First time Carribean Cruiser

[mcelli]

Hi All,

 

I used these forums obsessively last year for a Mexican Riviera cruise(RCL - Vision) and it proved the difference between a decent vacation and a great one. The forums are invaluable. So anyway, I'm at it again...we would like to do a Southern cruise out of San Juan, never been to the Carribean so I am looking for the best ports for a first timer and the best ship. Is there a ten day hop out there? I didn't see much on my first search. Whats the weather like in late June?...what were you're best excursions. The general stuff. Ok, well thats enough to start with...so all you experts bring it on! It was absolutely the difference last time so I'm looking forward to any info you can provide. Thanks!

 

mike

[Zeno]

A few answers:

If your ship leaves from San Juan Puerto Rico, it will probably be a 7 day cruise. If it leaves from Florida, it wll probably be a 10 day cruise.

I loved the southern Caribbean itinerary but I hated the airport at San Juan. NCL used to cruise from there (I went on the Sky) but they don't anymore - I know some cruiselines still do but I am not sure which ones.

I will try to briefly describe some of the ports that I have been to.

St. Thomas: some nice beaches (Magens and Coki), hilly and lush, good shopping

St Martin: good shopping, good beaches (Orient Beach, Dawn Beach), interesting island with 2 "sides" (one French, one Dutch)

Antigua: lots of beaches (we liked Long beach), some good historical sites and great views (Nelson's Dockyard, Shirley Heights, Dow's Hill). I highly recommend a tour with Lawrence ( website: http://www.lawrenceofantigua.com)

St. Kitt's: some good beaches (south Friars Bay, south Frigate Bay, Turtle beach), great historical site - Brimstone Hill (a UNESCO World Heritage site), very lush with impressive hills

Barbados: good beaches, beautiful countryside

Martinique: the interior of this island is absolutely gorgeous and lush. It is very French

Guadeloupe: another very French island; half the island has lovely rain forest; the other half has some great beaches (one of my favorites - Plage St Anne)

Aruba: dry and flat; some great beaches (Eagle, Baby beach)

Curacao: interesting town, Seaquarium, some good snorkeling

Isla Margarita; very South American; good beaches (Playa El Agua, the beach near Juan griego), interesting history - some nice colonial architecture

St Lucia: lush and beautiful - try to see the Pitons (best seen from the ocean - we took a catamaran tour down the coast)

I hope this helps - if you have any more questions about specific islands I will try to answer.

Weather in June - varies somewhat from island to island, Note this is the early part of hurricane season. The islands furthest south will be quite hot (Isla Margarita comes to mind - we were there in April and it was HOT).

[mcelli]

Hurricane season uh?........how early is the "early part"?

 

thanks again

 

mike

[Zeno]

I believe (someone please correct me if I am wrong) that the hurricane season start around May. However - lately MOST hurricanes seem to be August to the end of October. - so you are probably OK. Cruising in September is a MUCH more risky propostion for itinerary changes etc due to hurricanes.

[berrybright]

Atlantic & Caribbean

 

 

 

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.

 

Eastern Pacific

The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 through November 30.

 

For more information, visit the National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

 

I hope this helps!

[SqueakyDust]

My thoughts on the caribbean islands I've visited are;

 

Antigua - this is the one they say has 365 beaches - one for each day of the year. I'm sad to say I don't remember much about this island. However this time around we plan to make it more memorable.

Barbados - lovely island with LOADS to do - choose between gardens / caves / beaches / shopping / submarines / tour the more rugged west coast....

Dominica - very lush, green island. Beautiful natural sights to see and locals very proud to show you.

Dominican Republic - sorry, I didn't particularly like this island. Our ship sailed from here and the water was disgusting. A poor island that intimidated me. We did however visit an aquarium which was great and full of locals.

Grenada - the Spice islands. Large fort near dock, local markets selling spices, beaches reached by water taxi. Colourful and aromatic. Do a tour to learn about the spices.

Puerto Rico - Shopping! Very Americanised compared to other islands, but also has lovely historic buildings.

St Kitts - small quiet, quaint island. Chickens running around the roads - very sweet. We'd to walk into town as there weren't taxi's, but we were only here for a few hours.

St Lucia - Trois Pitons. Get on a catamarran and do a tour. You'll sail, see (and smell) a volcano, hike, snorkel and eat. Apparently the roads are terrible!

St Thomas - Wonderful! Great duty free shopping at the port. We also got a taxi to a beach right next to the aquarium. Take dog biscuits and the fish will eat them out of your hands!

Tortola - do a tour to Virgin Gorda, this place is just awesome. The rocks are like something out of an old Star Trek Movie and the little bay is wonderful to snorkel in.

[ddjwms]

We just came back from an 11 day cruise out of San Juan on the Empress of the Seas (Royal Caribbean). I know the Empress has been doing 10 and 11 day southern Caribbean cruises, but I don't know if they continue all summer or not.

 

We have been on several Caribbean cruises and it's not our favorite itinerary (the joke you hear is: there really is only one island; the ship people just jump out early each morning and change the sign! And after three or four days of islands, beaches, duty free jewelry shops, you could almost believe that...Well, not really; the islands are different, but there is a lot the same about them...)

 

Puerto Rico: The old town is very interesting. There is a free trolley that takes you all around to the forts and all the shops. We enjoy just riding it around through the narrow streets!

 

Dominican Republic: Again, a lot of history (don't miss Columbus's palace and the old church) and a great aquarium. The Haitian market near Old Town has some nice crafts at much more reasonable prices than many of the other islands. Santo Domingo is a big town; the beaches are okay, but they are a way out of town.

 

St. Thomas: Nice beaches, nice aquarium, lots of jewelry stores.

 

St. Martin: Nice beaches, lots of jewelry stores. You can get pretty linens on the French side. The first time we were here, my husband didn't pay attention to what the cab driver said when he dropped us off at the beach (he said the family beach was to the left, the nude beach was to the right; so hubbie got a little shock when he looked right!!!)

 

St. Barths: You can see all the yachts of the rich and famous! There is a small, but nice beach within walking distance of the ship. But wear your swimsuit; someone from our ship asked to change in the restroom of the restaurant there and was told the RR's were for customers only. No problem; he ordered a beer to become a customer--but was shocked by the $8 price for one beer...There are lots of fancy (and expensive) designer stores as you walk toward the beach.

 

St. Kitts: Nice beaches. I don't remember much about this island.

 

St. Lucia: We took a tour with Frank; you can read all about him on the St. Lucia board. The roads were VERY winding; I was feeling car sick by the time we got to the volcano. It is a drive up volcano; we enjoyed seeing it. The Pitons are nearby, as are the Falls and botanical garden (very pretty and restful) Lots of banana plantations. We didn't go to the beach so someone else will have to tell you about that.

 

Martinique: A nice craft market within walking distance of the ship. Some people don't like this island, but I thought it was okay.

 

Dominica: Green; a tropical rainforest. It's a very poor island.

 

Barbados: One of the prettier islands; very lush. Pretty beaches.

 

Grenada: Take the spice tour. We went with Mandoo; see the "Other Caribbean" board. You can contact him at <www.grenadatours.com> He is VERY knowledgeable and informative. This was really our favorite tour of the whole trip. The spice presentation was so interesting. But the island is still in terrible shape from the hurricane last year; we were just awe-stricken by all the damage. Hearing or reading about it and seeing it first-hand are very different things. Take the tour; it's worth it.

 

Isla Margarita: There is a craft market and beach within walking distance of the ship. The sun was quite intense here; take plenty of sunscreen. Prices were better here than on some of the more visited islands. We are not divers, but someone who is told me this was their favorite place that they had ever dived.

 

Curacao: Very scenic town within walking distance of the ship. We really enjoyed just walking around and looking.

 

Aruba: An ugly island with the most beautiful beaches. As many beaches as you visit in the Caribbean, I am convinced that none even begin to compare with Aruba's; they are gorgeous! Take an island tour if it is your first time there. Then get dropped off at the beach. Eagle Beach is great or Palm Beach for snorkling. Beautiful clear water, beautiful white sand as far as you can see. Gorgeous!. And the city bus runs right by the beach; then the bus station is right across from the pier. The second (third, fourth or whatever) time you come back, skip the tour and head for the bus and beach. This is really paradise... Prices at the market stalls at the terminal and as you walk toward the main street are all very good if you are a shopper.

 

Hope this helps (this is a composite of two or three different itineraries we've cruised...) Have fun...