S. Carib - Excusions on my own?
 

I don't really want to pile on to a bus, or spend too much $ for too little on my Southern Carib cruise - so I was wondering what you all would suggest would be good "self-guided" tours for us to do! My wife and I are in our early 30's, and sailing on the RCCL Adventure of the Seas in September (San Juan, Aruba, St. Maarten, Curacao, and St Thomas (St John day trip?)). We're both well traveled, so we don't mind the uncertainty of not being on an excursion. We like sightseeing (natural wonders) and beach/snorkel stuff (and my wife LOVES to shop, of course!)<BR><BR>Thanks!!<BR><BR>George

oops.. I meant ExcuRsions.<BR><BR>(when this website gets a spellchecker, I'll stop making errors!)

In SXM, you can rent a car in Phillipsburg and tour the island yourself. Get a map and it's pretty simple to get around. That would at least get you out of the Phillipsburg area and on your own.<BR><BR>I would suggest Marigot and some of the nicer beaches such as Grand Case and Orient. You could also visit the Simpson Bay and Maho areas.<BR><BR>Be forewarned, though, be sure to be back in Phillipsburg in plenty of time for your departure. Traffic can be a mess in SXM at times and you can really get held up.<BR><BR>

If you like to snorkel, a very good company is S. E. Aruba fly 'n' dive. They specialize in private trips for divers and snorkelers. Last year, I took a trip with them that only had one other person and the dive master. This was a snorkel trip. The spots are on the southern end of Aruba. We had 3 snorkel stops that had an incredible amount of coral growth for being off the beach snorkels. One spot was near Baby Beach and the other two spots were great spots that very few tourist know about.<BR>It cost me about $45 for a half day and it included water, beer, soft drinks, fruit, and lunch if you wanted. We drove around in the Dive masters jeep and he gave a tour of the southern end of the island. Great trip - I felt really good about having a dive master with me. Aruba has some very nice reefs, but due to the constant wind, there can be quite a bit of wave action. There are also some dangerous rip currents at the best spots and the dive master kept me clear of those.<BR><BR>For Curacao, I rented a car and drove around the northern part of the island. Call ahead to rent the car. For about $35 dollars, I saw the wonderful natural bridges on the northeastern coast, stopped in a town (almost had iguana soup!!) and stopped at a pretty beach with only the locals and some Dutch tourist there. Very nice beach snorkeling.<BR><BR>For your wife, best shopping would be in St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Curacao doesn't have much in terms of shopping and Aruba has very pretty malls and shopping centers, but can't beat the prices and the selection of the "saints". San Juan has some very interesting craft shops, especially the Haitian art gallery, and the Puerto Rican arts cooperative near the gallery. Be sure to check out the paper mache "devil masks" from Ponce.<BR><BR>As far as ideas for tours, I like the "Alive" guides ( Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao Alive, St. Thomas Alive) and brochures from Turist Bureaus. They can give you a more detailed information about things to do. These islands are great for doing your own thing. You will save money and have a much better time ashore this way.

Thanks for the ideas - anyone else?? Also - we're porting at St. Thomas, but I heard that going to St. John is the best way to spend the day. Anyone done this? <BR><BR>Thanks Again!<BR>George

Just a note .... plan to be back at the ship at least 2 hours before the posted time. You may run into unforseen circumstances.<BR><BR>Paul