Excursions on Eastern Caribbean Cruise

[mousebrat]

We are currently trying to plan excursions for our September Eastern cruise. DH and I are 26 and 30 without kids. We are not people who would normally play at the beach all day (but we do plan on doing that at Castaway Cay). We have thought about snorkeling...but have never done that before.

Any suggestions about what you consider to be the best excursions would be appreciated.

 

[musicgirl]

We did Capt. Nautica at St. Thomas. They will help you with snorkeling tips. My best tip for the mask once it is on, is to breathe in through the nose to create a better seal. They have heavy duty, waterproof bags to keep your stuff in. They are clipped to the boat.

Capt. Nautica is a speed boat with no more than 25 people on board. We went to 3 different locations to snorkel. They often switch itineraries due to sea conditions or weather to get great snorkeling.

For the 1st spot, we sped for about 20 min. to Turtle Cove. This was so awesome to swim with the turtles. Since it was a speed boat, we were the first ones there in the morning. We had the area to ourselves for 1 hour. Not to put down other excursions, but there is another excursion that goes only to this site and that is it. As we were leaving, these other excursions were coming in, probably 4-5 boats.

The second stop was just around the corner to a shipwreck site. As we drove around slowly, we were given refreshments. This place was very, very crowded so we only stayed here for about 20 min.

Again, we sped off about 20 min to one of the St. James islands. Again, we were basically the only group here. There was a group of 6-8 of scuba divers. The fish were awesome!!!!!! We stayed here for about 1 hour.

We were given another snack and then off for another speedy ride back to the ship.

The speed boat gets pretty bumpy, sit up front for a bouncier ride. Just the ride was great fun. They were super on this excursion. They brought underwater cameras for those that forgot. Morgan and Keith(I think that is his name) were so nice and informative about the area. There were 2 boats so you might not get them. If you have a choice, Morgan is a pretty,slim, blond woman.

They have provide the equipment including life vests. They also have kickboards and fun noodles if you just want to float around and put your masked face in the water.

They did ask for a tip at the end. This was not pushy, if you didn't tip, no big deal. We tipped $10. It was worth every penny!!!

If you have any questions, let me know.

 

[tvguy]

Highly recommend the 13 metre regetta on St. Martin. Never would have done it on my own, but my wife thought it sounded fun, and it was.

 

[Joel110]

In St. Maarten, it's a blast (literally) to go to the Sunset Beach Bar and watch the 747's land. You can do this on your own by taking a taxi in the afternoon, so your morning is open to do other activities. Check w/your taxi driver to allow enough time for return trip to ship, as traffic is horrendous in the afternoon.

Here's the thread to some videos and more info:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=737033

The website is www.sunsetbeachbar.com, but since St. Maarten allows topless sunbathing on the island, some pictures on this site may reflect the locals doing just that. We had 6 kids between ages 2 and 6 w/us and it really seemed family friendly when we were there in January and the food was excellent.

 

[jrabbit]

In St. Maarten give the Golden Eagle Catamaran a try. There's sailing, snorkeling and swimming/beach time involved and they do look like they've had a great time when they return!!

On St. THomas we've done the Barefoot Catamaran Sail and Snorkel. Its a very good excursion over to St. Johns. And St. Johns has some of the best snorkeling around. It's a good place to get started!!

 

[getoutthere]

We chose our excursions outside of DCL. In St. Thomas we are doing a daysail with Ike Witt charters. They only take 6 people at a time and you basically do what you want all day. They provide lunch and drinks. In St. Maarten we are going with The Lord Sheffield which is a simulated pirate ship. Both of these also provide you with snorkel equipment. I have heard great things about both of these tours and can't wait to see for myself.
Trisha

 

[CTFamilyCruisers]

We chose our excursions outside of DCL. In St. Thomas we are doing a daysail with Ike Witt charters. They only take 6 people at a time and you basically do what you want all day. They provide lunch and drinks. In St. Maarten we are going with The Lord Sheffield which is a simulated pirate ship. Both of these also provide you with snorkel equipment. I have heard great things about both of these tours and can't wait to see for myself.
Trisha

Do you have contact info for Ike Witt charters?

 

[wdwoldtimer]

When does the ship depart St Maarten usually?

How about St. Thomas?

We're going to snorkel on CC, so will not be trying it on either of the other islands...what kind of excursions would you suggest with a 7 year old?

 

[getoutthere]

CTFamilyCruisers- The website for Ike Witt is ikewittcharters.com. You can also check out vinow.com/stthomas/ to see many other charters that operate in the Virgin Islands. Enjoy!
Trisha
P.S. Sorry I didn't use the hyperlink but apparently I haven't mastered that feature yet.

 

[getoutthere]

www.ikewittcharters.com
www.vinow.com/stthomas/
I think I figured it out now.

 

[jrabbit]

When does the ship depart St Maarten usually?

How about St. Thomas?

We're going to snorkel on CC, so will not be trying it on either of the other islands...what kind of excursions would you suggest with a 7 year old?

I would suggest that you try snorkeling at St THomas/St. John rather than Castaway Cay.

Pros and Cons

for St. Thomas/ St. John
There are things to see in the water: coral, colorful fish and other critters. Thats the draw for me. A con is usually the snorkeling excursions our in the open ocean (including bays and inlets) so the water can be more choppy.

for Castaway Cay
There are some fish but usually not very colorful. No coral. BUT CC also has the Natalus sub from 20,000 leagues under the sea and the Mickey shipwreck. It also has the breakwater barrier and safety net so the water usually is calmer than elsewhere and the net keeps most of the larger animals out of the bay.

 

[CTFamilyCruisers]

CTFamilyCruisers- The website for Ike Witt is ikewittcharters.com. You can also check out vinow.com/stthomas/ to see many other charters that operate in the Virgin Islands. Enjoy!
Trisha
P.S. Sorry I didn't use the hyperlink but apparently I haven't mastered that feature yet.

Thanks. I didn't see any prices. I imagine it is quite expensive - can you give a range? Also, we are a party of 4. Does that mean I have to find 2 more people to come with us?

 

[Joel110]

When does the ship depart St Maarten usually?

How about St. Thomas?

St Maarten is 7PM
St. Thomas is 4:30PM

 

[wdwoldtimer]

Wow, that's earlier than I thought it would be. We're going to have to plan our excursions carefully.

 

[jrabbit]

Yea, they leave St. Thomas pretty early. They have to in order to have a "full" day at Castaway Cay. It takes that long to get back there. They leave St. Maarten early in the evening so that they can be at St. Thomas early in the am to give you a chance to do something on shore (ships gotta clear customs before you can go ashore).

 

[getoutthere]

CTFamilyCruisers- It is a little expensive, Ike Witt is $110 pp. I was a little leary of spending that much money but all the things I've heard about it says it is a day you will never forget. We are a group of four and they said if they don't have two more people then it will just be the four of us and we will not be charged any extra. There some better deals with some of the other companies if you pay in cash. Your best bet is to e-mail all the ones you are interested in. Most responded to me quickly and they all work together so if they can't accomodate you they will give you another charter's name they recommend. Good luck, it was a tough decision for us choosing which one to go with.