Scuba Cruise Itinerary
This eight night cruise, aboard the Carnival Miracle will depart from Fort Lauderdale on Friday, November 23, 2007 (the day after Thanksgiving) and calls on three ports in the Southern Caribbean; St. Maarten, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts. Three ports of call and an an eight night cruise- that means plenty of time to kick back, do nothing or enjoy the many shipboard activities, whatever is to your liking.
We have personally spent time in St. Maarten and St. Lucia. St. Maarten is renowned for it's beautiful beaches and great shopping. St Lucia is an awesomely beautiful island. The rugged volcanic shoreline and tropical vegetation is beyond compare in all of the Caribbean. We have never visited St. Kitts, which means I will be doing my research in preparation for a new adventure.
A dive package has been coordinated in each port of call for any certified scuba divers in the group who are interested. The islands of St. Lucia and St. Kitts, in particular, are two of the lesser known diving gems of the Caribbean.
We will be arriving in our first port of call, St. Maarten after two days at sea. The ship will dock around 8am, allowing for a full day of fun. We will set sail for St. Lucia at 5pm. The next day we pull into port at Castries, St. Lucia at 9am. Again, we will call it a day around 5pm. Our last port of call will be St. Kitts, where I believe we will have to tender in around 8am. Our day will be a little shorter here, as we are scheduled to depart at 4pm. We will have two more days at sea before returning to Fort Lauderdale.
All double occupancy cabins will receive $100 in shipboard credit ($50 for singles), a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries at embarkation and a complementary group party with free cocktails mid-cruise. You can book any non-suite double occupancy stateroom for $25pp. Please note that this deposit is schedule to go up by Mid-March 2007, so if you think you might want to go, please book ASAP! Final payment comes due on September 9, 2007 – plenty of time to budget for this cruise vacation!!
St. Kitts
Please check out the St. Kitts Tourism Website for facts, videos and a lot of information concerning the island. There is an excellent dive video here.
You can take a ferry to Nevis while in St. Kitts for about $4. Before doing so please verify the ferry schedule on the island before doing so.
This Useful Facts Sheet on St. Kitts has general island information.
St. Lucia
St. Lucia's Official Website is worth checking out for general information.
Interactive Tour of St. Lucia
The area in and around the 18th-century city of Soufriere is one of the loveliest parts of the island. Located in the shadow of the Pitons, Soufriere was once the capital of St. Lucia back when it was a French colony, and today its colorful buildings with gingerbread trim still hold plenty of historic charm. This is home to the Soufriere Drive-In Volcano, where you can get up close and personal with a collection of multicolored sulfur pools -- an extraordinary sight, but be prepared for the stench! A more fragrant option near Soufriere is the Diamond Botanical Gardens & Waterfall (
758-459-7565
), where you can stroll through acres of lush flowering plants and trees and even go swimming in one of the mineral baths near Diamond Waterfall. Originally built by King Louis XVI of France, the estate is now owned by the descendants of its 18th-century owners. Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sundays and holidays 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. One of those much-hyped (but still fascinating) attractions is the Pitons. These twin mountains, whose peaks rise right out of the ocean for almost a half-mile, are on the island's southwest coast. If you're really ambitious (and have an extra-long day in port), it's possible to hike up Gros Piton; be warned that it's a challenging and time-consuming climb, and you'll need both a guide and permission from the St. Lucia Forest & Lands Department. For most travelers, the best way to see the peaks is from the water; most cruise lines offer boat excursions that sail along the coast. They are also visible as you drive in and around Soufriere. Fun for both children and adults is a visit to Pigeon Island, at the very northwest tip of St. Lucia. Once home to a group of Carib Indians and later a pirate hideout, today the island is part of the St. Lucia National Trust, with beaches, a restaurant, and the historic remains of the barracks and garrisons where the French and English once fought for control of St. Lucia. Learn all the compelling history of the island at the Museum and Interpretive Centre, housed in the former British officers' mess building, which has been restored to the way it looked in 1808. Don't miss a hike up to the hilltop ruins of Fort Rodney for sweeping views of the sea and the mainland. Daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Vendors have gathered for more than 100 years at the Castries Market and adjacent Craft Market to hawk fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, and local crafts. Baskets, wood carvings, pottery and hand-screened clothing are all excellent buys. Monday - Saturday 6 a.m. - 5 p.m. Go duty-free shopping at Pointe Seraphine, a harborfront shopping complex in Castries offering imports like designer perfumes, crystal and china, as well as wood carvings and other local handicrafts. The island's finest silk-screened fabrics and clothing are offered at Bagshaws Studio and Shop, located two miles from Castries. Most stores in Castries are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with a break for lunch, and from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Those interested in snorkeling should head to Anse Chastanet or Anse Cochon to explore spectacular reefs, colorful marine life and -- at Anse Cochon -- an old sunken ship.
Try your hand at deep-sea fishing. Mako Watersports (798-452-0412) motors the "Annie Baby" out of Rodney Bay Marina, welcoming both neophytes and experienced fishermen. Reservations are highly recommended. Half- and full-day tours are available. Take a horseback countryside tour and enjoy a picnic on the beach in Gros Islet. You can even go for a swim with your horse. Call the International Riding Stables at 758-452-8139. Golfers should check out the St. Lucia Golf & Country Club, an 18-hole course open to the general public. There's a well-stocked bar and pro shop. Temporary membership, golfing equipment and lessons by the resident pro are available. Want to see the island from a different perspective? St. Lucia Helicopters (758-453-6950) offers 10- to 30-minute aerial tours (you can fly over the north or south parts of the island, or choose both), complete with commentary on the island's history, rain forests, indigenous species and more.Beaches
Best Beach for a Half-Day Visit: Choc Beach is just a 20-minute taxi ride from Castries, and offers a lovely stretch of white sand.
Best Beach for Active Types: The white-sand beaches at Pigeon Island have all sorts of amenities, including a restaurant, historical museum and water sports.
Best Scenic Beach: Anse des Pitons is nestled between St. Lucia's famous twin peaks and is a good place for snorkeling or diving. (Fun Fact: This beach was initially made of volcanic black sand, but the white sand that you see today has been imported to "improve" its appearance.)
St. Maarten
If you have enough time in port and don't mind renting a car and exploring independently, take a short drive up the coast to Grand Case for some fine cuisine. Once a fishing village, it is now more of an attraction to those who enjoy eating fish more than catching them. At the far end of town, you can get beach privileges at Grand Case Beach Club, and, if a casual lunch on the beach is more appealing than a fancy sit-down repast, try out one of the lolos: little kiosks that serve barbecue and local seafood. For a more elaborate meal, Grand Case has a short main street where all 27 of the town's excellent restaurants can be found. In Marigot proper, you can get day privileges at Hotel Beach Plaza (Baie de Marigot, 97150, 590-87-87-00). Contact them before leaving the states). The hotel has a freshwater pool, bar and restaurant, not to mention the only beach within walking distance to both downtown Marigot and Marina Royale. Market day in Marigot on Wednesdays and Saturdays (there is a crafts market every day) at the harbor, as well as a Caribbean food fest where West Indian women in batik dresses and big straw hats sell spices, fruit and other produce and fishermen scale their catches (mostly red snapper) using a broomstick lined with beer bottle caps. Tour the Butterfly Farm (Rte. de Le Galion). Not only are there literally hundreds of species of butterflies -- and a narrated tour to explain them -- but the landscaping is as dramatic and photogenic as it gets. Pose your family for pictures in front of waterfalls and forest grottos. Take the ferry to Anguilla (the 20-minute ride costs $10 each way and leaves -- remember you are on island time -- roughly every hour on the half hour; check at the Marigot dock). Once there, taxi to Anguilla's famous Shoal Bay. For a quieter -- but no less gorgeous beach alternative -- head for Shoal Bay West and ask the driver to drop you at Trattoria Tramonte, a fabulous beachfront Italian restaurant where lounge chairs are free for lunch guests. Musee de Saint-Martin in Marigot (Terres-Basses Rd., 590-29-48-36, Admission: $5), includes displays of the history and culture of the island going back 1,500 years. For those wanting a gander at -- and perhaps a purchase of -- quality Caribbean art, there's Galerie Lynn (83 Blvd. de Grand Case, 590-87-77-24), Gingerbread Galerie (for Haitian art, Marina Royale, 590-87-73-21). This is pretty nuts and bolts. Can't see how it can really be paraphrased any differently. For those who have had their fill of tropical marine ecology, Loterie Farm, near Friar's Bay (Rte de Pic du Paradis, 590-87-86-16, Admission: $5) is an eco-preserve balancing the scales with the same sort of emphasis on Caribbean forests and mountains. Though cruise ships offer zipline tours here (see below), there is much for the independent explorer, including horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, ecotours -- even meditation and yoga.
Beaches
Best Secluded Beach: Baie Longue is gorgeous and quiet and fronts the ultra-chic La Samanna Hotel.
Unique Beach: French Cul de Sac. This little gem on the east (Atlantic) coast of St. Martin, is just perfect for a couple looking for a romantic getaway, or a family looking for a kid-friendly beach experience. Here, only about a mile or so north of Orient Beach is the location of the mayor of St. Martin's mansion on a hillside above a delightful little beach. You can stay on the beach here or choose to hike the hillside trails. But the real draw here is Ilet Pinel, an uninhabited tiny island (some cruise lines offer a shore excursion here). There are regular shuttle boats making the five-minute crossing throughout the day. You can kick back on the beach, enjoy snorkeling on the near-shore reefs on either end of the island, and enjoy lunch in one of the island's two restaurants. Better yet, get your food to go and take it out on the beach for an impromptu picnic.
Lunching
There are many fine choices in Marigot, but Grand Case, a scant five miles or so north has 27 fine restaurants packed in a one-mile stretch, earning it the sobriquet "restaurant capital of the Caribbean."
Casual, in-town joints: In Marigot, with lovely views of Marigot harbor, l'Oiseau Rare (formerly La Maison sur La Port) serves excellent French bistro cuisine in an open veranda setting surrounding a fountain, specializing in seafood and lighter fare. Le Mini Club (aka Claude Mini-Club) has been serving French and Creole cuisine since the 1970's in a seaside treehouse ambiance. (Palm trees grow right through the two stories of the restaurant, and out through the roof). The must-order here is vivaneau (red snapper) with sauce Creole.
In Marina Royale: The spot on our A-List here is Tropicana, which keeps us coming back with huge salad creations; our favorite is the pergordine (duck breast, sauteed potatoes and brie baked in puff pastry). But there are plenty of other choices, including the excellent Au Bouchon. In Grand Case, check out its "Lo Lo's." These shack-like places cook up great (and reasonably priced) grilled fish and jerk chicken.
Gourmet Lunching: Le Tastevin (86 bd. de Grand Case, Grand Case) for classic French fare with a great ocean view. The Restaurant at La Samanna (Baie Longue, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.), St. Martin's most upscale hotel.
Shore Excursions
For Active Families: Mountain Bike Adventure out of Marigot. Though an off-road bicycle tour might seem to be as physically demanding as shore excursions get, a good deal of the route is downhill coasting along St.Martin's picturesque seacoast. The ride finishes at Friar's Bay Beach, where there's time for a complimentary beverage and swim. This excursion is appropriate for moderately active families including children over the age of 11.
Full Island Tour: For those who like a bit of adventure, but without much physical exertion, there are four-wheel drive excursions which cover the whole island from Phillipsburg to Marigot via off-road and less-traveled routes. Carnival's offering, called the "Mild and Wild Pinzagauer Tour," travels by large, military-style jeep-type vehicles, and includes both Marigot and Grand Case, with ample beach time included. Though not dangerous or too adventurous, the ride is rough enough that those with back problems and children under 12 are excluded.
For Adventure Seekers: Lotterie Farm Treetop Adventure Tour is a zipline canopy tour similar to those developed in Costa Rica, and rewards those able to handle a fair amount of physical exertion (and are over 48 inches in height), with exhilarating glides from treetop to treetop.
And for those who like their two-wheel travel with a bit of vroom, "Harley in Paradise" gives would-be Easy Riders a chance to see both St. Martin and St. Maarten from Mullet Bay to Marigot, and from Grand Case to Orient Beach on either a Fat
