mavip

Going to these islands for the first time with a "bunch" of people who have been many times. The tell us the ports are all HO HUM and the cruise is the thing. We like to sightsee. Is there anything special we could see in these ports: San Juan, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, St. Johns, Antigua, Phillipsburg, S. Maarten and Nassau.
I read that there is an old Synagogue in St. Thomas. Is it worth a visit and is it close to where the ship docks? Would appreciate any help. Thanks

ishkribbl

You most definitely have sightseeing to do in San Juan- you can walk from the ship to Old Town and to the forts which make a very full and interesting day. Google some travel information about SJ and you can usually find a good "walking tour" that will tell you the highlights. I am sure you can probably click to a Fodors guide from here and it would be very informational. St. Thomas has shopping some people enjoy but I don't find it very interesting myself (tons of "duty free" jewelry shops, etc.)- you would do better to just do some walking and visit places like Ft. Christian. There are some local shops like the (art) Blue Turtle Gallery. You might want to get a cab and go to the beach. If you get to go to St. John, USVI, don't miss it- gorgeous. I can't speak for St. Martin and I hate Nassau. I think You will find something to do in the ports if you just look- have fun.

schmerl

Old San Juan is fun to explore. You can see the forts and cobblestone streets and shops. There is also the rain forest-El Yunque.
Whe we have cruised to the island syou mentioned we just get off the ship and get a taxi to go to one of the beautiful beaches.

kfusto

Enjoy the ports and let them stay aboard but don't miss out because they choose to (though I do not like some of those islands, you may feel differently).

We stroll Old San Juan, have a great lunch at a local restaurant (La Mallorquina comes to mind), shop a bit, explore the port and just soak up the atmosphere. There is a lovely old cathedral in the center, worth a visit if you enjoy churches.

In St. Maarten, we hit the beach for the morning hours, have a nice lunch in town, shop a bit and walk aruond before returning to the ship. It is a very nice port of call.

In St. Thomas, we have rented a jeep and also hired a car, dependent on how amny are traveling with us. We do not care for the overdeveloped, charmless area where the cruise ships dock so take a drive up to Mountain Top, hit one of the nice beaches, stop in at Cuzzins for a bite and then head back to the ship.

Antigua has beautiful beaches and a nice little downtown in St. John. Shirley Heights is fun, esp. on a Sunday afternoon.

In Nassau, we always go to Sandals and buy a day pass.

Have fun whatever you decide and visit the Ports Of Call boards onver on cruisecritic.com if you are looking for a more structured itinerary.

Barbara1

I'm not sure what you are interested in doing. St. maarten is a very lively port of call. the island is divided between Dutch and french and it is fun to go around the island and sightsee,although the traffic can be ridiculous.
Philipsburg has superb shopping..some say better than st. thomas, and it also has a boarwdalk along the beach which is filled with restaurants, beach bars and water sports.
try the america's cup race excursion for something different.

schmerl

In St. Martin we always take a taxi to Orient Beach. Beautiful place with restaurants right on the beach for a nice lunch. There are chairs to rent too.

mymoosie

I agree with the other posters, OSJ is definitely worth seeing and walking around in, soaking in the architecture of the buildings.

In Antigua, it depends on what you like to do. Head to Nelson's Dockyard for some nautical history. Ffryes Beach for one of those picture-perfect, uncrowded beaches if you're more into exploring on your own. If you want something more organized, check out Miguel's Holiday Adventure on Prickly Pear Island which is a relaxing day on the beach.