Favorite Excursions - Roatan

[Nole4Life28]

I will be going on my first cruise in May '06 and am really looking forward to it, of course. I was just wondering if you wonderful people, who have already been to these locations would mind just posting here what excursion you did at this location and if you loved or hated it and why. Can be quick or long, doesn't matter. I just want to get great ideas of what to do at each place. I will post the same thread on the other ports of call that we will be going to with the same title, so if you're really anxious to help :D heehee that would be great!! As you can tell, 3 months out, I am really trying to be prepared. Thank you so much! I LOVE CC message boards, all the people are wonderful! I'm so glad I found this place. So, our ports of call are Grand Cayman, Belize, Roatan, and Costa Maya. For here on Roatan, I think we will be doing the Amy Lovelace tour with Diana and Cinthea (thank you Amy...PS I emailed you a few days ago with questions, not sure if you got it as I haven't checked that email lately HAHA!!:cool: ) But.....am still really wanting to see everyone's favorites!! Thank you again :D

[Nole4Life28]

oops that's Amy Loveless not Lovelace, my mistake :)

[SheilaNC]

We just grabbed a taxi. The driver toured us around for about 45 minutes then took us to West Bay where we had a wonderful day at the beach. Excellent snorkeling - lots of hotels/bars/restaurants and boys selling inexpensive cold drinks including beer on the beach. It was a lovely relaxing day. Some places rented chairs and umbrellas, too. Depends on what you want to do.

[txstephie]

we also grabbed a taxi and went down to West Bay. It was wonderful! Beautiful beaches and water. We also rented a guide with a boat to fish. I was a little nervous being that this guy walked up to us on the beach and asked if we wanted to go fishing...my husband of course jumped at the opportunity. I'm glad we did it, it was a good experience even though we didn't catch any fish, we boated around the island.

[Nole4Life28]

Thanks for the replies!! I think it will be helpful to many people besides myself! Any one else have any? Please share :) Thanks again!

[kelz66]

Thanks for the replies!! I think it will be helpful to many people besides myself! Any one else have any? Please share :) Thanks again!

 

Dayum girl...you are covering all of the bases...lol

 

If nothing else a bad day at the beach beats a good day at work.:D

 

Way to use the boards. You are gonna have the vacation of a lifetime.

[Explorer girl]

We just got back from Roatan and the very best excusion in my opinion, that is if you like going on small boats and snorkling is the Jolly Roger. We were able to me the captain, he picked us up at the pier took us in a nice van to the 70 person catamarin and then took us on a nice harbor tour, and on to our snorkle site which was near flower bay. We snorkled for a couple of hours, then a bell rang and we had a wonderful chicken, mashed potaotes, coleslaw dinner. They served drinks and beer. AFter that we were taken around the point past Tabyana beach and to Gumbalimba nature park where we disimbarked and saw beautiful flowers, plants, waterfalls, birds, and we got to play and hold white faced and spider monkeys! AFter this wonderful tour then we loaded back in the van for a ride over the hills and through the countryside of Roatan and then back to the ship. There was enough time to shop for 2 hours as well. The best time we had on our cruise!!! :p

[cruisevirgin06]

most definatley the tours with Cinthia and Diane!!! Our favorite stop by far next to the beach was the iguana farm. Not what I imagined by far!!! These guys are so cute and nice. Recommend eveyone check this place out...$5.00 to get in but so worth it!!

[kelz66]

We just got back from Roatan and the very best excusion in my opinion, that is if you like going on small boats and snorkling is the Jolly Roger. We were able to me the captain, he picked us up at the pier took us in a nice van to the 70 person catamarin and then took us on a nice harbor tour, and on to our snorkle site which was near flower bay. We snorkled for a couple of hours, then a bell rang and we had a wonderful chicken, mashed potaotes, coleslaw dinner. They served drinks and beer. AFter that we were taken around the point past Tabyana beach and to Gumbalimba nature park where we disimbarked and saw beautiful flowers, plants, waterfalls, birds, and we got to play and hold white faced and spider monkeys! AFter this wonderful tour then we loaded back in the van for a ride over the hills and through the countryside of Roatan and then back to the ship. There was enough time to shop for 2 hours as well. The best time we had on our cruise!!! :p

 

Thanks for the info! This is one of the trips we are considering.:D

[bhtiek]

My favorite excursion, actually a life changing event was visiting the Orphanage at the Majken Broby Childrens Home, in Gravel Bay.

 

These kids were delightful. They totally enjoyed having visitors.

 

You can learn more about the Childrens Home and see photos of the kids at http://www.roatanchildrenshome.com

[carontori]

do the zipline tour. It's a blast and your guide will take you there when it's not busy. It's only $35.00 and worth every penny.

[mnsawyer]

More information on Jolly Roger - what cruise line? I see that this is offered on Carnival?? Times, cost, etc.,

[mburnell]

We took a cab to Fosters on West Bay. Go to their website at http://www.fostersroatan.com to see description and pictures.

[mnsawyer]

Just requesting information again on Jolly Roger. See that Carnival now offers this tour. HOw much? Times, etc.,? Does it include lunch? Thanks!

[tweety0227]

We were in Roatan on our last cruise (Norwegian Dawn). We booked a tour with Cinthia and Diana tours. We had a great time. Diana took us all over the island, showing us everything and stopping for pictures and shopping. We thought we wanted to eat lunch on the island, but when we discovered that the restaurant was very pricey, we decided to go back to the ship. Diana dropped us off after we decided on a meeting time to continue our tour. She was right there at the end of the pier, waiting for us to continue.

 

After lunch we went to Paradise beach for some snorkling. This was a great choice, since the beach was not as crowded as Tabyana.

 

After a couple of hours on the beach, we met up with her again (she was waiting for us exactly where she said she'd be). She took us back to the ship, and dropped us outside the gates when we said we wanted to hunt for more souvenirs. She was going to drop us right off at the ship, but we insisted.

 

We got to see all the sights on the island, plus had time for some shopping at the end.

 

Thank you Cinthia and Diana tours for a great, worry-free day in Roatan!!

[Princesstcase]

Just requesting information again on Jolly Roger. See that Carnival now offers this tour. HOw much? Times, etc.,? Does it include lunch? Thanks!

 

Have a great day of sailing, snorkeling, and nature watching on this Jolly Roger cruise.

On this excursion you will:

 

• Board an island bus for the transfer to Gumbalinda Nature Park.
  
• Receive a narrated tour of the island during your ride to the north side of Roatan.
  
• Arrive at the park and be divided into two groups, one group visiting the park while the other boards the catamaran.
  
• See the cascading waterfalls, picturesque island bridges, botanical gardens, an amazing variety of birds and parrots and lots of friendly monkeys.
  
• Walk to the beach and board the Jolly Roger catamaran.
  
• Relax and set sail for the Roatan National Marine Reserve.
  
• Don your snorkel equipment and explore the spectacular underwater scenery. Or, relax on the trampoline-style sundeck as you watch the ocean below.
  
• Return to the beach and board your bus for a narrated tour of the south side of the island.

Note: Minimum age is 6 years. Children must be accompanied by an adult to snorkel. Snorkel equipment is included. Changing facilities are available at the park

 

4.5 hours. From $75.00

[kkruiser]

We just got back from our cruise and booked Bodden Tours in Roatan http://www.boddentours.com. It was our favorite day by far. He made recommendations on what to do, but was open to whatever fit our agenda. We were traveling with young children so skipped things like the zip line. We went to the Iguana Farm, Fantasy Island Resort where the kids went to a small "zoo" and fed some wild spider monkeys, visited a local orphanage we had brought some donations for, had lunch and hung out at West End Bay where the beaches were beautiful. It was all wonderful and Victor was a great/knowledgeable guide. I highly recommend it! It was $25.00 pp, he didn't charge for the youngest who were under 2.

[monton2]

This was my DH and my favorite stop as well. After a chaotic stop in Grand Cayman, Roatan was a breath of fresh air. When we got off the ship, we were greeted by a man holding a beautiful carved seashell, he was from a store called Stone Castle. We were interested in looking at more shells, so he grabbed us a taxi for $60 total (just the two of us), and said he would take us anywhere we wanted to go, and for as long as we wanted to go. I will say that I was feeling a little uneasy about the island at first. Walking to our taxi, we passed by many many men just standing and staring. It is such a huge difference from Grand Cayman. We picked up an english speaking guide, then headed around the island. He took us all over, stopping anytime we wanted to, and always right there when we were done. They took us to the butterfly garden, some really great, inexpensive shops in town, then to the beach. We mainly drove around and seen so much. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I would definately go back.

[cinnamon]

A day with Angela and her husband at the Sante Wellness Cantre.

 

Peaceful, great massage, island trip to get there, heaven.

[rksalvador]

There is nothing by where you dock…definitely make plans to travel somewhere on the island. We took a taxi (van) to the Mayan Princess resort on West Bay Beach. Rates were clearly posted, and from what I could tell, non-negotiable for the taxis within the fence. For five of us, it was $20/person + gratuity (cheaper than the ship excursion). This rate allowed us to use the taxi for the entire day. This is the way to go as there are few, if any, taxis in West Bay. Along with the drive came a guide – she informed us that she was not affiliated with the taxi and simply worked for tips. She was a wealth of information, so we tipped her well at the end of the day.

The Mayan Princess resort was beautiful, and so was West Bay Beach. We found a spot on the beach for a few hours, swam in the ocean, and drank $1 Honduran beer. Great way to spend the day!! :)

[cruisinMc]

hey Nole, we are on the same cruise!! This is my and my husbands first, and we are excited. My husband wants to fish, did anyone book a fishing trip in Roatan?:D

[Nole4Life28]

hey Nole, we are on the same cruise!! This is my and my husbands first, and we are excited. My husband wants to fish, did anyone book a fishing trip in Roatan?:D

 

Hey Cruisin! Can't wait, only 12 more days!! YAY! We are booked with Diana and Cinthea for the day :D

[mirage2u]

about 4 years ago when i went, i was told about this guy who stands on the peir jumping up and down on one leg who takes you to the other side of the island where his restaurant is. the price included the trip over there, acess to the beach, a lobster lunch and some shopping time on the return trip. the thing that stood out most was during lunch he did Mick Jagger impressions. he would sing and dance all around his restaurant, it was hysterical! also, there was a nice little village on that side where a lot of locals set up real souvierner stands (not the generic tshirt, keychain crap) they had art peices, it was very nice. i cant remember his name or the price and don't know if he his still there, sorry. roatan is my 2nd favorite island. we had such a nice time there and it was nothing i had expected. especially since carnival basically said don't go past the gates with the armed men unless you are on a tour. i don't know why they were trying to scare everyone, all the locals were very nice.

[Island Dweller]

"i was told about this guy who stands on the peir jumping up and down on one leg who takes you to the other side of the island where his restaurant is. the price included the trip over there, acess to the beach, a lobster lunch and some shopping time on the return trip. the thing that stood out most was during lunch he did Mick Jagger impressions. "

 

The guy you are speaking of was Paul David of Salt n Pepper Tours. Known for his impersonations and having people believe he's the brother of a certain Led Zepplin band member. He would have taken you to West End, where he used to have a restaurant. Times have changed a lot here on the island, and there are better options that can still give you that special time.;)

[mirage2u]

yes, that was what we did, thank you. i'm sure there are other interesting things to do, but we had a great time there.