difficulty of heading out on our own at port?

[sarahtar]

How hard or easy is it to just head out on our own in port, we'll be on the 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise, so:

Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba; Roseau, Dominica; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas;

 

We will be booking a shore excursion for only one of the ports but don't necessarily want to just stay on the ship the other days.

 

The only other cruise I've been on was a DCL 4 day and we had no trouble just walking around Nassau.

[negc]

How hard or easy is it to just head out on our own in port, we'll be on the 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise, so:

Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba; Roseau, Dominica; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas;

 

We will be booking a shore excursion for only one of the ports but don't necessarily want to just stay on the ship the other days.

 

The only other cruise I've been on was a DCL 4 day and we had no trouble just walking around Nassau.

It is quite easy to do so in all of the ports you are visiting, especially Curaçao, Aruba and St. Thomas. In Dominica, we simply walked off the ship and arranged for a tour that took us to Trafalgar Falls, the Botanical Gardens etc. It was quite simple and relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of a similar excursion offered by the cruise line. As with any private excursion you simply have to make sure that you can get back to the ship well before the deadline to be back on board.

[sarahtar]

Is there anything we can just walk to? Or just walk around? Without having to take a taxi or arrange some sort of tour?

[Rancher Dave]

Hop off the ship grab a cab, walk, or strike up a deal on a tour with one of the local operators offering a tour at the end of the pier. It is no big issue to sightsee without being on a ship's tour.

[Finbar127]

Check out the ports of call section. You will find dedicated forums for each of the ports you are visiting. Tons of info and lots of people to help you wade through it.

Exploring the ports on your own is much more rewarding and cheaper than taking cruise line excursions. My family and I have been doing it for years. Just do your homework by visiting the ports of call section before you go and you will be fine.

Just remember what negc wrote and allow yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship well before final boarding.

Enjoy your cruise

[negc]

Is there anything we can just walk to? Or just walk around? Without having to take a taxi or arrange some sort of tour?

 

In St. Thomas, you can walk over to Havensight Mall, down to the aerial tram, or, if you are of a mind to, all the way to downtown Charlotte Amalie. The same thing in Aruba and Curaçao where the ships dock either in downtown or within walking distance. In Roseau, you can walk off the ship and into the town though I'm not sure that there is much of great interest other than the Botanical Gardens. In each of the ports there will be plenty of tents or shops close to the pier selling souvenir items. Read up on the ports you are visiting to determine whether or not there are places that would be of interest. If so, it is usually easy and relatively inexpensive to hire a taxi or book a tour to take you to those places which are too far away to walk to. Most of the best beaches on the islands you are looking at are not generally in the downtown area so a taxi ride is required. Don't travel all that way and then pass up the opportunity to enjoy what the islands have to offer because you don't want to take a cab or an inexpensive tour.:)

[sarahtar]

Check out the ports of call section. You will find dedicated forums for each of the ports you are visiting. Tons of info and lots of people to help you wade through it.

 

oh,duh, I forgot that section was down there. Thanks.

[OKC Cruisers]

We found that it was quite easy to just walk off and see the sights in Aruba, Curacao and in St Thomas. In each of those ports we found very nice, very inexpensive tours that took us around the islands. We still had plenty of time to walk around the ports after the tours and see the local sights, especially in Willemstad. Enjoy!

[KM615]

I went to all of these places on the Serenade of the Seas this past July. All of the places except for Dominica have shopping areas nearby. While walking to and from each shopping area you can see all sorts of marvels for free. In Curacao there is the pontoon bridge, the architecture that makes it a World Heritage Site, churches and a synagogue, statutes, etc. throughout your walk. In Aruba besides the shopping area, you can also take a city bus to the beaches (Eagle or Palm). In my opinion the beaches in Aruba are much better than the ones in Curacao. They are less rocky and were easier to enter since I forgot my water shoes. Near the Havensight Mall in St. Thomas, you can take the Paradise Pt. Tramway to the top of the mt. and view the town from above. In Dominica there were numerous taxi drivers willing to take people around the island for whatever price they stated. We weren't comfortable venturing off in the taxi but we did walk around the waterfront area snapping pictures. I enjoyed each of the countries for different reasons.

[subtchr]

In Roseau, you can walk off the ship and into the town though I'm not sure that there is much of great interest other than the Botanical Gardens.

 

In Dominica there were numerous taxi drivers willing to take people around the island for whatever price they stated. We weren't comfortable venturing off in the taxi but we did walk around the waterfront area snapping pictures.

 

Just a note, when we visited Dominica on the Serenade last month, we were not at the downtown dock, but at the industrial one a couple of miles away. the P&O Ventura was downtown. So don't count on being able to walk to/around town there.

 

The dock area:

 

 

 

A view of the downtown area and P&O Ventura docked there:

 

 

[The Big Booper]

....and a view of the industrial area taken from the downtown pier. Cunard's new Queen Elizabeth is docked there.

 

[jletsgo]

we have gotten in the habbit of asking our waiters the night before a port to ask where they go when they can get off the ship...have gotten alot of great referrals for places to checkout...just be careful that you are back on the ship in plenty of time. we were in port in curacao and from our balcony watched a girl and guy running with their beer in hands to get to the ship before the gang plank was brought in....too funny :)

[fleckle]

How hard or easy is it to just head out on our own in port, we'll be on the 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise, so: Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba; Roseau, Dominica; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas;

 

We will be booking a shore excursion for only one of the ports but don't necessarily want to just stay on the ship the other days.

 

The only other cruise I've been on was a DCL 4 day and we had no trouble just walking around Nassau.

Here are the links to the boards for those islands where you can find lots of good suggestions for things to see and do:

 

Curacao

 

Aruba

 

Dominica

 

St. Thomas/St. John

[FLACRUISER99]

How hard or easy is it to just head out on our own in port, we'll be on the 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise, so:

Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba; Roseau, Dominica; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas;

 

We will be booking a shore excursion for only one of the ports but don't necessarily want to just stay on the ship the other days.

 

The only other cruise I've been on was a DCL 4 day and we had no trouble just walking around Nassau.

I have been to these ports many times and always walked off and either toured the towns on foot or taking a taxi tour (very inexpensive in Aruba & Curacao) BTW I have always docked at the town dock in Dominica. Please don't stay on the ship, explore the ports!.

[DCwom]

Our 1st cruise was the same itinerary. As mentioned use the port forums on this web site for information. Here's what we did.

 

Aruba: Took the public bus to Palm beach, super easy and inexpensive, the terminal is right across from the dock. We also took a horse back riding excursion (non RCI) for a unique experience of Aruba's desert side. See the port forum for details.

 

Curacao: Shared a cab ride with a random couple from the ship to Cabana (Kon tiki) beach. See the port forum for details.

 

Dominica: Tubing excursion through RCI plus Emerald falls. See the port forum for details.

 

St Thomas: Took the water island bike tour excursion through RCI. No crowds, easy downhill ride, almost private beach stop on honey moon beach. See the port forum for details.

[Scoobydobe7]

Is there anything we can just walk to? Or just walk around? Without having to take a taxi or arrange some sort of tour?

 

 

In Aruba the ship docks withing walking distance of town -- Many shops and restaurants and casino's --

[subtchr]

 

St Thomas: Took the water island bike tour excursion through RCI. No crowds, easy downhill ride, almost private beach stop on honey moon beach. See the port forum for details.

 

We did this as well and enjoyed it tremendously. Lots of photos in my review.

[mikeblum]

WHILE ON THE SHIP ASK ALOT OF QUESTIONS ...to the excursion manager...your waiter...your cabin steward...they will give you some great advise how to cab it around...very very inexpensive...don't go all that way and saty on the ship...i have also been to all of these prts and in aruba you can walk the 3 or 4 blocks if your up to it...very nice area...shops and casino...in st thomas the whole cab is $3 or 4 for all of the people in the cab to downtown area...they will usually drop you off by the main postoffice right on main street...and there are about 10 blocks of same great shopping deals...if i had to recommend one particular jewelry store i would say to stop at dynasty dazzlers...they are at the start of main street...also have a shop at the pier at Havensheight Mall...ask for Raj...he's the owner...we have purchased a number of jewlery items from these folks and have never been disappointed...TOP NOTCH QUALITY...