Jump to content

What to do in Martinique?


cjackson12
 Share

Recommended Posts

Martinique is a lovely island! :)

We've had 4 ports stops there BUT they were 10+ years ago.

You might want to consider taking an excursions offered by the ship (they use English speaking guides) unless you just want to walk around in town a bit.

We especially enjoyed the one that took us on a scenic boat ride to the beach (Grand Anse).

St. Pierre Rain Forest & Island Drive is nice to do once.

We had no problem using the US Dollar at most places in Martinique! We're looking forward to returning to Martinique this upcoming January! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Karambole tours was wonderful. Do not stay on the ship or just wander near the port. Get out and see the island. It is beautiful.

 

Did you have to pay deposit for this tour before you had it?

I am a bit worried that if itinerary changes and we miss it or get there another day deposit will be lost.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you have to pay deposit for this tour before you had it?

I am a bit worried that if itinerary changes and we miss it or get there another day deposit will be lost.

I am pretty sure there was no advance deposit but they can tell you. Also, tour guides/companies always refund if the ship does not dock. Those that require deposits only keep the deposit if you do not cancel but your ship is in port.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We loved this lush, volcanic island and saw much of the interior on our bus tour through RCL. We headed south along the coastline to St. Pierre, the former capital and major port city which was destroyed by fire following an eruption of Mt. Pelle in the early 1900's. We visited a museum in that city as well as a few sites then headed to a gorgeous rum distillery on the slopes of Mt. Pelle. The rum is made from sugar cane grown in that volcanically enriched soil, so it is something special. From there we headed into the center of the island and learn about how the Jesuit missionaries lined the route with a certain type palm tree, the Traveller's Palm. We visited the Balata Church which is a smaller scale replica of Sacre Coeur in Paris, offering beautiful views of the city below. The city of Fort de France is quite pretty and there are two notable buildings you can visit for free: Scholecher Library and St. Louis Cathedral which we visited on our own. Also easy to find is the city park with a headless statue of Empress Josephine (Napolean's wife) who is a very controversial native of Martinique having to do with re-instituting slavery I believe. This port impressed us as a regular city, not a tourism-created place, and seemed a more vibrant economy than many ports.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
We loved this lush, volcanic island and saw much of the interior on our bus tour through RCL. We headed south along the coastline to St. Pierre, the former capital and major port city which was destroyed by fire following an eruption of Mt. Pelle in the early 1900's. We visited a museum in that city as well as a few sites then headed to a gorgeous rum distillery on the slopes of Mt. Pelle. The rum is made from sugar cane grown in that volcanically enriched soil, so it is something special. From there we headed into the center of the island and learn about how the Jesuit missionaries lined the route with a certain type palm tree, the Traveller's Palm. We visited the Balata Church which is a smaller scale replica of Sacre Coeur in Paris, offering beautiful views of the city below. The city of Fort de France is quite pretty and there are two notable buildings you can visit for free: Scholecher Library and St. Louis Cathedral which we visited on our own. Also easy to find is the city park with a headless statue of Empress Josephine (Napolean's wife) who is a very controversial native of Martinique having to do with re-instituting slavery I believe. This port impressed us as a regular city, not a tourism-created place, and seemed a more vibrant economy than many ports.

 

 

 

Was your bus tour the 7-hour long highlights/best of your offered by RCCL?

 

I’m thinking about booking that one.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We loved this lush, volcanic island and saw much of the interior on our bus tour through RCL. We headed south along the coastline to St. Pierre, the former capital and major port city which was destroyed by fire following an eruption of Mt. Pelle in the early 1900's. We visited a museum in that city as well as a few sites then headed to a gorgeous rum distillery on the slopes of Mt. Pelle. The rum is made from sugar cane grown in that volcanically enriched soil, so it is something special. From there we headed into the center of the island and learn about how the Jesuit missionaries lined the route with a certain type palm tree, the Traveller's Palm. We visited the Balata Church which is a smaller scale replica of Sacre Coeur in Paris, offering beautiful views of the city below. The city of Fort de France is quite pretty and there are two notable buildings you can visit for free: Scholecher Library and St. Louis Cathedral which we visited on our own. Also easy to find is the city park with a headless statue of Empress Josephine (Napolean's wife) who is a very controversial native of Martinique having to do with re-instituting slavery I believe. This port impressed us as a regular city, not a tourism-created place, and seemed a more vibrant economy than many ports.

 

Do you happen to remember which excursion this was? It sounds amazing and we would like to look into it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were in Martinique a few years ago and decided to explore town on our own. We had a great day. We saw some interesting architecture, the city market, an energetic and colorful parade and enjoyed some drinks (the caipiroska was amazing!) and crepes at a table outside a kiosk at the park.

 

f8c8bf08572e9db614e6c738d9b76b95.jpg

 

4a31ec3876ea7b39f7bbc2328a2a0632.jpg

 

00f6086b38ab6a3b56ff87f0a2a5c578.jpg

 

afae3d5fe2cb00389cdc4d3204eeaecf.jpg

 

977313d0c3814a13963c8852792d3670.jpg

 

dce96c7a6a7f34723a5a94d97806dba3.jpg

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We loved this lush, volcanic island and saw much of the interior on our bus tour through RCL. We headed south along the coastline to St. Pierre, the former capital and major port city which was destroyed by fire following an eruption of Mt. Pelle in the early 1900's. We visited a museum in that city as well as a few sites then headed to a gorgeous rum distillery on the slopes of Mt. Pelle. The rum is made from sugar cane grown in that volcanically enriched soil, so it is something special. From there we headed into the center of the island and learn about how the Jesuit missionaries lined the route with a certain type palm tree, the Traveller's Palm. We visited the Balata Church which is a smaller scale replica of Sacre Coeur in Paris, offering beautiful views of the city below. The city of Fort de France is quite pretty and there are two notable buildings you can visit for free: Scholecher Library and St. Louis Cathedral which we visited on our own. Also easy to find is the city park with a headless statue of Empress Josephine (Napolean's wife) who is a very controversial native of Martinique having to do with re-instituting slavery I believe. This port impressed us as a regular city, not a tourism-created place, and seemed a more vibrant economy than many ports.

 

We are going on a similar tour soon and found out there will be 5 ships in port that day. Did you encounter much congestion and traffic?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...