Southern Caribbean Shore Excursion Review for NCL Passengers
Written: Jul 10 '00 (Updated Jul 10 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots to do at a different port each day!
Cons: Not a relaxing cruise!
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| Suzi's Full Review: Norwegian Dream |
My husband and I sailed on the Norwegian Dream in 1995 when it was called the Dreamward. It was only a few years old then, and our overall experiences were great. We sailed with extended family in a group of 16. Our Southern Caribbean itinerary included stops in Barbados, Martinique, St. Lucia, Antigua and the USVI. Our itinerary was supposed to include St. Maarten, but St. Lucia was substituted at the last minute due to storm damage. I don't feel I could give a reasonable assessment of this ship as it has undergone a major refurbishment and name change in 1998. However, I do feel comfortable commenting on shore excursions, as I have been to the Southern Caribbean several times since.
You should be able to get shore excursion information from either your travel agent or NCL. When you receive your travel documents, a shore excursion booklet will be included that will also have price information. Several family members, especially the older members, opted for shore excursions. We have done a few, but I will also include information about the trips we made on our own, independent of the ship.
Southern Caribbean cruises call on ports every day and nearly all of them depart from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Our first port of call came after one day at sea. From then on, it was a new port each morning.
Bridgetown, Barbados was our first port of call. We decided to go scuba diving which was not available on the ship, and made arrangements to do so prior to our arrival. We paid $110pp for a two tank boat dive to an area with poor visibility. The remainder of our group either hired a taxi to tour the island or went on the Harrison Cave Tour. I was very sorry we didn't go on the Cave tour, as it sounded great. My in-laws saw waterfalls, stalactites and stalagmite formations and jungle scenery. This two hour tour cost less than $50pp. Other tours in Barbados included a city tour, an Atlantis Submarine tour, and several party boat trips. The Jolly Roger and the Tiami Catamaran included an open bar with food and snorkeling. Both trips were about $75pp. Several people we met on the ship went golfing at the Sandy Lane Golf Course. The cost was around $120pp.
On Wednesday, we called upon Martinique. I didn't care for Martinique all that much. Once off the ship, the main shopping area was only about a 10 minute walk. I found the people on the island relatively friendly, but prices were very high. We scheduled a 4 hour snorkeling trip on the Petite Punch to the bat caves at Anse Noire. This tour was about $50pp and everyone in our group had a great time. Other tours here included the Calypso Party Cruise (which we wanted to take but sold out) and the St. Pierre Tour to visit the ruins of a city destroyed by a volcano.
We came to St. Lucia on Thursday. I loved it here, and have yet to return, but some day... We hired a cabbie here to take us around the island. We went to see the volcano, botanical gardens, banana plantations, several towns and managed to get a one tank dive in each! We paid nearly $125 for two of us to go diving. As we were not planning to do this, we didn't have our gear with us and had to rent. We met a dive group in a restaurant having breakfast and accepted their invitation to go on a dive. I don't recall the dive site, but the visibility was excellent. I wouldn't hesitate going back here. Other island tours included snorkeling trips on a party boat and the most popular island tours. Most tours here were around $60pp.
On Friday we pulled into St. John's Antigua. Sailing/snorkeling trips were the most popular here. Again, the town here was within walking distance of the port. The prices here were more reasonable. Antigua is known for it's beautiful beaches. We hired a cab and drove to a beach where we spent the day. Don't forget to try the local Wadadli Beer...it's excellent with fried conch. The beach we went to had conch shells every where...the same ones the local kids in the islands sell to tourists. Tours here included beach outings (which didn't make sense to pay $30 to sit on a beach), a snorkeling tour to the wreck outside of the Jolly Harbor and another Jolly Roger Pirate cruise/party boat. The boat tours were around $45pp.
On Saturday we arrived in St. Thomas. People wishing to tender over to St. John (you didn't have to be on a tour) could do so at 7:30am. We did this, and took a ferry back to St. Thomas. The ship docks about 5 minutes by cab from the main part of town in St. Thomas. We opted to spend the day scuba diving in St. John. Scuba diving was available here for $80pp for two tanks. The visibility wasn't the best the day we went, but it had the potential to be a good. Other tours here included snorkeling at Trunk Bay, which we did on our own. The cost to do this was around $30pp, yet a cab ride will run you only $10! The tour provides transportation back to the ship, but taking the ferry wasn't bad.
Other tours on St. John included an island tour for $25pp and a sailing tour that takes you back to St. Thomas for $60pp.
We did some shopping in St. Thomas before heading back to the ship. Tours here included party boat tours with snorkeling and another Atlantis Submarine Tour. They also had a scuba tour in St. Thomas, but we didn't opt for this as we went diving off of St. John. My in-laws went on a Seaplane Adventure that ran just over $100pp. It sounded like lots of fun, but very expensive for 45 minutes! Two family members played 18 holes of golf at the Mahogany Run course. They said the course was awesome...it had to be for $150!
Our ship pulled into port each morning around 7:30 and departed around 6pm. We remained in St. Thomas until 7pm. I really enjoyed this port intensive itinerary, but if you're looking to relax, a cruise to the Southern Caribbean won't be for you! We extended our vacation by a week after returning to San Juan, and thank goodness we did! I was so exhausted, I needed the following week to recover! If you are looking to do something exciting every day, this is the cruise for you. My family and I had great fun, and chances are you will too. If you have any questions I haven't answered, feel free to drop me an email. Good luck!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Suzi
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Location: California
Reviews written: 190
Trusted by: 147 members
About Me:
Suzi is an aspiring travel writer who enjoys scuba diving and volleyball.
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