bucky0926

I am so mad at myself for not remembering. My family and I cruised on the Carnival Dream on 8/18/2012. One of the ports was Roatan but because the water was rough we docked in Coxsen (sp?) instead of the regular dock. My plan was to get off the ship and find a guide for the day. When we got off all the "guides" were there as I guess they were told of the new dock the Dream would be at. There we hired a guide whose real name to me is long forgotten. He said everyone called him Eddie Murphy because he looked like him. I have to say the resemblance wasn't all that great. But as we drove the island we weren't stopped at a light where people were not calling out to him as Eddie Murphy. We felt like everyone knew him on the island and that we were with royalty. We also asked for him to take us to a place that had a beginner scuba diving course for my son and great snorkeling for me and hubby, drinks, food, bathrooms and a non crowded beach. I wanted to go to west bay but he told me this would be better. I think he took us to West End and it fit the bill perfectly. At the end of the day after we were back in port my son hung out with him and wound up tripping and dislocating his knee. Eddie made sure he got back on the ship (I guess that big tip didn't hurt either). I am trying to get in touch with him because we are planning another cruise and I want to make sure he is available for when we go. I know this is a shot in the dark but does anyone know the guide I am talking about and how to get in touch with him? I really could kick myself for not writing down the facts and documenting. Little did I know that years later we would all still talk about this port and guide with such affection. If anyone could help it would be appreciated.

We like Cockleshell. It's farther from the cruise port and isn't nearly as crowded.

Well as it turns out the other company that offers the fly boarding never got back to me so Cockleshell wins by default. Hope the snorkeling is good....

I've been on 6 cruises before (all out of Galveston or New Orleans) and never have I felt so stressed about a cruise before this one! Trying to figure out what to do at 5 ports is stressing me out (that and the fact I'm the only veteran cruiser out of my group of 6)

 

My question is any advice what to do at the ports and which port would be the best for just walking around and seeing what you could get yourself into?...no formal excursion

 

Ports are Barbados, st marten, st kitts, st Lucia, st.. Thomas

OK I'm also sailing Liberty and have the same ports. Here is what me and my DH and DS are going to be doing. St. Thomas-Sapphire Beach Barbados-DH and DS going out on a fishing charter (I might go if the seas aren't very high). If I don't go then off to boatyard. St Lucia-Spencer Ambrose land, sea and beach tour ST Kitts-Cockelshell beach as my DS is going flyboarding there. St Maarten=UFO boats and then to little bay. DS will be going scuba diving that afternoon

Hope that has given you some ideas.

Has anyone done the ufo boat tour. If so, what was the price per person? I am looking to do this next June. Thanks for any and all input.

I have gotten in touch and was quoted prices but I think it depends on how many people are going out. Contact them especially since you are thinking of this almost a year out.

I wondered what the heck a water-ufo was. I see now it's a jet ski shaped as a saucer with a couple of keel wings and a steering wheel. Might be fun.

What you don't see is that the steering wheel is for show. You actually turn the craft by leaning. If you lean right you go right, if you lean left, then go left. I'm thinking of doing it when I'm in port in August. To me its a cross between a jet ski and a segway. All the reviews on trip advisor are pretty good.

Is there good snorkeling at great bay beach or is it just a beach?

I think Bucky only meant up to 50. so called party boats can only be a few people up here in the northeast new jersey new York areas.

 

I had seen some deep fishing tours on St. Thomas on previous princess cruises, but I have not seen them recently. I think at the time they were almost 200.00 pp.

Thank you margeg. That is exactly what I meant by party boat. In fact I read the other response to my husband about partying and we both had a good laugh. Apparently they don't have anything like this and at 200 per head that is way too expensive. Will have to look at our other ports.

Ah gotcha :) From reading trip advisor I'm on the fence about Maho and the planes myself. It seems like quite an expense to get there and back from another beach ($40 or $50 for a group) and the beach is reportedly very small and unworthy of an actual beach day. I've seen enough pictures and videos that I'm not sure it's worth the money now to see it in person either. With the scuba diving option, I'd take that over the planes too :) I looked into a scuba option at every port I'm going to but my travel companions don't feel like diving so I'm having to compromise on less fun (active) activities myself. I would probably forgo Maho and do the water activities you mentioned.

Yes from what I understand the beach is not one you want to spend all day at and I understand it gets very crowded. It is quite an expense and I keep hearing about traffic being a problem. I would hate to have to leave a place I was enjoying just to sit in traffic for an hour. If I want that I could stay in NY. Are you a certified diver? My son is not but the discover scuba option I found for him lets him see the wrecks in Little Bay and that is why he is doing it there instead of St Thomas where its an option directly from the cruise line. If you are interested its called scuba fun located at Dock Maarten.

I think that you may be in for a treat at Maho. We were there on Saturday May 23rd and we saw at least 4 large planes landing pretty much one after the other including the Air France. That was the most planes in the shortest time by far that we can remember seeing. They were all scheduled in between 1:05 and 1:40 and they all landed between that time. We were very shocked. The airport must have been very busy.:)

 

What is a water UFO and where on the island would one find that?

 

I have never had a problem with crime any where on the island. It's there though so don't make yourself a target.

 

Mullet usually is busy on the weekends as this beach is a faviorite of the islanders. The washroom is a port-o-potty. Snorkeling is meh.

 

Orient would be a good choice but I think that you would need to leave by noon to get to Maho by one.

 

Little Bay might be a good choice for what you are looking for. I hear the snorkelling is pretty good and it's a resort beach so it has everything else that you are looking for. You could leave at 12:15 and get would most likely get to Maho by 1.

 

You could also wait and eat at Sunset Bar and Grill or Guy's Driftwood Bar. These places bookend Maho beach. I have heard that the burgers at Sunset are good and that pizza is the item to choose at the Driftwood bar.

 

Give yourself plenty of time to get back to port as many tourists flying in on Saturday stay at timeshares and many of them are between the airport and the ship.

The ufo boats are the unbelievably fun object. You can find them under trip advisor as what to do in philipsburg. It looks like fun. Its a cross between a jet ski and a segway. You steer them by leaning in the direction you want to go. They have fantastic reviews and its something I want to do.

So here is the new game plan. No one is excited about Maho so its off the list. Its the UFO boats in the morning which are right by the cruise terminal. Then on to Little Bay which looks like a fantastic beach for snorkeling then back to Philipsburg to do a little shopping. My son will go dive with a shop that is right by the ufo boats dock albeit 2 hours later then when we are done. He is old enough to amuse himself for a few hours in town before his dive. Knowing all that I'm assuming I won't have to fight traffic. (Please correct me if I'm wrong). You are right I can't let what others are doing affect what we want to do. So instead of running all over the island we are staying close and doing what we want. Sorry Maho, maybe next time.

AquaMania provides at least some of the Water Sports offerings at Divi.

 

This is the only dive experience that I see that specifically mentions Divi.

 

There is contact information on their website.

 

gary

Thanks Gary. The only reason why I am interested in diving in this location is because my son is not certified yet and I heard that they had shallow wrecks. He has done like 4 dives already (3 Carribean and I middle east) but never on a wreck. I thought this would be fun for him. So although there are plenty of other intro to Scuba courses throughout the island I am specifically looking for one that can introduce beginners to wreck diving.

From what I've read recently on trip advisor, the big planes come in around 2pm, but I don't think it's every day. Someone posted a link to look at an airlines flight schedule but when I tried it didn't work. It was a large plane coming from Europe, that's all I can recall.

 

EDIT: Wait I recall it was KLM. So perhaps look online for their flight schedules coming into st Maarten.

My men (son and husband) don't seem excited to see the planes. As I stated we live in NY and in Queens which has not one but two major airports and we have seen very low planes quite often. I think I have to show them some You Tube videos so they can really understand what we are talking about here. Otherwise I think my son is more interested in scuba diving in Little Bay since they have wrecks and he has never done a wreck dive. And I have heard good things about that beach (and its very close to the cruise terminal plus it seems close to those ufo boats that I'm interested in doing since this is the only place (at least in the carribbean) that seems to have them. The problem is I am the designatied port researcher and have to give them options. Thanks both for your input. Much appreciated.

I read that they had water sports at this beach that included diving. I would like to know the name of the business or businesses that can provide diving from this beach. Thanks

OK so me, DH and 19yo son will be in St Maarten on Saturday August 29th sailing in on the Carnival Liberty. From what I have seen (if I am reading it correctly) we are the only ship in port that day. I know I want to go to a beach that has good snorkeling, a real bathroom, chairs umbrellas and a place to buy a quick simple bite (fancy lunches are not necessary). Then we want to head over to Maho to see the big planes. I'm just not sure what time we have to be a maho to see that. How bad will traffic be with just one ship in port? Orient or Marigot or Mullet Bay (even though no real bathrooms). Is crime a problem at Mullet Bay or is it just a few who actually went on Trip Advisor? I'm also looking into renting the water UFO's as it looks fun. Please help-especially with the beaches as I really don't want to have to go to back up choices as time is limited to begin with. Thanks

Do you recall the name of the rum distillery and whether this was right near where the ships dock in Bridgetown? There is a Mount Gay Rum Distillery right near the cruise docks and there is a beach right across the street. That beach is called Brandon's Beach. Our first time in Barbados was in 1992 on our first cruise and our ship was there till 10PM, so we walked down to that beach at sunset for pictures then back to the ship. At the time I didn't know the name but recently found that it was Brandons.

I think it was the Mount Gay Distillery. He kept going on the end part of the tours to get samples. LOL I don't think we traveled too far from the cruise ship so that is probably it. He also seems to remember there being a pier that people were fishing from nearby. Does that fit the bill?

When I was in Barbados many years ago my husband and I went to a beach that was right across the way from a rum diistillery. He remembers it as docs beach even though we can't find a reference to a beach with that name. Would anyone know which beach I am talking about? Thanks

bucky: People are pretty serious about fishing. There are no fishing boats that party. If you want to fish, you can check Double Header and a few others.

In NY, where I live, a fishing party boat means that there are a number of people who fish together on a boat even though they don't know each other. Instead of chartering a boat for 600 to over 1000 dollars everyone pays a small protion for access to the boat a rod and bait. The boats up here in NY can accomodate approx 50 people or so and that is why they call them a party boat. Everyone is serious abut fishing but they don't have to bear the brunt of the expense.

Does anyone know of a fishing party boat in St Thomas that can accomodate a cruise ship passenger?

Fly boarding is only offered on Cockelshell Beach, Cockelshell & South Friars are both on the Caribbean. Many people snorkel on South Friars.

There is another company called beach addiction that also offers flyboarding and they are located by the shipwreck beach bar. Knowing that which beach would you prefer?

Where do you think the better beach is? I'm looking for lounge chairs and shade (either trees or umbrellas). Best beach bar (shipwreck or reggae)? Best snorkeling (we will be there in late August so if anyone knows of seaweed problems or bug situations that would be helpful)? Best conditions to flyboard (if you don't know what it is you can google it but I'm not really sure what the best conditions are for this new sport)? I think that cockleshell is on the atlantic ocean and south friars bay is on the caribbean? Will that make a difference? Any and all opinions are appreciated.

I want to contact them before arriving. Does anyone know the name of the dive enterprise on Sapphire Beach?

We are coming in for the day by cruise ship. What the 3 of us are looking for is shade, chairs, and umbrellas if no natural shade. If the beach had great snorkeling that would be wonderful. Also would like a place where we can buy some food (sandwiches or finger food) and drinks (like water and such-we aren't liquor drinkers generally). Real bathrooms are important-no port a potties please.

Also how far are each of these beaches from the cruise ship terminal and how much should the cab fare be to each? Also is it easy enough to find a cab to get us back to the ship from either place? Any input is appreciated.

Well not me but my 19 year old son wants to try it (and if you don't know what it is just go to You tube). Thanks