looking for best beaches

[EarthSoulSaver]

Sailing 10-12 on NCL Gem and will be visiting St. Juan, Samana, St. Thomas and St. Marten. What are the best beaches in each port?

 

Thanks!!

[cruiserking]

Sailing 10-12 on NCL Gem and will be visiting St. Juan, Samana, St. Thomas and St. Marten. What are the best beaches in each port?

 

Thanks!!

 

We are very partial to Orient Beach in St. Martin. You should go to the Caribbean forum here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

 

and see what other folks recommend for your ports. There are also many great guide books that will tell you everything you need to know about your port stops particularly beaches not to miss.

 

Jonathan

[texkan]

Magen's Beach - St Thomas or take Red Hook Ferry to St John VI for Trunk Bay.

[cb at sea]

A guidebook will give you all of that info....best beaches for snorkeling, swimming, sunning, folks with kids....on ALL of those islands...and lots of other info, too! Which beaches have restrooms, food/drink, what transportation costs..

 

Pick up a guidebook! Libraries have them for no cost!

[EarthSoulSaver]

Thanks everyone!

[Sheffie]

If you are looking for a calm, quiet, not crowded, peaceful beach, in St. Maarten, I recommend Le Galeion (sp?), which is the beach right before Orient. The locals use this beach, and it is wonderful. There is a peninsula that swings around it that protects it from the waves that come into Orient. It is shallow for a long way out, has a couple of floating rafts, a nice bar/hamburg shop that is not pricey. We just found this beach last cruise and it is now our favorite on St. Maarten.

[jerry2457]

Sailing 10-12 on NCL Gem and will be visiting St. Juan, Samana, St. Thomas and St. Marten. What are the best beaches in each port?

 

Thanks!!

 

Too many people go to Magen's Bay and it is crowded there. If you stay on St Thomas go to Sapphire Beach, prettier and not as crowded. If you want the best beaches take a cab to the ferry and go over to St John's to visit Cinammon Bay or Trunk Bay....to me they are 2 prettiest beaches. Magen's Bay also has a park fee in addition to your taxi charge and I believe that is also true for Trunk Bay.

 

St Maarten: Hands down, Orient Bay and you can cab there.

 

San Juan, never had time to go to the beach as I always arrived mid to late afternoon.

[Karysa]

Take your pick in St. Martin: LeGalion, Pinel Island, Baie Rouge and Orient and on St. Maarten Mullet and a quick stop at Maho for the planes landing and taking off. To me it is the weather and wave conditions that can make one beach on the island much better than another on any given day.

[mitsugirly]

In St Thomas, I recommend Sapphire Beach. It is definitely a paradise. Beautiful place, grape trees for natural shade, iguanas walking around the beach and in the trees, beautiful snorkeling reefs right there AT the beach...just walk into the water.

 

Here is my review with tons of pictures:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1280889

[EarthSoulSaver]

Thank you all for your replies! Really appreciated!