For our family cruise in Nov., I been put in charge of setting up the excursions. For the last three trips that has been my "job". I have always hired local tour guides to do our trips, never a ship's excursion. I figure that the cruiseline has gotten enough of my $, I'd rather see a local person get it. Besides, most of these guides were born & raised there, they know what the local hi-lights are. There is some research involved, but we have had only good luck with the local guides, so I figure why mess with a good thing. Our stops this year are: St. Martin, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. kitts, and St Thomas. The problem I have, is that I gotten the names (all come highly recommended) of guides for all of the islands except St.Thomas (that's a day of fishing and shopping). Judging, from the posts, if I was to schedule island tours for two days, those islands should be St. Lucia & St. Kitts? Or are there places on the other named islands ( Barbados, St. Martin, & St Thomas), that are in anyone's opinion, things that should not be missed? Thanks for the help!