Eastern Caribbean Cruise--Why???

[airlink diva]

Hello everyone!! I cancel my plans for the world cruise :(, but decided to just enjoy several cruises space across the year :D !! I know that I want to do the Mexican cruise on the Oosterdam , but I want to also do another Caribbean cruise in November or December.

While I have no problems on taking a Western or Southern trip, I have little intrest in a trip with stops in the eastern Caribbean. I guest the reason why, it don't seem as exciting as the other parts.

What I want to know is from my fellow HAL sailors, what make an eastern caribbean cruise worth taking and why should I???

If I can gather some great reasons, I could change my mind !! All right you fellow HAL mariner society members, send me your suggestions !!!

[Giorgi-one]

It really depends on what you like about cruising. I believe that many of us go for the "ship experience" and the ports are a diversion. Most Western Caribbean cruises go to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel or Costa Maya. I have been to all these ports several times. I love Cozumel but I would not leave the ship in the other three ports. After a while, all the islands look pretty much alike, but St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Tortola, etc all have beautiful beaches. As far as shopping, the general opinion seems to be that you can buy anything cheaper on the Internet or in the good old USA.

[zdude]

Do what you want for sure. I considered the WC, I have never cruised and chose the East Carib. Jamaica and Costa Maya are best seen on land. Your not going to get Riveria Maya experience or seen a few Mayan ruins in a single day and that is what is most interesting about that area (to me). Of course people will say similar about USVI, but I have not been there. People do seem to rave about the Bahamas and that is also on the itin.

[Tak8]

I like the eastern for the snorkeling and beaches. St. Thomas has some great spots and is also a short distnace from some other places. I have heard and will experience first hand this summer that the BVI are even better in terms of snorkeling and beaches. I love the private islands. HMC is beautiful and a relaxing day. Nassua is just a throw in ih my opinion.

[allen.crawford]

Our first cruise was a 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise. We chose it because it stopped in St. Marteen. We have since been on the Southern Caribbean (14 day) and recently completed a 10 day "Eastfarers" cruise - all on HAL.

 

We prefer cruises that are at least 10 days long, so the eastfarers cruise was a nice way to do the Eastern Caribbean again. We enjoyed Tortola (The Baths) and really loved Dominica!! As for PR, we could pass on it as well as the Bahamas.

 

We really don't care where the ship is going as long as we are on it!!

[jaguarstyper]

If you like to shop (jewelry, watches, booze, etc) then St. Thomas is a great destination. Duty free, the prices are great, and USA warranties are included with anything you buy. This is especially important for watches. I have a bit of a watch fetish and have found the best deals on watches in St. Thomas.

 

The beaches and scenery in BVI is worth the trip. We love Tortola. Nassau has become boring and a bit run down. It seems like Atlantis is sucking the life out of Nassau. IMO, Half Moon Cay is just about the best place on earth to spend a day.

 

We have travelled extensively in the Caribbean and, in general, I find the eastern Caribbean to be the more relaxed areas. These islands truely have the "dont worry, be happy" attitude. Plus, its not as incredibly hot and humid as the southern Caribbean. The western Caribbean is where we have spent the least amount of time. We're going there in October.

 

Tim

[ekerr19]

We prefer the Eastern ports over the Western - just personal choice.

[heyabbott]

The St. John and the Britsih Virgin Islands are the best for relaxing and for their beauty. It's worth it to charter your own yacht and crew and sail them.

[dakrewser]

THe Caribbean is my least favorite area to cruise, and the Eastern Carib is my least favorite part of that area. A nice 10-14 day to the Southern Caribbean (down to Trinidad, for example) can be quite interesting, though.

[DFD1]

We've been splashing 'round in the Caribbean for 40 years. For us, the islands from Dominica south in the Eastern Caribbean are the most scenic, interesting, quaint, and hospitable.

 

The islands in the upper eastern Caribbean are awash in cruise ships and tourists almost every day of the week....same for the western ports of Cayman, Jamaica and Cozumel....8 ships in St. Thomas the other day.....5 in Cayman when we were there two weeks ago......7 in Cozumel in one day.

 

If these ships don't find some new places to go, some of these ports are going to sink under the weight of the traffic......or, even worse, cruising in the Caribbean will start to decline.

 

All this is in my opinion. I recognize others will see it differently.

[Giorgi-one]

We've been splashing 'round in the Caribbean for 40 years. For us, the islands from Dominica south in the Eastern Caribbean are the most scenic, interesting, quaint, and hospitable.

 

The islands in the upper eastern Caribbean are awash in cruise ships and tourists almost every day of the week....same for the western ports of Cayman, Jamaica and Cozumel....8 ships in St. Thomas the other day.....5 in Cayman when we were there two weeks ago......7 in Cozumel in one day.

 

If these ships don't find some new places to go, some of these ports are going to sink under the weight of the traffic......or, even worse, cruising in the Caribbean will start to decline.

 

All this is in my opinion. I recognize others will see it differently.

 

Totally agree with everything you said. However, there is no way out. Really nowhere else to cruise in the Winter for a reasonable cost. And since more and more peoplel cruise each year, ports will become even more crowded.

 

Actually, when you think about it, the same thing has happened to just about everything else in the world as the population grows. Used to be you could buy a house near the beach. Now the same house costs $2,000,000 and every beach town in America is overbuilt and overcrowded.

 

I just booked a 4 day AI vacation to try it out. It was good while it lasted, but it looks like most cruises vacations are declining in quality (ports, food, entertainment,etc.).

[Without Tessa]

My first cruise was the Eastern and my second was the Western. I really enjoyed both. What I did find was that I liked the ports that I had arranged tours in (all independent) since I had trouble navigating them on my own. Without the tour, I didn't know what I should see and spent the whole time worrying that I might get lost.

 

St. Thomas was great - wonderful views, beautiful beaches, interesting things to see. I got excellent pictures.

 

Definitely pick an itinerary that stops at HMC - it IS heaven!!!

[MandyGirl]

The St. John and the Britsih Virgin Islands are the best for relaxing and for their beauty. It's worth it to charter your own yacht and crew and sail them.

:) I couldn't agree with this statement more.:)

[zdude]

There is only one way to find out. Just do it. Flip a coin, the trip will be what you make it.

[lindleyjulie]

Our first time cruising the eastearn caribbean last october we laughed in St Thomas on the ride from the ship to the town we went past a shop called Blinds and Tings dont remember the rest of the ride:D Magens bay was nice but not in the same league as HMC, Tortola was closed due to the rain but I believe it is great. Dominica, now I am a pretty well travelled person America, Asia, Europe but I was gobsmacked(english slang for stunned) when I entered that rainforest it had a really weird impact on me and I started lecturing my children on how lucky they were to be in a rainforest I then realised how much like my mother I sounded:eek: The emerald pool was great and if you have the nerve to get in there(we did well most of us DH excluded) its invigorating and I have never felt anything like it before, smelling the lemon grass, my daughter brought some home but of course it dried up before we reached Barbados, I was a little dissapointed in Barbados it was too big, I imagined a little desert island silly I know. Carlisle beach was nice and the colours of the sea were beautiful,I believe The Boatyard is good. HMC is the place for one of the most beautifull beaches in the world IMO, but like somebody else said "it doesent matter where its going as long as i'm on it"

 

Julie:)