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On 5/5/2019 at 10:16 PM, DeepC said:

Prior to heading to Cozumel, I saw a hot button for my GF that would make her day. A Chocolate tour? I decided to educate myself on chocolate and its relation to the Mayan culture. While searching around I stumbled on a tour up in town. I compared it to the one the cruise line offered  and due to its hands on nature and very small class size the tour  at Kao Kao won the coin toss. 

I can see a couple reasons it isn't sanctioned by the cruise lines. Small class size would be short on profit and its located pretty far into the residential part of town off the beaten path. We had time to shop in their little store before the class began. Not just candy. Soaps, hair conditioner, perfume, hair rinse , body wash. My GF aired my wallet pretty good on this stop. 

Class. Extremely informative. I will forever look at chocolate differently after it. It's history is interesting . More or less a symbol of wealth even used as a sort of currency. We learned that chocolates that we normally see in the stores are sorry knock offs of the real deal. We tasted 27 different kinds of real chocolate and each unique. From there we made our own coarse dark chocolate bars while our guide prepared a native chocolate drink with a chili added for a really fascinating kicker. 

I took the tour as my GF is a chocolate aficionado. Thought I would be bored but really enjoyed every second of it. Never too old to learn something!

Thanks for your detailed, informative review of the above tour.  You've sold us to take this off-ship excursion in July.

This (meeting at Casa Dante the Saturday night prior to boarding our Jewel) was the first Roll Call group we really participated in for some number of months prior to the cruise. What a pleasure it was to meet a dozen people we had 'come to know' through the Roll Call on Cruise Critic. Will continue with each of the cruises we take in the future. Looking forward to reading your next installments to this cruise.

Like you and Pauline, Judy and I have NEVER had such an effortless boarding of a ship EVER. RCI really had their act together.

All's well. Bernard's it is! Deposit down and Confirmed. How are things in Daytona. I'm expecting a cruise liner to sail down our street and pick us up.

Joyce Prince - We called her yesterday...can you believe she has nothing available for our day in St. Maarten. She MUST BE really good. Perhaps there will be another cruise another day. Fortunately we were able to reserve a PRIVATE (6 person) tour with Bernard's Tours. All 3 couples :) agree this will be a great opportunity for us to "do" something together.

Thanks again to ColoradoGurl, tahga, Mac303, grace11, and TexasAnn for your helping us.

We used Joyce Prince in St. Maarten. She did designed the day around doing exactly what we wanted. We also had someone with limited mobility and she made certain that everyone was okay.

 

The tour was outstanding -- we learned so much. I highly recommend her.

Thanks so much, Brookiie848. Will add Joyce Prince to our search list. BAC, do you have contact info for her, phone or www?

Does our "cruise" begin in Fairbanks?

That is, our room accommodations and three meals a day are included?

Because we have booked a suite on the ship, are there differing accommodations in the hotel and lodge?

We took this cruise 9/2013, the next to last tour/cruise of the season on the Zaandam. Took tour first, so we could decompress on the cruise. Best cruise/tour of our lives. Everything about the trip was perfect. Hope your experience proves as good. All accommodations are included. Tour excursions and meals are on your own dime. Onboard we choose the lower Promenade. We had the third cabin from stern, starboard. Was called obstructed view. But this cabin was wonderful view. Couple we were traveling with had the cabin one closer to the stern...they couldn't see squat. IN FACT, we are sailing Zandam 3/2016 Chile to Buenos Aires, and book SAME cabin. SMOOTH SAILING-hope you get to see Denali.

WHOO HOOO. Sent your suggestions to sisters-in-law. Both of them read and loved your ideas to contact Bernard's Tours. Gave us free reign to choose itinerary and book a Private tour for the 6 of us. THANKS again to each of you.

ColoradoGurl (loved your persistence), tahqua, Mac303, grace#11, and TexanAnn. You all so exceeded my expectations. What great knowledge you have shared. I promise I'll find a way to "pay it forward." Looks like St. Maarten may turn out to be the highlight of our trip -- a great day we can look forward to sharing together thanks to you all.

A 6 person family group (3 sisters and husbands). All have been to St. Maarten. Four members have varying physical limitations. I'm trying to come up with an all-inclusive idea. I'm thinking about hiring a driver "for the day" to show us his island--sight seeing, limited walking (flatish), nice meal, maybe a cocktail. TIA for any positive comments /concerns, especially suggestions of a driver you have used with contact info. Any idea of cost to driver? Thanks a lot.

TO SEA CRUISER 52: Arriving Santiago early a.m. 3/5/2016. We've arranged transfer to Sheraton Santiago (through Holland) upon arrival AND THEN from Sheraton Santiago to port in Valparaiso on departure day, 3/6. Hope this helps.