Spencer Ambrose - Land and Sea vs. Jaloise Beach Break

[Springermom]

Just back from Adventure of the Seas and our tour in St Lucia with Spencer. We were met exactly where described and divided into two groups. One group taking the boat up and back to the beach and one group taking a van and land tour up to beach and then taking a boat back to their ship.

 

We opted for more on the water time, since I had previously done the land tour and I wanted more time at the beach. The boats were fine to transport us up and back. No restroom facilities on board for those who asked. We arrived at the gorgeous Jalousie beach. They are many chairs to the left of the dock which were free to use. You were able to use the resorts chairs for a fee, just like any other beach. The snorkeling was good and right off the beach. Several of us had drinks at the resort which was lovely and typically priced for being in a high end resort.

 

Lunch was prepared by three island woman and was delicious. Your plates were pilled high with a taste of everything. Each bite was better than the last. Even some very picky children complimented the ladies. They was plenty of water and beers, yet some guests on the tour felt they had to drink like at a fraternity party, so beers did get low but we never ran out. If you have special drink requests you might want to bring a few cold drinks along.

 

On the way home Clint, our tour guide was charming and informative. All and all this was a good way to get to the beach and spend some quality time at the base of the pitons. If you are looking for a sailing trip and party boat, this is not the tour. If you are looking for a fast direct way to the beach and quality beach time in a lush setting this is a great tour! Questions just ask and I am sure Spencer will work hard to accommodate.

[Mr. Click]

We took Spencer's Beach Break last week while we were on the Serenade. Everything ran smoothly. People were there to meet is right where Spencer said they would be, boats were a two minute walk. We were one of the first groups out that morning and the wind was up but Captian Mango and crew kept us safe and dry all along the coast and even did a sea cave run for us. When we got the first scheduled stop Captain Mango took a poll to see who wanted to stop and who wanted to just go on to Jaloiusie. Everyone on board was in agreement to just go on so we got to Jaloiusie Beach very early and there were plenty of free chairs and shade and sand. It did get a bit crowded later in the day as other boats and other tour companies arrived. The beach is self was stunning, no problems at all. Lunch, excellent, just excellent. Plates were filled to over flowing and then they asked if we wanted seconds. Drinks never ran out, crew members were around all day to help with anything we needed or wanted. The weather was not great, mix of sun and clouds and the ride home was not smooth because the wind turned around and we were running right into it. Captain Mango did a great job of getting us back safe and sound. His boat is smaller than Spencer's and some of the others but the man knows how to handle it and how to host his guests. Everyone when home very happy.

[amistad]

I'm glad the recent reviews have been good for the most part, only a few that seemed unhappy. Could someone please let me know what kind of food was served? I just want to make sure everyone in my group will be ok with it. Thanks

[1stcruiser1]

We also recently took a tour with Spencer- we did the land and sea. We had a very good time. We stopped at all the stops, had the different breads, went to the beach, which was so beautiful and had a boat ride back,

 

Our lunch was very good, we had chicken and a few different side dishes. I would highly recommend Spencer. St. Lucia is beautiful.

[Mr. Click]

The food was very west indies. Barbequed chicken (legs and thighs), pasta salad, potato salad, saffron type rice, a taste of taro, a taste of bread fruit, etc. Wonderful spices and flavors. We are both pretty picky eaters but lunch on the beach was just wonderful. The food was also plentiful. We were on the beach break tour and our lunch was served on plates, not in boxes :).

[mortagegourmet]

I'm glad the recent reviews have been good for the most part, only a few that seemed unhappy. Could someone please let me know what kind of food was served? I just want to make sure everyone in my group will be ok with it. Thanks

 

When in April are you going? My family will be going on April 20th. We are doing the Jalouise Beach break.

 

 

Also I wanted to take a trip to the volcano and Spencer said we can do it but wanted to know if everyone thinks it is worth it?

 

Thanks

Jennifer

[Fourseventeen]

The Volcano was VERY boring and smelt really bad. I wouldnt go there again. When we do St Lucia again we will spend the day at Anse Chastanet Beach. Black sand and beautiful place! Nothing else in St Lucia really wowed me over like this beach did.

 

Spencer Ambrose...I wouldnt give him a dollar of mine after my last experience with his tour service. If you want to take a tour contact one of the taxi drivers at the taxi stand just outside the pier gate. You will get a better tour and be putting the money into a hard working local as opposed to a tour guide service thats ran more like a cattle moving company.

[amistad]

When in April are you going? My family will be going on April 20th. We are doing the Jalouise Beach break.

 

 

Also I wanted to take a trip to the volcano and Spencer said we can do it but wanted to know if everyone thinks it is worth it?

 

Thanks

Jennifer

Jennifer, we fly out tomorrow and we will be in St. Lucia next week. We are just doing the beach break, but I will be glad to report back when I return.

[1stcruiser1]

We used Spencer when we were on St. Lucia last month. Excellent excursion. Even though there were multiple vans doing tours they don't wait for all vans at each stop. So it didn't seem like a bunch of people at each stop.

 

We did stop at the volcano and enjoyed the stop. You will not be there very long at all, the guide there will tell you some history about it and you can take pictures then you are on your way again. I don't think we were even there 30 minutes. If it is something that you think you would like to see then do it! If it doesn't interest you then pass. You will have fun no matter what you decide. St. Lucia is beautiful!

[mortagegourmet]

Jennifer, we fly out tomorrow and we will be in St. Lucia next week. We are just doing the beach break, but I will be glad to report back when I return.

 

That would be great. Have a great time.

[mortagegourmet]

We used Spencer when we were on St. Lucia last month. Excellent excursion. Even though there were multiple vans doing tours they don't wait for all vans at each stop. So it didn't seem like a bunch of people at each stop.

 

We did stop at the volcano and enjoyed the stop. You will not be there very long at all, the guide there will tell you some history about it and you can take pictures then you are on your way again. I don't think we were even there 30 minutes. If it is something that you think you would like to see then do it! If it doesn't interest you then pass. You will have fun no matter what you decide. St. Lucia is beautiful!

 

Thanks - I am looking forward to the trip.

[amistad]

I just returned from a 10 day cruise on the Star with a stop in St Lucia. I made arrangements with Spencer Ambrose for the Jalousie Beach Break several months ago, and I wanted to report back that we had a wonderful day. The day started with Captain Kirk meeting us at the Duty Free shopping area as stated and the 5 in my group and a few other couples went to a dock and got on our transport to the Beach resort. We stopped at the first beach and were offered to swim or snorkle, but our group agreed that we would like to go directly to the Jaoulsie Beach. The resort facilities and personnel were wonderful, we had nice chairs with shade, plenty of beer, water, rum punch, cokes and I think diet coke. The water there is so clear it is just beautiful. We rented a paddle boat and a kayak from the water sports desk and they were very friendly. I am not aware of any problems with the security at any time while we were there. The lunch was served at 12:00 and it was plentiful. We left the beach at 2:30 and we were taken past the bat cave, the celebrity homes and Marigot, also saw some of the fishing villages. I was concerned about the recent reviews from some unhappy cruisers, but our experience turned out to be very good. I will mention that we only met Spencer in the beginning and at the end, but his crew did a wonderful job.

[mortagegourmet]

I just returned from a 10 day cruise on the Star with a stop in St Lucia. I made arrangements with Spencer Ambrose for the Jalousie Beach Break several months ago, and I wanted to report back that we had a wonderful day. The day started with Captain Kirk meeting us at the Duty Free shopping area as stated and the 5 in my group and a few other couples went to a dock and got on our transport to the Beach resort. We stopped at the first beach and were offered to swim or snorkle, but our group agreed that we would like to go directly to the Jaoulsie Beach. The resort facilities and personnel were wonderful, we had nice chairs with shade, plenty of beer, water, rum punch, cokes and I think diet coke. The water there is so clear it is just beautiful. We rented a paddle boat and a kayak from the water sports desk and they were very friendly. I am not aware of any problems with the security at any time while we were there. The lunch was served at 12:00 and it was plentiful. We left the beach at 2:30 and we were taken past the bat cave, the celebrity homes and Marigot, also saw some of the fishing villages. I was concerned about the recent reviews from some unhappy cruisers, but our experience turned out to be very good. I will mention that we only met Spencer in the beginning and at the end, but his crew did a wonderful job.

 

That sounds great. We leave on Saturday and can't wait.

[newlifeca]

we also had a great time on Spencer's tour. We went the week of April 3rd-10th

[madthumper]

Just got an e mail back from the plantation. The day pass is $ 50.00 but you cannot use their pool. There is however a $25.00 food credit included in the price. The real kicker is that its a $90.00-$120.00 taxi ride for a couple to get to the resort from the cruise pier.

 

 

Warm greetings from The Jalousie Plantation and beautiful St Lucia!

 

It is wonderful to hear from you and equally a pleasure to know that you wish to visit our beautiful resort while on our exquisite island.

 

I am pleased to confirm that the below information is correct.

 

Should you require any further information or assistance, please feel free to let us know and we will be delighted to assist you.

 

Regards,

Korina Hippolyte | Reservations Agent(The Jalousie Plantation)

Val Des Pitons | Forbidden Beach | La Baie de Silence | Post Office Box 251 | Soufriere | Saint Lucia|(:+ 1 (758) 456 8042 |7:+ 1 (758) 459 7667|*: korina@thejalousieplantation.com

** Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards 2010 Winner of “Favourite Leisure Hotel, The Americas & the Caribbean” **

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From: Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 11:29 AM

To: reservations@thejalousieplantation.com

Subject: Question about use of the beach at the resort

 

 

 

Before booking with Spencer I wanted to confirm that the information in his email below is correct. Otherwise I may consider a day pass if they are availabe through your resort. Can you email me back and let me know the correct information.

 

Thanks,

[MartinsCruise]

We recently returned from our third visit to St Lucia. There was a group of us who went on Spencer Ambrose's Land and Sea tour. He had two vans for us, one driven by him and the other by a relative, Small. They were great and we enjoyed the tour. He made a stop to get us hot Creole bread and another stop at a banana plantation where we ate bananas. Each van had a supply of water, beer and good rum punch. When we reached Jalousie Beach, he had individual lunches for us that had a wonderful selection of local food in them. After swimming we returned by speedboat to the pier.

We were able to see much more of the coast then we had on previous boat tours in St Lucia and learned a lot more about the island on this tour.

[UMTerp]

Ditto the above post! We just returned and went with the Spencer Ambrose Land & Sea tour. Loved it!

 

UMTerp

[mortagegourmet]

We just got back and did Spencer's Jalouise Beach Break and had a great time. I had booked this for my family that consisted of 7 kids (ages 3-10) and 10 adults. Everyone loved the trip. No complaints. We took the boat trip up. My husband, 2 boys & I stopped to get off and go to the Volcano. Then Spencer picked us up and took us to the beach. Everyone else went straight to the beach. The lunch was good and there were plenty of drinks.

[prairiesailor]

I wouldn't reccommend this guy to my worst enemy. A large group of us-45 from the Celebrity Constellation-booked the land & sea tour with Spenser on April 14th. When he met us he took us to the dock area & said we were all going by sea & the cost had gone up. It was pouring rain at this time & the group was angry.He finally agreed to get vans-one loaded up quickly & left-no drinks in the van-only in Spencers.The other vans finally left at 9:30-were supposed to leave at 8:30.Lunch wasn't worth eating-1 piece of chicke,rice,salads-not refrigerated or cold-no cold drinks when we finally. As we were leaving 1 person in our boat asked about a discount since we didn't get what we had asked for-he took $5 of now $50 instead of $55 but not sure if everyone heard him reduce the price or not-he didn't get too many tips from us.Guys on boat taking us back were excellent & informative so we gave each of them a tip.Considering he was a former police officer was inpressed & would advise you to find someone else to use,

[LynnMW3]

I was the one who organized the tour with Spencer for April 14, and agree that it began badly. There was a lot of confusion as to what the tour was supposed to be, and what Spencer had arranged for us. He told me a mistake had been made when our reservation was transferred to a new appointment book. However, once he realized that he’d made a mistake, he immediately took steps to provide the tour we were promised. Yes, it took a little while to get all the “ducks in a row,” but it didn’t take too long before those of us who decided to hang around got the tour we were promised. As far as I know, the cost of the tour was never in dispute; he said $55 per person, and that’s what he asked for. (Yes, some got a slight discount for the late start. Given that it was a torrential downpour in the early morning, I doubt there was much anyone missed because of the delay.)

Spencer felt extremely bad about the error and did everything within his power to make things right. I received an email from him the next day that said in part:

“Lynn, I would not have done this deliberately and it was unintentional because I would not do something to displease my customers at all when they are the ones who play a big part in my reviews and work volume.....”

He said nothing like this has ever happened before, and I believe him. If you read all the other reviews of his tours on this board, they will bear this out…we’re all human, and mistakes will be made. The important thing is how the error is addressed, and I think he accepted responsibility for the mistake and made things right, as quickly and as professionally as he could.

I’m sure others on this tour will have other opinions, but this is mine, and I wouldn't hesitate to book a tour with him again.

~Lynn

[madthumper]

I'm booked with Spencer on May 19th on the beach break tour. I have emailed him twice, once about my wife's latex allergies with food, such as bananas, kwi etc. I read where the ketchup is made by bananas and relayed to spencer I was concerned about this considering there is a lunch provided. He emailed me right back and said to be on the safe side that he would reduce the cost of my wife's tour and let her bring a lunch off the ship and that he would keep it cooled in one of his coolers for her because he would not want her to have a reaction on the tour. I told him I was not worried about the reduced price and not to worry about it, but he said he would make sure we were taken care of. He seems like a fair man to me.

[KayakBabe]

We are a party of 4 with two elderly ladies included. I've read in reviews that the Land & Sea Tour consists of lots of winding, bumpy roads (not reccommended for those with bad backs, like myself, and those with occasional motion sickness) therefore, I opted for Spencer's Beach Tour instead on 19th May.

 

Can anyone who has been on the Beach Tour tell me what the journey was like, is there still an element of the winding roads before we are transferred to the boat taking us to the beach?

 

Many thanks in advance.

[aoco]

I did the land and sea tour and can tell you that the sea tour back to the boat was very fast and bumpy and at one point we hit a huge wake wave that knocked us around. Also it may be difficult for some elderly people to get on and off the boat. I would not recommend elderly folks on this boat ride.

 

AOCO

[snickerbilly]

We will also see you on May 19th for the Jalousie Beach Break tour.

[KayakBabe]

We will also see you on May 19th for the Jalousie Beach Break tour.

....sure will Snickerbilly!!!! Might be just me and hubby though.