We arrived at this port after dark, so I can't comment too much on the scenery here. We booked the bioluminscent bay kayak tour through Carnival at this port. The bus arrived promptly and the tour guides were friendly. The bus ride to the bay was a bit long, but it was a comfortable ride. We were a bit cold standing outside on the windy shore while we were suiting up for the tour, but once we got into the bay the water was calm and the temperature was fine. We were surprised at just how dark it was in the bay. They had glow tubes at the front and back of each kayak, which were a definite must because our surroundings were pitch black. This tour is not for the timid -- we ended up running into some tree branches along the shoreline which we could not see -- but we definitely had a good time. The glowing organisms in the water were an amazing sight. Our tour guides were very knowledgable about the area and were very patient with everyone in the tour. We were glad we booked this tour and would recommend it to other visitors who are looking for an active experience. 


San Juan

This port is absolutely beautiful and possibly my favourite stop. The island felt very safe and we would not hesitate to wander away from the tourist areas. We booked the kayak, hike, and snorkel tour through Carnival. Our bus was very prompt and we went on a scenic drive up and down the hilly roads through the island to our tour site. The bus ride was fairly short, maybe 15-20 minutes. The tour guides were fantastic on this tour, we were so impressed with their professionalism. They provided locked cubbies for us to leave our valuables behind while we went out in the boat, and brought along a supply of water and lemonade to keep us hydrated. The kayak tour went through a protected area which was peaceful and unspoiled. We kayaked to a rocky area, where we got out of the boats for a leisurely hike. The guides pointed out and explained the wildlife in the area, and stopped at a nice spot for us to snap some pictures. We then hiked back to the snorkel area and put our life jackets back on. We got to swim out to a small shipwreck. At first I was unimpressed by the snorkel experience, but when we arrived at the shipwreck sight there were some HUGE tropical fish swimming around it and then we enjoyed swimming through schools of thousands of small fish on the way back. We also saw a stingray along the way. I would highly recommend this excursion, it was one of the highlights of our cruise. 


St. Thomas

We had a fun time at this port, although there were definitely some run down areas outside of the tourist district. I would be hesitant to wander around some of the spots on my own, but I felt safe on the tours and in the area around the pier. We booked two tours through Carnival. 
The first was the beach horseback riding experience. The pamphlet described it as a "scenic" tour, which was generous to say the least. The taxi ride to the site was fairly short, again around 15-20 minutes. Our tour guide was friendly and matched us to our horses by our riding experience. My husband and I were first-timers, so were given very laid back horses. A little TOO laid back in fact -- the horses we were assigned did not seem too enthusiastic to be out for a walk and it seemed like every step was a chore for them. The equipment was also very unsophisticated (ie. beat up bicycle helmets, old comforters used as padding under the saddles, no horseshoes, etc.) We are not horse experts, so I can't comment on whether they were malnourished or sick, but they certainly did not look as healthy as the horses we see at home. We were not allowed to take any photos during our ride for safety reasons, which was a bit disappointing, but we did stop at an old fort and the tour guide took some photos there for us. The route did go along the beach front for a short period, but most of the route was past run down properties and junked out cars. The few manicured properties we did see were surrounded by barbed wire fences. I wish we had said we were experienced riders as some of the other horses were a little more lively but still easy to handle. At the end of the ride, we were given the opportunity to ride a horse bareback into the ocean with a guide leading the horse. It was more of a photo opportunity than anything else, but still pretty neat. Overall the experience wasn't quite what it was cracked up to be, but we had a good time nonetheless. 
Our second excursion was the ATV tour, which was also booked through Carnival and this tour was a blast. The tour group was very small -- normally 6 people, but one couple was turned away from our group and had their money refunded because someone crashed one of the machines earlier in the day. Our tour guide was awesome, and this tour was way more adventurous than we had expected. The machines we were given were FAST and the guide did not encourage us to slow it down at all. We quickly realized why someone had crashed in the morning, as we went flying along roads and bumpy, rocky trails. We went through the rural parts of the island, past a number of nearby farms. We were amazed to have donkeys and goats wandering across the trails in front of us, as the farm fields were not fenced. This tour was not for the faint of heart, but if you are looking for a fast-paced thrill ride, then this is the tour for you. 



Antigua

This is another beautiful island that we instantly fell in love with. It felt very safe, and I would not hesitate to wander outside of the tourist areas. 
We booked the Dolphin Swim Adventure through Carnival at this port. It was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. The bus was prompt and it was only a 5 minute drive to the tour site. 
Upon arrival we were suited up with life jackets and sat down for a quick briefing. We had to leave our valuables in open cubbies, which was less than ideal, but at least they were within eyesight. Our tour was broken into 3 groups, each with about 10-12 people. Each group was assigned to a trainer with one dolphin, in our case "Kepler". The trainer was friendly and knowledgeable and the dolphins seemed to be happy and well cared for. We each got to experience 3 interactions with the dolphin - a belly swim, dolphin kiss, and a "dance" with the dolphin. The trainer ensured we had adequate time to take pictures, and we were fortunate to have our waterproof camera with us. Spectators were not allowed onto the docks to take photos, but they had a photographer with a DSLR camera taking photos which were available for purchase. We also got plenty of chances to pet the dolphin, then the trainer had him sing for us and then splash us with water. The experience was amazing and we did not feel rushed. At the end we had the opportunity to review the photos taken by their photographer. They were good photos but they were not cheap. They were saved to a CD and were priced at $25 each or we were told we could get all of them on disk for $200 along with 2 printed photos. We were happy with our own photos and felt these prices were outrageous, so we promptly declined the offer. On the bus ride back we spoke with a couple who were given the photo package for $100, so if you do the tour and want the photos, make sure you negotiate a better price. The tour itself was expensive, but worth every penny in our books. 


Tortola

This port did not have the spectacular views of St. Thomas and Tortola, but it was pretty nice nonetheless. We did not book any excursions and decided to walk around and explore on our own. 
We decided to wander away from the tourist area a little bit and ran into a little festival full of locals. We wanted some authentic food, so we wandered up to a Jamaican food booth and asked for Jerk chicken and rice. They did not have any prices posted and we were shocked when they charged us $8 for a small tray of food. I have a feeling they inflated the price for us since we were obviously tourists. The chicken was cold and not up to our expectations so we promptly left the festival to explore the streets some more. We passed some very neat old churches, then went into a local convenience store. We both felt like we were being eyed up while we were in there, and both had a feeling something bad was going to happen. Nothing did happen, but we decided to walk back to the tourist district where it felt a lot safer. 


Nassau

We were happy with the location of our cabin.  Very close to the stairwell which was convenient.  We had a long walk up from the 1st deck to the 9th for the main pool deck, but we are active people so we didn't mind the exercise.  Our room was nice and quiet at night.  The only potential issue was that our room was directly above the gangway, so we could hear the beep as each card was swiped.  We were up early at each port anyways, so it didn't bother us but it might annoy passengers who are looking to sleep in.

We also ordered room service a few times and were impressed that they were quick and the sandwiches were very good.The food at the buffet was usually pretty hot and fresh, and if we didn't find something we liked there we always found another option elsewhere that we did like.

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