Hi everyone,
My husband and I are going on our very first cruise and our very first
trip to the Caribbean. We're leaving this Sunday Dec 12, on Royal
Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas. I'm hoping to get a little advice
about our ports. We were both surprised at how little time we spend at
each port! We'd like to have a plan when we arrive, so that we know
exactly where to go and start our day there.
What we like: the only thing we have to compare to this trip is our
Maui trip last year. We both LOVED playing in the waves,
boogie-boarding, snorkeling, and a little bit of shopping at local
shops (not resort-style stuff). We're on a budget, so we'll probably do
more than one or two shore excurions (probably none). I am excited
about snorkeling, and I would love to hear about great snorkeling
beaches, but I probably won't take a boat anywhere since I get really
sick on smaller boats. Also, I'm hoping to find beaches with diverse
age groups and body types... I won't really be able to truly relax if
I'm surrounded by thongs and models. And do they have boogie-boarding
in the Caribbean? It seems like the waves aren't big enough?
Our ports:
San Juan,
PR 2 pm - 8 pm
Philipsburg, St. Maarten 8 am - 6 pm
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas 7 am - 5 pm
Nassau, Bahamas 12 pm - 6 pm
Any advice about these ports, or royal cruising, we would be so
appreciative. I can't believe it, but I haven't had time to research
these places and I know absolutely nothing about them. Sometimes it
seems I need this vacation just to recover from my preparation for it.
Thank you thank you thank you,
C.
1st-time Cruise, 1st-time Caribbean, San Juan St. Maarten St. Thomas Nassau 
