Royston's response to e-mails

[nanlyn]

I e-mailed Royston 2 days ago and still haven't heard anything from him. Is this typical, or should I resend the e-mail? Should I be more patient?

[paul58]

Be more patient.

[Zeno]

I e-mailed Royston 2 days ago and still haven't heard anything from him. Is this typical, or should I resend the e-mail? Should I be more patient?

 

What email address are you using

?

[nanlyn]

The email address I have is roystontours@hotmail.com. Is this correct?

[styxscottii]

I e-mailed Royston 2 days ago and still haven't heard anything from him. Is this typical, or should I resend the e-mail? Should I be more patient?

We had tried to set up a tour with Royston for the 1st of this month. I thought we had everything worked out, however I discovered that we had not set up a meeting place or time for our tour. I emailed him two weeks before our cruise asking him for the information we needed to meet. I never got a reply back until we were already at sea and didn't access email until we got back. As your can probably guess, we never did get our tour from him.

Scott

[nanlyn]

That's baffling, considering the great reviews he gets on these boards. Did he give you an explanation? Now I'm having second thoughts!

[styxscottii]

Not a very good one. Just that he was sorry it took him so long. He said he waited for us, but not knowing where or when to meet, we didn't even try and wonder around to find him. I agree his reviews are good, that is why we wanted to use him. However I would use someone else if we ever get back to the island.

Scott and Kathy

[Zeno]

That's baffling, considering the great reviews he gets on these boards. Did he give you an explanation? Now I'm having second thoughts!

 

We had no problems at all but we mentioned all pertinant info right away - like times including arrival etc. He told us well in advance where he would be and he was there. We also confirmed our booking two weeks before the date.

 

BTW - Internet service on the islands and in remote parts of Mexico (like Costa Maya) can be spotty. I mention this because although we had no problems of any significance with Royston (longest wait for a reply was two days), we had major communications problems on another cruise with a VERY reputable tour group in Costa Maya (It turned out there was only ONE service provider and they had virtually closed up for a vacation, leaving all their customers helpless). Does Royston have internet problems? - I have no idea but I think it bears mentioning that it is possible. These places are NOT like North America in terms of internet etc reliability.

 

BTW - the internet address does look correct - roystontours@hotmail.com

[WB9DQU]

We had no problems at all but we mentioned all pertinant info right away - like times including arrival etc. He told us well in advance where he would be and he was there. We also confirmed our booking two weeks before the date.

 

BTW - Internet service on the islands and in remote parts of Mexico (like Costa Maya) can be spotty. I mention this because although we had no problems of any significance with Royston (longest wait for a reply was two days), we had major communications problems on another cruise with a VERY reputable tour group in Costa Maya (It turned out there was only ONE service provider and they had virtually closed up for a vacation, leaving all their customers helpless). Does Royston have internet problems? - I have no idea but I think it bears mentioning that it is possible. These places are NOT like North America in terms of internet etc reliability.

 

BTW - the internet address does look correct - roystontours@hotmail.com

 

I just got an EMAIL from him this morning. I have him booked for the day Friday 3/26. He is a great guy.:) I have over 20 EMAILS and got to know him.

I'm doing a 3 beach snorkel tour. St. Friars,Whithouse and Cockleshell.

His cell is 869 663-4529

If there is anything I can do let me know. He meets you with a sign and will wear a yellow shirt. We are meeting 15 minutes after getting off the Ship.

Richard WB9DQU@COMCAST.NET

[Zeno]

I just got an EMAIL from him this morning. I have him booked for the day Friday 3/26. He is a great guy.:) I have over 20 EMAILS and got to know him.

I'm doing a 3 beach snorkel tour. St. Friars,Whithouse and Cockleshell.

His cell is 869 663-4529

If there is anything I can do let me know. He meets you with a sign and will wear a yellow shirt. We are meeting 15 minutes after getting off the Ship.

Richard WB9DQU@COMCAST.NET

 

I am sure you will have a great time!

[winewanderer]

I just got an EMAIL from him this morning. I have him booked for the day Friday 3/26. He is a great guy.:) I have over 20 EMAILS and got to know him.

I'm doing a 3 beach snorkel tour. St. Friars,Whithouse and Cockleshell.

His cell is 869 663-4529

If there is anything I can do let me know. He meets you with a sign and will wear a yellow shirt. We are meeting 15 minutes after getting off the Ship.

Richard WB9DQU@COMCAST.NET

 

Do you mind sharing the cost of this snorkel tour?

 

Hubby and I want to snorkel on St. Kitts in April and will have our gear but I don't want a full day tour, 3 hours would be great.

 

Thanks, Diana

[nanlyn]

I did get a response e-mail from Royston last night! I guess I was not patient enough. So we are all set!

[Zeno]

I did get a response e-mail from Royston last night! I guess I was not patient enough. So we are all set!

 

great!

A couple of things:

1. Do not be put off by his van - it works just fine but it isn't brand new and it isn't air-conditioned. He pops out the windows which makes for great picture taking and we found the van quite comfortable with all the breezes blowing through. Because it isn't new, he doesn't care if you get sand into it or wear wet bathing suits.

2. He is a very skilled careful, polite, driver.

3..He has a cooler with fruit juices, soft drinks and beer - included in your tour. He will stop to pick up roti for a lunch snack (also included) - the chicken roti is delicious!

4. He will customize the tour to YOUR wants but will also make suggestions.

5. He pays the admission at Brimstone Hill.

6. He wants you to have a good day - so don't hesitate to tell him what you want.

7. Wave to his father when you pass his shop!

 

When we first saw the van, our friend was a little put off and nervous BUT by the end of the day, she was telling me that it was the best tour we had ever taken.

[vervet]

Royston is a top-notch guide. I would also encourage anyone reading these posts not to be discouraged or frustrated when they don't get immediate responses to their e-mails. He is out doing tours, not sitting behind his lap-top. Not to mention the fact that any number of other things happen in the caribbean that can affect the effectiveness and efficiency of technology.

[nanlyn]

Zeno,

 

Thanks for all of your input. I really appreciate it and we're looking forward to a great day with Royston.

[styxscottii]

Hope you have a great tour with Royston. He probably is very good, however I am only trying to report on our experience with him.

 

RE: Tour 1 March 2010‏

From: <img id="P___936143052" webimdisplaystyle="inline" style="display: none;"> Scott) Sent: Fri 3/05/10 10:01 AM To: roystontours@hotmail.com

.ExternalClass .ecxhmmessage P {padding:0px;} .ExternalClass body.ecxhmmessage {font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;} Royston:

I was hoping to get an email from your before we left. However, you replied on the 24th and we

left on the 23rd. Had no access to my email after that point.

We would have liked to tour with you, but had no way of knowing when or where, We ended up

staying on the ship most of the day with a little shopping at the stores right as we got off the boat.

Hopefully if we get back to your island we can arrange a tour with a meeting time and place.

Scott

 

 

From: roystontours@hotmail.com

To: @hotmail.com

Subject: RE: Tour 1 March 2010

Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:34:32 +0000 on the

 

.ExternalClass .ecxhmmessage P {padding:0px;} .ExternalClass body.ecxhmmessage {font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;}

I'm still here.

 

this is how to meet me.. as you get on the port you go through a big open building and I would be on the other side facing you with a sign of my name and wearing a yellow shirt. and my cell is 869 663-4529 you can take just in case. a lady at the reception building would make a call for you. meet me soon after they let people off the ship.

 

thanks

Royston

 

 

 

From: @hotmail.com

To: roystontours@hotmail.com

Subject: RE: Tour 1 March 2010

Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:32:45 -0800

 

.ExternalClass .ecxhmmessage P {padding:0px;} .ExternalClass body.ecxhmmessage {font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;} Royston:

 

Looking forward to seeing you in less than 2 weeks.

In looking through my emails, I don't see any instructions on where

and when we are to meet you. Can you please let us know.

 

Scott

[CathyK2]

Scott, Like you, we had a similar experience. I had been told that Royston was busy but that he had someone named Ashton that would take us on this tour. He was very prompt in getting back to me with all my questions and we booked the tour. Royston said he and Ashton would both be at the pier. We were one of the first to get off, so I don't think he left without us. We wandered around and came back and still no sign of the yellow shirts and sign as he had said would be there. As it turned out, we had several people approaching us and offering to take us on a tour, but we kept saying we had something lined up. When he never seemed to show, we found that someone would take us around for half of what Royston was charging. No, we didn't get the lunch but we did get to all we wanted to see and I guess you have to be flexible in situations like this. He had given us a phone number if he wasn't there??????? By this point, we figured we would just go.

 

I'm sure he and his partners are very good if they show up, but the only yellow we saw that day was a woman wearing a yellow blouse. I obviously can't comment on his tour but had originally booked it due to the good revues. I'm just saying that for some reason, he wasn't there last week on the day that the Celebrity Summit docked. <sigh>

 

Cathy

[Zeno]

We were one of the first to get off, so I don't think he left without us. We wandered around and came back and still no sign of the yellow shirts and sign as he had said would be there.

 

I am just guessing here but I think the "wandering around" rather than staying in one spot just on the "port" side of the open air building may have been a mistake. I am also surprised that you did not agree on a specific time to meet him at (once again guessing about this). I know we made a point of being very specific at what time we would be there and we described ourselves. He actually saw us before we saw him and waved (He was wearing the yellow shirt and carrying a sign but there were LOTS of people around - so we really did not see him until he waved.)

 

I am glad you had a good tour anyway.

[CathyK2]

Zeno,

 

Since we have cruised all over the world, I really wasn't concerned that this was the first time we had something like this happen and we roll with anything and make the best of it. I only mentioned that in all of our cruising and booking private tours ALWAYS (we don't do ship tours)...all over the world, this was the first time I had ever had this happen.

 

As far as not setting up an exact time....I always copy out all correspondences and take them with me on the day we are meeting our private guides. We read it over as we were waiting and it said that they would be waiting for us when we got off the ship in yellow shirts with their name. To me....I have never felt a need to ask them to give me the exact time if they say they will be there and as I have said, we have booked several hundred in the past and never had this issue. Yes, some will give you time and more detail but I accept them at face value and find that most come through. Maybe it was a fluke, maybe not. I ONLY mentioned it since someone else had had a similar problem and wanted to say he wasn't the only one.

 

As far as "wandering off"....we waited for 20 ish minutes and then wandered in that plazza that is very opened. We could always see where the people with their tour cards were standing, so it wasn't like we took off into town and couldn't still see this area. Hanging around just waiting was having too many tour operators trying to sell us more and so we decided to walk IN THE AREA to make it look like we knew what we were doing. We did go back when we saw Yellow but found it to be a woman that was a passenger.

 

I am not criticizing their operation. There are too many people that have had positive experiences and sometimes things come up that just aren't planned and there would be no way to get word to us. So after an hour, since the emails said they would be there when we got off and there were a LOT of tours with names standing their with their signs.... we were not going to spend the entire day waiting, so we started listening to what others had to offer after we had been off the ship for an hour. When someone said they could take us to all the places that were listed in my email from Royston for half the price less lunch, we decided it was best to grab that and not keep waiting for something that may not happen. If we were wrong to do that, so be it, but we are off the ship for set amount of time and when someone says they will be there when you are able to get off the ship....we take it as such. Perhaps I could also blame it on the fact that we booked this cruise only 10 days before the sailing and scrambled fast and hard to get all tours booked. This was the only port we had trouble with. I"m honestly not a negative person and you could read any of my past posts here to see that we can turn any situation around to be good. I'm sure there was a very good reason why Royston/Ashton didn't show that day, but we don't know what it may have been so I can't make comment other than to say they were "no shows". Perhaps their tour would have been better than what we took, but I don't look back on things like this and we had a positive experience, so all worked out.

 

In no way do I want others thinking that they shouldn't book with Royston/Ashton. The reviews are wonderful. We had the fluke experience but that doesn't mean I won't mention it.

 

Cathy

[Zeno]

CathyK2:

 

Thx for being so gracious about replying to my comments and clarifying some things - I hope you did not think I was being critical. He is just such a responsible person that I assumed that there had to be some confusion. Maybe he thought your ship was getting in later?

 

I guess I am just paranoid about arranging tours but I always have exact details about meeting times, places, what we look like, what the tour person looks like. I have never had an experience like yours but maybe I am just lucky?

 

We nearly missed a tour guide twice because our ship docked at different docks than originally planned (luckily not a problem in st Kitt's). In one instance the tour guide found us because a friend had noticed our ship at the different dock and in another we went searching for the guide and asked locals where he could be and found him. (He had been looking for us at the original dock).

 

Whatever happened I hope it does not happen to you again - good luck with all your tours!