Windspirit St. Martin/BVI Shore Excursions

[B_and_B]

We are first time cruisers headed out of St. Martin on the Windspirit on March 6th to St. Kitts, Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, and St. Barts. I notice they don't go to the usual cruise ship ports. What is it like when in port if you don't go ashore and instead hang out on the ship and enjoy their water sports? Are there better ports of call on which to do that vs. where we'd definitely want to go ashore with a ship shore excursion or on our own? We love to snorkel and sail and wonder about the quality and value of the ship's shore excursions vs. doing your own thing locally vs. staying with the ship. Also, would like your feedback on non-snorkeling shore excursions. What excursions do you consider "must do's" vs. don't spend the money. Thanks in advance for your help.

[hipgirl]

Being First time cruisers you should stick with excursions especially with snorkeling. We almost drown on our honeymoon snorkeling off of Grand Cayman when the current ripped us out to sea without life jackets. Noone had a care in the world to tell you or watch out for you. We should have known better about the life jackets but we weren't going too far off shore in our defense so we had poor judgement. The current should have caused noone to be allowed to snorkel. A lesson that changed our lives.

 

You will get lots of sailing on the Windspirit, the best ever! We usually do the watersports the last day or at Sopers Hole in Tortola. I outlined our activities in a post above this one. We are beach bums who love to do nothing but enjoy nature, the beautiful scenery over drinks, occasionally snorkel. Nowadays, the only excursion we pay for is if we go snorkeling...otherwise we know our way around these ports of call to do things on our own.