I went on the seven day cruise and received so many great tips that I wanted to help others with their trip.
I stayed at the Radisson at the Port the night before after renting at Avis at the airport. Staying the night before prevented me from worrying about flying the same day. That was a great suggestion by the forum members. As many stated on the forum, this is a great way to go. We were able to turn in the car at the Avis next to the hotel and take the shuttle to the port. The hotel is pretty nice - great pool for kids and pretty nice rooms. On tip coming back - we took the Avis shuttle instead of the Radisson shuttle because it was at the port first. I didn't know Avis had a shuttle until it pulled up.
As everyone stated on these boards make your Palo ressies as soon as possible. They go fast. If you don't like getting dressed up too much you might want to try to coordinate your Palo night the same night as formal night. I didn't think about this until afterwards.
The ESPN sportsbar is pretty dead. I don't think I ever saw more than five people in there. In theory it is a good idea but without more sporting events available for broadcast (I saw a lot of soccer) it doesn't work.
St.Maarten:
I did not enjoy Great Bay Beach. Sand was rough to walk on and when you walked into the water you eventually sank like you were walking in quicksand. The buildings directly behind are awful and with my family there I just didn't get a good feeling. I left and went to Dawn Beach. Dawn Beach was beautiful. The waves were great for the kids and the beach wasn't crowded. They had toys for the kids to play with the sand but the chairs and umbrellas will cost you. Hair braids were tortorous at both places. Also, don't rent a 4 cylinder car as I did. I encountered hills going to Dawn Beach were I felt I wasn't going to make it up. The roads to Dawn Beach were a mess - potholes and narrow roads with no signs - I got lucky that the only turn I took lead to the beach.
St.Thomas:
We went to Coki Beach after visiting the many shops close to the docking of the ship. We paid $21 for two adults 2 kids each way. We paid for the aquarium but after going through it thought it was overpriced for what it offered. I forget exactly how much it was but it was about $45 for four of us. The beach was great,especially for kids and snorkelers. The fish come close to the shore and will come right up if you have something like the dog biscuits people were feeding them. The beaches can be expensive once you pay for chairs and lunch so bring a decent amount of cash.
The service throughout the cruise is great. They were very friendly.
The Kids Club is a Godsend. The beeper was very helpful since my daughter was a little cranky.
Me and my family loved the cruise and thought it was the best vacation we ever took. We probably will take Disney again on the Western Carribean. If you have kids I couldn't see any cruise being better.
For first timers have a great cruise. Thanks to those who helped me in preparation for the cruise.
Bill
wklcpa@aol.com
I stayed at the Radisson at the Port the night before after renting at Avis at the airport. Staying the night before prevented me from worrying about flying the same day. That was a great suggestion by the forum members. As many stated on the forum, this is a great way to go. We were able to turn in the car at the Avis next to the hotel and take the shuttle to the port. The hotel is pretty nice - great pool for kids and pretty nice rooms. On tip coming back - we took the Avis shuttle instead of the Radisson shuttle because it was at the port first. I didn't know Avis had a shuttle until it pulled up.
As everyone stated on these boards make your Palo ressies as soon as possible. They go fast. If you don't like getting dressed up too much you might want to try to coordinate your Palo night the same night as formal night. I didn't think about this until afterwards.
The ESPN sportsbar is pretty dead. I don't think I ever saw more than five people in there. In theory it is a good idea but without more sporting events available for broadcast (I saw a lot of soccer) it doesn't work.
St.Maarten:
I did not enjoy Great Bay Beach. Sand was rough to walk on and when you walked into the water you eventually sank like you were walking in quicksand. The buildings directly behind are awful and with my family there I just didn't get a good feeling. I left and went to Dawn Beach. Dawn Beach was beautiful. The waves were great for the kids and the beach wasn't crowded. They had toys for the kids to play with the sand but the chairs and umbrellas will cost you. Hair braids were tortorous at both places. Also, don't rent a 4 cylinder car as I did. I encountered hills going to Dawn Beach were I felt I wasn't going to make it up. The roads to Dawn Beach were a mess - potholes and narrow roads with no signs - I got lucky that the only turn I took lead to the beach.
St.Thomas:
We went to Coki Beach after visiting the many shops close to the docking of the ship. We paid $21 for two adults 2 kids each way. We paid for the aquarium but after going through it thought it was overpriced for what it offered. I forget exactly how much it was but it was about $45 for four of us. The beach was great,especially for kids and snorkelers. The fish come close to the shore and will come right up if you have something like the dog biscuits people were feeding them. The beaches can be expensive once you pay for chairs and lunch so bring a decent amount of cash.
The service throughout the cruise is great. They were very friendly.
The Kids Club is a Godsend. The beeper was very helpful since my daughter was a little cranky.
Me and my family loved the cruise and thought it was the best vacation we ever took. We probably will take Disney again on the Western Carribean. If you have kids I couldn't see any cruise being better.
For first timers have a great cruise. Thanks to those who helped me in preparation for the cruise.
Bill
wklcpa@aol.com