Caribbean_Dreamer37

People mention about passengers maybe drinking too much in port, and missing their ship because of that, but the only time we've drank a lot, was in Roatan at the 'Fat Tuesday'..... still, we had more than an hour to get back on the ship when we were finished there, and the ship was just a few minutes walk from that bar. People need to check their watches/cell phones for the correct 'ship time' before debarking in port, and plan accordingly.

It has never happened to us, but I like to be on the ship at least an hour before it leaves.

Blue Water, we just got back from our cruise yesterday, and it was superb all around. We decided to visit Cane Garden Bay Beach (even though you gave me and others advice on what it would be like on a cruise day). Our taxi got us there early enough to grab beach chairs and an umbrella close to the restrooms and the taxi drop off point and there was a restaurant/bar directly behind us. The beach did get very crowded within a hour or so after we arrived, but it was never that bad.

After lounging for a while, I walked up and down the beach to get pics, and I have to say, that beach is beautiful, and I'm glad we went there. Next time we visit Tortola for a land-based vacation, we're visiting Brewer's Bay and other beaches on that island. I was sad to leave after only being on that island for 7 short hours. Again, thank you for all of your great suggestions.

We've stayed on St Martin, St Thomas, and Grand Cayman as well (and Cancun and Playa Del Carmen in Mex) and they're all nice. But the islands mentioned are in the busier, more developed category. But I would recommend a certain area or excursion for each of these for a cruise stop.

 

I believe you're doing St Thomas on this cruise and looking at Sapphire Beach? If so that would be our choice as well as we stay at that resort because it is such a nice beach and location. For SXM one of our all-time favorite 1/2 daysails is on the Golden Eagle (sailingsxm dot com), and for Grand Cayman rent a car and drive to Rum Point.

 

But I'm looking forward to staying on the lesser developed or non-cruise ship islands (those that are left) to get away from the crowds. The BVI is currently my favorite spot because I can still do that there. Even on a big ship day on Tortola or a ship docking at VG there are places that will not see the crowds...

During our previous cruise stop on St. Thomas (Dec. 2008), we visited Coki Beach, and decided to head back to Sapphire this upcoming cruise. If we were going to St. John, we'd be at Hawksnest Beach.

I know the feeling...I can't wait until we can get back and spend a couple weeks between VG and Tortola. It's my favorite spot on earth, but a bit of a sacrifice for my wife as she prefers hotels in Mexico and other spots. And I've promised her a Panama Canal cruise for years. So we'll be doing a couple weeks in Puerto Vallarta in May, and the canal cruise in Feb. but I'll find a way to get back to the BVI in the spring of '14! Man that's a long way off...

;) :D ;)

You know a lot about the BVI.... what other Caribbean islands have you been to that you like?

I'm sure all the bars have their version (Myett's, Stanley's, the Elms, Rymer's, Big Banana, and Quito's). The Legend is named after one of Quito's songs and is also good (and strong:p)

That day can't get here fast enough.... but then again, once we're on Tortola, there will only be 3 days left of the cruise. :(

What is a bushwacker? We are going up to paradise point after sapphire and just wondering whats in it.

I've been to Paradise Point 3 times, getting a Bushwacker each time. Theirs has Bailey's Irish Cream, Kahlua and other great-tasting ingredients. It's topped with whipped cream, nutmeg and a cherry.

You'll see the net right on the beach between condo bldgs A and B. You can see the web cam on the end of bldg B, it has a wide lens and captures a large area.

Say cheese! :D

Is that by those condos with the hammocks on the sand?

It's been a little over 2 now since I have been and I really really miss it. It still remains one of my favorite places.

 

So you will be there Tuesday? You should go on the volleyball court and wave hello to me that day!! We did that once at Maya Chan in Costa Maya since they have a web cam. When I returned, people on here were saying that they seen me and especially my little girl playing there. It was kinda neat. :p[/quote]

 

We'll stay at Sapphire Beach for 3-4 hours, until we're done with it, then head up to Paradise Point for a Bushwacker and more pics. We always go up there for the same reasons each time; that view never gets old. Where's the volleyball court located?

You'll enjoy it. I recommend the cheeseburger at Stanley's Welcome Bar or their fish tacos, both excellent. Tony and the girls are very nice. This is where the famous tire swing was in the old pictures before a hurricane took it out. Also purported to be the home of the cheeseburger in paradise from when JB's boat broke down quite awhile back. Who knows...? But we ate there everyday while staying at Myett's!

If I'm hungry by late morning, we'll definitely go to Stanley's, and I for sure want a good Painkiller with lunch. I can't get to the Soggy Dollar Bar, so someone's gotta have one at CGB.

Lucky you! I'm very jealous right now! :)

I haven't been to St. Thomas in 4 years, and Sapphire Beach in 5 years. Hoping the weather is warm with lots of sunshine when we get there. :)

LOVE Sapphire Beach and so far it remains my favorite port from our eastern Caribbean cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awesome snorkeling right from the beach. If you want tons of pictures, here are all of the pictures I took that day including snorkeling pictures.

 

http://kimbakersphotography.smugmug.com/Vacation/4th-day-St-Maarten-1/13875332_BZdcm#!i=1017703050&k=nhpoV

Great pics.... brings back memories. I can't wait to get back there in a few weeks.

We also stay on the East End of STT. Next visit to STT I would take a look at Daydreamer out of the Sugar Bay Resort. Looks like a great way to take a nice daysail and also see both Great Harbor and White Bay. Pricier than the $75 ferry but a nice day. And yes the Baths are worth a visit next trip to the BVI.

My BF wants to go with CGB during the cruise, just to see what it's all about (even after I told him about cruise passenger crowds). We've been on crowded beaches before, so we'll see how this turns out. We won't stay in the same spot the entire time on the beach, but I'm looking forward to having a Painkiller. Thanks again.

No problem. I think you'll be happy with either CGB or Brewer's if you're not snorkeling as they are both nice beaches. We've stayed in CGB when a train of safari taxis dropped hundreds of cruisers off from 1 ship because it's the main place to go other than the Baths on Virgin Gorda. You want to avoid the chance of having thast kind of experience. I would agree that Brewer's will be your best choice, just a beautiful beach and bay with enough amenities for you to be comfortable.

Tortola is my favorite place to stay and I can't imagine a better day than you'll have in 17 days. I'm jealous! :p :D :p

Being able to enjoy a BVI beach for the first time will be that much better, if it's not too crowded.... want it to be more relaxing in paradise.

I was hoping to get to Jost Van Dyke's White Bay, but the cruise ship's tickets are sold out, and due to time, I don't want to risk taking another boat over. Next time we take a land vacation to the Virgin Islands, we'll take the ferries to JVD. We also plan to visit the Baths next time.

caribbean dreamer yes, unfortunately CGB will be at least somewhat crowded between Big Banana and Myett's where the chair rentals are. Even one typical-size cruise ship can make it that way because CGB has all of the amenities that you want as you so correctly stated. You can walk to the cemetery area and beyond for less ppl but the prime area is around Myett's and the other beach bars.

I can't say for sure of course, but we would plan on another beach for a nice confortabe beach day, and we would choose Smuggler's while staying on the island because we have the time to grab a cooler and drive there. But Brewer's is a much better choice for you because you have Nicole's as well as Icis Villas just up the hill.

I've read quite a few threads here as well as recommendations you've given, regarding the Tortola beaches. I'm going to talk to my BF, and see what he thinks about going to Brewer's Bay. Smuggler's Cove sounds very nice, but since they don't have as many amenities that we'd like, Brewer's Bay sounds like the place to be on that day. Thank you (and others) for your honest opinions..... we'll be down there in 17 days. :D

Blue Water, I know CGB can be crowded when cruise ships are in town, and I don't have a problem being on a crowded beach, but I looked at the cruise ship schedule for the day we're there, and there will only be one other ship there along with us (smaller Thomson ship). With only two ships in port that day, could CGB still be possibly overcrowded with cruisers? I'd like to go to that beach, since it has many of the amenities we want to have available, but at the same time, Brewer's Bay sounds nice, with limited amenities and a lot less crowded.

Skyline Drive is a road that affords nice views, Paradise Point is a place overlooking Havensight and the bay that has a bar / restaurant and other attractions. Great view and their signature drink is the Bailey's Bushwacker. You can take the tram up (Skyride) or drive. It's a great spot to go after a beach or excursion before returning to the ship. It's especially convenient to folks docking at Havensight because they can walk to the tram. you can usually purchase tram tickets from your excursions desk for $18pp roundtrip.

We've been to 'Paradise Point' multiple times.... for the views, more pics and the bushwackers are to die for. :D

Just some recommended tours or things that are a "must see or do". Thanks

 

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My Southern Caribbean cruise to those islands was back in December 2008, and for St. Lucia, we booked Cosol Tours. Excellent island tour from beginning to end (included visiting a 'drive-in' volcano park, waterfall and a boat ride over to Jalousie Beach), plus a short stop in a banana plantation; reasonably priced for the entire day and includes refreshments. Also, they are recommended by other members of Cruise Critic.

Their website is www cosol-tours dot com (check their 'Island Tours' section)

For St. Kitts, we also booked independently with Grey's Island Excursions. This tour took us around the island, giving a history lesson of the city of Basseterre, then we headed to the beautiful 'Romney Manor-Caribelle Batik', the Brimstone Fortress, Timothy Hill overlook (which is where you'll definitely want to take pictures) and our final destination was Cockleshell Beach. The beach was okay, but we didn't spend time there swimming; just got something to eat at a restaurant there, before heading back to the ship.

Their website is: www thenfordgrey dot com.

I thought the tours were fantastic, as for service and price. You can check here on CC for others' opinions, since it's been 4 years for us, but I remember what an awesome time we had.

I plan on smuggling booze on board because I'm cheap and I want to stiff the cruise line. No really, that's not completely true.

 

The fact is the cruise line wants to stiff me. It's no different than going to a pro-ball game. The stadium charges you $8 for a $2 hot dog. On the cruise ship you are a captive audience. There is no competition for where or what you can buy. Some of us prefer a cruise for many different reasons. But the fact is having a good number of drinks may be a big part of our vacation. It can add up quickly. What, the booze package alone that is offered on the UK ship is $70/day or something like that. So obviously a week can give someone a bar bill of $500, and that's just one person.

 

If I thought I had no choice but to buy only the ship's booze then I'd probably book a hotel on an island where I could buy what I wanted at a competitive price. Fact is the ship sells booze in bottles for a good price. But they won't let you drink it. It's the cruise ship saying to you, "Hey we know this stuff doesn't cost much but if you want to have it here then you have to take the 500% markup plus tip.

 

So the holier than thou people that like to belittle the smugglers can just keep to themselves. If you don't like it then don't open these threads. The rest of us are just trying to communicate ideas and we just don't need to hear about your morals. And on top of that all the threads with the good ideas and info get deleted because of the idiots that have to pop in and flame us for discussing the issue.

I know this post is 10 months old, but I agree 100%.

Like others have said, look for John Heald on Facebook. I'm a fan of his page, and I've asked him numerous questions and he's answered them quickly.

"... We asked to go to the drive overlooking the port (skyline drive?) which we tipped extra for. Well worth the visit. Thanks' date=' Jolly and thanks Blue Water for the suggestions at help for beach choice.[/quote']

 

Is this the same as the Paradise Point?

Yes it's a shame the Sapphire restaurant and pool bar aren't open but it is still a great beach to relax on with enough options. We've spent a week twice at Sapphire and we've also looked at condos at other properties and nothing else compares for us. I know some folks are looking for a full-service resort, and for those the Ritz Carlton is a short drive the other side of red Hook. But Sapphire has the nicest beach and condos we've seen on STT.

Our last time on St. Thomas was December 2008 for a cruise, and we chose Coki Beach that time; this time, we do Sapphire.

Those are the ones who write to John Heald and complain about EVERYTHING!!!Lighten up people!!!!!

Maybe, like I, they flew into Florida and were exhausted. lol

Yes carib dreamer there are taxis coming and going throughout the day at Sapphire.

 

If you want to make sure you don't share the same ideas with tug that I did check my reply earlier.

Thank you for all of the info that you provide. When we stayed on St. Thomas back in 2007, we rented a condo for a week, which is near the marina close to Sapphire Beach, so we were able to just walk for 5 minutes to get there. It's also good to know that there are restroom facilities there, as well as a place to get something to eat or drink, if need be.

Hey blue water, do you know about St Lucia, St Kitts, or St Martin?

 

Thanks Shane

I've cruised to St. Lucia and St. Kitts, but never been to St. Martin.... what information are you looking for?