see and sea island tour

[ganurse]

has anyone done this excursion...I am wanting to book one today and am having a hard time deciding....amy

 

[candleonwater]

We did this tour, me, my mother and my 5 year old daughter. We loved it. I really enjoyed the drive around the island. The stop in Marigot wasn't anything special... but it did provide us an opportunity to purchase tropical wear for dinner! The semi-submersible is wonderful, but we really didn't see any thing extraordinary. Any specific questions?

 

[ganurse]

so it was worth it? sounds relaxing to me? you can wear tropical clothing to dinner? is it that casual? shorts, pants or jeans? thanks

 

[ffnole]

A lot of time sitting on a bus driving around the parched countryside of St Maarten...but for first timers it is probably worth it. First off, except for the beautiful waters, St Maarten is a desert with many impoverished people living on an island. They only receive 5 inches of rainfall a year so if you like Phoenix or other desert locations (you will like rocky, brown St Maarten). I was thinking it would be like St Thomas, green, tropical and somewhat modern but it is not. The trip on the glass bottom boat is fun but don't expect crystal clear waters like in the Caymans...its not for everyone if you don't like closed in quarters underneath a boat. The island is pretty depressing with all the half finished concrete block buildings and trash around. I would certainly pick many other caribbean islands before returning to St Maarten.

The best advice....hit the downtown area for some bargan jewelry shopping and then find a nice beach for some snorkeling. I don't mean to be negative but thats what we found and many others on the boat had the exact same impressions. St Thomas more than makes up for it.

 

[candleonwater]

Not quite as casual as shorts, but men in khakis and tropical shirts, women in tropical dresses... or what I called Mu mu's... but it was a lot of fun bargaining in Marigot.

I saw the tour as VERY relaxing. As a person who had never been to the islands before, i really enjoyed having someone else deal with the hassle and headache of getting around. Now, for my next cruise... I'll probably venture out on my own, but for a first trip I think it's a good choice, especially if you have smaller children.