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| Sightseeing Tours |
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| Some people like to learn about the places they visit. After all, these Caribbean islands and their people have been here for hundreds of years and they have spawned centuries of fascinating history, most of which gets paved over or lies quietly in the shadows of glitzy beach resorts. |
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| So, if you prefer a more sedate and informative excursion, check these out. Generally, sightseeing tours are the least expensive excursions, though sometimes they include the cost of admission to a particular sight (such as a museum or a nature park). If your excursion does include visiting a park or other attraction, be sure to check the hours of operation and make sure you’ll be able to spend as much time as you want once you get there. All of the attractions included in these tours are also available to the general public, and usually the price of admission is less (sometimes quite a bit less) than the price of the tour. If you’re going to visit the attractions on your own, make sure you have reliable transportation back to the ship when you’re done. |
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| Pirates |
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| Whether you are in Key West or Aruba, there is some part of the local history that has something to do with pirates. It may not be as decisive and dominant as the pirate legacy was in the Bahamas, but it is part of the history and sometimes an influential part of the history. Let’s face it, we all love that pirate history, the swashbuckling culture, the raucous shore life. That whole “Pirates of the Caribbean” thing started right here, maybe on the very streets you are visiting. |
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| Most pirate history is inextricably linked to the colonial history of the area, and quite often, the lines between piracy and colonial exploration were not clearly drawn. In fact, the survival of many of the colonial cultures and governments relied on the protection and commerce of pirates at least as much as they did that of European homelands. |
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| You’ll be sure to learn some fascinating history. If there’s a pirate museum involved in the sightseeing, do it. |
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| Historical Highlights |
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| Often, these historical sightseeing tours are included in any pirate history tour, but sometimes there is a different tour that focuses mainly on the colonial history of the island. We’re not as fond of the basic history, but if you like that kind of information, you will usually get an informed guide that will tell you interesting points. |
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| Natural History and/or Ecological Tours |
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| Many ports have their own version of a conservation park or a natural preserve. Some of these are pretty darn good. For example, the Xcaret. Eco-Archeological Park in Cancun is a high-end theme-park attraction that is well worth a visit. Likewise, the Ardastra Gardens conservation center in Nassau is a nicely done park that features an impressive slice of the Caribbean jungle (plus they have ‘Marching flamingoes”!). And in some ports, your tour through a rainforest or nature preserve is combined with a bike ride, hike or segway ride. |
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For the most part, these nature tours are visually pleasing and in some cases stunning. They will appeal to people who appreciate the
natural fauna and small animal life of the region. They are also pretty low intensity and even restful. For the prices, they’re probably
worth the cost if you like the nature end of things. |
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| Cultural and Folklore Excursions |
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You can take a cooking class, learn how to make jewelry or watch a full-scale production of culturally authentic dancing and music on
some of these excursions. These options often don’t get the attention that many of them deserve. Unfortunately, you can’t always
count on a great experience, but it’s worth taking a chance, especially if you have some positive feedback from people who have
been there (message boards, again). |
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Some of these excursions require a good bit of climbing and walking, especially if you are on an excursion that takes you to waterfalls
or caves. The sights you find at the destination can be absolutely stunning, and well worth the effort, just be prepared for some exertion. |
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Like the biking excursions, most of these excursions combine some other activity. It might be a beachfront cookout, a shopping
excursion or a snorkeling break. In our opinion the thing that makes these excursions attractive is when they include something new
and different, like driving an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) through the jungle, or paddling a clear-bottom kayak over a shallow coral reef. |
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| Shopping and Self-Guided Tours |
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About half of the people on your ship will just want to go ashore to the port area and stroll around or strike out on their own. Over
the years, we’ve discovered some outstanding places, including local restaurants, pubs, craft stores and even beach clubs. While
you can find plenty of ways to spend your money by staying close to the port, we recommend that you day-trippers consider getting
away from the port to find a more authentic experience. |
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Most ports of call, especially when the call is for a day or less, are set up to provide the ship’s passengers with a particular experience.
They accomplish this by making their ports as visitor-friendly as possible. Ports are designed to appeal to a particular comfort-zone
and economic mindset. The experience of Mexico that you get right outside the port in Cozumel is decidedly different than the
experience of Mexico on the other side of the island. |
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Often, just a few miles from the port, you can have a completely different experience. If you travel to Grand Turk, for example,
you can spend a delightful afternoon at the resort-like environment of Margaritaville. The beach is well-maintained, there is a huge
beautiful pool with lots of palm trees and man-made waterfalls, and the steel-drum band will entertain you. A beer will cost you about
$6 and a burger will be about $8. |
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But a short taxi ride to the old downtown area will take you to a much more authentic location. At least for the time being until it
gets discovered by some enterprising condo-developer. You can stroll dusty streets, see skinny dogs shuffling through garbage cans
and have a local beer and piece of fried chicken for about $3.75 at one of the local pubs. Sure, the pub would never pass an American
food inspection and you may have to do without air conditioning. But the experience can be wonderful. In fact, most of the local
people love to tell you about the history of their town or island if you just ask. The inside scoop you gather will totally enhance the
experience. You won’t get that experience staying close to the port. |
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Of course, you want to be safe and you want to be able to get back to your ship before it sales, so keep all that in mind. But, there
is a whole universe of color, sound, smells and people that don’t ever get to the port and it’s worth the trouble to find it. |
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Getting Around |
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Renting Scooters |
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Some visitors like to rent scooters to travel around the island. It’s worth noting that the single biggest injury category of any shore activity for cruise passengers is scooter injuries. One of the reasons for this is that ANYONE can rent a scooter if you’re 18 years or older (and some vendors don’t even check IDs). And we mean ANYONE. And because these are cute little scooters in pretty colors that don’t make much noise, not intimidating motorcycles with chrome pipes and a roaring engine, vacationers somehow discard sound judgment and figure that riding a scooter is not a lot different than riding a motorized bicycle. WRONG! So, unless you have some skills with steering several hundred pounds of throbbing engine with a saddle on it, there is a good chance that something unexpected will come up. (Screech! Bang! Ouch!) |
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A second reason why scooter injuries are prevalent amongst cruise visitors is the driving style of local traffic. It can be a bit aggressive and chaotic. The traffic in some of the downtown areas is more like traffic in New York City than on a peaceful Caribbean island. On the open roads, drivers aren’t exactly hostile towards scooter-ing tourists, but they can be impatient. They expect you to drive the speed limit (which can seem ridiculously fast given the narrow roads), to use the traffic signals and to know where the heck you’re going. Somewhere in the midst of that impatience, the noise, the narrow roads which bring you within inches of vehicles zipping by, and the fact that they sometimes drive on the other side of the road, novice scooter drivers tend to lose their judgment and good sense and then… well, there you have it. Enjoy your vacation. Pass on the scooters. |
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Taxis |
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When you do venture outside the confines of the local market district, you can catch a cab to almost any place on your particular island for about $5.00 per person. When hiring a cab, you may have to wait for the cab to fill up with passengers, which can mean hanging out in the cab for 15-20 minutes. (The $5.00 rate is based on a full cab price of $20 – $40, depending on the number of seats to be filled.) But usually, the wait isn’t a major hassle. Keep in mind, there is a wide range or regulation when it comes to taxis. It’s NOT like taxis in the US. In some areas, pretty much anyone who has a car can become a taxi. Pay attention to the costs you are given and be as specific as necessary to know in advance what a trip will cost you. |
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“Water taxis” are a quaint form of transportation and can be a lot of fun, especially if you just like being on the water, like we do. (The same thing we said about any car can qualify as a taxi is applicable here. Sometimes, anything that floats can qualify as a water taxi). You get a completely different perspective from the water, and it’s a nicer, calmer pace. Like with the cabs, you may have to wait a bit to get moving. The same wait that applies to taxis, applies to water taxis, only sometimes it can be longer, because they hold more people. Also, on occasion, water taxis do breakdown and if that happens you just have to wait for a replacement taxi to arrive or for a local to tow your taxi to a dock. Since you’re on the water, you obviously can’t get out and walk. |
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The local water taxis are semi-famous for the narrative you get from the boat skipper or one of his crew. It’s fairly common to have a local native tell you about the different sites along the water way as you travel to your destination. While this narrative may be an interesting insight or piece of history, it might not be accurate. Over the years, we’ve heard several different stories about this lighthouse at the head of the harbor, or that boarded up building, all of which are cute, but the stories are often just that. Ah well, it’s not really important, is it? It’s charming even if it’s not true. All in all, we prefer the water taxis if they are going where we need to be, but the cabs are usually faster in getting you to your destination. |
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Public Transportation |
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You can also catch a “jitney” (a local bus or van) to take you to popular destinations. These can be really cheap (like only $1 per person, plus a small tip), but you have to deal with the schedule and they drop you off at a pre-scheduled stop rather right at your location (though sometimes these two are the same). The biggest concern for you will be making sure you can get back to the ship in time. |
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| Prescription Sun Glasses |
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Articles we've written about
Cruising In The Caribbean |
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Ten Mistakes When Taking A Cruise - It’s a shame to lay out
$250 - $2,500 on a dreamy
cruise vacation only to encounter unnecessary mishaps and
inconveniences. So, in an effort
to minimize the likelihood of a
bump in the road to your perfect
vacation, here are some common
potholes that can tarnish your
experience.
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Eleven Expert Cruising Tips - Some useful,relevant tips and
ideas, and other neat stuff you
can use to make their cruising
experience better.
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Hooked On Cruising (And I Like It!) - It's official! I have a
condition, a disorder by some
people's assessment. It's called
"Caribbean Obsession Disorder",
and there really is such a thing.
Imagine that!
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