addvice on st thomas, st maarten and san juan

[bifman]

Cruise is on nov 28 on carnvial victory could someone help with what to do at san juan , st thomas and st maarten.We are interested in nice beaches for snorkling with lots of fish and coral.Also the best place for shopping we have found our best deals in past trip away from the main shopping areas were most tour buses go. A suggest on a good place to eat that is not to expensive would also be a help. this time we do not plan on taking any ship shore tours so any suggestion would be a big help and some idea of taxi prices also is it to far to walk from the ship to any place to tour.

Thank You

 

[Camelia]

st thomas and st martaan are very easy to tour on your own. Go to websites on the islands to see what they offer and what you would like to do, since there is so much to do and time is limited. On St martaan Orient Beach is the most popular destination, and for good reason, but there is no snorkeling there. From st thomas we went to st. john, which is very beautiful and has snorkling. I also suggest going to the library and checking out some books on those places.

 

[sailboat]

If you dock at Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas (some ships dock out at the sub base, which means a taxi ride to get anywhere or a tour), you are within steps of the HAVENSIGHT MALL, which offers many of the same shops you will find downtown, which is about 2.5 miles or so. A brisk walk will get you there, but this may not be the best option for folks who don't tolerate heat very well or can't walk for extended periods. There's loads of auto traffic all along the route, but the harbor area is to your left and that is nice. Take a cab to Megans Bay or Sapphire Beach. You'll find lots of eateries along the waterfront area and lots of folks shilling for restaurant customers.

In St. Maartin, take a cab to any of the Dutch side beaches, which are very nice. Your ship will dock (or tender) right near the downtown if you just want to walk around. If you are more adventurous, you can take a cab to the French side where the seas are a bit wilder. Be aware that Orient Beach--a popular spot is clothing optional.

In San Juan,a short cab ride will take you to the beaches along Condado or Isla Verde--plenty of hotels and beach amenities there. Or if you like to walk and shop, head for Old San Juan, within walking distance of most of the ship docks.

Get advice on taxi fares from the ship (they'll include this info in handouts) and some ports post taxi fares on a big board near where you can get a taxi. I don't recommend restaurants in general because you never know if the same chef/staff/experience will greet others. We have enjoyed El Convento in Old San Juan for the setting and basically good food-- you might like it too.

 

[CruisinTex]

Best beach on St. Thomas for snorkeling is Coki Beach. Grab a cab from the pier - takes about 15-20 minutes to get there and costs about $6-$8. Coki Beach Dive Shop has a hut on the beach and they rent snorkel and scuba equipment. There are loungers, umbrellas, food and drink available. Snorkeling is close to shore with beautiful reefs, lots of fish. Plenty of taxis available to take you back to the ship whenever you're ready. Sapphire Beach is #2 for snorkeling and Magen's is not at all good for snorkeling. IMHO, of course.

 

[nimbex]

St,. Thomas, I vote for Coki too. This is where coral world is too if you want to spend more $$. but there are two reefs with in a mile of each other. Nice and quiet, no motorized sports here. You can save a few extra $ if you like to snorkle and buy a mask and a $1 floatie at home and bring with, just inflate when you arrive (several people did this). plus don't forget the dog biscuts, although the fish will swarm arround you anyway near the coral. There are several food and drink stands. This is on a bay type of setting. goto the picture section here under Destiny 9/26/04. The really gorgeous beach with the mountains is coki.

Old san juan (hisoric, lots of parks, shops and a few really neat forts) is only 15 minutes from the ship, you can haggle a taxi from the pier for a tour (get your price up front). The Condado area, a few resorts, small public beach, great nighlife and shopping is 10 minutes from the pier in the opposite direction. E-mail me if you want to know how to spend the day at the Wyndham Condado resort for the day.

Happy cruisin'
carol

 

[CaribKat57]

A really beautiful site for snorkeling on St. Martin is Creole Rock in Grand Case (on the French side). If you taxi to Grand Case Beach Club, they have Scoobidoo's (sic) that take the five minute ride out to the rocks. The snorkeling there is known to be just about the best on the island. You can also kayak out there in 15 minutes from the beach if you choose. The beach club has fabulous french food served in the Sunset Cafe deck overlooking the ocean. We contacted the Beach Club to let them know of our arrival for the day and they set us up quickly with cushioned beach lounges and umbrellas. They have little flags on the back of the chair that can be raised and in no time at all, someone comes over to take your food/drink order. Grand Case is not nearly as crowded as the beaches on the Dutch side...as a matter of fact we did not see any other cruisers there but us.
Have a great time...St. Martin is just enchanting.
Kathy