Frommer's Caribbean Ports of Call (Frommer's Complete) PDF
Preview Frommer's Caribbean Ports of Call (Frommer's Complete)
01_944904 ffirs.qxp 7/25/06 7:31 PM Page i Caribbean Ports of Call 6th Edition by Tamar Schreibman & Christina Colón Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s: “Amazingly easy to use.Very portable,very complete.” —Booklist “Detailed,accurate,and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.” —Glamour Magazine “Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.” —Des Moines Sunday Register “Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.” —Knight Ridder Newspapers 01_944904 ffirs.qxp 7/25/06 7:31 PM Page ii 01_944904 ffirs.qxp 7/25/06 7:31 PM Page i Caribbean Ports of Call 6th Edition by Tamar Schreibman & Christina Colón Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s: “Amazingly easy to use.Very portable,very complete.” —Booklist “Detailed,accurate,and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.” —Glamour Magazine “Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.” —Des Moines Sunday Register “Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.” —Knight Ridder Newspapers 01_944904 ffirs.qxp 7/25/06 7:31 PM Page ii Published by: Wiley Publishing,Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 Copyright © 2006 Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copy- right Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978/750-8400, fax 978/646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317/572-3447, fax 317/572-4355, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN-13: 978-0-471-94490-4 ISBN-10: 0-471-94490-4 Editor: Leslie Shen Production Editor: Heather Wilcox Cartographer: Tim Lohnes Photo Editor:Richard Fox Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services Front cover photo: Cozumel, Mexico: Couple snorkeling in clear shallow water, cruise ship in distance. Back cover photo: Grand Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Rum Point: Colorful beach hut beneath palm trees. For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800/762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317/572-3993 or fax 317/572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. Manufactured in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 02_944904 ftoc.qxp 7/25/06 7:31 PM Page iii Contents List of Maps v 1 Introduction:Cruising to the Ports of Call 1 1 Choosing the Itinerary & Shore Days at Sea vs. Days in Port . . . . . . . .4 Excursions That Are Best for You . . . . .1 2 When to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 2 The Cruise Lines in Brief 9 1 The Mainstream Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 3 Small Ships,Sailing Ships & 2 The Ultraluxury Lines . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Adventure Cruises . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 3 Things to Know Before You Go 27 1 Passports & Visas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 3 Money Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Safety at Sea: More Security, 4 Keeping in Touch While at Sea . . . . .32 Fewer Germs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 5 What to Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 2 Customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 4 The Ports of Embarkation 36 1 Miami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 4 Tampa & St.Petersburg . . . . . . . . . .58 2 Fort Lauderdale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 5 New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 3 Cape Canaveral & Cocoa Beach . . . .50 6 Alternative Home Ports . . . . . . . . . . .71 5 The Ports of Call 76 1 Port Strategies & Tips . . . . . . . . . . . .76 6 Bahamas:Nassau & Freeport . . . . .100 2 A Brief History of the Caribbean . . . .80 Frommer’s Favorite Nassau 3 The Cruise Lines’ Private Islands . . . .85 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 4 Antigua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Frommer’s Favorite Freeport/ Lucaya Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Frommer’s Favorite Antigua Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 7 Barbados . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 5 Aruba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Frommer’s Favorite Barbados Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 Frommer’s Favorite Aruba Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 8 Belize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 02_944904 ftoc.qxp 7/25/06 7:31 PM Page iv iv CONTENTS Frommer’s Favorite Belize 18 Guadeloupe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Frommer’s Favorite Guadeloupe 9 Bequia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195 Frommer’s Favorite Bequia 19 Jamaica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130 Frommer’s Favorite Ocho Rios A Quiet Day on Union Island . . . . .132 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202 10 Bonaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 Frommer’s Favorite Montego Bay Frommer’s Favorite Bonaire Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 20 Key West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208 11 British Virgin Islands:Tortola & Frommer’s Favorite Key West Virgin Gorda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 Frommer’s Favorite Tortola 21 Les Saintes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 Frommer’s Favorite Les Saintes Frommer’s Favorite Virgin Gorda Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 22 Martinique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 A Slice of Paradise: Frommer’s Favorite Martinique Jost Van Dyke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 12 Cozumel & the Yucatán 23 Nevis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Frommer’s Favorite Nevis Frommer’s Favorite Cozumel Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 24 Panama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 Frommer’s Favorite Playa del 25 Puerto Rico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 Carmen Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . .160 Frommer’s Favorite San Juan Frommer’s Favorite Costa Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 Maya Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 San Juan as a Port of 13 Curaçao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 Embarkation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238 Frommer’s Favorite Curaçao Walking Tour: Old San Juan . . . . . .243 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 26 St.Barts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 14 Dominica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 Frommer’s Favorite St. Barts Frommer’s Favorite Dominica Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172 27 St.Kitts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256 15 Grand Cayman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 Frommer’s Favorite St. Kitts Frommer’s Favorite Grand Cayman Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178 28 St.Lucia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261 16 Grand Turk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Frommer’s Favorite St. Lucia Frommer’s Favorite Grand Turk Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 29 St.Martin/Sint Maarten . . . . . . . . .268 17 Grenada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186 Frommer’s Favorite St. Martin/ Frommer’s Favorite Grenada Sint Maarten Experiences . . . . . . . .271 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188 02_944904 ftoc.qxp 7/25/06 7:31 PM Page v CONTENTS v 30 Trinidad & Tobago . . . . . . . . . . . . .276 Frommer’s Favorite St. Thomas Frommer’s Favorite Trinidad Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .279 Frommer’s Favorite St. John Frommer’s Favorite Tobago Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294 Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .282 Frommer’s Favorite St. Croix 31 U.S.Virgin Islands:St.Thomas, Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .298 St.John & St.Croix . . . . . . . . . . . . .284 Index 303 List of Maps The Gulf of Mexico & the Caribbean 2 Grand Turk 183 The Eastern Caribbean 5 Grenada 187 Miami 39 Guadeloupe 193 Fort Lauderdale 47 Jamaica 201 Cape Canaveral & Cocoa Beach 51 Key West 209 Tampa 59 Les Saintes 217 Greater New Orleans 65 Martinique 223 The French Quarter 67 Nevis 231 Antigua 89 Panama 235 Aruba 95 Puerto Rico 237 Nassau 101 San Juan at a Glance 241 Freeport/Lucaya 111 Old San Juan Walking Tour 245 Barbados 115 St. Barthélemy (St. Barts) 251 Belize 121 St. Kitts 257 Bequia 129 St. Lucia 263 Bonaire 135 St. Martin/Sint Maarten 269 The British Virgin Islands 143 Trinidad 277 The Yucatán’s Upper Caribbean Tobago 283 Coast 151 St. Thomas 285 Curaçao 165 Charlotte Amalie 289 Dominica 171 St. John 293 Grand Cayman 179 St. Croix 299 03_944904 flast.qxp 7/25/06 7:30 PM Page vi About the Authors Tamar Schreibmanhas traveled to Sedona, Las Vegas, Longboat Key, Scottsdale, the Arizona wine country, Charleston, Montego Bay, and Budapest to research travel stories for Time Out New York, Modern Bride, Elle, New Woman, and Mode. Her other articles have appeared in various publications including Self, Fitness, Marie Claire, Seventeen, Men’s Fitness, Cosmopolitan, Working Mother, New York Daily News, Star,and Working Woman.This is her third nonfiction book. She also writes fiction. Christina Colónhas two great passions in life: nature and travel. She has been everywhere from Borneo (where she lived for 2 years tracking wild animals) to Belize (where she did her master’s thesis in a jaguar preserve). With a Ph.D. in ecology, a master’s in environmental education, and adjunct positions at several universities, she is a scientist and an educator, as well as an author. When she is not exploring a tropical rainforest or an exotic island, she can be found in the Bronx, where she loves to seek the wilder side of the borough. In addition to scientific and academic texts, she has contributed to numerous travel guides, including Frommer’s Portable Arubaand The New York Times Guide to New York City. 03_944904 flast.qxp 7/25/06 7:30 PM Page vii An Invitation to the Reader In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommenda- tion, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to: Frommer’s Caribbean Ports of Call, 6th Edition Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 An Additional Note Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experi- ences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets. Other Great Guides for Your Trip: Frommer’s Caribbean Cruises & Ports of Call Frommer’s Caribbean Cruise Vacations For Dummies Caribbean For Dummies The Unofficial Guide to Cruises Frommer’s Florida Frommer’s South Florida Frommer’s Jamaica Frommer’s Puerto Rico Frommer’s Virgin Islands
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