DCL not ready to return to Tortola yet...

[Sytrace]

Assuming that we will be going to St Maarten, a) are all the excursion listed on the DCL web site open? b)

Sept 22. What did you think of St. Maarten?

We are on that one as well. This past April was our second time in St. Maarten...our first was April 2015. The island is very nice, but they were still having some issues and there was still a lot of noticeable damage. We just shopped this time out. In April 2015 we took a tour called "Under Two Flags" which we enjoyed.
I will try to post a picture or two of the damage still in St. Maarten...I have a shot of a part of a boat stuck up in the road area ...like it was pushed into the side of the hill where the road is by the water levels.

 

[RRB]

Nice to hear we'll be shipmates. So you were in St Maarten 2 moths ago?

 

[Sytrace]

Nice to hear we'll be shipmates. So you were in St Maarten 2 moths ago?

Yes. And St. Thomas as well. Which is also not fully recovered. Lots of blue tarps out there and way fewer boats than in previous years. Their charter industry took a hit on both of the islands. I have pictures of that too. Too bad DIS boards does not like the pictures I try to post.

 

[Sytrace]

@RRB are you on the FB group page for this sailing? I think I posted photos in there a month or so ago.

 

[RRB]

I don't do FB but would like to see your pics.

 

[RRB]

Yes. And St. Thomas as well. Which is also not fully recovered. Lots of blue tarps out there and way fewer boats than in previous years. Their charter industry took a hit on both of the islands. I have pictures of that too. Too bad DIS boards does not like the pictures I try to post.

DIS has actually made it easier to post pictures than before. right click on the photo, select copy image, go to the thread, paste the pic. That always works for me

 

[Sytrace]

DIS has actually made it easier to post pictures than before. right click on the photo, select copy image, go to the thread, paste the pic. That always works for me

That is not an option for me for some reason. I will try to make the file smaller so I can post a couple and see if that works. This looks to me like a small boat of some kind was tossed up into the hill...but it could just be debris that cannot be removed because of where it is located.

 

[Sytrace]

Here are a couple more of St. Maarten.

 

[RRB]

the pictures didn't post in the body of the thread but they did get attached and I can see them. Wow, allot of damage. What excursion did you do on SM?

 

[swimfin]

We did not do anything this past trip in April...but when we were in St. Maarten in April 2015, we took a great tour called "Under Two Flags" It was educational AND there was time for shopping.

THANK YOU! Cheers!

 

[Sytrace]

the pictures didn't post in the body of the thread but they did get attached and I can see them. Wow, allot of damage. What excursion did you do on SM?

We did not do an excursion this past visit... but in April 2015 we did a tour called "Under Two Flags" which was very nice. Educational, fun and still time for a bit of shopping. I will try to attach photos from the April 2015 visit if I can get them to show up.

 

[Sytrace]

Here are a couple from St. Maarten in April 2015. There is one shot from the aft of the Fantasy that you can see the hillside but there is another ship partly in the way. Then at the end there is a shot from the tour bus of the Fantasy and the hillside that was shown in other photos.

 

[RedSox68]

Is the 94th Aero Squadron still by the airport? I think that's the restaurant you can see the planes and hear the tower? Definitely a "location" restaurant ... don't remember going for the food, yet rather the experience.

Don't know about the one in Miami, but there was one near Wilmington, Delaware that we always traveled to and enjoyed, but that is gone!

 

[RedSox68]

We did not do an excursion this past visit... but in April 2015 we did a tour called "Under Two Flags" which was very nice. Educational, fun and still time for a bit of shopping. I will try to attach photos from the April 2015 visit if I can get them to show up.

We really enjoyed that excursion a few years ago. It was very informative and relaxing. Just wish they would give you more time to shop at those great stands!

 

[hubbard53]

Don't know about the one in Miami, but there was one near Wilmington, Delaware that we always traveled to and enjoyed, but that is gone!

The one in Columbus, OH still exists. As someone else said, go for the experience - not the food.

 

[Sandbtwmytoes]

So shoreside has contacted some fellow cruise passengers on my Sept cruise and told them that certain Tortola excursions will not be available. Did they do this for the previously rerouted cruises? This make me think that Disney is planning to return to Tortola at the end of August.

 

[RRB]

So shoreside has contacted some fellow cruise passengers on my Sept cruise and told them that certain Tortola excursions will not be available. Did they do this for the previously rerouted cruises? This make me think that Disney is planning to return to Tortola at the end of August.

What date cruise are you on?

 

[southerngirl528]

o shoreside has contacted some fellow cruise passengers on my Sept cruise and told them that certain Tortola excursions will not be available.

So did DCL indicate that ANY Tortola excursions ARE available for your Sept. cruise?? I'm wondering if they are calling to let people know their booked Tortola excursions will not be available since they won't be going to Tortola??

 

[Sandbtwmytoes]

So did DCL indicate that ANY Tortola excursions ARE available for your Sept. cruise?? I'm wondering if they are calling to let people know their booked Tortola excursions will not be available since they won't be going to Tortola??

From what I've read, people were called about 2 excursions. My excursion list looks shorter then before also. The Jost Van Dyke beach day is cancelled but not the transfer and the North shore and pussers tour was cancelled. I can't imagine Disney has been calling the cruisers all this time about each individual excursion that was cancelled. I'm not too excited to be one of the first ships back if that is what is happening. I also wish Disney would be more clear about the plans. The articles I've read from the BVI's don't make it sound like Tortola is ready - especially if you read the comments from the locals.

Update: i think some were notified via email

 

[hubbard53]

From what I've read, people were called about 2 excursions. My excursion list looks shorter then before also. The Jost Van Dyke beach day is cancelled but not the transfer and the North shore and pussers tour was cancelled. I can't imagine Disney has been calling the cruisers all this time about each individual excursion that was cancelled. I'm not too excited to be one of the first ships back if that is what is happening. I also wish Disney would be more clear about the plans. The articles I've read from the BVI's don't make it sound like Tortola is ready - especially if you read the comments from the locals.

Update: i think some were notified via email

I'm on the Oct 5th Fantasy cruise that includes Tortola. After reading the same articles (and the comments) I'm guessing that even IF we go to Tortola, we're going to stay aboard. I'm not impressed with the excursions available and I can't find any non-Disney excursions either - websites are down or not updated or state the properties are still under construction. . .