LatitudeDude

Caribbean Cruise

A cruise is a good way to get a lot of bang for you buck. You get to see several locations for the price of one, all while being wined and dined in elegance. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of middle ground in people liking cruises – people either say they love them or hate them. My theory on the people who say they hate them is that they’ve either never been on one, or created a self-fulfilling prophecy through their attitude toward it.

Personally, I find cruises to be more enjoyable when you go with a larger group of people you really like to hang out with in the everyday world. Going on a cruise by yourself is not for the faint of heart, but could be a lot of fun if you’re a very outgoing person.

Anyway, I think the most useful thing on this topic is to just provide some specific tips based on my experience…

• Itinerary – This is what makes or breaks a cruise. Don’t book a cruise solely on the places it goes, but rather the times the boat is in port. If you’re not a morning person, or like to stay out late and party, then a boat that’s going to be in port from 7AM – Noon isn’t going to be much fun at all. What you really want is an itinerary that’s in sync with your expectations. For me time in port trumps the locations visited – all tropical ports of call are fun!
• Excursions – The ship will offer lots of different packages for you to explore each destination. Some of these are better than others. The things I’d consider booking through the cruise would be any kind of water activities like snorkeling or diving. Often they arrange a boat to pick you up at the ship and take you straight to the location, which is very nice. However, I’d stay away from most “package” shore excursions if you can help it. You’ll likely end up feeling like a sheep or cow as you’re herded around the island in a cha-ching sort of way. My recommendation would be to do a little research before the trip and have an idea about what you want to see and experience at each location. Then, get off the boat with the people you want to enjoy the experience with and find a friendly cab driver you can hire for the day. Go with your gut, if the driver isn’t friendly or accommodating find another one. Negotiate a price and itinerary before you set out. If you find a good service-oriented driver who speaks good enough English you’ll end up seeing and learning a LOT more about the places than you would as part of a cattle car. And, it’ll probably end up being cheaper than the package tour, not to mention a more direct spend in the local economy.
• The Bar – If your plan on spending any reasonable amount of time at the bar you’ll want to befriend a bartender early in the trip. Find a bar you think you’ll be spending a lot of time near. For my last cruise it was the bar next to the casino and large common area. Sit down at a time when it’s not too busy, get a drink and chat up the bar staff. At least one of them will emerge as more service-oriented than others. Find out if their schedule for the duration of the cruise is pretty regular and in the same location (older bartenders with more tenure will have their pick of schedule). Once you find “your” bartender for the cruise, make sure he becomes your “friend” by dropping a $20 with a big “thank you <insert name>.” If everything goes as planned, no matter how busy the bar is, you’ll get your drinks right away. Of course, you’ll have to tip well enough throughout to keep the friendship alive :). On my last cruise, whenever I got close to the bar a fresh Becks showed up without even asking, while other people waited 2 or 3 deep to get a drink.
• Casino – Regardless of your experience level, there are likely games in the casino that you never really understood, or would like to know more about. Usually, the first day or two of a cruise the casino will offer lessons on the various games offered. This is often something that isn’t published in the “main” activities sheet so you may have to ask about it. Take the opportunity to hone your skills and ask lots of questions. My experience is that dealers on cruise ships are MUCH more friendly and accommodating than Vegas. Figure out how much you can afford to lose each day ahead of time and if you lose that amount walk away for the day. They make it far to easy to “charge” more chips on your cruise card, which could make for a really bad time settling up at the end.
• Sunscreen – Seriously, I know you’re probably all “duh” on me right now, but there’s always one in the crowd that gets fried the first day of the trip and is MISERABLE for the whole trip. Don’t let it be you. Yeah, the tropics burn, and don’t forget the top of your feet!
• The Ship – The bigger the ship, the more amenities and smoother the ride, but also the less ports of call they offer. Big ships can only go to big ports of call, which means all of your shore time will be spent with tons of people from other cruise ships as well. Smaller ships can get into smaller ports and possibly offer a better shore experience, often being the only ship to use a given port each week. Although, that can create a “fake” town experience that only materializes an hour before the ship arrives and disappears the minute the ship weighs anchor. So you kind of have to weigh the options and figure out which boat is right for you. I’d sort of let the itinerary drive the selection since that’s the most important aspect.
• Port of Embarkation – If you do a 7 day cruise it’ll likely be something like a Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday, which means there’s probably another day on either side your could extend your vacation a day or more. If you can catch a ship that leaves out of Puerto Rico, you effectively get an extra port of call. You’re likely going to have to travel a good distance to the port anyway so you may as well aim high :).
• Duration – A 7 day cruise seems like the best amount of time for me. Between the time it takes to get everybody processed and boarded, and then processed through customs and such on the return, it just seems like a lot of effort for anything less than that. Anything longer puts you into burning more than a week vacation and frankly you’re pretty worn out by then anyway (if you’re doing it right!).
• Room Selection – In my younger days I would’ve said it doesn’t matter because I wouldn’t spend any time there, but now that I’m older and can afford more I think it does matter. You want to avoid a room that’s too far down and therefore closer to the loud engines and the pounding of the hull against the waves. You also don’t want to be too far forward or aft, as that will make for a rougher sleep depending upon how big the swells are. Midship higher up is probably the best option because you’re pretty close to everything. Having an outside room really is nice so you can at least have a window with a view (assuming you’re above the water line). If you can swing a balcony do it, lucky you.
• Dining – A lot of ships will seat you with other people, but more and more are offering restaurant style, show up when and with whom you like. For the most part, I like being sat at the same time with other people. It’s a good opportunity to meet other people and it gets you on some kind of schedule. If your ship offers and early or late seating, personally, I’d take the late seating. Depending on your itinerary, if you have an early seating the boat may still be in port or just leaving, forcing you to rush to make it on time. The late seating gives you some breathing room to take a quick power nap or relax a bit before the night life begins. However your cruise is setup for dining, don’t be shy. If you really liked that lobster dinner, order another one! All the food you can eat is included so take advantage of it – you can always work it off later. See two options on the menu that you can’t decide between? Order them both! Most ships also have a pizza place open in the wee hours as well as ice cream and such :). Eat, eat, eat!
• Activities – Every ship has a whole group dedicated to ensuring your enjoy yourself. Stop by the Cruise Director’s desk and get a detailed schedule of events each day. The daily ship newspaper delivered to your room will provide a list of the main things going on, but it won’t go into detail about all of the little things. Don’t be shy, participate in the silly little games they play around the pool and such. It’s a lot more fun participating than you’d think!
• Alcohol – This could end up being one of your bigger expenses. Since you’re just signing for drinks all week it’s kind of hard to keep it all tallied in your head. Don’t let your bar tab get away from you or, like your casino tab, it could ruin the trip in the end. One way to cut down on the expense is to bring some of your own liquor aboard. The ship won’t allow you to, but there are ways to do it. For example, it’s convenient that vodka looks exactly like water when placed in a large water bottle. Combine that with the more reasonably priced soda plan and your poolside drinks are all set. Of course, the big frozen drinks from the bar are really difficult to pass up! If you want to buy liquor or wine while ashore the ship will gladly check it for you when you return to the boat and give it back when you depart.
• Pre-Departure – Contact your cruise company and try to get a schedule of events ahead of time. This way if there are any special themed events you can pack appropriately. There are other activities you may want to bring supplies for. For example, on one cruise they had a “horse” auction at the beginning of the cruise. It was just a wooden horse statue thingy that we ended up getting for about $150. The gimmick was that you decorated it, gave it a name and created a back story for the horse. You’d carry it to dinner and such and at the end of the cruise they’d have a horse race (driven by dice rolls) and the winner would take all of the auction proceeds, which was a nice little payout between the 10-12 horses auctioned. Anyway, if we didn’t know we needed decoration supplies then our horse would have been rather bare.
• Luggage – Try to avoid the large solid suitcases if you can. The rooms are small enough without them piled up and in the way. A good alternative is one of those duffel bags that has wheels and can easily be rolled up when empty. And they often stretch more when you pack all the crap you gathered along the way.

Caribbean Caribbean, Tropical

St. Martin/St. Maarten

St. Martin is a truly unique experience. The North side of the island is French and the South side is Dutch, so you get to experience two cultures that have blended nicely to ensure a great vacation. There aren’t any fancy checkpoints or anything as you go from one territory to the other so there’s no hassle to the visitor at all.

The entire island offers many extremely beautiful bay with white sand beaches. You can find a nice secluded bay or a larger bay that offers many activities. The island doesn’t have an overly lush appearance from a flora and fauna perspective, but what it lacks there it more than makes up for it with its magnificent beaches that transition into crystal clear waters of varying degrees of greens and blues.

French Side

The French side of the island appeared less “busy” than the Dutch side to me, offering a quieter experience in general. We stayed at the Grand Case Beach Resort (http://www.grandcasebeachclub.com/) and really enjoyed it. They have a restaurant that is literally over the water, which was a great place to grab lunch and a drink. They offer beach loungers with umbrellas and while I was there they had a little flag attached to the lounges which you could raise to summon a waiter for drinks. The beach wasn’t crowded and pretty much exuded relaxation.

Down the road from the resort, within walking distance, was a little town that had some outstanding restaurants. I had one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten at one of them, although the name of the place escapes me. I just know that it was sea bass along with an incredibly good wine that the proprietor recommended. All of the restaurants we experienced were on the French side and they all had excellent cuisine.

Over on the East side is Orient Bay. Even though it’s become quite crowded now, it’s still worth checking out – it really is quite beautiful. There are a bunch of bars and restaurants that line the beach, so there are plenty of opportunities for lunch and a beverage. You can rent jet skis, go paragliding, jump on huge blow-up trampolines and any other touristy thing you can think of at a beach. Of course, being European and all, the beaches are topless, but at the Southern end of Orient Bay is a clothing optional section where you can bare it all if you’re so inclined. They even have a resort there if you’re really into it. I checked out their cabins and they’re quite nice. Of course, when a cruise ship is in port there’s a lot of gawkers who show up and can ruin the otherwise very friendly atmosphere.

Dutch Side

The Dutch side, with the large port and commercial district was much more active. It offers lots of shopping, gambling and night life. Like many of the islands in the caribbean that are on the cruise ship route, you’re experience will be much different depending upon whether there are any ships in port. Anyplace you stay will be able to tell you the schedule to help plan your activities to avoid the masses.

One of the unique things on the Dutch side is the airport. The runway goes almost to the waters edge and is rather short. As a result, planes have to touch down as close to the end as possible, which means they’re extremely close to the water/beach on their approach. It’s quite a spectacle to witness. Just be careful if you are so inclined to make it over to Maho Bay beach as it can be dangerous. You may want to setup shop at the Sunset Bar and watch at a safe distance with a nice frosty adult beverage in-hand.

When looking for lodging options I’d suggest the following rule of thumb. If you’re looking for peace and quiet with a more lavish setting, you may find the French side more to your liking. If you like the hustle and bustle that city life offers then you’ll probably find the Dutch side more appealing. Either way, the island just isn’t all that large and can easily drive around it in short order.

To summarize what I think about the place, it has great beaches, great food and great wine. This winning combination makes it a very romantic getaway.

Getting There

While their runway is quite short, it does accommodate some pretty large planes. But it’s often hard to find direct flights. Just be prepared for a little more thrill than you’d normally expect if you have a window seat :). It really does look like you’re going to land in the water until, at the VERY last second, a runway appears just as the wheels touch down. Taking off is a little exciting as well. You take off toward a rather large hill/mountain that the plane has to clear once it leaves the short runway. As a result, as soon as you’re airborne the plane makes a pretty hard turn. I don’t know if this was “true” or not, but the airline we were on said they had to take off with limited fuel to get the weight down so we could clear the mountain on takeoff, forcing us to stop in the Dominican Republic for fuel. I think it was probably just much cheaper fuel in the Dominican Republic myself.

If you’re really freaked out by flying, potentially if you were flying from another caribbean destination you’d be on a smaller plane that isn’t cutting it so close to the edge of limits as the larger jetliners. Perhaps a connection from San Juan, Puerto Rico or similar.

If you’re feeling adventurous, and you have some spare money burning a hole in your wallet, you could consider hiring a private yacht to sail you over from the British Virgin Islands. Although, this isn’t for the faint of heart, as it takes you almost directly into the trade winds so it can be a little rough going. A more pleasant experience would be to hire a yacht from St. Martin (they’ll even sail from the BVI to meet you) to sail down wind to the British Virgin Islands and spend some time there as well. If you’ve got a couple of weeks and some cash to burn, that’d be an outstanding vacation. Or, the trade winds would provide a pleasant crossing from St. Kitts.

Caribbean Caribbean, Romantic, Tropical

Private Yacht Charter in British Virgin Islands

I took my girlfriend for a weeklong cruise on a private yacht with a captain in the British Virgin Islands. It’s definitely one of my favorite vacations to date. We had an absolute blast!

The BVI are made up of a bunch of little islands that are all pretty much within sight of each other. Because they’re so close you don’t spend all your time in transit from one place to another – just the perfect amount of sailing for fun and accomplishment. Since you’re not spending all day at sail, you spend a lot more time enjoying the crystal clear water, white sand beaches, tropical hikes, or a frosty adult beverage at one of the many colorful beach bars. And we can’t forget about the many lobster to be eaten at dinner.

The only island you can’t see from the others is Anegada. The highest point on the island is a tree so it doesn’t quite make it above the curvature of the Earth. It’s about a two hour sail from the Bitter End on Virgin Gorda.

We found and booked our boat via the internet after a lot of searching. We settled on a 40 foot monohull owned by an American who had been living in the BVI for over 20 years (Palm Yacht Charters). We’re really glad we found somebody who was so incredibly “plugged in” to the local scene and unmatched in sailing knowledge. He was the perfect mix of around to educate us on everything BVI and mysteriously gone during those quiet moments like sunset that we shared as a couple.

We’d wake up to fresh coffee, bacon and eggs and discuss the plan for the day. Then we’d raise anchor and head out, often stopping off at yet another great place to snorkel or sight see. We’d either do lunch provided by the captain if we were in transit or find another cool restaurant ashore while out exploring. Every evening we’d arrive at a new anchorage off of another island in the BVI. Each anchorage is unique, but almost all of them have at least one great restaurant or bar to enjoy.

Everybody you encounter in the BVI is extremely laid back and relaxed. We chatted with people from all over the world at each anchorage. Since it’s the British Virgin Islands, naturally there were a lot of Europeans there. Anyway, there is no shortage of people to meet and share stories (and a drink) with. Just about everybody there partakes in the “sundowner” ceremony, whether in private or public. Get your favorite drink ready and toast another great day in paradise as you watch the Sun sink below the horizon. And don’t forget to try to get a glimpse of the elusive green flash!

Jost Van Dyke

Perhaps one of the prettiest anchorages you’ll see is White Bay. It’s a shallow, sand bottom bay that’s protected by an outside reef. The most famous establishment there is the Soggy Dollar Bar, which is known for the original Painkiller drink. It got its name because most people swim ashore from their boats and end up with wet money. They have clothespins to accommodate drying. Back in the day, there was no electricity and therefore no credit cards. Now they accept credit cards, but that’s no fun so take cash :). You can even buy your friends a drink in the future – just pay for a drink and write their names in the drink book. Then tell your friends you bought them a drink and they can look it up when they get there.

If you’re looking at Soggy Dollar from your boat, the left (west) side of the bay will often provide a nice tarpon if you’re inclined to snorkel that point. I got a water housing for my video camera and caught a large tarpon feeding on a school of minnows, which was very cool. I must admit though that until I was able to determine it was a tarpon I was a little freaked out, but not as much as my girlfriend :). We saw three of them, probably 4-5 feet long and let us get very close to them.

Over in Great Harbour you’ll find the legendary Foxy’s restaurant and bar. They have great food and about as lively a crowd at night as you’ll find in the BVI, with people dancing to live music and generally having a good time. I can personally vouch for their incredible lobster dinner. Down the “road” from Foxy’s is Corsair’s bar and restaurant. It’s a little more low-key than Foxy’s and has a little more character perhaps (my opinion). I’ve eaten dinner there twice and they were both great. The owner, Vinny (sp?), is a really personable guy with some great stories.

Around to the East side of the island you’ll find Sandy Cay and Sandy Spit, two of the most beautiful beaches you’ll ever see. Foxy’s daughter opened up a place over on Little Jost which is near Sandy Spit. From her place you can walk to the trail to the Bubbly Pool, which is a tidal pool of water where waves break over the retaining reef wall and creates, uh, bubbles. Kind of cool.

Norman Island
The Bight is a really nice anchorage – the kind of anchorage you likely dream about when you think about anchoring in the tropics. Off the West side of The Bight is Treasure Point, where you’ll find The Caves. This is a great place to snorkel in and see the inspiration for the classic Treasure Island. Your best bet is to ride your dingy over from your anchorage, as they have ample room for dingy mooring but only a few for larger vessels which are always occupied.

In the middle of The Bight is a large ship that is a floating bar called Willy T’s. You can dingy up and have a drink and bar food. They were famous for women jumping off the boat naked, providing a T-shirt for their efforts. I think due to insurance reasons (of course) they’ve started discouraging such acts, although my now wife did manage to get a T-shirt :). It’s definitely a unique place to have a drink. You may not want to anchor too close to Willy T’s unless you’re going to be part of the crowd making all the noise into the wee hours of the night.

Up on shore is the Pirates Bight Bar and Restaurant, which offers up some good food and drink on solid footing. A good alternative to the debauchery of Willy T’s.

Just outside The Bight you should really try and snorkel or dive The Indians. There are some great views, but keep an eye on currents.

Virgin Gorda

You can’t journey to the BVI without seeing The Baths. At the southern end of the island is a bunch of very large granite rocks that shoot out of the white sand and emerald water, creating lots of pathways and hidden pools to explore. They definitely seem very out of place, with their stark contrast to the surrounding scenery creating a truly unique experience.

Parking can be a bit of a problem depending upon your arrival time. The park provides mooring buoys, but they’re limited in number and often difficult to find vacant. Your best bet is either arriving very early, or perhaps around lunch you could catch one as the morning crews depart their morning adventures. Of course, if you have an experienced local captain they’ll know where they can anchor away from the moorings and drop you off ashore from the dingy.

Near The Baths is Spanish Town, which has a variety of shopping and dining opportunities. There are a few moorings available outside their marina or you can take a quick taxi ride to it from The Baths.

On the other end of the island in North Sound, where you’ll find an incredibly beautiful anchorage at the Bitter End Yacht Club. This may sound a little odd, but this is a great time to take advantage of the air conditioned bathrooms :). I’ve eaten at the yacht club and at Saba Rock and I prefer Saba Rock. They have more of a casual air about them with the pirate theme, and how often do you get to eat at a restaurant that is an island of its own.

Tortola

Tortola is the island of your arrival. It’s the largest and most populated island in the group and has a lot to offer. Road Town is the large port where you’ll most likely meet your boat. It’s a pretty busy place with lots of yachts and destination of cruise ships. It’s a good place to book a hotel the night before or after your yacht charter, mainly because of its convenience.

There’s a nice anchorage at the West end in Soper’s Hole. It’s well protected and has several good dining options. If you take your dingy all the way back into the harbor on the right you’ll see a bridge that connect Frenchman’s Cay. If your drive under the bridge there’s a little store/restaurant/bar right on the other side that catches the trade winds well. It’s a great place to catch a drink, enjoy the breeze and views.

If you like a good party and you happen to be there during the full moon, you should check out the Full Moon Party at Bomba’s Surf Shack on the NW shore of Tortola. It’s a long tradition that draws a large crowd in search of fun. They even cook up a big pot of “magic” tea if you’re so inclined. There’s a more family-oriented full moon party at Trellis Bay on the East side of the island, by the airport.

Trellis Bay is also a nice quiet anchorage (aside from the occasional airlane) and is a good place for supplies. There’s a little grocery store and across the way at Pusser’s Marina Cay you can top off gas and water. In the middle of Trellis Bay is The Last Resort, which has pretty good food and a nice place to hang out for a drink. Apparently, they used to have a donkey as a draw, but it got drunk one night and wondered off the island.

Getting there
From the states, you have two primary ways to get there:

1. Fly to St. Thomas, USVI and take a ferry over to Tortola. The ferry ride is about an hour.
2. Fly into San Juan, Puerto Rico and take a puddle jumper over to Tortola.

Either way in will give you an opportunity to spend a day or two coming or going in other tropical destinations for a relatively small additional cost.

I’ve taken both routes… If you just want to get there and get out, definitely fly into St. Thomas and take the ferry. It’s a very reliable system. When I flew from San Juan, the inter-island plane broke down and we were stranded for several hours waiting for another plane to show up. Both coming and going were delayed – not the sort of thing you want to happen on vacation. That said, the first time I went I spent an extra night in a nice hotel in San Juan because I knew after a week on a boat we’d be ready for a nice comfortable place to end our vacation. And there’s a lot to do in San Juan. So the delays ended up being worth it to us.

Why not get certified in sailing while you’re there?
You can contact your local sailing club and see about getting the Basic Keelboat sailing class out of the way before you depart for your trip. If you book with a captain who is also an instructor (pretty common) you could potentially knock out both the Basic Coastal Cruising and Bareboat Chartering courses while on vacation. That will get you prepared to charter your own boat in the future in a variety of places without a captain, saving lots of cash. And it’s a lot of fun. And a perfect distraction for a teenager.

Traveling with kids?
Awesome. Chartering a boat with the whole family is a great idea. There are (often) no TVs and other household distractions while out sailing. You’re forced to have fun the old fashioned way – enjoying your surroundings and company. Traveling on a boat offers some great life lessons, too. You must conserve water, deal with living in confined quarters, learn about all kinds of marine life and preserving the fragile ecosystem, oh, and work as a team to sail the boat from destination to destination, which is very engaging and enjoyable. There’s probably no better vacation for bonding the whole family together. Worth every penny.

Tips

• Book a boat that is owned by the captain. The boat will be better equipped and the captain more familiar with it which will make the trip will go more smoothly.
• You can book a boat with a captain and a cook, but you can save money by finding a captain who is willing to play cook as well. Breakfast and lunch is easy and you’ll want to go ashore for dinner anyway.
• Bring a pair of handheld walkie-talkies. You can leave one with the captain when he drops you off ashore and easily request a pickup when you’re ready. You can have the local watering hole call the captain on the VHF radio, but the handhelds give you more flexibility with less hassle.
• If booking as just a couple a monohull (38′-42′) is your best bet. There’s plenty of room and the prices are much cheaper.
• If you’re traveling with one or more couples you should look into getting a catamaran if you can swing the extra cost. Three couples with the captain are easily accommodated on a 40′+ catamaran with a lot more privacy than you’d expect.
• Captains who have been in the area longer will provide a much better experience. Local knowledge is key when sailing. This is one of those things where experience really pays off.
• Just before early season and just after late season will save you a bit of money and avoid the crowds, but it can get warm at night. Make sure the boat you book has ample fans in the room and enough battery capacity to use them all night

Caribbean Caribbean, Romantic, Tropical