Which tour to do on St. John Antigua - Celebrity Excursions Required as of now

[MamaChach]

Looking for excursion advice for St. John Antigua.  As of today, we are still required to have a Celebrity tour.  Really just want some sort of beach or sailing.  Do not want to sit on a bus and do any tour like that.

What excursions have you been on?  What did you like or dislike about it?

Best beach in St. John?

[teacherman]

We were on Reflection last week and had a reservation at a beach club in Antigua, which has amazing beaches.  The night we sailed we received notice that we could not tour Antigua on our own, and I never understood why.  We just stayed on the ship.  But it is my understanding that their beach excursion on our cruise was to Valley Church Beach, which is very nice.  Good sand, beautiful water, and a nice little beach restaurant.  If you want to go to a beach, it is a good choice.

[lola2013]

We visited a beach last week as part of a horseriding excursion which we booked through Celebrity.  The horses were tame and it was a great experience.  After the ride, we had about one hour to spend on the beach.  Sorry, but I don't know the name of the beach; but since we travelled with Celebrity, we didn't need to know the name of the beach.

FYI...when we got back to the port, we did sneak off on our own for a few minutes.  There are a few shops near the port and a great pretzel shop!

[hcat]

What  options are offered?

[MamaChach]

37 minutes ago, hcat said:

What  options are offered?

Day Pass Ocean Point, Beach escape?, that's about it that I am interested in:)

[1620rock]

We were on the Reflection last week and went on the Beach Break excursion to Valley Church Beach.  We had been to that beach by taxi previously and it is a very nice beach with white sand and blue water.  Getting in out out of the water does take a bit of effort as it is very sloped and there is a usually a large drop off.

 

The restaurant/bar there is the Nest and you can search that on the internet for the menu and photos.  We purchased a couple of drinks but no food as we had taken along a few snacks with us.  At the beach we were given a brief greeting that explained you got a free rum punch, umbrellas were $10, where the bathrooms,  and what time to meet for the return ride. 

 

We were quickly shown to chairs and set up with an umbrella.  The chairs were set up in pairs so with a little more distance than the Barbados beach club.  We did not see any drink service to the beach so went to the bar for a couple of to go drinks and also enjoyed a walk along the bay to a more secluded are of the beach.

 

We loved the beach but the transfer service we received was awful and we almost took a taxi for the return but were afraid to break Celebrith protocols for bubble excursion and later have an issue if we tested positive for Covid.

 

The problem with the Celebrity Excursion was that there were at least 100 signed up and they herded the large group to a parking lot with mini buses and loaded pax 10 at a time in hot parking lot that had an open sewage trench.   We had the bad luck to be assigned to a very old minibus with very little or no a/c closed windows and very bad shocks and ended up on the rear seats.  It was a hot stuffy, teeth rattling 25 minute ride as the road is patched and rutted in places but was really due to the condition of the van.    

 

I regret that we did not speak up when shown to the minivan and ask for another van.  It was the only time during the cruise that I really feared we would be exposed to Covid.  The return ride we were able to sit in the second row and the ride was slightly less torturous but still no AC.

 

 

[MamaChach]

5 hours ago, 1620rock said:

We were on the Reflection last week and went on the Beach Break excursion to Valley Church Beach.  We had been to that beach by taxi previously and it is a very nice beach with white sand and blue water.  Getting in out out of the water does take a bit of effort as it is very sloped and there is a usually a large drop off.

 

The restaurant/bar there is the Nest and you can search that on the internet for the menu and photos.  We purchased a couple of drinks but no food as we had taken along a few snacks with us.  At the beach we were given a brief greeting that explained you got a free rum punch, umbrellas were $10, where the bathrooms,  and what time to meet for the return ride. 

 

We were quickly shown to chairs and set up with an umbrella.  The chairs were set up in pairs so with a little more distance than the Barbados beach club.  We did not see any drink service to the beach so went to the bar for a couple of to go drinks and also enjoyed a walk along the bay to a more secluded are of the beach.

 

We loved the beach but the transfer service we received was awful and we almost took a taxi for the return but were afraid to break Celebrith protocols for bubble excursion and later have an issue if we tested positive for Covid.

 

The problem with the Celebrity Excursion was that there were at least 100 signed up and they herded the large group to a parking lot with mini buses and loaded pax 10 at a time in hot parking lot that had an open sewage trench.   We had the bad luck to be assigned to a very old minibus with very little or no a/c closed windows and very bad shocks and ended up on the rear seats.  It was a hot stuffy, teeth rattling 25 minute ride as the road is patched and rutted in places but was really due to the condition of the van.    

 

I regret that we did not speak up when shown to the minivan and ask for another van.  It was the only time during the cruise that I really feared we would be exposed to Covid.  The return ride we were able to sit in the second row and the ride was slightly less torturous but still no AC.

 

 

Thank you for your response!  Just the detailed experience I was looking for!  The only other option is the expensive Ocean Point Day Pass.  Otherwise we won't be allowed off the ship

[teacherman]

As we feared would happen so we did not take a Celebrity excursion.   We had previously booked our own excursion to a SMALL beach club at Fort James Beach.  We had arranged a private taxi for just the 2 of us.  It would have been a 10 minute taxi ride.  We would have had much less exposure than those on the Celebrity excursion, and probably less costly.  This was one of only 2 times during the cruise that I was "angry".   The other was in Barbados when we had to cancel our 12 person private catamaran because it was TOO DANGEROUS for us not to be on a Celebrity excursion.   But people we spoke to from other ships said they just were told to book "government authorized" tours at the ports.   So, they did.

 

We were allowed to do our own thing in St Kitts, so we spent some time at a bar that we have frequented on other cruises.   The owner told us that Covid cases were high in St. Kitts.   I appreciate the on board protocols, but the rest of it made little sense to me.

[MamaChach]

I know a lot can change between now and March.  I find it apalling that we would have to pay $220 to get off the ship just to go to a beach!  I know a lot of that money goes to the resort - however, I wish they had more options to choose from that involves sailing or beach activities!

 

Thank you to everyone for your feedback!

[Chippytoes]

If you are able to book non-ship excursions by March on Antigua, I HIGHLY recommend Creole Antigua Tours. We did their Lobster Lunch (caught that morning) on Bird Island. They grill the lobster once you get there and there was yummy salads, and lots of drinks! You could snorkel (or not) and just hang out on the beach. So fun!

Edited February 3, 2022 by Chippytoes

[Turtles06]

On 2/2/2022 at 7:56 AM, 1620rock said:

We were on the Reflection last week and went on the Beach Break excursion to Valley Church Beach.  We had been to that beach by taxi previously and it is a very nice beach with white sand and blue water.  Getting in out out of the water does take a bit of effort as it is very sloped and there is a usually a large drop off.

 

We were on the Silhouette in December and were on a Celebrity excursion that was supposed to combine a walking tour of Nelson's Dockyard (which we really wanted to see) with a beach break afterwards.  Unfortunately, after a very long drive to the Dockyard, we did not have a walking tour, and we then spent a good hour or so driving to a beach (never did get the name), partially by way of a horribly rutted road on which the mini-bus driver hit a huge hole and just about knocked everyone's spines out of alignment.  Then we got to the beach and found it was so incredibly sloped, and the sand underneath the water almost like quicksand (you could not get your footing on it and kept getting dragged down on the slope) that I could not get out of the water on my own.  I saw others getting knocked down as well trying to get out.  It was a frightening experience for me.  All in all, it was by far one of the worst excursions I've ever taken.

 

On 2/2/2022 at 7:56 AM, 1620rock said:

It was the only time during the cruise that I really feared we would be exposed to Covid.

 

We spent so long on our packed mini-bus that I had the same concerns.

[yoshi]

We we went on the Lobster Lunch Snorkel Tour off of the Equinox in 2016, it was wonderful!!!

I could have just stayed forever if we had the groundhog-day-do-overs! btw, that nice lady is not me or my group, she happened to be in my picture of the lobster chef.

[Jacob Cavalier]

Iola we have booked this horse riding excursion too! Can you advise on how the bus trip was there and if it was crowded? Also the best clothes to wear and if there was somewhere to change on the beach? Thanks!

[lola2013]

It was about a 20-minute drive to the horses.  There were 12 people signed up for the excursion, but 2 didn’t show.  We were in a van with plenty of room.  I wore a t-shirt and leggings with a swimsuit underneath.  If you don’t want to wear long pants, bring a towel from the ship so your legs don’t rub against the horse.  We rode for about 20 minutes along the road…around a beach and back to the starting point.  The saddles came off the horses and we then went into the water for photos.  There are no changing facilities.  Finally, we had about 45-60 minutes to relax on the beach.  No chairs or umbrellas, but beautiful beach to walk along and enjoy.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

P.S.  My horse was named Tango; tell him I said “hi”

Susan

[raudacruise]

The riding excursion sounds like fun. And now I know what to wear.

 

Thanks!

Edited February 4, 2022 by raudacruise

[lola2013]

1 minute ago, raudacruise said:

Did you wear a swimsuit while riding? I’m signed up for the same tour in March, not sure what to wear.

 

Thanks. 

My swimsuit was under my leggings & tshirt which I wore while riding.  After the ride, we went back to the starting point which is where we got out of those clothes and kept the swimsuit on.  There are no changing facilities so when we were out of the water, I just put a different pair of shorts back on.  Your time on the horse in the water is short...really just for a photo op.  That's when we then had time to spend on the beach.  They did provide us each with a bottle of water at the end of the ride, but there are no snacks provided so you might want to bring something from the ship if you think you'll be hungry.

I hadn't been on a horse is ages and it was a fun day!  The horses are tame and the guides are very helpful.

[fliprcruiser]

Our November Equinox offered a catamaran lobster lunch.

Trip, Staff and meal were first class and fun all the way.

[MamaChach]

15 hours ago, fliprcruiser said:

Our November Equinox offered a catamaran lobster lunch.

Trip, Staff and meal were first class and fun all the way.

We had this booked early on. I was checking excursions for another port and noticed it was cancelled by Celebrity.  No email, no notice at all.  That is what we really WANT to do, but we are left with very few options that we are interested in.  Hoping the island opens up to on your own tours!

[fliprcruiser]

1 hour ago, MamaChach said:

We had this booked early on. I was checking excursions for another port and noticed it was cancelled by Celebrity.  No email, no notice at all.  That is what we really WANT to do, but we are left with very few options that we are interested in.  Hoping the island opens up to on your own tours!

Wow, too bad, best one we did on our trip. Grilled half lobsters on back of boat.

[ChrissieB]

On Reflection last 2+ weeks and did Land and Sea tour (we had to do ship excursions) - 2 hours bus tour in the morning which was very good even though we are not bus tour people then on to a 2 hour catamaran sail in the pm with lunch.  Very good - would do it again if we could not do trips on our own.

[scrapcreator]

@Turtles06What was the name of your tour? We’re on the Silhouette right now and signed up for Scenic Antigua and Beach, which is supposed to include a walking tour of Nelson’s Dockyard.

[Turtles06]

20 minutes ago, scrapcreator said:

@Turtles06What was the name of your tour? We’re on the Silhouette right now and signed up for Scenic Antigua and Beach, which is supposed to include a walking tour of Nelson’s Dockyard.

 

Yes, that was the name.   The excursion was so bad that I took the time to go to the Shorex Desk afterwards to complain about it, something I have rarely ever done, and to detail what the problems were.  Among other things, I told them that the "walking tour" was perfunctory; we were marched over to a spot well inside in the Dockyard (no explanations along the way), talked at there, and then at one other spot.  To me, a "walking tour" takes you around the place you are visiting, and the guide tells you about what you are seeing.  The free time we had after this to actually see the Dockyard was mostly taken up by people using the restrooms, since we told there was no time to do so at our prior stop, which was already a good distance from the ship. 

 

Most of all, I told the Shorex Desk rep how dangerous the beach was, and given the fact that there are supposedly 365 beaches in Antigua, they shouldn't be taking people to that one.  I also mentioned the fact that when we arrived at the beach, which was empty (we were the first bus there), we were told to sit in any of the lounge chairs we wanted.  As soon as folks sat down, a guy came over and told us we'd have to pay $10 for the umbrellas, something not mentioned in the shorex description.

 

The rep at the Shorex Desk told me they are not able to go on all the tours and check them out, and so she appreciated my letting them know my comments and concerns, and would pass them along to the tour operator.  Whether they've made any changes or not since then, of course I don't know.  You might want to speak with them about how this excursion is being handled.

 

I should also mention that the excursion was quite long; it started in the late morning, spanned the lunch hour and much of the afternoon.  No provision had been made for lunch.  There was a food shack at the beach, and my wife and many others went over to buy lunch.  They were all gone forever, so long that they missed an entire rainstorm. The operator of the shack was unprepared for a few mini-buses of people; the food, when it was finally served, was awful and really expensive. 

 

I wish I had better news for you, and I really hope they've changed what they are doing.  I will at least leave you with one of my favorite photos of the day -- this is a majestic Royal Palm planted in the Dockyard by Queen Elizabeth II in 1966 during her Royal Tour of the Caribbean.   Today, btw, is the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne.

 

I hope you have a good excursion!  Please let us know.

 

 

(photo by turtles06)

[scrapcreator]

Thank you so much, @Turtles06 I appreciate all the detailed information. We’ll be visiting the Shore Excursion Desk when they open tonight. 
 

Beautiful photo. Our cruise director, Tim, mentioned her 7Oth Anniversary last night.
 

Just docked at Sint Maartin.

Edited February 7, 2022 by scrapcreator

[MamaChach]

So sounds like Beach Escape and Scenic Antigua and Beach were not so good.  Lobster Cat is no longer an option.  Has anyone done the Ocean Point Day pass?  The Stingray and Snorkle?  Antigua by land and sea?

[1620rock]

I did the Stingray and Snorkel in 2020 and really enjoyed it.  It was about a 45-minute ride on a bus to the location for the swim with Stingrays but it was on an AC bus with a very good guide.  Once you arrived at the Stingray location there was a briefing and then you were given snorkel equipments and vests and taken by lauch to the stingray "island" platfrom.  There were stairs from the platform to a shallow sandy area where you could stand and guides that help you to touch and hold the stingrays for photos.  There were many stingrays swimming around and also a shallow reef for snorkeling.  I enjoyed the tour and it seemed that it was maybe a different road than the road to Valley Church beach and definitely not as bumpy but it was two years ago.  I enjoyed the tour and spent about half the water time snorkeling.  After your time at stingray island the launch took you back to the base for a rum punch to pick up photos "not included" and you had time to change before the bus ride to the port.  I enjoyed the tour but it was a one and done for me.  Our guide was great though on the bus and and the team at the stingray operation were also very nice and friendly.  Just be aware that most of the tour time is travel and preperation time and I think maybe an hour in the water.

 

I like you prefer beach time and really just wanted to take a taxi to Jolly Beach but we had to take a Celebrity tour on this cruise.   If I had to choose again would probably do the boat ride to the beach from the port.   I saw a video on youtube and it looked pretty good but we didn't want to be in a group tour all day as did the power cat in St. Lucia to the Pitons and had catamaran Snorkel and  Nevis planned.