njrover0216

On 1/15/2019 at 10:35 PM, blue_water said:

Wow...very strange to read of that experience at Sapphire (harassed by a drunk local)! What was the nature of the harassment? Wondering if this was a condo renter perhaps? Locals are not normally on this beach. This is more typical of Coki...

 I know more and more day visitors (cruisers) are going to Sapphire, for good reason, but there are areas to get away from the main “huddle” on busy days.

 

She actually worked there. She was off that day and hanging out. When I complained to one of the workers they had said she worked there and they would have her removed. They eventually removed her. She was wasted, and just yelling out for us tourists to go back where we came from, calling people fat a$$es...on and on. We ended up going to Megan's Bay this time...very crowded...still not loving St. Thomas. 

On 2/10/2019 at 1:14 PM, GolferGal2 said:

Are there many bars along the way to do a bar hoping?  We will have DD's. LOL 

Jack's Shack is on the left right before Governor's Beach. Then head down to Pillory Beach and Bihio Beach Resort is there and they have a bar on the beach. After there head to the lighthouse and they have a bar there. Those are the three places we hit up and got drinks to go when we left. 

On 1/31/2019 at 11:36 AM, Tigergenesis said:

How recent was your experience?

3 weeks ago. 

Maxauto rentals went very easy. Our golf cart went a decent speed, another couple that was following us to the lighthouse rented from another company and had a pinkish golf cart, theirs wasn't nearly as fast as ours. 

Walk out the gate and they are waiting right there on the right side. Handed him my paper work and off we went. Very easy experience. They also gave us a small map and pointed out some tourist areas recommended. 

We went to Sapphire based on everyone's recommendations and we were harassed by a drunk local. It was very crowded and I was not super impressed with the scenery. We are trying to find a new beach to go to. If you got to Sapphire they do have a bar/food options there and snorkeling gear for rent. 

On 11/17/2018 at 1:15 PM, planmaker said:

I rented PT cruisers, an ATV and a scooter from Max for December.  He responded and this is what he had for a group of 15.  Should I be worried?

How was your experience? I rented two carts next week.

7 hours ago, pacruise804 said:

Your children are probably still sleeping in beds, walking on the cabin floor (possibly with sand from excursions), and using the rest room and shower/towels.  At the buffet someone is still clearing the tables and some stations have someone serving the food even if it isn't table service.  In your situation I would not reduce tips due to the children, but I might not tip extra to the MDR servers if you are only there once or twice or tip extra to the wait staff (a gratuity is listed on all beverage purchases).  I didn't think tips were expected at the camp, but I'm sure the counselors gladly accept them when given.

 

Costs are rising in many areas: groceries, gas, clothing, etc.  I am like a previous poster that a moderate increase in service charges doesn't bother me as much as some other charges.

Yes my children sleep in the beds and walk on the cabin floor...hence why I said I tip my room stewart directly extra money...usually $20-$40 more depending on service. I also stated we leave tip money at the buffet at the end of the week too. Camp counselors do the most work when it comes to my children in the past. This year probably not as much as they are getting older. I leave a nice tip for them directly too. 

I would love to see them charge gratuities based on the percentage of your room fare...

For our family with 2 children the auto grats have now brought us up to $392 for our total trip, which is a rate of 18% of my room cost,  that is a hefty tip tray versus a couple who pay below $200, approximately 10% of their room cost. If it were just my spouse and I, auto grats seem reasonable, and a side tip to those that we encountered more face to face. However, an auto grat of $392 for my family is a bit high. My children eat on the go, either buffet, the grill or the pizza parlor. No one is serving them at any of these establishments. My husband and I usually use the MDR 1-2 times, as we prefer a more casual dining atmosphere at the buffet. My kids spend maybe a few hours a day at camp, until they make friends and go to the water park or do other activities on the boat for them. Is it wrong for a family of 4 who do not use many of the services to reduce their gratuities to that of a couple? $180-$200. I then give an extra $10-$30 to those at the camp, our waiter, buffet staff we see often and our room steward depending on how much we used their services. This usually adds up close to $300 in tips total by the time we are done. We also tip room service, bar tenders and others above the auto grat on our checks as well. We are far from cheap, but we are reasonable. Each person has their own situation, we should not be quick to judge them and call them cheap because they reduce their auto grats. I would rather pay higher in cruise fees, and leave my own tips as I see fit, then have to cover lower wages. 

We ended up going to Sapphire Beach. I do not recommend it. The beach was crowded, the water was dingy and the local people were nasty to us. They did not like tourists invading their precious beaches. We are going to St. Thomas again in January, we are either taking the ferry over to St John's or water island.

Hi!

 

Do you have any suggestions on where to go to find great liquor prices? I'll be there on a cruise in April and again in December.

 

Thanks for your advice!:tropical-drink: :tropical-drink:

We went right there after you get off the boat. When you walk through the gates there is strip of shops on the main road. Cross the street, go to the right and the liquor store is maybe 3 stores down.

I think we paid a deposit, then paid the rest when we arrived. That was a year ago. It was a nice tour. We got to learn a lot about St. Thomas and enjoy the beach. The problem with St. Thomas is the people that live there that came from the US. They are very rude. Best liquor prices in St. Thomas.

Is the beach by turtle farm or return trip somewhere .sorry a bit confused

The turtle farm is all the way up at the end of the beach. Our plans are to head to the turtle farm, spend time there, then on the way back towards the boat stop at the beach and relax for a little while.

I would appreciate any input in regards to our stop at Grand Cayman. We are traveling with a group of 8. We plan on going to the turtle center and spending some time there, we were wondering is there still time to stop at a beach on the way back? What is the recommended mode of transportation? If we take the bus do they really run daily as their schedule states?

Can we go to the turtle center spend 2-3 hours and get to see everything, then catch the bus and stop at the beach for an hour or so, catch the bus again and get back to the boat?

Thank you! Any added feedback is appreciated as well.

This tour is less than 15 minutes long, the chocolate was horrible in my opinion, very very bitter. The tour is right there in the port. Come off the tender turn left towards the Diamond shop and it is on the right hand side.

Why not book a tour with Coral Breeze over to Caye Caulker? They can spend time on the beach and rent a golf cart to tour the island. It is better than staying on the boat.

We are going on a 7 night aboard the carnival freedom in mid-May. This will be the first time we take our kids on a cruise (they will be 5 and 10). I don't snorkel, I have an irrational fear of being untethered in the great big ocean. My 5 year old won't be able to snorkel. I've been looking at the barrier reef snorkel, shark & ray, beach stop excursion. I found a company that will allow us to pay half for non-snorkelers. I am wondering if anyone has gone on this excursion or a similar one and not snorkeled. Was it still enjoyable? Would a 5 year old still be entertained during the boat ride? Any input is very much appreciated

 

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We are considering a similiar excursion, from what I have read it depends on which beach/island they are leaving you at. A few of the beaches/islands are a very, very tiny slab of land and becomes overcrowded and uncomfortable. We are contemplating going to Caye Caulker, where there is more to see and do for us land lovers.

We are going on a cruise in July and I’m trying to plan it all out. Belize. Mahogany bay. Cozumel. Costa Maya. Need ideas on what excursions to do. Snorkel places. Swim with dolphins. Beach. Etc. Anything would be appreciated. I love to just book through a website but need suggestions where to look. Thanks.

 

 

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Cozumel- Cozumel Cruise Excursions Jeep Tours. You are able to rent a jeep with a tour guide and go around Cozumel. Lunch, snorkeling, water and beer are included in the price. We had a wonderful time. Went to the wild side of the island, tequila factory, a few beautiful beaches, snorkeling, a lighthouse, a small Mayan Ruin. Our tour guide was Marisol, she spoke excellent English!

Belize- This is going to be our second time to Belize, the first time we simply stayed in the port, too afraid to leave. After much research everyone says you have to book a tour to enjoy Belize. We are up in the air between going to Caye Caulker with a local company or to the rainforest.

Costa Maya- Nothing much to do here. I recommend getting on the trolley and go down to Mahuhaul. There are some small shops, restaurants, bars and a beach. Nice, relaxing day.

Mahogany Bay- We booked an excursion with Bodden Tours. This is our second time there and we have booked with them again. There are different tours offered. We take the one that tours the island, goes to a beach, interact with monkeys, sloths, and parrots, also ziplining.

Hope this helps! We did this same cruise a few years ago, had a wonderful time, especially MB and Cozumel.

Is there snorkeling at Governor's Beach?

If you have your own equipment yes. It is literally a beautiful beach almost to yourself! My husband snorkeled with a mask he got off Amazon for $30, he saw tons of fish and stingrays.

We have been to Goffs Caye and just returned from Rendezvous Caye (can only book this one with Carnival) and the snorkeling there was AMAZING! I highly recommend!

We are debating on going to either Goffs Cay, Caye Caulker or Rendezvous Caye. We want some shallow snorkeling, beach time and to site see a little.

This is their site. I contacted them through here. https://brenda-n-frankosfuntours.com/ You can find all of the information you are looking for there. We decided to go on the sightseeing, shopping and beach excursion, it was $40 a person. It was an open air safari bus. There was 8 from our group and then 5 other people. Our tour was 5-6 hours long. As I said there are different tours, different lengths and different adventures. All reasonably priced.

njrover0216, do you have contact information for Brenda and Franko's or info where I can look it up? Was this an open air safari bus and how many people were on the tour? Cost/length of time?

We booked with Cozumel Cruise Excursions. It was just my husband and my children and our driver, Marisol. It was around $70 a person but that included a cooler full of beer and water, a simple lunch, entrance into many places and access to a beach with snorkeling. You can choose your own itenary. We went to the "wild" side of the island, absolutely breath taking. We will be returning the end of March and doing the same thing again. You are guaranteed a driver that speaks English as well. You also have the option to drive if you would like. We also went to a rum factory, again all included in the price.

We did an island tour with a beach stop with Brenda and Franko's. They took us to all of the local sites, and the overlook was amazing. Good luck!

We used Brenda and Franko's tours.

We went to St. Thomas and we booked with Brenda and Franko's tours. They had different options. We toured the city and the major attractions, did a little bit of shopping, stopped at the overlook and then went to a beach. I will say that while St. Thomas has some beautiful sights I will never go back to that island again, I will also avoid any ship that stops there. The "imported" locals, AKA relocated Americans, are very rude to tourists. We had a drunk woman, who was from the US and moved there a few years prior call my husband horrible names just for being on the island. We were told by a true local that we had friended that it was common. The true locals are very nice and helpful. Since you are going I would recommend Brenda and Franko's tours, they will be sure to take good care of you and get you back on the boat. I would recommend asking to be dropped off downtown an hour and a half before the boat leaves. St. Thomas has some excellent shopping and liquor prices are rock bottom here.

We went there last year. We simply came out of the port and walked down to the beach. We were traveling with our 6 and 10 year old and they handled the walk fine. It is little less then a 20 minute walk. Very safe, and remote. We felt like we had a private beach all to ourselves. There were 3-4 picnic tables at the beach, there was only 5 families at this beach when we went. my husband and children were able to explore around the ship, my husband brought snorkeling gear and saw some fish. Be sure to bring some water and snacks, and enjoy the peace and quiet.