Celebrity Century 1/28/06 Review Part II

[sassystyxfan]

Western Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Century 1/28/06

Part II

Excursions

Jamaica – Phil Lafayatte Tour (Private)

Phil treated us like gold last week. We weren't rushed, we had personal service with a party of 12 I think, and we all felt like old friends of him. We were met at the pier by Phil himself. From that point on, we were protected and treated like family. Everywhere he took us, there was NO PROBLEM mon. First we went to Dunns River Falls BEFORE the other crowds arrived. He actually stayed at the ticket window and made sure we all got proper change, etc. We were one of very few groups on the falls - it felt like a private party just for us. He pretty much escorted us everywhere and made sure we were not approached by anyone that wasn't part of our group. We had a GREAT time floating down a river in tubes. The guides there were great. They kept swimming up to us and protecting us from getting beached, or running into things. That was the highlight of our whole cruise. Then Phil took us on a tour of Jamaica including the Fern Gully. The tour ended with a jerk chicken, pork combo meal at an authentic restaurant. Great stuff I tell ya. We could have gone to Margaritaville/Island Shopping center, but we decided to head back to the ship. This tour AND Phil actually CHANGED my husband's mind about this country. HE HATED IT last time we were there. SO - in summary, if you are going to Jamaica and want to see it safely, book a reservation with Phil. HE IS AWESOME and so was our stay in this port.

Cost: All fees were paid separately. Dunns River Falls was $15 per person. River Tubing was $20 per person and Phil was ONLY $20 for a whole day’s work. I don’t know how anyone could find a better tour at that price or even more money for that matter. We also tipped separately.

http://www.phil-lafayette-tours.com/

Grand Cayman Island – Jeep Safari Island Tour and Rum Point (Private)

A great excursion that ended up being a very intimate group. The guide, sorry I can’t remember his name, our Jeep and one other were the only ones on this tour. The Jeep Wranglers were all brand new and we had a choice of tops or no tops (on the Jeeps, silly). Just seeing if you’re paying attention. We liked this tour because we got to see more of the island. We went to the Tortuga Rum Co. and sampled different rum cakes and liquor. Then it was off to tour the coast. We got to stop and actually take really big conch shells out of the ocean to bring home with us. Beautiful! And stinky even with the animals out of them. Then we went to Rum Point. I can’t say enough about this wonderful day at the beach. BEST MUDSLIDES EVER! We also had lunch which ranged between $6-$15 per plate. The restaurant is run by the Hyatt. The food was terrific. The water was warm, shallow for a long way out and my friend said the snorkeling was great to the right of the pier. We enjoyed this day VERY much.

Cost: $69 per person

http://grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com/CaymanIslandJeepTour.htm

Cozumel – Catamaran Snorkel, Sail and Beach Day CZ8 (Celebrity Excursion)

Brand new Fury Catamaran with shaded and open areas, clean bathrooms, and free margaritas and beer after the snorkeling portion. The guides were fun, helpful, and very nice. We saw first-hand some of the hurricane devastation, but also some very beautiful, clear water and coastline. The snorkeling site had lost 60% of its coral reef due to the hurricane, but we still saw some beautiful fish and wildlife there. Snorkeling equipment and instruction was included. Then it was another couple of hours on their private Fury Beach for beers (free) and food (I didn’t sample the food). I did take advantage of the hammock, though. On the way back, some did the cha-cha slide – too funny, and some sang their little hearts out. Good times! Good times!

Cost: $56 per person

Key West – Trolley Ride (Private)

We decided to play this day by ear and by the seat of the pants. If people aren’t careful, I’ll plan my own darned funeral! Anyway, we took the trolley around town. We noticed a bus that said all day $8. I wonder if we should have done that, but oh well – the open air ride through town and stopping wherever we wanted was pretty nice. We stopped at Hard Rock for our souvenirs – we always do this everywhere. We also stopped at Margaritaville for conch fritters, calamari and drinks. Good stuff. A little expensive, but we are glad we got to see a lot of Key West.

Cost: $25 per person

Fort Lauderdale – Highlights and Intercoastal Tour (Celebrity Excursion)

The tour bus was very nice, but the guide was annoying. This woman would actually say stuff like monkeys are indigenous to Fort Lauderdale. And for dates…”in the 1700 or 1800’s”. Quite a range, wouldn’t you say? She was just awful. Then we boarded a little river boat with snacks like hotdogs, chips, a full bar, etc. and went on a waterway cruise. We saw some beautiful homes and actually went back as far as Port Everglades to see all the ships from a different angle (from the water). Very nice little cruise. Then the tour bus took us and all our luggage to the airport (it goes to FLL and Miami airports). For those of you who hate to sit in an airport, this may be an alternative for you. We are glad we did it.

Cost: $49 per person

If anyone has any questions, ask away! Here is a link to our photos (with music) of the ship and all our excursions – You must have ActiveX to view it, but the program will tell you if you don’t – it’s a really quick download – honest. Dial-up – don’t bother unless you have a couple of days to kill:

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=2522390&alb=0

[dcwlopez]

Thank you for putting this together. We're going to Jamaica on our Century trip in March and decided to try Phil's tour as well. I'm hoping it goes as smoothly as yours did.

[dtm]

Which of your excursions were privately arranged versus through Celebrity?The Jamaican Phil Lafayette was obviously private. Was this Montego Bay or Ocho Rios? How about the Grand Cayman tour? Any worries about getting back to the ship on time? Thanks!

 

Dan

[sassystyxfan]

You are welcome dcw - I hope my review helps and I hope your trip with Phil is great. Say hi to him and tell him we sent you (John and Laura)!

The ones that were private say "private" next to the name of the excursion and vice versa.

Phil was in Ocho Rios.

There were no worries about making it back to the ship on time. The reputable companies, no matter what port, always want to make sure you get back on time because a bad review travels a lot faster than a good one. Most make their money by word of mouth.

[Seabee]

Laura...I left this same message on part I. What a greatr slide show. I notice you used photodex. Did you use ProShow or ProShowGold?

[sassystyxfan]

I think I'm ready to upgrade, but I need to see what extras I will get with Gold. It is SOOOO easy. You can try it for free and see how you like it. That's what I did. I like easy things that make me look good! :D