Hello Everyone, <BR> <BR>My family, previously planning an early December trip to St. John, has now decided on a cruise (Royal Caribbean -- Explorer of the Seas; couldn't pass up the deal!) to the following ports: Nassau, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, and Labadee (RCL part of Haiti?). I am hoping for some tips on how best to spend our time in these ports -- our only time in the Caribbean was at Jamaica & Cozumel. We love beaches, snorkeling, hiking, not planning to do much shopping on this trip; kids are 9 and 10. Thoughts are as follows: <BR> <BR>Nassau -- See Atlantis? Is this the best beach option in this area? We are only there from 7 to 2. <BR> <BR>St. Thomas -- Definitely want to go to St. John. What is the best way to get there from Charlotte Amalie port in STT? Where should we go once we are there/how do we get there? Should we spend all our time at one beach or sample a few? We are there from 8 to 6. <BR> <BR>Puerto Rico -- There from 7 to 2. Does a walking tour (self-guided) of Old San Juan make the most sense or is there a best worth seeking out also? <BR> <BR>Labadee -- I think this is mainly a beach destination... <BR> <BR>Thank you so much for your help! <BR> <BR>Michele <BR>

Yes, you can still check out St. John when in port in STT. Since they are limiting the ferry between Charlotte Amalie and Cruz Bay, you will taxi to Red Hook and catch the hourly ferry there (it's about a 15 minute ride from Havingsight). If tourism picks up and there is a need for an increased ferry schedule, they will add them back to normal schedules but for now it is limited to "rush hour" commuters. The ferry is $3 pp and takes 15 minutes from Red Hook and the taxi, if I remember, should be around $9pp - not positive about that fare tho. When arriving at Cruz Bay you can arrange for a taxi to take you to any or many of the wonderful beaches. Check them out at www.vinow.com! If you want to sneak a peek at a few of them, you can do that but it might be more enjoyable to swim/snorkle/sun at one in the morning and one in the afternoon with a picnic lunch on the beach! Or tour the island, be dropped off on a beach and then enjoy the beaches! While you are waiting for the ferry in Red Hook, go across the street and up the hill to the Grateful Deli (behind Duffy's) in the strip mall. Great sandwiches and goodies! Of course your ship will offer excursions and they usually go to Trunk Bay but there are better beaches for snorkling and more secluded ones too. Another really nice thing to do is to charter a boat or take one of the charters for a sail, either half or full day. The full day will take you to some of the land-inaccessable beaches on St. John. Make sure you leave time to get back to the ship and traffic may be a bit busy since everyone will be using the Red Hook dock now. You can make arrangements with the taxi driver to return to pick you up at a specified time if you choose to go further out than the most popular beaches! But there are several really nice ones nearby Cruz Bay.

Michelle, <BR> <BR>Ditto to what Karen said! We've been several times to St. Thomas, and St. John is a must. Explore St. Thomas if you're more into shopping. Go to St. John for the beaches. <BR> <BR>Haven't been to Nassau or Labadee, yet. You'll have to post your trip report when you return! <BR> <BR>As for PR, definitely go to Old San Juan and explore the shops, forts, and restaurants/bakeries, etc... You can walk around mostly and hop on one of the hot and crowded trolley buses (free as I recall) if need be to get around town or to one of the forts that are on the edges of Old San Juan. <BR> <BR>There are several hotels with casinos if you are into that, museums, and street vendors selling paintings and other souveniers. The surrounding beaches aren't incredible though. If that's what you're looking for you may need to travel a ways. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Cerromar but visited the beach at it's sister Hyatt in Dorado which has a smaller, nicer beach area. <BR> <BR>The beaches in PR seem to be nicer as you go away from Old San Juan. <BR> <BR>Back in San Juan, the Ritz-Carlton has a beautiful beach, pool area, and poolside bar & grill. Very nice and close to cruise dock. Just a short cab ride away. <BR> <BR>Surfing is better on the other side of the island so I've heard. There is a rain forest to visit also in PR., but I'd stick to Old San Juan on my 1st visit with limited time. The people we encountered in PR were friendly and the currency is US. I've been on several cruise lines, and really enjoyed RCL ship we were on. Have a GREAT trip! <BR> <BR>

In Puerto Rico, walk the streets of Old San Juan. And take the walk that runs along the base of El Morro (the fort that is a must see for a first time visitor). Then sit and have a drink and watch the people at one of the tables that are set up in the street near the chapel and pigeon park (sorry, I don't know their correct names). Try one of the local restaurants for good food. It's a neat place to explore and we're going back for the St. Sebastian festival.

Thanks for the great advice! <BR> <BR>As far as the ferries in St. John go, is the Red Hook ferry the only option right now? Since there are 4 of us, would it make sense (cost-wise) to rent a car in STT and go to St. John on the car ferry? Is that still running? With all the taxi costs, if they are all per person, it seems like it could get expensive!! <BR> <BR>Thanks, and please keep the port tips coming as well! <BR> <BR>Michele <BR>

In Nassau - the dolphin encounter on Blue Lagoon Island is really wonderful but expensive. The island is beautiful, nice boat ride to get there, good swimming and being with the dolphins is a great experience. There are also cheaper packages. Atlantis is also a great way to spend the day - it is a very impressive resort!<BR><BR>Puerto Rico - do the walking tour of Old San Juan - it is a beautiful city richin culture and with good shopping to boot! On top of the hill is El Morro, the Fort which is a great site. The Ols Juan Hotel is a good spot for lunch

You could rent a car on STT and take it on the ferry to St. John but not all agencies allow the car to go off island. Discount, Dependable and Budget are the only three and Dependable limits the vechiles allowed. Not sure what time you are docking and what time the agencies are open nor what time you would have to leave St. John to be back at the ship on time after returning the car. You might want to check the rates - guessing about $50 - 60 a day - and all the taxi fares are per person. It would certainly give you the freedom to explore St. John a little but the ferry schedule might limit you a bit. lt is first come, first served. You can check the schedules at www.vinow (I think they are there) or at www.st-thomas.com/week/ferry. I don't know that renting the car and then getting to Red Hook and the return will cut so much time out of your day. I prefer Discount and maybe Al would meet you at the dock (he does meet people at the airport) and maybe would drop you off after you return the car (as he does for departures from the airport). They do have a web site www.discountcar.vi He might be a good one to ask about doing what you are thinking and if it is advisable and how early you can pick the vehicle up.

I am on my my to St Thomas in December, via cruise-- because, like you, I just couldn't pass up the deal. I was in Puerto Rico a few years ago and if you're in port for one day, you can really cover a lot there. I highly recommend seeing El Morro, the fort. If it is a hot day, walking up to the top will find cool breezes and wonderful views, not to mention those ancient walls! And it's right there in the center of old San Juan. After, stop in the square and watch the man play dominos or chess. Off of the square, there are sidewalk cafes & hotels where you can relax with a cool drink. Most of them claim to have served the first Pina Colada-- try them out- they are less sweet than what you'll find in the states. Also, shop for trinkets, my favorite find was a "pelon"-- a mortar & pestle, which I still use all the time - usually wood. They vary in size and price from $10 to $50+. Surprisingly, a fun trip to the Bacardi Rum distillery includes a lovely ferry ride- another great antidote to the heat. After a tour which was only slightly tourist-y, and included the grounds and ancient banyan trees, you can sit under a white tent, look out at the water and try various beverages, or plain lemonade. The best beaches are Isla Verde or Condado, but I would opt for the Fort and El Yunque-- the rain forest. I was travelling alone & staying in Condado-- I hired a tour guide & car very reasonably - I think about $40 for a very relaxed tour which included the forest, scenic overlooks, and swimming in a waterfall. I hope this helps. I really enjoyed Puerto Rico's beauty and the people I met were lovely.

Hi Michele-<BR>We went on a Royal Caribbean cruise last May that stopped in St. Thomas. They had excursions you could book to St. John. One was a snorkel trip which we booked. They had prearranged ferries at the Charlotte Amalie dock for us, about a half hr ride to St. John with a tour guide giving us info along the way, very informative. Once at St. John taxis (really open-air buses) were waiting for us to take us to Trunk Bay where the snorkel equip and instructor was waiting. All the above was included in the excursion cost, which I believe was $40 a person.<BR>That was our first visit to St. John and after that I knew I had to go back. We are booked for a week in April 2002 b/c of that one day trip & all we saw was a tiny portion of the island. <BR>The other trip excursion via RC was an island tour of St. John where I guess they basically bus you around the island viewing different beaches & sites, which might be good too, if you don't mind being with a busload of people.<BR>We just were hungering for some time by ourselves on a beach. We didn't even snorkel (I can't swim).<BR>You won't know what trip excursions are avail until you get on the ship. I can tell you whatever way you get to St. John, you'll be surprised at how lush & green it is. Very tropical, unlike some islands we visited (Aruba & St. Croix) which were very dry & desert like. <BR>As far as Labadee, it is mainly beach time. When we went RC provided a BBQ like lunch and the beaches had drinks avail along with hammocks and water play toys.<BR>Have a great time. You're right the cruise deals are great right now.<BR>Lorraine<BR>

Thanks, everyone, for the great advice!<BR><BR>Really looking forward to seeing these areas, esp. St. John. Still a little bit confused as to what the best bet (in terms of getting the most out of our time/not costing an arm & a leg for the 4 of us!) is as to getting there/getting around. Are any of the beaches walkable from the Cruz Bay area? Regardless, it sounds like we will be amazed at the beauty of this island!!<BR><BR>The El Morro fort in Puerto Rico sounds ike a definite -- along with walking around/exloring the city. <BR><BR>As for Nassau, is the Atlantis resort within walking distance on the cuirse ship (1-2 miles)? Or do you take a taxi?<BR><BR>Thanks again! Happy and safe traveling,<BR><BR>Michele<BR><BR><BR>

Michele,<BR> Atlantis is too far to walk from the ship. You can take the ferry $3 to Paradise Island or a taxi. Atlantis is incredible.

Don't miss St John, take the ferry from Red Hook and go to Trunk Bay, you'll be hooked!

Michele: Don't waste valuable time<BR>trying to "navigate in unfamiliar waters" by trying to do too much in a<BR>short time. Karen is very informative<BR>and current with info, but what she<BR>suggests will not work in the few hours<BR>you have. As it's your first trip to<BR>STJ, take the excursion. You'll get a<BR>nice tour, see some of the historical<BR>spots and enjoy a couple of hours on the<BR>beach(Trunk Bay)without the pressure of<BR>feeling your way along and blowing valu-<BR>able shore time. Some of the cruise lines offer a day sail over to STJ which<BR>is really enjoyable, but you don't get<BR>the flavor of STJ this way. Take the<BR>excursion and next trip, book a week<BR>and then rent a jeep and explore, cause<BR>you can't do the this place justice in<BR>a few hours.