Buses at ports / sel guide

[marek165]

We are first timers and traveling Feb 5, 2012 on the dawn. We usually do self guided when traveling and almost always us local bus system. We do not like to be on a time line.

 

Our ports are Samana (going to Cayo),

Tortola - going to Virgin Gorda

 

St Maarten, Antigua, Barbados, St Kitts.

 

Do the buses go near these ports and do they take you near the attractions.

 

What are must sees at these ports since we will only be there for a day

[John Bull]

Very few islands have a decent bus service - Barbados OK, but only for going A to B or to a beach, not for touring. And hanging around for buses is time-consuming.

 

But all your ports have plenty of inexpensive taxis & vans at the pier. Drivers are reliable, friendly, trustworthy, they know their island & they know the importance of back-on-board time. Sharing is the norm, either with folk you meet on the ship or folk milling around on the pier. They can replicate ships' road tours or vary to suit you, but way cheaper, more flexible, more fun, & none of the inevitable delays & cattle-herding that you get with ships' tours. Agree a vague itinerary, timescale & price pp (USD) before you board, pay when you get back. Take beach gear if you want to be dropped at a beach at the end of your tour.

Depending on the port & tour, expect to pay somewhere between $20 & $40 pp. This for just the taxi or van, pay for your own food/drink/any small admission charges

 

You can get a good idea of "must see" from the ship's tours or from the ports of call boards (bottom of this page, click on the arrow at "forum jump")

But here's a taster:

 

St Maarten consider a drive to the French side then a brief stop at Maho beach

& end up at town centre in Philipsburg for IMHO the best shopping in the Caribbean - local shops, not international malls, low prices esp duty-frees, beach right behind the shops. Then walk or water taxi back to the ship.

 

Antigua - across the island to Shirley Heights & Nelson's dockyard (pub lunch?), return via west coast beaches, mebbe swim at one.

 

Barbados - lots of options. Super west coast beaches/snorkelling or walk into Bridgetown or hire a car or moke & tour the interior & the wild east coast (no swimming)

 

St Kitts - quite limited, coastal circuit by taxi or van, or ship's excursion (one-third by sugar train, 2/3rds by van)

 

Dom Rep - sorry, can't help.

 

Tortola. A word of caution. Ferry to Virgin Gorda is way cheaper than ship's excursion but there's no Plan B if the return ferry is cancelled (weather/mechanical). Prospects of being stranded & missing the ship sailing-away are pretty slim, but the consequences are dire.

 

JB :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We were just in Samana -- it is a tender port. There were no buses handy to where the tenders are.