Rhino Boat Tour with Princess

[SF]

Has anyone recently taken the tour Princess offered for the Rhino Boat Excursion? Would like to get some feedback on how rough the ride is and if you felt it was worth the cost? We would need two boats since we are three people and we're wondering if that 3rd person would get to ride themselves since we paid for the boat and the cost of the tour is per boat not per person.

 

We'll be cruising at the end of November so any thoughts on how the rough the water will be?

 

Thanks in advance.

[jkjmt]

We've been to St. Maarten four times.......and we did the rhino riders about 5 years ago and loved it. We're going back in January 2011 and are planning on doing it again. They now have a 3 person boat.

 

If you go through the ship excursion you'll probably be put with another passenger unless there are no other odd numbered groups.

 

If you go to the place by yourself......here is their pricing:

 

Regular Pricing

$63.50usd double riders

(2 passengers on 1 Rhino

add $55us for 3rd passenger option)

$127usd Single Riders

(Your own Rhino)

 

• Min.Age: 5 years

  
  

• Min driving age 18yrs

  
  

[SF]

We've been to St. Maarten four times.......and we did the rhino riders about 5 years ago and loved it. We're going back in January 2011 and are planning on doing it again. They now have a 3 person boat.

 

If you go through the ship excursion you'll probably be put with another passenger unless there are no other odd numbered groups.

 

If you go to the place by yourself......here is their pricing:

 

Regular Pricing

$63.50usd double riders

(2 passengers on 1 Rhino

add $55us for 3rd passenger option)

$127usd Single Riders

(Your own Rhino)

 

• Min.Age: 5 years

  
  

• Min driving age 18yrs

  
  

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Rhino Riders. It sounds like fun so we are going to give it a try.

 

I believe that 3rd person is only for a child as I've checked on line for private companies also and all of them state 3rd person can be a small child. That won't work for us as we are 3 adults.

 

I don't think the cruise line will put the third person with someone else as when we book we have to say how many Rhino Riders we want not how many people are going. The cost is per Rhino Rider not per person. They won't even know how many people until we get there and if I paid for two Rhino Riders I would be very upset if I had to share. That would mean either someone didn't pay or the company got paid twice for the same Rhino Rider. I could want two boats for a total of two people and have each ride their own. They'd have no way of know number of people, they only care about how many Rhino Boats they need to have.

[jkjmt]

I would bet you're paying a per person rate............that's how the cruise ships make their money. We went with three people kayaking and they paired my husband up with another single woman. My daughter and I had another kayak. We assumed he'd be by himself, but no, because someone else had a party of three, they paired the odd "man" out.

 

When we did the rhino riders last time, we were a party of three. The tour guide drove the three man boat and our daughter rode with him because she wanted to (she was 11 or 12 then.....she wanted to go faster with him, then either mom (scardy cat) or dad (bad back) would go....otherwise, my husband or I would have been paired with him.....which he said we could drive.....

 

The three seater could easily fit three adults......it's more of a weight consideration and that's for the rhino rider as well.

 

When are you going???? They're running a special now.......check the pricing:

 

FALL SPECIAL!!

 

SPECIAL Offer!!!!!

 

$49.50usd double riders

(2 passengers on 1 Rhino

add $55us for 3rd passenger option)

$99usd Single Riders

(YouMin.Age: 5 years

 

• Min driving age 18yrs

  
  

• this rate is valid for reservations made for dates between Aug 30th and Oct 30th.

  
  

[jkjmt]

Here is a picture of the three man boat......it's more like a little boat, you sit differently on them. Also the bottom or the three man boat is a V shaped hull, while the rhino riders are more flat. The rhino riders you stradle the seat like a jet ski:

 

[SF]

We aren't going until the end of November so not sure if the special will still be available then. Which company is it anyway?

 

As for the 3 person boat....don't think it will work...what is the weight limit for those type of boats?

 

I'd be upset if they put the third person from our group with another person and I had to pay full price for the rhino rider. If the rhino rider is lets say 50.00 that's for two people not per person and that works out to 25.00 a person. If I book two boats and pay full price for both then it should not matter if one or two people are riding it. Why should one of us have to pay 50.00 for the rhino rider and then ride with someone we don't know. That means the other person is also paying 50.00 for a rhino rider and the cruise line or company is making double the price. Not fair in my opinion. If a rhino rider is shared then it should not be full price for both parties. It should work out to the 25.00 per person just like it does when you book one with 2 people.

 

If we take the ship's tour for this excursion then I will definitely ask once on board.

[jkjmt]

That special price is $49.50 per person with two people on the boat or $99.00 for one boat. If you have one person on the boat it is $99.00 (or paying as if two people are there.)

 

Regular price is $63.50 per person with two people on the boat or $127.00 for one boat.

 

Carnival charges $90 per person with two people on the boat (which does included travel to and from the ship). You would need to pay $180.00 if you wanted one person on by themselves.

 

The company I've been talking with is Island Marketing Ltd. www. st martin cruiseexcursions . com. I don't know if that will come through, (I've spaced it out trying to get it to come through). When you book directly through the company, that does not include transportation to and from and ship. The quoted me $12 per person for transportation to and from the ship, or we could take a cab to and from on our own expense.

 

The two person Rhino rider's weight limit is 400 pounds....but we went over 400 pounds and didn't have a problem. My husband is bigger at 6'2" and I'm not small either. The Rhino had no problems with speed and no one there said....."hey, how much do you weigh????"

 

Good luck as you plan your excursions!!!!

[SF]

Thanks for posting the company. I am familiar with that name as I've checked out other tours from them also. They have a good reputation from people on the boards. I'll give them another look.

 

If the tour is per person then yes the company has a right to put you with another person if you put 3 people and then they wouldn't be making double on a boat. Fully understand if we go with Island Marketing then this is probably how it would be. However, we are thinking of booking with the cruise line and this line is charging per boat so we were thinking of booking two boats and if we follow thru with them will definitely check to make sure another person won't be added since we paid per boat.

 

Now I have to go do the numbers and see what the difference is once transporation from/to the ship is added in and whether it pays to go with an outside company.

 

Thanks for your help. It's appreciated.

[jkjmt]

How much is Princess charging per boat????

[SF]

How much is Princess charging per boat????

 

Can't remember exactly but I think it was around $150 or $159 per boat.

 

If we did it with Island Marketing it would be 63.50 twice for $127.00 (as our time doesn't seem to work for the special) plus $12.00 each person another $24.00 for transportation. Total for two people would be $151.00 which is almost the same as the ship's and if that's the case I think we prefer to just go with the cruise line. The third person's boat would be $127.00 (single rider) and $12.00 for transportation so it would work out a little cheaper by $10.00 which isn't much.

 

Wasn't sure if the $12.00 you quoted for transportation was for both ways per person or was it $12.00 each way per person. I assumed it was for both ways.

 

We still have time to keep monitoring if any specials are available when we'll be there.

[jkjmt]

$12 is both ways. I would definately book with the cruiseline then....that way you don't have to worry about missing the boat. I'm assuming Princess is the same as Carnival......Carnival waits if one of their excursions has been delayed.

 

Carnival's price is $90 per person, or $180 per boat, so for us going through Island Marketing with their transportation saves us about $15 per person, which there is four of us.....so $60.

 

Happy planning!!!

[SF]

$12 is both ways. I would definately book with the cruiseline then....that way you don't have to worry about missing the boat. I'm assuming Princess is the same as Carnival......Carnival waits if one of their excursions has been delayed.

 

Carnival's price is $90 per person, or $180 per boat, so for us going through Island Marketing with their transportation saves us about $15 per person, which there is four of us.....so $60.

 

Happy planning!!!

 

Yes, Princess will wait for their tours so like you said that is another reason to go with them since the price is so close. Usually we prefer to do our own tours but in this case it may pay to give in and go with the cruise line.

 

For you since it is expensive per person I can see going with Island Marketing.

 

I still plan to watch for specials and since we have time till our cruise I can always change plans but for now this seems the way to go. Another factor to consider is if we went with Island Marketing there is no cancellation without a penalty unless they cancel the tour. With Princess we have until just a few days prior should something come up and we change our minds.

[jkjmt]

Ohhhhhh....good point.

[SJChaput]

I wonder how the quality of the cruise excursion compared to the private company.

 

I know when I was in Cozumel the ATV group I went with was a LOT smaller than the Carnival group.

[SF]

I wonder how the quality of the cruise excursion compared to the private company.

 

I know when I was in Cozumel the ATV group I went with was a LOT smaller than the Carnival group.

 

From what I have read and heard about the cruise lines it's not that large of a group. Maybe six to seven boats per group. There is no way it can be a large number and for them to keep control of everyone. It's not like a land or bus tour.