Need help: Carnival Conquest Ports of Call/excursions

[nolagrrl]

Ok first time cruiser. Going with my husband and two kids (both age 6) On Carnival Conquest in April. Ports of Call:

St Maarten

St Kitts

San Juan

Grand Turk

 

I need advice: I'm used to really independent travel, don't mind getting off beaten track and not worried about not being with group. Also a bit of a cheapskate and looking to save $$. So with that in mind I would love to hear ideas about these ports of call and independent (smaller and cheaper) excursions than Carnival offers. Also, would love ideas on just taking a taxi to a beach or something of that nature. Anything you have done or can think of in these ports that might fit that bill? Thanks soooo much!

[BlueHonu]

Check ports of call board on cc.

St Maarten we have done Bernards tours and also just took a local bus.

St Kitts we used Royston tours just a local guy very reasonable and knowledgeable.

San Juan take the hop on hop off trolley for FREE.

Grand Turk is a food beach day. Just walk on over.

[Sixtytwo]

Grand Turk is a Jack's Shack stop for us...every time! Great place to get some R&R, the best jerk chicken we've ever had, cold brewskies, and only about a 10 minute stroll down the beach from the pier. We try to stay away from the Margaritaville area as it is pretty pricey for us! In San Juan we just normally walk around old town and enjoy a drink and some people watching. Al Dente is a great Italian restaurant a couple of streets up from the pier if you want to eat (it is a little pricey but great food).

 

Last time in St. Marten, we went over to the French side, as we normally do, but the traffic was so bad it took almost an hour to get there! You might want to check out the ports of call board to get some better suggestions.

 

Have a great cruise and be sure to let us know what you ended up doing.

[k2excursion]

I have been to all 4 ports, and love every one of them.

 

Grand Turk: Very simple, very cheap. A really nice beach is right there where you get off the ship. In front of Margaritaville is a ton of beach chairs, and they are all FREE! The pool just behind the beach is FREE. They are counting on people buying drinks & food. However, if you're anything like me, you won't be buying much food/drink in port (tons of food to eat on the ship). So Grand Turk can be a totally FREE day, and it's actually a nice beach with some moderately nice snorkeling right off the shore. Jacks Shack, further down the beach, charges for their things, but they do have options there, such as water toys that I saw. The cost probably isn't too much, and it would be less crowded there. (Although, I never thought the Margaritaville part of the beach got crowded.) This is the most perfect port for a lazy beach day, if I've ever seen one! Don't miss the NASA exhibit. When getting off the ship, you go left to go to the beach or right to see the Nasa exhibit.

 

San Juan: It was my embarkation port, not a port of call. They have a couple of really nice forts within walking distance of the ship. It might not be something the kids would be into, with the history & stuff, but it does give some really nice views. $5pp gets you into both forts. There is a trolley that can cut out some of the walking, which would be handy for the fort that's further away, but the trolley tends to be packed. The beaches are further away & would involve a cab ride. The other ports will have better beaches. There's some other neat things to see in the Old San Juan area as well. Great town for walking around in.

 

St Maarten: I have done Bernards tours, and they do a great job, about $45pp. I have also just taken cabs to beaches, which gives you more time at the beach than the tours. This is a French/Dutch island, so just be aware that all beaches are clothing optional, but most of the nudists stay at the naturist resort on the south end of Orient Beach. The rest of Orient Beach is beautiful and just fine for families. It's one of my all-time favorite beaches! Maho Beach is the one where the planes are landing right over your head, seemingly within a few feet of your head. It's a great experience! My last time here, my friends & I took a cab to Orient, then a cab to Maho, and a cab back to the ship. Leave plenty of time for the return to the ship, because of traffic. We came out a little cheaper than doing a tour that goes to both, but we got tons more time at the beaches by going with cabs. Maho is better during the early afternoons, for seeing the big planes come in.

 

St Kitts: One of my 3 favorite tours ever! Rose & Jim's taxi & tour service has a great island tour. I totally loved it! Request Rose. She is so sweet & will give tons of interesting information. The beach they took us to was Cockleshell Beach, & it was nice. Great snorkeling & nice views. The tour had to be arranged with a minimum of 4 at the time, and 4 years ago, it was about $40pp plus a well deserved tip.

 

So, as a frugal traveler, Grand Turk & San Juan are the ones with minimal spending, and you can still have a great time. That frees up some money for the other 2. Whether a tour or multiple cabs, it's worth the spending a little extra to explore those islands, 2 of the best out there! Still, you will come out a lot cheaper with cabs or an independent tour versus one of the ship's excursions. Just be sure to always leave plenty of time to get back to the ship. One piece of advice. Start the exploring right when you get to the port. There are tons of shops selling souvenirs right by the ships, especially at St Maarten, but wait until your island exploring is over to do the souvenir shopping. It's easier to cut the shopping short if you have to as opposed to cutting your exploring short.

Edited February 9, 2015 by k2excursion

[love my grandkids]

On GT it is a few minute walk back to the ship for lunch if you were at Margaritaville so it can be a free day at the beach.