Antigua Excursions

[southcarolinacruiser]

Has anyone taken the any of the ship Antigua excursions or taken other private tours? I have been trying to decide what to do there since we have never been to Antigua. We already have private tour companies lined up for St. Lucia and Barbados. THANKS!

[Isaac]

Our party of 6 has the Jabberwocky sailboat chartered for next week. I'll report on it when we get back.

[PartyHatCruiser]

Hey, I did the Bird Island Catamaran Sail through Royal Caribbean. It was very good but the staff wasn't the best. I do recommend it though. I would try Eli's Eco Tour. I havent been through Eli but a lot of people on the board have. I think you can get to his site through AdventureAntigua.com (I think thats the site)

[threeofus]

Did you check out the port board...lots of good information there.

[Libracruzer]

My girlfriend and I did the Nelson Boatyard and Forts, had lunch in town and went shopping. We were very surprised to see some very upscale clothing stores near where our ship was docked (Jewel of the Seas). We could easily have bought something to wear for formal night!! The next time I am there I am going to visit a hotel with a beach, and then go shopping. It is warmer there and we really enjoyed it - it was our first visit.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[cruzobsessed]

we were in antigua last december. because of what i'd read on the "antigua" ports of call board.....we opted to purchase a day pass to pineapple beach. we try to do things on our own rather than through the ship (where possible).

pineapple beach is an all inclusive resort that allows you to spend the day there and take full advantage of the place.....this includes a beautiful beach, 2 pools, 3 different venues for breakfast and lunch, AND all drinks (alcoholic and otherwise). i beleive it cost 45.00 per person and this was the greatest bargain going.

in barbados we booked the silvermoon catamaran which was also an amazing day.

[cruisingwith6]

My husband and I enjoyed "Eli's Eco Tour" (booked through Adventure Antigua) very much last year. He grew up in Antigua. We toured (all by his boat) the Mangrove Gardens, Bird Island, saw some awesome houses, had lunch. It was a lot of fun! We had previously been to Antigua and it didn't make much of an impression. After the tour with Eli we now love Antigua! Hope that helps!

[ParrotTops]

We are going the end of this monthy--check out the Ports of Calls boards (at the top of this page). I agree about the Eli tour--we booked it because everyone raves about it! Some have said its the best tour they have ever taken after many cruises! Click here: The Eco Tour

[cruisingrightalong]

We booked thru Antigua Adventures also and did the ATV ride...went about 28 miles total across the island....pretty neat!

Lou

[Mach1]

Has anyone done the stingray snorkel & Swim excursion on Antigua?

[Epaul3]

We did the Antigua Highlights by the Sea..... it was wonderful. The crew was very informative, helpful and friendly. Lunch on the beach was absolutely delicious. Lots of sights to see. I'd recommend it to anyone.

[phoenixlady]

My husband and I were in Antigua last March. We used Lawrence of Antigua and he was wonderful. He provides a van-type tour of the island. He wasn't too expensive and his tour is very interesting. You can find him on line. He was rcommended by other Cruise Critic people and we're glad we used him.:D

[AkSusan]

We did Eli's Eco tour and loved it.

 

Susan :)

[Twaincruisers]

We liked the Nelson Boatyard and Forts. Afterwards we ate lunch in town at the far end of the mall at Hemingways...it has a second floor balcony. We enjoyed their flying fish and the second floor made it easier to catch them!

[Mary loves to travel]

We were on the Serenade of the Seas, week of Jan 21, and in Antigua we did the Mini Boats and Hidden Beaches, and had a wonderful time. The guides were friendly, funny, and informative. We drove little 2 person mini-speedboats around the mangrove areas, stopped at bird island -- hiked to the top for some amazing views. drove past Long Island, and saw the homes of the rich & famous, pretty amazing estates. all in all a fun afternoon.

 

in the morning, we wandered around St. Johns, hiking up the hill to the cathedral, and back, through the town & shops.

 

-- Mary

[bleucats]

We took the helicopter ride from Antigua to the island of Montserrat, where we had an aerial tour of the Soufriere Hills volcano which destroyed much of the island. It was a bit pricey but worth every dollar. Totally awesome.

[syndyj]

I did both an island tour and Eli's eco tour, would recommend both, but Eli's tour is something special.

[Robin G]

We did Eli's Eco Tour and really enjoyed it. I do feel, however, I missed what the island looks like. I only saw it from the water -- no towns or people. I always enjoy exploring the towns, shopping, etc. So it depends on what you enjoy doing most.

 

Robin

[ParrotTops]

syndyj-how long ago did you do Eli's? We are doing it in 2 weeks and someof the reviews are incredible and the newer reviews don't seem so great. I'm getting a little worried...

[syndyj]

syndyj-how long ago did you do Eli's? We are doing it in 2 weeks and someof the reviews are incredible and the newer reviews don't seem so great. I'm getting a little worried...

 

ParrotTops, I did Eli's tour on a land vacation in 2002, at that time Eli had one boat and he did the tour personally. After the tour we still keep in contact as I have a site about Antigua (the url is http://groups.msn.com/AntiguaBound if you are interested).

 

I suggest you email Eli your concerns about what you read in the reviews, he is a really cool guy and I am sure he will do his best to ensure you have a good trip.

[Miss Vickie]

We've taken Eli's Eco tour 3, times, and did his Xtreme Circumnav tour this January, and had a great time every time. We're going to do one or other next January, when we're back on Serenade. We've gone with many friends, all of whom enjoyed themselves. In fact, next January we're cruising with friends who have done the Eco Tour with us before, and the first thing they asked when we booked next year's cruise was, are we going to do it again?

 

Not every tour is for everyone. There have been 2 people recently how haven't been happy. The large majority of posters continue to enjoy the tour immensely. I'd recommend that if you're concerned, you e-mail Adventure Antigua with those concerns - they are very customer service oriented and I'm sure would want to respond to those concerns.

[syndyj]

Take a look at the photos of Eli's tour:

 

http://groups.msn.com/AntiguaBound/shoebox.msnw

[CarlandAndrea]

We are doing the Xtreme Circumnav from Antigua Adventures in April. I am very impressed with the customer service so far. They responded to my requests immediately and provided very detailed instructions. I can't wait to go!

[Sheffie]

Take a look at the photos of Eli's tour:

 

http://groups.msn.com/AntiguaBound/shoebox.msnw

 

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing. Makes me even more excited to go on this excursion!

[danfiveoh]

Saw this one posted on the board by someone that just got back. It looks good. I booked it for our upcoming trip.

http://www.antiguapaddles.com/description.html