Scooter in St. Thomas (Royal's dock) and St. Martin?

[RoperDK]

Having my hip replaced after the cruise and am renting a scooter for the first time.  I was just going to stay on the ship, but am wondering how easy it is to use a scooter at the ports.  I am not looking to do an excursion, just get some fresh air and maybe lunch and a drink.  It appears there is a marina and restaurant nearby in St. Thomas.  How scooter friendly is it to get there?  Is there anything interesting in St. Martin that is scooter friendly at the dock area?  BTW...what happens if it rains on your scooter? 😧 Any suggestions are appreciated. 

[rkacruiser]

If the ship docks at Havensight in St. Thomas, it is easy for a scooter to be used.  My traveling companion used one and was able to manage visiting some of the shops.  There is a nice cafe/sports bar in that area that was easy for her to access.  St. Maarten, yes, the area where the ships dock is also scooter accessible.  

[RoperDK]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

If the ship docks at Havensight in St. Thomas, it is easy for a scooter to be used.

Our ship docks at Crown Bay. 

[Essiesmom]

We docked in Crown Bay on Queen Mary 2 back in 2010.  Yes, there may have been a lot of changes since then.  But at that time the pier was paved and there were several connected buildings with some shops.  On the water side of the shops was a rock breakwater, along a brick pavement, and those rocks were home to many, many iguanas.  You could just scoot along there and iguana-watch.  We were ambulatory, and caught a free shuttle into town, probably to a jewelry store.  We browsed around, then could not find transportation back to the pier, so walked all the way.  Possibly a mile, maybe less.  So, it is doable to go exploring on a scooter.  I would bet that the shop selection at the pier has expanded in 12 years, and I think you could get snacks there.  EM

[VirginiaIsForCruisers]

I was in both St. Thomas and St. Maarten earlier this year on Royal's Mariner of the Seas.

 

In St. Thomas (Crown Bay), there is a port area that is very accessible. There are a few shops. As Essiesmom wrote, there are lots of iguanas to watch. I don't recall any restaurants or food stands in the port area, but to be fair, I really didn't look. I didn't leave the immediate port area alone in my wheelchair because I booked a great accessible private tour.

 

In St. Maarten, there is a decent port area that is very accessible. There are quite a few shops there, including some food stands and I believe a restaurant. Also, once you leave the port area, you can scoot to the Boardwalk. It's a bit of a hike, especially if it's really hot, but it's definitely doable. That would be your best bet for lunch.

[kokopelli-az]

On 8/15/2022 at 3:01 PM, RoperDK said:

Having my hip replaced after the cruise and am renting a scooter for the first time.  I was just going to stay on the ship, but am wondering how easy it is to use a scooter at the ports.  I am not looking to do an excursion, just get some fresh air and maybe lunch and a drink.  It appears there is a marina and restaurant nearby in St. Thomas.  How scooter friendly is it to get there?  Is there anything interesting in St. Martin that is scooter friendly at the dock area?  BTW...what happens if it rains on your scooter? 😧 Any suggestions are appreciated. 

We were in St Thomas today with a scooter.   Piece of cake.    The ship personnel help you with the ramp on and off the ship.  Wait for them to help you.  

We're in St Maarten tomorrow but when we were there earlier this year there was zero problem getting on and off the ship.   Very easy off the ship with the shops right there.

A cold beverage at either stop is right off the ship 🤠

 

[kokopelli-az]

Here are iguanas from yesterday at Crown Bay.

[kokopelli-az]

Just returned to the ship from St Maarten.    All flat around the little shopping area just off the ship.   Two bars front and center with lots of frozen drinks.   Sharkey's and House of Happy Hour.   Both have outside seating.   

[RoperDK]

What if I get caught in the rain?  Is the scooter able to get wet?   

[ProfessorEFFE]

If it rains, it is possible you could have electrical problems.  There is a raincoat for around 20 bucks amazon that covers you and the scooter.  But if it’s raining hard don’t use the scooter.

[kokoko]

I have put a rain coat over my scooter and kept it dry while I got wet.  If it is raining I wouldn't go off ship.  If it starts raining I use my rain coat and I never leave ship without it. The key and Stirring must be kept dry as possible  if you have nothing pull into a shop and wait for it to pass over.