Recommend private excursions - Escape

[patsfantb12goat]

We are a family of 4 doing the Escape this month. Me, hubby and 2 teenage girls. Stopping at St Thomas and Tortola and Nassau can you tell me about your private excursions, cost, and logistics? I have read that some take ferry's over to St. Johns and taxi etc etc.

 

Also in Nassau, the Atlantis excision is soooo expensive, wouldn't it just be cheaper to book a hotel room at one of the hotels that has privileges at Atlantis? Is Cabbage beach public and are there water sports there?

 

Have always done Disney when the kids were little but we have not cruised in a number of years so super excited to try NCL without all the magic and pixie dust....;)

[bruadhin]

There are boards for each specific port. I would check those out as there are already many threads about various excursions and often with links to websites where you can book in advance.

[spidybabe]

Godfrey tours in St Thomas

Different tours to chose including shopping time, island tour and beach. Good prices, reliable. We have used him many times. Also when in town visit the Synagogue up the hill. Interesting place

[Jenjer]

We like to do our own thing to save money and to be on our schedule.

 

In St Thomas we did a private sail that went to St John and almost missed the ship coming back. My stress was threw the roof. Almost missing the ship and actually missing it are two very different things but being onboard less than 30 minutes before sail away is way to close for me.

 

St Thomas has a lot of easy to get to on your own beaches, Coki, sapphire and Megan's bay are all cruise favorites. We usually go early to Megan's bay and rent a paddle board for a few hours. Only non motorized stuff at Megan's Bay. Lots of cabs both private and open safari cabs right outside to transport you around. Its around $30 for private cab family of 4 each way. About $5 each to get in to the beach since its a park. Renting the boards I want to say $40 for 2 hours but I could be wrong. Of course prices change. The more people the more cost. My advice is to go early and rent them early.

 

Nassau we have enjoyed going to Melia and getting a day pass. Its around $30 a person for pool and beach access. Check out the Nassau port page for up to day resort prices. Cable beach is beautiful. Defiantly better than Atlantis.

 

Tortola is new to me but people have reported its not quite ready for the influx of people Escape drops off. We decided to do a NCL excursion because my DH does not want a stressed wife. Check out the Jost Van Dyke excursion all the trip reports have raved about it. Just a FYI it is one that sells out

 

 

Your girls will love all the stuff for teens to do the ropes course and water slides will keep them busy for hours.

[Kfamilycruise]

We are a family of 4 doing the Escape this month. Me, hubby and 2 teenage girls. Stopping at St Thomas and Tortola and Nassau can you tell me about your private excursions, cost, and logistics? I have read that some take ferry's over to St. Johns and taxi etc etc.

 

Also in Nassau, the Atlantis excision is soooo expensive, wouldn't it just be cheaper to book a hotel room at one of the hotels that has privileges at Atlantis? Is Cabbage beach public and are there water sports there?

 

Have always done Disney when the kids were little but we have not cruised in a number of years so super excited to try NCL without all the magic and pixie dust....;)

 

With my kids, in St. Thomas, we did a days to the Marriottt. It was very easy to take a cab from the port and the day pass gave us access to their beach, chairs, towels, use of their hotel pool and bathrooms. It was a lovely area and a fun day for the kids. It was $85, but I checked and it is now $95 pp for the adults, it was free for the kids just last June.

 

In Tortola, we went to the Baths through the ships excursion. I don't remember how much it cost, but the kids loved it and they have a gorgeous beach there as well.

 

In Nassau, have you looked into the Blue Lagoon? Atlantis is ridiculous in price. Blue Lagoon was reasonable, a quick boat ride and a huge amount of fun.

 

Enjoy!

[patsfantb12goat]

Was the beach at the Marriott Public? I would like to go to Turtle Cove in St. Thomas but can't figure out if your allowed on that beach unless you are staying at the Ritz.

[SullytheBFG]

We did this in St Thomas http://www.daysailfantasy.com/

 

Fantastic sailing and snorkeling, saw sea turtles, stingrays and loads of beautiful fish and coral. They arranged the taxis and we got back to the boat in plenty of time.

[Kfamilycruise]

Was the beach at the Marriott Public? I would like to go to Turtle Cove in St. Thomas but can't figure out if your allowed on that beach unless you are staying at the Ritz.

 

Only if you buy the daypass or are staying at the hotel can you use it.

[janetz]

Excellent excursion ;)

 

http://www.usvisailing.com/

[ReaderDame]

I did a lot of research before choosing NIGHTWIND Charters in St. Thomas

 

Captain Rick has been in business for a long time. We were looking for a sailing/snorkeling adventure that lasted longer than a couple hours, and we also wanted to sail on a smaller boat. We did not want to sail on a Cattle Call with 50-60 passengers.

 

I found great reviews on Trip Advisor about the Nightwind sailing! While a little pricey... it was well worth the $$$ and we had a wonderful day. ($125 per person and this includes 5 hours sailing and snorkeling, along with an open bar, continental breakfast, and a full carribean lunch)

 

Once you make your reservations, they will e-mail a contact for transportation from the ship, to the other side of the island via taxi van. Alvin with Island Taxi was waiting outside the ship with a chalkboard in his hand with our party's name on it. There were 6 of us, and we joined up with another party of 9... also from the Escape. We got off the ship the minute we were able, and he transported us over to the marina where the Nightwind is docked (Sapphire Beach Marina). It is a 57' private sailboat.

 

We sailed over to St. John Island and snorkeled for approx. 1-1/2 hrs. Rick & his 1st mate know the waters well and he took us near a wonderful reef where we spent a long time with lots of beautiful coral reefs & fish. Some on our sail did not want to get in the water, so he rode them over to the island in the dingy. The snorkeling equipment was plentiful, as well as float vests, noodles, and belts.

After the first beach/snorkel stop, we got back on the boat and a beautiful & delicious lunch was set out for us. Captain Rick makes all the chicken, pasta salad, deviled eggs, chocolate cake, etc... himself. First mate Deb was the bartender and our cups were never empty! Plenty of soda, Rum punch, beer/wine, anything you want, she was a great hostess!

After lunch we continued to sail on to the next snorkeling stop. We saw sea turtles, sting rays, and more tropical fish! The weather was warm and sunny and the winds were perfect for sailing! He knew the perfect places to take us! We were totally surrounded with the beauty that is only found in the Virgin Islands. They were both a wealth of local knowledge and taught us all about the areas we sailed through.

He is well aware of the ships arrival & departure times and has been doing these excursions for many, many years. I felt very comfortable that he would have us back to the dock in plenty of time to catch a taxi back to the ESCAPE; and he did! When our wonderful day of sailing was over, Alvin and his van were waiting at the marina to drive us back to the ship.

 

We were dropped off right by the shops at the dock/ near the ship. We had approx. 1 hour left to run through the shops before we had to be back on board.

If you want lots of shopping time, this is NOT the excursion for you, as it is quite a full day out on the sea, and does not leave time to tour around the island on land. But if you want to sail around the Virgin Islands by boat, and have 2-3 hours worth of snorkeling as well, this is the adventure for you!

He even took his dinghy over to a sailboat that makes homemade pizzas and picked up a few pies that some of the passengers ordered after lunch; some that were still hungry. He called on his cell phone to order the pizzas and then drove the dinghy over to pick them up! Sailing & snorkeling all day can work up an appetite, and between the delicious bkfst, lunch, & pizza plus all day flowing Rum Punch, we couldn't asked for a better day! My family is still talking about what a great day it was. Husband (52) Me (54) Son & his friend (20 & 21), and Daughter & her friend (25 & 23)

[ReaderDame]

Because we spent a lot of $$$ on our previous days adventure sailing in St. Thomas/St. John, we decided to have a low key beach day in Tortola.

 

Friends of ours who had been to Tortola highly recommended the beach at Cane Garden Bay.

 

The taxis, and open air styled trucks were plentiful right off the ships at the port, and 6 of us were able to easily get transportation as soon as we stepped off the Escape. It was approx. $6 or $8 each way in the taxis. We were fortunate enough to get into a brand new open air style truck. The ride up the hills on the island were fast and furious, but felt very safe as this was a new truck and our taxi driver was very experienced on these roads! It was approximately 20 minutes to get to the beach. You will see gorgeous scenery during the ride.

 

There is no charge to enter the beach. Chair rentals were $5 each and $5 for a beach umbrella. There were plenty of stands to rent paddle boards $30'ish for 2 hours, kayaks, $40'ish for 2 hours. I rented a fabulous float for $5 to use all day.

There is a clean (old, but refurbished and clean) bathhouse/restroom at this beach.

There are all sorts of vendors selling food and drink, very reasonably priced.

Ice cold beer $3, frozen tropical drinks $3-5 each, hotdogs, hamburgs, etc., as well as several small island style bars/hut restaurants. A few vendors selling island souvenirs and T-shirts too.

 

The only complaint is there isn't enough time in port at Tortola. We got to the beach very early but still had to leave around 1:00'ish to get back to the port on time. The water was clean, and clear, and the family had a wonderful day together. Low key and relaxed. Nothing " too touristy " and no hard pressure sells with the food and drink. A very affordable day. They tell you when you arrive, what time to catch the taxis back to port.

 

We highly recommend this beautiful island paradise of Cane Garden Bay !

[patsfantb12goat]

Thanks everyone!

[asdjl]

We did snorkel with capstan nautica through ncl in the am and then walked over to the gondola on our own and went up and had lunch and then walked back to the ship. Captain nautica was great, yes it was through the ship, but they were fantastic. In Nassau we went to Blue lagoon, which I highly recommend. My kids were 13, 10, and 8 and we loved it!

 

 

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[Biz64]

Do not miss the Baths when in Tortola. It was my kids' favorite day of the entire cruise. The beach there is amazing! It was like swimming in an aquarium! Don't forget a pair of goggles.

[Driberif1]

We are a family of 4 doing the Escape this month. Me, hubby and 2 teenage girls. Stopping at St Thomas and Tortola and Nassau can you tell me about your private excursions, cost, and logistics? I have read that some take ferry's over to St. Johns and taxi etc etc.

 

Also in Nassau, the Atlantis excision is soooo expensive, wouldn't it just be cheaper to book a hotel room at one of the hotels that has privileges at Atlantis? Is Cabbage beach public and are there water sports there?

 

Have always done Disney when the kids were little but we have not cruised in a number of years so super excited to try NCL without all the magic and pixie dust....;)

 

When we were on the Getaway we decided to go to Atlantis and got the 1/2 day pass through Norwegian and even though it was pretty costly we had a great time, we decided to check out the water park before going to the private beach and we ended up spending the entire day at the water park instead, we had no idea that the park was as big as it is and thought we were just going on a typical lazy river then realized that it was much more and actually took you up conveyor belts to go down multiple slides etc. We are mid 30's and had a great time and I am sure a couple teenagers would love it even more. We are sailing the Escape April 2-9 and this time we decided to go to Blue Lagoon, it is 1/3 the price and looks like it can be a relaxing beach day.

Last time in St. Thomas we took a cab to Magens bay and enjoyed some time there just relaxing but this time we are doing the Tree Limin Zip lining booked through Norwegian.

This is our first time going to Tortola and after seeing all the positive reviews we decided to book the excursion to the Baths.

We have had a couple close calls in the past getting back to the ship when we did our own thing and did not book through the ship and when you book through the ship it will actually be held up if there is any sort of delay so we already pre-booked all 3 of our excursions already.

[scrappinannie]

We'll be on The Escape in April with this same itinerary and these are our plans: Our kids are 6 & 9.

 

St. Thomas: 99 Steps/Blackbeard's Castle and explore the grounds there. There's a nice pool on that property, pirate statues, and the castle and a few small houses to tour. Depending on how long we are there and how the kids are doing, we may take the tram up to Paradise Point, but I'm kind of not liking it would cost us $80 to get up the mountain. We've never been, so we'll see how it all goes.

 

Tortola: Really wanted to do The Baths, but with such a short day and not wanting to take the ship's excursion, we're doing Dolphin Discovery instead, on our own.

 

Nassau: Blue Lagoon Beach Day. Really wanted to do the dolphins here but also wanted to enjoy the beach and the inflatables. I don't think we'll have time to do both given Blue Lagoon's hours, so we decided to do the dolphins in Tortola and enjoy a beach day here instead.

[Biz64]

We'll be on The Escape in April with this same itinerary and these are our plans: Our kids are 6 & 9.

 

St. Thomas: 99 Steps/Blackbeard's Castle and explore the grounds there. There's a nice pool on that property, pirate statues, and the castle and a few small houses to tour. Depending on how long we are there and how the kids are doing, we may take the tram up to Paradise Point, but I'm kind of not liking it would cost us $80 to get up the mountain. We've never been, so we'll see how it all goes.

 

Tortola: Really wanted to do The Baths, but with such a short day and not wanting to take the ship's excursion, we're doing Dolphin Discovery instead, on our own.

 

Nassau: Blue Lagoon Beach Day. Really wanted to do the dolphins here but also wanted to enjoy the beach and the inflatables. I don't think we'll have time to do both given Blue Lagoon's hours, so we decided to do the dolphins in Tortola and enjoy a beach day here instead.

 

How long is your stop at Tortola? If it is 7am-3pm like we had, you will have no problem doing the Baths on your own. There were 11 of us, including 4 kids, and it was super easy to do and never really felt rushed at all.

[putercents]

For St Thomas try the Fury snorkel cruise to buck island. Amazing to swim with the turtles in a sailboat that is not crowded. Mike also looks after all the swimmers very carefully. check out trip advisor

[scrappinannie]

How long is your stop at Tortola? If it is 7am-3pm like we had, you will have no problem doing the Baths on your own. There were 11 of us, including 4 kids, and it was super easy to do and never really felt rushed at all.

Yes, it's 7-3, but there are a few things in play that factored into our port excursions....1 is that I was really wanting to do The Baths for ME. Sure the kids would like it and get to swim and play on the beach, but they also really want to swim with dolphins. So, we decided to do dolphins in Tortola and enjoy a beach day at Blue Lagoon in Nassau so that THEY could get what they wanted. We are in Nassau from 12-7 but Blue Lagoon "closes" at 4. By the time we would do the dolphin encounter there we would not have time to enjoy the beach, inflatables, and the island.

[blackwing]

Yes, it's 7-3, but there are a few things in play that factored into our port excursions....1 is that I was really wanting to do The Baths for ME. Sure the kids would like it and get to swim and play on the beach, but they also really want to swim with dolphins. So, we decided to do dolphins in Tortola and enjoy a beach day at Blue Lagoon in Nassau so that THEY could get what they wanted. We are in Nassau from 12-7 but Blue Lagoon "closes" at 4. By the time we would do the dolphin encounter there we would not have time to enjoy the beach, inflatables, and the island.

We're on Escape at the end of the month. My kids will be 9 and 7, and we too booked Dolphin Discovery on our own. The NCL dolphin offerings were not as interactive as we wanted.

 

We're doing the Royal Swim, which is the fullest package and includes the foot push and getting pulled by fins. The lady on the phone said that for the Royal Swim, kids have to be either 8 years old or 48 inches. My younger one is just at 48 inches... hope this won't be a problem and that I was given accurate info!

[zackarykeef]

I have done this twice in St. Thomas and everyone has LOVED it.

 

http://www.newhorizons.daysails.com

 

Excellent price for what you get, several snorkeling spots, food is excellent, and St. John is beautiful. Get back in PLENTY of time to make the ship.

 

And agree with what others have said re: Tortola...Tortola is meh. Definitely get over to Virgin Gorda or Jost van Dyke. Beautiful islands.

[CP3o]

Last time in St. Thomas we took a cab to Magens bay and enjoyed some time there just relaxing but this time we are doing the Tree Limin Zip lining booked through Norwegian.

.

 

 

Do you, or anyone else reading, have departure time information on the zipline? I can't find it on site specific to times and escape. Thanks

 

 

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