winniesbestm8

second question if they send larger denominations is there anywhere I can change for 1 dollar bills etc

I hope we can use US Dollars to be honest, I am sure it will be ok :)

Thanks everyone will check them all out!

Sue I think we need Peso for Dom Rep too ?

I keep looking at the rates for US dollars with money ready to buy the whole lot in one go. I am not sure really what a good rate is and can anyone recommend where to buy them from?

Thanks

I'm confused when you title your post as "We are on the same cruise Winniesbestm8!", as she is on a different ship on different days.

 

If you mean that you're also going to St. Maarten, then OK.

 

You're arriving on New Year's Day, and much of the island will be shut down. It's a holiday.

 

Sleeping in and then heading to Maho actually sounds like a good idea. Bars and restaurants WILL be open.

 

gary

Our Itinerary has just changed and we are actually now in St Maarten on 1st Jan 2016 so that messes with me wanting to go to the market now as I doubt it will be open?

Might just have to do Mullet and Maho, damn it was Good Friday we were there last time and all the shops were closed!

We went in 2006, I absolutely loved it there. Found an American couple on here who did tours and booked them, brilliant!

I've done it. Here's what I know from memory. Distances are approximate.

 

Turner's is a nice beach. From the southwest point of the island, at a little rock called Pelican Island, it runs about a mile north to the headland separating it from Darkwood. There's a restaurant at the south end and I think one at the north.

 

The road runs pretty close to the beach. It's about a mile and a quarter from the south end of Turner's to Darkwood under the tropical sun. Very little vertical elevation, forty feet maybe.

 

There is a restaurant at the south end of Darkwood. Beach runs probably half to 3/4 mile north. The road is very close to the beach.

 

Going to Ffrye's the road dips inland. Probably a mile or so to Ffrye's. Unlike the other two the road is a little distant from the beach, maybe a quarter mile. I no longer remember how easy it is to find. (There are actually two Ffrye's beaches: Large Ffrye's to south and Small Ffrye's around the headland to the north. At the north end of Large Ffrye's is (or was) a restaurant.)

 

To summarize: from the south end of Turner's to Ffrye's is probably about three miles of tropical walking. It's reasonably level; you have to rise thirty or forty feet going over each headland. There are no sidewalks so you have to stay alert. Remember that walking on a map and walking under a hot sun are two different things.

 

Whether it's possible or not depends on who you are. There are people on these boards who really, really, really get outraged at the idea of "walking"; I guess their idea of exercise is swirling that little umbrella in the drink. I doubt if I'd recommend it to more than ten percent of cruisers, but those ten percent have their rights too.

 

If you're at all fit Turner's to Darkwood is pretty doable. It's impossible to get lost. Both beaches are nice, and the view from the headland between them is photogenic.

 

Stretching it to Ffrye's adds a lot of walking time in place of beach time. The road doesn't run directly along the coast so orientation isn't as obvious. I wouldn't try it unless you feel you have plenty of spare time. Of course if you do make it from Turner's to Darkwood that will give you a good feel for what you can and want to do.

 

Getting a bus is very easy from Darkwood since the stop is right behind the restaurant. I don't remember about Ffrye's, but keep in mind you've got to walk a few hundred yards even to get to the road from the beach, then find your stop. So: Darkwood easy, Ffrye's requires a good deal more effort.

Appreciate the time for you answering me :) Hubby and I are both very fit so I would walk the whole thing from Turners to Valley Church even in the heat....problem is I have my two young children, 8 and 6, my 8 year old has disabilities so would take a bit longer with her, and the road safety and no paths puts me off, and then my mum is with us too :/

Really want to go look at all of the beaches too

Which was your favourite out of them? :)

We are planning on using a bus to get us to Turners Beach, problem is we like the look of Turners, Darkwood and Ffryes beach. On the map it all looks walkable from one beach to another, is this possible, then we can walk back to the road to get a bus from Ffryes

On the southernmost point of Turners Beach.

Thanks :)

Hi Milis my friend is flying from Manchester on 8th Jan and has also been given flight TOM116 is it usual to have two flight numbers the same for different flights? I have looked on the schedule for departures from Manchester in January and can't see any Thomson flights? We are going at the end of January and we're hoping it would be the Dreamliner. I notice n this thread that someone has said there will be no Thomson flights from Manchester!!

Yes there are lots of TOM 116 flying out and back this year. We are on the 25th Dec return 8th Jan flight that your friend will probably be on we are flying Thomsons

is Jacqui O's on Turners beach?

Thanks Both

Just fancied visiting the market first before heading off to the beach but might not be possible so may just head to the beach

Will keep looking and work it out :)

I think there are 3 flights out of Manchester on Christmas Day this year, we are on thomson at 11am, then there is one at 12pm, we were originally on TC a bit earlier

Whe we flew to Barbados last time with TC it was an 8am flight

Yep we have paid £100 pp so £400, and now just paid £160 for the 4 of us to sit together!

Can anyone help me out with flights coming in 1st Jan 2016?

We wanted to visit the market, but they have changed a few ports around so we now arrive in St Maarten on New Years Day. We were going to book Bernard, but I don't think much will be open for what we want to do.

Can anyone confirm?

We had £870 last time on Oceana for a two week cruise. While we were on her we booked this one and got £50 each OBC (even the children did) so £200 plus an extra £70 OBC each (not the children) so we have £340 at Christmas.

We called in March 2013 on Oceana. There was plastic sheets put down to protect the carpet. We did a ship tour and thoroughly enjoyed it, stopping at the mosque and enjoying Moroccan tea as well as the sights.

Never had a problem here with the Commodore package either, we find it good value :)

Thanks for all the replies something more to think about :)

We were on Ventura back in 2011 with out 18 month old and our 3 year old. I can't remember the locks being high up, I am sure it was just a door handle but others may be able to help there.

We used the night nursery, they have to be asleep or nearly asleep to go in, so they don't disturb the other children. We would walk our youngest around the prom deck in her buggy and leave her asleep in her buggy in night nursery while there saves transferring her. The other one was in kids club and they would watch a film later on and could fall asleep there until we picked her up, it wasn't worth going up to transfer her to night nursery.

At that time we could pick her up upto either midnight or 1am, although I think it depends on how many children are onboard and if it is term time etc.

Yeah I have seen from others on the forums that usually NYE has two sittings for freedom and you need to go to reception to specify. We are on 8.30pm sitting. Looking forward to it as we are as sea, but amber cove the next day i think there will be a few sore heads!

Good morning,

 

Has anyone upgraded their flights with Thomas Cook out of Gatwick? is it even possible and do you get the 30kg baggage they promote? If so do you do this through P&O or Thomas Cook?

 

Thanks

 

Dean

Hi Dean, generally you have to book them when you book the cruise for premium seating so I doubt there will be any left for our cruise. It would be £1500 for our family to do so and so we haven't bothered this time, we did when it was just the two of us

We are going in September with an adventurous 2yr old too so I'm interested in this thread! I'm getting quite anxious about him and us going on the cruise! I've read the children's info pack on the cruise personaliser and it really feels like it's not as family friendly as we first thought! (Like the children's soft play area being in the kids club so as a couple and our sons parents we can't both take him in the play area, only one can go and only if the club isn't full-I could understand if he's older but at 2 years old we want to spend the time playing with him, not leaving him with strangers) We holiday as a family and our 2yr old will not want to be left in a children's club so will be in the MDR with us, the info pack infers that although they are allowed they must not cause nuisance to other passengers (which I understand) however he is 2yrs old so is likely to make noise but he is well behaved (he won't be running round the restaurant and if he caused a scene we would take him out) but he is also still 2yrs old! I'm worried we'll get looks (you know the sort you get when you sit down on a long haul flight with a 2yr old next to an older couple! Yes this happened to us in May and our son was actually quieter than the teenagers that were sat in front of said couple!) but this is why we chose a family friendly ship! Can anyone offer reassurance that my 2yr old will be allowed to be a child and we won't be subjected to 'tutting' for the week!?

Our 18month old and 3 year old ate with us in MDR no problems, we would take them to kids tea for a snack at 5 as we were on 8.30 sitting. we didn't do this every night and we used the night nursery so we could have some couple time. The kids love being up in kids club at movie time rather than being with us ha ha

Does the beach get busy and over packed?

We have Norwegian escape, QM2 AidaAluna and Azura in that day. We were going to visit cane garden bay but really like the look of here.

Mum has walking problems and I have read you get dropped off in the water and have to walk from there?