Excursions in St Thomas & St Martin??

[P.A.]

What are some recommended excursions for St Thomas & St Martin? We will be there in October and have actually been there before, but are wanting to try something different.

 

Last time in St Thomas, we did the snorkeling at St John's bay. It was OK but the water wasn't very clear and there wasn't many fish. In St Martin we just shopped. We were thinking about maybe just swimming there (St Martin) at the beach area where the ferri ride takes you over to the town. Can anyone comment on leaving your stuff there on the beach while your out swimming? Not anything of value of course...well actually you will have to take some money with you. We heard while your out swimming they will take your stuff.

 

We were thinking about the Sea Blaster boat or the catamaran/snorkeling in St Thomas. Any thoughts on either of these?

 

Would love to hear from anyone who has been here and enjoyed their excursion or even just their time there.

 

Thanks in advance! :-)

[Host Caroline]

America's Cup Yacht in St Maarten can't be beat IMHO... great experience, lots of fun, worth the $$! In St Thomas the catamaran to St John is great.

[christinelee]

The best snorkeling and relaxing is at coki beach in st thomas the best safest place to visit on the island....more fish than the aquarium next door.

[MoonPet]

Not exactly an excursion, but when I was in St. Thomas we took the ferry from Red Hook to St. John and went to Trunk Bay. It was truly gorgeous, but there is nothing to do but relax on the beach (fine by me!). I hear that Cinnamon Bay is also quite nice, although I have not been there.

[Jayne315]

In St. Martin my suggestion is to take a cab to Dawn Beach to Mr. Busby's! You can rent chairs, swim, bathrooms are available and have the best ribs and potato salad! Stay there from 9-1 then take a cab back to Front Street and shop....hop on ferry back to ship for $3. one way. Plenty of cabs are available at Mr. Busby's to bring you back to ship.

[P.A.]

Wow...thanks guys for your suggestions. However, now it will make it harder to decide on what to do, imagine that! We'll figure something out.

 

That's why I love this board. You can get all your questions answered!

 

Thanks again! :-)

[Pam in CA]

St. Maarten is the Dutch side of the island, where the ship docks. St. Martin is the French side. You'll need to get some sort of transportation from the pier to get to St. Martin.

 

Should you decide to do something in St. Maarten, the America's Cup is the absolute best. It's good for all ages since there are varying levels of activity, depending on what you want to do or participate in. It's unique and not something you'd find elsewhere, plus you'll get plenty of sun. (Don't forget the sunblock.)

[Kooma]

We did the B.O.B. excursion in St. Thomas and had a great time!

[WTXCRUISER]

Was in St. Thomas on May 30 and participated in the Sea Blaster shore excursion. The boat crew was Greg and Tammy who really took good care of us.

 

In St. Maarten we did the 12 metre regatta race and we were aboard Canada II. Must say we did beat Stars and Stripes that day. This excursion was awesome and well worth the money. You may want to view the website at www.12metre.com After the race we had lunch at the 12 metre yacht club then spent the rest of the day shopping and touring the island.

[peckfamily5]

On St. Maarten we've done the Golden Eagle Catamaran Sail and Snorkel which was great fun. Have also done horseback riding but clarify which stable you go from. The one we went from is on the Dutch side in the middle of an industrial park and not very scenic except for when your alongside the water. Then you should be aware of when you ride the horses into the water. As you are aware, when "nature calls" for horses they answer wherever and whenever. This makes the aroma of you when leaving the water not too pleasant. :p Our next visit I want to go over to Orient Beach (its sooooo beautiful) and spend the day on the beach and may do some parasailing.

 

On St. Thomas we did the Full Day Catamaran Sail to St. John which also was a great time!

 

Good luck with choosing from all the great options.:D

[racepoint]

I have to disagree with the recommmendation of Mr. Busby's at Dawn Beach in St. Maarten. The vendors hawking their wares on the beach was extremely annoying. We'd tell them "no" and they'd ask us again within minutes. At one point, I was certain that we were being "cased" by two vendors working together. My husband and I went for a swim while my daughters lounged on the beach on our rented chairs. The girls were face down and, from the water, I could see the two vendors eyeballing my backpack and looking at each other. I'd placed it under my lounge chair (which they'd witnessed me pull money out of to buy a drink) and they kept moving in closer and closer until they were standing under our umbrella. I was pretty certain I was about to be ripped off so I got out of the water and walked right up to my chair and they both took off. The taxi drivers at this location get a commission from the restuarant and they are very competitive with each other. We got the lowdown from our driver who was a local fellow and he was upset with the Dominicans who have moved to the island recently and have tried to take over their business. In fact, we had two drivers loudly fighting over us on our return trip and it got pretty heated and nasty. I would like to be able to recommend a nice beach for you to visit, but unfortunately this review is about Mr. Busby's, where you should NOT visit. There must be better beaches than Dawn.

[P.A.]

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. They ALL sound good. It will be hard deciding.

 

Thanks again! :-)

[GloriaF]

I have to agree with racepoint about Dawn Beach in St Maarten. My niece and I went by taxi in a van with a few others in October, 2005, and it was not an especially relaxing or pleasant experience. The vendors were persistant and bothersome and when we were ready to leave earlier than the others we had to pay more for the ride back to the ship. We had already reserved the America's Cup Regatta for the afternoon, and it was a lot of fun and worth the money unless you are an experienced sailor on your own. My niece enjoyed it a lot; for me it was very similar to when my husband and I took our sailboat out but still fun.

 

My husband and I usually head for Orient Beach when we are in port, and it is beautiful - but it has gotten increasingly populated and crowded in the last few years and has lost some of its charm for us.

 

I have heard that Coki Beach is a good beach in St M, although I have not been there yet.

[GloriaF]

don't just think you will walk around and shop, because if you do you will be disappointed. While there are plenty of stores to go into, unless you get out of town most ports seem the same. The same chain stores, etc.

 

Whether you plan an excursion from the ship or privately, or just take a taxi to the beach - just get away from the port area shops to truly experience the beauty of each island.

[Tak8]

In St. Thomas, I have done The Winifred twice. It is a sailboat that takes a maximum of 6 people for a snorkel excursion. Normally, you leave about 9:30am and return about 3:30 although Capt. Sharon is flexible. I believe the website is http://www.sailwinifred.com

In St.Marteen, I have done the Golden Eagle Catamaran 5 times. It is a half day excursion offered through the cruise lines. My family normally does this in the morning, then the beach near where the taxis drop you off for the afternoon, Wife can shop and son and myself can enjoy the beach.

[cntrydncr1]

Both islands are just fabulous beach islands and won't cost much at all. We went to Orient Beach in St. Maartin and Magan's Bay on St. Thomas. Both are among the best in the world and can be reached easily by taxis. Watch out for the nude sunbathers on Orient Beach. :eek:

[GloriaF]

In St Thomas, we have:

gone to St Johns with Captain Nautica- excursion thru Princess;

sail & snorkel party boat - excursion thru Princess;

toured the island with Godfrey's Tours - $20 pp for all day tour on open-air van, shopping, drop @ beach in afternoon;

laid back and snorkeled at Sapphire Beach - Taxi to good snorkeling, chairs, restrooms, beautiful beach.

 

There are lots to do in both St Tom & St M, just be sure and get out and DO something besides just shop! and have a great time!! It will take more than one visit to each port to do everything, so just choose an activity and go with it and enjoy! :)

[ghgeckos]

In St. Thomas we booked the kayaking the mangroves and snorkle tour. The kayaking was informative and relaxed out to the snorkling site but a little more quickly paced on the way back. Our family enjoyed this excursion alot. The mangroves were beautifull and uncrowded. The vender also takes pictures along the way and you can buy a copy of the CD for around $30. We bought it and about 3 weeks after we got home the CD arrived and had about 70 pictures that included my family members. Since so many ships were in port the day we arrived it was a great way to experience St. Thomas without feeling overcrowed.