Gordan or Lawerence please advice

[mrspaper]

Donna

talk it up on cc. you'll get people to join. to talk it up, you can copy and paste some of the good comments mentioned. we had enough people from our cruise to fill up 2 vans.

[NCTribeFan]

I'm glad I checked back in this thread because I had totally forgotten to call Gordon with my credit card info and we leave for San Juan on Saturday!

 

:eek:

 

I'll send him an email now and ask him to call me tomorrow.

[NCTribeFan]

No problems. We paid after the tour.

 

Gordon had a private tour, so we sent us with another driver. We just got home last night and I'm so tired, I just forgot the driver's name.

 

It was a good tour. Long Bay beach was stunning.

 

Edit: I think our driver was Valentino.

[anita0427]

Has anyone taken Lawrence of Antigua tour lately? I would like to book with him in December.

 

Thanks:)

[kooscloset]

We just toured with Lawrence of Antigua this past week. He accidentally knocked his head on the trunk of his van and it was bleeding, but still managed to go out of his his way to drop us back to the ship since we didn't bring any swimming attire with us out on his tour even though the rest of the people on his tour did.

 

Let me just say that I was disappointed that we didn't because from what I saw, Jolly Beach was the best beach I saw out of all the tours we went on during our cruise.

 

He even stopped over to purchase a pineapple for us and it was the sweetest pineapple we've ever tasted. Normally I do not like to eat pineapples at all, but after I ate this one, I was sold.

[manateelover]

Can I ask which specific tour did you go on with Gordon? From his website there are many to choose from. It looks like a great tour-just wanted your opinion if our boys ages 11 and 15 would enjoy the tour-they love the beach and to snorkel. I was hoping that Nelson's Dockyard was full of history(ships, cannons, etc,) they like that stuff too, Also, what time did you start and end the tour. Just wondering how long it is, and the specific name of the tour. Thanks again. Which beach did you go to?

[steveaaaaa]

Can I ask which specific tour did you go on with Gordon? From his website there are many to choose from. It looks like a great tour-just wanted your opinion if our boys ages 11 and 15 would enjoy the tour-they love the beach and to snorkel. I was hoping that Nelson's Dockyard was full of history(ships, cannons, etc,) they like that stuff too, Also, what time did you start and end the tour. Just wondering how long it is, and the specific name of the tour. Thanks again. Which beach did you go to?

 

I don't know what you are expecting,but you and your boys will be dissapointed.I know many will jump on me for that but oh well.

 

First, Gordon and Lawrence both charge twice what you can grab a cab for at the pier.There are tons of cabs and with a cab you don't run the risk of the other guys trying to pack 14-16 people in a van because of pre bookings.

Second,the tour is boring.If you are older and less active excursions are your thing then this is perfect.You drive and make some stops for photo ops (but they are actually overpriced trinket buying stops) of the bays and then you go to the first stop which is just a bunch crumble remains of old buildings and foundations except for 1 structure.Next its the state park with a cheesy poor show on the history of the island.(your kids will wish they were in school,its that bad).After realizing you will never get those 25 minutes back you can walk the small area with a few modern built fort lookout style structures (they may be restored).Next is the dockyard.They hook you up with a tour guide (who wants a tip) who explains the boring history and you get shuffled to onsite trinket stores and get to walk into a few old structures trying to look like a museum.Who wants to look at several glass displays of rope knots?Who wants to see some displays of rusted iron pieces?.There is only a few scatered cannons,ect and is not worth it,they never showed us a ship but had to spend 5 minutes telling everyone about a tree.:rolleyes:The ships are modern,this an active marina still.The island is small and they attempt to call this a tour.This is a beach island and your kids will love the beach.Do them a favor,skip the tour.

 

Steve

[floridalady]

You have a right to say what you feel but I am so so so surprised.Why?I have been on these boards reading everything I can and never ever heard anyone say what you have.No one disliked the places or the experience.

I have seen beautiful pictures of the dockyard.I look forward to seeing the views,the shops (whatever they may be),and to go to the bakery they have there-heard some great things about that place.Everyone is different.I am not going to take a tour because that would bore me.We like to walk around and do it in our own time.Since our tour is private-we leave when we want.Which is why we are doing private.

I have done alot of research and picked places we want to see.Found a great beach,too.

I am sorry you did not have a good experience.I wonder sometimes if the bad experiences come from lack of research.Of course if you are going on a structured tour you come and go as the others in your group.If you go private and do research you get to find out what interests you.

For St Thomas we are going with Godfrey and doing the whole thing again-not private-because we had a great time the first time.

We know there may be places we don't care for but you know what-we have a great time anyway.

I also have great tour guides in each place we stop because I asked them alot of questions and they all seem terrific.The ones that did not answer my questions I did not go with them.

And trust me I ask alot of questions and can be a nag.lol (just ask my husband).

I can';t wait to cruise again and envy everyone going before me.

Have a great day everyone and a great cruise.

Nancy:D

[Zeno]

Re: Touring the historical sites of Antigua

 

I have done this 3 times. Once on a "ship tour" (overpriced and incomplete)

Once with "any" taxi driver at the dock (cheap but incomplete)

Once with Lawrence ( more expensive than "any taxi driver" but cheaper than the "ship tour", private and personalized and very complete). Lawrence was definitely the best of the three.

 

Who would enjoy this tour (Nelson's Dockyard, Shirley heights, The Blockhouse, Dow's Hill Interpretation Centre and the Natural Bridge)

- People who are interested in REAL history (especially naval history and the actual historical background of the island you are visiting) and scenery and photography (the views are very photogenic). This includes "some" older children (i.e. those interested in history).

 

Who would be bored:

Young children, children and teens not into history, adults not interested in history, people lacking in imagination and people who think the world should be like Disneyland (These are REAL actual historical sites - not some made-up overdone and unrealistic confection. There are no fake pirate ships but this REALLY is where Nelson's ships docked and were repaired.); people who don't appreciate beautiful views

If you would rather be relaxing on a beach with a beer than looking at old structures and sail lofts and or you would rather be zooming around on a jet-ski than admiring the scenery - this tour is definitely NOT for you.

 

The following website has some good accurate pictures of the sites:

http://www.paradise-islands.org/antigua-nelsons-dockyard.htm

[NCTribeFan]

Yes, Steveaaaaa.

 

I believe you've posted this several times already.

 

That wasn't the question. People are posting in this thread because they are considering booking with either Gordon or Lawrence.

 

Some of us DON'T CARE that you can walk up to a taxi driver. Personally, I will never, ever do that. I want to know what I'm going to be getting, where I'm going to be going, and how much it is going to cost.

 

Stop trying to bully posters into thinking they're stupid for booking an organized tour through a reputable vendor.

 

OK, back on topic...

 

Gordon - Best of Paradise Island Tour - $40 each (13 and over), met at 9:30 (well, we were supposed to meet at 9:30 - of course there were laggards who think nothing of holding everyone else up because they take their time and then have the long walk off the ship).

 

I honestly don't remember when we returned to the ship. Plenty of time, though unless you really want to do some shopping (which I never do).

 

Note that we did not get all the food goodies that were listed on the website.

 

There wasn't really enough time to explore at Nelson's Dockyard. I would've liked to have spent more time there.

 

Can't tell you whether teenage boys would enjoy this tour or not. The beach at Long Bay was gorgeous and lots of people were snorkeling.

 

My review is very thorough with regards to the various excursions. Feel free to skip down to the Antigua portion...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=997758&highlight=

[mrspaper]

The most important thing is to know your own kids and decide if they like history, beautiful views and then a 1 - 2 hr stop at a beautiful beach. There are lots of cannons, etc. I admit, the movie at Shirley Heights was a bore, but at least wasn't too long. It does give the history of the island and it's people. Some kids would only like the beach! Your kids sound like they might enjoy the tour. I took the cheapest tour he offered. It was more hours than listed on his website. You will spend alot of time in the car driving around the island. keep that in mind.

 

We got all the foodies expected, except for the bakery items,. the bakery was closed for a family funeral.

 

linda

[Zeno]

The most important thing is to know your own kids and decide if they like history, beautiful views and then a 1 - 2 hr stop at a beautiful beach.

linda

 

Exactly!

[mrspaper]

 

I answered with particulars about the tour and I was also letting them know that they are paying double with Gordon or Lawrence. Who would want to be stuck in a full van of 14-16 people when they can have their own driver and a custom tailored tour for their needs.Do they want to wait for 10 people buying trinkets or do they want to hit the beach for some snokeling when they are ready?

 

 

Steve

you are not stuck in a van of 14 - 16 people. You will have 8 people tops in gordon's van

[steveaaaaa]

you are not stuck in a van of 14 - 16 people. You will have 8 people tops in gordon's van

 

 

Sorry, I was unclear.I was refering to Lawrence.

 

Steve

[lagnas]

I just wanted to post a note on Gordon. We were on the Adventure of the Seas on June 7th and were scheduled to go to Antigua. I had booked a tour with Gordon and paid the deposit. Unfortunately, two people on the ship had flu-like symptoms and Antigua and St. Lucia would not let the boat dock. Before I got home, Gordon had emailed me and told me he would be crediting my deposit. I thought this was fantastic since it was not his fault that I did not make the tour. I can't answer questions about his tours, but his is good with me. Don't be afraid of putting a deposit down on the trip if you are going to use his services. I had a private tour on another island and they said people book with them all the time and often don't show up. This is the reason they are starting to charge a deposit.

[SHParrothead]

Hi All,

 

I just got back from cruising on the Carnival Freedom. We took a private tour with Gordon and I can't say enough good about him. The tour was excellent, and the food was great. Do not hesitate to book a tour with him, you won't be sorry!!!

[KuffMUp]

I guess I am an idiot because I prefer to use either the ship tours or tour operators recommended on CC. Our first two cruises, I thought I would grab a taxi at the pier for a tour or just explore on our own - with one exception we booked a beach excursion through the ship at Roatan thanks to the wonderful info posted on CC. I would have to say that the "structured" tour was really fun. The other stops, I just didn't get much of a feel for the place. The taxi had no narration as to anything about the island. It was just drive around and look at the passing scenary.

 

Our last cruise, we took tours through the ship. Yep, more expensive. But A LOT OF FUN!!!!!:D We toured to Carcross in a Jeep caravan. I learned so much about the history and saw absolutely amazing things. Yep, we were stuck in a Jeep for six hours. Yep, we stopped for photo ops of "just a lake" or "just a waterfall". They were beautiful. And yes, we stopped at a little old general store for a boring look at the narrow guage train and had to endure the torture of eating freshly smoked salmon and cheese and crackers.:eek:

 

I have booked with Lawrence for our upcoming cruise to Antigua. He was very prompt on emailing. He gave detailed directions on how to find him. Obviously I can't tell you yet how our excursion was but I have realistic expectations. No I don't care to see Devil's Bridge but know I will have to endure the pain of going there because it is on the itinerary. Maybe once I get there I will have changed my mind. And if I just grabbed a taxi, I am sure I wouldn't get beer, rum punch, water, pineapple, and baked delights.

 

Steve, you obviously care nothing about the history of the island since you hated your excursion. So sorry about that. But for those of us who are interested in the places we are going, don't bash us for wanting to have a professional who knows the island take us to places we want to see.

[steveaaaaa]

.

 

Steve, you obviously care nothing about the history of the island since you hated your excursion. So sorry about that. But for those of us who are interested in the places we are going, don't bash us for wanting to have a professional who knows the island take us to places we want to see.

 

To me, there is no history or should I say lack of.People make it sound like this place is rich in it or overflowing with it, but that is not the case IMHO.I guess I don't want people to be disappointed here and that is also hard as peoples ages,likes,and dislikes all come into play when evaluating things.I also do not want people to pay double for the same thing a tour driver can give.But I hope the tour is enjoyable to you.I was there 3 months ago again and this time I chartered a sailboat for just my family and ended up with a 65FTer.I had a great time and am looking forward to renting that boat again.

Steve

[KuffMUp]

Thank you Steve for clarifying what it is you meant. If I find that it is as bad as you say, I will be the first to chime in and let you say "I told you so!" I am glad you had a fantastic time with the sail boat! Certainly don't think I would like it (although I've never tried it). The boat listing to the side thingy kind of bothers me.:cool:

 

As getting back to the original theme of the post. I will post how my experience with Lawrence was and will rate him regardless of what I thought of the destinations since both Lawrence and Gordon seem to offer the same places to go on tour.

 

If I find that Steve was right, I will start a new post to warn others that if all they want to see is Nelson's Dockyard and then the beach they should save their moola and grab a cab at the dock!

[dz63]

We booked the Best of Paradise Island Tour with Gordon and toured with him on July 10, 2009.

 

Our tour began at 9:30 am. We had no problems finding Gordon, wearing his straw hat, on the boardwalk (the specified meeting place).

 

On the boardwalk--that’s Gordon in the white shirt!

 

 

After waiting approx. 20 minutes, for everyone on the tour to arrive, we boarded Gordon’s bus. There were some couples from our roll call who booked the Scenic Snorkeling Adventure with Gordon but received the Island Tour with us instead. I don’t know if they were disappointed or not, but at least there were no complaints about who would get Gordon as their guide!

 

Gordon had a cooler filled with soft drinks and water. He made one stop during the day to purchase more drinks to restock this supply.

 

As we departed from the cruise ship pier, we drove through St. John’s, the capital of Antigua and passed the monument of V.C. Bird, the first Prime Minister of Antigua and its sister island Barbuda.

 

 

Our first stop was at St. Barnabus Anglican Church, a historic church in Liberta.

 

 

As we continued on our way, Gordon pulled over to the side of a road, where we climbed a few stairs to get this view.

 

 

 

continues

[dz63]

Next we went to Nelson’s Dockyard—the world’s only remaining Georgian dockyard still in use. We had ½ hour here. After paying the $5.00 admission fee, we were given a “Personal Tour Guide Map”. Since we requested a guided tour of the Dockyard, we were told that our maps were no longer necessary and they were quickly taken away. (We thought that was a little strange). Anyway we followed our guide a short distance, where she stopped and talked a little about the history of Nelson’s Dockyard.

 

 

It wasn’t long before it started to rain. Our guide told us to look around and we’ll meet back after the rain stops.

We went inside the Admiral’s House which is now a museum and gift shop.

 

Admiral’s House

 

It didn’t rain long and after investigating the Admiral’s House, our group gathered to continue the tour--but our guide was no where in sight. She had deserted us! So everyone walked around and explored the Dockyard, on their own, without the assistance of a Guide Map!

 

Personally, I didn’t think there was that much to see at Nelson’s Dockyard. Although the historic buildings depict beautiful Georgian architecture, I thought they would be restored as a museum, showing what they were used for back in the 1700’s. Instead most of the historic buildings were converted into restaurants, hotels, offices or shops.

 

The Officers Quarters Building now houses a restaurant, pharmacy, art gallery and picture framing shop

 

The Officers Quarters Building and Capstan House from the pier

 

 

continues

[dz63]

We did walk around the grounds and saw some interesting things, like the massive Camelford Anchor, the three capstans used to remove barnacles from vessels and the Boathouse pillars with wet dock.

 

This was also interesting--an old cannon sticking out of the ground for decoration

 

One of the Capstans

 

Boathouse Pillars

 

 

It would have been interesting to walk over to Fort Berkeley, but we didn’t have enough time to do that.

On our way out, we asked for a tour guide map. . .now we know what we saw!

 

 

continues

[dz63]

Once back on Gordon’s bus, it was a short drive to the Blockhouse. This was a lookout post and stronghold in 1787.

The officer’s quarters and main buildings now lie in ruins.

 

View from the Blockhouse—we could see Eric Clapton’s house

 

Another beautiful view

 

A large restored gunpowder magazine

 

The cistern and catchment area of the Blockhouse

[dz63]

It was another short drive to Shirley Heights, located on the most southerly point on the island. From here we got a fantastic view of English Harbour—a safe harbour for ships during hurricanes.

 

 

Gordon told us that every night a large chain would be drawn across the channel from Fort Berkeley. This was done to block ships from entering the harbour which helped to prevent sieges. I thought that was pretty amazing!

 

Fort Berkeley

 

Shirley Heights Guard House

 

 

continues

[dz63]

Our next stop was Long Bay Beach. We spent 1 ½ hours here.

 

 

 

For those that wanted to go snorkeling they had the opportunity to do that here. Even Gordon went snorkeling!

 

 

Our last stop was Devil’s Bridge located on the Atlantic side of the island.

The surf is very rough here, so Gordon made sure everyone walked where it was safe!

 

 

During the course of the day Gordon offered us delicious sour bread with cheese and fresh, juicy pineapple. After our beach stop Gordon wanted to offer us some meat patties, but when he opened up the container, he only had one left. He ended up giving the last meat patty to our youngest son. No one else in our family got a meat patty as he had run out. It is possible that Gordan didn’t have enough meat patties for everyone, but I’m guessing people were helping themselves to them and took more than one.

 

We had a great day touring the island with Gordon. Gordon was an excellent guide. He kept his eye on everyone in the group and explained points of interest at all the stops.

 

We arrived back at the ship around 4:30 pm.

 

Gordan and us

 

 

cz