which island has the best snorkelling: St.Thomas, St. Martin, Aruba, Curacao?

Actually, it would be St. John, which you can access from St. Thomas.

You can go to CruiseCritic.com, click on "Boards", then "Ports of Call" or "Scuba and Snorkeling" for advice from expert past cruisers.

I've been to all four of those ports and done snorkeling at each. I'm a beginner and it was fun; if you're an expert, it might not be so great.

In Aruba, we did Jolly Pirates, which was a lot of fun. You can easily do this excursion on your own; they provide transportation.

In St. T., we went over to St. J. on our own, but it's rather involved and you really need to watch the time and know the ferry schedule [available at VINow.com]. You can hike from Cruz Bay on a trail that starts near the NPS office. The trail is called "Linde Point", it's about a mile but an easy hike. Goes to two nearly-deserted beaches [Salamon Bay and Honeymoon Bay], no facilities at all, so take water/snacks/etc.]. Then hike over to Caneel Bay to grab a cab back to Cruz Bay for the ferry, either to Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie. This was one of the best excursions we did on any of our cruises. Check the NPS website for more info or search at the CC "Ports" board for more info. Be aware that there are two docks in CA, one on the east side of town and one on the west - it makes a difference. I wouldn't try this adventure unless I had a departure time of 5:00 or later.

In Curacao, Porto Marie [spelling?] is supposed to be beautiful, but it's a ways out and some cabbies don't want to go there. Plus, there won't be cabs waiting there when you're ready to leave, so you'd have to arrange for yours to come back for you. Will they show up? Who knows - but if you can agree to pay them when they DO come back, that's better for you.

In St. Martin we went to Le Galion Beach. Very quiet, just a little bar/restaurant that rents chairs. A wide, shallow bay. Snorkeling wasn't good at all, but we loved it. It's near Orient Bay, which is where "everyone" wants to go. You should be able to get your cabbie to drop you off there on the way and ask him to come back at whatever time. Be sure to allow plenty of time - the ship won't wait for you if you're late and you've gone out on your own!

Most of the St.Thomas snorkeling excursions will take you to nearby ST. John. That would be your best choice! Aruba is the probably the worst of the group.

Hi,

As a regular traveler to the Caribbean, in particular Curacao, been to Aruba and St.Martin aswell, I would vote for Curacao. Curacao is affordable, especially compared to Aruba, has nice natural beaches and is not "Americanized". No offence, but Aruba is an exact copy of Miami..

they're all stable options for various reasons. Dominican Republic has great all-inclusive lodges. the two DR and Aruba have great seashores. Aruba gets an excellent sort of return visits through fact it is person-friendly and risk-free to get around. DR isn't as risk-free; maximum individuals stay on the hotel residences for many if not all of their holiday trips. Antigua and St. Lucia are remarkable besides. I exceedingly enjoyed the hilly green panorama of St. Lucia. the sole one i haven't seen is Curacao, yet I comprehend it is the two incredibly and quiet. you should be superb with the water, seashores and events for all of them. you will discover loads of English audio device in any respect of them.

I love snorkeling at De Palm Island in Aruba.