Cosol Tours vs RCL Tour in St Lucia

[janiss815]

Looks like RCL lowered the price for some excursions on our cruise next week.  In St Lucia, we booked a tour with Cosol Tours that will cost $310 for the 4 of us.  With RCL, the tour will cost $209 for the 4 of us for pretty much the same tour to see the Piton,  do mud baths and local lunch.  The only main difference I can tell is RCL doesn’t do the snorkeling/beach stop to jalousie beach.  So I’m torn between saving $100 and going with Cosol.  Anyone have any experience?  Duration of both tours is around 5.5 hours.

[crilski]

I took the Cosol Tour.  You take a boat to the beach stop.  I didn't snorkel - looked like a small area - but the people that snorkeled said it was good.  Small beach - as you couldn't infringe on the resort area of the beach.  Cosol had a truck with a HUGE ice chest that provided us with drinks - I think 3 or 4 times - following us to various stops.  (Water, beer, soda, punch)  The lunch was a good spread.  We were in a van with about 12 people.  Does Royal use vans or a bus?   I thought Cosol did a good job.

 

[Illbcruzn4life]

13 minutes ago, crilski said:

I took the Cosol Tour.  You take a boat to the beach stop.  I didn't snorkel - looked like a small area - but the people that snorkeled said it was good.  Small beach - as you couldn't infringe on the resort area of the beach.  Cosol had a truck with a HUGE ice chest that provided us with drinks - I think 3 or 4 times - following us to various stops.  (Water, beer, soda, punch)  The lunch was a good spread.  We were in a van with about 12 people.  Does Royal use vans or a bus?   I thought Cosol did a good job.

 

we also did Cosol and had an excellent day. We worth the money. Loved the mudbath.

[maryjaden]

I would  definitely take Cosol over Royal tour.  Much smaller group and a great tour.  

[Ashland]

Agree...Take the Cosol tour...We just did last September and it was the best tour we've ever done in the Caribbean...The speed boat ride to Sugar Beach was awesome...and all the food and drinks were great....You won't regret the choice you made with this one !!! Enjoy !!!

[LilBlackDress]

Another vote for Cosol... to date one of the best excursions we've done 

[kernow]

We did the Cosol tour a few years ago and thought it was one of the best independent tours we've ever taken. I'd stick with it.

[birdylady]

Add me to the list. Cosol does a great job.  And I've have found, generally, RCI tours are packed and private tours tend to be much smaller.  Plus, I have also found private tours will adjust the schedule to what the group wants if possible (i.e. time limits and such).
Erika

[DISFANS3]

Just back from Cosol tours last week, fantastic tour. Worth the extra money. It was a all day tour with lots of stops, Bannana plantation, rain forest, boat ride to the beach by the Pintons, And the mud baths, we tossed our old swim ware after the mud baths. Great lunch and the water, beer truck. Great trip awesome guides. The roads are like a roller coaster, fun times. Awesome trip....

[janiss815]

Ok thank you everyone. We will stay with Cosol. Also happy to give our business to a local company!  I can hardly wait...8 more sleeps til we leave for SJU. 

[erby2283]

Cosol remains one of my favorite tours to date. If they still stop for bread...MMMMMMMMM.  Swimming between the Pitons was a memory I will never forget. It was a fun-filled day. It's been about 8 years since I went but still remember it like it was yesterday. It was a wonderful time.

[crilski]

Concerning the Mud Baths - that was not something I really wanted to do.  I enjoyed watching everyone else - and became the photographer for the amazing mud artwork on their bodies.  After the mudbath stop, off to a waterfall.  Even if you have no mud to rinse off - feel free to stand under the waterfall.  And yesssss - just this past January - a delicious bread stop.  Also will mention - it was Rum Punch!  It was a outstanding excursion.

[Rewind]

Another Cosol vote here; we agree that it was the best excursion we have ever taken.  We saw so much and packed in many locations into one tour.  If we stop at St Lucia again, there is a good possibility we would do the same tour (normally we don't like to repeat, but this might be worth it).

 

I will say on the way out to see everything, it is drive a ways and stop to see something, drive some more, and stop for lunch, etc.  The way back is mostly non-stop (except for the bread) and while we didn't notice it on the way out, the roads seemed to be quite wind-y on the way back.  Not horrible, but noticeable.

 

But the roads are the same on any tour.  🙂

Edited April 12, 2019 by Rewind

[KeywestK]

Another vote for Corsol.  Our tour was outstanding, and we'll worth the extra cost.  Plus they use small vans, which is so much nicer than large tour buses.  I'll take a smaller tour with 12 people over a large bus with 50 people any day!

[kag19]

We did Cosol many, many years ago and it has been the most memorable excursions we have done to date.  They really pack a lot into your tour.  We would definitely book again the next time we are on a cruise that stops in St. Lucia!

[skidawg79]

Vote for Cosol here too!  Took it a few years ago, very well run.   

[wazzoo]

I did the cosol tour a couple years ago and it was fantastic. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Our guide also let us sample some local mamaquana and it was great.

 

[loupana]

Just in case you haven't been convinced yet, highly recommend Cosol Tours. We book them for 18 of us while we were in St. Lucia for my sons wedding, Absolutely fantastic.

[crilski]

wazzoo in Massachusetts?   Shouldn't you be in Pullman?   🙂