april royal cruise questions galore

[built]

We are going on a eastern Caribbean cruise first week of april and I have a few questions, I appreciate all the help i can get.

 

On the ship is it very hard to get lounge chairs for sunning or are they all "saved". any tips?

 

How about buying drinks on board ,are the drinks of the day a rip off with weak liquor ? I have read alot here on rum runners but I am not sure i want to sneak booze on and have the stress of that or maybe its nothing to worry about I don't know, what is everyone's comments on this subject .

 

On the private beach cocoa cay ,is it pronounced K or key ?

Should we avoid the straw market there or are they good deals and fun? is it expected to haggle on prices or just pay the price?

 

Also where is the best beach there, I have heard about a very nice one thats a couple minutes walk from the drop off point that isn't crowded and is beautiful ,any tips?

 

At St. Thomas where is the best beach and how do we get there and for that matter how do we get to any where once the ship drops us off,whats to do and see there? tips?

 

same questions for St. Marrten ,Tips ?

 

I don't want to get set off at the docks and not have a clue of how to get around and go to places, we are 54 yrs old and we don't need a bunch of hiking,worrying, or stress,lol

 

Please give me any advice you have to make this cruise a once in a lifetime celebration and a memory to cherish, I want to make this a great cruise for my wife.

thanks.

[LHT28]

Lots of good information on what do & see in the posts

Check the islands you are visiting & see what is of interest to you

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

 

Enjoy

[Essiesmom]

Cay should be pronounced key, but I think you will find more people pronounce it cay. For questions specific to royal Caribbean, try asking on the board for that cruise line, under Cruise Lines P-Z. EM

[ehfl]

"Key" is the correct pronounciation, however, you'll find that even the employees pronounce it "cay".

[OCruisers]

Lots of good information on what do & see in the posts

Check the islands you are visiting & see what is of interest to you

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

 

Enjoy

 

Per above, you really will find the Ports of Call Board under each of your port stops to be very helpful. You can ask questions there as well.

 

Look forward to having a great cruise. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[SuiteTraveler]

My answers in italics:

 

We are going on a eastern Caribbean cruise first week of april and I have a few questions, I appreciate all the help i can get.

 

On the ship is it very hard to get lounge chairs for sunning or are they all "saved". any tips?

 

During prime hours, look in less popular areas for chairs such as not around the pool or in the adults only area. You don't mention which ship - but if it's a mega RCCL ship (Oasis, Allure, etc.), you should be able to find chairs somewhere.

How about buying drinks on board ,are the drinks of the day a rip off with weak liquor ? I have read alot here on rum runners but I am not sure i want to sneak booze on and have the stress of that or maybe its nothing to worry about I don't know, what is everyone's comments on this subject .

 

Just buy the drinks. They are fine. You can also buy a drink package or wine package. http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/experiencetypes/category.do?pagename=onboard_cat_dining_options

 

Call RCCL and ask about making a reservation for the chef's table - that is an extra special experience. If you are on one of the mega ships, try the various additional cost restaurants and when you board, instead of going to the Windjammer (which will be mobbed) go to Central Park on 8 and have lunch at the Park Cafe or even at Giovanni's (make a reservation.) If you like the various additional cost restaurants, ask if they have another reservation available later in the week - usually they do.

 

On the private beach cocoa cay ,is it pronounced K or key ?

 

K

 

Should we avoid the straw market there or are they good deals and fun? is it expected to haggle on prices or just pay the price?

 

It's the same stuff you can get anywhere in the Caribbean. Really, the shopping in the Caribbean is not all that. It's mostly jewelry stores - I recommend you skip it since you can buy the same stuff at home and often for lower prices at home. Personally, I buy beach towels with the island's name since I have a pool at home. Other than that, the shopping is pretty blah throughout the Caribbean.

 

Also where is the best beach there, I have heard about a very nice one thats a couple minutes walk from the drop off point that isn't crowded and is beautiful ,any tips?

 

I think you mean Barefoot Beach?

 

At St. Thomas where is the best beach and how do we get there and for that matter how do we get to any where once the ship drops us off,whats to do and see there? tips?

 

The best beach on St. Thomas is over on St. John(LOL!) - take the ferry at the pier to St. John. Recommend Trunk Bay and it's famous snorkeling trail. Seriously, there are some very nice beaches on St. Thomas such as Magens Bay (take a taxi), but they are typically much busier than the ones on St. John.

 

same questions for St. Marrten ,Tips ?

 

St. Maartin has 37 beaches including one near the dock. To get to it, take a left as you walk off the pier and take the water taxi across. Get a round trip bracelet. The beach and various restaurants and bars are right there. There is also shopping about 1 block in from the beach. If you are looking for unspoiled and more private go to Long Bay - take a taxi.

 

I don't want to get set off at the docks and not have a clue of how to get around and go to places, we are 54 yrs old and we don't need a bunch of hiking,worrying, or stress,lol

 

Please give me any advice you have to make this cruise a once in a lifetime celebration and a memory to cherish, I want to make this a great cruise for my wife.

thanks.

 

Always wear a watch and be alert to the fact there there is a time change on St. Maarten - as I recall they are an hour earlier (other CC folks, correct me if I am wrong?) So, be sure you have the correct local time BEFORE you get off the ship. If you buy alcohol onshore, they will take if off you when you get back onboard and return it to you the night before disembarkation.

 

[built]

thanks for the advice, we are going on freedom of the seas

[Bonnie J.]

There are many beaches in St. Thomas.

You can go to Maho Beach in St. Maartin. This is the beach where the planes literally land and take off right above your head! You can Google this beach.

Do go to your roll call here. Everyone emails back and forth and you find out what others are doing and can often join them. Ask about beaches here. When you do post here, make sure you go down and click the 'instant email notification' button. Then you get everyone's email.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Bonnie J.

[crazy8mom]

Sounds like we could be on the same sailing! We are going the first week of April and have the same ports. There are always taxi's waiting at St Thomas to take you where you want to go. We did the Skyway ride to the highest point. It was beautiful! At St Maarten we've taken the water taxi to the shopping area. This time we've booked with Bernard's Tours. We are doing a 1/2 day tour of the island and going to Maho beach.

 

Can't wait to get out of this cold!!

[built]

Thanks for the replys, is Maho beach the place where airplanes land over your head ?

 

We want to do that also, how does a person find out the plane landing schedule so that you don't have to waste hours waiting for a plane.

[GTO-Girl]

Thanks for the replys, is Maho beach the place where airplanes land over your head ?

 

We want to do that also, how does a person find out the plane landing schedule so that you don't have to waste hours waiting for a plane.

 

If you book a tour with Bernard Tours he will make sure you are at Maho to see the big planes and have you back to the ship in plenty of time. Traffic can be dicey in the afternoons so if you do this on your own make sure you leave to be back in plenty of time.

 

We have used him three times now and we really are happy with his services

 

 

Oh and we are on the April 6th FOS sailing too....

Edited March 2, 2014 by GTO-Girl

[built]

what does the Bernard tour include, is this something I can book on the ship?

 

anyone know how to find the plane schedule before you get there?

 

How is the beach at Maho besides the area of the overhead planes.

 

I sure don't want to miss the ship sailing,yikes.

[built]

I just read allot of bad reviews on trip adviser on the Bernard tours and wow now i'm not sure I want to risk booking with them.

 

We do really want to be under a landing plan but not sure how to plan the day around it and be back to the ship on time, it sounds like there is a huge traffic problem around there.

[Shekim]

what does the Bernard tour include, is this something I can book on the ship?

 

anyone know how to find the plane schedule before you get there?

 

How is the beach at Maho besides the area of the overhead planes.

 

I sure don't want to miss the ship sailing,yikes.

Bernard's Tours is a private excursion. His outfit is very very good. The tour usually does a beach, and mini island tour and Maho. You won't miss the ship...private tour operators are more aware of your time than a taxi cab would be.

 

Have you checked out your roll call? You can usually find some great information there.

[Shekim]

I just read allot of bad reviews on trip adviser on the Bernard tours and wow now i'm not sure I want to risk booking with them.

 

We do really want to be under a landing plan but not sure how to plan the day around it and be back to the ship on time, it sounds like there is a huge traffic problem around there.

 

I'll have to go read Tripadvisor; I've never heard bad reviews. I have taken a Bernard's tour and friends have used him multiple times.

 

Edited to say, I just read the first 3 most recent reviews of Bernard's Tour and all are very good reviews.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Shekim

[runner2013]

I was on that same trip last year. We had a fabulous time.. if you get a chance go to the pub on the promenade deck . Ask for Christina, she made me the best mango mojito i've ever had...

Have a great time.. remember you can do everything or you can do nothing, either way its a win-win..:)

[built]

How much cash do we need to bring ashore each time, I have no idea how much things cost, i'm afraid to use a credit card for fear of fraud or hackers.

 

should i be ?

[Bonnie J.]

It depends on what you want to buy. (We don't buy souvenirs, but maybe a shirt) We usually take about $50 cash but ALWAYS take a credit card ashore with us. Why? if for any reason you miss getting back on the ship you will be stuck at the port unless you have a way to pay to get to the next port or home. You should call you credit card company and let them know you will be out of the country and what ports you'll be in. Otherwise they can refuse to honor your card.

We have never had a problem using credit cards ashore and have even used debit cards where you must put in your pin number.

If you take a lot of cash don't put it all in the same pocket, divide it up into different pockets. If you get robbed they will see you take it out of one pocket and not realize there's more cash in the other pockets.