Go with Gus - Book Ahead or at Pier?

[sloney]

Hi Everyone,

 

 

I'm trying to decide if I should book ahead for the Pacaya Volcano Hike or wait until we get to the pier. I've read somewhere on this forum that it's cheaper to wait, but part of me would like to "seal the deal" so to speak.

 

Any input for me?

 

Susan

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

I have heard that you can save between $10 to $20 but if you can get a group of 10 Gus will reduce your price. On our particular trip the regular price is $119 and with a group of 10 it is $99 pp. You may want to see who is interested on your roll call.

 

Hi Everyone,

 

 

I'm trying to decide if I should book ahead for the Pacaya Volcano Hike or wait until we get to the pier. I've read somewhere on this forum that it's cheaper to wait, but part of me would like to "seal the deal" so to speak.

 

Any input for me?

 

Susan

[tennis#9]

It seems that Gus can be booked at the pier but is there a way to book beforehand?

 

Kate

Ponte Vedra Beach

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

I have been in contact with Gus over the last few weeks and this is his address. eldelfin@turcios.com

He is usually pretty prompt in returning emails.

 

It seems that Gus can be booked at the pier but is there a way to book beforehand?

 

Kate

Ponte Vedra Beach

[StartrainDD]

Hi Everyone,

 

 

I'm trying to decide if I should book ahead for the Pacaya Volcano Hike or wait until we get to the pier. I've read somewhere on this forum that it's cheaper to wait, but part of me would like to "seal the deal" so to speak.

 

Any input for me?

 

Susan

 

Hi Susan! We were in Santa Thomas last week. All the tour operators must have a minimum of 6 people to do a tour, unless you book in advance and they confirm it. We wanted a specific tour that only "Turix Activo" offers. Here is a part of our experience:

 

The Turix Activo booth is right next to the "Go with Gus" and "Gus" has more people recruiting. I had the printout from the Turix Activo site and went to talk with them. They said they would love to give us this tour but had no one else taking it and they needed a minimum of 6. They suggested we might find others on the ship?

 

Somewhat discouraged, we headed back towards the ship as some CC friends we had toured with the previous day in Belize had told us they were doing this same tour. We ended up meeting them on the gangplank and went back to the Turix Activo booth.

 

They showed their confirmation for three people. Turix indicated (and signs in the port confirm for all tour companies) they are supposed to have a minimum of 6 people for a tour. But, since our friends had reserved ahead of time, they needed to honor that. Therefore, we were tacked on, and it became the five of us!

We were fortunate to be able to do the tour we really wanted to do, but almost were not able to. So, if this tour is really important to you, I would book it ahead of time!

 

You wouldn't need to book the Rio Dulce / Livingston tour as they seem to have lots of people doing that every day ships are in port. Hope this helps!

[sloney]

The only way to book ahead with Gus was to send a deposit, via snail mail.

 

Part of me wondered what owuld happen if the weather was bad and we didn't stop in port so I decided to take a chance and book at the pier.

 

We're flexible enough that we would be happy doning almost anything.

 

thanks for all the input

 

Sloney

[mizLORInj]

Pls write about your experience when you're back. I'm cruising there in March and planning excursions.

Thanks and happy cruising!!!

[Nebr.cruiser]

We had a bad experience trying to book Go With Gus off the ship in Guatemala. Having heard good reviews on these boards, I was happy to see a desk with several representatives for his tours.

 

We talked to one of the men--may have been Gus himself--as we walked through the building. We wanted to be on a tour (to Antigua) with no more than 8 people in an appropriately sized bus, since we have been burnt before by very overcrowded vans and small buses. The representative assured us that there would be no more than eight people on the bus.

 

We booked the tour to Antigua and got on the bus, where four other people were waiting and NOT in a good mood. It was a very nice van with room for nine, if three sat on the back seat and we especially liked that everyone except the ninth person had individual air conditioner vents.

 

So we left the port area--Hooray, only six on our bus! Got just outside the gate, turned around and came back to get more passengers--two more would have been just fine--but no, they were putting SIX more people on this van, utilizing the fold-down jump seats that we hadn't noticed. We have been stuck on these jump seats before, and it is not fun--also very hard to see out.

 

The four people who were on the bus ahead of us told us they had waited almost an hour on the van for more people to show up and had actually left the port area once, gone through the gate and turned around to come back to get another couple, who I assume was us. So, they had turned around twice.

 

I will say that Go With Gus willing returned our money, then talked us into going on another van with six other people. The problem with this was that this was a very small van--like a minivan--and was much too crowded with 8.

 

Once again Gus returned our money and we used another tour to Antigua, with eight people on a comfortable, uncrowded bus.

 

I will say that our tour 'guide' was not very knowledgeable about the countryside or city, but at least we were not crammed in like sardines. Gus probably has a good tour, but it was important for us to not be crowded because my husband tends to feel ill if overcrowded and hot.

 

We mostly feel that if they are planning to pack the van or bus they should at least be honest and tell you that there will be, say, 12 on the van rather than eight. I understand that the more people on the van the more money they make, but comfort is important also.

[jlq3d3]

I don't see the need to book ahead. There are plenty of tour operators in puerto quetzal, including Go with Gus. most will negotiate down quite a bit if you try.

[susanNjay]

On our second scheduled port day we docked (about an hour late) in Guatemala. We walked around the shopping area for a little bit while waiting for our tour to leave. We had booked a private excursion with Gus to visit the Las Velas Beach and Seven Altars Waterfalls ahead of time by contacting him via email.

When we arrived at the terminal, we met Jerry, who would be our guide for the day. We paid the lady at the desk, and then Jerry said he would try to find others to take with us, which was unexpected. At first we had two others, and before we got on the boat to Livingston, there were a total of 14 of us!! This is not at all what we expected. We rode on a boat to Livingston and docked near Gus' restaurant and hotel and sampled some local fruit. We then walked through the streets for about 10 minutes to get on a “taxi.” Our older daughter is very safety conscious and definitely did not appreciate having to stand in the back of a Toyota pick-up truck with 13 other people. Her husband was not on this cruise with us, but he would have enjoyed the ride! On our ride, we passed many malnourished dogs. The dogs that lived near the dump were rather healthy and as we passed we could see dogs and children eating items from the dump. We rode for about 15 minutes standing in the bed of the truck (and holding on tightly since the roads were very bumpy), and then we got out for a LONG walk. We didn’t realize we would be walking for about an hour and a half to get to the falls. The walk was made even more challenging by the uneven terrain and multitudes of garbage pieces we had to step over and on as we walked. We got to see a variety of coconut trees and stopped at a very nice Garifuna temple that our guide, Jerry, said was the oldest temple in Central America. We had to pay another $2. per person entry fee when we reached the Seven Altars area, and another dollar for a coke. Our older daughter (three months pregnant) was exhausted from the long walk and when we found what looked like a safe place to stop for a rest, we told the rest of the group to go on without us. They were gone a while...and my husband and our younger daughter jumped into the pools and were refreshed by the water. Back at the entrance hut, we ate fresh bananas and started our LONG walk back. During the walk we heard the unmistakable sounds of gun fire nearby…our older daughter definitely was disturbed by this. Part of the way along, we stopped and Jerry asked if everyone wanted to eat at a beach restaurant. I asked what we were allowed to order since we had paid for a lunch as part of our tour, and it was then discovered that we were the only ones who had paid for this. We had booked on the Internet and the others had reserved their tours at the cruise terminal that morning. By the way, each of them paid 35 while we paid 69 each. He said the lunch would have to be back in Livingston and the rest of our group wanted to eat in town, also, since the restaurant was serving only American-style cuisine. Our girls were a bit hungry and I gave Jerry a dollar to buy some chips for us at a road-side stand. For one dollar, we were able to get 6 bags of chips! Everywhere we went, the native people stared at us; they didn’t seem overly friendly, except for the small children. On the taxi ride (yes, again, standing in the back of a Toyota truck) back to Livingston, Jerry offered to add lunch to anyone else’s day for $10, but they all opted to eat elsewhere. I was doing the math, and I was a bit irritated that we had gotten the same excursion that everyone else had for double the price…but anyway, we ate a delicious lunch at Gus’ restaurant that included rice, potato salad, shrimp, and fried fish. Then we walked (with Jerry) back to the boat launch and waited to board a boat that would take us back to the ship. My husband had accidentally left a ship’s towel on a different boat earlier, but the captain had held it for him, which was very nice. As we waited, we were watched by men in a boat who were wearing black and carrying weapons. The boat ride back to the ship was pretty rough and one of the passengers got a big scrape on her arm and a bruised tail bone as we bounced along. We spent some money back in the shopping area at the cruise terminal and the people were very willing to barter here. I especially appreciated the beaded items that were available here and wished I had brought more money with me to spend on souvenirs. Part of the reason I chose this cruise was so that we could visit Guatemala. Now that we have seen it, we don’t plan to visit there again.

 

Anyway, you will do much better by waiting to book at the terminal. In our case, we could have saved half of our money.

[gidgetglam]

I have to agree with your review Susan. We were just there last week and had much the same experience.... down to the 'taxi'. Same guide too. The walk up the waterfall was intense. He had us change into our water shoes before the climb but with the rugged terrain I would have preferred my gym shoes. I wound up twisting an ankle. The waterfalls were nice but not what we had expected. (Northern Michigan affords better!)

 

We also booked online and I've had problems with my deposit being 'lost in the mail'. As a result we were asked to pay the full amount in cash that day ($150) and hadn't brought that much (we prefer to carry little cash in unfamiliar ports). Gus was nice and said we could mail the rest... but I want to know what happened to my deposit. Thankfully the payment was to be on my credit card, so I haven not been charged yet. But we were also frustrated by the cost being reduced by 40% at the port.

 

Our lunch was cold. I don't eat sea food and they brought me chicken that was cold. In fact all of it was. I told them I had a stomach ache and sent it back. (Which I did develop later after the bumpy boat ride back to the port!)

 

Of all our excursions, I was least impressed with this one. Though those who went on the humanitarian tour really enjoyed it. Gus was a really great guy but I wouldn't recommend this particular tour.

[sloney]

Hi Everyone,

 

We just returned from our cruise and one of the highlights was the Go with Gus tour to Pacaya Volcano. I had contacted Gus via email before we left but didn't send a deposit in to secure our spot. (see me original post) Regardless of this, Go with Gus had our names down on a board and we were met and joined our tour. We were very impressed! The hike was very challenging but it was worth the effort. Go with gus tours are far superior to anything you can book from the ship. Our tablemates were astounded by our experiences when we returned and shared a recap of our day.

 

The only issue we had on our tour had to do with another tourist. One of our shipmates got a sick on the way up the mountain after driving 1 1/2 hours away from the ship. She demanded to be taken back to the ship immediately. I though her request was unreasonable as it interfered with the schedule for the rest of us, but the Go with Gus people complied and took her back, at considerable cost.

 

I highly recommend their tours!

 

Susan

[red lobster]

We went to Guatemala last April and did a tour there at the pier, same problem everyone else experienced with waiting for them to fill up the little boat that was our transportation. The part that really made me mad was that they kept telling us that we would be leaving on the next boat, there were at least 4 other boats that came in and loaded up in front of us. The next thing that upset us is that when we were in Livingston our guide took us to a resturant that he ate for free at and they took almost an hour to make the food, we felt so nervous about getting back to the ship on time. I will not book at the pier again, I will either stay on the ship or do a tour thru NCL this year. FYI the little boats they take you on were very rough the day we went the weather was was not very good and we were at the pier with only a few minutes to spare, I am too much of a worry wart to do that again.

[Gobigal]

We went on the Rio Dulce Humanitarian Trip with Gus a couple of weeks ago- we had paid for just the Rio Dulce trip- but once we got there we all got thrown in the same boat and got the Humanitarian Trip for a lower price... the prices at the port were a little cheaper, but not by a half. We paid Gus the deposit by check before we left, and i brought a photocopy of it just in case, but Gus knew what was up and did not lose track of it. We paid the remainder in cash at the port.

 

I think if you are doing a popular tour like Rio Dulce it is fine to wait and book it at the port. If you are not, it pays to book in advance. We had a great time with Gus and Gerry- we would go with them again in a heartbeat, we felt safe and got a lot for our money on the excursion.

[World Juggler]

We booked the Antigua City tour at the pier in Puerto Quetzal without any problems, and found it cheaper that what's listed on his web site. We paid $50 pp for a full day tour that visited a fruit stand, macademia nut plantation (were we got complementary facials), an artisan village/coffee farm, a butterfly farm and historic sites in Antigua. Lunch was not included in the price, so you can opt to stop and order what you want or bring snacks.

 

We did not have Gus himself as our guide, but did meet him at the macadamia nut place. It was a comprehensive tour, but our guide was not as familiar with as much of the history as I suspect Gus is. So, if it is important to you to have Gus as your guide or you want the humanitarian tour, it might make sense to book ahead. Reserving at the pier, however, worked great for us.

[stiej]

We were interested in the Go With Gus Humanitarian tour but they wanted 50% now sent via money order. I was a little uncomfortable with that. Would we (family of 4, kids 9 and 6) be able to get on this tour at the pier or should I go ahead and send it? Thanks!

[susanNjay]

My guess is that you will be able to book at the cruise terminal on the day you dock in Guatemala...and for a savings over what you would have paid by booking now.

Guatemala is a beautiful country. If we ever go there on another cruise, we will shop in the terminal area only. They have awesomely beautiful beaded items there and some really delicious coffee.

--Susan

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

There is really no savings if you book at the pier. Just with Gus last week and since our group was > 10 we got the rate of $99 versus $119 that he quoted but this included lunch (Colonial Antigua Tour). People we met booked him on the pier and paid the $99 but it did not include the lunch.

[tbmrt]

We will be in Guatemala from 11:00 AM to 7:00PM in October.

 

I've read that Gus is the guy to take your tour with, but have a few questions.

 

-Considering the number of ships being in port, etc., I can't imagine how Gus accompanies so many tours himself since I've read the tours are 5 or 6 hours.

How does this work? I'd hate to look forward to having Gus himself and then have a tour guide who wasn't as nice and knowledgable.

 

We took other private tours in the past and never got the person who was so highly recommended on the CC boards.

 

 

 

-Due to our 11 - 7PM times and the length of the humanitarian tour, I wonder if this tour would be feasible for us?

[Nebr.cruiser]

I've lost track of how long the humanitarian tour is, but I'd be a little worried about your time frame just due to all the possibilities for delay.

 

We didn't use Go With Gus--see my previous post--went to Antigua, and got back to the ship in plenty of time. But, a ship's tour had significant problems (we heard that their bus broke down and then a replacement bus broke down) and we sailed almost two hours late--as the people got off the bus the literally were raising the gangplank as the last person boarded.

 

The good news is that it was a ship tour and they waited. But, in Guatemala, many things can go wrong and I would like a good hour or more buffer on time returning to the ship.

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

Go With Gus has many different tours and Gus can only be with one van as a guide and we were fortunate to have him because he was great. We met up with the other 2 vans that were part of the Colonial Antigua Tour as we stopped at the different spots.

Our tour though did take the whole day. We were picked up just after 9am and had to be on board by 6:30 pm. We made it back at 5:50 pm which is cutting it close for my liking.

I do not know how long your Humanitarian Tour is but give yourself a 1.5 to 2 hour buffer for the unexpected.

 

We will be in Guatemala from 11:00 AM to 7:00PM in October.

 

I've read that Gus is the guy to take your tour with, but have a few questions.

 

-Considering the number of ships being in port, etc., I can't imagine how Gus accompanies so many tours himself since I've read the tours are 5 or 6 hours.

How does this work? I'd hate to look forward to having Gus himself and then have a tour guide who wasn't as nice and knowledgable.

 

We took other private tours in the past and never got the person who was so highly recommended on the CC boards.

 

 

 

-Due to our 11 - 7PM times and the length of the humanitarian tour, I wonder if this tour would be feasible for us?

[susanNjay]

From what I understand, if you want Gus as your guide, you have to reserve and pay in advance.

The day we were there, the NCL Spirit was the only ship in port.

I would imagine that you could ask Gus (via email) about your time issue. He will know if there is enough time and which tours he would have enough time to do. I am pretty sure he would do whatever he could to get you back to the ship on time, but there is always the unexpected that could come up...and of all the ports that I would not want to get left in, I think Guatemala would top the list. My mother in law and her husband did the ship's tour of the ruins and had a great time, plus we didn't have to worrry about them possibly missing the ship.

Have a great day!

--Susan

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

Gus is well aware of the time issue. The only thing that concerned me was that he was not allowing for the unexpected on the way back from Antigua + we were heading back at rush hour. 40 minutes to spare without the unexpected is too close for my comfort.

I know we had to send 50% as a down payment and the lady in charge did ask for him as our guide but I do not think you can count on that. If we got 10 or more to go along he dropped the price from $119 to $99 pp which happened in our case.

 

From what I understand, if you want Gus as your guide, you have to reserve and pay in advance.

The day we were there, the NCL Spirit was the only ship in port.

I would imagine that you could ask Gus (via email) about your time issue. He will know if there is enough time and which tours he would have enough time to do. I am pretty sure he would do whatever he could to get you back to the ship on time, but there is always the unexpected that could come up...and of all the ports that I would not want to get left in, I think Guatemala would top the list. My mother in law and her husband did the ship's tour of the ruins and had a great time, plus we didn't have to worrry about them possibly missing the ship.

 

Have a great day!

--Susan

[casavaha]

We will be on the Statendam in December of this year. After reading these posts, I

think booking at the pier is the way to go. I just want to go to Antigua. I find most

of these guides want to take americans to fast food places.

 

I like good local fare, where the locals go. Since we have such little time, eating is

a waste of time. I will take something from the ship .

[susanNjay]

I don't think you will have a problem avoiding "fast food" places...in Livingston we didn't see a single fast food restaurant...

Gus probably has a local restaurant that he uses for the tours...we ate at Gus' restaurant in Livingston and the food was good.

--Susan