Angelsea57

Nice find! Looks great to me.:D

 

Can't wait to hear what the new parking daily rate will be!;) $25.00 a day??::eek:

Same here. LOL

This has been fantastic!!

I forgot how beautiful the ship Jewels was.

And the pictures of the food are making me hungry, everything looks

so yummy. The beaches are so inviting, and so beautiful.

Thank you for your time, for I know this is a lot of work.

Quantum is waiting!! LOL

Did you guys see this? A rendering of the new cruise port at Port Liberty

 

This is awesome!!

Hope it comes to reality soon. :-)

Keep the information coming you all, very interesting.

It is making me very anxious about cruising Quantum in

2015 :-)

Thank you!!

Maybe more $$$ for a fancier name!!:p

Agree..

:-)

Good to know all this information. Thank you.

Also I think for being in Bermuda, it's not too expensive.

Got to try it the next time we visit Bermuda.

WOW, amazing pictures and postings.

I really enjoyed reading them.

You did a fantastic job, I know this is a lot of work,

Thank you!!

Battery operated lights held on with magnets!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alinnj,

Thanks for sharing those photos. Just love your decorations.

Must of our cruises have been in the month of December. Since we love to decorate

for Christmas, it does not matter with us when we decorate, may it be early

December or late December we always decorate our cabin and door.

We have done a small Christmas wreath, lights, large Christmas stocking, magnets.

plastic poinsettias, the list goes on. Anything we can find festive we bring.

It's so much fun decorating the cabin.

.

Are the Promenade Stateroom's noisy? Looking at Deck 7 for family.

We stayed in one of the promenade cabins, deck seven, a few years ago on the Explorer,

our cabin was in the middle of the promenade, did not encounter any problems with noise, Windows were seal shut so no problem there. Loved this type of cabin because we were able to watch

the parades and the 70,80's shows at night from our cabin. Made us feel like we had front row seats for the shows. Very nice view.

The beaches of the BVI are indeed beautiful and this thread is meant to provide brief descriptons and comparisons of the beaches for those new to the islands, and to allow others to add their experiences and descriptions. For those wanting a gorgeous beach with some amenities and no crowd there is not one beach that fits that criteria anywhere, of course. But there are several excellent options to choose from in the BVI, and all BVI beaches are free and open to the public.

 

Tortola -

Cane Garden Bay (CGB) on the northwest side of Tortola is the primary beach destination for cruisers because of the amenities it offers. It is a nice beach in a larger bay that is generally calm but can be wavier with sea swells as with most beaches. CGB is home to several beach bars/restaurants including Myett's, Stanley's (now cousin Tony's), the Elms, Rymers, Big Banana, and Quito's. Quito Rymer is a popular reggae/island recording artist who plays at his bar Thurs & Fri evenings, not to be missed if you have the opportunity. All of these spots have good bar food and drinks and Myett's and others rent lounges.

 

CGB becomes the most crowded bay in the BVI when cruise ships are docked in Tortola, and if you like a busier or more active vibe CGB is your best choice. Good beer, drink and food choices, as well as some watersports rentals and a water taxi to Jost. There is also taxi service available if you decide CGB is not for you and you want to go to a quieter beach (see below).

 

Brewers Bay is just to the north of CGB and is a nice beach with great snorkeling, Nicole's beach bar serves drinks and food and rents chairs. Brewers is between CGB and SC in terms of the number of people.

 

Josiah's Bay lies to the north of Brewer's and is a nice beach with rougher water, very popular with surfers.

 

Smuggler's Cove is south of CGB and is one of the most beautiful and natural Tortola beaches with calm waves and offers great snorkeling off the beach and gorgeous views of Jost and Sandy Cay. There are currently no vendors at SC so you need to pack a picnic. Smuggler's is a little harder to drive to because of an unpaved and bumpy road for the last mile or so and the fare is a little higher than CGB or Brewer's. And there are just portapotties and no fixed facilities (yet). So it gets less of the crowds and attracts more locals and that's the beauty of Smuggler's. The best spot to enjoy a beautiful beach without the crowd of CGB. You'll need the taxi driver to return to pick you up here.

 

You will pass Long Bay (Tortola) on the way to Smuggler's and that is a long, beautiful stretch of sand you'll see on picture postcards. Great spot to walk, picnic, or enjoy watching the pelicans dive. Home of the Long Bay Resort which offers day passes and has a small swim-up bar and is a very nice resort. The $20 day pass is for the use of their small pool and pool bar, for $45 you get a burger and 2 drinks.

 

Long Bay (Beef Island) is a very nice beach locals go to near the airport, very natural with no facilities or amenities.

 

Trellis Bay near Long Bay Beef is a popular mooring bay with some fun bars and evening fire shows. Many folks who fly directly into EIS (Beef Island airport) will walk to Trellis to enjoy their first cocktail at De Loose Mongoose bar - "You have arrived!". But the beach isn't as nice as the others mentioned.

 

Here's a http://www.skyviews.com/bviold/tortola/map.htmlmap of Tortola for reference.

 

Jost Van Dyke -

White Bay on Jost Van Dyke (JVD) is a nice, white sand beach with several beach bars. There's often a busier vibe during the day because a flotilla of cats and motor boats stop there throughout the day to enjoy the scene. It can be a busy vibe along the beach so White Bay is not recommended as a destination for those wanting to enjoy nature and a quiet, relaxing beach. But it can also be quieter, just depends on the day. It is a great spot to enjoy drinks at the Soggy $, Ivan's Stress Free Bar, or be entertained by the magic and card tricks of Seddy (Foxy's son) at his One Love Bar. And you can find good music in the afternoon and evening from Rubin Chinnery at Ivan's on Thursday I believe. It gets quiet at night and is a great place to stay if you want dark skies and quieter nights.

 

Great Harbor is over the hill and home to Foxy's and other places. Foxy's is a fun place to enjoy, the owner (Foxy Callwood) plays guitar and entertains with his stories. This is a very popular spot for New Years Eve as well. Great Harbor does not have the nice beach like White Bay but is a good spot for mooring and is where the West End, Tortola and USVI ferries dock.

 

Virgin Gorda -

There are also nice beaches on Virgin Gorda like Savannah and Spring Bay, and of course the famous Baths are bvery unique and worth a visit for those who have yet to experience them. Everything is within a short drive in the Valley which makes it easy to see this part of VG. The easiest way there is on your own, just walk to the ferry to the left of the cruise ship dock and take the 30 min ferry to Spanishtown, Virgin Gorda. You find many taxis available for the short ride to the top of the Baths, you will walk down a trail to get to the beach and the boulders. The drivers will recommend a time to be back at the top for your return to Road Town. There are 2 ferry services (Speedy's and Smith's), and because they have different schedules you can often spend more time on VG by taking one over and the other back but it will cost $10 more per person. If time allows you can have lunch at the Top of the Baths restaurant or even taxi to the Mineshaft Café to enjoy the panoramic view and their signature drink the Cave In - "It's all in the Juice, mon!". Also a little shopping available in Spanishtown a short walk from the ferry dock.

 

Anegada -

The beaches of Anegada are also gorgeous, this is a flat island as compared to the others and is a bit far away for a cruise ship stop but worth a visit if you return for a longer stay.

 

So the islands of the BVI offer several options for beach-goers, just depends on the experience you want to have. For a more active vibe hit CGB or White Bay, and for snorkeling or a less busy vibe try Smuggler's or Brewers (or Josiah's and Long Bay, Beef Island for a more secluded spot).

And be sure to treat the beaches and other areas with respect and pick up after yourselves, the folks who live there will be very appreciative. The beaches will also be as pristene as you remember them when you return to spend more time in the beautiful BVI!

 

Enjoy your time in our favorite islands and be sure to post your favorite experiences here too! :)

Great info thank you so much.

Thanks for the post.

Very informative.

Going miss Jimmy Rhodes, pretty funny guy, so is

Richard Spacey .

I'll make you a deal: Buy me a cruise on a ship with a zip line and I'll do it :D;)

Sure, I will have to win the lottery first. LOL

Remember the part about me not getting along with heights?

Lowry doesn't have a problem with them. He wanted to impress me and went on the Zip Line.

 

 

 

 

Now if we had been dating for a few months I would've probably been starry-eyed and fascinated by his courage.

After almost nine years together of which four years married, I just wanted to strangle him for nearly giving me a bloody heart attack!!

(I guess that was his payback from the "dress around my ears"-incident on Day 1...)

 

Show-off.

 

I had to calm nerves with a glass of wine (I have many nerves and they all needed to be calmed down). We had a tapas lunch at Vintages in Central Park. The tortilla and paprika aioli were absolutely delicious. Cab croquetas and veggies were also nice, as was the red wine. It wash alsho veerry shhoothing on my nervesh.

 

I'm the same way. Very scare of height. But guess what, I tried it and since the

ride is so short, it was done quick and it was so much fun. (I was scared to death, believe me) LOL

Got to try it the next time around.

It is a mighty feeling watching them getting closer and flying by. Definitely worth a visit, but do stay away from the fence and planes taking off. Jet blast is not like a big hair dryer (unless you have one that might throw you into the concrete fence head first). People have been hurt. (I think it's called "natural selection". Sorry, but it is.)

 

 

Lowry was as happy as he got on this vacation. He took some great photos while we were there.

 

 

 

We didn't get to see the big jets coming in as we had to leave early.

We are coming back to St Maarten on the Jewel in May and then we get to stay longer on this amazing spot with the loveliest turquoise water (no, of course I didn't pick my dress by chance :rolleyes:).

 

 

Phillipsburg is a very pretty town and I'd definitely like to explore the shopping some day.

 

Thanks, great post and photos.

This is Maho beach, when we were there we sow lots of people holding on to

the fence. Crazy!!

Host Faith,

Did your husband try the zip line??

Just curious. We did and loved it.

Thank you!!

You did a great job with this report.

I know it's a lot of work. Thanks.

I know exactly how you feel about Allure.

Now you have to try Oasis. Basically the same ship, but the shows

are different. We have been on both. They are amazing ships,

and the shows, food, entertainment and activities like no other ship, just

amazing.

"Congratulations on the news about the baby".

Perhaps I misunderstood but after reading all the postings by folks on all the threads about new menus and the fact that they brought in special staff and chefs and that the MDR staff was aphrenshive .... it sounded like some big food changes beside the presentation of the paper menus.. :rolleyes:

Agree..

Thank you , thank you,

for taking your time to post this.

There were a lot of us waiting to hear the news.

The new menus are wonderful.

Can't wait to cruise!!

Such nice photos thanks!!

Is that a pastrami sandwich??

We were on the Oasis about a year ago and can't wait to do it again.

Send me an email @ cruzqueen@verizon.net and I will send you the copy you requested. Put the words Slot Pull in the Title line please.

Thank you very much Ann.

I will contact you today.

Very helpful with your info.

Ann same here,

I'm interested on a spread sheet but don't want to post the email

address. Please let me know how to go about it.

Thanks.

To quote Dr. Suess:

 

I do not like the hats,

I do not like the frames,

I do not like the nuts or fruit or some of their silly games

 

But I do like the sun,

I do like the sea,

And I do like the way RCI answers it royally

 

The ships are luscious,

The food delicious,

So don’t be a hater,

Let RCI cater

 

The sea is calling,

So quit your balling

 

Enjoy your cruise,

Each and every one of you!

 

 

:p:D

Too cute..

If you're going to Falmouth and looking for an easy, cheap beach day, look into the Chucka Beach Break. It can only be booked through the cruise line (with or without lunch) and it was a really pleasant surprise. It was only $29 including transportation, we felt safe, the beach was beautiful, the only downside was the uncomfortable (free) beach chairs, which were alright after you covered them with towels.

 

For the price, you cannot beat it. They have busses running back to the port every hour on the hour, so even though the excursion says 4 hours, you can make it anywhere from 2-6 hours. The employees were friendly, there was lots of security from outside vendors, and they have a gift shop (no pressure to buy anything though) and a cash bar.

 

My only advice is don't walk beyond the perimeters of Chukka Beach, if you do, the vendors will bombard you. They will stress this to you on the ride there.

 

Here are a few pictures from our Freedom of the Seas 5/13/2012 cruise. Let me know if you have any questions, we are definitely going back in December when go stop there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd be happy to answer any questions!

Thanks for sharing. Pictures are great.

The water looks so inviting.

Can't wait to visit again.

Thanks again for the info.

I had no problems bringing back a pound or more of sea glass from the beach onto the Dawn last summer.:)

Yeah would be nice.

Just don't bring any pink sand, the last time in Bermuda on the Explorer

they were very strict about bringing sand back to the ship. So sad,

my granddaughter wanted us to bring some for her..:(

Hi All,

Following the unbelievably huge success of my original post about the Dockyard Walking Adventure with Sea Glass, but spotting that most people ONLY want to go to the beach, here's an updated post with better pics and a traffic-free route.

This will take about twenty to twenty five minutes to walk.

 

 

As you leave the Dockyard, turn left onto Freeport Drive and look at the ship insignias painted on the walls, dating from when the Dockyard was a Navy base.

When you cross the bridge at the exit from the Dockyard area, take the right hand road - Cochrane Road.

Continue down this road. Eventually it turns sharp left and meets back up with the main road, but just before it does, there is a stand of trees with big roots. Take the little road to the right here.

Just a little way along this road is a area of grass on the right with a shelter, table and bench.

The steps down to the beach are here. There are about twenty steps.

Here's the route in pictures...

 

 

Happy Sea Glass hunting!

32N64W

Thank you.

You are keeping us very informed about this.

Very interesting, good to know.

Now I'm getting exited about visiting Bermuda again very soon.

So Beautiful!!