Daily Herald story This is one of those times where the cruise line executives seem to have their heads up their you-know-what's. Replacing SXM with Tortola on most of their itineraries? Tortola just is NOT a good cruise ship port. Not that I ever personally would book Disney anyway, but if I were considering it, this move would nix it...

Disney has built a joint facility with Norwegian Cruise Lines in Tortola. Norwegian's eastern carribean cruises no longer call on St. Maarten. Norwegian's only stop in St. Maarten is now limited to southern carribean iteneraries.

I knew they had built an expanded dock on Tortola. Didn't realize NCL no longer goes to SXM, as I haven't been interested in NCL for a long time. Weird though--Tortola is just NOT a good cruise port, certainly not when compared with SXM.

Maybe Tortola is Not a good cruise port, but Disney will tell their passengers what to like, and they'll like it!
In any case, this is bad for SXM. Losing Disney and NCL means a lot of lost revenue.

There was a thread about a cruise "destination" being built at the P'burg cruise docks. Is it a trend now that cruise lines are creating their own destinations within islands? Cruise lines will then want to feature the stops that they own / control.
J&B

Why do you say Tortola is no good?? Just read cruise critic and I want to go!! Sounds like St. John's a little

Exactly. And St. John is not a cruise destination either, except for tiny ships. Tortola is a great LAND destination. It is not set up well for cruising. There is almost no shopping and the roads are not conducive to busses, the beaches are small and can't handle huge influxes of people.

Hm. I went to ST Johns on a cruise that stopped in St Thomas. Idk. The shore excursions listed seem pretty interesting

There you go--the cruise port was actually St. Thomas, not St. John. You did an excursion to St. John from St. Thomas. Can you imagine dumping 3000-4000 people in Cruz Bay at the same time????

There was lots of debate as to whether the people of the BVIs wanted these large ships at the port. However the link will hopefully give you an insight as it relates to Disney and NCL.
http://disneycruiselineblog.com/2013/08/...opment-project/

A couple of thoughts regarding this...perhaps Disney is looking for a larger piece of the pie on excursions or from what I can see of their current ports SXM is the only port where they state [color:"blue"]"beaches (parents be warned: some are nude)".[/color] Just my 2 cents.

Just a thought but, do you think the cruise lines are saying in so many words "Good bye to St. Maarten" because of the government approving the park that Royal Carribean Cruises is planning to build. Just a thought but, I think it has a lot to do with it. Another project to fill the politicians pockets.

You are 100% correct. That is exactly the reason.

Well, I don't know that cruise lines in general are saying goodbye to SXM, as last year SXM went over 2 million pax for the first time.

I don't know that there WAS lots of debate as to whether the people in the BVI wanted large ships--I think there IS lots of debate..

You know how the faithful tourists and belongers in the BVI feel about the cruise ships! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif" alt="" />

What you say is true but, that was before the Royal Carribean deal was announced.

I wouldn't call St Maarten's roads conducive to buses either. And frankly, many of St Maarten's beaches are pretty sxmall too with the exception of Orient and Great Bay

SXM roads do not have the tight hairpin turns, etc that roads on Tortola have.

personally, i would rather see Disney cruises go to Tortola vs. SXM. Let Tortola have those thousands of screaming kids and their parents. Means quieter beaches, less screaming, and less hearing...''marco....polo....marco....polo".

It is time to start rumors. I heard the elimination of SXM was due to the loss of all the quaint beach bars and shops on Orient Bay.

I found Tortola to be a big dud compared to SXM. Jost Van Dyke is good if you can get there during your stop. Other than that, all I remember was an very interesting,old and tiny rum distiller and Cane Garden Bay......which as a beach didn't appeal much compared to other places. I'm glad Disney won't be going to SXM as their cruise prices are too beaucoup for us. And I know a lot of people say Disney does things very well but the last thing I want to see on my cruise is a bunch of Disney characters chasing me around and overpriced souvenirs.

i love disney cruises..they are the cream of the crop imho...i love the characters....i dont buy souvenirs...lol

i have never been to tortola so i cannot give an opinion.....

and someone please help me to post a photo!!!

Apparently you have never been to the BVI!

no i have not...i have been to many Caribbean islands but not BVI

i am sorry SXM will not benefit from Disney money....
all of the islands depend on tourism dollars

My comment was not directed at you but EdB. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/sorry.gif" alt="" />

If you have a photobucket account or want to try their free account, Beerman has very detailed instructions in the FAQ section on how to post a picture.

They (Disney) probably are --- I've never heard any complaints --- We were in SXM port around Christmas and I was impressed how they pressured washed the ships hull right after arrival at the pier .......never seen our ships spraying down the boat ---maybe its the black paint that demands it or they have the money to take better care of things...................someday I'll splurge but if that little mickey mouse chases me around the boat I'll have to go pirate on him--- now daisy duck would be OK.

I do have a photobucket account...and i will take a look in the FAQ section...thank you

what is your point???? Sorry, i don't get what you are trying to say to me. you want to go to a place...bvi, sxm or wherever there are a lot of screaming kids, be my guest....but sxm has survived for many years before disney cruises made it a stop...and will survive for many more if those screaming kids and parents don't come. It is the cruise passengers that don't contribute a lot of money to the island...it is the people like us...the timeshare people that have gone every year for over twenty years....now stay for three weeks at a time...and eat every dinner, every lunch and rent every day a beach chair and umbrella that help support the island. I prefer not to be deafened by screaming children, and that marco polo stuff drives me (along with many other folks) totally wild. A nice quiet beach, soaking up the scenery and the rays is what makes me happy!!!!!!!!!

Ed,

With all due respect intended, I think you're over-reacting regarding kids and Disney cruises and Marco Polo. I have never heard it at the different beaches in SXM, myself, which isn't to say it doesn't happen, but really, as annoying as it is, they're kids and I doubt how they got there has that much to do with Disney cruises.

People do fly on airplanes with kids, at least, we always did, and I've heard them playing that game poolside at the Towers pool as well as at the LePlage pool the couple of times I was there, as well as at lots of other poolside locations, and those kids probably don't come off cruise ships.

Life is too short to let the small things get to you.......just think how very fortunate you are to have reached the point in your life where you're able to spend three weeks in such a wonderful place, whereas most of those parents with the kids are probably only there for a week at best. When the MP game at the Towers pool gets too noisy I just go up to my balcony and savor the views. And the peace and quiet. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

With over 2 million cruise ship visitors arriving last year, they spend a hell of a lot of money in St. Martin. Speaking for yourself is fine but many timeshare visitors have been here many times over the years and some sit in their timeshare and go out maybe once or twice for diner where they can get the cheapest drinks and the free appetizers. Maybe not all but many cook and eat in their timeshares. Many have done all the excursions over the years and do nothing but sit on the beach. Both contribute a lot of money to the economy of St. Martin. I am a business owner and I know. My business is 50 % hotel, timeshare and villa clients and 50% cruise ship passengers and their money is the same. Any loss is a loss for all of St. Martin.

Agreed--I don't get this 'us versus them' attitude, which fortunately I think most SXM visitors don't have, unlike the BVI..

Well said Bob.

I have walked the beach at Orient Bay many times over the years when little kids from Disney ships were in the water in droves in front of the beach bar that catered to that group and the were never loud, rude or disrespectful. They were just having good natured kids' fun with their parents.

I, for one, would be happy if all the cruise ships left SXM. I don't see how they enhance our experience in any way and most of the $$ go to merchants that are not even from SXM, for the most part and were already wealthy. I wonder if the tax $ involved even cover all the extra wear and tear the cruisers put on the island. In some ways I even feel bad for them as the way they see the island doesn't deliver 10% of the charm.

Cruise ships are a huge benefit to SXM, and there is a large percentage of cruise ship tourists that don't do the cattle car excursions. As far as the merchants that are "not even from SXM", SXM is a melting pot of many different nationalities, and the merchants reflect that.

This post is so ludicrous it doesn't even deserve a response! Sorry.

Why would you go to the Caribbean without even studying the history of it's people & the "generations" of different ethnic groups that have made the Caribbean what it is....."generations".......I swear that if a country accepts USA dollars it must belong to the USA....people with your attitude is part of the reason I just fly into SXM and get right on a ferry....kate <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/canada.gif" alt="" />

Kate--I have no idea why you decided to make this an anti-US post, which is pretty ridiculous. Regardless, this one is done.