Torn between Creole and Eli

[bickee]

Hi! I see so much great stuff about Eli's eco tour on this board. I'm torn between that catamaran tour and the full day Creole lobster lunch tour. On one hand Creole sounds fabulous and perfect for me...but there are so few reviews. Eli is pretty much covered in that respect. Anyone done either/both and have any comments! Basically, hubby likes to snorkle, I really don't. I'm happy to chill on the boat/beach. Thanks for any responses!

[Stevesan]

Do a Creole search. I found lots of reviews. Most of them enthusiastic. The lobster lunch seenms to take top billing.:)

[erniesband]

Hi! I see so much great stuff about Eli's eco tour on this board. I'm torn between that catamaran tour and the full day Creole lobster lunch tour. On one hand Creole sounds fabulous and perfect for me...but there are so few reviews. Eli is pretty much covered in that respect. Anyone done either/both and have any comments! Basically, hubby likes to snorkle, I really don't. I'm happy to chill on the boat/beach. Thanks for any responses!

 

 

We've done Eli's EcoTour 4 times, and the Xtreme once, never done the Creole tour. Obviously, we're big Eli fans. And although we like the snorkeling, hiking, etc., we've also been on the EcoTour with folks who chose to hang on the boat all day, and enjoyed their day as much as we did ours.

 

Jodi

[NancyB84]

Hi! I see so much great stuff about Eli's eco tour on this board. I'm torn between that catamaran tour and the full day Creole lobster lunch tour. On one hand Creole sounds fabulous and perfect for me...but there are so few reviews. Eli is pretty much covered in that respect. Anyone done either/both and have any comments! Basically, hubby likes to snorkle, I really don't. I'm happy to chill on the boat/beach. Thanks for any responses!

 

I have not done both of those above mentioned tours... but have gone on both of Eli's tours. My hubby went swimming and snorkled on the Eco Tour... I stayed on Eli's boat (due to a serious sunburn I had managed to get a few days prior). I had a great time just chillin' on the boat. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything... and someone was always on the boat... they don't just all bail off and leave you there alone. Depends on what you like to do... I know everyone is different... (and I am usually very active and like active excursions)... but, even just hanging out was fun with them.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise and have a great time on whatever excursion you decide on.

[bickee]

Thanks! I will talk to hubby...I don't think I can go wrong with either!!! Glad to hear someone stayed on the boat.

[hubofhockey]

I just booked Eli's Eco Tour for a few reasons.

 

1. Everything positive I have read on the board and thank you to everyone who's wrote about it.
   
2. I think it's great that they limit it to 25 people. My family of 4 is 16% of our tour. :)
   
3. They give snorkeling lessons to beginners and my kids will be 10 & 8 next April. They're strong swimmers but have never snorkled.
   
4. Customer Service - I ask these guys questions in e-mails and they get right back to me with detailed answers. I have been dealing with Nell who's great.

I'm over 260 days away from my next cruise but am already looking forward to this tour as a highlight. For me, the excursions are a very important part of my cruise. I'll pay extra for a great one and I only do cruise sponsored ones when I have to. I looked at Carnival's choices in Antigua and doing Eli's instead is the "biggest no-brainer in the history of the world". :D

[bickee]

Yes I agree, we never do ship excursions. That's why I'm looking at Eli and Creole. Did you think I said Carnival? ;)

[Miss Vickie]

Thanks! I will talk to hubby...I don't think I can go wrong with either!!! Glad to hear someone stayed on the boat.

 

Every time we've done an Eli tour someone has stayed on the boat. When we did the Xtreme, the weather was a little cool for me (I like 85+), and my adult son and I stayed on the boat at the Pillars of Hercules, along with a couple of others. And I had a great time!

 

Jodi

[hubofhockey]

Yes I agree, we never do ship excursions. That's why I'm looking at Eli and Creole. Did you think I said Carnival? ;)

 

Hey, at times, which seems to be rare, it's okay to go with a Carnival tour. I hope to do about Zero in my Eastern Carib cruise. :D For me, Antigua would come down to a day at an all-inclusive beach club or Eli's.

[PhilsGirl]

DH & I did the Lobster Lunch cruise with Creole Cruises this past March and it was the highlight of our cruise. We chose Creole over Eli's because of the small tour size. There were only 10 people on the tour -- 4 from our ship and 6 other people from one of the land resorts -- which made for a very personal experience. The snorkeling was great and so was the food. Lunch was set up on picnic tables on the beach, which I preferred over having to eat on a boat. After lunch on Bird island, we stopped at Prickly Pear island, possibly the most beautiful beach I've ever seen. Captain Glen was a delight.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either one of these tour operators. Enjoy!

[bickee]

Well after chatting with hubby we went with Eli. I'll let you know how it goes in October! I'm a little sad about not choosing Creole...but hopefully we'll be back to try both! Thanks for everyone's help.

[vermonter16]

I'm bummed. I was looking at the Creole Tour and they don't go on Tuesday's...bummer...

[KathShe]

I just booked Eli's Eco Tour for a few reasons.

 

1. Everything positive I have read on the board and thank you to everyone who's wrote about it.
   
2. I think it's great that they limit it to 25 people. My family of 4 is 16% of our tour. :)
   
3. They give snorkeling lessons to beginners and my kids will be 10 & 8 next April. They're strong swimmers but have never snorkled.
   
4. Customer Service - I ask these guys questions in e-mails and they get right back to me with detailed answers. I have been dealing with Nell who's great.

I'm over 260 days away from my next cruise but am already looking forward to this tour as a highlight. For me, the excursions are a very important part of my cruise. I'll pay extra for a great one and I only do cruise sponsored ones when I have to. I looked at Carnival's choices in Antigua and doing Eli's instead is the "biggest no-brainer in the history of the world". :D

 

Could you please give me Eli's email or his web site to look at what he has to offer? Haven't seen it yet. Sounds like a good tour...Thanks

[Miss Vickie]

Could you please give me Eli's email or his web site to look at what he has to offer? Haven't seen it yet. Sounds like a good tour...Thanks

 

 

www.adventureantigua.com, and go to youtube and search on eli365 - there's a video of Xtreme

[NancyB84]

DH & I did the Lobster Lunch cruise with Creole Cruises this past March and it was the highlight of our cruise. We chose Creole over Eli's because of the small tour size. There were only 10 people on the tour -- 4 from our ship and 6 other people from one of the land resorts -- which made for a very personal experience. The snorkeling was great and so was the food. Lunch was set up on picnic tables on the beach, which I preferred over having to eat on a boat. After lunch on Bird island, we stopped at Prickly Pear island, possibly the most beautiful beach I've ever seen. Captain Glen was a delight.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either one of these tour operators. Enjoy!

 

 

We didn't eat on "a boat" for Eli's ..... it was on the beach. Green Island for the Xtreme and Bird Island for the Eco (If I remember correctly). Either way, it wasn't on a boat... it was on land.

 

And I agree.... either way... I don't think you could go wrong.

[Friscorays]

We didn't eat on "a boat" for Eli's ..... it was on the beach. Green Island for the Xtreme and Bird Island for the Eco (If I remember correctly). Either way, it wasn't on a boat... it was on land.

 

And I agree.... either way... I don't think you could go wrong.

 

Lunch on the Eco tour was served on-board the boat while it was anchored just off of Bird Island (at least as of the end of December 2009).

[cruzbound]

We are still trying to decide if we should do Eli's or Creole. I sent and email to Creole and they responded very quickly to my questions. I have not been able to find an email address for Eli (I have looked all over the their webiste) - does anyone know of one? In regards to the snorkeling - Creole talks about a starfish garden which fascinates me - any comments would be appreciated. Also, anyone out there who has done both, please post your snorkel opinions - as we are big snorkelers and I don't think they go to the same places. Last, what is Hell's Gate (with Eli) and what do you do there and is this part of the Eco tour?

Thanks for all the help.

[Friscorays]

I just filled out the booking form. It has a box for questions. There is no commitment by making a booking inquiry:

 

http://www.adventureantigua.com/book.htm

 

Hell's gate is a small island with a gate shaped rocky portion. I think the Eco tour usually has the option of walking up and over the gate portion, hanging out in a natural "whirlpool" there, snorkeling or staying on the boat. We were only able to stop and observe it on our day as the weather was windy with strong wave action. Nobody except our guide felt brave enough to make the short swim over. After sightseeing for a few minutes, we moved onto an alternate snorkeling spot.

 

I think you will likely see starfish wherever you snorkel in Antigua.

[cruisingforsix]

we just got back last week and did creole cruises with glen and mario and had a wonderful time we did have lunch on bird island which was wonderful. we were the only ones there. there was another tour in the water but they did eat lunch on the boat (Their driver actually knew glen and got off the boat and came and ate lobster lunch with us). then they left and we had the place to ourselves for awhile. we walked to the top and looked out over a spectacular view. then off to starfish gardens for more snorkeling.

[Robin G]

I experienced Eli's Eco Tour six years ago. I just attempted to email them and got a return on the email -- anyone have it?? Thanks.

[sunquest76]

We just did Eli's Eco tour. We loved it!

Yes, we ate on the boat. It wasn't he most convenient thing - but we had a toddler with us. The other tour was much smaller, but so was the boat. Eli's catamaran was 3 times the size of the other boat. We had more people (they only ever take a max of 27 people), but LOTS more room. We could move around comfortably. I even commented that I was glad I wasn't on the other tour after seeing their boat.

I would do the Eco Tour again over Creole any day.

[Robin G]

We just did Eli's Eco tour. We loved it!

Yes, we ate on the boat. It wasn't he most convenient thing - but we had a toddler with us. The other tour was much smaller, but so was the boat. Eli's catamaran was 3 times the size of the other boat. We had more people (they only ever take a max of 27 people), but LOTS more room. We could move around comfortably. I even commented that I was glad I wasn't on the other tour after seeing their boat.

I would do the Eco Tour again over Creole any day.

 

Do you happen to have their email address? I used the one from the website and it's not working or something. Thanks.

[sunquest76]

Here is the email I was using for booking and confirmation:

 

info@adventureantigua.com

[Robin G]

Thank you -- I got a reply from them.

[fayerussell]

Just got back from carnival freedom cruise and we went on Creole tour in Antigua. It was awesome! There were only 14 people on tour, so that was great. We were taked 2 places to snorkle, one before lunch and then one after. Both had great snorkeling. We saw a barricuda and a stingray, not to mention the huge starfish in the starfish garden that we were able to dive down and pick up. The lunch was the best food we had all week! Would totally go again in a hearbeat!!