blue_water

I called Best Western and Cambria, BW doesn’t allow it, Cambria charges $7/night.

Yes VT will not help… There are hotels in the ~$200 range away from the prime areas (like Cambria, BW, etc), just looking for any recs on best options for pool, locations…

Yes I forgot to include that little tidbit, thanks! This will be Monday, April 7 and Tuesday. April 8. The Riverside in Los Alos would be our choice, but friends we are traveling with prefer a less expensive option. I will book a refundable room now, and check Hyatt Place through Value Trips when they release their prices year end, but they will be a bit high as well… Cambria, for example, is~$140/night, and we can drive to see other areas and to recommended restaurants. But would like a decent place with a pool the girls would like! TIA!

We’re arriving late (midnight) pre-cruise so we will probably just choose the Best Western for that night. Post-cruise we are looking for a hotel for two nights (<~$200/night), away from the more expensive areas, with a nice pool and a decent property…We have a car and can drive to the Riverwalk and other areas… Any recommendations? How is the Cambria and the pool there? Any restaurants nearby?

We looked at that for pre-cruise, mainly for the less expensive ($7/day) parking. But the rates are much higher than the Choice and other brands… For post-cruise, how is the area Cambria is in for walkability to stores/restaurants?

Not to mention the “poop in the water” factor 🙊🙈🙉

Just an FYI, this private cat sail is full, if there are any cancellations down the road I will follow up! Thanks!

I replied to you via email Michelle Thanks!

Currently 8 couples, nice 45’ power cat with a great outfit reserved for this private, small group daysail. We have space for 1 or 2 more couples @ $88/pp! cruisingfools@yahoo.com for more details! ⛵️ 😎 ⛵️

What @Ms411 said...pesticides and human waste are the big ones in many areas.

Yes we’re probably looking at staying in the Edgewood or Danai Beach area for this lower price point. At the $300 - $400/night rate we would instead drive down to the Keys. But I think everyone would prefer a relaxing couple of days closer to the airport…

Yes with the 2nd excursion you would ferry to Virgin Gorda, taxi to the Top of the Baths, and walk down the path to the beach. So there is no swim required. The first excursion does require a longish swim into shore. Many describe the swim as very difficult…

Looking at the Best Western FLL Airport/Cruiseport for 1 night pre-cruise, looks fine for that. We plan to stay 2 - 3 nights post-cruise and I’ve been looking at recommendations here. We’d like a hotel with a nice pool in a more walkable area with restaurants and shops, and Renaissance and the RiverWalk looked great. But next April the rates are $300+ and I need to look for something closer to $200+ and sacrifice that ideal location. Value Trips for Hyatt will likely be more than our friends will want to pay as well. Our friends will have a car so we can at least drive to the RiverWalk area, if recommended, and stay further out. Any suggestions other than the Choice Hotels-type hotels? TIA

The sargassum situation can change drastically - and quickly - due to currents and wind. We’ve enjoyed gorgeous beaches in the AM (webcam confirmed no sargassum) only to have sheets of the stuff start piling up after we arrived… So just a comment that it can change that quickly, no guarantees… When the west shore is impacted, as it occasionally is, there are many unhappy land vacationed who chose Coz over the Riviera Maya to minimize that problem…🤷🏼

We researched the water taxi option to Soufriere with Shashamane, Nio Rose, and a couple others. We ended up choosing another option, but a couple things to be aware of as you research the water taxis… All of the water taxis I could find for an excursion to Soufriere had bench seating, partial cover, and no head of course. They will share photos if you ask, but you may not get that boat of course. Of the 4 or 5 I looked at Nio Rose looked best to me. We knew exactly what boat and guide we were getting with her… Good luck!

Update - Celebrity Beyond 3/28/25 Ultimate Southern Caribbean cruise - St Lucia April 1, 2025 private catamaran excursion! ⛵️ 😎 ⛵️ Currently 6 couples, nice 45’ power cat with a great outfit reserved for this private, small group daysail. We have space for a few more couples @ $88/pp! cruisingfools@yahoo.com for more details! ⛵️ 😎 ⛵️

Another good point…I remember when we were staying in SXM, Great Bay was closed for a period of time due to toxins that contaminated the bay during storms…

Yes all bays that are not fully protected by a reef or a deep inlet are prone to shifting sand and rough water when there are undesirable sea conditions or high winds…And of course the area in front of the SBRM condo buildings is all rock, with the sandy area near the beach bar. Sorry that was your experience as Sapphire is amazing on normal days 🙁

Our favorite beach bars are not “rundown”, really. Sounds more like “seedy”, “undesirable” or in a poor state, rather than a modest but maintained spot. Maybe in its day? Our favorite beach bars are also quite modest…definitely never anything to write home about as far as the structure. Many are built from driftwood left by the last hurricane. In fact many like Miss Patricia’s place in Smuggler’s Cove, Tortola, or other bars in Mexico and Belize are actually not bars at all, just stands that the owner drags his stuff to everyday! But they aren’t dirty or being “let go”, and the owner takes care of us. So this may be just semantics, but I just wanted to chime in on @negn’s behalf…😄

No worries! In fact I wanted our friend to join here and research past feedback on the costs vs inconveniences of the various parking options…I may end up doing that!

I was just giving blackfly info I’d learned with a few quick phone calls… But yes, they are researching the hotel/self-park/RightWay/Park n Go options.…

We are flying in so have no need for a Park & Sail hotel option. But I checked for friends who are driving in. Most hotels I contacted do not offer this feature - parking is available only to guests staying there. I did find a couple that offer parking - Four Points Sheraton - $7/night Cambria Suites - $10/night Others I called with no parking - Best Western FLL airport/cruiseport Comfort Suites Sleep Inn

Thanks! I did contact Billy Bones, they have one option, a private powerboat for up to 10 ppl, cost is ~$185/pp with a full compliment. Open bar, snorkel gear, we buy lunch. The ferry looks to be ~$78 USD/pp with the Anguilla departure tax, giving us just 3 hrs there…Just a tease! I guess we’ll just head to our favorite SXM beach ☺️ Thanks! 🙏

We know from staying on St Maarten and St Martin that there are reputable independent outfits that provide full-day excursions to Anguilla. Can you recommend any that provide half-day excursions or that cater to cruise passengers. Short 7AM - 5PM port time…

Friends who have been recently are not concerned as drivers routinely return at a specified time for them and others. So even if Patricia can’t call you should be fine. And with the Long Bay Resort being so close I would not be worried as long as you give yourself time. And I know that if you saw a private driver they would stop for you as it is a very friendly island 😉 Enjoy your time there!