NeedToVacation

Awesome! I'm looking at using this company in May 2024. Thanks for the info!

On 2/17/2024 at 4:50 AM, Ms411 said:

Coral World is the name of small aquarium like attraction

Thanks!! I got the name wrong!! "Coral World" Ocean Park, that's it!!

We've been to Sapphire Beach also -- very nice. Our boys did tandem parasailing there. We swam.

Also went to Honeymoon Beach -- took the ferry over to "Water Island". It's pretty, but very calm, shallow water;  most people just lay around on the beach or in the water with drinks in their hands.

We took our boys to Ocean World (kind of like an aquarium) where you can walk down a ramp which goes into their underwater building. You watch the fish swimming around the building in a full 360 degrees -- windows everywhere! There are some tanks up at street level with sharks, seals, etc...we loved Ocean World! ...

Then Coki Beach is very close by (right across the main road, I believe). We didn't make it over there, but I've read reviews that say you can snorkel there.  

4 hours ago, mitsugirly said:

That’s awesome! So glad you liked it. It’s such a beautiful area. Did you find any of the flamingo tongue snails on the fans?

I think so -  there were a couple of those Christmas tree-looking things attached to the fans. I don't bring along an underwater camera, so I have to go by memory. (And I don't know the names of most of the things I see, just descriptions!)

On 5/16/2023 at 7:23 AM, april_4_us said:

Thank you so much for this valuable information. I see you just did  an MSC cruise how did you like it?

april

Yes, I have LOVED the MSC cruises I've taken!! Are you thinking of trying them out?

This last one was on the Divina, which I've already sailed on 3 times (I go solo because they give such good deals). My husband and I have have also been on the Meraviglia, and the Seashore.

** MSC has a wonderful private island 🏝️ in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay. ** And I enjoy their low-key entertainment onboard;  lots of musicians, usually a juggler, magician, acrobats, etc. 

** See my Cruise Critic review of my last trip if you'd like more details:  APR 14, 2023 departure

On 5/6/2023 at 6:06 AM, april_4_us said:

I have been searching the site for the top-rated things to do for newbies to the Mexican Riviera. We are traveling in Dec and are not thrill seekers or drinkers. What are your recommendations? Thanks in advance. 

** It will be whale season in December. **

Cabo San Lucas:  Many people do whale watching excursions, or take water taxi tours to see Land's End (the big rocks that you see in the water) and there's a chance you might see whales, dolphins, or sea lions.  (I have done both of these)

Mazatlan:  Many go to Stone Island for a lunch / beach day to relax or do activities. (I did this as part of a day tour that also showed us around the city center)

Puerto Vallarta:  I have seen a lot of reviews about going to the Malecon / Boardwalk for shopping, sightseeing, and lunch. Also Playa Los Muertos is a favorite in that "Centro" area. (I have only taken boat tours or done a long hike to a beach here, so I will be trying the Malecon in Oct when I go again)

Try looking up each port on Trip Advisor maybe (?)... See what is popular.

Or have you looked at Johann and Sandra's website? They show tours for each port separately:

          puerto vallarta tours . net

          cabo san lucas tours . net

          mazatlan tours . org

That might give you some ideas.  Good Luck!!   And have fun!!!

On 3/8/2023 at 7:04 PM, mitsugirly said:

I would definitely pick Sky Reef. We had the most beautiful experience snorkeling there.

** Agree ** (Although I've never been to Money Bar), but I just went to Sky Reef last week because of the pictures and description you gave online. THANK YOU so much!!!!

It looked exactly the same as your pictures - beautiful!! - and I wouldn't have looked so closely for all the small stuff if you hadn't mentioned those things. It's now my new second-favorite place to snorkel...after Tahiti (!)

We actually just walked off the ship and started asking around - we did not make a reservation in advance. I can’t remember the name of the company we ended up with, but it was one of the very last ones outside of the cruise terminal.  (They were all charging just about the same though) *A couple guys said they didn’t have any 6-seaters available, since they had already been reserved in advance. 

On 2/26/2023 at 1:11 PM, Sue Goodreds said:

Hi all.  We've been to Grand Turk numerous times and loved Jack's Shack.  It was too overly-crowded the past two times so we're looking to possibly branch out to somewhere else.  Does anyone have a recommendation for a place similar to Jack's?  Good food, good drinks, beachfront with beach chairs?  We prefer to frequent the locals and not chains like Margaritaville.  Any suggestions would be much appreciated.  And even more so if you could recommend taking a taxi there, or better to rent a golf cart (which we did do once before) or any tips/tricks you feel might be helpful.  Thanks so much!

Hi, We were just there in February. We rented a 6-passenger golf cart, drove around to see the lighthouse, saw Pillory Beach, got some cold drinks around Cockburn Town, and sat on the beach there. Had the place to ourselves. (It's the exact place that's in the picture on the map the golf cart guys give you)

**As for lunch, we pulled in and parked our golf cart where the sign says "Jack's Shack", but we walked past Jack's, a little closer to the ship. There's a little yellow shack - "Island Jerk Bar and Restaurant" (it's tiny).

There were a few picnic tables. We had two plates of Curry chicken (YUM!!!) and two plates of Jerk chicken (delicious, and spicy) between five adults. The Pepsi's were icy cold, which we loved.

You could also take a cab to their "zoo", Ardastra Gardens, if that's something of interest to your family. There is a flamingo show, and you or the kids could pose with a flamingo for a picture! Peacocks and hens are out walking around the grounds. There are unique exhibits, and it's not too big that you'd get tired or have to spend more than about an hour or two there.

Ask the taxi driver to show you Saunders beach or Goodman's Bay - both are very close when you're leaving Ardastra. Then you could spend the afternoon back on the ship, where your water slides and lunch / drinks are all included. 

We took a great tour with Bahamas Interisland Tours -- but it's been a while -- maybe 8 or 9 years ago. They might not be in business anymore.

Maybe try looking up our guide on social media:  Jeffrey Pinder. He was wonderful!

We had his email also:  jpinder.west@gmail.com if you want to try that.

He took us to Cleveland's restaurant, right on the beach. AWESOME food and service!

Otherwise, you could probably bargain with a local when you get off the ship. I would guess for about $200 - $275 (?!) maybe... you could get a taxi or van driver to take you and hang with you for a couple hours.                            Good luck!!

On 1/30/2023 at 4:38 AM, bailey57 said:

Planning on taking bus #10 to Saunders Beach on my own. Is this okay to do solo, and any thoughts in general on that plan? Dislike crowds, don't care about drinking, and I can handle sitting 'on' the beach for a while. Just want to sit by the water, maybe bob around in it a bit. 1-2 hours is my max. 🙂 

Have you gone yet?

I'm going to do that exact thing (solo) in April. I think it's a great plan - and I feel totally safe doing it alone.

My two girlfriends and I took the bus to Saunders Beach a few years ago, and we only saw one family in a couple hours. They didn't stay long, so it is relaxing and beautiful. There is a Shell gas station right there where the bus drops you off, in case you want a soda or chips. And traffic will be going by, so you won't feel like you're "alone".

6 hours ago, angelsfort said:

I'm very curious about this "Sonia's Jerk Shack" that you mentioned!   Can you tell me more about it?  My boyfriend and I have a cruise in May (for my birthday) and I plan on forcing him to go to Ardastra Gardens while we're in Nassau.  Sonia's Jerk Shack sounds like it might be a good place for lunch while we're there too!   

I've been many times but he's never been to Nassau, so I'm hoping to make it fun for him. (we're not interested in shopping, Atlantis is only mildly appealing for the aquariums / tour of the hotel - we aren't "beachy" people (during the day LOL)   We're likely just going to wander around the city exploring.  

This will be my first time going to Sonia's (this April), but I've been to Nassau many times. Looks like it's next to all the places at the Fish Fry, at the bottom of Chippingham Rd, which is where the #10 Jitney drops me off for Ardastra Gardens.

** Try looking it up on trip advisor -- it gets very good reviews, and you can see pictures of the food and menu. It does show the hours as 2pm - 8pm, so if you're going for lunch, it'll be a late one.

Also, we did the rum distillery tour (John Watling's) last time, and it was pretty interesting. It's close by the port area. They give you samples, and my Pina Colada sample was awesome!!!

Just a suggestion. 🙂

On 2/18/2023 at 6:23 PM, pma29223 said:

Have you been to Half Moon Cay and CoCo Cay? Which Island did you like better? 

* My vote is for Half Moon Cay * You can't beat that long stretch of white sandy beach and that beautiful turquoise water! Get the jerk chicken for lunch on the island, and enjoy the brownies too!

We went to Coco Cay for the first time last year, and were not as impressed. At the first beach we tried to snorkel, which was ok, but there were a lot of tiny jellyfish. They didn't "sting" so much as tingle your skin wherever they bumped into you (!) So we wandered over to South Beach (I think that's the name) which was nicer. But Coco Cay seemed more like an amusement park to us, where you have to pay extra to ride any of the slides / air balloon, etc... To us, that's what all the fun stuff on the ship is for! And it's included.

On 2/25/2023 at 10:48 AM, new.b.cruiser said:

 

Did you end up going? How did you like it? And do you remember the cost for a taxi?

Hi. I've been to Ardastra a couple times in the past 10 years.  I LOVE it!  It's small enough, so you don't get tired walking around the whole place. But the animals and gardens are just so cool and out-of-the-ordinary, that it's very unique. Try to catch the flamingo show if you can.

If I remember correctly, it would cost about $10 - $12 each way for the taxi. (?) Definitely ask beforehand.

Also, if you're feeling adventurous, you can take the #10 Jitney (local bus) for $1.25 per person each way!

That's what I'm doing again in April on my solo trip, then heading to Saunders Beach (very close by), and grabbing lunch at Sonia's Jerk Shack just past the Fish Fry. 

Have fun if you end up going!

On 1/2/2023 at 5:42 PM, chrcruiser said:

Anyone have food suggestions from the MDR?

Try the pumpkin soup if it is offered!

** You MUST enjoy the chocolate melting cake for dessert a couple times **

And my faves for dinners are:  jerk pork chop, braised beef ribs/brisket (can't remember exactly) , mashed potatoes with brown gravy, BBQ ribs, and meat lasagna.

-- If you go to MDR for a sit-down breakfast, try their French Toast. --

On 1/9/2023 at 5:33 PM, chrcruiser said:

Any suggestions on best place to eat for lunch on Embarkation Day?

We always head straight to Big Chicken (YUM!!) because lots of people have not discovered where it is on the ship yet!!

Or Guy's Burgers is always a hit, and delicious. The line on embarkation day will be hit-or-miss, but they usually serve everybody pretty efficiently.

** WE try to avoid the Buffet that first day ** 

We took a quick cab ride from the port. It was totally worth it - especially if it’s hot & muggy out. We felt bad for some people we saw that had walked. They were sweaty and out of breath. 

On 5/8/2020 at 2:47 PM, Heartfelttraveler said:

We have reserved (and have until Wednesday to pay deposit) the Owner's Suite.  There is actually only one larger suite on the Wind Spirit and it was still available.  Also, there was only one Category B cabin left for our friends.  Our thinking is it is better to book now and get the cabin and price we want.

You're not alone in your thinking! 

We just booked the Wind Spirit for Oct. 22 through *****. The price was WAY too good to pass up!! We figure, if the cruise line is up & running at that point, we would love to be on this trip! Especially since it holds so few passengers - there is a better chance of them actually going. 

And, if the cruise line cancels, then darn -- we'll just have to look forward to going on a different date with our Future Cruise Credit (!). It's a win-win situation, I think. Here's hoping we'll be cruising Tahiti in OCT!!

We just did this in October.

Got a room at Fare Suisse for about $90. Took a quick cab ride from the ship to the room. Checked in and stored our bags in our room. (Changed into our swimsuits) The cab was still waiting for us, because we had booked a snorkel tour for that day at 11am.  We went with "Tahiti Lagoon Paradise", Captain Benoit, and had a great time out on the water. Then took a cab back to the room for showers and naps! It's really nice knowing you have a whole hotel room to come back to after another excursion and before taking a flight. 

We also did a land tour before our cruise that I would recommend:  "Tahiti Discovery" with Teiva. There are lots of other companies that will also take you on a sightseeing trip for 4 hours or even 8 hours. Then you don't waste a whole day in Tahiti.

I had a really good grilled chicken sandwich with fries and a Coke. All for about $18 USD with tax.

But I don't eat seafood. Some ladies I met there had the conch fritters, and some kind of fish (?). There is only a small selection of items on the menu, since it's a poolside grill. (Wish I had taken a picture of the menu)

And they were all ordering the local Bahamian beer and fruity drinks. Those were included with their all-inclusive package they purchased. I knew I wasn't going to drink though, so I just bought the resort pass for myself. 

2 hours ago, corinnv said:

It looks really nice!  I will be in Freeport with just my teenage daughter. (The rest of my family has work/college. 😞 ) If you could answer a couple of questions, that would be great!  Was it easy to get a cab to and from the resort?  I'm more worried about the trip pact to the ship.  Also, how long was the cab ride and do you recall the approximate cost of the cab?  Thank you so much! 

 

Hi. It was really easy.

Just walk to the left when you get off the ship.You'll see where the cabs are (mostly vans), and guys are asking if you need a ride anywhere. Just tell one of them that you want the "shuttle" to Lucayan Marketplace. It's $6 pp each way. They will wait until they can fill up the van, with maybe 10 - 12 people. It won't take long.

The ride is maybe 15 minutes. Then, when you get to the marketplace (straw market shopping area), you will pay someone for your whole roundtrip ride. They will give you a plastic card to hold onto that says TAXI. That's for your return ride back to port. They'll tell you when the last ride leaves - it was 4pm (local time) when I was there.

*Also, tell the driver that you're going to Lighthouse Pointe, and he may offer to drop you off there after everyone else gets off to shop. That's what my driver did. Otherwise, it's just a 2 minute walk or so, right down the street. You'll see it easily.

Enjoy! 🏖️

I agree with QMG about knowing what you are doing in each port. Just do a little research, maybe look at Tripadvisor, and ask around on your Roll Call once you're officially booked on the cruise. You'll feel confident when you have a plan.

I've done 2 solo cruises, and never did a ship sponsored excursion at any of the ports:  Nassau, Grand Turk, Freeport, etc.

Beach days all to myself were wonderful!! I've never felt unsafe. Have fun!!

My husband had that same concern a couple years ago when I took my first solo cruise. I texted him from each port, just because I was doing beach days on my own - no ship sponsored excursions. Wanted him to know I was safe. 

Just got back from my second solo cruise last week. He didn't have any concerns this time. Just maybe some jealousy that I may want to cruise solo all the time - and never invite him or family members again!! HA!

Each cruise is different. Every person you cruise with makes the experience different. ** So enjoy a solo cruise for a new type of experience! As you can tell, there are a lot of us traveling by ourselves who LOVE it! Have fun!!

Hi Thruhiker48, 

Cleveland's is not within walking distance. It's probably at least 10 - 12 miles away. 

When we went, it was at the end of a private tour we had booked for ourselves, and our guide knew Cleveland personally.

So, I would just ask a cab driver at the cruise port. (Not sure how much they will charge) If you look up on Tripadvisor, Cleveland's is about #6 on the list of restaurants in Freeport. It will show you it's location on the map. I would ask one of the shuttle vans / taxi drivers if they have a group going out to Garden of the Groves, or even the Banana Bay area. Cleveland's is just on the way to (before) those two places. Maybe they would let you share a ride to split the cost. {Or it's just past Taino Beach, which many drivers will be taking people}

 -- Or even try to make a deal with a taxi driver to be your "guide" for a couple hours. (?)

Hope that helps. Good luck! Have fun!