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We have traveled many times and chartered a cat in the BVI, but this will be our first visit to St Vincent and the Grenadines. Staying a few days on Bequia at Bequia Beach, Cat for 6 days through the Grenadines, and last couple days on Granada at Mount Cinnamon. Any ideas on what not to miss? Enjoy light hiking/exploring, beach bars, live music, local flare. Thanks in advance.

Fourth trip happening in March. Have not been there since 2010 but I do notice significant new developments with beach chair rentals as I browse https://www.insandoutsbarbados.com/.

Beside Accra Hotel there is a cluster of refreshment huts and I know that via Patricia we rented chairs.

Don't miss the Mac n Cheese at a Chefette!

The last time we went I actually checked a couple of beach umbrellas and left them behind in our VRBO for the next visitor. We like to take our umbrellas, cooler & blanket and explore. Bottom Bay, Foul Bay, Crane (turn left away from the resort beach), Cattlewash near Bathsheba will all give you unique beach experiences.
From what I have seen online many of these formerly deserted beaches now have some facilities.

Seahawks defense was amazing.

would have been a totally different game if the Niners defense was healthy!!! BUT for sure the NFC west ruled to field this year!! Hawks could go all the way now!!!

wow. What a game to be a Hawks fan. NFC West championship.

Well that brought back memories of some great trips to KW going back half a century. I used to love Alonzo's half-price happy hour and their superb margaritas.
Not sure we could ever do one and done in the afternoon though ...

It looks lovely, but a little above my pay grade, I think.

If you want to have one of the best gastronomic experiences in the world and ready to say goodbye to some hard earned money, check out La Pergola inside the Rome Cavalieri Hilton hotel. I had visited when it was only 2 Michelin stars, it has had 3 for a while but wow, amazing experience. Also one of the nicest Hilton properties.

https://romecavalieri.com/la-pergola/

Ok, thanks. Will look it up.

I misspelled. It’s the Hotel Artemidi.

Yes, we will probably do a tour with him also.

Same might be able to swoosh you around/wait at all the sites.

Thanks for your thoughts. We have a driver reserved for the airport to our hotel in Rome, where we will be for 3 nights, and then the same driver for the trip to the port. We definitely will do a tour in Pompeii.

Getting to the Port

First question, is Princess arranging your hotel and transfer to the port of Civitavecchia? Civitavecchia is an hour train ride from downtown Rome. Probably same by car. Might be more stress-free to bite the bullet and buy that hotel/transfer from Princess. That way you know you arent sitting at the gate to the port wondering how to hoof bags to the pier.

Around Rome

I remember you mentioning some difficulty getting down plane stairs at SXM. If you have difficulty walking, I’d suggest tours and cabs.

They have unlimited subway/bus passes, but it’s a fair amount of walking to most things. If you do want that, I would get a hotel near Rome’s main train station Termini which has subway, buses and trains to Termini and FCO airport.

There is an express train from FCO airport to Termini called the “Leonardo Express”. I found it easy to find in 2018.

Nothing fancy, but I have stayed at “Best Western Art Deco” twice. Clean, Serviceable and near the station but last time was 2018. The hotel recommended above is probably a lot nicer.

You already know the usual sights Vatican, Colisseum. I would ensure you see Pantheon. Beautiful building.

Lesser known, Capuchin Friar Crypts near Barberini Subway stop.
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/tms/boning-up-on-europe

The catacombs I saw were way out in the burbs. They conduct a few tours each day. You can ride a city bus, I dont remeber a bad walk. There are steps in the catacombs but not like subway or jet stairs that I recall. They would be last on my list of things to do in Rome if I return.


Pompeii. That port is Naples. Either a bus or hour train down to the site. Get a tour guide. You can walk all the cobble stone but its is impossible to look at a piece of paper and no is that the brothel or the bakery. Sorrento is nearby. I would do a ship tour to Pompeii with lunch in Sorrento. Capri hard to squeeze into one day but an alternative to Pompeii. If they have a ship tour that does all three, then doable.

Turkey. Probably Kusadasi. This is the port to visit Ephesus which used to be a seaport but was silted over and is now inland. Out of all the rocks/rubble of the Mediterranean, Ephesus is the most impressive IMO. A tour will drop you off to the UNESCO archeological sight and pick you up at the end where you can buy a genuine fake Rolex or Turkish rug.

St John lived near Ephesus and the right tour can show you the Church and can take you to the site of where Mary is believed to live out her days away from the town crowds of 250,000 back then. Ephesus was both Greek and Roman at some point.


Lot of shops in Kusadasi and places to get another fake breitling watch, carpet or local fare. would get a Doner Kabob before getting on the ship.

Rick--thanks! Sending you a pm with my email.

We are going into Rome 3 days early to see Rome and then will fly directly home when we leave the ship. We are going to Santorini, yes. Going to the port for Olympia and Pompeii. Also someplace in Turkey, I think? We have a lot of research to do before then.

Our TA has given us the contact info for a cabbie to pick us up at the airport and get to the hotel and then to the cruise ship. TA has a hotel on hold for us, can't remember the name now, but will definitely appreciate any additional tips.

We took a cruise in 2019 for our 35th Anniversity. I booked two nights at the Hotel Artemedis near the train station in Rome and it was amazing! The area is like the Mag Mile in Chicago and has a rooftop five star restaurant overlooking the city.

I booked it all myself and the hotel arranged a limo to pick us up at the DaVinci Airport and then took us to the port for our cruise two days later.

I also booked a tour guide a friend had used and she escorted us thru the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican! She got us to the head of the LONG line and really explained everything we would see.

The area around the hotel has shops and very nice Italian dining👍

After our cruise we stayed two more nights at the same hotel. We’d do it again in a heartbeat👍🍷

Message me with your e-mail and I’ll gladly share the contact info I still have. Hopefully one of your stops will be Santorini where I booked a private tour that was incredible. 👍

We just booked a cruise on Princess in the Eastern Med for next May, from Rome. We will go in three days early and see Rome before. We've never been there, so grateful for any info folks can give.

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Observations

Options from 3 islets to st pierre

Theres a big bus which is direct from FDF to St Pierre. A quick navette at any of the three docks and you are on your way. The bus stop is near Copacabana resto/bar. Or

Join Kata Mamba for a one way trip to St Pierre. I dont know if the reverse option exists. The catamaran departs at 8am at Point de Bout marina. Stop in their shop for details. Or

Taxis are $60 hr to tour departing from FDF.


Sim card

They have kiosks to buy a sim card in St Pierre grocery store. Its 9.99e for 150gb/mth. No contract. You need your IBAN at the kiosk. A sim card dispenser is a novel idea. PS the usual passport # is not an option.

Fresh fish in 3 islets

If you walk the beach from le kato resto towards Point du Bout, youll find a fisher cleaning his fish near yellow and white cas. Its $15e/kilo for tuna n marlin these days. Not sure if only frozen or catch of the day too.

Vanilla and spices in 3 islets

There a great local spices, vanilla pods, perfumes, etc shop at the roundabout heading away from creole village (not the 3 usual exists, the exit to the back of the busy area. Its only 30 feet or so up the road)

Thats all the random thoughts I have for now.


Au plaisir
Cc

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