RC Excursion or Outside Company?

[danny8826]

I have posted this on the port of call, but didn't get any responses so I thought I might try posting it here.

 

We will be on Serenade of the Seas for the Xmas/New Year Cruise.

The last port of call is St. Maarten.

We have look at the shore excursion from the cruise ship, but didn't find any that would include a tour of the island and Maho Beach. They seems to have one or the other, but not both combine.

 

I have read reviews on Bernard's Tour and wanted to know if anyone have use them in the past. Are they a reliable tour company? Would you recommend them?

Please share your experiences.

 

Thank you.

Danny

Edited October 31, 2016 by danny8826

[Rjh8842]

I would not take a chance of going with a tour outside royal carribean. When you book with rccl you are guaranteed you will get back on the ship. If you were on another tour and something happend like a bus breaking down then you could miss the boat. You may not be aware that royal now offers private excursions. Which means you make the itinerary and they provide the guide. I priced one out and the price was decent. Only down side to rccl private excursions is a small fee if you decide not to do it.

[ravensbad]

I would not take a chance of going with a tour outside royal carribean. When you book with rccl you are guaranteed you will get back on the ship. If you were on another tour and something happend like a bus breaking down then you could miss the boat. You may not be aware that royal now offers private excursions. Which means you make the itinerary and they provide the guide. I priced one out and the price was decent. Only down side to rccl private excursions is a small fee if you decide not to do it.

 

Many thousands of people use private tour operators and every day with no problems. St. Maarten especially has some really good private tours. If getting people back to the ship on time was a problem for these operators they would go out of business very quickly.

 

OP, we used Bernard's tours in St. Maarten and had a very good experience. I did a review on Trip Advisor wich you can see here:

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1606589-d1840452-r333167609-Bernard_s_Tours-Saint_Martin_St_Maarten_St_Martin.html#REVIEWS

 

Overall we had a great time and recommend them.

[NW Native1]

I've used Bernard's Tours twice. Both times they had the group back to the port an hour before back on board time. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

[1ParticularHbr]

We've used Bernard's twice (did their tour #2 once and a private once) and have recommended them many times. They are pros, know the island well, and have their timing down perfectly. As others have mentioned, tour typically is timed such that there's an hour before ship sails for shopping (or wiggle room w/traffic). You'll see more, at a better price, than a ship tour and will be in good hands with a reputable company. They have plenty of Trip Advisor reviews to vouch for them as well. Enjoy!

[iahawkfan21]

I'm fully in the book your own excursions camp. Not only is Bernard's highly recommended on here but they're going to be cheaper and likely a more intimate tour than the ones booked through the cruise line. They wouldn't be able to maintain the ratings they do on here if they had issues at all getting people back to the ship on time. Book with confidence and enjoy!

 

Cruise ship excursions are fine but generally pricier. But we have been booking our own for years and have not missed the boat once, saved a lot of money, and not had a bad tour yet.

[utopiahereicome]

Also used Bernard's and had a wonderful day - Orient beach, Marigot, Maho - our driver was knowledgeable and entertaining. Read the reviews on Trip Advisor; they are professionals, and their livelihood depends on getting tourists back to their boat on time. More intimate tour experience, see what YOU want to see, less money than ship excursion = great island experience!

[bigque]

We too used Bernard's and they are highly recommended. My review of them is in my Serenade of the Seas review below starting at post #73. Our Tour Guide who's name was John was great. When we left Maho to head back to the town and the ship the traffic in leaving and around the airport was horrific but John got out of the traffic and took back roads through neighborhoods to get us back in plenty of time to shop in town or go on back to the ship. He said if we would have stayed in the traffic we would have been pushing it close! Two Thumbs up for Bernard Tours! :cool:

 

Link to My Serenade Review of Bernard Tours with Pics

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1297487&page=4

Edited October 31, 2016 by bigque

[maryjaden]

I also used to be in the "always book through the cruise line" camp. However, now I book almost always with an outside tour company. Do your research and book a reputable company. We have had better tours for less money. We are booked with Bernards in two weeks and looking forward to it.

[DonnaK]

Reputable companies will get you back to the ship in time. Their livelihood depends on it! They contingency plans.

 

I generally always book with an outside company, but I do my research first and find one that comes highly recommended on cruise critic and tripadvisor. Some exceptions would be excursions exclusively offered through the ship, or all-day (or late afternoon) excursions, or those that take you far away from the ship (like the ruins in Cozumel).

[dacsmom]

I love Bernard's Tours, and have used them several times.

[shanley]

I've heard good things about Bernard's but never done one.

 

I really enjoyed the RCCL excursion that a boat took us the Maho beach area and we got to snorkel and float on pool noodles in Maho bay. We didn't go right up on the beach, so the experience was not as intense.

 

My husband and daughter love to snorkel and I don't. I just floated around and enjoyed the time. The boat had a monitor with flight times and the crew announced all the flights so we were ready to see them and take pictures.

 

I have yet to do a tour of St Marten, it is on my list of things to do the next time.

[BillOh]

I have posted this on the port of call, but didn't get any responses so I thought I might try posting it here.

 

We will be on Serenade of the Seas for the Xmas/New Year Cruise.

The last port of call is St. Maarten.

We have look at the shore excursion from the cruise ship, but didn't find any that would include a tour of the island and Maho Beach. They seems to have one or the other, but not both combine.

 

I have read reviews on Bernard's Tour and wanted to know if anyone have use them in the past. Are they a reliable tour company? Would you recommend them?

Please share your experiences.

 

Thank you.

Danny

 

 

To answer your question. Bernard's is reliable and to scoff at that first reply. Bernards is very aware of ship departure times and depend on word of Mouth referrals.

[bigque]

I also used to be in the "always book through the cruise line" camp. However, now I book almost always with an outside tour company. Do your research and book a reputable company. We have had better tours for less money. We are booked with Bernards in two weeks and looking forward to it.

 

On our cruise on Adventure last year we for the first time went with all outside companies that we read about on here or through our roll call. Be it through the ship or through an outside company we tend to book early excursions that do not last all day close to departure time for the ship. We are usually back to the ship around 2:30 or so or right there in the vicinity of the ship! :cool:

[setsail]

St Maarten is easy, you can get a cab to do most anything you want. Just walk off the ship and grab one

Edited October 31, 2016 by setsail

[moonltnite]

Has anyone used Amigo, Joyce Prince or Jo Junie tours in St. Maarten? We loved Bernard's our last cruise to St. Maarten, but this time we just want Orient and Maho (and don't want to use a cab or drive).

 

I posted on the St. Maarten board on CC - but there isn't much traffic there, so no replies yet.

 

Also - we are considering tour companies for St. Thomas. What tour companies have people used there that they liked?

[JaniceB]

Just got back from my first RCI cruise and I will never book a private company for a tender port again. It was a terrible experience and the staff apologized numerous times. The tour operators said it happens every time the ship comes in. That being said in St. Maarten you should be fine since it is not a tender port and very easy to get around.

[BillOh]

Has anyone used Amigo, Joyce Prince or Jo Junie tours in St. Maarten? We loved Bernard's our last cruise to St. Maarten, but this time we just want Orient and Maho (and don't want to use a cab or drive).

 

I posted on the St. Maarten board on CC - but there isn't much traffic there, so no replies yet.

 

Also - we are considering tour companies for St. Thomas. What tour companies have people used there that they liked?

 

In 2013 I did Orient and Maho by private cab with the run between Orient and Maho being the longest and most expensive (just two of us) In your case, how many of you are there? Bernard's will do private, you pick the itinterary, for 6 people or more it might be cheaper than cabs.

[Rjh8842]

I never said they would miss the ship. But it is 100% accurate to say they could. Life happens. Booking with the ship is insurance that you get back on the ship. And like the Original poster said that they are interested in doing something that rccl does not offer. however if the original poster calls rccl he can do exactly what they want through rccl private excursions. It would be thier family only and whatever they want to do for however long they want to do it.

[shellunderwater]

Reputable companies will get you back to the ship in time. Their livelihood depends on it! They contingency plans.

 

I generally always book with an outside company, but I do my research first and find one that comes highly recommended on cruise critic and tripadvisor. Some exceptions would be excursions exclusively offered through the ship, or all-day (or late afternoon) excursions, or those that take you far away from the ship (like the ruins in Cozumel).

 

I agree completely with this post. Almost as if I wrote it myself. Use the listed websites, read the reviews. We walked up to a well respected tour company in Roatan, hired a van for the day ($60), and had absolutely no problems getting back to the ship on time. Amazing day.

 

As stated above, some trips lend themselves to more caution. Our DS and DD did the Tulum trip when we docked at Cozumel. That involved quite a lengthy trip on the ferry and buses. That trip they did thru the ship.

 

Reputable tour companies know what they are doing. I can imagine no quicker way for a company to go out of business than a valid report on related websites saying they screwed up and passengers missed the ship.

 

Another thing to do, let your tour guide/operator know you are concerned, and are willing to give up a bit of time to just be sure you get back. Maybe they can schedule something for you closer to the ship.

 

Your first time is the worst. But, many people do it every day. After you try it once, you'll be fine.

[TigerCruzin]

Take the Bernard's Tour! We had a wonderful day with him. We saw all the highlights of the island, had beach time at both Orient and Maho. He keeps track of the flight schedules and adjusts the trip to make sure you see the bigger planes. He is very conscious of the traffic and travel time in the island, his business depends on getting you back in time. We were back to the port with plenty of time for browsing the shops. We even got passport stamps at both sides of the island. Perfect day!

 

 

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[LeesSummitCruiser1]

I also used to be in the "always book through the cruise line" camp. However, now I book almost always with an outside tour company. Do your research and book a reputable company. We have had better tours for less money. We are booked with Bernards in two weeks and looking forward to it.

 

We were the same way. What we are starting to find, especially on the smaller islands, is that all the tour operators have exclusive contracts with RC. The most popular outside excursions available to people who might be staying at a local hotel are not available to cruise passengers except through the cruise line. This is especially true on St Kitts, but also on St Marten. If an outside excursion becomes popular it seems that RC is signing them up to be exclusive.

[danny8826]

Thank you everyone for the responses.

 

There are only 2 of us in the group.

 

I did try email RCCI for a private tour and see how much it would cost, I can't believe how much they charge or should I say overcharge.

For the same type of tour that Bernard's offers which is Tour 1. RCCI would charge $450 for a private tour where as if I choose to do the group tour with Bernard's, it would be $40 per person.

With the overwhelming responses, I definitely will book with Bernard's.

 

Thank you everyone for your time.

Danny

[DonnaK]

We were the same way. What we are starting to find, especially on the smaller islands, is that all the tour operators have exclusive contracts with RC. The most popular outside excursions available to people who might be staying at a local hotel are not available to cruise passengers except through the cruise line. This is especially true on St Kitts, but also on St Marten. If an outside excursion becomes popular it seems that RC is signing them up to be exclusive.

 

On St. Kitts, you can't go wrong with Grey's Tours. Thenford Grey is a wonderful tourguide!

 

The only port we experienced the situation you described is Halifax, Nova Scotia, where availability for private excursions was very limited and once we got ashore, we noticed that the cruiseline had contracted with most of the private tourguides.

[bigque]

On St. Kitts, you can't go wrong with Grey's Tours. Thenford Grey is a wonderful tourguide!

 

The only port we experienced the situation you described is Halifax, Nova Scotia, where availability for private excursions was very limited and once we got ashore, we noticed that the cruiseline had contracted with most of the private tourguides.

 

We did the tour with Thenford Grey also and you are right is a real good guide, very knowledgeable and has real love for his island and what he does! :cool: