Excursions - Info Please

[JessInNY]

Hello Everyone!

Yes, more questions:

What excursion would you most recommend in St. Maarten?

We are thinking about the America's Cup Regatta - age range 38-73. My Mom is the 73-year-old. She is in okay shape, does not like to walk much. Would this excursion be appropriate for her?

St. Thomas? What would you recommend?

If we pre-reserve now, when do we actually pay and can we cancel or change pre-reservations without penalty, up to when?

Thanks so much, as always. I promise to answer any questions I can once I return from my first cruise on CP in November.

Have a nice day.

Jess

[Blackrobe]

JessinNY, let me answer the easy part of your question first. At some point before your cruise, you can go to the "Cruise Personalizer" on the Princess web site and access the information about your cruise. Anywhere from 60 to 120 days before your cruise you will see that excursions are available. When they are available for your cruise you can book them through the "Cruise Personalizer". You can usually cancel excursions up to the day before the excursion. There is an announcement in the "Princess Patter" on the ship as to the last time to cancel excursions for each port. You can also check at the excursion window.

The harder part of your question concerns what excursions to take with a senior citizen. Each port has an excursion on a bus giving a general tour of the island. These excursions are pretty good for senior citizens as the activity level is pretty low. Both St. Maarten and St. Thomas have excellent shopping areas but these require a fair amount of walking and, depending how many ships are in port, can turn into full contact shopping. The tram at the main dock area in St. Thomas is really easy to do and it offers a wonderful view of the harbor at Charlotte Amalie, there is a bird show and often other entertainment. Another easy-to-do excursion is to take the ferry from the waterfront in Charlotte Amalie and go to St. John. Immediately after getting off the ferry in St. John there is a taxi station where you can get an excellent tour of St. John on an open air taxi/jitney for $16.00 pp.

Sorry but I have not taken America's Regatta.

[spongerob]

Here's a little info on the Americas' Cup Regatta. Hopefully it will help you make a more informed decision as to its suitability. The boats are authentic 12-metre racing boats. Creature comforts are minimal at best, i.e. not much room to sit and NO restrooms. The idea of the tour is to give people an opportunity to perform the same jobs as the racing crew. Some people are grinders, others work trimming winches and take care of the ropes. There is room for one or two people who don't want to do anything. You are under the direction of the captain's assistants. The action can be fast and those operating the various stations need to be on the ball because you are doing all the work.

Getting on and off the boat even in very calm water is somewhat difficult. These boats were built with experienced sailors in mind. Surprisingly, they sail very smoothly even in rough water. Most of the time you will be heeled over to one side or the other, and given the lack of real seats, a sore rear end is par for the course.

It is a very good tour and loads of fun, but does require a certain amount of agility and participation to enjoy and be safe.

Most of the "active" tours can be enjoyed by anyone who is reasonably fit. Sometimes there is more need for a little balance and agility than endurance. Everyone has their limitations, though, so if you book an active tour for someone who might have difficulty, be prepared to sit some things out if you don't get good information about what to expect beforehand. Good luck, and have a great time.

[cruisinfirst]

My mother and I will be on the same itinerary the first week in November. My mom is a little younger but has difficulty getting around due to a medical condition. Based on the research I've done, we're planning to take a tour through "Godfrey's Tours" on St Thomas. They pick you up at the pier at either 9, 10 or 11 (your choice), take you to the shopping area til noon, then take you on an open air bus tour of the island and then to a beach for a couple hours. I've read great reviews and it's only $20.

On St Martin there didn't seem to be as many good tour options. We also considered the America's Cup Regatta but decided it might be too strenuous. Instead we are planning to take a cab over to Orient beach, then possibly visit Maho Beach (aircraft land right over the beach) and then shop in Phillipsburg.

Good luck in your decisions and have a great time! Hopefully the weather will have calmed down a little by then.

[travelingjan]

I did the America Cup Regatta last Nov. and it was a great excursion. I am 68 so was not able to do the active part but was in charge of the beer and water which I could handle fine. Plenty of help getting on and off the ship. Go for it.

[Northender]

[quote name='travelingjan']I did the America Cup Regatta last Nov. and it was a great excursion. I am 68 so was not able to do the active part but was in charge of the beer and water which I could handle fine. Plenty of help getting on and off the ship. Go for it.[/QUOTE]

I got the beer duty also, almost fell in the hole. There were some big drinkers on Canada North II. We lost. DH had one of the grinders and he was pooped :D It was worth it though. Had a blast. :)

[JessInNY]

Thanks everyone for the excursion info (America's Cup Regatta). I'll be looking at something different for my Mom.

Have a nice day.