heart set on any certain beach right now. I'm just reading and taking notes 😉

[JYL]

On ‎9‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 11:59 AM, Eschie said:

If your wife wants a beautiful beach, I would go to Grand Case and The Rainbow. I was there in June. Gorgeous.

It looks wonderful. Do you remember how long it took to taxi there and the cost? Thanks.

[Eschie]

We left The Rainbow around 4:30 pm and were back on the ship by 5:15 if I remember correctly.  There was no traffic to speak of at that time of day.  Now leaving the ship to get into town was a different matter entirely!

Sorry. I dont remember how much the cab was. 

[JYL]

Eschie, thanks for the quick response. I'll check prices when we get off the ship.  🙂

[Life is Good Cruising]

On 10/18/2018 at 1:51 PM, msthomas57 said:

My sister and I will be making this stop in 3 weeks and this one will be an important one, her birthday!! I need a little help from those who have actually been on the ground there since the storms. I would very much like to be able to get her a massage on the beach that day if the mood strikes her. If you have been there in the last year, did you happen to see anyone doing beach front massages, on any beaches?

This will be our first time to this side of the Caribbean so we don't have our heart set on any certain beach right now. I'm just reading and taking notes 😉

We were at Orient at Bikini Beach about 2 weeks ago and I know they were offering massages, didn't ask the price.

Edited October 23, 2018 by Life is Good Cruising

[Ski Mom 2]

We stayed at a condo for a week on the beach right next door to the Rainbow Cafe in January 2016 which was pre Irma. We had lunch there several times. The food is really good. The people are so nice. And they have chairs you can use. At that time they I think they even had someone offering massages up on the roof deck but I would check on this to make sure.

 

This is the view from our condo. The Rainbow Cafe is on the right with the red chairs. I believe the place on the left was destroyed in the hurricane. I don't know if it has been rebuilt. It is beautiful at this beach in Grand Case!

[BobNoxious]

[msthomas57]

Thank you both for the info on massages!! That will definitely help sway my decision on where to go for the day!! I know a beach massage is on her/our "must do" list when we cruise, enjoy them so much better than on the ship. Even an "ok" massage can be very relaxing with the sounds of the ocean in the background :)