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Bevard88
Guest
Has anyone done the Southern Caribbean Medley on Sun Princess? Ports: Curacao, Isla Margarita, Barbados, Dominica, St. Thomas. Wanted some advice re: shore excursions in each port. Thanks!
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D
Diva
Guest
No, but we'll probably do that itiniary in November. We did the Islander on the Dawn last November ad it was great!
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wwinfl91
Guest
We haven't done those port on that ship but we did do all those ports on Southern Caribbean cruises. Isla Margarita, Barbados, Dominica, St. Thomas were all ports on a HAL Noordam cruise we took this spring. It was our second time in Dominica and our fourth time in St Thomas but our first time in Isla Margarita and Barbados. We visited Curacao on a Panama Canal cruise on Hal's Veendam in 2001. We took cruise tours at each of these ports so we can't help with local tour people but there are some good web sites that cover these islands. Try www.barbados.org for Barbados. Cruise critic has a good site on the Southern Caribbean. http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/article.cfm?ID=48
Another good site is: http://www.shoretrips.com/
A Dominica company we considered and that I think actually ran the HAL tours is at this site:
http://kenshinterlandtours.com/khatts/
Another good carribbean site is http://www.turq.com/
As far as Island we found Isla De Margarita to be a little dirty, very dry (it hadnt rained in something like 7 months) and at least in the city very much like what you would expect in a South American city (i.e. big differences in wealth). We took a tour of the Island and saw some of the big hotels, a really scenic bay where the fisherman land their boats and a restored Spanish fort. We were there in March and it was already extremely warm. Some of the street peddlers were a little pushy and I don't know I would have been comfortable wandering around on my own. Also many of the people only seem to speak Spanish.
We loved Curacao when we visited it. We got some great pictures there. Be sure to be on deck, front of the ship, if you are docking in the canal. The trip into the inner harbor and under the bridge allow for some great pictures. The colorful dutch houses and canals are great scenes also. We didn't do any tours here. We just did a walking tour of the downdown area, shopped some, and took pictures. The people were very friendly and we didn't feel threatened walking anywhere. There was a Princess ship, I'm not sure which one, there at the same time but it was docked at the commercial port outside the town. I did get some good pictures of it leaving with the town in the foreground.
We have been to Dominica twice. The first time we went on the Carib Indian territory tour which lets you off on one end of the island, the opposite end from Rosseau, and went throught the Carib indian territory. It was interesting but involved a lot of driving in a small bus. We took a tour from Rosseau on the second vist the went to some of the more scenic (waterfalls, etc.) on the Island. Rosseau has some old building but is really not very interesting. Generally the people were friendly and not too pushy about wanting you to buy something.
We went on another ship tour in Barbados. That is what we usually do if it is first time on an island since we have always felt that the ship isn't going to sail off and leave 20-60 people who are on a tour they organized. We have seen this be true on several cruises where the ship waited for cruise tours to get back. This tour took us to the home of the first prime minister, one of the historical watch tower forts with a good view of the south side of the island, the St John's parish church, which was interesting and then to a small town for some shopping. It wasn't the best tour I was ever on but wasn't bad either. Bridgetown is a big town we drove through but didn't go back to after the tour. Some people walked to it and other took cabs. It looked like it would be a long hot walk. The people we met were friendly and of course it is always nice when they speak english.
If this is your first trip to St Thomas try to find time to go up the Paradise Point Tramway which is close to where the ships dock. The view of the harbor is great and taking the time to sit there and enjoy a cool drink watching the beautiful view is well worth the cost.
Their website is http://www.paradisepointtramway.com/.
We did a St Thomas island tour one time but generally it turned out to be a lot of driving and spending time in traffic to get from place to place. We also have done the Leylon Sneed tour which included time in Trunk Bay on St John's. We actually boarded it when our ship, the Westerdam, made a stop at St John's and then it brought us back to the ship in St Thomas. There is great snokleling and skin diving as well as just swimming on both St Thomas and St Johns.
Our other task when we visit St Thomas is to stock up on liquor. We have found the best prices on liquor there although there are some exceptions. We have bought at Al Cohens discount liquors several times and the booze always showed up at the ship.
There are a lot of stores and usually a lot of people shopping in Charlotte Amalie. The traffic sometimes looks like the LA freeway but if your ship is not docked but anchored in the harbor they usually drop you off right downtown.
Anyway this is way too long so I will quit now. If you want to know more let me know and I will try to help.
Happy Cruising.
24 days to our first European and our first Princess cruise
Another good site is: http://www.shoretrips.com/
A Dominica company we considered and that I think actually ran the HAL tours is at this site:
http://kenshinterlandtours.com/khatts/
Another good carribbean site is http://www.turq.com/
As far as Island we found Isla De Margarita to be a little dirty, very dry (it hadnt rained in something like 7 months) and at least in the city very much like what you would expect in a South American city (i.e. big differences in wealth). We took a tour of the Island and saw some of the big hotels, a really scenic bay where the fisherman land their boats and a restored Spanish fort. We were there in March and it was already extremely warm. Some of the street peddlers were a little pushy and I don't know I would have been comfortable wandering around on my own. Also many of the people only seem to speak Spanish.
We loved Curacao when we visited it. We got some great pictures there. Be sure to be on deck, front of the ship, if you are docking in the canal. The trip into the inner harbor and under the bridge allow for some great pictures. The colorful dutch houses and canals are great scenes also. We didn't do any tours here. We just did a walking tour of the downdown area, shopped some, and took pictures. The people were very friendly and we didn't feel threatened walking anywhere. There was a Princess ship, I'm not sure which one, there at the same time but it was docked at the commercial port outside the town. I did get some good pictures of it leaving with the town in the foreground.
We have been to Dominica twice. The first time we went on the Carib Indian territory tour which lets you off on one end of the island, the opposite end from Rosseau, and went throught the Carib indian territory. It was interesting but involved a lot of driving in a small bus. We took a tour from Rosseau on the second vist the went to some of the more scenic (waterfalls, etc.) on the Island. Rosseau has some old building but is really not very interesting. Generally the people were friendly and not too pushy about wanting you to buy something.
We went on another ship tour in Barbados. That is what we usually do if it is first time on an island since we have always felt that the ship isn't going to sail off and leave 20-60 people who are on a tour they organized. We have seen this be true on several cruises where the ship waited for cruise tours to get back. This tour took us to the home of the first prime minister, one of the historical watch tower forts with a good view of the south side of the island, the St John's parish church, which was interesting and then to a small town for some shopping. It wasn't the best tour I was ever on but wasn't bad either. Bridgetown is a big town we drove through but didn't go back to after the tour. Some people walked to it and other took cabs. It looked like it would be a long hot walk. The people we met were friendly and of course it is always nice when they speak english.
If this is your first trip to St Thomas try to find time to go up the Paradise Point Tramway which is close to where the ships dock. The view of the harbor is great and taking the time to sit there and enjoy a cool drink watching the beautiful view is well worth the cost.
Their website is http://www.paradisepointtramway.com/.
We did a St Thomas island tour one time but generally it turned out to be a lot of driving and spending time in traffic to get from place to place. We also have done the Leylon Sneed tour which included time in Trunk Bay on St John's. We actually boarded it when our ship, the Westerdam, made a stop at St John's and then it brought us back to the ship in St Thomas. There is great snokleling and skin diving as well as just swimming on both St Thomas and St Johns.
Our other task when we visit St Thomas is to stock up on liquor. We have found the best prices on liquor there although there are some exceptions. We have bought at Al Cohens discount liquors several times and the booze always showed up at the ship.
There are a lot of stores and usually a lot of people shopping in Charlotte Amalie. The traffic sometimes looks like the LA freeway but if your ship is not docked but anchored in the harbor they usually drop you off right downtown.
Anyway this is way too long so I will quit now. If you want to know more let me know and I will try to help.
Happy Cruising.
24 days to our first European and our first Princess cruise
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Bevard88
Guest
Thanks so much for the good information. Sounds like we can find plenty to do!
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Angie
Guest
Did you go to Caracas? What would you recomend?
