GaTravelingMom

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere - I searched but did not find the answer.

I have a November 15, 2020 cruise booked on Freedom of the Seas, and am thinking about buying the drink package as the price is low enough that it might be worthwhile for me now - we drink but not enough to make prior sales worthwhile.

If our cruise is cancelled by RCCL, or by us if we old folks are too high risk to travel yet, what is the refund policy on "extras" like the drink package? Cash back or future cruise credit?

Hi All,

Please accept my apologies if this has been asked and answered many times before. I can't figure out how to search the boards.

We are on a cruise in November from San Juan, then all fly out the afternoon we get back. Because all the flights out of San Juan were either at 7 a.m. or mid afternoon, we are opting for mid-afternoon.

What is the latest we can get off the ship? We obviously are not going to be in any hurry, and we like to sleep 🙂

If we want to sight see more in San Juan, can we go to airport and check or store luggage, then sight see - extra cab fare is worth it to not have luggage out of our sight to me.

If it matters, I am RCCL Gold - which I know does not mean much - but better than nothing!

Thanks for any advice you have to offer!

Cathy

Hey Canadianbear!

Their website is very interesting and looks like they have a couple options my group would enjoy (there are 9 of us so far...). On the tour you enjoyed, did they provide snorkel equipment or did you have your own?

Thank you! Our cruise is not for a long time, but it was interesting to see what is projected. Like our day in Aruba looks like a 3 ship day! Sounds like it might be chaos - so I need to plan well in advance!

How can you tell how many ships will be in port on your day?

I think you need to carry some cash to rent chairs and umbrella at Orient beach. I do not think the fee covered any of those little extras.

We did this back in December 2016. The price was reasonable, our driver/guide was informative and it provided a decent tour of the island. They first took us to a place on pretty Orient beach that had beach loungers, a nice little restaurant/bar for refreshments, some little shopping places for beach essentials and clean nice bathrooms.

Orient beach is actually four beaches, and the fourth one is clothing optional. The tour dropped us at the 3rd beach, and some of the folks strolling along were topless. However, you have to walk around a point to get to the nude beach part. The water/waves were too vigorous for us to snorkel or really get into the water the day we were there. And there are a plethora of women wandering the beach selling hats, clothing, massages, and more. So you don't get to really nap, or read in peace, since someone is always approaching you.

The second stop was Maho beach, which is a must see for the planes landing. And it was PACKED. Finding a place to sit on the beach was impossible, but the water was calm enough to stroll through. There is a bar/restaurant on the beach that makes for some great people watching. And you can wind your way through the crowd to get some nice shots of the planes coming in over your head.

I think for the cost it is a good way to enjoy a lot of the island.

https://www.shoreexcursioneer.com/st-maarten/beach-bum-orient-maho.html

 

We have done this excursion twice and it is the BEST. You really can't beat the price. And drinks are included during the ride from the cruise port to the beaches. Like someone else said, Maho isn't the best beach to relax on but it's a once in a lifetime experience and with this excursion, you get to visit Orient Beach as well which is AMAZING!! You get about 2 hours at each beach. Amigo tours runs it. They are the best and they give you commentary the whole time while driving. Let me know if you have any questions!

This looks great to me - we will be there in December on RCCL Jewel. It says it is a 4.5 hour tour - and our ship will be in dock from 8 - 5, so we could do the 9 or 11 tour - decisions, decisions. Thank you so much for sharing this!