Which is best southern caribbean itinerary on ADVENTURE?

[megr1125]

Aruba/Curacao...

 

those ports tend to get less ships...so less crowded.. PLUS they are both really lovely places...

 

Not that the other ports are bad...Barbados has great beaches....

 

I also did a week and a half land trip to Aruba....

 

 

As for staying...the San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino (Stellaris is the name of the casino NOT the hotel) is lovely...I also stayed at the Conrad.

 

If you JUST want a place to crash that is not near anything, and don't mind hotel food, the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel and Casino (over by the convention center, about a mile or two from the Pan American pier) is REALLY a nice property with lovely rooms and a nice pool. But there isn't really anything else over there....though you can save some money. It's fine if all you want to do is sleep and sit by the pool. The casino is really nice too....

 

Again, not a resort, not on the beach and not near anything (though you can cab it where ever you want..) but it is worth considering if on a budget, though i would not stay more than 1 night. (well i would personally but that's just me...:))

[CntPAcruiser]

We've done both itineraries with a minor variation (St. Martin instead of St. Kitts on 4-island cruise), and found we liked both, but for different reasons. Aruba and Curacao are terrific, but we've found St. Thomas not to our liking (expensive and not offering the kinds of excusions we liked). We did "closer to nature" excusions on Antigua and Barbados and loved these, but did not care for St. Lucia as much. Lastly, 5 islands on a seven-day cruise was one island too many for us. By the time we got to St. Croix on the last day before debarking, we were too tired to really enjoy it. We're doing the 4-island itinerary this time with St. Kitts, in January 2013.