Sunny Liston questions/reassurance please

[bayjoens]

We booked a private tour with Sunny a few weeks ago and I am currently in contact with him to confirm our arrangements. He has been great, very accomodating and quick to respond, even calling on the phone at one point.

 

Tonight, I received an email from him, informing me that our tour will be $30 per person, instead of his usual $20 pp, because it will be private with a different schedule from his usual tour. (There will be 12 of us.) And he would like me to send my credit card number for payment before we leave.

 

Unfortunately, I have been researching tours in Barbados and there have been a lot of problems with one of the operators there who has been double and triple billing credit cards, so I am a bit nervous about sending the number through.

 

Has anyone else booked private tours with Sunny? If so, what was the cost per person and how many people went or what was the total cost of the tour?

 

For those of you who have gone with Sunny, how many people have been on your tours?

 

Has anyone else paid up front with a credit card with Sunny?

 

Everyone on the board has raved about him and he has been very nice and we would love to go with him. I would just like a little reassurance that this is all above board and that other people have had similar experiences.

 

Thanks, guys!

[The Islander]

Just some information from the published taxi fares:

 

"Sightseeing Tours: 2 hours - One or two passengers $40 each; three or more passengers $20 each. 3 hours - One or two passengers $50 each; three or more passengers $25 each."

 

"Any one requesting a taxi exclusively for themselves must negotiate a fare with the driver or operator before departure."

 

Also a surcharge was allowed a little while back that taxi drivers could charge $2 more per passenger because of fuel prices.

 

Hopefully that helps with your question on prices.

 

--Islander

http://www.*****

[stan wood]

Your post brings up some interesting concerns, especially if you're stateside and have never been on one of these tours before. We went with Sunny in January and the eight of us agreed that his tour was the highlight of our cruise. In my life (over half a century) I have seen few people in any trade that were as dedicated to doing what they promised as Sunny. He was truly exceptional.

 

Air Force One offers private tours and I believe the charge is $35 so Sunny's fee seems reasonable. I would assume that the additional charge is because he is either going beyond his normal duties with a private tour or it is to make up for lost revenue. When we went shopping downtown, he went back and picked up additional tourists. He won't be able to do this. Also the tour guides appear to be tightly regulated on St. Thomas. It amazes me how few complaints there are about the tours.

 

We rented a car on St. Martin and had no problems giving out our credit card number weeks in advance. Check with your company as there must be procedures to dispute any unauthorized charges. Sunny may also have some kind of contract he can fax you listing the specifics.

 

The tour guides on St. Thomas know the value of this site. A complaint can cost them a ton of money. Knowing this and with our experience with Sunny, I would not hesitate to go with him. I'm quite certain you'll have a day you'll cherish the rest of your lives. And do bring a good camera. Some of the sights are gorgeous.