Southern Caribbean- Help this newbie!!

[pinkparadise]

Hello everyone! I am a long time lurker here, and now am ready to ask for some advice! We (Mom, 54, and I, 24) are booked on a 10 night Southern Caribbean cruise next April on Serenade of the Seas (our 1st cruise!!!). We booked it initially because we waited too long last year (got too expensive), so we didn't want that to happen again this time around.

 

However, now we have a dilemma. I am a big planner, and am having serious trouble getting excited or interested in two of the five ports: Dominica and Tortola. I figured when we booked that I would be able to find shore excursions to suit our interests and abilities, but now that seems less likely.

 

We both have some problems with our joints, so have no interest in the hiking tours that seem common in Dominica, and the treks down to the Baths at Virgin Gorda seem to be too difficult based on some of the descriptions and reviews I have read (although it does look appealing). The river tubing in Dominica looked promising until I read reviews saying there's only 4 inches of water, and some people were getting banged up from the rocks. Now we're nervous to try that, too.

 

So, I need your help! Any other excursion ideas or suggestions? We both love the water and are strong swimmers. We love adventure (we've done tubing and tidal bore rafting etc), but hiking/climbing is a problem for us.

Thank you!

[jakethecruiser]

Wow my first cruise was on the serenade! I'll tell you some information in a little while i just need to get it all together and I'll be right with you in about an hour or so

 

 

--jakethecruiser

[ptf2009]

Hello everyone! I am a long time lurker here, and now am ready to ask for some advice! We (Mom, 54, and I, 24) are booked on a 10 night Southern Caribbean cruise next April on Serenade of the Seas (our 1st cruise!!!). We booked it initially because we waited too long last year (got too expensive), so we didn't want that to happen again this time around.

 

However, now we have a dilemma. I am a big planner, and am having serious trouble getting excited or interested in two of the five ports: Dominica and Tortola. I figured when we booked that I would be able to find shore excursions to suit our interests and abilities, but now that seems less likely.

 

We both have some problems with our joints, so have no interest in the hiking tours that seem common in Dominica, and the treks down to the Baths at Virgin Gorda seem to be too difficult based on some of the descriptions and reviews I have read (although it does look appealing). The river tubing in Dominica looked promising until I read reviews saying there's only 4 inches of water, and some people were getting banged up from the rocks. Now we're nervous to try that, too.

 

So, I need your help! Any other excursion ideas or suggestions? We both love the water and are strong swimmers. We love adventure (we've done tubing and tidal bore rafting etc), but hiking/climbing is a problem for us.

Thank you!

 

We went on the river rafting in Dominica. To be honest, it was a little rough..one lady fell from her raft when going over a small rocky rapid and banged her head. The best part was rafting from the river to the ocean water, but because their beaches have black sand, our bathing suits and shirts were dulled (especially any of the lighter parts). When we visited Dominica on another cruise, we just got off and walked around a little.....which is not us. We cruise the Caribbean because we LOVE the gorgeous blue water and white sandy beaches. We've never been to Tortola so I can't help you there, but I'm sure your other stops will be better for you. Happy cruising! Serenade is a really nice ship!

[cb at sea]

Go to your local library and pick up a guidebook on those ports! I'm betting there is much more to do/see than you will find on these boards! A bit of research can really pay off!

[BillOh]

Hello everyone! I am a long time lurker here, and now am ready to ask for some advice

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. I am also doing the Southern Caribbean next April and someone from my roll call is from Halifax. Speaking of which, have you found your roll call of people who are on the same cruise as you? We can help you find it. Its a forum specifically for people on your cruise. Some people on your cruise may have the same ideas, or experiences with those excursions.

 

Are you looking at private excursions? Many times those operators will be happy to answer email questions and they may make you feel better about trying it.

 

If you need help finding your roll call, let us know the sailing date.

[Hoopster95]

So, I need your help! Any other excursion ideas or suggestions? We both love the water and are strong swimmers. We love adventure (we've done tubing and tidal bore rafting etc), but hiking/climbing is a problem for us.

Thank you!

 

Dominica is awesome! Sheppee was fabulous

Visiting Champagne reef for snorkeling and Titou Gorge are must-do's no matter what excursion you choose

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=46227440&highlight=dominica#post46227440

 

Have a great cruise :D

[eaglesfaninfl]

Hi Pink--Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising! It seems to me over the last few cruises we have booked, the excursions shown in the RCL cruise planner are quite limited (maybe 4 or 6 per port).Whereas when you get on board, there are significantly more excursions available through guest services. Why all are not shown on the website, I do not know but that was our experience just last month in Bermuda. In actuality, many additional excursions are also available when you get off the ship, just be sure these non-RCL excursions are not so long that you cannot get back on board on time. If an RCL excursion is late for any reason, they will hold the ship until you return.

[KroozFoolz]

Tortola - very easy to do on your own - at the pier you can book a private island tour with time at the beach or just take a taxi to the beach and arrange for a return time.

 

Dominica - first time we did a tour with Reyno -

http://reynotours.net/tours/nature-s-natural-beauty.html - there was some walking involved but not extreme hiking.

Our second visit, we did a tour with bumpiingtours -

http://www.bumpiingtours.com/cruise-ship-visitors.html - we did the scenic Dominica tour with very little walking involved

 

You will love these islands and Serenade!!!

[lovetocruise75]

Welcome

Do you like super cool beach bars in beautiful settings?

If so, get off the ship in Tortola and hop a taxi to the ferry. Take it over to Jost Van Dyke. Check out Soggy Dollar. White Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to.

 

 

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[Lizcourt]

We enjoyed one of our best beach days ever in Tortola. We just grabbed a cab at the pier, had him take us to the other side of the island where there was a beautiful, palm-fringed beach, and arranged for him to pick us up at a designated time to take us back to the ship. I'm struggling to remember the name of the beach, but if you go to the destinations boards, and look for postings on Tortola, you should be able to find it.

 

Also, if this is your first cruise, you may not realize that you really don't need to get off the ship in every port. Experienced cruisers learn fast the wonders of staying on the ship on a port day -- the pool deck, fitness facilities and other venues are blissfully peaceful, and there are almost always port-day spa specials which can save you loads off a massage or facial.

 

When I was first cruising almost 20 years ago, I used to look for itineraries that were port-intensive, thinking that would get me the most bang for my buck. Now I realize that if its the right ship, the ship itself is the destination. In fact, on my last cruise on Oasis, I never left the ship once, and it was a fabulous vacation.

[Darcy8]

In Tortola, you can take a taxi to Cane Garden Bay. Nice beach and lots of places to get a nice beverage and some food. We are partial to Stanleys.

 

Once when we were in Dominica, it had recently rained a lot and our canyoning trip had to be cancelled due to high water. We took an excursion up into the rain forest to a sky ride through the canopy of the forest. Lots of great views of plants, wildlife and waterfalls.

[pinkparadise]

Dominica - first time we did a tour with Reyno -

http://reynotours.net/tours/nature-s-natural-beauty.html - there was some walking involved but not extreme hiking.

Our second visit, we did a tour with bumpiingtours -

http://www.bumpiingtours.com/cruise-ship-visitors.html - we did the scenic Dominica tour with very little walking involved

 

Which tour did you enjoy more? Also, what is your idea of "some" walking (how long combined throughout the tour), and is it over uneven paths and through forest, or easy walking on actual walkways? Anything steep or lots of steps?

Also, any chance you remember how much this cost? I looked on the website, and the tour seems great, just want some more info if you have it.

Of course, I will contact them if needed, but first-hand experience is always helpful! : )

[gagirl7143]

Love the whale watching in Dominica.

[cruzrman]

In Dominica we really enjoyed Titou Gorge. While there I also did Champagne reef which was not enjoyable due to the abundance of tiny jellyfish (size of pencil eraser) that were stinging the guests. The tour guide didn't even offer vinegar to counteract the jellyfish stings.

 

 

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[KroozFoolz]

Which tour did you enjoy more? Also, what is your idea of "some" walking (how long combined throughout the tour), and is it over uneven paths and through forest, or easy walking on actual walkways? Anything steep or lots of steps?

Also, any chance you remember how much this cost? I looked on the website, and the tour seems great, just want some more info if you have it.

Of course, I will contact them if needed, but first-hand experience is always helpful! : )

 

We enjoyed both - we had excellent tour guides on each. The one with Reyno involved walking about 30 minutes to get to the Emerald Pool, and then 30 minutes back. It was through the forest on uneven paths, but I don't recall anything real steep or lots of steps, but there were some. The walk to the twin falls was about 15 minutes each way with some steps involved. We did this excursion in 2010 and the cost then was $40 per person - we had about 10- 12 people in his van.

 

The Bumpiing tour we did this past April. It required more walking to get to the meet up point from the ship than on the tour. There were several opportunities to get out of the vehicle and walk around but it was not required if you didn't want to get out of the vehicle. An excellent tour for those with limited mobility. I think the cost was $55 per person.

 

Hope that helps.

[Snit13]

I am a major planner. My suggestion is first go to the Caribbean Port threads here on CC. There are many locals who answer questions and answer questions. That is always my first stop for things to do, places to go, what not to miss.

 

The next thing I do is Google the port city and country. Later I go to Google maps and print maps of areas to visit on our own. You will find a wealth of information on your computer.

 

Forget the Library and Guide Books. That was good advice 20 years ago.

[mets07]

Welcome

Do you like super cool beach bars in beautiful settings?

If so, get off the ship in Tortola and hop a taxi to the ferry. Take it over to Jost Van Dyke. Check out Soggy Dollar. White Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to.

 

 

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Amen to this! We did the ship excursion to Jost Van Dyke. Either way, so beautiful!!!!

[SwimAruba]

Tortola ---- Jost Van Dyke has to be the most gorgeously wild place I have ever been! Stunning, untouched beaches and shores, with a line of home-away-from-home bars. Personally I recommend the ship excursion to ensure no issues getting back in time, particularly if you may indulge in several beverages, ha! Enjoy, it's gorgeous!

 

 

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[JuliaMS]

W were supposed to do a snorkel trip to the Baths. So we would arrive by boat and swim to shore if that is doable for you it provides a chance to still see it. The day we arrived the seas were too rough and all trips to the baths were canceled. Instead we booked a tour that started out by boat. They took us around to several of the islands sight seeing - no getting off the boat. The tour guide was funny and it was a beautiful trip. We ended at Cane Garden Bay with some time to browse, shop or eat. Then onto a bus for the trip back with a guide It was a nice, easy day. It was called something like Tortola by land and sea.

[lostfancruiser]

Another vote for Jost Van Dyke. It was one of the best beach days we ever had. There aren't a lot of tourists there-only the small number of people who came on our catamaran and a few staying in the small beach hut "hotel". My only regret was that we didn't have more time there. I could easily have pitched a tent and stayed there! If you want some glimpses of the island, go to You Tube and look at Kenny Chesney's video "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems". It was filmed there. Second choice would be a tour of the island of Tortola.

[sadie8]

In Dominica, we did the champagne reef snorkel excursion through the cruise ship. A catamaran picked us up at the dock and took us to two different spots to snorkel.

[CincinnatiGal]

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g147354-Activities-c42-t139-Tortola_British_Virgin_Islands.html

 

Tortola tour guides is something to check out. We always book our own excursions as those that the cruise ship offers are so expensive

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g147281-Activities-c42-Dominica.html

 

Dominica tours

[PAcruiser19372]

Hello everyone! I am a long time lurker here, and now am ready to ask for some advice! We (Mom, 54, and I, 24) are booked on a 10 night Southern Caribbean cruise next April on Serenade of the Seas (our 1st cruise!!!). We booked it initially because we waited too long last year (got too expensive), so we didn't want that to happen again this time around.

 

However, now we have a dilemma. I am a big planner, and am having serious trouble getting excited or interested in two of the five ports: Dominica and Tortola. I figured when we booked that I would be able to find shore excursions to suit our interests and abilities, but now that seems less likely.

 

We both have some problems with our joints, so have no interest in the hiking tours that seem common in Dominica, and the treks down to the Baths at Virgin Gorda seem to be too difficult based on some of the descriptions and reviews I have read (although it does look appealing). The river tubing in Dominica looked promising until I read reviews saying there's only 4 inches of water, and some people were getting banged up from the rocks. Now we're nervous to try that, too.

 

So, I need your help! Any other excursion ideas or suggestions? We both love the water and are strong swimmers. We love adventure (we've done tubing and tidal bore rafting etc), but hiking/climbing is a problem for us.

Thank you!

 

We're on the same cruise with you as well. While we usually use local tours vs ship excursions Dominica is the one place we just could not feel excited about any of the recommended tours and what not...seem to have experienced the same hesitancy that you are feeling. We're going to wind up doing a simple ships tour in Dominica. On Tortola we're booked with Aristocat Charters, #1 on Trip Advisor for boat tours. Good Luck!

[birdylady]

We did Dominica last year on our cruise and it turned out to be the one island that really stuck out for me. I was so impressed by all the friendly residents and the pride they take in their island. We took a tour with My Sisters Tours. Helen was amazing. It was very affordable and not strenuous at all. She customized where and when we wanted to.

 

http://www.mysistertours.com/About_Dominica.html

 

And might I say you are brave taking a long cruise for your first cruise. If nothing else, you'll have trouble going to shorter cruises later. :D

 

You can also check out TripAdvisor for reviews as well.

 

Erika

[CanadaDeb]

Welcome to cruise critic! I am familiar with your issues ( I have the same ).

 

In Dominica we did river tubing. The transportation is in an air conditioned bus, the walk into the river is pretty easy as is the few stairs to get out. The tubing itself is super easy with helpers all along the way and the water is only about waist deep. After the tubing is done, there's a small snack and a drink for the way back. Excellent day, we had a blast!