Host Caroline

Had wonderful day w/ Colin last June; you will not be disappointed..

Guadeloupe used to be on Carnival and other southern Carib. itineraries when I was a TA back in the '90s but it was dropped by most. It remains popular with the French-based cruiselines and I believe some of the UK ships stop there but I never got positive feedback from my clients.. If you can switch itins I would think about it.. just my opinion..St. Croix isn't my favorite port but it's nice; St Lucia is lovely

Just wondering if anyone has booked a 3 hour island tour with this company. I have sent a reservation away hoping to hear back from them. How many do they take as we only have 3 in our group.

If you are looking for others to share this tour you need to post this on your roll call! thanks!

Caroline,

 

I am not sure that I agree with you but it is probably a mater of semantics. None of the mass market crusie lines call on St. Barths, but a number of major cruise lines, including Seabourn, Sea dream, Crystal, and Wind Star call on St. Barths all the time.

Sorry, yes semantics.. when I was a TA we refered to "mass market" as Carnival, RCI, NCL, HAL, etc.. the "mega ship" cruise lines. Sometimes a charter operates differently though as in case apparently of the Pearl!

None of major cruise lines call at St Barts.

Have also not known of ship MDs who use the patch... too many side effects

We went with Colin Jennings and he could take a wheelchair in his van with you but doubt there would be room for you to sit in the wheel chair in the van.. Local tour op here has van that he straps chair in and you don't have to get out of it but don't "think" Colin would have room for that option. I'm sure others could also accommodate folding it up.. there are several emails on this thread you can check with

It's $40 per hour... if the guide/driver is waiting for you at an attraction, you are eating etc. I guess you could bring along something to eat from the ship but there are places to stop for something quick to eat as well or eat a good breakfast onboard and bring a snack lunch. Just like in the State, the meter runs all the time!

You can buy tokens at the ferry dock in Hamilton. Planning your schedule there was no 4p.m. ferry to dockyard from Hamilton in June.

If you want a quick bite to eat in St George, "Temptations" is great IMHO... scones to die for, sandwiches, beverage, ice cream.. Local, not fancy but very good

IMHO what you are doing is a great plan.. we had 3 days in Bermuda but for folks with just a day/day and half who haven't been before a guide is just well worth it. You can't see it all but even in best circumstances with all public transport running, it's just a lot of buses, ferries and you simply can't see it all.. you can't see it "all" in a day but it's a great start and Bermuda has a lot of really good guides!

Anyone have any new reviews of their trips with Colin, or Duke or...?

 

- Miriam

If you take a little time and read back on this thread - which has been going on all summer - you will see lots of feedback on Colin,Duke and others.

We had great time w/ Colin in June.

A handmade jug from Santorini that looks exactly like the wine jugs at the Akitori dig (sorry if I spelled that dig name wrong).... from Minoan times.

I emailed Collin Jennings last night and got a response from him this morning.

 

I can't tell you how excited I am! I was feeling overwhelmed with choosing between a taxi or a bus or the ferry.

 

Now we don't have to think about it!

Loved our day w/ Colin in June; I hope you have a wonderful time:) so much easier than dealing with when the bus came, what one to get etc.. We did St George via ferry on our own the next day

We went with Colin in June to Somerset Village (Narrow bridge and then we stopped to make res at watersports place), Gibbes Hill lighthouse (we climbed, he waited); along south coast to Horseshoe Beach for photo op really and another beach (not "beach people"), to Flatts Village, St George for snack lunch and quick tour, Tobacco Bay, Fort St Catherine, Tucker Town (what you can get to), Caves (we did Fantasy Caves, he waited), Paget Marsh (lovely) and then into Hamilton where we got ferry (no 4pm ferry to dockyard though FYI). We didn't have a long list of "must sees" and he was very chatty and personable..

We booked with Sonny in January and have a party of six...

thanks for link to review on TripAdvisor, Lisa!

Better chance of a variety of answers if you also post this on individual ports of call board for these ports but I will leave here as well as some may wander by with an answer...

That being said if you are docking at Costa Maya it shouldn't be as grueling a tour to Tulum as from Cozumel when you have ferry over to mainland and back to deal with. Tulum is gorgeous setting on bluffs over the sea, not as much jungle (I hate snakes:() and Xel Ha for swimming etc. is often included in that tour..

Wasn't aware of ruins in Roatan (Honduras).. or are these on mainland?

Lewis Foggo's been recommended as has Loyd Smart... if you read back a ways on this thread you will I believe find contact information for both!:)

I will say that Duke does respond rather quickly. I sent Colin an email a couple weeks ago and have not yet heard back. I sent Duke an email and heard back within 24 hours. And I have sent multiple emails to him with questions and he answers very promptly.

Host Caroline.....how many hours did you have Colin? I gave Duke a list of places I wanted to see and then the places he would recommend seeing and he recommended the tour be about 6 hours. Even though we are going to be there for 3 days, I am still thinking of adding on the Caves and having him take us there. That is still undecided.

 

Any advice or recommendations??

We were with Colin for about 5.5 hours, picked up at Dockyard, stopped in Somerset (15-20 mins), Gibbes Hill Lighthoues (45 mins or so bec. we climbed to top); Horseshoe Beach (maybe 15 mins, we aren't "beach people"), Warwick Beach, lovely area near aquarium (but didn't go to to aquarium), St Georges (maybe 45 mins bec. we were going back next day), Fantasy Caves (we did tour. so there 40 mins?) and then quick stop at Paget Marsh.. left us off in Hamilton and we took ferry back (there is no 4 pm ferry to dockyard tho we found out).. He was a great guide, lots of neat info, very personable, we got great value for the money IMHO

Get a private guide like Duke, Colin or Louis to meet you in St George's (i.e take ferry from Dockyard), give you a tour and then take you back by sites on the way to Hamilton and get a ferry back to ship there.. You can do St George on your own or take the informative "train excursion" that you can purchase once you get there.

We had Colin for the day and saw other sites on way to St George (he picked up at Dockyard), went to Caves after St George and then took ferry back from Hamilton (less hassle, less traffic, cheaper)

We had a great time w/ Colin in June as well; my only comment is that we have seen a few of the caves in the U.S. but found the Fantasy Caves to be gorgeous and full of unusual formations... like you would imagine "middle earth" complete with rowboat in the water.. very very humid and warm down there though. We didn't "do" both caves though, chose Fantasy bec. that tour was leaving in 5 mins when we arrrived

I'm a photographer and a scrapbooker so I tend to take a lot of scenery and "local color" type pictures... also pics of us but one thing if you are the taker of pictures, make sure you are in some of them! I often hear at crops that there are not many pics of mom/wife!

I think local color /culture pics capture your destination but that's just my opinion. I don't tend to take many ship or food pics maybe bec. I've been on so many cruises.. DH has only been on 6 or so but he's not "into" that type pic so we tend to do a few of ship as we are docked but that's it.

Have you read "River God" by Wilbur Smith? It's one of my all-time favorite books. I hadn't thought about it in a long time.

Yes and the sequel.. that Egyptian series was something, wasn't it? I liked this new one bec. it's timely and just a well told story

Just wondering what time you got to the caves and if there was much of a wait to get in? I've heard they can get very crowded in the afternoon.

We got there around 2 p.m and waited maybe10 mins at the most... there were about 20 people in the group we went down into Fantasy with but didn't feel crowded.. this was first day in port (Wednesday) for Gem and Summit so it may be busier on Thursday when both ships in port all day and people venture out further onto the island? And Veendam is also in port Thursday.. maybe go Wednesday or Fri. a.m.?

Caves are stunning, allow 45 mins for one or 1.5 hrs for both (cheaper) but be forewarned it is very hot and muggy in the caves, not cool like at home (or at least here); if you can make it up view from Gibbes Hill is amazing 360 degree; Horseshoe Bay-Warwick; St George's. We just had snack lunch at Temptations in St George's - small place, not sure you'd get seating for 12 at one time though.

Just read "Those In Peril" by Wilbur Smith, one of my fav authors, on cruise to Bermuda. Not too long and not too complicated but compelling... gal or guy book