Sailing on SDII on Jan 28

[whatnot]

We're taking our first SD voyage on Jan 28 out of San Juan. Got hooked last January when I saw both vessels in port in St Thomas. Came home and checked them out on line. I've enjoyed all the great comments on this site from past SD'ers. I just hope it's as great as all I've heard and I really think it will be. Any suggestions about whether we should take their shore excursions in St Barths or try to do it on our own?

[DisneyJen]

Congratulations on your inaugural SD cruise Whatnot:D Are you sailing on SD1 or SD2?

 

When we did St. Barts the first time in 2004 on SD we booked the Independent Explorer, which is basically a self-paced, self-guided and self-driven ride around the island. We wore our bathing suits under our clothes, took towels and some water and beer from our suite and wandered from beach to beach. There are lots of restaurants or if you'd prefer you could ask SD to pack some sandwiches for lunch.

 

Of course there always is shopping!!

 

Hope that helps.

[vandrefalk]

I was just in St. Barts last week (has it only been a few days?) -- some folks did the independent explorer -- others rented a car in town. Several did the ATV adventure and said they had a great time. They appear to be the four-wheel kind -- so we may try them next year. The ATV rides on some of the other islands are "dusty", but this one apparently is not. Hope this helps!

Vandrefalk

[abenaki]

The first year we rented a car through the ship. It was the easiest, if that appeals to you. The second year I booked a car myself on the net. This put us at our leisure as to when we left the ship. The car cost considerably less, but wasn't ready as it was supposed to be either. Not a big problem, you get what you pay for... This year we are not even bothering to prebook, and will just get off the ship and walk to a rental agency. They all have offices in Gustavia. In any case ,the actual cars are all up from the village and you get picked up in the port and driven to the paperwork and the car elsewhere. We have never seen St Barths crowded, even in high season, so that driving is a pleasure, as oposed to St Thomas or St Martin for instance.

 

While we often ask SeaDream for a picnic to go to the beach, the food on St Barths is wonderful, and part of the fun is finding the perfect out-of the way seaside bistrot for lunch.

 

Some of the twists, turns, and climbs are very interesting in your rented mini, and always provide a lot of fun. If you normally drive an automatic, make sure you don't get a standard transmission. We spend the morning on a deserted beach, go somewhere for a late lunch, explore some different roads and after we turn the car in, walk thru Gustavia and eventually back to the SeaDream. The town is more interesting later in the day when the locals are out and about, than it is in the morning.