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Victor Bodden guide/driver recommendations? (MERGED THREADS)

RealDeal

By RealDeal,
in Roatan

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eandj

eandj

Posted
Posted

I agree with Guest. If it really bothered you at the time, you didn't say anything to him? Seems that would have been the time to bring it to his attention. Or just forget it.

Glad you didn't let it ruin your day.

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TxLnghrnz

TxLnghrnz

Posted
Posted (edited)

I would assume he was just trying to relate to you and your family. Maybe he was expecting a "Why, yes I am Jewish... Tell me about Roatan's Jewish community..."

 

Cultural differences can be hard to figure out -- it's often what makes cruising excting sometimes!

 

Embrace the differences...share some of your experiences with the people you visit! Often tour guides are just as curious about you, your lifestyle and culture as you are about theirs! Learn...and Teach at the same time! Judaism is something not real common in Central America, be proud and share! I just did a quick Google about Judaism in Honduras...there are 40 to 50 Jewish families TOTAL in the country!

 

That all aside, after reading others experiences with Tex, I would guess that this tour guide meant nothing offensive by the comment.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

Edited by TxLnghrnz
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texancruzer

texancruzer

Posted
Posted

Are you Jewish ? If so, then I am not sure why you would be offended. Most of the Jewish people I know are very proud of their religion, culture and heritage.

 

And I agree about some guides being just as curious about us as we are about them.

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weltek

weltek

Posted
Posted

Only you can decide if it felt offensive. Sometimes people say things without considering how they would be taken, so he probably didn't mean anything by it.

 

Next time, consider opening the conversation. Maybe you'll find out more about why he chose to say that (e.g., they hosted a Jewish kid that was on a volunteer trip recently and he's proud that he learned more about the history, faith and culture). Or maybe you can just voice that you are "surprised (he would) point that out-some people might be offended" and hope he gets the message.

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ut_jd

ut_jd

Posted
Posted

We booked a trip with Victor Bodden Tours. As there were supposed to be three ships on the island that day, we actually had an “overflow” driver named Homer(?) who drove taxi 303. As it turned out, the large Carnival ship could not dock due to the winds. Homer was tremendous! He showed us many different parts of the island from the east to the west. He took pictures of us together, bought us local fruits, gave us some of his story as well as the island’s story, and explained and answered any questions we could throw at him. We also got to stop off and play with the monkeys and the birds. We got back to the boat in more than enough time but had felt we had seen the entire island!

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  • 5 months later...
blessedwith12

blessedwith12

Posted
Posted

We had Tex as a driver and I don't think he meant to offend. When he found out we were from Ohio, he instantly started talking Ohio sports teams - and we're not big sports fans so the conversation didn't go far :) But, my point is, I think he tries to find some sort of personal connection to discuss with his passengers. We found him to be very interesting and he shared quite a bit about his country and his work experiences. We did discuss religion with him as he shared a little about the Christian community there. Whenever someone does something "questionable", we have the opportunity to assume the best or the worst about them. With Tex, try to think the best and believe he was trying to find a personal level to communicate with you.

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  • 1 month later...
rockbock

rockbock

Posted
Posted (edited)

My family had a private Victor Bodden tour last year with Tex and it was AMAZING.

 

We'll be back in Roatan in six weeks (last minute cruise) and I booked another private tour. As expected, Tex was already assigned to another group. I was told that our tour guide would be Rick. I haven't seen any feedback on him.

 

Has anybody taken a private tour with Rick? How is he?

 

 

 

UPDATE: Ok, I found some good reviews on Tripadvisor. Feeling better about Rick!!! Can't wait for another day in Roatan. It's my favorite port!

Edited by rockbock
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carlissaandisaacsmommy

carlissaandisaacsmommy

Posted
Posted

We specifically requested Tex for our private Best of Roatan tour this week after seeing his name a lot on these boards. He was WONDERFUL!!!!! He took us to so many great places. He even took us by his house and let us walk out on the dock behind his place to see them training dolphins and see people swimming with them. You could tell he has kids because he was so caring and patient with our children. He let us take our time at all the stops and never made us feel rushed. When we go back next time, we will definitely request him again.

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girlscruise2011

girlscruise2011

Posted
Posted
We specifically requested Tex for our private Best of Roatan tour this week after seeing his name a lot on these boards. He was WONDERFUL!!!!! He took us to so many great places. He even took us by his house and let us walk out on the dock behind his place to see them training dolphins and see people swimming with them. You could tell he has kids because he was so caring and patient with our children. He let us take our time at all the stops and never made us feel rushed. When we go back next time, we will definitely request him again.

 

I had Tex last year for my Thanksgiving cruise on the Liberty and he was awesome. We had a great time and he knew how to time our Zip Lining so we weren't there for the crowds. Later on we had bad weather but he took me to all the places I wanted to see and a great place for us to have lunch.

 

If I ever get back to Roatan, I would definately use Tex again.

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bankofdad

bankofdad

Posted
Posted
Not even sure how to book the privet tour. How do I do that? Any help would be great.

 

I just booked with Victor Bodden yesterday. Piece of cake. Googled them, went to their website, and saw the list of tours they offer. One of the links on the homepage is for private tours and gives the details, pricing and add-in options that add cost (like zip lining, fishing charters, etc). You will see a reservation request link that opens a new window and asks for some information and email address.

 

After we submitted the request, I received an email confirming the request with details to confirm our reservation, and in the space of 30 minutes we had everything completed and an email final confirmation with instructions on where to find them at the port and how to reach them on the island if we needed to.

 

After reading all of the great reviews here, we are really excited to visit Roatan again!

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parttimr

parttimr

Posted
Posted

We have the tour with Tex in January and with all the input did you let him pretty much "guide" you to the great places and such or did you choose your days activities? It's only our second cruise and our first private tour so any info is appreciated.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Star1

Star1

Posted
Posted

all of Victors guides will be fantastic. Being a guild for Victor is one of the best jobs on the island. The guides want to keep a job with Victor so......they will do the best they can to make your vacation wonderful. Learn a little bit about the island before you go. Most guides like it when you show up knowing the basics( color of flag, population, how close to the main land ect....). It gives you something to talk about.

We have used the same guide every time we are there. We now quiz him about his Island. We try to stump him!!!! Most guides will know a lot about the USA because of school.

Relax and enjoy life.

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  • 3 weeks later...
dleighb

dleighb

Posted
Posted

I would love to know how your day was. We are there at the end of January and would like to request someone who has been recommended. I am sure all the guides are great, but I am also sure that different guides are better for different groups, so I like to hear a little about the group, their interests (i.e. beachy people or city people), and what they thought about their guide.

 

Would love a report on how this day went or any other recommended guides.

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