Calabaza or Ships Excursion

[ncsteeler]

I would love to go on the Calabasa tour so my husband can enjoy the snorkeling. I have problems with my ear and don't swim but am fine with staying on the boat. So they don't mind if someone stays behind on the boat while the others snorkel ?

 

No, my wife had some trouble with the current at one stop and she really enjoyed hanging on the boat with the crew. Very friendly group/

[billrco90278]

This is late feedback. We did Calabeza last December and it was the best Caribbean excursion we have done (on three cruises). Everything was first class, wonderful, and an excellent value for your money. Keep in mind that we were on the smaller post-hurricane temporary boat. I can only imagine how it is on the new boat!

[tmm4vaca]

Absolutly loved Calabaza Just sailed with them july 5th. I would go with this group again. Gina was great. My son stubbed his baby toe and took a chunck out of it. and Gina made a great nurse. It healed so quick. Thank you Gina. Chad gets in the water with you to feed the turtles, a great guy. They looked like they were having as much fun as we were. and her food was good too. USE THIS COMPANY!!!!!!!

[Yenrab22]

FYI as an alternative to a smaller and less expensive (i believe) excursion my thoughts from our recent trip (taken from my trip review) with shasa:

 

Barbados – can’t say enough…… if you want to snorkel – book Shasa! Shasa is an independent company with a husband and wife owner. They are a great couple and hard workers! We opted for the 3 hour snorkel but everyone else on the cat opted for the 5 hour. The 3 hour had 2 snorkel stops plus lots of great sailing. The 5 hour had 3 snorkel stops and a homemade lunch. Definitely one of our better excursion bookings. And Jason and Tess are such great hosts that you will have a very enjoyable time! (Plus I love booking with ‘companies’ that are folks who are trying to make their own business flourish.) Jason has been sailing for many many years and has worked for many of the other big name companies over the years in Barbados but about 5 years ago they decided to start their own. Drop them an email and Tess will respond very promptly and answer all your questions! I don’t recall who I booked in Barbados the last time but I know it was a bigger boat and more crowded than I’d like. Our cat this time had 12 people total on it. It was quite comfortable, not crowded and Jason made sure to steer clear of all the other excursion groups.

Just to note - I think Shasa is more cautious about going out in bad weather than other companies. This could be good or bad, depending on your perspective. We booked with them online, and were in email contact even while on the ship. When we got to Barbados, it was raining (off and on). After we made it out to the tour pick up area, Jason told us that we shouldn't go out in this weather. The other companies did go out, and everyone we talked to afterward said they had a good time despite the weather. By that time, it was too late to get on a different shore excursion. Had we got an email or call that morning, we might have saved our one day in Barbados.

The good part is that they won't put you in bad weather or force you to pay for the tour and get soaked. They are also obviously concerned about safety. This might be a good thing for a lot of people, so I don't mention it as a complaint. If you're willing to brave bad weather, though, you would be disappointed at losing a one-time opportunity. Just depends on your preference.