Which of these S. Caribbean Itineraries would you pick?

[Jan2007]

Not sure where this question belongs, so posting it to the general forum.

 

My husband and I are trying to choose between 2 completely different South Caribbean itineraries for our next cruise. For the cruise veterans among you, which of these islands would you rather sail to and why?

 

Option 1:

Dominica

Barbados

St Lucia

St John, Antigua

Tortola

 

Option 2:

Aruba

St Kitts and Nevis

Grenada

Bonaire

St Thomas*

 

Note - of all these ports we have only been to St Thomas before. But would not mind sailing to again and visiting St John.

 

What we are most interested in is beautiful beaches and gorgeous scenery. We are not at all into shopping (or nightlife since the ships do not stay there at night). Beautiful beaches are definitely the priority for us.

 

Any suggestions?

[Steamboatin]

 

Option 1:

Dominica

Barbados

St Lucia

St John, Antigua

Tortola

 

Option 2:

Aruba

St Kitts and Nevis

Grenada

Bonaire

St Thomas

 

OK here is my 2 cents worth.

 

Of all the islands mentioned above we have been to St. Thomas, Aruba, Barbados and Tortola. However, at St. Thomas we saw virtually nothing as the week before they had a tropital storm that washed out a bunch of roads and all ship and local excursions were cancelled. We only saw downtown and it was nice. So our visit to St. Thomas should not really count.

 

Aruba is best for its beaches and diving. Nothing else really worth seeing.

 

Both Barbados and Tortola are not really worth the ride around the island in our option. Both are poor islands with not much to see. Of the two Tortola is more mountainous and lush lending it to be the island with the nicer views between the 2 islands.

 

We would not go back to see neither Aruba, Barbados or Tortola. Once was enough and maybe once to many as we are not beach or diving people.:D

[cruzin w chris]

For The Dw And I It Would Be Option 2- Hands Down !. We Have Always Wanted To Do Aruba And St Kitts. Does That One Leave Out Of San Juan ?

[5668200]

No doubt - Option 1! Dominica, though a very poor island, is absolutely gorgeous, very lush with beautiful flowers and waterfalls (no beaches though). The most fun we've ever had at a beach was at Barbados - The Boatyard! It was a blast. We took a taxi from the ship, very short ride. You pay an entrance fee, not very expensive at all - maybe $20, and all the water toys are included. There's a great bar/restaurant right on the beach, we all loved it. They have a website...http://www.theboatyard.com. Check it out. Tortola is also a beautiful island. You can take a ferry from Tortola to go to The Baths - we didn't do this, but everyone raves about them. As far as Option 2 goes, we really like Aruba, but that wouldn't make us go with that option.

[Jan2007]

thanks for all the suggestions so far!!

 

Cruzin Chris, yes option 2 leaves from San Juan.

We've been trying to look at photos of the islands - but that makes choosing even harder. Accessibility to a good beach from the ship is definitely a thought. We don't mind driving, but obviously if the beach is hours away from where we dock, it would not be a good option.

 

5668200, thanks for that link! I'm checking it out...

[claudie]

Option 1. I just got back from Tortola and it's one of the prettiest islands I've ever seen. We all agreed it would be a good island for a land vacation. I also love Antigua for its beautiful beaches and friendly people. When we visit islands we are only interested in beautiful, off-the-beaten path beaches for sunning and snorkeling. We don't do excursions and my husband and I are NOT interested in shopping. St. Thomas is too commercial, Aruba is too flat and boring. I haven't seen St. Lucia yet but that's another reason I would choose option 1.

[Tmeister]

We've done all of Option 1 and only St Thomas on Option 2. Dominica is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled islands left in the Caribbean. See it now before it gets developed. It's a "young" volcanic island, relatively speaking, so it really doesn't offer beautiful sandy beaches, but the interior of the island is not to be missed--lush green jungle and tall waterfalls. It also offers a real treat for snorkelers: Champagne Beach, where volcanic steam vents send bubbles up through the water.

 

St Lucia, Antigua and Barbados all have nice beaches. I've only been to Tortola long enough to go to Virgin Gorda and visit The Baths, which will certainly delight beach lovers.

 

I wish I knew more about Option 2 to provide more guidance, but that will have to wait for another cruise.

[michmike]

I'd recommend option 2 primarily because you won't see all that many itineraries that include those islands (with the exception of aruba and st thomas). You'll see lots of itineraries that include the majority of the islands in option #1.

 

I do agree with those that recommend seeing Dominica, but save it for a subsequent trip.

[cruiseapril]

Hi- We've been to Aruba and Bonaire several times. Aruba has beautiful beaches and Bonaire is great for snorkeling. Both offer the Dutch/ Papiamento culture which is interesting. These islands have desert types of plants- lots of cacti- if you like the Southwest USA- you'll like these islands.

 

Both itineraries are good, IMHO. Dominica is lush and wild-undeveloped-we were there last year-a rain forest island with lots of narrow roads. Good for adventure!

[Jarhead235]

Option 2 for sure! Matter of fact, we'll be sailing that itenerary on April 14 ourselves. :)

 

Aruba is a beautifil island, with fantasic people and really great shopping and snorkeling. We've been there twice, most recently at the end of our Panama Canal cruise, and it is our favorite island.

 

St. Kitts, while we haven't been there yet, certainly seems quite beautiful and appealing. Actually, the same applies to Bonaire and Grenada. With the exception of Martinique, I don't think you can go wrong in the southern Caribbean.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Joe

[Island Annie]

hmmm, that's a tough decision.

 

Here's my opinion:

 

ARUBA: A very "picturesque" island with all the pastel colored buidings. Have been to a couple nice beaches there. (Divi Beach, Palm Beach & another near a Holiday Inn(??)) All were nice, buting SPECTACULAR IMO.

 

GRENADA: Found a nice (rather secluded) beach WAY off the beaten path a few years ago. It was just that. A secluded beach. Very soft white sand & calm waters, but nowhere's near anyplace to eat/drink/shower/change clothes. To me got kinda boring. But I REALLY enjoyed the aromas of being on the "Spice Island", and after the beach went back to the pier area and got hooked up with a spice tour that was very interesting. They showed how many different spices were grown here, how they harvest them, and how they are shucked, grated, and/or ground to be packaged for what we buy in our stores in the USA. At the end of the tour there was, of course, an area where you could buy fresh spices, graters, grinders, etc.

 

The harbor at Grenada is also very "pictureaque". Almost looks like one of those posters of the caribbean you see at the Travel agencies.

 

ST. THOMAS: Have been to Megan's Bay several times. Nice, but again, nothing SPECTACULAR. The waters have always been calm the times I was there. They have lounge chairs to rent, and also have floating mats available. These are my favorite. They're very thin & lightweight. It's almost as if your just floating ontop of the wateralone, however it does have a built in pillow to make it even more comfortable. They also have a small restaurant on the beach that serves sandwiches, burgers, salads, etc. and a tiki style beach bar for cold drinks. There's also a restroom & showers building, and taxis are readily available when you're ready to return to your ship.

 

IMO, if you're looking for that absolutely gorgeous beach, TRUNK BAY on St. John is not to be missed. It's been rated rated 1 of the 10 best beaches in the world in the Travel magazine. And with good reason! The water here is SO clear, and SO calm (warm like bath water). And shallow with a smooth bottom that allows you to walk w-a-y out and still only be about chest deep. Trunk Bay is hands down my favorite beach in the caribbean. (If you're into snorkling, they also have a snorkle trail here that's I've heard is VERY nice.

 

I'll agree with 568200, Boatyard Beach in Barbados is a very FUN beach. IMO, it's not the "prettiest" beach, but their lively beach bar more than makes up for that. A word of caution if you decide to go to Boatyard: Be very careful if swiming near the pier. The waves here can get kinda wild. Last year I saw a swimmer get slammed into 1 of the posts and a rescue squad had to come out to bring him ashore. Certainly not something you want to happen while you're on vacation. (or ever!)

 

Have not yet had the pleasure of visiting St. Kitts, Nevis, Bonaire, or Dominica:-(

 

Whenever I'm having trouble deciding between 2 different itineraries, I then try to make my decision based on the ship. (or vise/versa).

 

I really don't think you can go wrong with whichever you choose. Both itineraries sound intriguing in their own way.

 

Which ever you decide . . .

Enjoy!

 

Island Annie