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Probably the biggest thing I didn't like was being on the more touristy islands when the ship comes in. St. Thomas looks pretty much like every other cruise port I have seen and is crazy crowded. I preferred being on the islands where cruise ships don't come in like St. John, Peter Island, etc.
There is some really good snorkleing from those islands, that is probably my favorite thing to do while there.
There's not a whole lot that I didn't like. For the most part, I loved the varying cultures, architectures, history, weather, and scenery. St. Croix was more personal since I was visiting family that was there. They do have issues with crime, and there's a big gap between the white expat retirees/snowbirds and the locals. In Nevis I just loved the people. Everyone was very friendly and easily remembered you. Within a few days we had "friends" stopping in the street to say hello. As for Curacao, the mix of cultures and languages there was amazing. I think I remember hearing 5 languages while I was there (English, Spanish, Dutch, Papiamento, and Portuguese).
I suppose my biggest dislike is how long it can take to get to the islands, especially if they're small and don't have direct flights. But that's the price you pay to go out of the way, I guess!
I hate to say what I don't like, because our standard of living is so far above what many residents of the islands can ever hope for, BUT:
I hate constantly being approached by beach vendors.
I hate the poor condition of the "transfer vehicles' from airport to resorts.
I hate the roads these transfer vehicles have to take. In St Lucia, the taxi trip was so harrowing we opted to helicopter back to the airport. The roads have loads of hairpin turns, and no guardrails in many areas.
I dislike dealing with some locals. We like to get out and eat, shop, etc. We are friendly, and tip well. Outside some of the resorts, however, it still seems as though tourists are resented.
None of this will stop us returning however. The beaches are beautiful, and I hate being on a plane for more than 4 hours at a time. That rules out Hawaii, so Carribbean it is.
One of my biggest concerns when traveling, besides expected weather, is the noise factor. I ran a thread on Puerto Rico asking for info on how noisey PR is, and from the responses I received, I canceled the idea of going there, just based on the noise factor.
I don't know about the other smaller islands, but that would be my overriding concern. I like it quiet and peaceful, no car alarms going off day and night, roosters waking me up at 5AM from a nearby houses, loud music anywhere, be it played in the buses, cars or neighborhoods nearby, or loud disco bars near or inside the hotels.
From all my travels in Latin America, the noise levels have been the most disturbing to me. Perhaps the smaller islands is the answers to my prayers for absolute peace and quiet.
Probably the biggest thing I didn't like was being on the more touristy islands when the ship comes in. St. Thomas looks pretty much like every other cruise port I have seen and is crazy crowded. I preferred being on the islands where cruise ships don't come in like St. John, Peter Island, etc.
There is some really good snorkleing from those islands, that is probably my favorite thing to do while there.
I agree.
Mostly, I prefer the British Virgin Islands to the US Virgin Islands.
Didn't much care for the Bahamas, too touristy, but I have been told there are places you can go there that are much quieter, and more peaceful.
I enjoyed the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, but that was 27 years ago on our honeymoon. No doubt there have been changes since then!
One of my biggest concerns when traveling, besides expected weather, is the noise factor. I ran a thread on Puerto Rico asking for info on how noisey PR is, and from the responses I received, I canceled the idea of going there, just based on the noise factor.
I don't know about the other smaller islands, but that would be my overriding concern. I like it quiet and peaceful, no car alarms going off day and night, roosters waking me up at 5AM from a nearby houses, loud music anywhere, be it played in the buses, cars or neighborhoods nearby, or loud disco bars near or inside the hotels.
From all my travels in Latin America, the noise levels have been the most disturbing to me. Perhaps the smaller islands is the answers to my prayers for absolute peace and quiet.
Thanks I totally agree. St Martin was pretty good in that way.
Re whoever said about the bad roads and the vendors hitting you up on the beach/etc, I get the impression most if not all of the islands are like that. Ditto with most of the locals being poor and at times resentful (although with a notable exception or 2 I didn't get that at St M).
I went there for work (we were having a conference there) so I didn't get to do much exploring. But, I will say that the mixture of language and cultures is exemplary. The people were friendly and outgoing, and if you took the time to ask questions about anything on the island (architecture, history, even directions!) folks were willing to provide the information requested. I would love to go back there on vacation some day.
I went there for work (we were having a conference there) so I didn't get to do much exploring. But, I will say that the mixture of language and cultures is exemplary. The people were friendly and outgoing, and if you took the time to ask questions about anything on the island (architecture, history, even directions!) folks were willing to provide the information requested. I would love to go back there on vacation some day.
It's amazing...just amazing. I haven't been there in 13 years (I was 11), but I still have vivid memories and can't wait to go back. The island's terrain was also not at all what I expected. I'm used to more tropical and green islands, where as Curacao is more desert-like. At Boca Tabla I felt like I was at the ends of the Earth!
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