rjrpar

We did this beach with Spencer Ambrose. Unfortunately, we arrived at lunch time and the beach was overcrowded. Turned out to be a bad experience for many of us - due to the size of the beach, lack of chairs, and Spencer's attitude. Personally, we will avoid St. Lucia on future cruises.

Up to 400 people out of 3, 4, 5000 isn't a lot.

 

I don't really get the obsession people have with what other people do or what the crew makes. If the cruise line really wanted to stop it they could simply make it a non removable service charge but clearly they want to leave it up to the discretion of each guest. And per your own post, they said more people pay now than before. Unless it becomes mandatory there will always be people that remove tips. That is the risk you take when accepting a tipped position. No different that a server at your local restaurant. Every table does not tip. It's just the way it works. It's not my business how other people chose to spend their money.

Agree 100%. Some people have too much idle time

We took a taxi there for $20@. That included the $6 entrance fee into the National Park and rt from the ship (which was only about a 15-20 minute ride away). There are no restaurants in the park, but we did see a couple bars just outside the park. The beach there is beautiful and pretty protected. Snorkeling was very good, too. Since we took the taxi there instead of a ship tour, we had the beach to ourselves for an hour or 2 before the tours arrived. I wouldn't hesitate to do this again!

Trying to understand how far Pigeon Island is from the cruise port and how much a taxi would cost. Seems like I've seen a couple of different answers.

Thanks in advance for any info

Loved, loved, loved our cove on the Breeze! Would book another one in a heartbeat. My favorite catagory so far. It was great being so close to the water. Just do your research on location to avoid noise issues from above.

Totally agree, we had a good one on the Magic

We used Spencer last week and it was WONDERFUL!! My entire group had a fantastic time. We did the Jalouise Beach Break. I have also used him in the past for the Land and Sea Tour, as well as sent clients on his tours many times -- all were exceptional and I had happy clients. He was very quick to answer emails and questions and it was very organized and our favorite excursion for the week.

 

I would use him again in a heartbeat. Please do not be worried. He's a wonderful person and you will really enjoy your day.

Don't know how you can say this, we were there last week and didn't enjoy our day at all.

The beach is beautiful, but the section for non-resort guests is small, rocky, and not a good experience. We just were there on 2/28/13 with Spencer Tours and had a terrible time - overcrowded, cold food, no ice, and arguments on the dock as we left between Spencer and some guests. Find something else to do in St. Lucia.

Just did Spencer's tour last Thursday - stay away. It was overcrowded, not enough beach chairs, cold food, and poorly organized. He did mention that he had 160 people take his tours that day, most ever, and there were issues

We have been on 14 cruises and have always tipped the standard+. I believe tips do motivate service personnel to provide better service so I'm against the new plan. I know some people claim prepaying doesn't affect service but when it's across the board, it very well might.

We did the tour last Feb and loved it. Based on our experience, I would recommend including the lunch in the package. We got good service, excellent food, and a few extra drinks were thrown in.

Good looking new menu. Is there a schedule for implementation by ship?

Just returned from the Explorer of the Seas. Spent a day in Antigua doing the segway tour. Had a great time, the package deal with lunch, taxi, and the segway tour is easy, safe, and was the highlight of our trip. Good food and real nice people.

Used RIL for Rome and Naples on our 9/25/11 12-day Carnival "Magic" cruise. All I can say is they did a great job; on-time, knowledgeable, very friendly, flexible. Their minivans navigate the busy cities much better than tour busses and are much cheaper. They also recommended very good restaurants in both cities.

Some advice: go with the private guide in the Vatican and Pompeii.

Bob