Silver Moon's 24-Passenger Excursion?

[candydane]

We'll be doing this excursion in a couple weeks. Has anyone done this trip lately? Any comments?

 

Thanks.

[kel3120]

I was on this excursion last week, and it turned out to be the best day of our cruise. We actually had tried to book with a different company, but they were full so we ended up going with Silver Moon.

 

What I loved about this was it had a good mix of activity and relaxation. Swimming with the turtles was an awesome experience. The staff were excellent-- always making sure everyone had what they needed and were satisfied. They were professional, yet laid back and friendly. Food and drinks were delicious.

 

DH and I agreed that we'd like to make it back to Barbados again, and we'll look at booking with Silver Moon. And that's saying a lot, because we're the type of people that never like to repeat. It was just a wonderful experience!

[Prairie_Gal]

Were there lots of seats in the shade on the boat?

[ladeeesquire]

we did this tour last month. I was a bit concerned because it seemed like 24 on the cat would be too many. I tried to book the 12 person and it was full or canceled or something. But, honestly, it was a non issue. There was plenty of seating in the shade, plenty of room for your stuff,e tc. People really spread out. A lot of people go sit up on the front net area also. Its a wonderful trip and the crew couldn't have been any more professional. The boat is immaculately clean and its no wonder the crew quickly deals with spills etc. I apologized and in return I got a smile and a very sincere "no problem, that's what we're here for." One of they guys, Chad, was particularly helpful with my dd and made the day even more fun for her! The sailing was awesome and the views fantastic. The food they serve is great: fresh, tasty and plentiful.

 

Honestly the only thing that was less than impressive was the snorkling. We saw more turtles than the other groups that were out there --I know because we talked to people on our ship that were on different excursions --but it was still only about 5 or 6 turtles total. I've seen many more snorkling from the shore in hawaii and with fewer people around. Our boat wasn't able to stop at the first snorkling spot because they said there were too many jelly fish. Neither of these things could be controlled by silver moon of course.

 

So, my overall opinion is this. If you want a really lovely sailing day with a little bit of snorkling thrown in, this is the trip for you. If your main goal is to see lots of sea life, maybe not.

[candydane]

Thanks for the update. Snorkeling's always iffy based on the weather & ocean conditions. The turtles aren't in a giant aquarium so they can swim there or not, which is a good thing.

 

Sounds like just the onboard experience will be great. Seeing lots of turtles will be a bonus!!

[jtonra]

We just did this last week and it was great. Snorkeling was good (not great). We swam with at least 8 turtles at the turtle stop. Food and drink were free flowing all day and the crew was great. I highly recommend this tour. There is plenty of room in both the sun and the shade.

[Snorkel Mom]

We'll be doing this excursion in a couple weeks. Has anyone done this trip lately? Any comments?

 

Thanks.

 

On April 8th we (a party of 6 adults) took Silver Moon's 12 Passenger Deluxe Cruise expecting to be put on their beautiful catamaran. This was our 3rd return trip with them. Much to our disappointment we were put their other catamaran designated for 24 passengers. Never had this happen before! They obviously were so booked for the 12 passenger deluxe tour that they decided to offer both boats and only put 12 on each boat. The 2 boats were not even close to being similar! The smaller Silver Moon catamaran for 12 is by far more luxurious and does not even compare to the 24 passenger catamaran.There were only plastic flaps to lower in case of rain...which it did. Then you couldn't see out! The seating was crappy at best. The 12 Passenger catamaran is beautiful, luxurious, and fully enclosed(won't get wet or cold if rainy) and has breathtaking crow's nests at the front of the boat...so much fun to sit in. Well, the 24 passenger boat does not...not enclosed and no crow's nest! Where did they get this boat? All of this was such a disappointment. This bigger boat was not up the the standards of what I consider Silver Moon to be. The sad part is that we had booked with them exactly 6 months(the earliest they'll book out) prior to our sail for a party of 6 on the 12 passenger Siver Moon....filling half the boat. I felt as if we had been duped. The people on the smaller 12 passenger Silver Moon that day were toasty and dry when it rained later...whereas we were getting wet, cold, and feeling pretty miserable. This 24 passenger Silver Moon catamaran is not nearly as nice as the one Cool Runnings has....a competitor! The snorkeling that day was superb! The crew was nice though and the food the same, but such a disappointment when you have your heart set on sailing in luxury and it's not there! We did complain before we sailed and even talked to the owner...but there was nothing they could do at that point. They didn't want to switch out 6 people from the other Silver Moon....probably because then they would have pissed off 6 more people, and then they would be dealing with 12 angry customers instead of 6. So we did our tour and learned from this mistake!

 

Beware future customers of Silver Moon! You may think you're booked on the smaller more luxurious catamaran for 12, but ask or demand before you sail....you could be put on the 24 passenger catamaran at last minute.

[ds0907]

Just come back from the caribbean and we did the 12 pax catamaran on silver moon in Barbados and it was amazing , at the first stop at the shipwreck site we were swimming with thousands of multi colloured fish , they were so close that you actually could touch them and then onto the turtle site there was about eight turtles that came to the boat and they came that close you could stroke them but once all the food had gone they swam off, probably waiting for the next boat to come along and feed them, the buffet lunch was excelent and the drinks flowing all through the tour. Highly recommended.

Dave

[candydane]

We had a great time on our 24-passenger Silver Moon excursion. Lots of beautiful fish and several turtles. The food was good and there was plenty for everyone. The rum drinks flowed freely. The crew worked the entire time, making sure everyone had a good time and enjoyed the day.

 

It was pouring rain when we were picked up at the dock. The tour lady offered a full refund to anyone who wanted to cancel. Only one couple did. Fortunately it stopped raining soon after we boarded the boat and the weather was perfect for the day!

 

I'd definitely book again although I'd try for the 12-passenger excursion next time. It was already booked for this trip.

 

Thanks to everyone who posted their experiences.

[BroncosFan2010]

I was just on this excursion on our 4/23/2011 Constellation cruise. It was the best excursion of the two weeks. We had a blast. Best rum punch ever. Great snorkeling, tons of fish and turtles. The crew was excellent. I even received a nice e-mail from the company thanking us for choosing to sail with them. We will be booking this on future cruises to Barbados.

[Louise34]

Does anyone have the web site address for Silver Moon? It sounds awesome. Thanks

[Stevesan]

Does anyone have the web site address for Silver Moon? It sounds awesome. Thanks

 

Here ya go:

 

http://silvermoonbarbados.com/

 

BTW - I, too, booked the 12 pax trip and was put aboard the 24 person cat.

Since I had never been on the smaller more "luxurious" boat, I didn't realize that I was having an inferior experience. Had a great trip with a first rate captain and crew. Saw lots of turtles and mucho marine life while snorkeling a near shore reef. A great way to spend the day!!:)

 

A rare event for Barbados: we saw two whales, one had her baby along side. She followed us, at a distance, almost back to dock.

[Lsimon]

On April 8th we (a party of 6 adults) took Silver Moon's 12 Passenger Deluxe Cruise expecting to be put on their beautiful catamaran. This was our 3rd return trip with them. Much to our disappointment we were put their other catamaran designated for 24 passengers. Never had this happen before!...

 

...The smaller Silver Moon catamaran for 12 is by far more luxurious and does not even compare to the 24 passenger catamaran....

 

Last March we did our 6th sailing with Silver Moon. we've loved every one. We've sailed on their smaller boat (which was originally used for 24 before they sold the original Silver Moon) 3 or 4 times and our last sailing was on the larger boat. We had a large group ( more than 12) and originally were to sail the smaller boat. We really wanted a certain crew and for reasons that aren't worth getting into they could only work the larger boat that day. We were told of all this on our arrival and given a choice. We took the larger boat, the Silver Moon III, and this was our first time on it.

 

My observation is that the Silver Moon III doesn't look as nice from a distance as the smaller Silver Moon II. However our trip was fantastic and I think now that I've been on the Silver Moon III I prefer it. I think the inside seating for meals and sitting in the shade was much nicer as were other facilities on the boat. The only thing we really missed were the small "chairs" at the very forward two corners of the catamaran. Our day on the larger Silver Moon III was perhaps our best day on the Silver Moon among all of our trips with them. This wasn't entirely due to the boat - but the boat certainly added, and didn't detract, from our wonderful day.

 

Bottom line is I'd take issue with the above posters statement that the smaller boat is "far more luxurious". We're each entitled to our own opinion and mine is that other than how pretty the boats look from a distance, either one is equally nice and all other things being equal I think I'd actually prefer the larger boat.

 

In the future if we were to sail with a larger group again I'd request the Silver Moon III. If we were traveling on our own, or with a small group, I'd request the 12 person sailing just because I'd prefer to be with fewer strangers. But if the 12 person sailing was not available I'd have no issue at all doing their 24 person sailing - and I'd anxiously await it!

[Robert Strobel]

we were on the Siver Moon 24 person cat last wednesday 5/18/11

and had an awesome day ... Crew were friendly and professional

had a great lunch and enjoyed the 2 stops ( turtles and reef & barge wreck for snorkeling )... Plenty of room on board and almost had the feel of a private charter even though there were 20 other people on the boat ....highly recommend....

[Jedi9]

We are going in two weeks, coming in on Carnival Victory and have booked the 24 person tour. interesting comment ladeeesquire on the amount of turtles you had seen in Ha. I scuba'd 2 years on Oahu and only had the luck to see 1 turtle in the wild, this was back early 80s. I would think any turtle at all would be cool, I can't wait to go.

[weluvlife]

I just booked the 12 passenger Silver Moon (the 24 was already filled) for June 15th. I would have rather gone w/ more people, I like to people watch, especially when they've been drinking :D. My sister and her husband took the 24 passenger trip and she said it was the best excursion she'd been on. Between the ride and the turtles she said it was awesome. I can't wait to go! I've heard only good things about Silver Moon.

[cheaptravel]

I want to do an excursion like this for my Husband, but I am not much of a water person. Is this shallow water / or is it ok to stay on the boat while the others snorkel ?

[Lsimon]

I want to do an excursion like this for my Husband, but I am not much of a water person. Is this shallow water / or is it ok to stay on the boat while the others snorkel ?

 

The Silver Moon does not stop in any shallow water. You will not be able to stand nor touch the bottom at any of their stops.

 

You do not have to get off the boat and some people stay on. At the turtle stop you'll be able to see the turtles from the boat although not as clearly as wearing a mask underwater. Unlike other excursions where the main attraction is the snorkeling or swimming with the turtles, on the Silver Moon I think the main attraction is the boat itself and the stops are just parts of the experiance.

 

Also, they will provide you with a snorkeling vest that will help you float and swim on the water if you need it. And for general swimming before/after lunch (away from the more crowded turtle and snorkeling area - depending on where you stop) you can also wear the snorkel vest, a life jacket or a float toy such as a "noodle" if you'd like to swim a bit in the deep water by the boat (it is very nice swimming!).

[cheaptravel]

The Silver Moon does not stop in any shallow water. You will not be able to stand nor touch the bottom at any of their stops.

 

You do not have to get off the boat and some people stay on. At the turtle stop you'll be able to see the turtles from the boat although not as clearly as wearing a mask underwater. Unlike other excursions where the main attraction is the snorkeling or swimming with the turtles, on the Silver Moon I think the main attraction is the boat itself and the stops are just parts of the experiance.

 

Also, they will provide you with a snorkeling vest that will help you float and swim on the water if you need it. And for general swimming before/after lunch (away from the more crowded turtle and snorkeling area - depending on where you stop) you can also wear the snorkel vest, a life jacket or a float toy such as a "noodle" if you'd like to swim a bit in the deep water by the boat (it is very nice swimming!).

 

Thank-you !

My main problem is medical, have had problems with my ears all of my life and ear plugs aren't necessarily the answer. I don't want this to come in the way of a fun experience, however. I have no problem with staying on the boat.

[thompson4131]

Our family of 12 went on the 12 person excursion on 6/21/2011. We were on the larger cat and it was the best excursion we ever did! The cat is well maintained and has the cleanest bathrooms we ever saw on this type of vessel. I highly recommed this excursion!

[Lsimon]

I finally put up our photos from the Silver Moon III excursion we took last March along with a short review:

 

The short description at the top my photo gallery has links to pictures from our past Silver Moon trips too.

[Travel Girl TX]

I finally put up our photos from the Silver Moon III excursion we took last March along with a short review:

 

The short description at the top my photo gallery has links to pictures from our past Silver Moon trips too.

 

Thanks for sharing your great photos. I liked seeing there's a lot shade with good views onboard. We're booked for the 24 person trip in December. We're looking forward to this excursion.

[Seavoyage]

I finally put up our photos from the Silver Moon III excursion we took last March along with a short review:

 

The short description at the top my photo gallery has links to pictures from our past Silver Moon trips too.

 

Hi Lsimon -

 

Love the pictures - thank you!! We will be there in April 2012 - Silver Moon III sold! Just a few questions, questions....

Did you take the 5 hour tour? Were there many other people at the snorkel spots - did they take you to any other "unpopulated" snorkel areas? Thanks again!

[Lsimon]

Hi Lsimon -

 

Love the pictures - thank you!! We will be there in April 2012 - Silver Moon III sold! Just a few questions, questions....

Did you take the 5 hour tour? Were there many other people at the snorkel spots - did they take you to any other "unpopulated" snorkel areas? Thanks again!

 

For the most part all of the turtle and snorkeling tours in Barbados go to the same 2 sites. As a result you'll often find it is at least a little crowded there. Often Silver Moon gets there before some of the other boats but this can vary considerably. So the biggest thing that sets silver moon apart is doing the trip on a wonderful spacious catamaran in great condition which is not crowded and has an attentive crew with food and drinks that are way above average for a day sail.

 

Someone that doesn't want to even get into the water can have a fantastic time on this day sail and if you enjoy the turtle swim, snorkeling and general swimming time then it is all the better.

 

There is only one snorkeling stop. The basic itinerary for the day is sailing, swimming with the turtles, moving a short distance to the reef and snorkeling, sailing to a scenic spot off the shore where they anchor for an hour or two while they prepare and serve lunch with time for swimming after lunch. Then sailing back to port.

[hipster1]

For he most part all of the turtle and snorkeling tours in Barbados go to the same 2 sites. As a result you'll often find it is at least a little crowded there. Often Silver Moon gets there before some of the other boats but this can vary considerably. So the biggest thing that sets silver moon apart is doing the trip on a wonderful spacious catamaran in great condition which is not crowded and has an attentive crew with food and drinks that are way above average for a day sail.

 

Someone that doesn't want to even get into the water can have a fantastic time on this day sail and if you enjoy the turtle swim, snorkeling and general swimming time then it is all the better.

 

There is only one snorkeling stop. The basic itinerary for the day is sailing, swimming with the turtles, moving a short distance to the reef and snorkeling, sailing to a scenic spot off the shore where they anchor for an hour or two while they prepare and serve lunch with time for swimming after lunch. Then sailing back to port.

 

LSimon,

Thanks so much for all the great info! We just got a reply from SilverMoon and will be confirming with them for our upcoming January cruise. It was your pictures that did it for us ;)

 

Allie