Celebrity Caribbean Cruise - St. Martin - ATVs & Le Galion

Day 9 – St. Martin

We had been there before many times and usually ended up going to a beach because that’s all Victor wanted to do. So this time we had plannned something different. Based on recommendations from the Cruise Critic boards I had pre-reserved 2 ATVs from Mr Ate (a charming Hong Kong transplant that has a fleet of clean and safe ATVs and bikes) and when we got there they had them ready and in great shape including helmets. Mt Ate is a bit hard to reach over email but once you get off the ship you can walk over the rental car counters and ask for him and they will drive you to his location about 10 min from the port). 

His partner gave us a map and directions where to go and they even gave Victor a little kite to fly on the beach. They drew a route for us to circle the island, starting at Marigot (the French part) and then ending at a secluded little beach. However, we decided to go a beach first so Victor can run around a bit and finish the rest of the tour afterwards. Well, we rode for about 30 minutes through local neighborhoods and ended up in La Galion beach and what an awesome beach that was.

 It is part of a nature reserve so you can see many fish coming pretty much to the edge of the water.  There is also a small wooden platform in the middle of the water that you can swim to. Nice beach bar, super calm shallow water for miles. You can rent kayaks and paddle boards and the water was crystal clear. Le Galion is highly recommended for everyone with kids and those who want to avoid the crowds on some of the larger beaches. 

We loved the beach so much that we decided to stay there longer than planned and have lunch there and then we did a short version of the island tour skipping Marigot (a bit far from the port) and just driving around along the beach and through some of the local neighborhoods. ATVs are a great way to discover St Martin, even though it is a relatively large island compared to some of the other Caribbean ports and there are some large high-traffic roads (not in a New York traffic sense but for an island). Still, we felt comfortable riding and ATVs are easy to park wherever you see something that you want to explore. 

The whole island tour takes about 2.5 hours but if you just want to circle around some local areas, you can probably do it in an hour or so. Victor loved riding in front of my husband and seeing all the sights up close vs from the window of a car. Yes, they are not suitable for very small children for I'd say the roads are nice enough that kids 5+ should be OK to ride with a parent.

This was our last port and then we had 3 sea days ahead of s before getting back to reality. But we were actually looking forward to the sea days and exploring more of the amazing Silhouette.

Caribbean Cruise - St. Lucia & Antigua - SkyRide Aerial Tram, Reduit & Jolly Rogers Beach

Day 7 - Antigua

I had done a lot of research on Antigua before we left and knew it was an island of many beaches so we figured out we’d just spend the day lounging on a beautiful beach.  A lot of people recommended Valley Church beach so we decided to try it out. Cabs at the port are abundant though each cab driver insists they know the best beach only because they are getting kick-backs from the people who rent chairs at that particular beach. 

Valley Church looked gorgeous at first - azure blue water, mountain views and not a ton of people. The water was warm and flat. However, most of the beach is covered in shells and very rough sand (good for shell collectors but not good for bare feet) and the water creates very large strong waves right at the point where you go in because of the very steep incline. It was dangerous to leave Victor to splash in the water by himself so we decided to look for another calmer beach. 

We found a driver who told us he would take us to a much better beach which turned out to be on the same bay, but 5 min away, Jolly Rogers Beach. It was in essence the same beach but with somewhat less shells. Same steep incline in the water though so, again, we stayed for a bit but had to constantly watch Victor so we did not stay long. I would not recommend these two beaches for families with small kids because of this incline but for older kids it would be no problem and the water is truly beautiful.

On the way back to the ship yet another driver told us if we wanted calm waters we should have gone to the opposite side of the island but at that point we had spent a lot of money and a lot of time moving from place to place so we were just happy to go back on the ship. 

Day 8 – St. Lucia

This was our first time on the island and after a lot of research I had pre-booked tickets to the Aerial Tram Skyride which I felt was an exciting yet laid back option for our group. The ship has tours to the tram that cost quite a lot of money so we booked tickets directly on their web site and hired a car for the day which was cheaper than taking taxis back and forth. I was surprised that the drivers did not want to negotiate the price like we have done in most other places. It appears that there is somewhat of a "mafia" in St. Lucia and only one company is allowed to offer rides from the port. They keep their prices fixed because there is no competition. You are also told to pay in advance for the whole day so there is really no incentive for the driver.

The ride to the Skyride is about 45 minutes from the port and the taxi took us through some of the residential areas to give s a feel of the island. It is very colorful and we noticed all the houses were on stilts (raised from the ground) which was odd. It is also a large island and if you only have one day you really have to pick what you want to do – we initially wanted to do the volcano hike and the tram but it would have been impossible with all the driving in between.

The tram ride was nice though we did not see anything interesting but the trees. No animals, no birds, it was a ride through a forest pretty much. 

They told us that because of the zip line, which goes right below the tram, all the monkeys and birds have moved away from this area as they are scared of the noise.  It was exciting to be so high up and see the huge tree canopies beneath you but if you are afraid or heights do not go -- going up was fine for me but coming down I had a few moments of panic. 

The ride is longish (over 1 hour) and towards the end of it Victor got bored  and wanted to go on the zip line which we kept seeing below us from the gondola. It actually seemed like an OK zip line and not too fast and we saw some little kids going on it so maybe next time. 

One of the most fascinating things we saw was actually a little botanical garden at the bottom of the tram ride where we saw these beauties

After the Aerial Tram we asked the driver to take us to a calm beach for the rest of the afternoon and he took us to Reduit Beach. It was an OK beach with turquoise blue waters and green lush mountains in the distance. However, the sand was quite rough and full of shells so, while OK for kids 4+ I would not recommend for very little ones.

 I think next time we’ll hike the volcano though the aerial tram is a good option if you have kids too young for some of the more intensive adventures that St. Lucia offers.

Celebrity Cruise - St. Thomas & St. Kitts with Kids - Rainforest Tour, South Fryer Beach, Butterfly Farm

Day 5 – St. Thomas

We had been to St. Thomas many times before and we had done much of what there was to do so we contemplated staying on the ship but at the end decided to take a tour of the island and visit the Butterfly Farm. In the past we had usually left Victor with in-laws onboard or just taken him to a beach but he was now ready to explore with us. We booked a 4-hour tour of the island in an air-conditioned van (most tours there are done in the open-air trucks that I prefer but it was a very hot day). We had previously docked in the new port a bit outside of town but this time we were docked right in downtown, very close to the stores and the gondola ride up the hill.

After we left the port we drove up on the narrow, winding roads (somewhat scary actually because you barely avoid the other cars coming down the road) up to the highest point on the island which is a great overlook point and the home of the best Daiquiri. On the way we stopped and “Nelson’s Chair” (not much left except a view) and a couple of other spots for photo ops and when we got to the top we were left to wander for about 30 minutes. 

There is a big souvenir store at the top and a huge terrace from which you can see the blue water and the other nearby islands. Then, we were taken back to downtown while the driver gave us a bit of history of the island. There is definitely a lot of poverty on St. Thomas and a lot of houses that have suffered hurricane damage and were never fixed. But at the same time there are a lot of pretty colorful buildings and the downtown area is buzzing with activity. I am not one to shop for diamonds or perfumes but there is a whole street with such vendors for those you wanted to buy duty-free. I’m not really convinced you get a better deal and I’ve discovered that most times alcohol is actually cheaper onboard but I guess it’s the excitement of bargaining that brings a lot of cruise passengers to the stores.

After the tour we visited the Butterfly Farm which was right across the street from the ship. While the farm is not the largest in the Caribbean and none of the butterflies are native to the island it was still a unique experience. Victor loved smearing his hands with banana juice and having the butterflies land on his hands. 

There is actually a pretty amazing parrot show while you wait where the birds do some amazing things – ride roller-skates, talk and ride bikes. This was definitely a highlight of the trip for the kids.

In the afternoon we decided to try Emerald Bay beach and just relax. We had previously been to Coki Beach (nice clean beach but a bit out of the way) and Megan’s Bay (to me it was a bit overrated and there was only one restaurant on the entire beach). Emerald Bay was OK and there were some facilities but I have to be honest that I do not think that St. Thomas has the best beaches in the Caribbean.

I think you just have to discover ones that work for your family so we will keep trying. But so far the beaches that we have been to have been very quiet, no umbrellas or chairs and few restaurants. So if you are looking for an “authentic” unexplored beaches you may love it but I like my beaches a bit more active.

Day 6 – St. Kitts

This was our first time there and boy, do we want to return for more!

 I had booked a private rainforest tour through Poinciana Tours and David, the owner, was amazing! We were his only clients that day and although the ship has booked him to take care of a large group on a ship tour, he assigned one of his helpers, Tristan, to work with just the 4 of us so we get an amazing private treatment. We saw so much more than the poor folks on the ship tour which were in a group of 50 or so.

David picked us p from the port and drove us to a place near his house which is just down the street from the famous Batic Factory. Even is you have no interest in Batic this place has such amazing grounds and such lush landscaping that it is a must-see. While we were there we had a taste of the rainforest climate when the sky opened up and poured down on us for about 15 minutes followed by the most amazing rainbow.

From the Batic Factory, Tristan took us on a great tour of the rainforest. He had grown in this area and knew everything and truly gave us a picture of life on the island. He also pointed a lot of plants that the locals use as medicine. Victor was most fascinated by a large plant that would hide its leaves if you touch them – that was like a magic in his eyes, as well as the natural leaf “tattoo” that Tristan painted on his hand. 

We saw huge drum trees, crossed creeks and  were able to swing on a vine several times (yes, I am no Tarzan and almost dropped myself in an attempt to look gracious) but at the end it was an unforgettable experience. Victor did amazingly well and did not complain once from the walking. After the hike we were taken to David’s front yard and served local fruit (bananas, coconut, mango) as well as home-made banana bread.

We had arranged for David to take us to a beach for the afternoon and he took us to the best beach on this whole cruise -- South Fryers Bay. Situated right where the Pacific meets the Caribbean sea, it is not a large beach but was just perfect.

 Lovely, silky smooth black sand, super calm water and the best fish tacos. There is also a wooden platform tied in the middle of the water so we all swam there and laid out in the sun for a bit. We truly did not want to leave and promised ourselves we will be back soon.