Tahiti - a tough act to follow...

[joyride]

Hi Princess cruisers!

 

First, I want to let you all know that I have completed 9 albums from our TP cruise in August and they are now available for your viewing pleasure on webshots - the link is below in my signature.

 

Secondly - I have a question for you experienced cruisers. We have booked the Crown for April - Barbados, Antigua, Tortola, St. Lucia, St. Thomas... We have been to St. Thomas many times and I'm trying to figure out what to do there. We have gone on the Captain Nautica's tour twice (Turtle Cove, Honeymoon Beach), been to Megan's Bay/Beach twice, taken a day sail to St. John, etc. I have a feeling that snorkeling will never be the same for me after Tahiti! Tahiti was so awesome, and I'm just not sure what to do now! We did a Helmet Dive in Bora Bora and were surrounded by stingrays, clown fish, etc. and I just know that if we helmet dive in St. Thomas that it's not going to be the same.

 

Any suggestions? We have never been to Tortola or St. Lucia and have plans for Barbados (Silvermoon Cat) and Antigua (Grand Pineapple Resort) that I'm sure we will enjoy.

 

I would love some insight from you all. I know I can always resort to shopping, but I think DH would rather keep me away from that! :):):)

[Toto2Kansas]

I totally agree that snorkeling is never the same after Tahiti, there just isn't anything in the Caribbean that compares. The Great Barrier Reef was wonderful snorkeling, but Tahiti is still my favorite of all time.

BUT............the sliver moon is our second favorite snorkeling tour when comparing it to Tahiti, so that should get you very excited. We try to visit Barbados whenever we can find a cruise that stops there as the Sliver Moon is one of the top excursions we have taken in many years (close to those offered in Tahiti of coarse but nothing seems to compare totally ;)).

[joyride]

I always love hearing from you! I have enjoyed your posts and insights for several years now. Tahiti was everything expected and more - wish it wasn't so pricey and far away!!!

 

I'm looking forward to the SilverMoon. We just booked the cruise and I'm not confirmed that we are on yet with the group for the SilverMoon - but I'm hoping it works out. I did the 5 Star Cat Tiami a few years ago in Barbados and it was very nice. I'm hoping we get on this one with the smaller group. I'm so spoiled now after Marc's, Bruno's, etc. and I love the small private group experience!

 

What do you like to do in St. Thomas?

[SeaPeaInn]

If Tahiti were closer and less expensive it would soon not be so nice. That is what happened to the Caribbean.

[Toto2Kansas]

Joyride, Thanks!

I really hope you make it to the Silver Moon, it is one of the highlights of our Caribbean Cruises. Kind of makes you feel like a few hours of living 'lifestyles of the rich and famous'. We have sailed twice with them, both on the Silver Moon I and II. The second time the only passengers were CC members, now that one was very memorable. lol What a riot! Swimming with the sea turtles really does compare to Tahiti, especially if you have a nice sunny day. The food is great and the drinks are even better. The crew are some of the best on any catamaran we have ever taken. Barbados isn't Barbados without a day on the Silver Moon. I will keep my fingers crossed for you. The Tiami (we have done that also) in no way compares to the Silver Moon experience. :)

 

St. Thomas for us always seems to mean the all day Catamaran Trip on the Heavenly Days to St. Johns. We aren't big on shopping anymore, and where there is water, catamarans and snorkeling, you will find us. ;) Only thing we have found is the last couple of years too many take this excursion that aren't used to rougher seas so many end up with their head in a bucket all the way there and back. I usually bring a pack of Bonine and pass it out like candy. Nothing worse than watching someone sitting next to you loosing their cookies for several hours. :(

[joyride]

Wow, you are right about that. I wouldn't want to change Tahiti in any way, but I'm sure it will eventually happen. What a beautiful and still untouched place it is in many ways...

 

Toto - The roll call for our cruise has the Silvermoon booked, but the people in charge right now are on vacation - so I have to wait until they return to see if we are on. I hope so!

 

I will check out the Heavenly Cat, looks nice on the website. I'm shopped out too - not really into that - I just want to be in the water! :)

[Toto2Kansas]

Just wanted to agree with PNickle a bit. If you think Tahiti is great now, you should have seen it 15-20 years ago. Believe it or not, compared to our first trip there, we were almost, what I would call, disappointed in what we saw happening to that beautiful paradise. We walked along the coast line two years ago to see trash in the water, something you would have never found way back when. On our first visit, it wasn't as commercialized as it is now, it was beyond words.

Not to say it isn't still a great place, but we found over the years, the more tourists that visited, the worse Tahiti became. My only fear is that this will continue and I hate to see something so beauiful, turn into some of what we have seen in the Caribbean in recent years.

[chasetf]

We never did any snorkeling on Tahiti, but Bora Bora and Moorea were great. We took pickup tours off the dock and were taken to their "special" places. One tour we took on Raiata took us to Tahaa for a drift snorkel.... that was special drifting through coral canyons beign drawn by the current. But we found Rangiroa to be the best. Just off the dock was an area that was shallow, with a fall off going deep that had a very wide variety of fish..... including sharks.

[Seal]

Our favorite for St. Thomas has also been Heavenly Days--full day cruise--we weren't able to take it last year when on the Crown B2B--we were at St. Thomas twice on that trip and it wasn't available--It is available on other Princess cruises--that's how we've taken it before--we did reach them on the phone before this years b2b on the Crown--they were dealing with another group at that time--I really thought that we would find a way for at least one of the stops--but no such luck

 

About a year and a half ago I had a cancer removed from my lower leg just before leaving for the cruise --it was not to get wet--went on the Heavenly Days--Can you believe they carried me to the beach/dingy/boat

 

I was very embarassed--but also very pleased--I was happy to stay aboard when others were snorkeling/swimming etc--it rained like crazy on our way back--and the Princess group was down at the dock to meet us/obviously pretty late--to get us on the ship and take off--This excursion would be my recommendation

 

 

Took a look at some of your photos--look GREAT--much better with the camera than I am!!!--My camera started to get very HOT when we were with Bruno--could never get it to work after that--charged the battery etc--but would never turn on

 

Hope all is well for you

 

Nancy:D