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Keep you wits about you and your head on a swivel and your dinghy locked as crime on some of the islands is out of control. That said the seas, beaches and islands are very beautiful.
My favorite island it the area is Bequia. Drink at the Whaleboner bar, drinks and service are not very good but where else can you drink from a whale rib bar while sitting on whale vertebra barstools? Walk the waterfront and dine at the Plantation Hotel.
Don't miss a stop in Mustique for a drink at Basils Bar and a fine dinner at the Cotton House. If open, the Firefly Hotel has a wonderful bar with a spectacular view.
The bay on the north end of Mayreau is very nice. Here and everywhere you go ignore the boat "boys" that come out to "assist" and anchor where you feel is best.
In the Grenadines you can and should visit Petit Tabac, it's where Johnny Dep had his rum set ablaze. Take your dinghy through the poorly marked cut in the reef to reach it.
The beach bbq in the Grenadines is fun and picturesque but expect massive amounts of mediocre food.
Just a bit further south is Mopion Island, Petite St. Vincent (whole island seems to be a resort and they charge to land), and Petite Martinique. Petite Martinique is unique as the locals, while dark skinned often consider themselves Scottish. I recommend the Palm Restaurant and Bar, the family that runs it are beyond nice.
Sandy Island off the west coast of Carriacou is a wonderful anchorage with amazing snorkeling.
I really don't care for Union Island but it's a must to clear in and out. Anchor near Happy Island and enjoy it before taking the dinghy into the cool dinghy dock in Clifton Harbor. The "Boat Boys" here are awful.
As someone who has sailed the BVI over a dozen times and really loves it I find the Grenadines more beautiful, more interesting, and more even more fun than the BVI.

Have a great trip! I'll be there on my boat this fall.

The original post is over FOUR AND A HALF YEARS OLD! I think they’ve been by now.😂😂

Boca Grande. Super chill, quiet, beachy, and of course seafood.

My dream is a trip to Nazare, Portugal to see its huge waves. Any advice about what else is interesting there in half an hour drive? (gonna rent a car)

Hi all,
Anyone ever go here? We booked it for 7 nights in April at a great rate. Just curious if anyone has any feedback. Thanks in advance.

Dominica if you like eco-tourism, St. Bart's if you want "French Sophistication" on a small island, Grenada or St. Lucia if you crave a mountainous island with lush tropical feel, Grand Cayman if you desire something more cosmopolitan but flat and arid like Anguilla, or St. Vincent & The Grenadines if you want an experience island hopping similar to the BVI's, Barbados for the reasons mentioned by islandVet88 and perhaps Bonaire if you crave excellent snorkeling and dive sites.

One idea that comes to mind is Grenada. It has that off the beaten path charm, with stunning beaches like Grand Anse, awesome local culture, and fewer crowds than the more commercialized islands. Plus, the island’s spice plantations and nature give you more to explore beyond the beach.

Barbados is another great option. It’s easy to navigate, has a solid mix of swimmable beaches and wild surf spots, and the restaurant scene is genuinely impressive. You can stay on the calmer west coast or head to the south for a livelier vibe.

If you’re thinking of traveling in February, March, or April, you can also checkout this guide i looked up for the best caribbean island to visit in february

This page lets you check boxes for what you want at a beach and then displays those that match your needs.

https://barbados.org/barbados-beach-guide.htm

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.