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West Indies Explorer Itinerary


Cyber Kat
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My DH and I are booked on the Viking Sea for this itinerary in March of 2018. I set up a roll call but while I wait for others to join me, I'd love to chat with others doing the same itinerary regardless of which ship you're on.

 

I want to talk about the ports and the excursions, mostly. With few exceptions these will be new ports for me and all new for DH. I've been to San Juan, St Thomas and Tortola before. In San Juan, my sister and I just walked around a bit. We didn't do any excursions (Carnival). In St Thomas, we went to Megan's Bay and did some shopping in Charlotte Amalie. In Tortola we went to Cane Garden Bay.

 

DH and I want to do the horseback ride into the rainforest in San Juan. I want to go to St John from St Thomas and Virgin Gorda from Tortola. In St Maarten I want to go to Maho beach and watch the planes land :D

 

So have you done this cruise? What did you do? What did you like or dislike? If you are planning on it as we are, what do you want to do. What's on your wishlist?

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I'm not doing this cruise, but read it out of curiosity. We've been to all of those ports on Oceania or Celebrity, but it sounds like you have to, so I won't comment on those.

 

I did notice you want to go to Maho Beach when you're in St. Maarten. I did that, and it was fun. Are you aware of the webcam for the beach? I'd watch that before you go. The huge KLM only comes in on certain days, so look it up (preferably for correct season, since it seems to only go in the summer - perhaps because Europeans tends to vacation more in summer than other times).

 

If you have a camera, be very careful. I watched and photographed from the side of the Sunset Bar - not as exciting as being on the beach, but much, much better for a camera, especially when big planes are leaving.

 

http://www.mahobeachcam.com should get you to the web cam. Turn up the volume so you can hear the air traffic controllers, click the "Arrivals" and "Departures" tabs to see what's coming or going soon, and go down to bottom map to see planes headed to St. Maarten.

We rented a car while there and drove around a bit to French side (less commercial) as well as the beach stop. My husband spent an hour at a nearby casino while I waited for planes.

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I'm not doing this cruise, but read it out of curiosity. We've been to all of those ports on Oceania or Celebrity, but it sounds like you have to, so I won't comment on those.

 

 

 

I did notice you want to go to Maho Beach when you're in St. Maarten. I did that, and it was fun. Are you aware of the webcam for the beach? I'd watch that before you go. The huge KLM only comes in on certain days, so look it up (preferably for correct season, since it seems to only go in the summer - perhaps because Europeans tends to vacation more in summer than other times).

 

 

 

If you have a camera, be very careful. I watched and photographed from the side of the Sunset Bar - not as exciting as being on the beach, but much, much better for a camera, especially when big planes are leaving.

 

 

 

http://www.mahobeachcam.com should get you to the web cam. Turn up the volume so you can hear the air traffic controllers, click the "Arrivals" and "Departures" tabs to see what's coming or going soon, and go down to bottom map to see planes headed to St. Maarten.

 

We rented a car while there and drove around a bit to French side (less commercial) as well as the beach stop. My husband spent an hour at a nearby casino while I waited for planes.

 

 

Thank you so much for the info on Maho beach. I figured there were some times that were more optimal than others. I hoped to be able to find a schedule. Good tip about the camera. I did hope to get pictures. I'll have to remember to bring my waterproof case [emoji16]. Should protect against sandblasting.

 

I will definitely check out the webcam!

 

 

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My wife and I just returned from the 'Star' from the West Indies cruise. A first in the Caribbean for both of us, although our second cruise on this ship.

 

We took most all the 'included' tours which most all amounted to driving you around their island to scenic overlooks as they tell you about the history of the place. Enjoyable for the most part to give a broad general overview of the island we were at, but honestly after 6 or 7 ports with similar itineraries, it gets a little of the "same ol, same ol" feeling.

 

What we enjoyed most was, feeding the stingrays & snorkeling with the turtles & shipwreck. The snorkeling in St. Martin (I believe) is very close to the beach where the planes come in low.

 

Also ask about the tour of the Bridge. It's not well publicized and groups are (understandably) limited, but very interesting. Ask once you board.

 

My general thought is if you have no experience in 'the islands' like us, the included island tours is a great introduction. For those with experience, you might want to do something else.

 

Just my 2 cents worth of experience on this cruise.

We loved it and I hope you do too!

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My wife and I just returned from the 'Star' from the West Indies cruise. A first in the Caribbean for both of us, although our second cruise on this ship.

 

We took most all the 'included' tours which most all amounted to driving you around their island to scenic overlooks as they tell you about the history of the place. Enjoyable for the most part to give a broad general overview of the island we were at, but honestly after 6 or 7 ports with similar itineraries, it gets a little of the "same ol, same ol" feeling.

 

What we enjoyed most was, feeding the stingrays & snorkeling with the turtles & shipwreck. The snorkeling in St. Martin (I believe) is very close to the beach where the planes come in low.

 

Also ask about the tour of the Bridge. It's not well publicized and groups are (understandably) limited, but very interesting. Ask once you board.

 

My general thought is if you have no experience in 'the islands' like us, the included island tours is a great introduction. For those with experience, you might want to do something else.

 

Just my 2 cents worth of experience on this cruise.

We loved it and I hope you do too!

 

Thanks! I've been to some of the islands, but my husband has not. I think for some of the new islands for both of us we will do the included tour. On others, I'm looking at some of the optional tours. Probably won't venture off on our own much, especially on the islands we are not familiar with. I'm also trying to decide which ones to skip - I'd like to spend some time on the ship also. I love sea days and that's one of the things I will miss. I would have liked at least one! Maybe Viking is reading ;)

 

Thanks for the tip about the Bridge tour - I'll have to look into that. We enjoyed the one on our river cruise!

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Dear Cyber Kat,

 

We are always open to feedback and appreciate your suggestion to add a sea day to this itinerary.

 

Although we find that the desire for more time at sea is subjective, we will be sure to consider your feedback.

 

Looking forward to cruising with you again!

 

Best regards,

Viking Cruises

 

Thanks! I've been to some of the islands, but my husband has not. I think for some of the new islands for both of us we will do the included tour. On others, I'm looking at some of the optional tours. Probably won't venture off on our own much, especially on the islands we are not familiar with. I'm also trying to decide which ones to skip - I'd like to spend some time on the ship also. I love sea days and that's one of the things I will miss. I would have liked at least one! Maybe Viking is reading ;)

 

Thanks for the tip about the Bridge tour - I'll have to look into that. We enjoyed the one on our river cruise!

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Wow! I don't like sea days much, so I hope Viking reads this and my vote cancels out your vote for more of them!

 

When you're used to cruising in Europe, I think going to the Caribbean (West Indies) can easily be a letdown. There's only so much you can do and see as a tourist, especially if you're not particularly into going to beaches.

 

I'll give you my two cents on which day to stay on the ship. I've been to St. Thomas, Tortola, San Juan, Virgin Gorda and St. Martin. I felt St. Thomas was beautiful but over-crowded with tourists. On our first trip, I took one of those little tourist train tours, but it was only so-so. On the second, I took the ferry over to St. John (St. John's?). That was better, but in the end there wasn't much sightseeing, just a calmer beach atmosphere, so it was a nice but not fabulous day. Our cruise stopped in Virgin Gorda for a day, so of course we went to the Baths. It was quite different and so that was a fun stop. We were also in Tortola. We rented a jeep and drove around the island, ending up with a flat tire on the top of a high hill. There wasn't a whole lot to see and do there, but we enjoyed the day until we barely made it back to the ship on time due to the flat tire! My favorite Caribbean stops have been Puerto Rico (I just love the photography there), St. Barts (very different, plus little planes that REALLY go right over your head) and Barbados (beautiful shore drive with sea stacks, with a few modest tourist attractions). I liked Grenada a lot too. Antigua has a decent number of halfway interesting places for sightseeing. St. Martin was fun because of Maho Beach, but overall it's not a favorite. Some people like Cayman Islands because they're a little more upscale than most Caribbean destinations. We were too cheap to do the stingray and turtle excursions, but I think most people enjoy them quite a bit!

 

But going back to the choices you have on your cruise, if you're looking for one port in which to just stay on the ship and chill, I would suggest St. Thomas. I really looked for things to do when I was there, but didn't find much. The overlook is nice, and the island is beautiful, but in the end, I wanted more. St. John (or St. John's?) is nice but again, nothing truly special. In Tortola, DO go to Virgin Gorda if there's time.

 

If my pictures from all the places you'll visit were all together in one place, I'd provide a link so you could see more of what we did. However, I think we visited the places I mentioned above on two or 3 different cruises, so it's not that simple.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

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It always fascinates me on how different we all are! St. Thomas was our very favorite island and lead our choice for which island we would want to return to. It was our last stop on the cruise and after having such difficulties with the Viking shore excursions, we joined forces with another couple and did our own thing on St Thomas. It was our very best day of the cruise.

 

Our best Viking shore excursion was St. Lucia by Land and Sea, easily recommended. It was a long day, but a well paced excursion, with plenty of variety including a stop at the Mud Springs for the most fun you will ever have bathing in the mud - fabulous! We also found the island to be absolutely gorgeous.

 

Second best excursion for us was on Guadeloupe and it was the hike to Carbet Falls. It is demanding so unless you are good with a long hike on imperfect terrain, it might not be for you. If you are good with that though, the rainforest and falls are breathtaking. Word was, however, that the complimentary bus tour/shore excursion was a complete nightmare here and was all the talk that afternoon and evening.

 

Our least favorite island was St Kitts. We did the complimentary bus tour shore excursion in the morning and though short, we found it long and boring. In the afternoon, we paid for the Nature Kayak shore excursion and it was, without a doubt, the very worst shore excursion that either of us have ever taken ever.

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We have been to the West Indies islands on many occasions, so we chose their new itinerary of Caribbean and South America. It looks like an interesting trip and we never went to South America . Hoping that cruisers in 2017 will be able to let us know what to expect

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  • 6 months later...

Hello!

 

My husband and I are booked on the Viking Sea for the West Indies itinerary in October 2017. Can you tell me a little about the kinds of vehicles used for the "included" shore excursions? If you happen to have any pictures that would be even better.

 

My husband is disabled with limited mobility and I am trying to determine if he will be able to do the included excursions or if I should start looking for private tours in each port.

 

Thanks in advance!

My wife and I just returned from the 'Star' from the West Indies cruise. A first in the Caribbean for both of us, although our second cruise on this ship.

 

We took most all the 'included' tours which most all amounted to driving you around their island to scenic overlooks as they tell you about the history of the place. Enjoyable for the most part to give a broad general overview of the island we were at, but honestly after 6 or 7 ports with similar itineraries, it gets a little of the "same ol, same ol" feeling.

 

What we enjoyed most was, feeding the stingrays & snorkeling with the turtles & shipwreck. The snorkeling in St. Martin (I believe) is very close to the beach where the planes come in low.

 

Also ask about the tour of the Bridge. It's not well publicized and groups are (understandably) limited, but very interesting. Ask once you board.

 

My general thought is if you have no experience in 'the islands' like us, the included island tours is a great introduction. For those with experience, you might want to do something else.

 

Just my 2 cents worth of experience on this cruise.

We loved it and I hope you do too!

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Hello!

 

My husband and I are booked on the Viking Sea for the West Indies itinerary in October 2017. Can you tell me a little about the kinds of vehicles used for the "included" shore excursions? If you happen to have any pictures that would be even better.

 

My husband is disabled with limited mobility and I am trying to determine if he will be able to do the included excursions or if I should start looking for private tours in each port.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

For this, I would talk to Viking directly. They will have the most accurate and up-to-date information. E-mail them at tellus@vikingcruises.com with your questions and they will find the right person to answer your questions.

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Hi

 

When I checked with Viking, I was told that they didn't have any vehicle that could accommodate a person in a wheelchair, like my wife.

 

I have asked my TA how Viking will handle. No response as of yet.

 

Of course we don't leave until, 2019, and things can change.

 

Howard

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

My wife and I did the Viking West Indies tour in February 2017 aboard the Star. To be honest, after a while all the islands tended to look the same. We opted for some of the "out of the ordinary" excursions. We especially enjoyed the Barbados Photo Adventure Tour, the Aerial Tram above the rainforest in St. Lucia, the Mystic II catamaran cruise with grilled lobster lunch in Antigua, and snorkling in St. Maarten.

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  • 1 month later...

Thought I’d give this a little bump. So much going on with these poor islands that got hit by the hurricanes.

 

We aren’t sailing until March 2018 so I think San Juan will be okay for ships. There is a Royal Caribbean ship sailing from there today and it seems like things are going well so far. People have reported that their trips through the airport were problem free.

 

I’ve been reading that a number of hotels have reopened or will reopen shortly. We have reservations at El Convento and they have been posting on their Facebook and Twitter pages that they only had minor damage and all is well - or will be shortly.

 

St Thomas and St Maarten have reported that they are doing a big push to get ready to bring tourists back. They really do need the income stream. If I can help, that’s great!

 

Not sure about poor Tortola. I haven’t read much about their efforts.

 

But all the other islands on the itinerary seem to have only gotten a glancing blow so they should be fine.

 

I’m really looking forward to this cruise and would love to continue to hear from those who have done it.

 

Thanks for all the responses so far! Keep ‘em coming, please!

 

 

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Thanks for the updates.

Viking also sent an updated email for our sailing March 27,2018.

I think the first Viking ship will be in San Juan on Oct 27.

Hope some posters do a live update during their sailings from there in the coming months.

Now , the mystery is for our sailing: will we be disembarking in Spain or the new state of Catalonia in April .:)

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We’re on this same cruise. Been wondering how Barcelona will be...the Catalonians and Basques are folks with history and gumption. We will be traveling to northern Spain after this cruise so I can retrace some larger cities from my Camino pilgrimage—Basques posted signs that we were not in Spain but rather in Basque Country!

 

 

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We’re on this same cruise. Been wondering how Barcelona will be...the Catalonians and Basques are folks with history and gumption. We will be traveling to northern Spain after this cruise so I can retrace some larger cities from my Camino pilgrimage—Basques posted signs that we were not in Spain but rather in Basque Country!

 

 

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WOW, you did the Camino! I have three friends who walked the whole length from France.

I have been to Barcelona many times and love the Basque region too. they are indeed hearty folks and very hospitable too.

Was there on a 15 day cruise around Iberian Pennisula a year ago.

Went on a long day excursion out of Bilbao along the coast with a private guide. Lovely Basque fishing villages and stopped at Gurnicka( sp?)to see the Picaaso mural of his most famous painting.

If I was younger, I would live in Northern Spain .

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Question for those who have done this itinerary or something similar. What did you do about the different currencies? Seems like we have several to deal with Caribbean dollars, Euros, Barbados dollars and US dollars. We will mostly use credit cards, but I'm wondering about small purchases. With all they have been through on some of these islands, I'd like to help the locals by buying crafts and local goods. Do they take US dollars? Will it be a problem for them? Normally, I'd get local currency, but we are only going to be in each port one day, so we won't need much.

 

Also we are sailing from and returning to San Juan. Do we go through customs there on return. It's not really an international flight. If we make to to St Thomas, I know we will want to get some cognac (got great prices the last time). IIRC that was duty free.

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I haven't been to the Caribbean on Viking, and am not much of a shopper. However, I have been to the Caribbean on several cruises (various ports) so can maybe help you a tiny bit. As I said, I'm not much of a shopper, but from what I've read, it isn't really necessary to get local currency for each country/island you visit. I would probably just take American bills, but small ones to make it easier for everyone involved. You may get change back in local money, but unless your purchase is large, it won't really matter. I never use U.S. change in a foreign country, as I assume it's impossible for the vendor to exchange that back into local money, but I really don't know. Perhaps the locals get so much U.S. (and possibly euros) that they're able to make change or exchange among each other, but I just figure it's best to just use small bills and keep it simple.

 

Generally, it seems like the first U.S. city that you fly out of or through on a return trip, whether it be in the Caribbean or Europe, is where you'll go through immigration/passport check, and perhaps Customs check as well. But I really don't know how each situation/itinerary is handled, even though we DID fly and cruise from San Juan once on another cruise line. Hopefully someone else will chime in and tell you more. If not, you could probably ask the flight question in the "Ports of Call" section and get an answer.

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Question for those who have done this itinerary or something similar. What did you do about the different currencies? Seems like we have several to deal with Caribbean dollars, Euros, Barbados dollars and US dollars. We will mostly use credit cards, but I'm wondering about small purchases. With all they have been through on some of these islands, I'd like to help the locals by buying crafts and local goods. Do they take US dollars? Will it be a problem for them? Normally, I'd get local currency, but we are only going to be in each port one day, so we won't need much.

 

Also we are sailing from and returning to San Juan. Do we go through customs there on return. It's not really an international flight. If we make to to St Thomas, I know we will want to get some cognac (got great prices the last time). IIRC that was duty free.

 

 

I go to the Caribbean every winter, not sure if you’re american or from UK. I’m from America and I can tell you that I use dollars for small purchases. They are use to dealing with Americans. For large purchases at the stores , I use credit cards. I’ve never seen people using euros to make purchases though so I don’t know if that would be acceptable. As for traveling, you show your passport when you go through security, if your plane lands in jfk or another American airport then yes, you go through immigration before getting to the next European plane.

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I go to the Caribbean every winter, not sure if you’re american or from UK. I’m from America and I can tell you that I use dollars for small purchases. They are use to dealing with Americans. For large purchases at the stores , I use credit cards. I’ve never seen people using euros to make purchases though so I don’t know if that would be acceptable. As for traveling, you show your passport when you go through security, if your plane lands in jfk or another American airport then yes, you go through immigration before getting to the next European plane.

 

Thanks - we're American. We go to Bermuda all the time and they take US dollars in an even exchange. We also used US dollars in the Bahamas, but I wasn't sure about some of the other Caribbean islands. I can do small bills.

 

We will be sailing from and returning to San Juan on the cruise. We will fly to San Juan from JFK and return there. I'm thinking that we will go through US customs before leaving the port like we do in NY and Baltimore when we return on cruises there, but I just wanted to be sure. I'm OCD when it comes to trip details. I want it all planned for ahead of time. If we go through customs at the pier in San Juan, I can put the booze in the checked luggage with no issues.

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