First time going to the Caribbean

[ruby_cruisin]

Hi all. My partner and I are set to go on our first cruise to the Caribbean in a few months. Our 7-day itinerary looks like this:

1) Puerto Rico

2) Tortola

3) Antigua

4) St. Lucia

5) Barbados

6) St. Maarten 

7) St. Thomas

😎 Puerto Rico

 

What excursions do you all recommend for each of these ports? We wish we could do an excursion each day, but I know it gets pretty pricey. I've done some preliminary research, but I would like to get additional input. In general, we're relatively in-shape, but we don't like doing any intense hiking. We would like a good balance of high activity and relaxing. I've thought of doing just excursions every other day so we don't feel too rushed. 

 

Tortola: I'm torn between booking an excursion through my cruise line to the Baths or Josh Van Dyke. At first the Baths seemed like an unique excursion but I'm a bit turned off by very small cramped spaces with lots of people. Going to Josh Van Dyke sounds like the more relaxing option, but is it worth the money to spend on as an excursion? 

 

Antigua: Debating on just making this a beach day, instead of going on an excursion. Which beaches do you all recommend to visit? There are so many options that I got overwhelmed lol. 

 

St. Lucia: After browsing a few posts, it seems like the general consensus is to go on an excursion? I read about the drive-in volcano which sounds like a fun and unique experience! Is this close to the Pitons? 

 

Barbados: I've seen mixed recommendations with Barbados. I think we are leaning towards making this a beach day, but we are open to suggestions.

 

St Maarten: I saw the Captain Bob Speed Boat excursion was highly rated on Viator. Are there other excursions others would recommend? 

 

St. Thomas: We thought about booking a snorkeling excursion. I read that St. Thomas is one of the best places to snorkel with sea turtles. Any other recommendations?

 

For Puerto Rico, what activities can you do in a short time period? Our flights back to the US are on the same day as we land in Puerto Rico. 

 

We're first time cruisers so any tips and tricks are appreciated. TIA 🙂 

 

 

 

[mom says]

Welcome to Cruise Critic 

There is a large forum devoted to Ports of Call. Linked is the one for the Caribbean. You can explore the suggestions on each of the island subforums.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/456-caribbean/

 

Regarding your departure day, depending on your flight time you may be able to take a ship to airport transfer that includes an excursion in the old Town (if it is offered.)

Edited September 29, 2023 by mom says

[BklynBoy8]

17 minutes ago, ruby_cruisin said:

Hi all. My partner and I are set to go on our first cruise to the Caribbean in a few months. Our 7-day itinerary looks like this:

1) Puerto Rico

2) Tortola

3) Antigua

4) St. Lucia

5) Barbados

6) St. Maarten 

7) St. Thomas

😎 Puerto Rico

 

What excursions do you all recommend for each of these ports? We wish we could do an excursion each day, but I know it gets pretty pricey. I've done some preliminary research, but I would like to get additional input. In general, we're relatively in-shape, but we don't like doing any intense hiking. We would like a good balance of high activity and relaxing. I've thought of doing just excursions every other day so we don't feel too rushed. 

 

Tortola: I'm torn between booking an excursion through my cruise line to the Baths or Josh Van Dyke. At first the Baths seemed like an unique excursion but I'm a bit turned off by very small cramped spaces with lots of people. Going to Josh Van Dyke sounds like the more relaxing option, but is it worth the money to spend on as an excursion? 

 

Antigua: Debating on just making this a beach day, instead of going on an excursion. Which beaches do you all recommend to visit? There are so many options that I got overwhelmed lol. 

 

St. Lucia: After browsing a few posts, it seems like the general consensus is to go on an excursion? I read about the drive-in volcano which sounds like a fun and unique experience! Is this close to the Pitons? 

 

Barbados: I've seen mixed recommendations with Barbados. I think we are leaning towards making this a beach day, but we are open to suggestions.

 

St Maarten: I saw the Captain Bob Speed Boat excursion was highly rated on Viator. Are there other excursions others would recommend? 

 

St. Thomas: We thought about booking a snorkeling excursion. I read that St. Thomas is one of the best places to snorkel with sea turtles. Any other recommendations?

 

For Puerto Rico, what activities can you do in a short time period? Our flights back to the US are on the same day as we land in Puerto Rico. 

 

We're first time cruisers so any tips and tricks are appreciated. TIA 🙂 

 

First, Welcome to Cruising and you love it and catch the Cruise Bug for the future.

 

Second,  you will learn thru experience over the coming sailings you will book and enjoy.

 

We have gone over two dozen times and looking forward again in 2025, Many will be on this trip we have been too alright and looking forward.

 

On your list, our favorite are PR, Barbados, St Thomas, St Martin  - St Lucia & Tortola will be second time.

 

In General, when we were going to an Caribbean Island for the first time, we always selected the basic tour to familiar ourselves to the island. We did not select any beaches since you can sun on the ship. We wanted to see what the basic island offered and looked like. If we wanted to go deeper, we would select a more involved the next time.

 

St Thomas we like to stroll and grab a meal of local cuisine and of course SHOP.

PR....went to see the Rain Forest and basic scenery. Shop.

St Martin.....Basic showing the French and Dutch side. Also Shop.

Barbados..... A Tea Time at Sunbury Plantation, Harrison's Cave...Shop in the  Cruise Terminal shops we like.

 

Enjoy... 

[Host Kat]

7 hours ago, ruby_cruisin said:

Hi all. My partner and I are set to go on our first cruise to the Caribbean in a few months. Our 7-day itinerary looks like this:

1) Puerto Rico

2) Tortola

3) Antigua

4) St. Lucia

5) Barbados

6) St. Maarten 

7) St. Thomas

😎 Puerto Rico

 

What excursions do you all recommend for each of these ports? We wish we could do an excursion each day, but I know it gets pretty pricey. I've done some preliminary research, but I would like to get additional input. In general, we're relatively in-shape, but we don't like doing any intense hiking. We would like a good balance of high activity and relaxing. I've thought of doing just excursions every other day so we don't feel too rushed. 

 

Tortola: I'm torn between booking an excursion through my cruise line to the Baths or Josh Van Dyke. At first the Baths seemed like an unique excursion but I'm a bit turned off by very small cramped spaces with lots of people. Going to Josh Van Dyke sounds like the more relaxing option, but is it worth the money to spend on as an excursion? 

 

Antigua: Debating on just making this a beach day, instead of going on an excursion. Which beaches do you all recommend to visit? There are so many options that I got overwhelmed lol. 

 

St. Lucia: After browsing a few posts, it seems like the general consensus is to go on an excursion? I read about the drive-in volcano which sounds like a fun and unique experience! Is this close to the Pitons? 

 

Barbados: I've seen mixed recommendations with Barbados. I think we are leaning towards making this a beach day, but we are open to suggestions.

 

St Maarten: I saw the Captain Bob Speed Boat excursion was highly rated on Viator. Are there other excursions others would recommend? 

 

St. Thomas: We thought about booking a snorkeling excursion. I read that St. Thomas is one of the best places to snorkel with sea turtles. Any other recommendations?

 

For Puerto Rico, what activities can you do in a short time period? Our flights back to the US are on the same day as we land in Puerto Rico. 

 

We're first time cruisers so any tips and tricks are appreciated. TIA 🙂 

 

Hello @ruby_cruisin and welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

The Cruise Critic website and message boards are great resources for new as well as experienced cruisers and we are glad you found us! Please feel free to browse the Cruise Critic Community categories list for the various forums. Please read a few threads in the different forums to get a feel for what each forum is about. Make sure you read any pinned threads (aka Stickies) on the top of the first page of threads in most forums. You will find very important instructions or information there.

 

Please remember the following portion from the Guidelines we all agreed to follow when registering for our free Cruise Critic memberships:

Browse Before You Post
Browse a topic first to see if your question has already been asked or answered by someone else. Also, many of the major cruise lines forums have a FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) topic that has been created by our members. Give that a try first. Browsing is your #1 best resource! Please post your messages in an appropriate topic so that you'll receive the best possible response. It is very time consuming to move misplaced messages that are in the wrong topics.

 

Anytime you need to start a new thread/topic on a forum, first make sure you are in the correct forum for your topic. Word your new thread title in a way to help the members know exactly the information you seek. This greatly helps the members browsing through the thread titles and if they know the information, they will reply to you.

 

Also, it is best to limit each inquiry to only one topic such as one cruise line, one ship, one port of call, etc. and of course, on the correct forum. You will get more replies that way. Be sure to mention your cruise line, ship, port or sail date in your message if that sort of information will help your fellow Cruise Critic members help you.

 

To find your fellow Cruise Critic members sailing with you, you need to post on the Roll Call thread for your specific line, ship and sail date. Please read What is a Roll Call? Everything you Need to Know and How To: Create A New Roll Call. For more information about our famous Roll Calls, please read the Roll Calls and Our Policy Regarding Facebook and Roll Calls sections in the Guidelines. We also have the following Cruise Critic article you might enjoy: 8 Reasons to Join a Cruise Critic Roll Call

 

The specific Roll Call thread for your cruise is the ONLY place on the Cruise Critic message boards where you and your fellow Roll Call thread members are allowed to post personal ads about sharing private tours, excursions or transportation with each other to save money. There is a "captive audience" there since you are all sailing together! Your fellow Roll Call thread members may have important information posted in your Roll Call thread. Especially those that have sailed your line, ship or itinerary before. Also, they may have already posted share requests that may interest you.

 

Once you locate the Roll Call thread for your specific line, ship and sail date If one is already created, first read through the whole thread to get to know the other Cruise Critic members sailing with you. Then use the blue Reply to this topic button to post an introductory post about yourself on the Roll Call. If you want to address a particular post already in the thread, be sure to use the Quote feature on that post as I did yours so all will be aware of what your post concerns. You type your reply UNDER the light blue quote box then click the blue Submit Reply button.

 

If a Roll Call thread for your specific line, ship & sail date has not been created, please feel free to create it! Then sit back and wait for your fellow Cruise Critic members sailing with you to join in with posts. They will appreciate you starting the Roll Call!

 

And don't forget, after your cruise be sure to submit your review for publication by Cruise Critic. Many cruisers will benefit from your experience! Make YOUR voice heard. Your honest cruise review will influence next year's Cruisers' Choice award winners and help others choose the right sailing. See How To: Submit a Member Review.

 

Whenever you need technical help in regard to using the Cruise Critic message boards, check out the Need Help Using the Forums? Check Here! forum first. Note the large amount of "How to..." pinned threads toward the top of the forum's first page. Also, browse through the threads in the forum looking for threads of interest. You will probably find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that may be of interest to you.

 

So sorry this is so long, but I sincerely hope this will be helpful to someone new to posting on the message boards. We are so glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat

[crystalspin]

9 hours ago, ruby_cruisin said:

Our 7-day itinerary looks like this:

1) Puerto Rico

2) Tortola

3) Antigua

4) St. Lucia

5) Barbados

6) St. Maarten 

7) St. Thomas

😎 Puerto Rico

We're first time cruisers so any tips and tricks are appreciated. TIA 🙂 

Hi and welcome, Ruby! In addition to the tips Kat posted, you might browse the specific ports on the Caribbean sub-forum, here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/456-caribbean/

 

Good luck and have fun!

[Mum2Mercury]

Random thoughts about excursions: 

- It's unusual to have an island stop every single day.  Yes, a planned excursion for each and every one of these could get expensive. 

- Are you looking only at excursions offered by your cruise line, or are you also considering private excursions as well?  Private excursions give you more options and place you in smaller groups; that they're cheaper is just a bonus.  However, private excursions require that you must "do your homework" yourself -- find your tour, make your own reservations, check reviews to be sure it's a good choice. 

- I like to make an envelope for each excursion.  On the outside I write the name, contact information, confirmation, whatever else of the tour guide we're using.  I write the tour's meeting spot and any necessary information (for example, bring a towel or mosquito spray).  Inside I place any money we'll owe for the tour + money for taxis, meals, or whatever else.  I put in small bills for tips.  Having these envelopes ready all the planning is done and whatever's in my wallet is "spendable". 

- People will tell you the ship's excursions are "safer" because they guarantee you'll get back to the ship in time for sailaway.  If you choose (vastly superior) private excursions, you're responsible for this yourself.  So look at maps ahead of time and have money for a taxi (in case of a twisted ankle).  Do not allow your group to separate, and plan to be back at the ship 2 hours ahead of sailaway.  Don't let people convince you this is a dangerous choice.  You do own a watch, right?  Your phone may switch times automatically -- understand the difference between ship's time and island time.  

- Book the first excursion of the day so you can be up and out early ... then you can return to the ship mid-day for lunch and a shower, then relax on the ship in the afternoon.  With an island stop literally every day, don't push yourself to stay out all day every day.  

 

1) Puerto Rico -- consider visiting the old forts.  Inexpensive and interesting.  You can walk from the cruise dock.  If you happen to have an America the Beautiful Pass (national parks pass), it'll get you in for free.  

2) Tortola -- I haven't been to The Baths, but it sounds like a unique location -- and what's the point of going if not to see unusual things and have unique experiences?  Go with a small group tour, and you'll be out early and fast -- before the large ship's excursions finally meander in.  

3) Antigua -- this is a great place for a beach day; check out You Tube options and look at maps to choose something near the port.  Just take a taxi.  In Aruba we even took the city bus to Eagle Beach -- cost about $5 for the two of us.  Bring your own towels from the ship.  

4) St. Lucia -- that volcano sounds amazing and unique!  

5) Barbados

6) St. Maarten -- take a taxi to Maho Beach, where airplanes take off /land right over your head.  Take cash for food /drink trucks.  

7) St. Thomas -- your instinct is right; this is a great place for a snorkeling trip; definitely choose a private tour here -- they'll get you out the door faster, and you'll be finishing your snorkeling by the time the bloated ship's excursions arrive -- but, even if you have no problem with seasickness, consider taking a Bonine before the small boat ride; they're rougher than the cruise ship