Beach Question

[DeRon]

My wife and I tend to like resorts that are very nice, the ability to use their pool and restaraunts, and beaches that are awesome to look at! (We wade in knee deep, but don't really swim too far out in the ocean).

 

We want awesome scenery, places to eat/drink with awesome views, chairs and unmbrellas, and semi-close to the ship (10 minuites or so).

 

What do you think would be our best bet? We are willing to pay for a "day pass" if they allow such. Or do you think I should just stick to the ship's (Princess Emerald's) excursion to Malibu Beach? And we will be there the first week of November.

 

Thanks!

[Aplmac]

Malibu Beach is hardly awesome!

Nice enough..but awesome? I don't think so.

 

One word comes to mind and that is CRANE.

Yes, it's across the other side of the island but if you get going early

(it's a one hour drive) you'll have a nice day!

 

 

Go to this webpage

http://www.angelfire.com/wizard2/cncisland/bigships/scenes.html

and click on the Crane Beach link

and see if Facebook will let you in to view an an album I assembled a little while ago.

 

 

________________________________________

If Crane is too far away for you

then HILTON Barbados is your next best bet, I reckon.

 

 

These pics below are pics of Crane,not Hilton

 

 

.

[DeRon]

Thanks for the post!

 

But 1 hour drive?? Is that one way? What would be your 2nd choice if we only wanted to drive 15-20 minutes?

[Aplmac]

But 1 hour drive?? Is that one way? ===> One way.

 

What would be your 2nd choice if we only wanted to drive 15-20 minutes?

Hilton - at the other end of wide sweeping Carlisle Bay

and still within sight of your ship.

 

 

_____________________

There ARE pics of Hilton.

[DeRon]

Aplmac,

 

Thank you so much! Will the Hilton let us use their pools and beaches for a day pass? Do you know how much?

 

You are a TON of help! Thank you!

[Aplmac]

Will the Hilton let us use their pools and beaches for a day pass? ===> And a towel and chair, I think..

Do you know how much? ===> under a thousand bucks..:D

 

You are a TON of help! Thank you!

Hilton asks that you phone ahead first, to see if they can accommodate you.

If the hotel is full, they won't take any day passes(makes sense,huh?)

 

The number(on the island) to call from the Port somewhere..is...426-0200

 

it's in the book under Hilton Barbados, not Barbados Hilton.

 

 

 

How much $?

Somewhere in here is a thread all about day passes,

let me see if I can find it........

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=650675

that's what you want! :)

[DeRon]

This is great info, and I will try the Hilton. Let me ask you one more please. What is your advice if they are full? Should we go to the Boatyard? or is there something better?

[Aplmac]

- I will try the Hilton. What is your advice if they are full?

Should we go to the Boatyard? or is there something better?

Boatyard is generally for young people who like Party and loud music..

although once you're out on the beach,much of that fades away.

 

There are so many Boatyard threads and comments,in here.

You need to go thru them to get a fairly good idea of what all these places are like.

 

If Hilton is full and can't take you (unlikely, I think)

then your next best bet is Accra/Rockley, a bit further along the South Coast

-about 15-20 mins. away from the ship, but with bus routes and a taxi stand right there!

You've probably seen what Accra looks like from the pics on my Scenic Barbados webpage

via that link I supplied in a previous response?

 

Personally, I think you'll have a better time(cost less) at Accra, that at Hilton.

Accra has wide appeal.

[cruisintwinsmom]

Boatyard is generally for young people who like Party and loud music..

although once you're out on the beach,much of that fades away.

 

There are so many Boatyard threads and comments,in here.

You need to go thru them to get a fairly good idea of what all these places are like.

 

If Hilton is full and can't take you (unlikely, I think)

then your next best bet is Accra/Rockley, a bit further along the South Coast

-about 15-20 mins. away from the ship, but with bus routes and a taxi stand right there!

You've probably seen what Accra looks like from the pics on my Scenic Barbados webpage

via that link I supplied in a previous response?

 

Personally, I think you'll have a better time(cost less) at Accra, that at Hilton.

Accra has wide appeal.

 

 

My DDs(20yo) and I will be there next month. I think that Accra sounds like it will work for us (would love to go to Crane, but can't decide if an 1 is worth is or not). Do they have public beaches? Do we need to get a day pass from a hotel? We just want to relax...although they would probably be interested in a little shopping if there is anything unusual to be seen. If they wanted to go see the monkeys at 2:00, would that be doable?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

[cruisintwinsmom]

Sorry, I see that there is a thread a little further down that will probably answer all my questions.:p

[Aplmac]

My DDs(20yo) and I will be there next month.

I think that Accra sounds like it will work for us (would love to go to Crane, but can't decide if an 1 is worth is or not).

Do they have public beaches? Do we need to get a day pass from a hotel?

We just want to relax...although they would probably be interested in a little shopping if there is anything unusual to be seen.

If they wanted to go see the monkeys at 2:00, would that be doable?

Monkeys at 2 p.m. sounds like Wildlife Reserve, up at the Northern end of the island.

 

Chillin at Accra with bikini-clad daus.aged 20 is happening at the Southern end of the island.

 

You might be better off going to a beach like Mullins, up North,

where it won't then be far to go to visit with the primates for 'afternoon tea' :)

[cruisintwinsmom]

Monkeys at 2 p.m. sounds like Wildlife Reserve, up at the Northern end of the island.

 

Chillin at Accra with bikini-clad daus.aged 20 is happening at the Southern end of the island.

 

You might be better off going to a beach like Mullins, up North,

where it won't then be far to go to visit with the primates for 'afternoon tea' :)

 

 

Thanks Aplmac.

 

Which bus do we take to Mullins beach? Then what bus from the beach to the reserve and then back toward town for some strolling around?

[Aplmac]

Which bus do we take to Mullins beach?

Then what bus from the beach to the Reserve

and then back toward town for some strolling around?

 

I see you're coming to a nice cut-and-dried island

where everything works 'just so', huh? :D

 

 

Now for the reality.

Bus from the Port to Mullins is quite feasible

since Mullins-bound buses go right past the Port

(about 300yds. to the N. of the Port's entrance,right near Chefette fast-food outlet).

 

From Mullins to Wildlife Reserve, I'd definitely try to catch a taxi in the Mullins area and let him take you there

Why? becoz Nature Reserve is in the middle of nowhere

and although the Farley Hill bus may run right past there, I think..(whenever ?) :)

I wouldn't be trying that when I have just 6 hrs. ashore, and a ship to catch!

Call me a wusss, but call me!

 

I'd have the Mullins taxi guy wait on you, while you 'monkey around'

and then take you from Wildlife Reserve back to the nearest coastal area

where buses are again more frequent and reliable!

 

Maybe you'll have him take you straight into Bridgetown to stroll around and shop

or maybe back to Mullins, where you'll simply reverse that bus-ride

...this time INto the City, rather than OUT.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

If you were staying here on the island for a week or so.. yes, you could do this all by bus

and have fun experimenting/waiting/getting lost/taking the wrong bus in the wrong direction,etc..

..but with a ship to catch, I personally wouldn't be so brave

unless I had a local Barbadian such as myself, moving with you, in your party

to keep you 'real', travelling in the right direction,etc. :)

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

 

One of life's unforgettable lessons.

 

It was 5:23 p.m. as we watched from the deck of OV2, at Sint Maarten,

while a young couple RAN the length of the Philipsburg Pier to catch Adventure of the Seas

(as we all cheered madly!)

and then 1 min. later, it became clear that they were the early ones who actually made it..

 

There was someone else who still hadn't got back on time

and eventually they took in the gangway and left without those late-comers!!

It wasn't a pretty sight, but it sure as hell was a lesson for all concerned,including us!

 

Moral of the story: this nightmare does actually happen..

 

All our jaws dropped, but hey, the ship was about 15 mins. late

they waited that time, and still no-one showed up...

you don't want that to happen to you.

[cruisintwinsmom]

No I would not want to miss the ship!!!! Is it worth going to see the monkeys? Do we need a guide to see the reserve? I figure it is not something we can see anywhere else. I imagine we would negotiate the fare w/the taxi driver ahead of time or are they on the meter....suggestion for fair price from Mullins to Reserve to Bridgetown.

 

Appreciate all your help (and puns:p ).

[Aplmac]

Is it worth going to see the monkeys?

Do we need a guide to see the reserve? ===> Guides at the Reserve(I think) - it's not a huge place.

I figure it is not something we can see anywhere else.

I imagine we would negotiate the fare w/the taxi driver ahead of time ===> Yes.

or are they on the meter.... ===> NO meters

suggestion for fair price from Mullins to Reserve to Bridgetown.

Hard for me to say if it's worth it to you, to trek up to the Northern bit of the island to see monkeys!

Most ppl report that they do see them upon arrival, but I've read a few (a few) that were disappointed.

 

If you're doing our Northern bit anyway, then yes definitely do stop thru at Wildlife Reserve.

Even if that's all you ever do while ashore here

you'll get to see a pretty good cross-section of the island to-ing and fro-ing

especially if you tell your driver to take you back via the scenic East Coast route!

 

Admission to Wildlife Reserve also gets you admission to

the old and historic British Army Grenade Hall signal station nearby (with a great view!)

plus there's Farley Hill (a cooling Park)across the road

so it's pretty much a 3-in-1 stop ..and not just the Wildlife Reserve.

 

Yes, go! :)

[cinnam0n]

DEFINITELY GO! We did the standard tour of the flora, etc. on our first trip to Barbados. The second time we went (March of last year) we really wanted to see the Wildlife Reserve. We planned a trip with Cameron Reid, going up the east coast to see a lighthouse we had read about online, and making a few other stops that Cameron recommended. Got to the Reserve around noon and saw tons of monkeys. They are very tame! We wanted to have a while to shop around town before the ship left, so we had Cameron take us straight back to the port. We travelled back along the west coast, and it was a great time! I'm so glad we took the time to go. As aplmac said, it is kind of far up to the Reserve, but you do get to see a lot of the island on the way.

[cinnam0n]

PS - You don't need a guide to see the Reserve. It is a clearly marked path and you just stroll along at your leisure. (stepping over the giant tortoises, of course) Cameron waited for us at the snack bar nearby.

[cruisintwinsmom]

Looking at a map of Barbados, it looks like Crane Beach might also be on the way up to the reserve. Is that true? I would really like to do this without a guide, as I'm hiring 2 guides on other islands, and thought we could do this on our own, but seems like it is more complicated than I thought or maybe this old brain is just too tired to comprehend. Also, I find I'm flip-flopping a lot :o . So how is this for an itinerary:

 

Take a taxi, pick up outside port gates, to Crane beach (leave ship about 8:30am).

Get to Crane about 9:30am (does the $25 get us chairs), eat lunch.

Hail taxi, at about 12:00, to head to reserve. Get there about 1:00 (?)

See monkeys, and, time permitting, Grenade Hall and Farley Hill.

Find a taxi (or hopefully the same one who takes us to the reserve) and head back to the ship 2:30.

Arrive back to the ship 4:30

 

Do the travel times look right?

 

I don't know, maybe I should just check out a tour, but all I want to see is an utterly awesome beach and the monkeys. (my dds are easy going and will try whatever I suggest--well just about). Can you tell I'm just a little overwhelmed? Usually by this time, I've got the whole trip planned to the minute.

 

Thanks!

[Aplmac]

how is this for an itinerary:

 

Take a taxi, pick up outside port gates, to Crane beach (leave ship about 8:30am).

Get to Crane about 9:30am (does the $25 get us chairs)===> Yes, eat lunch.

Hail taxi, at about 12:00, to head to reserve. Get there about 1:00 ===> Yes.

See monkeys, and, time permitting, Grenade Hall and Farley Hill.

Find a taxi (or hopefully the same one who takes us to the reserve)

and head back to the ship 2:30. ===> Even 3:15 p.m.

Arrive back to the ship 4:30

 

Do the travel times look right? ===> yes, they do!

 

As long as you stick to those times, and do it via taxi

you should be able to do it in those travel times between stops.

 

It shouldn't take you more than an hour to get back to the Port

from the Wildlife Reserve/Farley Hill area!

 

You will have not-quite circumnavigated the island

by the time you've completed your proposed itinerary

 

- and the drive from Crane to Wildlife reserve

should take you along the scenic East Coast!

[cruisintwinsmom]

PS - You don't need a guide to see the Reserve. It is a clearly marked path and you just stroll along at your leisure. (stepping over the giant tortoises, of course) Cameron waited for us at the snack bar nearby.

 

 

Thank you for your input!

[cruisintwinsmom]

As long as you stick to those times, and do it via taxi

you should be able to do it in those travel times between stops.

 

It shouldn't take you more than an hour to get back to the Port

from the Wildlife Reserve/Farley Hill area!

 

You will have not-quite circumnavigated the island

by the time you've completed your proposed itinerary

 

- and the drive from Crane to Wildlife reserve

should take you along the scenic East Coast!

 

 

Thanks for all your help!!!

[margaritawoman]

Here is my 2cents. We have been to Barbados many times. We keep going back to the Boatyard because it is 1. beautiful 2. close to the ship(5min) and 3. $15.00 per person for chair, umbrella, 1 drink, and taxi back to the ship. In MHO you really can't beat it. We are a couple in our early 50's. It is not that much of a party during the day. You can sit in your chair look at the beautiful beach and enjoy a few drinks, also food is available. The Hilton is down the beach from there. My DH & I have walked the beach from Boatyard to the Hilton. While the Hilton is nice it is $25.00 per person and all you get is a chair. You will not know until you get to Barbados if you can go for the day. I have heard about a new place next to the Boatyard we may try in October I think it is called (Lobster-alive). To me the beach there is as nice as any on the Island. We have not been to Crane beach and someday I would like to go there but it is not good for swimming. It is suppose to be breath taking.

[cruisintwinsmom]

Starting to worry that it may be too windy to enjoy Crane.

 

If we go to Accra/Rockly first, how would we get to the Reserve?

 

Also, you had suggested Mullins instead of Accra (closer to reserve?), how would we navigate that?

 

All your help is so appreciated!!!!!!

[DeRon]

Crane sounds so good...but an hour drive??

[ilovethesun]

Is there anywhere that we can walk to from the port? My husband is anti-taxi and just would prefer to walk.

 

thanks!

angie