Tortola Charters

[bonzusaf]

Thanks! I'm weebles and currently posting on the NCL Dawn cruise for 11/2. We had made arrangements for 30+ people and don't know what to do. Would you mind letting us know what you find out? We also have a member who is trying to call.

 

Let's work together and find out what's going on. I wonder if any of our friends at the CRUISE CRITIC office know?

 

 

Hello!

 

Not sure...we are going on the Carnival Freedom in November...

 

I called several hotels in the area but nobody can confirm if they are in business. Another representative from our roll call has emailed soggy dollar and they said they know of him and he may just be out of season...but you would think he would still respond.

[LOWTYD]

Hello!

 

Not sure...we are going on the Carnival Freedom in November...

 

I called several hotels in the area but nobody can confirm if they are in business. Another representative from our roll call has emailed soggy dollar and they said they know of him and he may just be out of season...but you would think he would still respond.

 

 

The Carnival Freedom is due in Tortola tomorrow. ( 11/13) maybe someone will post from the ship if all is well:)...or not.:(

[tbmrt]

I still am getting nowhere....Wrote several yacht places in BVI, the BVI Facebook, other websites, etc...no one knows of them. I'm hoping this is just due to the low season there as they refer to it. Nothing from NCL yet on their JVD charter either.

 

I take it that Carnival Freedom which is returning 10/13 went to Tortola...Has anyone put a note on the Carnival Board about this yet?

 

Some other charter boats would go, but much more expensive and not as good an agenda.

Barb

[PICKLEBALL WIDOW]

The Carnival Freedom is due in Tortola tomorrow. ( 11/13) maybe someone will post from the ship if all is well:)...or not.:(

 

Hmmmm. Great minds think alike, huh? Still no word about the JVD trip I was coordinating. Guess I'll just keep checking back.:D

 

See you in 20 days!!!!!

[Jdleong]

Hmmmm. Great minds think alike, huh? Still no word about the JVD trip I was coordinating. Guess I'll just keep checking back.:D

 

See you in 20 days!!!!!

 

I put a note on the Carnival Freedom for the 12th's board to let us know if they picked them up.

 

see what happens

 

Jan

[tbmrt]

no action since 2010 though, but I did write to befriend Bill and and to an apparent relative asking about him. Will keep you up to date.

Barbara

[jbrn]

Just saw on a previous post that they are no longer in business

[PICKLEBALL WIDOW]

SAY IT ISN'T SO!!!!

 

NOW what?

[computerworks]

SAY IT ISN'T SO!!!!

 

NOW what?

 

 

Discussing options:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1496887

[Irishlinny]

Just trying to get some updated info out to the people inquiring about Tortola Charters. This was posted on the roll call for the Freedom sailing that just returned. So sounds like the Jost Van Dyke trip happened, however another person from that cruise posted on this forum that Tortola Charters was a no show for the Baths trip (don't know if those reservations may have been made around the time the hacking of the website or what). So we're hoping our trip still goes, but we have a Plan B beach day in place.;)

 

I made it on the tour to Jost Van Dyke with Tortola Charters (as did a few others here). They said that since they're web site was hacked they haven't been getting the reservation requests and emails. Not sure why they haven't fixed that yet, particularly since the site comes up when you go to it. The owner (Captain Bill) is currently in the U.S. so we only got what little information his hired Captain was able to tell us.

 

For what it's worth, we had a great time. Well.....we thought we were going to miss the ship when one of the engines in the boat died, but that's another story....

[HappyHappy1]

there is a group on the carnival freedom 11/5/2011 sailing using BVI360. according to the rollcall BVI360 requires a minimum of 5 passengers, maximum of 10. Cost is $60 per person.

[ckrcjr]

We had originally booked with Tortola Charters for our visit in March, however, after hearing about all the problems recently, we are now booked with BVI360. They have great ratings on Trip Advisor and were very prompt in answering my emails. They did not say anything about a minimum number of people - the cost is $60 pp, slightly higher than Tortola but it will take away our worries about being left waiting on the pier.

 

Sam also mentioned other things to do on JVD if interested - ATV, mountain biking, etc and he seems to be very knowledgeable. We are very relieved we will be able to go to JVD without any worries!

[PICKLEBALL WIDOW]

I contacted this company and received a form letter telling me that they were offering the same thing TC was offering us, but at $60 which was more than Bill was going to charge for our group of 30.

 

ALSO, and probably MOST importantly, if you look at this guys post you will see that it is the very first time he's ever posted, which makes me worry.

 

I think we'll skip it but keep our options open once we get there.

[weltek]

Not that this resolves the lack of phone/email contact, but I saw this from an August, 2011 post on Tripadvisor:

A word to the wise, however: "meeting at the gate" is very confusing in Tortola. Like I said, I had cruised before, but had never been to Tortola... We were off the ship and waiting 10 minutes earlier than the suggested time at the place where we thought "the gate" was located. Since all of the Carnival excursions were meeting there, and the taxis were all pulling up, we figured it must be right. The confirmation e-mail had said that we can't miss them! We waited and waited and no one came. Finally, we asked a taxi driver and he directed us up the road to ANOTHER gate (that you can't see from the first one), and low and behold that was the right spot. We still had to ask someone because the Tortola Charters rep wasn't there, he had just walked someone down to the dock and would be right back. Long story short, it all worked out, but we felt bad and a little embarrassed to be the ones that were holding everyone up on the boat, especially since we were actually early and just poorly informed. So... book with Tortola Charters for an unforgettable day at Jost Van Dyke but walk up the road to the second gate!

[HappyHappy1]

Not that this resolves the lack of phone/email contact, but I saw this from an August, 2011 post on Tripadvisor:

A word to the wise, however: "meeting at the gate" is very confusing in Tortola. Like I said, I had cruised before, but had never been to Tortola... We were off the ship and waiting 10 minutes earlier than the suggested time at the place where we thought "the gate" was located. Since all of the Carnival excursions were meeting there, and the taxis were all pulling up, we figured it must be right. The confirmation e-mail had said that we can't miss them! We waited and waited and no one came. Finally, we asked a taxi driver and he directed us up the road to ANOTHER gate (that you can't see from the first one), and low and behold that was the right spot. We still had to ask someone because the Tortola Charters rep wasn't there, he had just walked someone down to the dock and would be right back. Long story short, it all worked out, but we felt bad and a little embarrassed to be the ones that were holding everyone up on the boat, especially since we were actually early and just poorly informed. So... book with Tortola Charters for an unforgettable day at Jost Van Dyke but walk up the road to the second gate!

 

The problem is...Tortola Charters is Missing In Action! No email, no phone...Lets face it folks....They are gone.

[ckrcjr]

I contacted this company and received a form letter telling me that they were offering the same thing TC was offering us, but at $60 which was more than Bill was going to charge for our group of 30.

 

ALSO, and probably MOST importantly, if you look at this guys post you will see that it is the very first time he's ever posted, which makes me worry.

 

I think we'll skip it but keep our options open once we get there.

 

 

I don't think many (if any) tour operators ever post and I think Sam knows about the problems with Tortola Charters and only wanted to let people know he is also available. If you check on Trip Advisor, he is #4 on the list of best tours and is rated higher than Tortola Charters.

 

We have no concerns at all about booking with him.

[dxgiroux]

Hi! Everyone,

 

I emailed for pricing from BVI360 and was giving the price of $70.00. I really like Tortola Charters, I wish that they would give people some life signs good or bad.

[PICKLEBALL WIDOW]

I don't think many (if any) tour operators ever post and I think Sam knows about the problems with Tortola Charters and only wanted to let people know he is also available. If you check on Trip Advisor, he is #4 on the list of best tours and is rated higher than Tortola Charters.

 

We have no concerns at all about booking with him.

 

There WAS a post from him yesterday; otherwise I wouldn't have know to contact him. Never heard of him before but he had his web site and email address posted on CC. Now it's been removed because CC warns people to let them know when people join in the last minute because apparently excursion operators aren't allowed to post on CC.

 

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time, no matter what you do.

[cherylroslyn]

I don't think many (if any) tour operators ever post and I think Sam knows about the problems with Tortola Charters and only wanted to let people know he is also available. If you check on Trip Advisor, he is #4 on the list of best tours and is rated higher than Tortola Charters.

 

We have no concerns at all about booking with him.

He has five reviews......TOTAL. Thats not comprable in any way. And he does all sorts of tours on the island of Tortola. None of those reviews are for a Jost Van Dyke trip.

 

 

Pull out a map and look at where Jost Van Dyke is in relation to Tortola and ask yourself if you want to be worried about getting back to the ship with a start up company that distance.

 

Before I ever book a private company I look into the numbe r of boats they have and or the number of buses or vans.

 

 

I am not in any way trying to knock the guy but for a trip that takes you to a totally different island miles away I am booking with the cruiseline rather than chance not getting back to the ship. Until I see an established track record of trips to JVD and reviews from people who did that trip.....I would not be confident.

 

The cruiseline is 89$. BVI 360 is $70.00.

 

All other charters I can find including Patouche, Aristocrat, and Kuralu are $110.00 not including cab to their boat (at least two of them leave from the west end which is quite a cab ride back and forth.........)

 

I never ever book with the cruiseline but in this case for my own piece of mind I am not risking getting stuck over at Jost Van Dyke or in the middle of the Carribean sea.....

 

 

JMHO...... I am going to Tortola in December and in April....so if the reports look good in April from CC members I will absolutely give them a try.........