Exotic Caribbean Queries

[liauq]

Hello.

I've just booked my first Seabourn cruise: fourteen nights in the Caribbean in December.

I know it's a long way off, but I'm a terrible "cruise nerd" and will have lots of questions !

 

Just to start:

 

I see that all ports are tendered.

Do Seabourn give priority to people who have booked their yours and does this delay other passengers? Will this affect my booking other tours independently?

 

Has anyone been to Basseterre in Guadeloupe and what did you do?

The ship's tours seem to be either inappropriate or expensive for what you get, but I'm struggling for alternatives.

 

Any advice on things to do in Nevis, St. Barts and Terre-de-Haut would also be gratefully received!

I haven't asked in the port of call section as there seems to be little going on there.

 

Many thanks for your assistance in advance.

 

[princeton123211]

7 hours ago, liauq said:

Do Seabourn give priority to people who have booked their yours and does this delay other passengers? Will this affect my booking other tours independently?

If its an early morning tour departure then they will make sure that group gets on an early tender, but aside from that cast most of the images you have of tendering on large ships aside. Its very quick and very organized no matter when you leave the ship. You won't be waiting much like you would on a large ship. 

 

7 hours ago, liauq said:

Has anyone been to Basseterre in Guadeloupe and what did you do?

The ship's tours seem to be either inappropriate or expensive for what you get, but I'm struggling for alternatives.

Theres a nice market and a very pretty but small cathedral. How so inappropriate? What interests you? The island itself isn't cheap (but not as expensive as say St Barths) so that accounts for a bit in what's charged for the ships tours. All transactions are in Euros so you lose some right there in the conversion. 

 

8 hours ago, liauq said:

Any advice on things to do in Nevis, St. Barts and Terre-de-Haut would also be gratefully received!

I haven't asked in the port of call section as there seems to be little going on there.

On Nevis I would just find a beach whether you get a day rate at a hotel and use their facilities or just head out on your own. 

 

Terre-de-Haut is a very sleepy and there isn't much as far as organized activities. We walked around the little area where the tender drops you and found that most things weren't even open earlier (it was maybe 9:30am). Ended up headed to a beach for a few hours. 

 

The night before you get to St Barts you just need to sit down with your wallet and have a heart to heart. Just explain to it that while you know its going to be an exhausting day for it, you appreciate that it decided to come with you and you will both make the best of it. 

 

Everything in St Barts costs about triple what you would expect it to and everything is in Euros. A 10 minute taxi from where the tender drops you off to Eden Rock and Nikki Beach cost around $70 USD. We had lunch at Eden Rock Hotel (which I highly recommend) and ordered 4 drinks, a small personal margarita pizza, not very large bowl of gazpacho, and a bottle of sparking water and I think it came to about $300 USD. 

 

Just go in with the right expectations there and have fun. 

[liauq]

Hi; many thanks for your ideas.

Yes; St. Barts does look rather "exclusive" pricewise!

 

The problem in Guadaloupe is that some of the tours involve hikes which my husband can't do, we're not overkeen on rum-tasting and we've already been to Deshaies. It pretty much leaves the trip to the Jacques Cousteau marine park, which seems to get bad reviews because the snorkelling is too short. Ah, well.

 

Terre-de -Haut; maybe we'll hire a golf buggy.

 

Euros are not a problem as we use them on European holidays anyway, coming from the UK, as long as I remember to pack them.

 

Think I'll probably go to Pinney's beach on Nevis; the botanical garden looks nice but after seeing Hunte's Garden in Barbados it's spoilt me !

 

Happy holidaying.

[Mauzac]

I saw golf buggies for hire in Terre de Haut.  We found it to be a charming little island, with photo opportunities round every corner!  

[liauq]

Terre-de-Haut does look pretty and I'm trying not to get too excited about Bequia and Mayreau, really want to see the Tobago Cays, weather gods permitting!

[Isklaar]

Terre-de-Haut, Bequia and Deshaies have been some  of my favourite Caribbean ports.

You're lucky to be seeing them all on one cruise.  

(Mayreau not so much although we had our beach BBQ there on Seabourn several years ago.) 

 

We visited the botanical garden in Nevis in 2017. It was lovely, but I can't compare as haven't been to the one in Barbados. We would go again as we didn't see all of it. On a ship's tour and the tour group had to stay together during the visit, so the pace of the group was limited according to guest mobility. Anyway, we were impressed enough that we would certainly return.

 

[liauq]

Hi,Isklaar:

The caribbean from the UK for a week is not on for me: too far and an overnight flight back .

know what you mean about ship tours but they are convenient Nevis gardens look lovely but quite formal, Hunte's garden in Barbados is more informal but would be heaven for a plant-person (which I'm not) but it's like a little paradise and I took so many photos.If you get a chance then go.I love Barbados.

I like to snorkel so I'm always seeking the elusive perfect snorkelling spot...and now I've heard of the Tobago Cays, they've intrigued me...hence Mayreau. I envy people in the USA for their easy access to snorkelling like the American Virgin Islands or Roatan.

Deshaies was beautiful because our ship excursion took us to the botanical garden which is lovely..Grand Anse beach, well, the sea is a bit rough with people struggling to get out of the water: I took lots of sand back to the ship in my swimsuit, ouch.Having said that, there's a new series of "Death in Paradise" currently showing in the UK and it's making us want to be there!

 

[Isklaar]

1 hour ago, liauq said:

Hi,Isklaar:

The caribbean from the UK for a week is not on for me: too far and an overnight flight back .

know what you mean about ship tours but they are convenient Nevis gardens look lovely but quite formal, Hunte's garden in Barbados is more informal but would be heaven for a plant-person (which I'm not) but it's like a little paradise and I took so many photos.If you get a chance then go.I love Barbados.

I like to snorkel so I'm always seeking the elusive perfect snorkelling spot...and now I've heard of the Tobago Cays, they've intrigued me...hence Mayreau. I envy people in the USA for their easy access to snorkelling like the American Virgin Islands or Roatan.

Deshaies was beautiful because our ship excursion took us to the botanical garden which is lovely..Grand Anse beach, well, the sea is a bit rough with people struggling to get out of the water: I took lots of sand back to the ship in my swimsuit, ouch.Having said that, there's a new series of "Death in Paradise" currently showing in the UK and it's making us want to be there!

 

 

We're in the UK  too, so we never do a shorter cruise than 14 days in the Caribbean, completely understand what you mean about only going all that way just for one week!

We've also been enjoying "Death in Paradise", nice to dream of blue skies and sea when the weather is this horrid. 

 

 

[liauq]

Hi, Isklaar:

I actually would like to do a week cruising with a week in Barbados: Caribbean cruises are lovely but you generally have to get transport to the beach: my "bargain" hotel in Holetown has apparently closed and they are building a 5 star hotel whilst my "bargain" hotel in Speightstown has been bought by Sandals: you could lie in your sunbed and watch turtles coming in to eat off the rocks whilst sipping a "BBC", sigh.

[Stem to Stern]

On 2/27/2020 at 6:15 AM, liauq said:

Any advice on things to do in Nevis

I cast another vote for the botanical gardens.  Horticulture is a great love of mine and I found this place truly beautiful.  With the mountain in the background I captured some fantastic memories.