iatag

I believe shoreexcursioneer is offering excursions from Harvest Cay. I did not try to compare them to NCL as we have a fully booked week and just want to relax on Harvest Cay. You might want to take a look.

If you are travelling with a family or small group you might want to consider a private charter. We used Islandlife Watersports (Captain Andrew Ebanks) for our family of 5. We were the first boat out to Stingray City and had the place to ourselves for a while. We all got plenty of time holding, feeding and kissing the stingrays. By the time we departed to snorkel the large operators started arriving. We enjoyed a couple of snorkel stops and also some time on a small island before heading back to the ship. The 4 to 5 hr. private trip cost about the same as a shorter and more crowded options for our group.

Regardless of how you do it, interacting with the Stingrays is a unique experience I'm sure you will enjoy.

I like to drink but can easily cruise for a week without a single drink (and have done so on several occasions) when forced to pay $10+ per drink. Just not worth it for me. We have booked our last two cruises with NCL mainly because of the UBP. I actually prefer Carnival in many other areas, but when prices are similar and NCL throws in the UBP, it's a "no-brainer" for me. I have no problem offsetting the $99 gratuity charge in drinks consumed. I thoroughly enjoy the freedom to order "what I want, when I want" without worrying about the expense. My only concern is that I tend to "over induldge" in both food and drink and find myself in bed early or walking around feeling "stuffed". Oh well, cruising only happens once a year for me so why feel guilty.

Have only visited Tortola once and went to Brewer's Bay. It was a good place to avoid the crowds and enjoy the sand and water. Snorkeling from beach was good, but not great. We took a taxi and had a mix-up about the return trip. Turned out not to be an issue as the restaurant/bar where you can rent chairs made quick arrangements with a local taxi driver for our return to the ship. Same fee as the ride there which we arranged after disembarking the ship. Can't remember the price but I'm thinking around $30 total each way for all 5 of us. Both trips were in air-conditioned but "well-traveled" vans. Both drivers were friendly.

For our group, Brewers Bay was a perfect choice for a place to just hang out and relax without much (if any) bother from beach vendors. Water is very calm and drops off slowly. Plenty of space for full sun or shade in the palm trees. Insects were not an issue when we were there.

My family of five booked a snorkel/beach day with Island Charters over spring break 2016. We also got to do some spearfishing. It was a great day. The snorkeling was excellent. We are all good swimmers, so we skipped the first spot where they teach you the basics.

Everything went smooth. The guide and boat operator were very friendly and informative. It was just a short walk to the boat loading area. We did ask directions from a uniformed "guard" to make sure we were headed the right direction.

You'll have a great time.