Capitan Bob Cass

[SissasMomE]

Does Captain Bob's tour stop at Maho? Like does he dock and do you get off the boat or do you just watch from the water.

 

Are there any beach stops on the excursion or just snorkeling right off the boat?

 

You snorkle off the boat with the exception of Pinel Island (where you have your lunch). That is a beach.

 

Maho - he stops the boat in the water pretty close to the shore so you can watch the planes land (if there are any).

[SissasMomE]

Also I have just read that all the drinks are provided on the boat but not for lunch? Did you hear the same? Do you know what would be offered for lunch, soda water and alcoholic beverages? Also does he resume free drinks back on the boat after lunch, do you know?

 

You need to buy your drinks at lunch on Pinel Island. It is a full bar. It is a full bar, so you can order what you wish. Everything is included on the boat.

[theampres]

which ship are you on that does not adjust to local time in st maarten? wouldn't be a problem with making it back to ship on return, but might make a difference getting to capt bob's dock for tour departure. from what I understand, IF there is a difference, would be LT 1 hour earlier than ET. guess it might depend where your ship is coming from -?? important info to know!

 

our booking w/capt bob is coming up in a couple of weeks. I confirmed today that Celebrity ships adjust to LT in all Caribbean ports.

 

anyone just returned from having done capt bob's tour? any new reviews? would be most interested, esp. if you go out with more than 1 boat. would like to hear if 2 boats do same route/same things/same stops, as earlier post says 2nd boat did not...

[gschwartz001]

We just got back from our Christmas cruise and went on tour with Captain Bob - although he had two boats out that day so we were with a different captain. Captain Bob emailed us a few days prior and informed us of later departure time due to a conflict. We called him and confirmed we were fine with change.

 

Our boat was almost identical to the one used by Captain Bob and our captain was great. There were beers, water and soda and they were plentiful for the entire tour. My husband and other passengers took beers from the boat to the beach for lunch - but there was a bar available to buy drinks as well and they were reasonably priced at the restaurant. The food was excellent - made to order barbeque with rice or fries, salad. I am a picky eater and even I thought it was good.

 

We followed the other boat on the same itinerary - when we arrived at stops the other boat was leaving - they were about a half hour ahead of us.

 

We had a fantastic time - we have been to St Maarten many times and this by far our favorite snorkel excursion. In fact, I just rebooked for July when we are there on the Allure.

 

We were on the Gem and our ship adjusted to local time for all the ports which was one hour later. We had no problem getting to the tour or getting back on time - we just made sure the captain knew our ship schedule and they accomodated. It was a 10 minute walk at the most from the cruise ship pier.

[VaCruzers]

My family too booked Capt. Bob through Souiglaliiliaaa :p or however you spell it b/c of the excellent reviews. However, I think we are the only ones who didn't get what we expected. The obvious being we didn't get Capt. Bob. We were on the slow boat with Junior. We also had a deck hand that Capt. Bob didn't even know as he was introduced to him by Junior. Has anyone else heard of this. We didn't go thru the bay to cut through. We went all the way around. We didn't go to Pinel island and we stopped at Maho Beach at 9:30 ish a.m. No planes that early. There was also confusion about time. When I stated we get in at 8 a.m. I was suppose to let him know that was ship time. He wanted to know why we were late. You can see the ships come in so I figured he knew when we arrived and why we were late as he said.

 

I will agree that he has extraordinary email edicate. I did learn that he doesn't own those fast pirate boats. He rents or uses them thru the boat owner.

 

I guess I was just meant to be on the slow boat and our day was still great. I would actually say I would probably give him another try.

 

The lunch was awesome and so was the snorkel stops.

 

You are NOT the only ones who didn't get what was expected. I posted a review on Tripadvisor, but it is copied below as well.

 

I booked with Captain Bob through Soualiga Destinations. As our trip approached, he later emailed that he was being forced to use his vacation time and would not be our captain, but we would have Tyrell. As it turns out, it seems we were transferred to Pirate Tours. Maybe this is the same business operating under both names, but I am not sure. We did get some history and information, but the details were limited and the presentation seemed very "canned". Although there were multiple snorkel stops, the snorkel gear was dumped back into a box and not sanitized between each use, so after the first stop, our snorkeling was over. If we had been advised to keep track of our gear, it would have been fine, but shared snorkel gear is not acceptable. Lunch was fantastic although we were told it was not at their usual stop as that restaurant was closed. We were seated at the rear of the boat and had to serve as bartenders as both coolers were located there and had to move to allow each passenger to exit/enter the boat at every stop, whether we were exiting or not. The itinerary did include most of the advertised components, but it was not a repeatable experience for us. Also, Captain Tyrell mentioned several times that he was headed to the US on Thursday for his vacation, so maybe he was just in need of one, contributing to our lackluster experience.

[smileyfacedeb]

one of our stops will be in St Maarten. Has anyone used Captain Bob for your excursion. How was it? what did you do, and the cost?

 

We are going next week and have a land tour booked through Capt Bob. Will let you know after we return on the 18th

[Jiffymom]

How much actual beach time do you get. I want to enjoy the nice beach not just snorkel

[VaCruzers]

How much actual beach time do you get. I want to enjoy the nice beach not just snorkel

 

Not sure if it is the norm, but we had no beach time other than while waiting for lunch to be served, about 15 mins, but the beach was not one I would have otherwise visited.

[rad798]

My wife and I just did a Bob Cass excursion on Christmas Day 2012. Well actually it seems we were "sold off" to another group. We made our reservations on 10/29/2012. I have to say Bob is great when responding to e-mail. Although, it seems he had a hard time getting someone to work Christmas Day. I totally expected this and asked if it would be a problem on the first e-mail. He replied that Christmas is when they work hardest for everyone. He did reply back several times changing the departure time which was no big deal. I did ask if he would be our Captain and he said he did not make the decisions. Hmm

 

Well, Christmas Day came and we met Bob at the dock. He seemed like a great guy. Then we found out we were waiting for another boat. The 2 pirate boats were sitting at dock but we were waiting for the "slow boat" to arrive. It was late. Finally, it came and we loaded on the boat with 15 others. Hmm, I thought the limit was 13 not 17. No big deal though.

 

The boat speed is a big deal though. This boat is probably 2 to 3 times slower than the pirate boats. Meaning more time traveling on the boat and less time in the water or snorkling. The guys (had on tango cruise shirts) on the boat were nice till I brought up the itinerary we were doing did not match what Bob had told me by e-mail. When I asked about lunch at Pinel Island, he said they have never had lunch at Pinel. I told him that is not what Bob said in the e-mail. He said he did not know about that. Then I said I had read on trip advisor about the rave reviews of the lunch at Pinel. He said oh maybe several years ago they might of had lunch at Pinel. If I wanted to go now, we could go but I would have to pay for everyones lunch. He really tried to make me look like a goat to everyone else. I knew he would just keep lying so I just shut up then.

 

We went to 3 spots to snorkel. One spot was really good, the other two were really bad. Actually, the lunch was really good, and the beer was only 2 dollars there. You only had to buy drinks at lunch, all the drinks while on the boat were free. The stop at Maho was a joke. We stopped at 10:30 in the morning. Any experience tour operator knows that most planes come in from 2 to 4 at Maho. Of course we saw no planes.

 

The real issue, other than the guy lying and trying to make me look bad in front of everyone, were some safety issues. Luckily, we had our own snorkel equipment. The snorkels they gave out were stored underneath the floor in a black mold laden container. I do not think they have ever been washed. Pretty Disgusting! I think this was the first mates first time on a boat. He had no idea on how to throw the anchor out. While many more safety issues were apparent, I will share just one more biggie. The captain started the boat and put it in reverse to free the anchor while 3 kids were still right behind the boat. I yelled real quick for him to stop which he said "oh no big deal".

 

My wife and I usually give a tip from 20 to 100 dollars on every excursion we go on. This is the first time we have EVER stiffed a tour guide. The verbal exchange and lies were just too much to overlook. If he would of just said see Bob about this, it would of been a lot better day.

 

Out of nine excursions we took on our 2 week vacation, this was by far the worst one. To be fair, we had been spoiled by the best catamaran trip ever in Barbados on Calyso Cruises. I wonder if the REAL Bob Cass can even compare to them. Also, the group of 15 seemed to have a great time on the boat. Then again they had been cooped up on a boat from Florida for 2 days with very cold winds. I think they would of been happy in the Salt Pond on a raft if they had free booze.

 

Well, we did write Bob about our disappointment and that we thought it was a bait and switch. He did very promptly write back and apologize. He then really surprised me and sent a FULL REFUND. We were not looking for this but then again our Christmas Day was basically ruined.

 

Last of all, you really need to ask Bob what boat and guide you are getting. During the peak season, it seems he might sell your business to another tour operator. Well, ALL the RAVE reviews are for him and his other captain not for other operators.

If you get Bob, I think you really have a GREAT TIME. If he switches you be prepared for about a 50 dollar cruise at best.

[VaCruzers]

My wife and I just did a Bob Cass excursion on Christmas Day 2012. Well actually it seems we were "sold off" to another group. We made our reservations on 10/29/2012. I have to say Bob is great when responding to e-mail. Although, it seems he had a hard time getting someone to work Christmas Day. I totally expected this and asked if it would be a problem on the first e-mail. He replied that Christmas is when they work hardest for everyone. He did reply back several times changing the departure time which was no big deal. I did ask if he would be our Captain and he said he did not make the decisions. Hmm

 

Well, Christmas Day came and we met Bob at the dock. He seemed like a great guy. Then we found out we were waiting for another boat. The 2 pirate boats were sitting at dock but we were waiting for the "slow boat" to arrive. It was late. Finally, it came and we loaded on the boat with 15 others. Hmm, I thought the limit was 13 not 17. No big deal though.

 

The boat speed is a big deal though. This boat is probably 2 to 3 times slower than the pirate boats. Meaning more time traveling on the boat and less time in the water or snorkling. The guys (had on tango cruise shirts) on the boat were nice till I brought up the itinerary we were doing did not match what Bob had told me by e-mail. When I asked about lunch at Pinel Island, he said they have never had lunch at Pinel. I told him that is not what Bob said in the e-mail. He said he did not know about that. Then I said I had read on trip advisor about the rave reviews of the lunch at Pinel. He said oh maybe several years ago they might of had lunch at Pinel. If I wanted to go now, we could go but I would have to pay for everyones lunch. He really tried to make me look like a goat to everyone else. I knew he would just keep lying so I just shut up then.

 

We went to 3 spots to snorkel. One spot was really good, the other two were really bad. Actually, the lunch was really good, and the beer was only 2 dollars there. You only had to buy drinks at lunch, all the drinks while on the boat were free. The stop at Maho was a joke. We stopped at 10:30 in the morning. Any experience tour operator knows that most planes come in from 2 to 4 at Maho. Of course we saw no planes.

 

The real issue, other than the guy lying and trying to make me look bad in front of everyone, were some safety issues. Luckily, we had our own snorkel equipment. The snorkels they gave out were stored underneath the floor in a black mold laden container. I do not think they have ever been washed. Pretty Disgusting! I think this was the first mates first time on a boat. He had no idea on how to throw the anchor out. While many more safety issues were apparent, I will share just one more biggie. The captain started the boat and put it in reverse to free the anchor while 3 kids were still right behind the boat. I yelled real quick for him to stop which he said "oh no big deal".

 

My wife and I usually give a tip from 20 to 100 dollars on every excursion we go on. This is the first time we have EVER stiffed a tour guide. The verbal exchange and lies were just too much to overlook. If he would of just said see Bob about this, it would of been a lot better day.

 

Out of nine excursions we took on our 2 week vacation, this was by far the worst one. To be fair, we had been spoiled by the best catamaran trip ever in Barbados on Calyso Cruises. I wonder if the REAL Bob Cass can even compare to them. Also, the group of 15 seemed to have a great time on the boat. Then again they had been cooped up on a boat from Florida for 2 days with very cold winds. I think they would of been happy in the Salt Pond on a raft if they had free booze.

 

Well, we did write Bob about our disappointment and that we thought it was a bait and switch. He did very promptly write back and apologize. He then really surprised me and sent a FULL REFUND. We were not looking for this but then again our Christmas Day was basically ruined.

 

Last of all, you really need to ask Bob what boat and guide you are getting. During the peak season, it seems he might sell your business to another tour operator. Well, ALL the RAVE reviews are for him and his other captain not for other operators.

If you get Bob, I think you really have a GREAT TIME. If he switches you be prepared for about a 50 dollar cruise at best.

 

I hope you will post this review to Tripadvisor as well. We also had a disappointing experience booking with Capt. Bob (as noted above) and had relied heavily on the Tripadvisor reviews beforehand. I think those of us who didn't receive the experience described there owe it to others to tell our story. So sorry your day was ruined. I know how that feels :(

[SissasMomE]

We had a GREAT time with Captain Bob on our cruise last year. It was so good, that we booked again for this year. He gave TONS of information during our boat ride - our very fast boat ride. We did stop at Pinel Island for lunch, and the snorkle spots, as well as Maho Beach were all fantastic. All of the people in the group said this excursion easily was the highlight of the entire cruise.

 

As for passing sodas and beers to others, I did not find this a big deal at all. More like common courtesy, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion!

[2Canucks]

I have a question...

 

LUNCH at Pinel Island. Do they dock the boat or do you swim in?

 

My hubby doesn't swim so he stays onboard the boat when we do catarmaran/boat tours. It will be a "deal breaker" if he needs to swim in for lunch. How deep is it and how far into shore do you have to go?

 

Thank you for any info you can share with us.

 

Pat :)

[theampres]

I have a question...

 

LUNCH at Pinel Island. Do they dock the boat or do you swim in?

 

My hubby doesn't swim so he stays onboard the boat when we do catarmaran/boat tours. It will be a "deal breaker" if he needs to swim in for lunch. How deep is it and how far into shore do you have to go?

 

Thank you for any info you can share with us.

 

Pat :)

we will be taking Capt. Bob's tour in less than 2 weeks. Capt. Bob told me when I booked last week that lunch is no longer BBQ on Pinel Island. instead at cafe in Grand Case, at least for now. you should contact him and ask if this is a permanent change or just temporary. we are still scheduled to make a 'short stop' at Pinel, but I don't know if passengers will need to 'swim to' beach - I kinda doubt it, as boats are power boats, not sail/ catamarans. they probably can get in close to or at beach. don't know if Pinel has actual docking facilities or not. another question to ask Capt. Bob -- or if anyone has been on his tour since Jan. 1, would be interested in hearing about Pinel Island - did you go and what did you do there, just a beach stop? hope we make stop - heard it's a gorgeous beach, one of sxm's best!

 

I, too, would appreciate any feedback from recent visits. Thank you.

[SissasMomE]

I have a question...

 

LUNCH at Pinel Island. Do they dock the boat or do you swim in?

 

My hubby doesn't swim so he stays onboard the boat when we do catarmaran/boat tours. It will be a "deal breaker" if he needs to swim in for lunch. How deep is it and how far into shore do you have to go?

 

Thank you for any info you can share with us.

 

Pat :)

 

There is no dock. You walk in waist deep water to the beach.

[cruisegirl1]

We just took this tour New Year’s week. The excursion was beyond fantastic. We had several snorkeling stops, two beach stops ( one with lunch) a stop in the cove at Maho beach to catch a plane landing, great info of the fantastic yachts and beaches we passed and a few thrilling turns in the boat. Soft drinks, water and beer were provided during the excursion. Captain Bob was very accommodating to all the passengers

 

There are a few changes from recent posts, mostly regarding lunch. We did stop at Pinel Island, but did not have lunch there. At Pinel we had to get out of the back of the boat into 2’ or so of water and walk just a few feet to the beach. It was a lovely spot and we spent maybe 15 minutes there. We had lunch at a different beach a few minutes away. We anchored off the beach and had to SWIM to the beach, not far, but where we anchored the water was over our heads. We were able to relax and dry off prior to the delicious hot lunch of fish, chicken or ribs,. After lunch we swam back to the boat and off to another snorkeling spot.

 

We were off the Freedom and because we didn’t change to island time we tried to get off the ship somewhat early to be at his place on time. We had no problem and it was 10-15 minute walk. He got us back at 4 local time which was really 3 ship time so we had a few minutes to stroll around the pier shops. I am not sure what the other ship do regarding the time changes.

 

 

I’ll be happy to answer any other questions.

 

GREAT EXCURSION

Marci

[Lynne&Barry]

We are a group that are booked with Capt. Bob for March 2. After reading the negative reviews here we had some major concerns about this excursion.

 

I e-mailed Captain Bob this morning listing our concerns and citing the various issues that were posted here. He responded quickly and with a very in-depth, detailed report on each issue we were concerned about and the circumstances involved with them.

 

Needless to say, we are all looking forward to a great day in St. Maarten with Captain Bob!!!

[Stevestl]

We had a great experience with Capt. Bob. Below is the review I put on Tripadvisor:

We took an excursion with Capt. Bob on Thanksgiving 2012. It was great from start to finish! Capt. Bob was very personably and had a good sense of humor. The boat was well stocked with snorkeling gear and ice cold beverages. The stops we had were great – saw sea turtles and lots of colorful fish and coral. Capt. Bob gave great advice on what and where to look for things. We stopped at a wonderful beach town and had a fantastic lunch – much better than many meals we had on board our ship.

Capt. Bob clearly loves St. Martin and acts as a great ambassador to the island.

Would I go again: Absolutely!

Would I recommend Capt Bob to a friend: I already have and he had a great time too!

After taking this trip, my wife and I agreed that we needed to go back and spend some more time on St. Martin.

Thanks for a great experience Capt Bob!

----------

We sat at the back of the boat and yes, **gasp** had to pass drinks to people! Waters, beer and soda. I thought it was like the ball game and therefore no big deal.

 

We stopped at Pinel and got to walk around a bit, look through the shop, see the lizards and hang out on the beach. I wish we could have stayed longer, but don't know where I would have cut back. I would have guessed we spent at least a half hour there, maybe more.

 

As to lunch, we were able to wade in; didn't need to swim.

 

As to gear, it was all cleaned before use and he we retained the gear in btw. stops, so I had no issue in that regard.

 

If you have any questions, I would suggest also emailing Capt Bob - I found him very responsive to my emails.

 

I was on Freedom of the Seas which did not adjust to local time. Had no problem with the departure time or return time. We even had some time to visit the downtown which was very nice.

[SissasMomE]

We are a group that are booked with Capt. Bob for March 2. After reading the negative reviews here we had some major concerns about this excursion.

 

I e-mailed Captain Bob this morning listing our concerns and citing the various issues that were posted here. He responded quickly and with a very in-depth, detailed report on each issue we were concerned about and the circumstances involved with them.

 

Needless to say, we are all looking forward to a great day in St. Maarten with Captain Bob!!!

 

There honestly isn't anything to be concerned about. The way I understood it, one party was an hour late and the other knew before hand that they weren't going to be with Captain Bob. We were with him last year. As soon as we got home, we immediately booked again. It was the highlight of our whole cruise! You really won't be disappointed. I'd be very surprised if you were.

[Lynne&Barry]

Thanks Sissa! That is exactly the info the Captain gave me. unfortunately sometimes people give bad reviews but skip over some of the details. after my communication with him today I am totally comfortable with him and the excursion. additionally, I did not mention in my previous post that he offered to refund our deposit if we chose not to go which i thought was very nice. this trip will be awesome, I am certain!

[AllieMBee]

We just booked with Capt Bob for our stop in St Martin in February! Based on the majority of great reviews, I'm confident it will be a good time! This is our first time there so we want to make sure we see as much as possible. I'll be watching for reviews on here as our date grows closer. Can't wait!

[cruisin07family]

We just returned from the Epic and, unfortunately, our Capt. Bob excursion was cancelled due to high winds and waves. Capt. Bob met us at the dock and explained that it just would not be safe in those types of conditions and we wouldn't be able to see anything snorkeling in it. I was beyond disappointed as we booked this months ago and I hadn't researched any other things to do in St. Maarten. Capt. Bob stated he would refund my paypal deposit and his email showing my paypal refund was there the next day when we signed in from St. Thomas.

 

Should we get to St. Maarten again, we will definitely give Capt. Bob another shot. For those cruising in the winter months (unpredictable weather times), please explore other options for a back-up plan. We ended up catching a cab to Maho just to watch a few planes land and then headed back to the ship. Maho is not a great beach for swimming or sunbathing (in my opinion) and it was wall-to-wall people!

[SissasMomE]

We just returned from the Epic and, unfortunately, our Capt. Bob excursion was cancelled due to high winds and waves. Capt. Bob met us at the dock and explained that it just would not be safe in those types of conditions and we wouldn't be able to see anything snorkeling in it. I was beyond disappointed as we booked this months ago and I hadn't researched any other things to do in St. Maarten. Capt. Bob stated he would refund my paypal deposit and his email showing my paypal refund was there the next day when we signed in from St. Thomas.

 

Should we get to St. Maarten again, we will definitely give Capt. Bob another shot. For those cruising in the winter months (unpredictable weather times), please explore other options for a back-up plan. We ended up catching a cab to Maho just to watch a few planes land and then headed back to the ship. Maho is not a great beach for swimming or sunbathing (in my opinion) and it was wall-to-wall people!

 

December and January are so iffy in the caribbean. I really try to avoid those months cruising, if at all possible. Hopefully you will get to do the excursion next time. I'm really impressed that he puts safety over money. That says alot!

[FLA3BOYSMOM]

We booked Capt. Bob snorkel and boating excursion for Christmas Day 2012 in St. Maarten. Capt. Bob is very good about emailing details and explaining everything before you decide to book him. He explained to us very clearly that his 2 fast boats were booked and he would have to rent another boat and find crew to run the 3rd boat on Christmas Day. We are big boaters so we understood this. Capt. Bob communicated very effectively and after getting the boat and crew lined up, we booked the excursion for 13 in our group.

We had the best time!!! What a wonderful and fun way to spend Christmas Day in the islands, snorkeling and going to beaches and eating yummy island food and drinking rum punch!!! We met Capt. Bob at the dock and he greeted us and showed us the boat and introduced us to the capt. and mate. Off we went, the crew was extremely accomodating and we all laughed and had a blast!!! We went to several snorkeling places and several beaches. We stopped at a beach for lunch and Capt Bob arranges for your lunch to be prepared by a local restaurant. The food was sooooo good, fresh fish grilled or bbque ribs or chicken, rice and beans and salad- too much food to eat the whole plate. Beers are $2 at this restaurant or you could get drinks off the boat. :D

The boat was not as fast as the pirate boats but with such a big group, there were 18 of us on the boat, this boat was perfect. We went to Pinel island beach and spent about an hour there - some went to the little shop, some snorkeled. There is a restaurant there to get drinks if you wanted. Everyone seemed to have a good time except one couple that just sat on the boat and complained that they weren't with Capt Bob for the day. In life, you have to decide enjoy yourself and have fun, live is soo short for disappointment.

Overall, this was the best excursion that our group had on our cruise. I would book Capt Bob again. We never book any excursions through the cruiseline and used tripadvisor to find Capt. Bob. We are actually looking to stay in St. Maarten at a timeshare now as there are many areas to explore in this beautiful island. Give Capt. Bob a try - it is well worth it!!!!!:p

[MMsteffey]

My wife and I just did a Bob Cass excursion on Christmas Day 2012. Well actually it seems we were "sold off" to another group. We made our reservations on 10/29/2012. I have to say Bob is great when responding to e-mail. Although, it seems he had a hard time getting someone to work Christmas Day. I totally expected this and asked if it would be a problem on the first e-mail. He replied that Christmas is when they work hardest for everyone. He did reply back several times changing the departure time which was no big deal. I did ask if he would be our Captain and he said he did not make the decisions. Hmm

 

Well, Christmas Day came and we met Bob at the dock. He seemed like a great guy. Then we found out we were waiting for another boat. The 2 pirate boats were sitting at dock but we were waiting for the "slow boat" to arrive. It was late. Finally, it came and we loaded on the boat with 15 others. Hmm, I thought the limit was 13 not 17. No big deal though.

 

The boat speed is a big deal though. This boat is probably 2 to 3 times slower than the pirate boats. Meaning more time traveling on the boat and less time in the water or snorkling. The guys (had on tango cruise shirts) on the boat were nice till I brought up the itinerary we were doing did not match what Bob had told me by e-mail. When I asked about lunch at Pinel Island, he said they have never had lunch at Pinel. I told him that is not what Bob said in the e-mail. He said he did not know about that. Then I said I had read on trip advisor about the rave reviews of the lunch at Pinel. He said oh maybe several years ago they might of had lunch at Pinel. If I wanted to go now, we could go but I would have to pay for everyones lunch. He really tried to make me look like a goat to everyone else. I knew he would just keep lying so I just shut up then.

 

We went to 3 spots to snorkel. One spot was really good, the other two were really bad. Actually, the lunch was really good, and the beer was only 2 dollars there. You only had to buy drinks at lunch, all the drinks while on the boat were free. The stop at Maho was a joke. We stopped at 10:30 in the morning. Any experience tour operator knows that most planes come in from 2 to 4 at Maho. Of course we saw no planes.

 

The real issue, other than the guy lying and trying to make me look bad in front of everyone, were some safety issues. Luckily, we had our own snorkel equipment. The snorkels they gave out were stored underneath the floor in a black mold laden container. I do not think they have ever been washed. Pretty Disgusting! I think this was the first mates first time on a boat. He had no idea on how to throw the anchor out. While many more safety issues were apparent, I will share just one more biggie. The captain started the boat and put it in reverse to free the anchor while 3 kids were still right behind the boat. I yelled real quick for him to stop which he said "oh no big deal".

 

My wife and I usually give a tip from 20 to 100 dollars on every excursion we go on. This is the first time we have EVER stiffed a tour guide. The verbal exchange and lies were just too much to overlook. If he would of just said see Bob about this, it would of been a lot better day.

 

Out of nine excursions we took on our 2 week vacation, this was by far the worst one. To be fair, we had been spoiled by the best catamaran trip ever in Barbados on Calyso Cruises. I wonder if the REAL Bob Cass can even compare to them. Also, the group of 15 seemed to have a great time on the boat. Then again they had been cooped up on a boat from Florida for 2 days with very cold winds. I think they would of been happy in the Salt Pond on a raft if they had free booze.

 

Well, we did write Bob about our disappointment and that we thought it was a bait and switch. He did very promptly write back and apologize. He then really surprised me and sent a FULL REFUND. We were not looking for this but then again our Christmas Day was basically ruined.

 

Last of all, you really need to ask Bob what boat and guide you are getting. During the peak season, it seems he might sell your business to another tour operator. Well, ALL the RAVE reviews are for him and his other captain not for other operators.

If you get Bob, I think you really have a GREAT TIME. If he switches you be prepared for about a 50 dollar cruise at best.

 

Well, excuse me I was one of the people on this boat on this day who according to this poster would be "happy in the Salt Pond on a raft if they had free booze." Really? I was not drinking. You don't know me or anything about me and have no business saying that. I heard your conversation with the crew member. He explained to you very politely that they have not stopped for lunch at Pinel for a while because it was so expensive. He did not challenge you to pay for our lunch at Pinel. We enjoyed a quiet, freshly prepared lunch at a simple local restaurant. The other (yes, faster) boat arrived at that restaurant as we were leaving. You made a big deal out of nothing with the anchor handling and the reversing. There was no mold. The other family on the boat were professional charter boat operators and did not have any of your high maintenance, picky issues, either. I missed the lively island banter that other posters rave about, but the crew delivered us safely to all promised stops, and the snorkling was decent. Perhaps you should charter a private boat so you don't need to spend your day with what you perceive to be us ignorant cruise ship hicks. That crew was working on Christmas Day for your pleasure. Lucky you, getting your money back.

[Married-At-Sea]

We were on a New Years cruise on Independence of the Seas and had a great tour with Capt. Bob. Our ship changed to local time so initially some worry on making it back by 4:30 to the ship with a 4:00 tour return time. Capt. Bob made sure we got back on time with no worries-about a 10-15 min walk from marina to port. Had a great time although the seas were a bit rough so snorkeling less than ideal . Enjoyed our stop at Pinel Island @ 20 mins and did brief shopping in the gift shop. Our lunch was elsewhere but delicious. Ribs were a favorite of our table but I enjoyed the mahi mahi. We enjoyed the local berry colada which did cost extra. Otherwise the lunch, beer, soda and water were all included in the price. Had a snorkeling spot with lots of turtles but other spots not as good as normal with the rough seas limiting visibility. Stopped by Maho Beach to watch several jets land right over us in the water. Capt. Bob took great care of us and provided a wonderful time. There were 2 boats that day but the other boat followed basically the same stops and we all met at the same time for lunch.Felt like we got to see a lot of the island in a short amount of time. Just wish the weather/seas had been better.