Tour Help/Suggestions

[MV Clarence Cruiser]

Hi - I would love some advice from more experienced cruisers. We are traveling on the April 18th sailing of the Emerald Princess with two other families (13 people total, seven kids ages 10 - 16 and six parents whose ages can remain anonymous. :)) We are not sure exactly the best course of action on St. Maarten. I am trying to set up a segway tour for eight of us through a company I found on the internet and would like to visit a beach. The segway tour is at 3:00 pm. We would like to visit a beach prior to that, and I think all of the cruise ship excursions go to Orient Beach, which none of us are particularly interested in because of its clothing optional nature. We were thinking of trying to either take a cab to another beach or go with a transportation company. Does anyone have any suggestions for a beach, or mode of transportation that would be reliable and not do a full island tour? Appreciate any advice!

[Karysa]

I have no knowledge of Segways or your party and their general health but I saw people on a Segway tour in St. Martin last week and we have teens as well and this tour, well let's just say, they would have rather walked the boardwalk and used the money to buy something at one of the many shops or go out for a great lunch than go out on one of those things with a helmet on their heads going slower than a mat snail because of all the people walking the boardwalk. It may be just what you are looking for but I thought that since you have so many people and it would be quite costly that I would just share what I observed, hey maybe the boardwalk was only part of the tour and they went off the beaten track and I didn't witness the part that would make this a wonderful experience and someone who did it might jump in and tell me that it was way more fun and interesting then I think.

[138east]

With all those people, you might do just as well to go on the water taxi ($6/pp) to the downtown beach and boardwalk area. Rent a bunch of chairs and umbrellas and let everyone do his or her own thing. Folks can go shopping on Front St, walk the boardwalk area, swim, rent jet skis, etc. while you maintain a central meeting area. Anyone who needs to go back to the ship can do that easily - the water taxi bracelet is good for as many rides as you want all day.