Princess Barbados Excursion- Swim w/ Turtles/Catamaran

[Redwing55]

I did a search and didn't find much. We are planning to do a snorkeling excursion on a catamaran to swim with the turtles, etc. in Barbados- March/2013.

I've read about the local ones and they look pretty good. Still we MAY take the one sponsored by Princess.

Has anyone done the Princess sponsored one or does anyone know the size of the Catamaran that the Princess booked excursion(s) uses?

 

FWIW, it may come down to price and Princess sponsored,Sasha or maybe Silver Moon.

Thanks to all that shed any light on this.

[centralcalicruzer]

We did the shorter (3-4 hours, no lunch) snorkel and sail with Princess. Yes, there were quite a few people on board, I couldn't honestly give you an estimate as to how many, but of course more than the cats that advertise they will only take 12 or 24. But, the cost was only $49.00, so it worked for our budget. We saw a ton of turtles that day, it did feel a bit crowded when we first got in the water but then everyone spread out and it was fine. I know everyone raves about the private excursions and I am sure they are great, but the short Princess excursion fit out time and budget needs and we had a great time. Here are a few pics:

 

[Redwing55]

thanks CC

Princess excur is a bit more these days, so the price difference is little to none. From your pics, it doesn't look like the Cat is a 50 person craft- maybe so.

One advantage I see with the smaller expeditions is that from the comments, they get to the site, or a site before others. Plus with less people, the guide is able to have more interactions with us tourists (in the water.)

But thanks, that helps out with things in that I can share this with the others that are going in our group.

Duly appreciate it.

 

Thanks again.

[centralcalicruzer]

We just went in February, a little over six months ago. I did check the Princess website and it seems to have gone up to $55, so it is a bit more now. We booked the excursion as soon as we were able to, it did increase in price closer to our sailing. Tiami's 3 hour turtle snorkel is $60 and Shasa's is $70.00, so $55 is still a bit less than either of those. I don't see a 3 hour option on Calabaza's website. I did a LOT of research beforehand to make the decision that worked for us. It's all whatever works for you, I just wanted to point out that the Princess excursion in this case was actually less than a private excursion, because it's usually the other way around, you can usually save money doing private excursions. There was one other boat out there at the same time. As you can see from my photo, I was able to be right there when the guide was feeding the turtles. I just wanted to share all that because a lot of times ship's excursions get a bad rap, but they can actually be a good value for people.

[Redwing55]

CC,

Interesting. The only Cat excursion by Princess is now 4.5 hours and $69 (we'er on a 10 day Emerald). It stops at a beach for an hour too. Looks like I'm in the same boat you were.:)

 

The Princ. excursion is still less than others that we're looking at. The killer for the Princess one is if the Cat is so big, one can't experience much difference from any other boat. Your comments are great. Thanks so much for sharing them.

 

From Princess:

Embark on a your fun filled cruise, beach break and sea turtle encounter by taking a brief ride via shuttle bus from your pier to Shallow Draught Harbor. Then board your spacious, comfortable luxury catamaran, meet the friendly crew, and set sail through the sparkling waters of Barbados en route to your adventures.

 

Drop anchor at the one of the island's most stunningly beautiful sheltered bays for a guided snorkel encounter with the wild sea turtles that nest on the white sand beaches and make their home in the turquoise waters. Receive safety training and equipment instruction before donning your complimentary snorkel gear and submerging yourself in the area's wondrous undersea beauty.

 

Frolic, swim and float among these stunning sea creatures as they move gracefully with the ocean currents through the shafts of sunlight that penetrate the water's surface. On board your catamaran, sit back and luxuriate in the lush Caribbean breezes as you sip complimentary beverages en route to a one of the island's most magnificent beaches. Revel in a relaxing beach break amidst some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world.

 

Bask in the tropical sun, stroll the soft sands of the pristine shoreline and swim the crystal clear waters of this coral island paradise. Contemplate your memorable adventures as you cruise back to port.

[centralcalicruzer]

Interesting, if you look up Ports and Excursions under the main Princess page it does show that excursion still in Barbados, I just looked it's there. Maybe it will become available in your personalizer closer to cruising date. Although the longer one sounds nice too. I think we just lucked out on the catamaran, because we were on an afternoon excursion and while we were waiting we talked to some people who had just gotten done with the morning one and they said they were in a speed boat and it was really bumpy, but we were taken to a catamaran, so who was I to complain! I'm sure whatever you do will be great! We were on the same itinerary on the Emerald as you, but in early February this year. It is a wonderful itinerary, you will love all of those islands! If you have any other questions about the itinerary or the Emerald, I'd be happy to help you.

[OCruisers]

We're booked on Emerald for a B2B which includes a 10 day sailing on 1/26/13 and the #BGI-810 "Five Star Sail/Turtle Snorkeling/Lunch" in Barbados is available to book.... 5 1/2 hours at $109 pp.

 

Last year, we took this one on a Princess ship and had a very good time. :)

 

LuLu

[seagypsea]

We did this Princess excursion and it was awesome. We were the first boat there and the entire crew was top notch. I wrote them up on a comment card I was so impressed with them.

[pxy cda]

I did a search and didn't find much. We are planning to do a snorkeling excursion on a catamaran to swim with the turtles, etc. in Barbados- March/2013.

I've read about the local ones and they look pretty good. Still we MAY take the one sponsored by Princess.

Has anyone done the Princess sponsored one or does anyone know the size of the Catamaran that the Princess booked excursion(s) uses?

 

FWIW, it may come down to price and Princess sponsored,Sasha or maybe Silver Moon.

Thanks to all that shed any light on this.

 

I cannot recommend Silvermoon highly enough. We went last cruise and are booked for our cruise next March. Lots of space amazing crew and boat is IMMACULATE Clean! Head on board so no worries for bathroom breaks - 3 stops yummy lunch anything you want to drink - from water to pina coladas - Great value for money and no crowds! We had 12 people max on our trip and it was perfection! 3 stops - 1st shipwreck with loads of fish, 2nd turtles and third optional swim but a stop in a lagoon for lunch onboard. Guide gets in the water with you on 1 & 2 stops. Back to ship under full sail.....One of the best excursions ever. My DH says he's rather give up an excursion on another island rather than miss Silvermoon so that should give you an idea. You will not be disappointed with Silvermoon and for the extra $30 I think it's worth it.