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Guadeloupe


travelingtrish
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We're just off the Brilliance and took the “Panoramic Tour of Grand Terre" ...... it was amazing and a huge bang for the buck!! There were only 12 of us on a huge bus and lunch was a full 5 course meal that included wine!! We haven't taken a ship tour since 1999 and were absolutely thrilled with this one. Don't miss it!! And unlike "LitaAnn", I don't really consider $120 per person for a full day plus lunch "a bit expensive".... not compared with the private catamaran tours we take on most islands. It's right in line.

 

Happy sailing!!

 

This is good to hear, BabySis. We've done tours where the "lunch" really was just a buffet with bottled water so it'll be nice to have a full meal and wine. We're on this tour with Lita, her husband Arn and other friends...and I'm sure everybody will be happy to know that this was a good choice for us! I appreciate your mini review.

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We were there Wednesday on the Brilliance. We took the St. Anne on your own tour through the ship. Basicly a bus ride with no commentary to St. Anne about 1 hour from the ship. They drop you off and pick you up at a fairly nice but small building of shops by the beach. The beach is a short walk and is very nice. We took the 10:30 tour and had about 3 hours there which was plenty to look around and walk along the beach. Shopping is very limited and they only took euro's. They may take credit cards but I had some euro's left from another trip so didn't try. The far end of the beach was less crowded and had some lounges that I assume you could rent. We sat at a table with umbrella by the beach provided by a retaurant and had a drink. For a relaxed day we thought it was very nice.

 

Another couple from the ship used one of the taxis outside the terminal and went for a tour of the island they thought was nice and saw a water fall and botanical garden. They paid around $20 each and had to wait a short while until the driver's van was full. They said it lasted around 2 hours.

 

Another person we talked to did the Panoramic tour through the ship and said it was a disaster. The ship refunded everyone 25%. She said the driver spoke poor english and went backwards on the tour spending most of the time in the city and what she called slums. They were suppose to spend an hour at the beach but the driver just drove by saying they were running behind and didn't have time to stop. They were so late the ship had to wait for them and she said they pulled the gangway up as soon as they boarded.

 

There are some shops at the pier that were nice. They had similar items to what we saw in St. Anne, but priced higher. The area outside the port didn't look tourist friendly. Mostly commercial buildings.

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Just back from Brilliance and based on CC recomendations we took the ship's Discover Guadeloupe tour. We didn't regret taking it as it did provide a narrated tour and we got to see some of Guadeloupe. But it certainly was nothing to write home about - which is what I'd say for this port. It's just very so-so. The tour stopped at a Botanical garden, good for some pictures. Second stop was a crayfish waterfall with a walking path through the rainforest. Just ho-hum, I'm afraid. Next stop was at a distillery. Very small and possibly quite quaint, but there were two bus loads of tourists swarming a very small tasting bar. Looked a bit like locusts and quite a bit of pushing and shoving so I never did get a sample. We returned to port by early afternoon. My husband did venture out to see the "town", but returned shortly and said it was certainly not worth walking to see. There were some vendors at the pier, some had spices and they were very gracious, not pushy like some port vendors. Not really sure just what RCCL feels is the appeal of this port, but pretty sure it must mean some added income for them as over 300 passengers left and 300 got on. We had hoped it may have some charm due to the culture, but we certainly didn't experience any. Language is a big barrier unless you speak French. It's certainly no St Bart's!

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Bubba12, we didn't order food, only some cokes. There were several restaurant/bars across the street from the beach. We were mid-way up the beach where there are quite a few shade trees, but no chairs except the restaurants'. The more crowded ones were at the far end of the beach where the lounges were. The waitress we had spoke very little English. I wouldn't have any concern about spending the day at St. Anne if you like the beach.

 

I didn't notice any taxi stands so you should make sure you have a way back to the ship. I remember one couple saying they rented a car for around $40 for the day. That may be a good option if you don't want to cab it.

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Bubba12, we didn't order food, only some cokes. There were several restaurant/bars across the street from the beach. We were mid-way up the beach where there are quite a few shade trees, but no chairs except the restaurants'. The more crowded ones were at the far end of the beach where the lounges were. The waitress we had spoke very little English. I wouldn't have any concern about spending the day at St. Anne if you like the beach.

 

I didn't notice any taxi stands so you should make sure you have a way back to the ship. I remember one couple saying they rented a car for around $40 for the day. That may be a good option if you don't want to cab it.

 

Can we easily get cabs from the port? We'd like to go to the beach for the day.

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Thanks to all the recent posters sharing their experiences and pictures.

MUCH appreciated.

I am now looking forward to this island even more than before.

The very fact that it isn't a "cookie-cutter" / "me-to" Caribbean island is very appealing. I have no problem with bringing Euros to purchase items with, or using my somewhat limited French.

 

We will spend an hour or two at the pier, then head over to St. Anne's for the afternoon.

 

Thanks again for those who provided some insights. :)

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I was also on The Brillance in December. I did the Beach by Motorboat tour offered through Royal. I wasn't sure about the French speaking aspect, so I booked through the cruiseline which i normally don't do. The beach was ok, but for half a day not bad. The water wasn't as pretty as other ports and the sand was rather hard. We did have the use of the pool at the place also. You can pick up some spices right at the pier.

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My fiancé and I decided to book the les Mamelles zoological park. It looked cool. Hope it's good, especially for the price, lol. Has anyone done that one? We're going in less than 2 weeks, so I can let everyone know how it is when we get back.

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I'm posting this in every Guadeloupe thread, as I have just returned. Please do not be afraid of this port. We loved Pointe a Pitre.

Just back from our Feb 2 cruise on Brilliance, with a one-day stop at Guadeloupe. We had a fine DIY day in Pointe a Pitre, no danger, no problems, no hassles. We began by getting off the ship and picking up the map from the local tourist people almost as soon as we got off and before we even walked down the pier. The map is very accurate, and the Guadeloupe tourism folks are very helpful with info and advice, in English if you wish.

 

Since I was very interested in buying local madras fabric and spices, we first went to one of the ATMs marked clearly on the map. We chose in instructions for the ATM "in English" and were able to easily withdraw Euros in the amount we wanted. I looked carefully at the ATM to see if there were any suspicious hardware add-ons, but it looked just fine. The withdrawal process prompted us to shield our password. We have received no notifications of bogus charges afterward, so it's safe to do this in Guadeloupe.

 

Pointe a Pitre is easy to figure out as you walk along with the map. We easily found the market and had a good time looking at the produce and spices, with no harassment from vendors. That produce market then opens out to the fish market, where we had a good time watching the pelicans clustering around for leftovers. Within sight was a big square, with huge ancient trees and some history. Right near that (within sight) is the church designed by Eiffel, and that was certainly worth a look inside, although it's a working church, with people praying and going to confession, so we didn't barge around talking loudly.

 

From the church we were a little confused about which direction to go, so just headed generally back toward where the ship was and within a block or so found ourselves in another handsome square, with the spice/art market arranged in the middle under canvas awnings. But first, we sank into chairs under umbrellas in one of the cafes on the edge of the square to order ice-cold Cokes that came in the can, and use the restaurant's very clean toilet. This was my hubby's Waterloo, as two doors down was a fabric store, which I dragged him into. Here we were surrounded by many local sewing women matching their fabric swatches to zippers, threads, and trims, with narrow aisles between many bolts and rolls of fabrics. I was bewitched by the gorgeous madras plaids in rainbows of colours - plus my dilemma - what would I make from the fabric if I bought some of it? No problem, a saleswoman suggested I could easily make a tablecloth and helped me pick out a handsome plaid! Sold.

 

Back out on the square in the spice market, we found a big handful of vanilla beans in their pods, local curry, and really nice little variety packs of spices. Bought a whole buncha souvenir n gift spices for 20 Euros, and had just enough energy to walk back to the ship. Still had $45 Euros left, so made a deal with a vendor to buy three of those gorgeous big beach wraps that look like nothing I've ever seen in the Caribbean anywhere else.

 

The negative reports about Guadeloupe and Pointe a Pitre are false, and have attained an unfortunate urban legend status on CC. This port is clean, very civilized, very polite and very interesting. At no time were we unsafe or harassed in Pointe a Pitre. We had no problems with language. Many vendors posted prices in US$ and Euros.

 

I would go back to Pointe a Pitre in a minute. It was my favorite and most memorable port on this cruise. At our dinner table that evening I was so saddened to learn that one couple cancelled their scheduled excursion because they were afraid to even get off the ship. This is just wrong.

Edited by wassup4565
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My fiancé and I decided to book the les Mamelles zoological park. It looked cool. Hope it's good, especially for the price, lol. Has anyone done that one? We're going in less than 2 weeks, so I can let everyone know how it is when we get back.

 

We are sailing the Brilliance in March and are still trying to decide what to do in Guadeloupe. The zoo is one of the things we were thinking of doing. I would really appreciate you letting us know how it was...thanks a bunch and have a great trip.

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We are sailing the Brilliance in March and are still trying to decide what to do in Guadeloupe. The zoo is one of the things we were thinking of doing. I would really appreciate you letting us know how it was...thanks a bunch and have a great trip.

 

Thanks! I will definitely let you know.

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Wassup4565 - great review - I too was a little intimidated by this port - from the start of this post I wasn't sure what to do, so I booked a ship excursion which I normally don't do; our cruise is on the Brilliance Spring Break week; the excursion is only approx 3 hours, so I had heard this is a great port stop for buying spices; I bought a book on ebay which included Pointe a Pitre, and found a map and a description of a popular market - Marche` Couvert, on the corner of Rues Peynier & Schoelcher - which intrigued me with the description "a good place to buy island handicrafts, straw dolls, straw hats, primitive African style wood carvings, locally grown coffee and a wide array of fragrant spices" - is this one of the markets you went to? If so, do you know the name of the other one you happened on? I would like to do both the ship excursion and then take a walk to a local market - your review has bolstered my confidence! Thank you for taking the time to post

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Hi Walt fan, good for you, nothing to be afraid of in that central area of Pointe a Pitre. I had intended to keep all my maps from the trip, but somehow I misplaced them, so I can't give you street names. The tourism people are located right near the exit gate from the pier - we found their map very clear.

 

We made a kind of loop as we walked. Heading out of the gate from the dock, we followed the street that leads straight ahead for two or three blocks, and eventually we came to an inlet of water. That's where we found the first market, which is mainly a farmers market selling all kinds of veg and fruit, as well as some spices. I believe it is marked simply as Marche on the map. This then opens out into the fish market, where there are boats bobbing in the water, and vendors on the sidewalk cleaning and selling their fish. You can see the large oblong treed central square right across from the fish market. The Eiffel church is at the opposite end of the square. All of this is very easy to find.

 

The Marche Couvert mentioned in your guide is the second one we visited, where there are many vendors selling spices, straw, artwork and so on. This is in the middle of another large open square, which has stores and sidewalk restaurants along the edge. It was two or three zig-zag blocks from the church in the general direction back toward the ship.

 

You should have plenty of time to do your excursion and walk around that central area of Pointe a Pitre, seeing everything you're interested in. It's not very big. I should mention, the traffic on the narrow streets is very congested, but drivers are careful. Look both ways before you cross, and if you are crossing at a corner, the cars seem to give way to pedestrians. Hope you have a wonderful time!

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Walt fan, one more thing. The street names are clearly marked on most streets, with signs mounted on the buildings. Using the map, it's not difficult to figure out where you are, in relation to where you want to go. If you are in any doubt, you could simply stop someone, show them the map, and point on it to where you want to go, making a questioning gesture. Even with no common language, you'd probably be pointed on your way. As I said, it's all very small - we're only talking about a couple of blocks this way or that. The town seems to be laid out mostly as a grid, which also makes it easier.

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We visited Guadeloupe on the Brilliance last week. The pier was right at the industrial docks in a not very nice area. The CD made it clear that if you are going to get off of the ship you should take the ship's expeditions and warned about the taxis. We stayed on the ship but I heard from other's who got off and decided to explore on their own that it was a bad idea. The general consensus was that the town is dirty, the people are rude, the prices are ridiculous, and you don't feel safe walking around. One couple left the ship and the man who was a young, very large guy said they walked one block and turned around and came back to the ship. Another couple said they had gotten in a taxi, asked the price to a destination, then the driver took them somewhere else and charged them twice what they were told. Two women said they walked up into town and noticed 3 men following them. They got in a taxi and luckily were taken back to the ship. These are second hand stories but I think they're fairly accurate.

 

I did research on the forums and found no one had anything nice to say about the island or its people so we just stayed on board. I also read and heard on the Brilliance that the cruise ships will quit stopping there as soon as their contracts run out.

 

Take what I've said for what you will. I hope you have a wonderful and safe trip!

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You stayed on the ship and never got off it at all. Everything you report is second-hand information - you did nothing to verify anything you were told. I'm sorry to say this, but all you're reporting is malicious gossip.

 

After our day in Guadaloupe I went to Guest Relations on Brilliance to ask directly whether there was information that could confirm any of the reports that Pointe a Pitre was dangerous, dirty or unpleasant. The staff member I spoke to said the port is fine, but she found it "boring." To each his own. We were there, walked all around and had a very good, interesting day. There was nothing threatening, dishonest or devious about the local people. We were much more harassed in Antigua and St Lucia than we were in Pointe a Pitre.

 

We were there. You were not. Take what I've said for what you will.

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I am disappointed to read the negative comments. Please see my earlier post #42 on page 3. We were 2 adults and a child and wandered around on our own without any issues and never felt unsafe. While this may not have been our favourite port, we still enjoyed it and would go again without hesitation. Just wanted to add that.

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I do not post a whole lot on CC; I feel if I have something to share then I will post, or I will throw questions out there for my fellow posters, but I read quite a bit here on the boards and take everything with a grain of salt and then do my own research. There are too many people willing to bad mouth a port that they have never tried, but are willing to share what second hand information they have. Yes, there are many bad experiences out there, you have to be aware of your surroundings and use your gut and common sense wherever you go. But, I personally know of one port we have been to where almost everyone had a tale of horror to share, but they had not been there personally. We did not do a ship excursion at that port, but used a very well researched local tour company. Yes, there was a lot of poverty there, but we never felt unsafe; my family, including my sons, had their eyes opened and count that port experience as one not to forget for many reasons, including all the wonderful local people we met and did our best to communicate with. This port, Guadaloupe, yes, we did book a ship excursion, but only because at the time I could find very little to do on my own and the excursion sounded interesting. I will also venture into town afterwards and report back on CC. Wassup reported a first hand experience, as others have, which should be taken into consideration more than second hand accounts. My two cents.

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