shyly8585

On 2/16/2024 at 2:36 PM, SnorkelAway said:

I think the general understanding is that low season is May 1 to November 30, so you will be there in low season.  Schedules for the ferries to Pinel from cul-de-sac are not 100% reliable - you can only be certain of last ferry time from Pinel back to cul-de-sac when you get the ferry over to Pinel. 

 

Unless something weird is going on, your Royal Caribbean ship will have the same time as the local time on the island.  There will be no difference in ship time and local time no matter the time of year.

 

If your ship is scheduled for 12:15 arrival, then you may be unable to get off until 12:45 or so - it may be a hour or  more after you disembark before you are on Pinel.  Your time on Pinel might be only 2 hours.

 

I would recommend you go to Mullet, as opposed to Pinel, on this trip.  It will be easier and less complicated to go to Mullet.  Go to Pinel when you have more time on island.

Thank you for your advice.  

5 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

St Maarteen is on Atlantic Standard Time ( 1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time) and does not observe DST.  So if your ship embarks out of an East Coast US port in May ship time and St Maateen time will be the same.

Thank you!

On 2/4/2024 at 8:43 AM, PORT ROYAL said:

No idea on time zones etc., but the island only operates on it’s own “Island Time” not a random USA city time.

Thank you.

1 hour ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Yes it’s doable….. yes it’s low season - Ferry to Pinel timetable link - https://www.caribbeanpaddling.com/blog/ferry-schedule-to-pinel-island

Plenty of taxis from to Ferry from Port and from Ferry to Port.  And one’s outward driver will be pleased for a timed booking for on’s return.

Even visiting in low season, it’s better to book one’s beds/ day in advance with

 

Yellow Menu - https://www.yellowbeach.restaurant/menu

Or

Karibuni Menu - https://www.lekaribuni.com/restaurant/menu

 

 

Thank you.  Second time cruiser, still learning everything.  Is the ship time local time (St. Martin time) or is the ship time the same time zone as your original departure Port?  Our ship is coming from NJ. 

Hi,

My cruise (Royal Caribbean) stops in Philipsburg late May between 12:15pm - 7:00pm.  Is it doable to go to Pinel Island?  Is May considered low season?  Is the last ferry from Pinel Island 4pm or 5pm?  What's the best way to get to the ferry stop to Pinel Island from the cruise port, and back?  

My other option is Mullet Bay.  What's the best way to get to Mullet Bay and back?  

Thanks.

On 1/31/2024 at 1:47 PM, Charles4515 said:

Jobson’s Cove is another possibility. Protected and no surf. No amenities. You could take a taxi or #7 bus and probably would have to take a #7/bus back. 

 

Thank you!

3 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

You would need to take a taxi or a #7 public bus and you probably would have to take the #7 bus back but don’t take a 5 or 7 year old to Church Bay. The surf is too rough. I think for that age group Horseshoe Bay is best for an 8am to 4pm day. If you are there when the ferries to St George are running you could do Tobacco Bay. 

Thank you!  Good to know on the waves for Church Bay.

From my other post, I think Tobacco Bay/St. George maybe difficult given the short port time :-(.  We like Horseshoe Bay, so may end up there if we don't have other options.

Thanks again!

Hi,

We will be on Royal Caribbean ship with a short stop in Bermuda (8:00am - 4:00pm).  I am looking into Church Bay - some Google reviews said decent snorkeling spot. 

Has anyone been to Church Bay recently?  What's the best way to get there? Will there be shuttle or buses to go there?  If shuttle, will we be able to get the return shuttle at Church Bay, or do we need to go Horseshoe or some bigger landmark? 

What's your experience at Church Bay?  From the Google pictures, there's a staircase going down to the bay.  How bad is the trek down and back?  We will have a 5 year old and a 2 year old with us.  

Besides Church Bay, what other locations and activities do you recommend?  We have been to Horseshoe Bay, prefer to go somewhere new.  

Thanks!

30 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

Agree with horseman on all points. Just don't fall into the trap of Snorkel Beach in the Dockyard itself-- manmade beach and not a great place to swim or snorkel despite its name. 

Thanks!  

27 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

If the 2024 ferry schedule is the same as 2023's the first ferry leaving Dockyard will be at 9:45 and arrive in St. George's at about 10:30. You would have to return on the ferry departing St. George's at 2 pm, which realistically about 3 hours there. So, no...slow walks, lunch and Tobacco Bay wouldn't work out well.

Ugh.  Thank you!

Just now, princeton123211 said:

Your're correct in that you might not be off the ship til 9am. Your whole port stop is only 8 hours at at a very minimum 2 hours of that will be dedicated to boarding and riding the ferry to St Georges and you won't want to take the last ferry back so in reality you are looking at only 2-3 decent hours in St Georges. 

Thank you!  That really helps with planning.

3 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

There is enough time for everything there except the word "relax". It's a fairly busy day-- you can catch the ferry direct to St Georges depending on the time of year. The Orange route runs April to November and takes about 45 minutes each way so there's basically 2 hours gone. The complimentary NCL ferry runs whenever an NCL ship is there regardless of the time of year. 

 

If you want to see St George's go for it but just know your time at Tobacco Bay, keeping in mind the buffer you'll need to build in to make sure you get back to the ship, your time there will be briefer than you want. If you want a relaxing day at the beach I would just head to Horseshoe Bay. 

Thank you!  We did Horseshoe Bay 2 years ago, and wanted to try something different and want to snorkel.  Now thinking about just go to Tobacco Bay with slow walks between the ferry stop and Tobacco Bay.  Would it still be not relaxed. 

Any other snorkeling spots we should consider, easier/faster to get to from Royal Naval Dock?

3 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

You can do a rushed visit in that time frame if ferries are running between Dockyard and St. George's . (I'm assuming you won't want to pay about $200 for taxis to get you to and from St. George's). "Relaxed" won't be part of the experience as you won't have a lot of time to spend at Tobacco Bay.

 

What ship will you be sailing and when will you be in Bermuda? There's no public ferry service to St. George's during the offseason and it won't resume until late April or early May. However, if you're on NCL they have private tender service for their passengers.

It is Royal Caribbean, I think Bermuda stop is on 5/25/2024.  Will it still be rushed if we just do Tobacco Bay/lunch, with slow walks between the port and Tobacco Bay?

I am currently considering a cruise that has a stop in Bermuda from 8:00am - 4:00pm.  Is that enough time to go to St. George, relax at Tobacco Bay, have lunch, check out the forts, and walk around the town?  I am going to assume that we don't actually get off the ship until around 9am - my last cruise stopped in Bermuda was about 1 hour late.

Thanks