Non-Flying Visit to Caribbean POSSIBLE?
Opinionated
I hope some wonderfully knowledgeable person can help me here.
A few years ago I took a lovely cruise to the Caribbean.
Lordy, I loved it!!! I became an instant snorkle-holic and
cannot wait to go again!
My problem is that I would like to go, stay a week and leave,
but I don't want to FLY. Apparently, the choices are fly or
take a cruise, and of course, cruises don't stay in ONE PLACE a
whole week (Grand Caymen is my first choice - love those
stingrays).
Does anyone know of a boat that goes from point A to point B?
Either one that starts in the US and goes to the Caribbean or
vice versa???? Even one that would go to the US Virgin Islands
if there are customs considerations would do. I'm sure
something could be figured out once you got there, and in a
worst case scenario, just stay there and snorkle around if there
were no alternatives.
I appreciate any assistance you can offer. If you would
rather email me direct please do so at rm...@usa.net.
Please, please....no lectures on how flying is safer than
driving a car yada yada yada. I assure you I have heard them
ALL before, and my mind is unchangeable with regard to my not
flying.
Thanks again.
Risa
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Rosalie B.
>I hope some wonderfully knowledgeable person can help me here.
>A few years ago I took a lovely cruise to the Caribbean.
>Lordy, I loved it!!! I became an instant snorkle-holic and
>cannot wait to go again!
>
>My problem is that I would like to go, stay a week and leave,
>but I don't want to FLY. Apparently, the choices are fly or
>take a cruise, and of course, cruises don't stay in ONE PLACE a
>whole week (Grand Caymen is my first choice - love those
>stingrays).
The only options I can think of are:
Drive down through Mexico and take a ferry to Cozumel
Ditto and take a boat to Ambergris or Caye Caulker in Belize
Charter a boat from Florida and go to the Bahamas.
Drive down the Florida Keys and charter a boat to Cuba.
Take a cruise and get off (miss the boat) at the place you want to
stay. Don't know how you would get back unless you made a reservation
on a different cruise later.
Take a cruise to Bermuda - they usually stay several days there.
There may be a boat to some of the islands near Venezuela
If you can get to Puerto Rico, you can get a boat to the Virgin
Islands
Buy your own boat and sail to wherever you want to go.
>Does anyone know of a boat that goes from point A to point B?
>Either one that starts in the US and goes to the Caribbean or
>vice versa???? Even one that would go to the US Virgin Islands
>if there are customs considerations would do. I'm sure
>something could be figured out once you got there, and in a
>worst case scenario, just stay there and snorkle around if there
>were no alternatives.
>
>I appreciate any assistance you can offer. If you would
>rather email me direct please do so at rm...@usa.net.
>
>Please, please....no lectures on how flying is safer than
>driving a car yada yada yada. I assure you I have heard them
>ALL before, and my mind is unchangeable with regard to my not
>flying.
>
>Thanks again.
>
>Risa
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>
>Got questions? Get answers over the phone at Keen.com.
>Up to 100 minutes free!
>http://www.keen.com
grandma Rosalie
Mike
Have you considered freighter travel? Many of the Caribbean islands are
supplied from the US, would seem like you could get on some of those routes
from Florida or Texas coasts. There are travel agents that specialize in
this type of travelling, recommend you get in contact with some of them.
Don't let the thought of a "freighter" or "mailboat" deter you, apparently
some have very nice accommodations and sometimes even a pool onboard. This
may be your ticket to getting somewhere for a week, staying in one place and
getting back on the return journey to the US. Here's some links to get you
started:
http://www.freighter-travel.com/
http://www.freighter-cruises.com/
http://www.atlastourandtravel.com/
http://people.we.mediaone.net/freighterman/index.html
Best of Luck,
Mike
Opinionated <rm...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:03359e74...@usw-ex0104-025.remarq.com...
> Hello Newsgroup!
>
> I hope some wonderfully knowledgeable person can help me here.
> A few years ago I took a lovely cruise to the Caribbean.
> Lordy, I loved it!!! I became an instant snorkle-holic and
> cannot wait to go again!
>
> My problem is that I would like to go, stay a week and leave,
> but I don't want to FLY. Apparently, the choices are fly or
> take a cruise, and of course, cruises don't stay in ONE PLACE a
> whole week (Grand Caymen is my first choice - love those
> stingrays).
>
D Rapp
a week; then reboarding the ship on it's next weekly swing to finish out
the remainder of the cruise. I've heard of it being done (not just
accidentally); but don't know if there is an extra fee for reboarding.
Each cruise line will have its own policy.
Dan
mfr...@ecri.org
to most of the islands in the Caribbean, and one of the best snorkeling
vacations we had was in the "family islands" of the Bahamas. We loved
both Cat Island and Great Exuma. On the latter we stayed at the Peace
and Plenty which is now advertising special snorkeling vacations. You
should be able to get boat transportation from Florida.
In article <03359e74...@usw-ex0104-025.remarq.com>,
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Ken Tough
>Talk to a cruise line about starting a cruise, getting of at an island for
>a week; then reboarding the ship on it's next weekly swing to finish out
>the remainder of the cruise. I've heard of it being done (not just
>accidentally); but don't know if there is an extra fee for reboarding.
I've also heard that if you show up on the pier with your bags
just before a ship sails, you can ask if they have spare cabins
to fill for the next leg of the journey and go one or two stops
for some tiny price. Never tried it or looked into it myself.
--
Ken Tough
Montserrat
Ron Knight
|Talk to a cruise line about starting a cruise, getting of at an island for
|a week; then reboarding the ship on it's next weekly swing to finish out
|the remainder of the cruise. I've heard of it being done (not just
|accidentally); but don't know if there is an extra fee for reboarding.
|
|Dan
|
I had a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer who took a cruise ship home after
serving her two years. It seemed to her to be the best way to get
all those books and furnishings shipped that she had piled up over
two years. (Considering what I myself spent mailing stuff home,
and the condition in which it arrived, she was probably right.) So
I can give you second-hand confirmation that you don't have to
book the whole round-trip to ride on a cruise ship. Naturally
there has to be a vacancy on the ship, but if there is the cruise
company would much rather get half a fare than sail with an empty
cabin the whole way.
I would think the harder part would be making the cruise company
happy about only going out and then vacating the cabin halfway
through, but maybe that's okay too.
Check with your travel agent or direct with the cruise lines.
Take it easy,
--
Ron Knight (r...@med.unc.edu)
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
I can't speak for UNC-CH, and UNC-CH can't speak for me.
It's better for both of us.
R J Carpenter
sell some of their cabins in Miami or San Juam and others in Venezuela.
If they had an empty cabin departing the north end of their route, but
could sell it for the Venezuela-Venezuela loop, they should be happy to
sell you a ticket and have you leave the ship before Venezuela.
Ken Tough
>Opinionated <rm...@usa.net> wrote:
>>My problem is that I would like to go, stay a week and leave,
>>but I don't want to FLY.
>The only options I can think of are:
[...]
>Buy your own boat and sail to wherever you want to go.
You could also consider crewing on a yacht sailing down to
the caribbean. It's not totally out of the realm of possible,
though as a novice it's harder to find a cheap/paying place
than if you have experience. You could help crew private yachts
(I'm sure plenty leave all the time from Miami right on up to
New York) or you could also get a berth on one of the beautiful
bigger square riggers or schooners etc. of the Sail Training
Association. Check out ASTA (the association of sail training
associations). Then again, the trip would be more of an adventure
than landing. It all depends on how much time, money, energy,
and adventure you have in you.
If your goal is simply getting down here, then I reckon the
freighter option sounds best for you.
One other option missed from the list:
- Join the Navy
--
Ken Tough
Montserrat, W.I.
Rosalie B.
>Rosalie B. <gmbe...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>>Opinionated <rm...@usa.net> wrote:
>>>My problem is that I would like to go, stay a week and leave,
>>>but I don't want to FLY.
>
>If your goal is simply getting down here, then I reckon the
>freighter option sounds best for you.
>
>One other option missed from the list:
>
>- Join the Navy
Yes I didn't think of that. But you can't do much about picking to go
to the Caribbean in the Navy. They are as likely to send you to the
North Atlantic, or the Med. (The US Navy anyway)
grandma Rosalie
D Rapp
> >a week; then reboarding the ship on it's next weekly swing to finish out
> >the remainder of the cruise. I've heard of it being done (not just
> >accidentally); but don't know if there is an extra fee for reboarding.
>
> just before a ship sails, you can ask if they have spare cabins
> to fill for the next leg of the journey and go one or two stops
> for some tiny price. Never tried it or looked into it myself.
> --
> Ken Tough
> Montserrat
We took a cruise on Seawind Crown a few years ago, and some of the people
did come on and use the ship to go just from one island to the next. Not
sure what they were charged.
Dan
Opinionated
checked into the one-way cruise option. They have no objection
to letting you get off mid-cruise. However, they still charge
you the full cruise rate since they cannot book your cabin for
the second leg of the journey when it is empty. Also, in order
to come back you have to purchase another WHOLE cruise because
they obviously cannot count on someone getting off half way and
leaving a cabin open. Therefore, since the average cost of a
seven night caribbean cruise is around $800 (just a ball park
figure) booking two cruises (even if they gave you a great
disccount for doing it) would still cost around $1500 per person
for myself and DH to get down there. That isn't even counting
the lodging costs that would be incurred for the time that we
are there, food, etc, etc, OUCH!
I am looking into the other options mentioned. It seems that
there are lots of ways to get to the Bahamas. I may just have
to "settle" for that option. But again. Thanks everybody for
your great advice.