Excursion recommendations

[juliefsu]

I'm new to this so I'm not sure if this is where this post goes. I'm trying to figure out which excursions we should do. I have a 5 and 7 year old. We are going to be on the Disney Magic Eastern Caribbean. Our ports are St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay. What excursions were worth doing and which weren't. Thanks.

 

[HallsofVA]

I'm new to this so I'm not sure if this is where this post goes. I'm trying to figure out which excursions we should do. I have a 5 and 7 year old. We are going to be on the Disney Magic Eastern Caribbean. Our ports are St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay. What excursions were worth doing and which weren't. Thanks.

You can find some excursion reviews in the FAQ thread pinned at the top of the forum.

We've been to St. Maarten twice, most recently at the end of September. We did the long beach excursion to the French side (something with French in the title) that included lunch and took most of the day. There is also a shorter one in the afternoon usually if you end up doing something different in the morning. The lunch is great, the beach is wonderful, and they provide chairs and a couple of beverages. Oh, and you get a little island tour as you drive from the Dutch to French sides of the island. Afterward, they bus will drop you off either at town to shop, or back by the port.

A large group of DISers arranged a private tour with Bernard's, or you can book on his group tours for a little bit less per person. Much cheaper than DCL excursions, and you get a variety of items on the tour. I know the private tour stopped at a beach for swimming or snorkeling. Not sure if the public one does.

We've only been to St. Thomas once, and did a Coral World excursion that was okay, but we were limited by a 2yr old at the time.

 

[f86sabjf]

another vote here for Bernards Tours in St Marten reasonably priced and we had a blast. Possibly the best part of part whole trip.

 

[seasideliz]

another vote here for Bernards Tours in St Marten reasonably priced and we had a blast. Possibly the best part of part whole trip.

Good info, did you happen to take his recommendation for the St. Thomas tour with VI Scenic Tours?

Did you do his standard tour or private? Thanks.

 

[f86sabjf]

we did his standard tour and had a great time. We had several stops and the driver who's name was Junior was wonderful. I can highly recommend eating at Pedros on Orient beach. Some of the best bbq we have ever had. The stop at moho beach is reall nice with the airplanes landing over your head. A once in a lifetime experience for a lot of folks. This is a fairly good moving tour and the more light hearted you are the more the drivers open up and have a good time. This is a tour but not a stuffy informational tour.
Look up the St Martin airport on youtube to see what i'm talking about..

I just noticed your younger ones in your signature. Be advised they will see topless women at Orient beach and possibly full nudity down farther but the driver will make you aware of where not to go. Not a big issue but i wanted you to be aware of it.

 

[seasideliz]

Well we are a group of 9 and very lighthearted to say the least
That beach with the plane landing looks amazing.

 

[gwtaylor]

I'm new to this so I'm not sure if this is where this post goes. I'm trying to figure out which excursions we should do. I have a 5 and 7 year old. We are going to be on the Disney Magic Eastern Caribbean. Our ports are St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay. What excursions were worth doing and which weren't. Thanks.

With your kids, for St. Maarten, consider a visit to the St. Maarten Park (the zoo) and/or The Butterfly Farm.

If you want a kid-friendly beach, check out le Galion.

gary

 

[ltzol]

Hi there! I've been away from the boards for awhile - but it's time to start planning our Feb Western!

That said, we did the Eastern last year with a 5 and 9 year old. Here's what we did: Bernards Tours on St Maarten - it was fabulous! The kids both loved it. We stopped at Maho and Orient Beaches and got a nice (but not boring for the kids) overview of the island.

On St. Thomas we snorkeled with the sea turtles(Disney excursion)! A definite highlight of the cruise for my 9 year old. My 5 year old did not go in the water, but he love the fact that we were on a "pirate ship" and he still had a great time.

Whatever you choose, you will have a wonderful vacation full of priceless family memories. My daughter (9 at the time) sobbed on the last day and my son has a countdown on his will until we go back to "Mickey's boat!"

 

[juliefsu]

So how do I go about booking a tour with Bernards Tours on St Maarten? It's not done through DCL right? Sorry if this is a stupid question - I'm new to cruising and all the logistics that goes with it. Thank goodness for this awesome website so I can get all my questions answered!!

 

[SAGE]

So how do I go about booking a tour with Bernards Tours on St Maarten? It's not done through DCL right? Sorry if this is a stupid question - I'm new to cruising and all the logistics that goes with it. Thank goodness for this awesome website so I can get all my questions answered!!

Here is his site. You book directly with him. We have done his tour and it was one of the best days!! Loved it!
www.bernardstours.com

 

[quinnc19]

One other question about Bernard's Tours. Is it a bus? Would you feel safe taking a 5 year old (without car seat)? Thanks!