HarpHarp

It's worth mentioning that the only reason there was a "State of Emergency" was because one of the people shot was the brother of a local senator. Funny how that changes things.

Sure does. I don't wish anyone harm, but I wonder if that is what it would take to get some action here. I'm getting tired of the type of story below being the lead on the local news.

"Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams broke down in tears while asking for the public’s help at the scene of a shooting that took the life of a 5-month-old girl, the third fatal shooting of a child in the last four weeks."

I take it you are on Carnival from San Juan.The Liberty still shows the schedule from 7am to 5

You may want to check in to the ship early in San Juan & put the kids down for a nap if you can get them to cooperate:D Sailing out of there at night is a beautiful experience

Coki & Coral World should be very possible on either schedule. There are only 2 other ships in port that day, so Coki shouldn't be that crowded.

Taxi is the best way to get there. Anything else requires a walk on each end, not easy for a small one. Many of the taxis are open air, bench seat buses. If you want to use your car seats, I'd contact the taxi association & pre arrange a driver.

http://vitaxiassociation.com/tours.html

I am no expert on the PVSA, but we had a situation in 2013 where we booked a Pacific Coastal to Vancouver and then the Vancouver to Vancouver Alaska itinerary. If it makes any difference, we had a port stop in Victoria, CA on the Alaska portion. We booked these two cruises with not a peep from NCL, but others were denied the second Alaska leg by customer service at NCL with citing of the PVSA violation. Theywere told to book another ncl ship for the second leg.QUOTE]

 

This is also legal, since you debark in Vancouver, not Seattle. We took the southbound Pacific Coastal, & they embark in Vancouver so they don't violate the act.

The original MT had more character IMHO than the new verison which replaced it after a fire. Mainly a big souvenir store where they still sell the $12 banana daiquari and there is a nice view of Magens Bay from there.

 

PP has a cafe and bar and a few other things including the Bird Lady's bird show and is a great spot to relax after the beach and before returning to the ship, especially if docked at Havensight.

After looking at the pictures, I have to agree about Mt. Top. I was looking forward to introducing my DH to the pleasures of a banana daiquiri there, but I'm leaning toward the Phantasea botanical gardens & a bushwacker at PP

Thanks for all the helpful advise!! I am super excited about St. John, and even if I can only make it to the beach there for 3 hours, I will be beyond pleased with that :)

 

Is the ferry pretty reliable with their schedule and timing?

The ferry is very reliable and on time. I'd head back to Cruz Bay & have some conch fritters for lunch before you catch the 1pm ferry. There is also some very interesting shopping there.

When will you be there? The next month is pretty slow & some places may be closed or have shorted hours. The under water snorkeling trail at Trunk is wonderful, but the beach can get crowded.

St. John is a magical place, with too many spectacular beaches to visit even in a week.

The other problem you will run into with that port schedule is that the ferry runs hourly at the top of the hour. If you are VERY LUCKY with your timing you may make the 8 am ferry, but the 9 is more likely.

That gives you about 3 hours at the beach because you will need to catch the 1 pm ferry back.

Trunk bay is National Park & has a snack bar. Cinnamon, Caneel $$$, & maybe a couple of other beaches have more variety. Cruz Bay has many good places to eat.

Blue_water, thanks for responding. Is there both a Mountain Top and Paradise Point? Or am I confusing Mountain Top from another island.

Mountain Top overlooks Magens bay & most of the North Shore

http://www.mountaintopvi.com/main.html

Paradise Point overlooks the harbor

http://www.ridetheview.com/

We took a taxi to sapphire beach. Rented 2 chairs for $9 each. They gave a waitress that walks around and we never had an empty drink. We ordered great Mahi sandwiches from her for lunch. Beautiful beach and view!

I agree with Jenny about Sapphire. It was my favorite when I lived on St Thomas. If you don't want to use up your day, about 2hours, going to/from St. John, I'd head to Sapphire. It has good snorkeling by the reef & lots of shade. Magens is too crowded for my taste most of the time & it has no snorkeling. The view of it from Skyline Dr is worth the trip though.

Here's the web cam for Sapphire & the link at the top has a drone view.

http://www.sapphireinthesun.com/

Hi Arman,

I would also like to visit the gardens on our cruise in November, since I used to live just west of there for several years, long before the gardens opened. I contacted Patsy, the owner & she said they are in negotiations with the tour operators, but have nothing definite yet since it is slow season.

She did suggest some taxi drivers for private tours & I will forward you the list if you e-mail me at the address below. Here's hoping we can both make it to the garden.

Cindy

No worries, there are drivers waiting at the pier offering various island tours, some with beach time, and all at very affordable rates. Great way to see beautiful Tortola! You'll be in an open-sided safari truck taxi with others for that price of course. If you want something private that can be arranged but I'd recommend the typical safari taxi tour for the best experience.

 

We will be traveling with a friend who has serious back problems. I fear the safari truck would not be comfortable for him. So who would people recommend to contact for a private tour? There will be 4-5 of us.

 

Here is a listing of the taxi tour services. You could e-mail bvitaxiassoc@yahoo.com or one of the others & arrange for a smaller air conditioned:)vehicle.

 

http://www.bvitourism.com/taxi-services

Tortola is a great stop, and the primary reason I booked our cruise on the Escape. If you don't want to go to the Baths on Virgin Gorda, take an island tour. Caribee spice shop and Pussers are quite near the pier but Roadtown is small & the biggest attraction is the natural beauty.

Thank you HarpHarp!! What a great resource you shared!

You're quite welcome. I loved living in St Thomas when I was young & single & am looking forward to showing my DH the beautiful island & some of my favorite spots.

I am puzzled as to why this site doesn't allow the link to vinow dot com. That site has a nice beach chart.

The beaches on St John are even more spectacular & Trunk Bay at the national park is one of my favorites.

Looks like Lindquest is the most beautiful. But we are not stay in the water or sit in the sand people. :rolleyes: (I am rolling those eyes at myself, not anyone else)

 

We would like a beach that has real bathrooms...I don't do port a potty on my worst day...chair and umbrella rentals and food and drink. I know, I am high maintenance on a low maintenance budget.

 

I guess that leaves Mangen or St John. Too many decisions...

Sapphire, Emerald, Secret Harbor, Bolongo, Sugar Bay Morningstar, are all ok & will have the amenities, & I would rank Sapphire at the top. Secret Harbor is nice but small Magens will be crowded if there are even a few ships in port.

Here's a beach listing

http://www.visitusvi.com/stthomas/attractions

VInow dot com has more info

Here's the latest article:

http://businessfocusantigua.com/bvis-tortola-pier-park-set-to-open-for-2015-cruise-season/

How much of this is accurate, I'll guess we find out in Nov.

That's good to know. I've been looking at the Escape deck plans (and I'm certainly no expert) but from what I can gather the spa balconies are under the Haven spa suites on the port side and the fitness center on the SB side. The spa mini-suites start at the bump out which is also where the pool deck begins on 16.

You're right, I was looking at the color group of cabins :o. The ones closest forward across from the elevators would probably be the quietest. I was worried about the same with our spa balcony.

O'Sheehan's is a lively venue and the Manhattan room has entertainment on some evenings. Taste & Savor are smaller & there are some out of the way tables where you could give him something to do if he gets bored, so that all 3 of you could have a meal.

You have plenty of time to work on his restaurant skills between now & March. He probably won't have the same behavior in 6 months anyhow.

I'm in a spa balcony on the Escape. Most of the spa balconies & mini suites are under the spa or gym, not the pool deck. They were quiet on the Breakaway and I am expecting the same on the Escape.

I agree with DJ56. Take a taxi there. If the weather isn't to your liking or you are finished exploring the area, it is easy to take a taxi into town for some shopping or up to Paradise point & then take the tram down to board the ship.

There are many options that are very easy to do yourself.

I'll be there the day after you for the first time in a long time after living there for several years & am trying to plan our day. Taxis are plentiful at the port and at Coki so you should have no problem if you want to head somewhere else earlier. It is a short drive to/from Havensight where you will be docked.

The only 7 hour excursion I'd commit to is a trip to St. John.

No ferries from St. Thomas to St Croix. The sea plane flights are 25 min, so not bad, and cheaper if you buy a week in advance. They leave from near the cruise ship dock.

Of course, she could get an earlier flight & meet you when your ship arrives. Easier for her to catch a later flight also, rather than you having to get an early afternoon flight to make sure you don't miss the ship, and you could all catch the ferry to St. John. This would be my choice.

Of course, flying in a sea plane is quite an adventure, but I don't know how reliable they are any more. Maybe someone who still lives on the island can tell us. Here's the company.

http://www.seaborneairlines.com/

There are also flights to/ from the airports, but they are not as convenient.

This company gives several different tour packages, including an historical tour.

http://www.islandtoursvi.com/tours.html

Kayaking the mangrove is fun. Coral World has already been mentioned.

How about ziplining?

http://www.ziplinestthomas.com/

Maybe he should read the thread about how often folks get ejected from cruise ships? ;)

At the Port Canaveral stop on our Breakaway cruise we saw a young lady escorted of the ship in handcuffs as we were lining up to debark. We heard later that she caused a disturbance at the pool bar the night before.

After living in St Thomas for several years, I wanted to go back & so booked the cruise on the Escape. On our other cruises, that have included the Med & Alaska, we've had very few problems. I hope this continues to be the case.

Why would anyone come on here and post that they plan to be inconsiderate to neighbors? That's flat out stupid.

Especially considering he's on the Escape 3 day after the Trans Atlantic, with travel agents & VIP's galore as neighbors. See how fast Security gets there if Andy Stuart calls & complains:D

That would be awesome if it was true! :)

Especially since I'll be on the ship:cool:

I also give you Rupert Holmes for consideration: The Pina Colada Song:

That you liked Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain / And the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne / If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape / You're the love that I've looked for, come with me, and escape"…

Perfect example, on my next Cruise I am booked in a spa suite with a hot tub that's party central. On are we dance official site they even have in the job description of the butler one of the things he can do is organize a party in your room if you have a lot of friends on the cruise. If the room was not meant for partying and why would that be one of the Butlers official job descriptions? Its either the or concierge I cannot remember for certain lol. But it was one of them

You're in the Haven on the 3 day before me, correct? I can assure you that your butler will not organize a party at 3 am. If you wake the other haven guests with your noise, I would expect them to be the first to complain.

Party does not have to equal non-stop noise at all hours.