In Port Until 11pm. What to Do?

[WVU_Neal]

We’re on the Kongisdam and will be in port from 8am-11pm. What suggestions are there for ways to spend our time?

 

We are especially interested in taking a sunset cruise.

No doubt we’ll do an island tour and a beach stop. I’d like to visit the French side.

 

I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for the ideas.

 

Neal in Cincinnati

[flygirl2]

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[Karysa]

Look into Aquamania from the Pelican Marina for sunset cruises. They go along the coast to about Lonng Bay. It's a nice cruise. Can be a bit of a booze cruise though.

[MisterBill99]

On 12/9/2018 at 7:06 PM, flygirl2 said:

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[WVU_Neal]

On 12/11/2018 at 6:09 PM, Karysa said:

Look into Aquamania from the Pelican Marina for sunset cruises. They go along the coast to about Lonng Bay. It's a nice cruise. Can be a bit of a booze cruise though.

Thank you for that info. I contacted them by email.

 

Neal in Cincinnati

[OCruisers]

Maybe after a full day of activities, you'll be ready ready to get back to the ship for dinner and a relaxing evening.  

We actually always are.  

[MisterBill99]

2 hours ago, OCruisers said:

Maybe after a full day of activities, you'll be ready ready to get back to the ship for dinner and a relaxing evening.  

We actually always are.  

 

Or don't do a full day of activities and go over to the French side for a really nice French dinner in Grand Case or Marigot. Not sure about transportation, I assume they could arrange a cab back in advance.

Edited December 14, 2018 by MisterBill99

[cathi007]

On 12/6/2018 at 8:55 AM, WVU_Neal said:

We’re on the Kongisdam and will be in port from 8am-11pm. What suggestions are there for ways to spend our time?

 

We are especially interested in taking a sunset cruise.

No doubt we’ll do an island tour and a beach stop. I’d like to visit the French side.

 

I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for the ideas.

 

Neal in Cincinnati

Wow that is awesome to get to spend so much time on the island!!! I could only wish. We are there 10-7pm. Enjoy! I would go to Orient for the day and then Phillipsburg for shopping, dinner, and sunset. Have fun

[OceansOfTravels]

My suggestion:

 

Since you have a ton of time, you could go to Grand Case, which is my favorite beach, and is on the French side. And it will feel like it. It will be 45 minutes-1 hour to get there, so try to get there around 11-12, and spend the time until about 4-5 sunning and swimming. The sun will set around 5, and the beach faces west, so prepare for a gorgeous sunset. The area is known for its restaurants, so enjoy dinner on the beach at night. Around 7:30-8 when you finish, take a taxi back to your ship!

 

I love Grand Case, and albeit to its damage after Irma, it is still beautiful. And, it is looking for some business and positive hype. If you need any more tips, let me know!

[MisterBill99]

13 hours ago, OceansOfTravels said:

My suggestion:

 

Since you have a ton of time, you could go to Grand Case, which is my favorite beach, and is on the French side. And it will feel like it. It will be 45 minutes-1 hour to get there, so try to get there around 11-12, and spend the time until about 4-5 sunning and swimming. The sun will set around 5, and the beach faces west, so prepare for a gorgeous sunset. The area is known for its restaurants, so enjoy dinner on the beach at night. Around 7:30-8 when you finish, take a taxi back to your ship!

 

I love Grand Case, and albeit to its damage after Irma, it is still beautiful. And, it is looking for some business and positive hype. If you need any more tips, let me know!

 

Or, using your schedule, have lunch at a Lolo (BBQ shack on the water) when you get there, spend time on the beach, then have dinner.

[OceansOfTravels]

Just now, MisterBill99 said:

 

Or, using your schedule, have lunch at a Lolo (BBQ shack on the water) when you get there, spend time on the beach, then have dinner.

Yes, I didn't want to imply that paying for two meals was a necessity to have a good day, but obviously that option was there :)

[MisterBill99]

2 minutes ago, OceansOfTravels said:

Yes, I didn't want to imply that paying for two meals was a necessity to have a good day, but obviously that option was there :)

 

Either way, having dinner there is an excellent idea. Just need to check what time the restaurants open for diner. It is France (more or less), after all.

Edited December 19, 2018 by MisterBill99

[OmarOak]

On 12/18/2018 at 5:48 AM, OceansOfTravels said:

My suggestion:

 

Since you have a ton of time, you could go to Grand Case, which is my favorite beach, and is on the French side. And it will feel like it. It will be 45 minutes-1 hour to get there, so try to get there around 11-12, and spend the time until about 4-5 sunning and swimming. The sun will set around 5, and the beach faces west, so prepare for a gorgeous sunset. The area is known for its restaurants, so enjoy dinner on the beach at night. Around 7:30-8 when you finish, take a taxi back to your ship!

 

I love Grand Case, and albeit to its damage after Irma, it is still beautiful. And, it is looking for some business and positive hype. If you need any more tips, let me know!

We will be there early January and are planning on a visit to Marigot during the day and an early Dinner in Grand Case prior to getting aboard prior to the 11 PM departure.

 

We haven't been to Grand Case before; is there anything to do there beyond the beach and restaurants (shops, sightseeing)?

 

is it really 45 minutes to an hour to get there from the Cruise Port? It looks to be 5 miles so we were assuming 20 minutes or so?

[OceansOfTravels]

4 hours ago, OmarOak said:

We will be there early January and are planning on a visit to Marigot during the day and an early Dinner in Grand Case prior to getting aboard prior to the 11 PM departure.

 

We haven't been to Grand Case before; is there anything to do there beyond the beach and restaurants (shops, sightseeing)?

 

is it really 45 minutes to an hour to get there from the Cruise Port? It looks to be 5 miles so we were assuming 20 minutes or so?

 

That is a good plan! I'll just remind you to consider the reviews posted after September 2017 with higher regard than of those before, as I have seen many photos of Marigot that still show hurricane damage. Just don't go expecting what it was before the hurricane. Hiking to the fort is beautiful and will provide for very scenic views, as there are many shops and cute bakeries in Marigot to enjoy. I hope the straw market is back up as well.

 

Grand Case is known for two things, and those things are its beach and its assortment of restaurants. So, if you are looking for a pretty evening meal on a westward facing beach for a nice sunset, Grand Case is the perfect place for you. It is actually one of, if not my only, favorite beaches in the world, so I could suggest spending a whole day just sunning on Grand Case. But, it will still make for a gorgeous evening if you go just for dinner and maybe a sunset stroll along the waterline. The waves are calm and the bay is just gorgeous with the mountains, so I think you will like it.

 

And yes, I am serious about my given time. Albeit to the seemingly short distance, due to smaller roads and always-heavy traffic, it will take about an hour to go from Grand Case to the ships. Maybe it will be better at night, especially later at night, and I cannot confirm that because I have never done it at night. But, when you drive from your ship to Marigot in the daylight during traffic, expect a 30-50 minute commute. You also have to remember that there aren't freeways and boulevards like we have in the States where our speed limit is 70mph. There, you probably won;t go above 40-50, and those will be on the main passageways between villages. When you're passing through towns and in the cities, don't expect to exceed 20-25mph at all. So, yes, the drive is long. But, the sun sets in Grand Case around 5:30PM local time, and your ship will likely be 4:30PM due to retaining Florida's time (if that's where you're departing from), so you are in the clear. You can easily get a good meal in, see the sunset, and have more than enough time to make it back to your ship. You could even choose to shop in Phillipsburg for a bit to buy yourself a little more island time.