naysaying friends think there is barely enough time to enjoy the ports. we are on an NCL cruise with most arrival times around 8am and most departure times around 5:30pm. i don't want to race to get off the ship with the throngs of like-minded folks but i would love to get off at a liesurely pace and hit a good beach and get a bite to eat. is there really enough time to do so enjoyably? thanks, steve

Steve, There is plenty of time to get off and do just what you want. May I suggest that you do some research for each port and think about what you may want to do. You may find a destination that you would like to go back and explore more in depth at another time. Think of a cruise as a taste of each port, tasting can be lots of fun.

The best thing you can do is wait 1/2 after the boat arrives. Everyone is in a rush to get off & get to a tour. If you wait 1/2 hr you should be able to walk right off the boat. Especially if you just want to enjoy the town & a beach, plenty of time for that. They let people board at least up until 5:00.

No, nada, nyet, no way. There is WAY too little time in port IMO.<BR>Please remember, cruise lines actually promote the slogan... &quot;the ship IS the destination&quot;

There's enough time for activites and shopping. Here's a list of just a few of the things we've done in various ports and still had plenty of time to shop. <BR>Snorkel with stingrays - Cayman<BR>Kayak/snorkel with turtles - Barbados<BR>Mayan Ruins (Tulum &amp; other) - Yucatan<BR>Baja Jeep ride/explore caves - Yucatan<BR>Jet ski Dickinson Bay - Antigua<BR>Snorkel Trunk Bay - St John<BR>Jeep tour/hike to waterfall - St Lucia<BR>Sail and snorkel - Cozumel<BR>Gamble/wander thru Atlantis - Nassau<BR><BR>Some of these we booked thru the ship, others we did on our own. Have fun!<BR><BR><BR><BR>

I usually have plenty of time in port to do what I want to do. The secret is to do some research ahead of time and decide on what you want to do on each island. I usually pick no more than two things to do. For example, I may shop in the morning and snorkel in the afternoon.<BR><BR>That is the good thing about traveling in the Caribbean - there is not a lot of conflicting things to do. It is not like visiting a major city where there is so much to do, you couldn't get it done in a day. Usually the main attractions are the beaches and water sports.<BR><BR>The other plus in cruising is remember you will probably cruise again and go to the same islands again. Whatever I didn't see the first time I visited an island, I see it the next time. Just pick one or two things to do on each island and do them well and at a relaxed pace, and you will have a great time.<BR><BR>By the way, what islands are you going to?

thanks cathy and everyone else. i suspected the naysayers were wrong. cathy, we will be going to martinique, antigua, st. maarten. tortola and st. thomas. any suggested itinereries for these ports?

You are very welcome, Steve. I think the naysayers just try to cram to much into a short amount of time. As far as your ports, there is a post on Martinique above. I like Martinique to buy French goods without going to Paris. The Volcano and botanical garden there are beautiful.<BR><BR>Antigua and Tortola have very good beaches. If you get the chance to take an excursion to Virgin Gorda from Tortola, do so, although Cane Garden Bay Beach is exquisite.<BR><BR>The best snorkeling can be found around St. Thomas and from St. Thomas you can go to St. John, which is also beautiful. St. Maarten has good shopping for duty free shopping, although St. Thomas has plenty of duty free shopping with a high duty free allowance.<BR><BR>Again I would pick one or two things max to do at each destination, and you will find that very enjoyable. If you have any other questions, please feel free to post.

thanks everyone and especially thanks again cathy!! great information. i'm close to having my ideas for our itinerary ready (a couple options for each port). i'd love to get your comments when it is done. thanks yet again, steve