Nativeway Tours

[karchrmom]

exactly I'm sooooo afraid my kids will disown me if I miss this tour and we're stuck with nothing!!!

[Travel Mom]

All ships tender in. We had 4 in port that day. We were to dock at 7, but they didnt' take anyone off until 8. You have to stand in line for a tender ticket if you aren't on a ship sponsored tour. They were giving out tickets beginning at 8. I got there at 7:20 and was already #30 in line. Some persons ahead of me grabbed like 10 at a time. I was assigned tender #7 at the time I got my tickets. Right at 8:10 they began with tender tickets #1-2. Then 20 min later 3-5. I couldn't wait until #7, so went right to tender boats and pleaded to get on. Many people didn't show, so they were ok with it. I think I got there right at 9 or 9:10 and if I was on the next set of tenders, they would have been gone. Ask NW if they will NOT charge you if you miss the meet up. This was the best tour of all my 6 cruises! Don't miss it! Hope that helps. If you are not a pushy person in nature..change for this one morning!! I had to.

[Illinoisgal]

I have emailed them several times and have not gotten an answer how long was itbefore you heard back from them ?

[kdcbj]

Does anyone know the procedure for tender at Carnival? how early should I go down to get the ticket?

[IBSaling]

Does anyone know the procedure for tender at Carnival? how early should I go down to get the ticket?

We sailed on the Conquest last year and got down to the lounge about 7:15 a.m. It took us at least 45 minutes-1 hour to get a tender because they give priority to their tours first. I would get there as soon as it opens.

[Sunwhorshipper]

we are going in 2 weeks..It took Sharon a couple days to get back to me...you will need to fax your Credit card #..I'm excited about this trip too...

[Travel Mom]

did online registration..heard back in about 3 or 4 days. CC bill came in and they took my cash and didn't also charge my card. Now just looking for a package deal to get back over to Grand Cayman as cruises have gone up over $200-300 just since booking our Jan one 1 1/2 yrs ago. YIKES.

[Travel Mom]

see post on " just back from reef,rays and rum pt" I explained tenders more there. It says you "dock" at 7 and the first person isn't even allowed off until more around 8. was pretty frustrating

[dmja716]

Question for Travelmom:

What time did you get back to the pier from the tour??

 

Heads up to everyone

I just booked this tour for November and i emailed her my credit card info instead of faxing it. Sharon said that was fine and sent a confirmation back right away.

Also, when I hit the submit button on the website I didnt get a response from Sharon, but when I just emailed the address on their website she responded the next day. Try that instead.

Hope this helps.

[Illinoisgal]

Well I tried the form 2x so last night I emailed direct with the email listed on the website, so hopefully that will work. Thanks! We leave at 4pm di dyou have plenty of time w/o rushing to get back?

[Cheriesellshomes]

Have any of you done the other Stingray tour with them? I just registered to do the Stingray Sandbar, Coral Gardens and Starfish Snorkel. I'm worried too about missing the tour. Have any of you heard from someone that actually missed it?

[Travel Mom]

Back to pier.....We were back about 1 1/2 hrs before the last tender. Plenty of time to go in about 5 shops and go get a large margarita at Margaritaville. (right across from where our pier was!!) Remember they are on a different time than us. They are 1 hour earlier (I think Eastern standard time)

[Jungle Jane]

I have tried a couple of times to post my lengthy review of this tour but it keeps going into cyberspace. If you want to read it let me know and I can email it. We had a great time and Sharon, Eldon and the crew especially Sheldon made it an awesome memorable day. "NO worries Mon!"

[Jungle Jane]

Don't worry too much about missing it. We were told to meet Eldon on the pier at 9:15. We docked at 8, tenders started at 8:30 and we were not on the 1st tender, got to the pier at 8:50, easily found Eldon holding his sign (it's round and white with red letters and is on a stick, the lettering is not huge, so just look for the white round sign, he pretty much stays right near the info booth.) He took our names and told us we had a bit of time if we wanted to walk around, so we did. We checked back at 9:15 and he was still collecting stragglers off the pier, we didn't actually head to the bus till 9:30. They really have it together, they know who is coming and from what ship and what time those ships tender. They won't just take off without you unless you are really really late. And when they say they guarantee you will be back in time, they MEAN it. Trust me on that :) Sharon rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have tried to post my lengthy review of this tour but it went POOF twice. If you want to read it I will email it to you.

Enjoy this tour, it's worth every cent and just may be the highlight of your week!!!!!!!!!

[karchrmom]

Jungle Jane how did you get on the first tender and what ship were you on? We're on the Enchantment and we dock at 7:30 and she said to meet her at 8:30

[Jungle Jane]

We were on Freedom of the Seas, and we were NOT on the first tender, maybe 3rd or 4th. They went pretty quickly. My point was not to worry as they are very laid back within reason and you will be fine unless you have a day where the water is rough, our day the water was very calm. They really have it together and know what's going on with all the ships, Sharon has that phone in her hand at all times and has everyone on speed dial, 1 second she is calling for ship info, then getting me directions to a certain shop, they really know what's going on so don't worry, you'll make it there and back no sweat :)

[lis106]

My boyfriend and I went on this tour Wednesday 2/13. I was really excited to do this excursion because of all the positive reviews I have read on Cruise Critic. Many people one the message board said it was the highlight of their trip. I can honestly say that this was in no way the highlight of my trip. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give the tour a 5. It was difficult to locate the Native way tour guide on the pier because he was holding the sign low instead of up high were it could be easily viewed. We took a short bus ride to a pier where we got on the boat to begin the tour. Sting Ray City was full so we went snorkeling first. Snorkeling gear was provided but you have to ask for a life vest, which I recommend because the seas were rough. We stopped near a coral reef, but we did not see many fish at all. My boyfriend was really disappointed because he was really looking forward to seeing a lot of colorful fish; he even bought an underwater camera to take pictures. Most of the group felt the snorkeling spot was not ideal, some said they did not see any fish at all. Next we stopped at Sting Ray City; this was the only part of the tour where the guides actually spoke. They caught a couple of sting rays and allowed every one to hold and feed the sting rays. This part was fun, there were plenty of sting rays to see and touch. Next we ordered lunch and headed to Rum Point. The lunch was good I had chicken tenders and the BF had a cheese burger. Rum Point was not at all what I expected. There were a lot of trees, which meant that there was not a lot of sun light, and there were a lot of people on the small beach. After we ate our lunch we sat on some beach chairs, where sand fleas crawled all over us. By the time we left we both had rashes on our arms and chest from the fleas. My boyfriend and I each ordered a drink which cost us $25 USD before tip, it was actually cheaper to order drinks on our ship then it was at Rum Point. After about an hour we headed back to the pier where the tour guide asked for a tip before we got off the boat, he also offered conch shells to people who wanted them. Overall the trip was ok, but I would not say that it was the high light of our trip. Maybe it was just an off day. I will say that the boat was not crowded, like many others we saw out at sea that day, and when the tour guides did speak they were friendly. I am not sure if I would do this tour again or recommend to a friend. Just my honest opinion.

[fern1226]

who were your guides? the drinks are expensive at rum point. sorry it wasn't what you expected. we did it in 2005 and are doing it again this summer.

[gypsyrose]

Hate to hear that since we are doing that tour in April. Hopefully we will get better guides. I have heard that the drinks were expensive but $25 for 2?????:eek: We will probably just have a couple of beers. Please tell me they do not cost $12 a piece!!! As for the lunch, I was hoping for something other than fast food type. Did they offer some sort of seafood? Or something kind of local???

[ginag]

Wow, this does not sound like the Nativeway tours that I have taken. Maybe you should e-mail Sharon, the owner, and let her know that the tour did not meet your expectations.

Everything at Rum Point is high $.

[bchristie1074]

I did this tour also and was disappointed by the food at rum point. I thought it would be more local foods rather than a sandwich and fried food menu.

[Manitoba Mom]

Sorry to hear your tour wasn't good.

 

We were there the week before and it was great! The snorkleing was very good. The tour guides were not the most talkative but any time we had questions the would give us very detailed answers. When I strayed during snorkeling they were right there to send me back to the better snorkeling area.

 

The drinks were definetly expensive at Rum Point. You were better off buying a bucket of beer rather than a single. We really enjoyed the food. The Mahi-Mahi & Jerk Pork sandwiches were very good for something different. Some of our group had good Chicken tenders and Club House sandwiches.

 

I agree with ginag e-mail Sharon if you were not happy.

[Jungle Jane]

I am also of the opinion that you should email Sharon. That is nothing like our experience and we were there just the week before you. I think Eldon is about 7 feet tall and we had no problem finding him on the pier! Sheldon and someone else were our guides and we had a blast with them! They cracked jokes and made sure everyone was safe and having fun. We didn't have to ask for vests-they were right there in pile and we helped ourselves. In fact they were extremely helpful with the gear for us, especially the fins since everyone kept having to switch sizes. We did the rays first--what fun:

 

Sheldon is a real clown and was saying this one was his girlfriend:

 

 

tell me she doesn't look like she's enjoying that!!!!

 

 

snorkeling-saw tons of fish but the colors don't come across well in with the cheap underwater camera:

 

 

The food at Rum Point we thought was great, but we got catch of the day, mahi mahi and conch fritters--I think seafood is their specialty, so maybe their chicken and burgers aren't great.

 

I'm so sorry you had a bad experience. We really feel like Sharon and the crew really rolled out the red carpet for us and our group. We plan to go again next year and have kept in contact with Sharon to plan the next trip.

[Jungle Jane]

oops sorrry!

[Jungle Jane]

Sorry if this posts twice-keeps going into cyber space! GRRRR...

 

This was THEE most fabulous trip! We were met by Eldon at the pier, he's SO TALL! We waited for the rest of our group, then we were off on the bus. The guides were great, chatted with us on the bus about the island, how much homes go for, the cost of gas, the size and history of the island...etc... it was about a 10-15 minute ride to the dock at the Yacht club where we boarded 2 boats. We were a group of 25 split up on 2 boats, so we really had the advantage of a small group. Sheldon was our guide and he was a blast. He had such a great personality, really takes care of the boat and takes such pride in what he does, he is so happy go lucky and made all of us feel welcome and made sure we were all comfortable and safe and having fun. We had another guide too but I can't remember his name but he was great too, just as much fun as Sheldon. CJ or CT was there too, he was the photographer and also knew a great deal about sting rays. On the boat they had a cooler with jugs of water and punch and space for us to put our own water bottles we had brought with us. After about a 10-15 minute ride we were at Sting Ray City where we were really able to see and appreciate the difference between taking this tour and going with the ship's tour. We were 25 people on 2 boats, some other boats of a similar size had 50-100 people squeezed on board and squeezed into a tiny spot trying to get their hands on a sting ray. I am so glad we booked with Native Way, they don't do groups bigger than 25 so we really got time with the sting rays and we never felt over crowded. We got to hold, kiss and pat them and the guides really made it fun for all, even for those who were scared at first. They are so knowledgable and Sheldon even kissed one full on the mouth! He is sooooooo funny he had us in stitches! We had about an hour with the rays then we hopped back in the boat, headed about 5-10 mins away to a deeper spot for some snorkeling. This was sooooooo neat! They gave us some instructions on the equipment and how to be safe and then off we went! They threw out a life ring thing so anyone who felt like they needed help could grab on. It rained a bit and the water got a bit rough but it passed quickly. Sheldon dove down and got some conch shells and other cool stuff to show us. He was so entertaining, had us all laughing the whole time. After about an hour of snorkeling we hopped on board again and each got a "Caribbean Shower" in the form of a couple of jugs of warm fresh clean water poured over our heads to get the salt off. What a nice treat! In about 15 mins we were at Rum Point where our previously phoned in food order was ready for us at some reserved tables. What a great lunch! I come from New England so I know what good fresh seafood is and Rum Point had great food! We ate like pigs after all of our activity and everyone kind of went and did their own thing. Some got showered and changed and headed for the bar area, some got chairs and lounged on the beach, some walked the pier and the grounds, some ( like us) played in the warm, clear, calm water. After about 90 minutes we all walked back up the pier and boarded the boat and headed back to the Yacht Club. Out of the 25 people, just the 2 of us were on the ship that was the first due to leave, our last tender was at 3:15. It was getting close but "no worries mon" as Sheldon said! I trusted him and am glad I did. When we got to the bus Sharon was there waiting for the 2 of us, she took us in her car and bolted thru town and got us to our tender line just as promised. She is so efficient and sweet, she even got us to a certain store that we had wanted to quickly grab a t shirt at before we hopped in our tender line. We had about a 20 min wait in line so we actually had plenty of time and could have taken the bus with the other folks on the tour, but when they say they promise you'll be back in time they mean it, they really have it together and know who is on what ship and what ship leaves when. We were 2 of 25 people and we really felt catered too with the special ride in the car to make sure we made it. We made it in plenty of time and I didn't worry at all thanks to Sharon and the whole crew being so organized and efficient, yet laid back and relaxed!! If you are at all worried about taking this tour vs. a ship's tour I highly recommend taking this one! We got more interaction with the sting rays and snorkeling, more interaction with the crew, we got to spread out more and were very comfortable and we all felt very special and catered to. On a ship's tour you will be crowded and may not even have a chance to get close to a ray! And don't be afraid of not making it back in time, you can see by my experience that they are so efficient that you will be fine. We loved this excursion the best out of all 4 that we did and we can't recommend them highly enough. You will have the time of your life if you take this tour! It is worth every penny you will spend and was cheaper than our ship's tour and we got more out of it. Should I go on and on and keep gushing about it, or do you get the idea? Because I could go on for days. Eldon and Sharon and Sheldon and the entire crew ROCK! Book with them, you will NOT be sorry! ENJOY!