Best Ports/Itinerary That Excursions Are Not Needed?

[HairyChest]

I don’t want to pay anymore money for excursions and I just want to get off the ship and see some beautiful sights right there (like castaway cay). What itinerarys and ports with a Disney cruise are your favorites for that? Im looking at western carribean , eastern Caribbean (st thomas vs puerto rico) and more.

Regarding the Disney Treasure, I can save $1000 going western carribean Vs eastern. If im not going to do any excursions, is there a reason to pick a certain itinerary over the other? Not just because its all about enjoying the ship (in that case I would just pick the cheapest itinerary) but are all those carribean ports like Nassau where it just sucks and is just some souvenir shops and dirty pee smelling streets?

 

[Mommb]

San Juan in Puerto Rico has attractions to see without an excursion. On our Fantasy Eastern Caribbean cruise a year ago, my family walked from the port to Castillo de San Cristobal, considered the largest fortress built by Spain in the Americas.

Unfortunately, the other stop on our cruise was Tortola, where we wandered around a little but didn’t see much.

I had a similar experience of walking around for just a little while in Cozumel on a Western Caribbean cruise many years ago. Georgetown has many beaches, but I don’t know if they are within walking distance since we did a submersible excursion there. I have not been to Falmouth (our cruise stopped in Key West, which is no longer on DCL itineraries, or at least not for the newer ships).

 

[Flcruising]

You could consider a cruise that stops at CC twice instead of one more island.
I agree many of the ports are very similar with some of the same companies running the stores on different islands.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

I would try for a double dip-two stops at Castaway. No excursions needed.

 

[auntlynne]

Or consider one of the upcoming cruises that include Castaway Cay and Lighthouse Point.

 

[ScooterScott44]

To answer the question of what ports are walkable and don’t really require an excursion, the top of my list is Curaçao. Puerto Rico probably has the next most things to do that are walkable. St. Thomas and St. Martin can also be done but require a short transfer to the main area and Nassau (as much as people hate it) has some walkable options.

The fort in San Juan would probably the best walkable attraction but there is a reason I pick Willemstad as my favorite. There are quite a few sites that are an easy walk like the floating bridge.
And the downtown area is nice with the building that has the cannonball still stuck in the side of the wall for a bit of history.



There is the old fort that is converted to a shopping and dining area.
Also a casino and street vendor area that seems more relaxed than some of the other ports. There is a place to get a passport stamp (if you want) at the end of the street by the bridge. With so much in a small area and most of it is free that port takes top spot.

 

[auntlynne]

Are you saying truly free - just walk around and enjoy without even transportation?

Best Eastern/Western port is definitely San Juan for that (in addition to being a great place to visit overall). I did not pay to go in the forts and just enjoyed walking around Old San Juan, taking in the architecture.

This port does not scream “cruise port!”

If you are going Southern, definitely Curacao as the hands’ down destination. More beautiful architecture and a mainly flat walk. (San Juan is built on a significant slope).

In St Thomas, they have improved the road and sidewalk from Havensight (where you dock) to downtown Charlotte Amalie. The walk is along the harbour. Once there, the shops are in very old stone buildings (used to be warehouses) with alleys/ lanes between them. Lots of shopping, not all cheap souvenir shops; lots ofjewelry and clothing sold in this port. The big tourist draw for St Thomas are the beaches, but that would require a taxi ride.

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

Or consider one of the upcoming cruises that include Castaway Cay and Lighthouse Point.

Definitely support this option. Well, as far as CC is involved since I haven’t been to LP, but I do imagine it will be very similar.

 

[auntlynne]

Definitely support this option. Well, as far as CC is involved since I haven’t been to LP, but I do imagine it will be very similar.

We are all waiting for initial photos, aren’t we?

I am expecting a cruise to both to bring some variety, as the current look of Lighthouse Point is different than CC. Less foliage, more shoreline. We managed to snag a cabin that does a double dip at CC and a stop at LP (and I think Nassau). So no excursions needed for that cruise.

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

We are all waiting for initial photos, aren’t we?

I am expecting a cruise to both to bring some variety, as the current look of Lighthouse Point is different than CC. Less foliage, more shoreline. We managed to snag a cabin that does a double dip at CC and a stop at LP (and I think Nassau). So no excursions needed for that cruise.

What a score!!

And we all know CC excursions are shifty anyway. Parasailing am I right?? lol.

 

[auntlynne]

I would pay the extra and do the Eastern to Tortola and San Juan. San Juan, for reasons stated above, and Tortola for the beauty of the Virgin Islands with its many mountainous islands. Tortola‘s port seems less third-world Caribbean than some places.

Falmouth - I did not leave the fenced-in port.
Georgetown - tender port. You can see the town of Georgetown from the ship. Flat island.
Cozumel - you can walk to the tourist shopping and restaurant/bar area. Flat island.
St Maarten - definitely tourist shops at the port.

My take is that the best of the Caribbean are the beaches, which mainly require getting away from the port. But I get your plan.