Just Booked with Victor! - A few questions...

[jjstexas]

Based on the immeasurable compiled knowledge of CCers :) , we just booked a day tour with Victor's staff for August 1st off the Rhapsody. He gave us some options of what we could do, and it sounds great, especially given the high reviews many of you give! Wondered if ya'll could help me with a few questions that might help someone else sometime, and I'll post a review when I get back and answer any questions (we were quoted $80 for a car for two, by the way, not inclusive of iguana farm, lunch, or zipline)...

 

1.) **************************?

 

2.) Should we do the zipline? We are both in our 20s and fully physically capable of doing it - it's just that $45 each seems a bit steep - about how long does it take, and what is the benefit - i.e., you get to see a lot of the jungle, etc.?

 

3.) Are there any other beaches we should/can ask him to take us to to snorkel, and what might they cost? We have heard mixed reviews of the Half Moon Bay area and mostly great reviews about Tabyana.

 

4.) Any other suggestions for places we should go, esp. shops, etc.? Any different restaurants other than Half Moon Bay?

 

We are really looking forward to this port and think we will have a really good time, thanks to the advice we have already gotten from CCers. Thanks for any answers to questions, and if you have any suggestions aside from the questions, let us know!!! THANKS! :D

[wtch4monkeys]

We booked with victor as well (Same Price) we asked for a tour, the tour drove us around the island stopping at a couple of ship wrecks (Children will sell wares here for cheap, we got a nice conch shell for a buck) We also stop a couple of other scenic places. We went to a couple of beaches just for pictures because the weather wasn't nice enough to snorkel. FYI with the iguana farm, if it is dark or cloudy out don't go, our guide said it is a waste of your 5 bucks b/c they will all be hiding. We at at Half Moon Kay Resort and it was outstanding, I couldn't recomend anything else, it was scenic the food was cheap and good and we fed wild kittens.

[jjstexas]

wtch4monkeys - That's a good tip about the iguana farm - that's not at the top of our priority list, so that will be good to know if it is cloudy. And I'm glad to know you can shop at the shipwrecks - I was thinking about telling them to skip that, but if we can do some shopping with the kids that sounds like it would be fun! Thanks for responding and for your help!:)

[cruisinlawn]

we used him in March off the Grand. He placed us with Ben, very knowledgeable, friendly. We had him for the day, four at $25pp. I would definitely zip (Jungle Canopy). Knew that myself and 23yo DD would enjoy but was concerned about DW and other 23yo DD. Both were very nervous even after we got started but within 10 minutes (3 zips) they were having a blast. At the end (apprx 1 hour) all were ready to go again but we elected that we would like to see the island and did not want to cut into time.

 

Ben made a stop by Victor's home to show us some monkeys, nothing fancy but DD's got to see monkeys. He then drove the island for sight seeing. We skipped beach time as it was very cool, windy and overcast but he did take us by a few very nice beaches. All in all we had a great day and would use his service again. Roatan does have its share of poverty and you will see it, but it is also has very nice areas. I think it was West Bay that we liked much and decided we would one day take a land based vacation there.

 

Unless you have specifics, I would suggest to them what you would like and leave it up to them. You could do this in advance and know where you may go so that you could check it out. Enjoy.

 

Oh, plenty of shopping at the port. Just get back in time to allow for it.

[cruise-bunny]

We also used Victors' company. They were friendly and reliable. Leo was our driver.

However he convinced us to go for lunch and the beach to Turquise Beach which is a beautiful,small private scenic resort. But it is not a snorkeling beach. The water is not clear near the shore at all. So we never got to snorkel at one of the best islands on our trip.:(

( and the beach had sand fleas:eek: ) We ran out of time to go anywhere else to snorkel.

So I would read through these boards, ask questions and decide what you want to do so that you can make the most of your day. Now I have to go all the way back to Roatan next March just so I can snorkel!!;)

enjoy!

Sandy

[jjstexas]

cruisinlawn and cruisin-bunny - THANKS!

 

cruisinlawn - I think we'll DEFINITELY do the zipline. We were kind of on the fence, but it sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks for mentioning that ya'll were nervous at the beginning - that will help me screw up my courage to keep going when we do it!

 

cruisin-bunny - Thanks for the tips! We are most excited about the snorkeling too, so how disappointing that you didn't get to go! That will really help to keep that in mind about Turquoise Beach. And we are DEFINITELY bringing the DEET for those sand fleas.

[Starbright7966]

We also used Victors' company. They were friendly and reliable. Leo was our driver.

However he convinced us to go for lunch and the beach to Turquise Beach which is a beautiful,small private scenic resort. But it is not a snorkeling beach. The water is not clear near the shore at all. So we never got to snorkel at one of the best islands on our trip.:(

( and the beach had sand fleas:eek: ) We ran out of time to go anywhere else to snorkel.

So I would read through these boards, ask questions and decide what you want to do so that you can make the most of your day. Now I have to go all the way back to Roatan next March just so I can snorkel!!;)

enjoy!

Sandy

 

I am booked with Victor in Sept. and I was thinking I wanted to go to Turquise Beach. Was it not good? Five of us want to swim at a nice beach, snorkleing doesn't have to be great and 2 of us whats to rent a wave runner. Were there wave runners there? If so do you happen to know the cost?

 

Also does anyone know anything about fantacy island resort?

 

Thank you

[dagtoking1]

We just booked with Victor as well (also the same price for two).

 

Basically I got the impression it was pretty much up to us what we wanted to do. We are not much into snorkeling so any suggestions on what not to miss?

 

Is there a cost to go to Tabayana (sp?) Beach and if so how much?

 

What is the West Bay area like?

 

Is Roatan a tender port? We will be on the NCL Sun.

 

Is it too far to go back to the ship for lunch in the middle of Victor's tour and then continue?

 

What kind of shopping is at the port?

 

Thanks for any info. It's our first time in Roatan. :o

[cruise-bunny]

I am booked with Victor in Sept. and I was thinking I wanted to go to Turquise Beach. Was it not good? Five of us want to swim at a nice beach, snorkleing doesn't have to be great and 2 of us whats to rent a wave runner. Were there wave runners there? If so do you happen to know the cost?

 

 

Yes Turquoise Beach has wave runners, check out their website Turquoisebayresort.com

It was a pretty beach and nobody in our group of 11 got sick from the food or drinks.:) Use bug spray because of the sand fleas.:(

Enjoy!

Sandy

[cruise-bunny]

We just booked with Victor as well (also the same price for two).

 

Basically I got the impression it was pretty much up to us what we wanted to do. We are not much into snorkeling so any suggestions on what not to miss?

 

Is there a cost to go to Tabayana (sp?) Beach and if so how much?

 

What is the West Bay area like?

 

Is Roatan a tender port? We will be on the NCL Sun.

 

Is it too far to go back to the ship for lunch in the middle of Victor's tour and then continue?

 

What kind of shopping is at the port?

 

Thanks for any info. It's our first time in Roatan. :o

 

Dagtoking1

I think that Tabayana is only for cruiseship tours when cruises are in port.

Roatan is a docking port-Yea!

IMHO It would be a little inconvenient to go back to the ship for lunch as the beach areas are around the island from the ship- but it is possible since you have a driver.

We also used Victor Bodden, very nice. We ran out of time to shop so we will squeeze it in next year. (Good reason to cruise;) ) Our driver had shopping suggestions and I have read that Yabba Ding Dings (about 1/2 mile from ship) is good for shopping.

We loved Roatan, enjoy!

Sandy

[Starbright7966]

Yes Turquoise Beach has wave runners, check out their website Turquoisebayresort.com

It was a pretty beach and nobody in our group of 11 got sick from the food or drinks.:) Use bug spray because of the sand fleas.:(

Enjoy!

Sandy

 

Thank you for answering my question. I will be going in September. I can't wait. I am glad to hear the food is good to eat.

 

Chelsea

[Starbright7966]

We just booked with Victor as well (also the same price for two).

 

Basically I got the impression it was pretty much up to us what we wanted to do. We are not much into snorkeling so any suggestions on what not to miss?

 

Is there a cost to go to Tabayana (sp?) Beach and if so how much?

 

What is the West Bay area like?

 

Is Roatan a tender port? We will be on the NCL Sun.

 

Is it too far to go back to the ship for lunch in the middle of Victor's tour and then continue?

 

What kind of shopping is at the port?

 

Thanks for any info. It's our first time in Roatan. :o

 

Unless you book through the cruise line you can not go to Tabyana Beach. Victor told us he would take us to a beach right next to tabyana and then you can swim to the reef area. He said he knew the people at the beach, next to tabayan, and they waived the fee for his groups. Email victor and he will give you the information. Have a great cruise.

[Nanners214]

My husband and I (both in our 20's) did thiszipline with Victor. It was worth EVERY penny! We had a blast! We got quoted a much cheaper price with more people, so we found some people on our ship to join us and save about $40. I am not sure which beach "Moneyman" took us too, but it was amazingly gorgeus!!!!!

 

Just my 2 cents... hope it helps!

[gambler]

Just returned from a tour with Victor last week. William was our driver. They will take you wherever you want or just tell them what you like and they will suggest something. Our price was $80 for three ($80 is for two also, 4 plus, $25 each)

We first went to South Shore for zip lining. It was awesome. 13 zips, one really really fast. You zip thru the forest then come out over the ocean. We were the first group to do it. The guides were very helpful and concerned about safety at all times. It is a must do if you have never done it. I recommend Southshore.

We then went to Half Moon Bay. There is really no beach here but the snorkeling is great. You just walk off from a small pier. Nice lounge chairs under some sun or in the shade. They have bathrooms and changing areas. The lunch was really good. We had cocanut shrimp, lobster, garlic shrimp and chicken, all with rice and salad. Add one mudslide type drink, two beers, a couple of bottled waters and a soda, our bill was around $80. (we paid for our driver) Local beers are $2.00. They have a small table of t-shirts and a few other things for sale. We had no bug problem at all.

We then made a stop so I could phone home from the internet cafe.

He asked us if we wanted to shop some more but we decided to go back to the ship. I highly recommend Victor and his drivers.

[jjstexas]

Nanners and Gambler - Thanks so much for the info on the zipline! My husband is a little wary, but every post I show him, I think he gets a litle more excited about the idea. I really appreciate ya'll responding as before the posts, he was REALLY not so much crazy about it. THANKS!

[9illi9an]

Gambler, how much was the zip line tour, and where did you book it? Thanks very much for your review. I'm having a real difficult time deciding between the ship's excursion (zip line through the jungle, plus Tabayana Beach) or booking with Victor.

[gambler]

The zip line was $45 pp, you just pay them cash when you get there. You do not need a reversation. You pay the driver at the end of the tour.

[Mama2B]

I'll be 2 1/2 months pregnant when we sail - anyone know if pregnant women can zip line?

[Sherribaby]

Based on the immeasurable compiled knowledge of CCers :) , we just booked a day tour with Victor's staff for August 1st off the Rhapsody. He gave us some options of what we could do, and it sounds great, especially given the high reviews many of you give! Wondered if ya'll could help me with a few questions that might help someone else sometime, and I'll post a review when I get back and answer any questions (we were quoted $80 for a car for two, by the way, not inclusive of iguana farm, lunch, or zipline)...

 

1.) **************************?

 

2.) Should we do the zipline? We are both in our 20s and fully physically capable of doing it - it's just that $45 each seems a bit steep - about how long does it take, and what is the benefit - i.e., you get to see a lot of the jungle, etc.?

 

3.) Are there any other beaches we should/can ask him to take us to to snorkel, and what might they cost? We have heard mixed reviews of the Half Moon Bay area and mostly great reviews about Tabyana.

 

4.) Any other suggestions for places we should go, esp. shops, etc.? Any different restaurants other than Half Moon Bay?

 

We are really looking forward to this port and think we will have a really good time, thanks to the advice we have already gotten from CCers. Thanks for any answers to questions, and if you have any suggestions aside from the questions, let us know!!! THANKS! :D

My daughter and I are wanting to book the day with Victor too. (we are on your boat) How did you get in touch with them? We want to do the zip line, beach iguana farm (heard it was really good-30 min and worth the $5) and alsowant go back to Victors to see the monkeys. Those last two things were things I read were fun. Sherribaby

[Sherribaby]

Where is the most strain when you are ziplining? I would love to do it with my daughter, but I had abdominal surgery 4 weeks ago. Also, does anyone know if an 11year old can do it,or is there a minimum age requirement? Sherribaby

[jjstexas]

Sherrybaby - I'm sorry, I was taking the bar the week before the cruise and did not check the boards - I hope you found something great! We enjoyed meeting you and "Cheese"!

 

Here is our review of Roatan; hope it is helpful:

We just got back from the July 29 – Aug 5th Rhapsody of the Seas cruise with Royal Caribbean. Roatan was the second port; we had a very full, active day. We had booked Victor Boddens Tours and had a good time. We did the Zipline, snorkeled at Half Moon Bay, and saw the monkeys.

Victor’s booth is very easy to find; right across the first street you come to in Roatan. We only waited about 5 minutes before beginning and the employees were very friendly. We began with the zipline. This was a lot of fun, but also pretty physically challenging. There are 13 ziplines and six Indiana-Jones type bridges. By the end, you will be swinging upside down like a monkey with hands free on the ziplines. We enjoyed this a great deal. Two caveats: one of which was utterly my own fault, and one of which I wish I had known in planning our day. First, wear only tennis shoes or hiking boots. I was not aware that there were any bridges; I thought there was only ziplining, so I wore comfortable wedges with a solid back. Unfortunately, they were also 3 inches high, which while perfectly suitable and comfortable for a day of walking, were extremely challenging for the bridges. I do however, think I should get a prize for not falling or stumbling ONCE while doing the bridges in 3-inch heels – both a prize for stupidity and one for gracefulness. I felt so silly, but thankfully our guide didn’t make fun of me as I deserved! There was also a family when we arrived that booked just off the ship who were all wearing flip-flops – a poor choice. So tennis shoes or hiking boots ONLY! Second, we waited at least a full hour to begin the zip-line from when we came. When your time in the port is limited, that can be very disappointing. If I had it to do over again, I might ask whether we could put our name in, do a bit of shopping or eat and then return. All in all, this is a really fun excursion – bring your camera, because they will take a picture of almost every jump and climb if you wish, and those can turn out really cute. Your muscles may ache a little afterwards – it was a great ab workout.

We then went to Victor’s house to see the monkeys; there were two baby monkeys, and two different adult monkeys. The baby monkeys were very sweet and clingy. We got the impression that we were not encouraged to interact with the two adult monkeys. There is also a deer you can look at. All of the animals are brought by Victor from the mainland – they are not native animals. This is $2 a person. I don’t know that we would do this if we went again; I was under the impression that there were more monkeys, which is what I was mainly excited about, but the baby monkeys were really adorable and cute. It was worth it for once and $2 but probably not if you are trying to squeeze a lot of things into your day.

Next, we went to Half Moon Bay. The snorkeling was good; we had a lot of fun finding different reefs. We were concerned a couple of times; while our guide told us he would keep an eye on our equipment, two different times when we got out from snorkeling to get things, we couldn’t find him anywhere in sight, including the car in the parking lot, and didn’t get any response when we called his name. It’s very possible that he had some of his friends watching our things, but since we didn’t know any of them and they were not with the tour group, we felt uncomfortable. We ate at Half Moon Bay. We were not impressed by the food as we were in other ports, although the lobster itself was very good! I would probably request something different if we went again; there are many restaurants in that area. It’s also in a pretty location.

We did a little bit of shopping on our way back; we bought a nice hammock (we thought it looked nicer than what we later saw in Costa Maya and Progresso). There is also a lot of woodwork for very good prices.

We enjoyed Roatan; it is a beautiful island with crystal clear water and friendly people. We were a tiny bit disappointed in the little things and might try something other than Bodden Tours – nothing seriously went wrong or ruined our great time, but if we return, we would probably try something different. I am not trying to urge anyone not to use them, because they are definitely the pre-eminent tour service in Roatan; I’m just sharing our experience, which was still overall good. We’d be happy to answer any questions, and hope you have a wonderful time in Roatan.

[AnJ]

Hi, I thought your report on Victor and your trip was great... Thank you for taking the time... I do have one question; you say,

 

"nothing seriously went wrong or ruined our great time, but if we return, we would probably try something different"

 

what different type of thing would you do? I've never been to this island and was wondering what else you"d do?

[texreno]

jjstexas - We also used Victor on our first visit to Roatan in April, 2007. We didn't know much about the island and only told Victor's cousin that we wanted to tour the island, shop, snorkel and have lunch. Like you we plan to skip a few things on our next visit.

 

We would skip the Iguana Farm & tour of that end of the island. It was nice but no need to do this twice. We would also skip the visit with the monkeys at Victor's house which made a good photo stop but like you, not the way I would choose to spend our limited time on Roatan. We made a quick stop for a drink at West Bay Beach next to The Tayabana Beach Resort but didn't have enough time on this 1/2 mile beach.

 

Victor must get a commission from the Half Moon Bay Restaurant because that's where they took us for lunch also. You must have had a different cook because our Coconut Shrimp & Lobster were great and the beer was ice cold. Our guide spent his time with a group of other guides eating lunch where we rented the snorkel gear. Since one of our party didn't snorkel we had no reason to ask anyone to watch our stuff. Victor also showed up at the restaurant with another group. When we asked him about crime on the island he said there was none until workers from the mainland started arriving for jobs building all the new hotels & condos for the Americans who have now discovered the island.

 

We are going back in April of 2008 on Voyager and would like to know which canopy company you used? I read the South Shore Canopy has fewer bridges and is located close to West Bay Beach. I think Victor takes people to one of the other canopy companies if the group doesn't request South Shore. Again, this is most likely due to some commission arrangement.

 

All-in-All, I would use Victor Bodden again because like you said, they are the premier tour company on Roatan and much better than a taxi which cost about the same. This time I would tell them exactly what we want to do and where we want to go. I blame my lack of knowledge for the things that I would have rather skipped.

[jjstexas]

Hi AnJ - I think that now that we have done the zipline, we would probably snorkel all day long, and rather than using Bodden Tours, we would just get a taxi at the pier. Two sets of our dinner tablemates got a taxi for the day, one couple for $60 and I can't remember what the other couple paid (less than what we paid); they were both pleased with that experience too. We would probably just do that next time. We really wanted to use Bodden Tours because it was our first time to that port and because of the professionalism of the employees that we had heard about on Cruise Critic. Now that we've got one time under our belt and were a little worried about the lack of supervision while we were snorkeling and eating, we would probably just get a taxi instead.

 

I think we used Jungle Canopy, but unfortunately, Royal Caribbean apparently misburned our digital pictures to CD, so we have lost all of our digital pictures of Roatan (we had taken one at the Zipline sign). Our guide was really friendly, and we enjoyed it - the hour wait was my main complaint against it.

[PACURN]

I'll be 2 1/2 months pregnant when we sail - anyone know if pregnant women can zip line?

Are you kidding me :eek: