MAHO BEACH WEB CAM

Here is a link to a great webcam situated above the Sunset Bar and Grill on Maho Beach, St. Maarten.  We had a great time watching the planes take off and land.

SUNSET BAR AND GRILL - MAHO BEACH WEBCAM

ST. THOMAS, USVI

This is a GREAT link to information about St. Thomas, USVI.  I really like the videos about the beaches.  Check it out.
ST. THOMAS INFO SITE

TRAVEL TIP #35 THIS COULD BE THE BEST TRAVEL TIP EVER

USE A TRAVEL AGENT!!!!

Years ago if you wanted to book a flight, or a cruise, you had to use a Travel Agent.  That was the ONLY way to do it.  I hate to admit that I am old enough to remember those days.

And then the Internet happened!  Savvy money saving travelers who were also computer smart could use the mysterious world wide web to book direct with the Cruise Line or Airline.  We can cut out the middle man and save hundreds of dollars!!! Right????

Fast forward to the reality of TODAY.  USE A TRAVEL AGENT.   You will pay EXACTLY the same for your flight, or cruise, or hotel stay, as if you booked it online.  So... if it costs the same... if your Travel Agent can't get you a "better deal", then why bother?  The answer is simple: "Why NOT use a Travel Agent."

When you use a Travel Agent you get all the benefits of a full-time EXPERT for FREE!  Say that again, "FREE!!"  Do you not like free?  I like free.  If I can have someone else taking care of phone calls and paperwork, and it doesn't cost me not one cent more, why not take advantage of free? If I can have another set of eyes watching over my trip at no additional cost to me, why not do so?  For absolutely no additional cost, I have someone whose business is "Travel / Vacations" looking after my journey.

Some think that a Travel Agent is good for making recommendations, and they would be correct.  Travel Agents can and will make very beneficial suggestions.  However, I have found that I am most appreciative of not where an Agent might suggest that I go, but rather, where I should NOT go.  Let's be honest; Internet reviews cannot always be relied upon.  "Bonjour."  But... your local Travel Agent??  Here is someone who, if they make a bad recommendation, they have to face you when you get back.  They are accountable to you and it costs you nothing.  Their business depends upon you.  Their future success depends upon you recommending them to your friends.

Your Travel Agent has their finger on the pulse of the Travel Industry.  They will likely be aware of "specials" and "discounts" even before you are.  Even if you are signed up for email alerts, your Agent will be watching as well and can notify you of special deals specific to your needs and desires.

And lastly, and perhaps most importantly... In the event that something goes wrong while you are on your trip, and you need Stateside support, your Travel Agent is prepared and capable of providing you with a ton of information and logistical support.  In an emergency, the help provided by your Agent can be priceless.

All of this is to say that one of your very best opportunities to have a great vacation may very well begin with your local Travel Agent.

TRAVEL TIP #42 SAVE TIME AND MONEY

Two things that every person wanting to Cruise should do:

#1        Sign up for the Cruise Line email alerts.  Also… do this for the airlines.  This is how we got notice of a GREAT price reduction which we used when we booked our upcoming Cruise on the Jewel of the Seas.  I had picked out our Cruise, but the price was too high.  So… as we waited, and researched, and dreamed… one day, Joni gets an email from Royal Caribbean.  We immediately got to work and contacted our Agent.  The Cruise was booked within a few hours.   GET SIGNED UP FOR EMAIL ALERTS.

#2        Sign up for the Cruise Line loyalty programs.  Take advantage of the perks and promotions.  Signing up for loyalty programs can save both time and money.  In some cases, loyalty club members are cued up in shorter lines when waiting to board the ship.  This perk alone is well worth the little bit of time and effort needed to enroll in a loyalty program. These programs cost you nothing and can provide some very real benefits.

ISLAND TRANSPORTATION TIPS

There are several options for ground transportation that someone visiting the Islands might want to take advantage of.  Your choices will largely depend upon your budget. 

You can book a shore excursion through the Cruise Line.  These are highly organized and escorted.  This can be done online weeks before you go on your cruise.  Your Travel Agent can also assist you.  Or… you can wait until you depart on your Cruise, and then simply book your excursion, which will include the necessary ground transportation, at the “Excursion Desk” on the ship.  This is convenient, but it is also  probably the most expensive.  The biggest advantage of joining a excursion offered by the Cruise Line is that the ship will not leave port without you.  If something goes wrong with your ground transportation, the Cruise Line will be aware and will make sure you are safely back on the ship before they depart.

I have done this only a very few times.  Now, however, I get off ship, walk past the lines of pre-paid and escorted groups, and head out on my own spontaneous (albeit, usually researched) adventure.  This provides several options. 

One can rent a van and driver for a full day, which can cost perhaps $350.  This might be a great option if you are traveling with a group of friends or family, and you can all agree on a schedule and places you would like to see.  The advantages to this option are several and obvious.  Here is a link to just such an option on St. Maarten: FULL DAY PRIVATE VAN ON ST. MAARTEN

Or you can create your own adventure.  This will mean completely freelancing your day, your destinations, and your ground transportation.  As crazy as this might sound, it really is not that bad of an idea.  As a matter of fact, this has become my preferred method.

Once you get off the ship you are very likely going to have to walk through a crush of tour operators / guides.  This is where it is important to have a pretty firm idea of where you want to go.  If you’ve done good research, don’t let them sell you something else.  Once, on St. Thomas, USVI, I had to get “very” insistent. “NO!  I DO NOT WANT TO GO TO MAGENS BEACH.  I WANT TO GO TO EMERALD BEACH!”

They warned me, “You’ll get out there and there will be no way to get back.  You might not be able to get back before the ship leaves.”  This of course was NOT true. 

What they should have said was, “There will only be 5 taxis waiting to bring you back, instead of 25.”

What else should you be aware of if you are going to freelance your time on an Island?  You are probably still going to wind up with a group… a group of strangers. 

Usually there are “hawkers” that are offering tours.  Once you agree on a tour and a price, you will be given to a driver.  Your vehicle might be a worn-out ol’ car...  On our first cruise back in '85, Joni and I toured Nassau and New Providence Island in a rusted old Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham.  Your options today will more likely be a minivan, full size passenger van, or any number of types of open-air trucks or trolleys.  It might be an air-conditioned shuttle bus.  So… chances are good that you are going to be a part of a group.  Few tour drivers will be willing to leave without a full vehicle.  This means that once you are shown to a vehicle you may still have to wait for a few minutes for others to join your ad hoc group.

This is where life can get “interesting”.  Your random “group” can be a blessing or a curse.  And… you have no control over the matter.  So, why not take control.  We will assume that you don’t want to pay the “full van” price for your ride.  That leaves you with only one other option.  Spend a little time on your cruise getting to know your fellow cruise mates.  Make some new friends.  With a friendly smile and some pleasant conversation you may very well create your own tour / beach group. If you find someone who happens to be headed to the same beach, you might ask if they want to share a ride.

So… whatever your final choices are concerning how to get around while visiting the Islands, it is a good idea to remain flexible, friendly, and most of all, be determined to have fun.

CARIBBEAN KISSES

Caribbean beaches are kind of like kisses from your lover; they are all wonderful, but some are breathtaking!

Years ago (pre-Internet), doing “beach” research was very slow and difficult.  One had to rely heavily upon a good Travel Agent.  The Internet, however, has changed everything.  Now you can spend a few hours doing your own research online.  You can see pictures.  You can read reviews.  You can watch videos.  But even these tools can fail.  Online reviews are not completely reliable.  Pictures can be cropped and / or enhanced.  Sometimes you have to look for that which the masses of tourists cannot see.  Sometimes you have to follow your instincts.    Sometimes, like that perfect kiss, it takes “feeling”. 

I have been spending some time Googling “beaches” on the islands which we visit on our upcoming cruise.   Up ‘til now I had not been having much success.  I was not “feeling” it.  And then, late this afternoon, I might just have found that perfect kiss.  Soft, unhurried, beautiful, and away from the hoards of cruise ship passengers.

“Where?”, you ask.  On Antigua.  “Valley Church Beach”.  I’ve got a good feeling about this one.   

Reason Number 1:  According to online information, it is typically not recommended by the taxi drivers.  This is good… very good.  Places recommended by taxi drivers are often packed with tourists.  I suspect that taxi drivers get kick-backs from the businesses to bring tourists to their locations.  The result: Recommended beaches will be crowded.  This means that getting beach chairs and an umbrella may be impossible.  Also, big crowds can mean lots of vendors trying to sell you stuff.  This can be a hassle.  “Valley Church Beach” is conveniently located adjacent to the “recommended” Jolly Beach Resort, which should mean that we will get all of the benefits of a beautiful beach harbor without the hassles.  This puts it in the “Win” column.

Number 2: It is about a twenty minute taxi ride from the ship.  Actually this is perfect for a couple of reasons.  It is far enough away that you have time to disconnect from the ship… you can get out of your “ship head” and into your “Ahhhhh… beach… head”.  But it is not so far away that you waste a bunch of time getting to and from.  You should not underestimate how important this can be.  Additionally, it provides an opportunity to “see” the Island.   One more, not to be overlooked benefit, is that it shouldn’t be unreasonably expensive to get there and back. 

This reminds me of another thing… Never mind.  I will put up separate post about “Island Transportation”.

Number 3: It has a beach bar / café.  The important word is “a”, as in one (1).  This is good.  I have access to drinks, perhaps a little bit of food, rest rooms, and maybe a shower to rinse off the salt water.  I don’t need anything more than that.  This is bad because lots of demand and little supply can mean higher prices.  However, my experience has found this not to be a major issue.  I would much rather have to deal with an over priced burger, than to have to put up with a dozen noisy beach bars, loud music, stray volley balls and / or Frisbees.

Indeed, “Valley Church Beach” may very well be a place that we need to visit… a perfect beach kiss.  We shall see.

BACK TO BACK CRUISES...

Back to back cruises one year apart.  I know that is not how it is usually done, but those that know me have learned to expect the unexpected.

Those very smart people that make their living in the Cruise Line industry have figured out ways to maximize their marketing strategies for gaining the best sales advantages.  One of the ways they do this is with careful planning of a particular ship’s itineraries.  For many passengers that travel from all over the world to enjoy all that a Caribbean cruise offers, back to back cruises with different itineraries is a very good option.   Offering such back to back sailing makes perfect sense from a business point of view, as well as from a customer point of view.

As a matter of fact, on our cruise just a few months ago, we visited with a couple from Germany that was doing just that.  It costs them so much in airfare, as long as they are in the Caribbean, they might as well stay for two weeks instead of one. It just makes good vacation-finance sense.  In the same way, we met cruisers from the U.S. who were doing the exact same thing.  If you’ve got the time (and the money), why not sail for two weeks?

Well… that is exactly what Joni and I are going to do.  We are just doing it one year apart!

Today we booked a sailing on the Jewel of the Seas for February of next year.  This time, however, we are sailing on the alternate itinerary, which will again take us to five ports in five days, but none of which were featured on the sailing this past February.  Only one of these ports, St. Thomas, USVI, have we been to previously.  All the others will be new to us.

I am truly looking forward to our return to the Jewel of the Seas.  It is an amazing ship.  There are hundreds of pictures that I didn’t take.  There are dances I didn’t dance.  There are late night strolls with Joni along the ship’s rail that I would love to continue.  This time I might even make it to the Fitness Center. When I walked out of the Windjammer Buffet, there was still food remaining…  So, I need to return and continue eating!

So… let the countdown clock begin.   296 days and counting…