help with excursions!! first time cruisers!!

[tina4_98]

hi everyone!! my hubby and i want to book an excursion for our cruise that is in two weeks and a bit!!

but at ST Maarten here are our choices.. Please indicate which you'd Recommend with a 2 year old daughter???

Island Drive and Explorer Cruise (4 hours)
Enjoy a scenic transfer to Simpson's Bay Lagoon, where you'll board the Explorer for a 30-minute cruise to Marigot, the French capital. You will have time for sightseeing and shopping before your scenic return to Philipsburg, the Dutch capital.
Price: Adult $45 (ages 10 & up) Child: $22 (ages 3-9)

See & Sea Island Tour (3.5 hours)
This tour combines the best of land and sea, starting with a narrated bus ride to Grand Case. From there, experience the underwater wonder of St. Maarten on the Sea World Explorer, a semi-submarine. Afterwards, you'll continue to Marigot, where you'll spend approximately one hour to visit the quaint town.
Price: Adult $51 (ages 10 & up) Child: $36 (ages 3-9)

St. Maarten Island and Butterfly Farm Tour (3.5-4 hours)
A narrated bus tour will take you through Philipsburg to the Butterfly Farm in the French Quarter, where you'll observe exotic species in this rare environment. From the farm you'll go to the village of Marigot to enjoy its sidewalk cafes, open-air markets and duty-free shopping.
Price: Adult $34 (ages 10 & up) Child: $28 (ages 3-9)

------------------------and for our second stop at St Thomas

St. John Island Tour (5 hours)
Enjoy the 45-minute ferry ride from St. Thomas as you come upon the unspoiled beauty of St. John, approximately three quarters of which is designated as National Parks. A safari bus will stop at both the Annaberg ruins and breathtaking views of neighboring islands.
Price: $39 (ages 10 & up) Child: $29

St. Thomas Island Tour (2.5 hours)
See the sights in an open-air safari bus as you take in the natural beauty of the island Enjoy the spectacular view from Peter's Great House where you will leave a self guided tour and continue your tour to Mountain Top, the highest point of the island.
Price: $35 (ages 10 & up) Child: $24 (ages 3-9)

Magen's Bay Beach Break (4.5 - 5 hours)
Head to St. Thomas' finest beach for a day in the Caribbean sun. Along the 25 minute scenic drive, you'll stop at Drake's Seat known for it's incredible views of the bay and Down Island. Next, you arrive at Magen's Bay where you can swim, stroll along the water's edge or simply relax in a beach chair. Water is provided, food is available for purchase. Floats and water toys can be rented.
Price: $44 (ages 10 & up) Child: $33 (ages 3 - 9) Children under age 3 are free


St. John Island Tour (5 - 5.5 hours)
You'll take a scenic boat ride to St. John where your tour of this beautiful island begins. Among the sites you'll visit are the Annaberg Ruins. You'll want your camera ready to capture the incomparable views from this Caribbean gem.
Price: $42 (ages 10 & up) Child: $31 (ages 0 - 9)


Your help is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

we are on this cruise to relax but would like to do something enjoyable!! we are from canada so we don't have NICE BEACHES LIKE THERE!!!

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Hi, on St, Maartin I would suggest the Butterfly farm. I tis a nice air conditioned bus ride, not too long. Tons of beautiful butterflries. Very relaxed and low keyed for young kids.

St. Thomas, I would pick a beach day.
Be warned that many of the beaches on the islands are clothing optional, so if this makes you uncomfortable, you may want to check the status of the beach before you book.

We have done all the island tours and they have a lot of riding and would be very boring for a young child. Also on the island tours, restrooms are far and few between for a child, who usually cant wait too long.

St. Johns island tour is nice, but I dont think a child would like all the riding. Only one bathroom break at the beginning, one towards the end, lots of stopping for 3 or 4 minutes, get off the vehicle, look at the view, jump right back on, over and over again. A short shopping time at the end, very expensive on that island.
Plus the ferry over to St. Johns can get very rough at times.

Our young grandkids did the butterfly farm and a beach day with some shopping by the port which worked well for them. Near the dock at St. Thomas there is also a tram that goes up the side of the mountain for a great view of the island and they have a bird show a few times a day that kids can enjoy. You buy the ticket right there and it doesnt cost much. About 10 minute walk from the ship, just go towards the shopping and you will see it. If you dont want a beach day, that would be a second choice for me.

Just my opinions based on my young grandkids, ages 18 months, 3 1/2 years old at the time,

mom x4,grandma x4

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Hi Tina,
I just realised it was you!!!

Glad to see your here, hopefully some others will give their opinions for you too.

Kathy

 

[kjblovesdisney]

Hi Tina,
Welcome to DIS! This is our first Disney Cruise too! I would definitely think about a beach day one of the days. You could order a basket with beach goodies to be delivered to the cabin. www.theperfectgift.cc is highly recommended on these boards.

We are traveling without any little ones ...just 7 women hanging together!

See you onboard

 

[Grandma4ever]

We have been to the butterfly Farm and I would recommend it for you. It was very interesting and the kids enjoyed it. My grandkids were a little older at the time (9 & 8 years old) I have not done the beach tours yet but feel that would be a good choice for a young child. You have more freedom of movement while on the beach and that would be what I would opt to do with a young child. Hope you have a awesome time. I have on each of my cruises.

 

[tina4_98]

Thanks all of you!! I think we will book the butterfly tour and then do a beach day for the other and of course Castaway Cay is definately a beach day!!!

as for that website to order a basket of goodies for my little one, has anyone ever ordered thru them?? SO it gets delievered right to our room on the ship for us??? That's what i read! I think i'll give them a call and see what they have to offer for a little one..cause she doesn't need too many toys!

Thanks so much for all your help!! Everyone has been great at answering questions!!!

can't wait! only 16 days till i leave home to head for cruise!!!

 

[Grandma4ever]

Thanks all of you!! I think we will book the butterfly tour and then do a beach day for the other and of course Castaway Cay is definately a beach day!!!

as for that website to order a basket of goodies for my little one, has anyone ever ordered thru them?? SO it gets delievered right to our room on the ship for us??? That's what i read! I think i'll give them a call and see what they have to offer for a little one..cause she doesn't need too many toys!

Thanks so much for all your help!! Everyone has been great at answering questions!!!

can't wait! only 16 days till i leave home to head for cruise!!!

Do consider the Stingrays on Castaway. The staff really cater to the kids. We had a really neat time getting to see them up close. You even get to feed them. And by the way they keep the stingers trimmed so it is risk free. Sorry I didn't add that in my last post.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Tina,
If you call Shirley at The Perfect Gift or her helpers they will fix up any kind of basket you want. You can say No toys, just snacks. Or perhaps a sand pail with some goodies in it. There is no limit to what that lady can do!!

Our daughter sent us a basket once. It was waiting in the room when we arrived and it was so beautiful we didnt want to open it!!
My DH is a diabetic, so she had sugar free candy, diet pop, bottled water, a stuffed goofy and donald duck, a crystal looking plastic rectangle with Mickey inside it, mini bags of several kinds of chips, gum, and a few other things. It was like having an early Christmas!!
I know several people who have used Shirley and ALL have been more than happy with her excellant work. You wont be diappointed, I promise!!!

mom x4,grandma x4

 

[tina4_98]

Thanks so much Kathy!

Im just wondering about the cost? Cause i'd just want like a pail and shovel with some sand toys for her to play with and maybe throw in a few lolli pops for her to have and maybe a stuffy.. im thinking maybe $25

or else i could ship some of her sand toys but then i'd have to pay for shipping for that too! I dont know what would work out cheaper!! gotta look into that today!

 

[mattmommy]

We did beach days at both island when ds6 was only six months old. It was quite a drive to each of them. One was in a jeep of sorts with NO doors. The other was a nice air conditioned bus.

From what I remember you can spend like $5 for a water taxi and take a 5 minute ride right across from the ship at St. Maarten for a local small beach. Can somebody verify that?

We didn't do that because we had already prepaid for our trek to the beach. Where there were naked people (and no playboys or chippendales at that) and an undertow. The waves pushed me so hard I broke my toe when I bumped into my husband.

Castaway is perfect.

The butterfly farm sounds great.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

mattsmommy,
yes you can pay $5 for water taxi and to the left and right of the pier where you get off is a very nice beach area. The use of the beach is free, however they rent all the chairs and umbrellas to you. Dont remember the prices, but it was cheap.
That was very convenient for people with young kids, because it was a great break from shopping, plus parents can trade off watching the kids on the beach while the other parents shops next door.

mom x4,grndma x4

 

[angela barklow]

hey tina, we recently did a disney cruise in sept. 2007 with a 2 year old also, we did the see & sea tour wasn't bad, the baby like seeing all the fishies in the underwater sub. But for St. Thomas beware, beware!!!! of the taxi rides to the beaches you can bargin your way there but they will get you coming back. It was 15 of us getting to the beach it was about $5.00 per person even the little ones pay but coming back it was $9.00 per person. So take lots of money with you just for the taxi rides!!!!!!!! Have a great time, we rebooked for 2008

 

[poohmomof5]

Hello! Congrats on your first cruise!

I think I am actually going on the same cruise you are! I also have a 2 year old. This will be her second cruise!

Anyway, we did the Butterfly Farm tour in 2002 and it was great. I think your toddler will love it. I also recall (and maybe this has changed) that you could just walk to the end of the pier and be at the lovely beach right there. We went to that beach after the Butterfly Excursion and it was a very fun afternoon and it was totally unplanned. We didn't need to take the water taxi, we just walked.

We did the sky tram in St. Thomas (you can walk there from the ship) and that was really neat too.

I hope you have a great time! Let us know what you find out from the lady with the baskets, my assistant is going on a cruise on the 13th and I would love to send something to her and her family.

Enjoy,

Poohmom

DCL Magic, 1/02, DCL Wonder 10/02, DCL Magic 1/05

 

[tina4_98]

Hi THanks for all the info! that's awesome for those going ot be with us

As for baskets.. my sis in law works for FedEX so she said she can ship a box out for me since she gets it for 75% off!! so im not going to order anything after all