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CARIBBEAN: Shore ways to float your boat at the port

BY ELISSA LEIBOWITZ POMA | THE WASHINGTON POST

October 30, 2005

The midnight buffet line isn't the only crowded place you'll find on a Caribbean cruise. Wait until you step off the gangway into the ports of call.

Last year, the islands' five most-visited ports saw more than 11 million cruise passengers disembark for shopping, organized excursions or self-guided wandering, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).

With so many people on the prowl, how do you decide what to do? We talked to cruise and island experts to ascertain the ports' top eating places and activities, including do-it-yourself and ship-sponsored excursions.

Activities such as catamaran booze cruises and Jeep tours can be expensive if purchased through your cruise line; keep in mind that many excursions can be arranged on your own in advance or at dockside kiosks once you get off the ship. Or design your own outing.

Note: While Puerto Rico saw nearly 1.4 million cruise passengers, according to the CTO, its major port, San Juan, is the embarkation point for many cruise ships and thus isn't included here.

Cayman Islands

Visitors: 1.4 million

Must do: The Caymans are among the top places in the world for scuba diving and snorkeling. Explore coral formations, underwater walls and sheltered caverns aswarm in fish of all colors.

Where to eat: Order a burger, duck into the sea for a quick snorkel, then ascend when your food is ready at Rackham's Pub (North Church Street). The Reef Grill at Royal Palms (Seven Mile Beach) is a reputable seafood restaurant on the beach. In West Bay, the rustic Cracked Conch by the Sea (North West Point Road) serves turtle steaks.

Do-it-yourself: Seven Mile Beach, 10 minutes from George Town, is considered one of the Caribbean's top beaches. Crowds are small, too . . . Pedro St. James Castle is a restored stone palace on a bluff . . . Tourists like going to the town of Hell, merely to postmark their postcards and snap a photo.

Ship excursions: Snorkel or scuba dive at Stingray City, in the North Sound. Most outings range from two to six hours, including a few stops . . . Condensed scuba classes, including a short dive, are popular among cruise passengers with just a few hours to spare . . . Landlubbers can horseback ride on north coast beaches.

Information: 212-889-9009, www.caymanislands.com

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Visitors: 2 million

Must do: Take in the Colonial Dutch architecture, beautifully preserved in Charlotte Amalie. Also check out the 17th century fort and the St. Thomas Synagogue, one of the oldest in the New World.

Where to eat: Herve (Government Hill) serves mid-priced French-Caribbean food. Bonnie's by the Sea (at the Elysian Beach Resort) has a pig roast every Sunday at 5 p.m. Those who ferry over to St. John will want to dine on fried flying fish at Morgan's Mango (Wharfside Village).

Do-it-yourself: For beaches, head to Magens Bay on St. Thomas or Trunk Bay on St. John . . . In Charlotte Amalie, Fort Skytsborg is said to be the castle that Blackbeard used to look out for seafaring enemies . . . Take a 10- minute ferry ride to Water Island, a mostly undeveloped tract explorable by bike or on foot.

Ship excursions: Get in the water for a couple of hours, be it in a submarine, on a catamaran or via an underwater motor scooter. ... Not sure which sport to do? Spend a half-day kayaking, hiking and snorkeling during one outing.

Information: 800-372-8784, www.usvitourism.com.

Nassau, Bahamas