We have the opportunity to go on a cruise to the Caribbean. We love to snorkel, my wife can't hike anywhere, and we love picturesque beaches. What islands would you visit? I want to swim with stingrays. Is there anywhere else to do that besides the Caymans?
Where to go in the Caribbean?
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We just took a Caribbean cruise in April. We went to St. Thomas, Martinique, Grenada, Bonaire and Curacao, and I'd recommend all of them.
In St. Thomas we did a snorkel trip with sea turtles, which we loved. We actually saw a ray from the ship as we were docking, but none while we were snorkeling. St. John is also easy to reach from there and they have great snorkeling in the protected national park.
Bonaire and Curacao are also known for snorkeling and scuba, although we chose to go kayaking in Bonaire (had a fantastic day there!) and tour the caves in Curacao.
For stingrays, I know Antigua had a tour in the past, but I don't know their status since last year's hurricanes.
I prefer the eastern or southern Caribbean trips. If you want to hit Grand Cayman, you'll probably be on a western Caribbean cruise, which is likely to take you to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan, Belize, Jamaica. We've been to a few of those, but Roatan is the only one where we did a beach and snorkeling day. It was really nice though.
In St. Thomas we did a snorkel trip with sea turtles, which we loved. We actually saw a ray from the ship as we were docking, but none while we were snorkeling. St. John is also easy to reach from there and they have great snorkeling in the protected national park.
Bonaire and Curacao are also known for snorkeling and scuba, although we chose to go kayaking in Bonaire (had a fantastic day there!) and tour the caves in Curacao.
For stingrays, I know Antigua had a tour in the past, but I don't know their status since last year's hurricanes.
I prefer the eastern or southern Caribbean trips. If you want to hit Grand Cayman, you'll probably be on a western Caribbean cruise, which is likely to take you to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan, Belize, Jamaica. We've been to a few of those, but Roatan is the only one where we did a beach and snorkeling day. It was really nice though.
what time of year? Eastern Caribbean is good w/ABC islands. Aruba/Bonaire/Curacao (Full disclosure: I don't do cruises so don't know the stops) But I would check the time of year as it is near the equator. It was hot(!) in February in Bonaire
I'm not going to tell you my fav as it's tiny and no big ship port. But it rhymes with Bittle Dayman. St Thomas is ok. Nice trip over to Tortola BVI on a ferry. I liked the history in San Juan. Might be a bit early to go after the hurricanes
I'm not much help
I'm not going to tell you my fav as it's tiny and no big ship port. But it rhymes with Bittle Dayman. St Thomas is ok. Nice trip over to Tortola BVI on a ferry. I liked the history in San Juan. Might be a bit early to go after the hurricanes
I'm not much help
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SecondCor521
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Snorkeling and stingrays means Grand Cayman. They also have the famous Seven Mile Beach, which I hear is nice but I didn't make it there.
Hiking in Grand Cayman is also out. The highest elevation there is 60 feet above sea level.
I'd probably pick a Western Caribbean cruise, as a PP mentioned. Tulum / Playa del Carmen has pretty beaches, although the area was poor when I was there and I think there has been a safety issue recently with some of the tourist vessels.
Honestly I don't think you can go wrong on any Caribbean cruise, East or West, although I'd personally avoid Puerto Rico - I think they're having trouble rebuilding after the hurricanes and I'm not sure that will be fixed up even by next spring. Also, I don't think the beaches on Puerto Rico are as good as elsewhere...I think they have more rocky beaches.
Hiking in Grand Cayman is also out. The highest elevation there is 60 feet above sea level.
I'd probably pick a Western Caribbean cruise, as a PP mentioned. Tulum / Playa del Carmen has pretty beaches, although the area was poor when I was there and I think there has been a safety issue recently with some of the tourist vessels.
Honestly I don't think you can go wrong on any Caribbean cruise, East or West, although I'd personally avoid Puerto Rico - I think they're having trouble rebuilding after the hurricanes and I'm not sure that will be fixed up even by next spring. Also, I don't think the beaches on Puerto Rico are as good as elsewhere...I think they have more rocky beaches.
I know Antigua has swimming with sting rays and many great beaches. We also like Grenada, St. Lucia and other islands more down south. These islands also had minimal hurricane effects when we visited them this winter.
Freedom56
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If you are looking for that clean secluded beach with pristine water, we found a spot at Leeward on the Turks and Caicos island. We were exploring the island by car and found this spot. There wasn't another person on the beach for miles. In fact that section of the Island was virtually empty. I pulled out the camera and started recording (see attached). There are lots other great options such as the Bahamas, St Thomas, Aruba, and Grand Cayman islands.
Bamaman
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We have been to every island in the Caribbean except for Martinjque. Our favorite cruises are.out of San Juan because you hit a new island daily. Our favorite island is St. Lucia. Caymans and Cozumel are beautiful underwater but not so beautiful otherwise. Martinique and the Virgins are in process of rebuilding after last year's hurricanes.
The Virgin Islands are hard to beat for beautiful beaches. Even after the two Cat 5 hurricanes in 2017, the beaches are gorgeous again. DH and I were just in St. Thomas in April 2018. The snorkeling has definitely been affected by the hurricanes, but by 2019, it should be much better. The diving is already good again.
I also recommend taking a cruise from San Juan so you minimize time at sea and see a different island every day. I’ve done the Stingray City tour at Grand Cayman. I haven’t seen anything quite like it on other Caribbean islands; however I have seen dozens of sting rays and eagle rays in the Virgin Islands. I actually prefer seeing the rays doing their natural behavior rather than a “staged” sting ray feeding.
One thing you might consider is a charter boat cruise. You wouldn’t have the nightlife of a big ship, but could have an unforgettable experience cruising a group of islands and seeing what each has to offer. I’m sure they could find you some sting rays to snorkel with.
marko
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+1
We go to Peter Island which is nearby. www.peterisland.com
Very quiet; no cars, no 'downtown' selling T shirts, just 100 bungalows. All the help leaves on the 10PM ferry. Not for everyone but a great de-compress place.
Sadly it was ruined in the last hurricane and they don't know when they'll re-open, so I'd vote for Virgin Gorda or Jost Van Dyke.
ShokWaveRider
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We sailed the Caribbean for 3 seasons on a 45' Cat. Went to most Islands in the Eastern Caribbean. St. John is good for snorkeling, Turtles and lots of other underwater life.
I wrote a little about it here:
Cruising The Caribbean
I wrote a little about it here:
Cruising The Caribbean
Virgin Gorda and Jost also suffered considerable damage from Hurricane Irma. Don’t think any of the BVI resorts have reopened yet, sadly.
+1 on Peter Island. We spent 2 weeks there about 10 years ago. Beautiful and relaxing.
Teacher Terry
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We have taken 5 Caribbean cruises and loved all the islands.
Roatan: Both Tabyana Beach and Maya Key have great snorkeling. DW and I prefer the latter because it's a shorter ride from - and to - the pier.
St Maarten - America's Cup Regatta. Two ships race against each other. You can do nothing, or actually participate in working the boat. Lots of fun, and I believe this is offered in other ports.
St. Thomas - lots of good options for snorkeling. Powercat Snorkel is a very nice excursion. Magen's Bay is a beautiful beach, but it gets crowded. DW and I are early risers; we go there in the first group, spend a few nice hours, then head back.
Tortola - just take a cab to Cane Garden Bay. String of small bars/inns, and for a small fee you rent a lounge on a gorgeous beach. Another option would be shore excursion to Jost Van Dyke. Beach at Soggy Dollar Bar is very nice, and this place claims to be the inventor of the Painkiller drink.
Cozumel - they offer America's Cup Regatta here, as well. Pretty much any of the beach offerings are nice. Playa Mia is popular, near the port, and has some easy and nice snorkeling. It gets crowded. A great excursion is Amazing Secret River. No hiking, but you do need to have a little "dexterity" as you are in an underground cave, and sometimes wade in the river with shallow head room. My wife has back issues and did this with no problem.
St Maarten - America's Cup Regatta. Two ships race against each other. You can do nothing, or actually participate in working the boat. Lots of fun, and I believe this is offered in other ports.
St. Thomas - lots of good options for snorkeling. Powercat Snorkel is a very nice excursion. Magen's Bay is a beautiful beach, but it gets crowded. DW and I are early risers; we go there in the first group, spend a few nice hours, then head back.
Tortola - just take a cab to Cane Garden Bay. String of small bars/inns, and for a small fee you rent a lounge on a gorgeous beach. Another option would be shore excursion to Jost Van Dyke. Beach at Soggy Dollar Bar is very nice, and this place claims to be the inventor of the Painkiller drink.
Cozumel - they offer America's Cup Regatta here, as well. Pretty much any of the beach offerings are nice. Playa Mia is popular, near the port, and has some easy and nice snorkeling. It gets crowded. A great excursion is Amazing Secret River. No hiking, but you do need to have a little "dexterity" as you are in an underground cave, and sometimes wade in the river with shallow head room. My wife has back issues and did this with no problem.
The snorkeling in USVI and BVI has been affected by the 2017 hurricanes. Still a lot of sand on the coral, and turtle grass got buried in sand so turtles and rays relocated to deeper waters for now. We were just in STT in April 2018.
Sunset
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That is the area of the Caribbean we have not been to either, so it's one I would do simply because it's different.
We’ve been to Bonaire and Curaçao. Great diving in Bonaire. These islands have a drier climate and are outside of the hurricane zone - big advantage. And they are different due to their Dutch heritage. We haven’t been to Aruba but others we know have been there and they loved it. Aruba is more “glitzy” - lots of high rise hotels with casinos and night life.
folivier
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Yes Bonaire has some of the best, easiest, and unique diving in the Caribbean. Also being a Dutch island gives it a unique flavor. It also has some of the best grocery stores in the islands.
Retch The Grate
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Aruba is beautiful, and we successfully dodge the hurricanes by going there last year. My wife and I plan on taking more vacations there for sure.
