TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Tiko Tiko day trips

Are the clothing optional day trips like the Tiko Tiko or Captain Alans mostly populated by sxm vacationers (good) or cruisers (not so good, no offense)?

We're one of those couples who don't appreciate the cruisers who come to Club O's beach and impolitely gawk, and certainly would not appreciate that on a day cruise.

Thank you for your insights and experiences.

It's been some time since we've been on the island ('09) but visited and stayed at Club O from '01 to '09 and took the Tiko day cruises to Tintimarre and around the island, several times. At no time during our cruises were there any "cruisers" on any of our cruises ... mostly Club O guests and nudists staying on the Dutch side that came daily to use Club O's beach.


<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />

Everyone we've ever gone with was staying on the island. Most people off of cruise ships won't be there long enough, or get there early enough, to take the cruise. It's a nice time, you should enjoy it (Tiko Tiko).

People who book those types of cruises--be they from a ship or staying on the island--are not going to do it to gawk. It's pretty hard to hide the fact that you're there to gawk, in a small group. People who come to SXM on a ship can be, and ARE in many, many cases, SXM lovers and nudists, just the same as those who stay on island. There are many gawkers on Club O beach that are staying on the island.

Regardless, as someone else said, in general, ships are not in port long enough for cruisers to be able to book this type of excursion.

Carol is right that very few mass market cruise ships would be in port for a long enough time that would make taking the Tiko Tiko practical - even if theoretically possible. All of the Tiko trips are 9 to 5, I think - do not remember for sure. When you consider that to make it a comfortable excursion off a ship time-wise you would have to have at least a scheduled ship arrival time by 8 am and a scheduled ship departure time of 6:00 pm or later, there are few mass market cruise ships that are in port that long.

We are cruisers who also do land vacations in SXM. Our experience is that if there is someone making people at CO (or Baige Rouge or Happy Bay or whereever) uncomfortable with "gawking" or other obnoxious activity, it is someone who is on the island longer than a port of call stop - it is not a cruiser (someone off a cruise ship on a port of call). I do not think I have ever seen someone that I thought or knew was a cruiser be an obnoxious "gawker" - not to say there are not some. A lot of cruisers have never been to CO before and are understandably curious about it and unsure of how to act - I think in general the "regulars" are welcoming of the normal cruiser.

I would share your concerns and views and can only comment on Tiko Tiko where I would agree with others that it isn't a cruiser thing for a number of reasons. However, they do private charters as well as their standard Tintamare runs. On a charter you can control who you go with and they will be happy to go where you want. Clockwise around the island is great fun. The challenge is to recruit friends or potential friends. We know dozens of friends for our weeks and rarely have a problem. I have seen people post "adds" at the Perch and we have recruited groups on this board.

Best of luck!