Creole Cruises - lobster lunch full day tour

[coton]

Hello to all,

 

I would just like to thank cruisecritic.com for helping me make my honeymoon a very special event with all of the advice and info that I had received. It is now my turn to pay this goodness back. My cruise stopped in Anitigua and I just could not find that perfect tour. I even emailed asking about a tour operator called "Creole Cruises" and received no responses.

 

Well let me tell anyone that is going to be visitin Antigua that they MUST take the Creole Cruises lobster lunch full day tour. I did so with no comments or opinions from the internet and it was the highlight of our honeymoon. The places that we were taken were absolutely breathtaking. A definite must-see. If you miss this opportunity than you are certainly missing the most amazing day exploring Anitigua in the Carribean.

 

I must tell you that other tour operators arrived at one of our destinations and i think it was "Bird Island" - you should have seen the faces of these people as they saw us having a lobster lunch on the beach. And let me tell you that they (the tour operator) do not claim that it is all you can eat but boy was I ever full on lobster with more still available. I had to turn down lobster ( i never thought that day would come). The other tours stopped at Bird Island and enjoyed a swim and so forth but we got that plus an absolutely fabulous lunch.

 

Glen the captain of the boat is such a nice young man and his assistant Shane make a great combo for touring with. Glen and Shane went above and beyond to make sure everyone on the tour was enjoying themselves.

 

 

Basically the tour description is: Start your cruise from Jolly Harbour and head towards Five Islands Bay. Here you are able to observe the elegant egret bird and pelicans fishing and hunting in their natural habitat particularly around Five Islands.

Continue the boat ride on the North Western side into Deep Bay where you will be able to see the Andes Shipwreck which sank on June 9th 1905 and Fort Barrington atop of Goat Hill. We continue the journey past Fort James along the picturesque coastline to Dickinson Bay - rated one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. The journey continues on to a deserted island off the North Eastern Coast of Antigua where lunch will be served. While you swim in the crystal clear waters or discover the island and relax a sumptuous local lobster lunch will be freshly prepared on the beach. Enjoy the gorgeous taste of your lobster fresh out of the shell, with any drink from the bar. After lunch, Glen will take you for a walk to the highest point on the island from where you will get some beautiful views of the surrounding islands of the North Sound and Antigua mainland, as well as looking at the blow hole way below you, and spot lots of wildlife if you are lucky. Later on we will take you to another deserted island surrounded by shallow water and untouched reefs. The amazing underwater world awaits you with its huge variety of tropical fish. Snorkel or just relax on one of the finest beaches in the Caribbean before taking a gentle ride back on the breathtakingly turquoise waters to your resort.

Your lunch

 

Lunch includes lobster, pasta, potato and green salads, garlic bread, and desert along with drinks. Should you have any special meal requirements please let us know in advance. Chicken and fish are available on request

[coton]

I almost forgot to post the link to Creole Cruises website

www.creolecruisesantigua.com/

[juankzas]

Coton, is the snorkel gear provided??

 

Has anyone else toured with the Creole Cruises??

[coton]

Yes all of the snorkel gear is provided for you. So basically you just need to show up and have a great time.

If there is anything else you would like please ask.

Its been a few months since my cruise and while in a meeting at work or sitting in traffic trying to get home i always remember Antigua and the calm relaxation and beauty. Boy do i wish i was there.

Anyways take care.

[galelynn]

coton,

 

we just booked with Creole Cruises, for 11/01/06, sounds like a great time, can't wait to go.

[39august]

coton-were you on a cruise or staying on Antigua? Where is the Jolly Roger in reference to the cruise pier, please?

[coton]

I was on RCCL "Adventure of the Seas" and Antigua was just one of our stops. Jolly harbour in reference to the cruise pier was a short but amazingly scenic (I would estimate 15 mins) drive. I remember when I spoke to Glen (the Captain of Creole Cruises) you have the option to either meet up at Jolly Harbour or they can pick you up at the cruise pier. Just my opinion but the drive to jolly harbour is worth the cab price which i cant remember right now. What was certainly different was that at the end of the cruise Glen dropped us off right in front of our ship at the pier.

I certainly love answering all questions and if you have any questions about my stops @ (st thomas, antigua, st lucia, st maarten, & barbados) please feel free. But if you want to make arrangements for the lobster lunch cruise i would just email Glen (info@creolecruisesantigua.com) and you will receive the friendliest emails.

[coton]

galelynn you will have a blast.

dont forget a camera, sunscreen, and your appetite.

Oh and please please say "hi" to Glen for me.

Enjoy

[Mooder]

Thanks for this great recommendation. The lobster and tour sound perfect for our family. I am just starting to plan our cruise for March 2007 and will have the same itinerary you had. I'd love to hear what you did on all the islands. I am especially curious about Barbados because I envision the most perfect place, but have some family who were disappointed. At least, thanks to you, I know what I'll be doing in Antiqua.:)

[coton]

Well my cruise was a part of my honeymoon and below are my opinions of our stops.

St Thomas: Had I not slept in (only because the night before was our wedding and I was up at least 24 hrs straight) I would and had planned on taking a ferry to the island of st john. We ended up at Maegans Bay but were not too impressed. It was nice and all but I have seen better. I wish I could have seen st john instead. on the st thomas board you will see lots of posts for st john and taking a short ferry there or even booking with your cruise line to go there.

 

St Lucia: You MUST go on the tour with Herod www.herodstaxi.com

It was the 2nd best part of our honeymoon. He is such a gentleman and the island is exquisite. The beach he takes you too right between the pitons is exquisite and a sight you will not forget. Again you will see lots of posts on the st lucia board about Herod and I posted the link for that.

 

St Maarten: I had been to this island before and loved it. You have 2 fantastic choices here #1 stay right where the cruise ship docks. The area has amazing shopping, and the beach is great. The atmosphere and the live bands really make this place enjoyable. #2 Go to Mullet Beach. This is what we did since we had stayed in a resort right beside the beach on a previous visit. It is my favourite beach that I have seen. There is a local bbq guy so you can always get food. The beach is fantastic and the waves are a bit wavy but thats what made it fun because it was not boring just sitting in still water. Dont get me wrong the waves are perfect for anyone with even below average swimming skills. Also right beside this beach (i mean 20min walk) is the st maarten airport and a hotspot for visitors because you will never get this close to seeing planes land and take off.

 

Barbados: Sorry to disappoint you but it was our last stop on the cruise and I had planned nothing. We left it up to a very nice taxi driver to take us to a beautiful beach. The sand is pure white and the water is that perfect turqoise blue. But on our drive down the taxi driver told us to becareful if we were to walk downtown alone. I must admit the beach was amazing but I had to swim in the ocean with my front always facing our rented beach chairs because the locals just swarm the areas and make you feel uncomfortable. That was the the bad part with island. The fact that you just could I could just not feel comfortable like I did at the other islands. Its a shame because Barbados has some of the best beaches I have ever seen. I bet staying at a resort would be fantastice because you are kinda secluded from the the public.

 

Antigua: WOW! obviously you have heard about my review of creole cruises. THIS WAS THE BEST PART OF OUR HONEYMOON. The deserted beaches, the scenery, the peace and relaxation was like nothing like we felt before. If all you do is this cruise in Anitgua trust me you will have an unforgettable time.

 

Please say "Hi" to Glen and Shane for me if you do end up taking the cruise.

 

The above is simply the opionions that I formed while on each island for maybe 10 hours. Sorry if anyone disagrees but thats what you get with the cruisers because you have such a short time to either form a good lasting impression where you will come back and visit and island again or never even consider another island based on your observations

[coton]

My apologies.....I know this is the Antigua message board.

If anyone has questions of my other stops you can email me @ kris_kapel@yahoo.com

 

I want to keep this open discussion about the highlight of my honeymoon which as creole cruises lobster lunch all day tour.

Man I wish i could have some lobster right about now!

[sunraiser]

Coton,

 

I am very sensitive to the rocky motion of the sea. How's the motion in the small boat? I am a very active person. In addition to swiming and snorkling, is there a lot of walking and hiking?

[coton]

Thats funny because my wife is also very sensitive to rocky motions of the sea. Thats why on our first night of the honeymoon she was in the bathroom and during her "breaks" she was forcing me to go alone to have a few beers at the bar. Once she took the motion sickness medication she was perfectly fine for the rest of the cruise and she could join in for a glass of wine and so forth and be perfectly fine. I can ask her what she took but "sleeping beauty" is getting her rest right now. She was actually worried about the motion of the boat before the tour happened. She was perfectly fine on the tour and the boat did not bother her AT ALL. I was actually a little concerned before-hand because here i booked a surprise tour for me and my wife and 2 nights prior she was not enjoying the cruiseship but honestly she was not affected. If i were you i would email Glen the captain of Creole Cruises at info@creolecruisesantigua.com because I am sure the man has dealt with this kinda situation a thousand times before and would surely accomodate you. He is the master of the ocean surrounding Antigua and could provide additional information.

 

As for the walking and hiking it is very "minimal" or "great" depending on the persons choice. On your stop at "Bird Island" ( i believe thats the name) This is the place where you will have your lobster lunch. Glen will take "the willing" to go for a hike after lunch where you will climb to the highest point of this uninhibited island and enjoy the spectaculor view. (Do not forget your camera for this). Me and my wife are also active so we kinda wondered on our own on this island while others just relaxed in the ocean or sun-tanned on the beach.

The other stop which i do believe to be called "pelican island" ( i may have mixed up the names of the 2 islands but nonetheless) Picture this stop as a beautiful beach just out in the middle of the ocean. Its a sand lovers paradise. I would rate this tour as average activity with potential for more only if you want or as little as you want for those suntanners out there. On all of the stops you have the option to just suntan or you can snorkel around the beautiful ocean and explore the amazing uninhibited islands that you visit surrounding Antigua.

Trust me all of that activity in the warm of the Carribean sun will make you sleep like a baby at night.

[Mooder]

Thanks, Coton, for all the great info. It looks like the lobster lunch might not be offered the day of the week we are on Antigua, but I am going to email Glen just in case there is some flexibility. It sounds just perfect for my family which is a group of active and non-active, swimmers and sun tanners, hikers and non-hikers, but all seafood lovers!!! And I had noticed the talk on the St. Lucia board about Herod - it is always good to hear another's point of view. Thanks again for all your input.

[sunraiser]

Coton,

 

We just emailed to Creole cruise and asking about transporation to/from Jolly Harbor. They said that there is shops, casino, and beach on Jolly Harbor. The cab drive also passed by St. John's market. You have any idea about those casino. If it is attractive, is it worth to spend some time there after the sailing.

[coton]

Hi Sunraiser,

 

Well honestly me and my wife did not spend much time at jolly harbour so I can not give an opinion obviously. We basically were dropped off and went to the boat instantly. I was not even aware of the casino etc. Had I known, I would have certainly taken a peek. The area was beautiful but again I get give you much of an opinion of the casino or shops in the area. I would hope somebody in the message board could answer your question with a new thread possibly being posted?

Me and my wife also did not have too much time after the creole cruise because our ship was leaving i believe at 6pm and we returned to the ship around 4pm. So what we did was a bit of shopping around the area where the cruise ships park.

Sorry that I could not be of help.

[Ju1es]

I'm going to ask a dumb question...are there a lot of birds there? I hate birds and it will completely ruin the trip for me if there are birds wandering around near us. Is that something I need to be worried about?

We are leaving on our cruise in less than a week and still don't have an excursion booked for Anguia but this one sounds great!

[coton]

Hi Ju1es,

 

Thats a funny question, well anyways there were NO birds when me and my wife were on the creole cruise back in April. All of the stops were bird free in terms of them being where we were. I am sure there would have been a few flying around in the sky but thats just natural.

I work downtown Toronto and I know the nuisance that pigeons cause me so i guess I can see where you are coming from but rest assured that you will not be bothered by birds.

One thing we did encounter while we were cruising was a nesting area for a specific bird which i do not remember the name of. But keep in mind we were at a great distance from this area while in the boat. A few people took some pictures but only with a "zoom" camera would any picture have turned out.

I hope this helps.

You are so lucky going on a cruise soon. I certainly hope you enjoy.

If you by any chance do go on the creole cruise please do say to "Glen" for me from "Kris".

Take Care

[Ju1es]

Thanks Coton!

That is my biggest complaint about downtown Toronto - the pigeons! hehe. I'm glad to hear that the birds aren't bad on this excursion.

 

I'm trying to convince my husband to do this. We are leaving on Sunday so with the tropical storms going through there we might have to book the excursion last minute!

 

You have made it sound like so much fun!

[GypsyOBRN]

It looks like the lobster lunch might not be offered the day of the week we are on Antigua, but I am going to email Glen just in case there is some flexibility.

 

I was wondering if they wrote back to you as yet regarding doing a lobster lunch on a different day. I, too, would really love to do an all day lobster lunch but on the day we are in Antigua they only do a half a day snorkel.

 

~Beth

[charli]

Thanks coton for the referral to Creole Cruises. I'm in the process of reserving spaces for DH and myself in January 07. Hopefully 2 others in our group will join us as well. I'm thinking we'll taxi to Jolly Harbour but ask to get dropped off afterward at the cruise dock. Cruise Critic is such a great resource. Thanks for contributing.

[coton]

Oh you are welcome.

I truly appreciated cruisecritic.com because it truly helped me plan the cruise portion of our honeymoon. Nowhere else could I find this much useful information. I was stuck at times when searching for information but I went and tried things and now have my own answers.

I know how I felt while trying to make plans for my cruise and its just the right thing to do and pay it forward the experiences I had to others embarked on a similar cruise.

Good luck and enjoy.

Oh how i wish i could be coming along but with our house being built there is not much vacation $ today.

If/when you do see Glen for the creole cruise could you please tell him that "Kris & Anita" say "HI!"

[amy86]

Thanks for the recommendation. We are in Antigua on a saturday and I don't think they offer the lobster cruise that day - but I wish they did!! I will check to see if the schedule can be changed at all. Thanks again!

[GypsyOBRN]

I contacted Creole cruises for when we are in Antiqua. Unfortunitly, we are there on a Tuesday and they do not offer the full day lobster lunch cruise. I am very disappointed. I guess it is back to the drawing board on what shore excursion to do.

[JRCRUZER]

Are there any restroom facilities on the Bird Island stop (with Creole Cruises) or on the Prickly Pear Island stop (with Miguel's Prickly Pear Island Tour)? We just want to know about the islands themselves since we're planning an all-day excursion to one of the two islands. Creole C's said that there aren't any on the boat (understood), but said that restroom's are "in nature". We haven't heard from Miguel's yet.