Any recommendations for an excursion in St Lucia?

[AllenF]

Voss,

 

I am glad you had a good time in St Lucia :) we also enjoyed are time there and the private exclusive tour we did with John

[dchip]

Cosol's schedule is filling up fast from what he told us on November 3 when we toured with him.

 

Here is a link to my photos from that tour....it was fabulous.

 

http://www.pbase.com/dchip/st_lucia

 

Cheers, Denise

[galalub]

Anyone travel with them? Any info?

 

Yeap, we did. Also on Thanksgiving week. We didn't feel a bit crowded. Got royal treatment. Monrose is wonderful! Highly recommend!

 

I answered you in more details in your thread.

[debr]

Yeap, we did. Also on Thanksgiving week. We didn't feel a bit crowded. Got royal treatment. Monrose is wonderful! Highly recommend!

 

I answered you in more details in your thread.

 

Can you tell me how many ships were in port the day you toured with Cosol? It seems to be a problem for him when there are four ships in port. We are scheduled for a tour on a "four ship day".

 

Thank you

 

Debr

[galalub]

Can you tell me how many ships were in port the day you toured with Cosol? It seems to be a problem for him when there are four ships in port. We are scheduled for a tour on a "four ship day".

 

Thank you

 

Debr

Debr,

 

We toured with Monrose. Highly recommended. The best tour we've ever had. There was either 3 or 4 ships that day, we didn't feel a bit crowded. You'll really feel like royality with him.

[Shere]

Sorry to hear someone had a bad experience with Cosol - I have to say we had a wonderful tour and enjoyed every minute of it. It was very comfortable, not crowded at all and I loved the way they tried to make us experience the true island: stopping on the road side to get some fresh bread, tastings of local fruits etc. It was both an informative and fun tour and the Island is just so gorgeous!!

I wish you a wonderful time, whatever tour you end up deciding to do!!! :)

[luv2getaway]

Our group of 8 did the Cosol tour two weeks ago. We all decided that this was the most fun of all the 8 ports that we visited. I would highly recommend it for anyone!

[debr]

Sorry to hear someone had a bad experience with Cosol - I have to say we had a wonderful tour and enjoyed every minute of it. It was very comfortable, not crowded at all and I loved the way they tried to make us experience the true island: stopping on the road side to get some fresh bread, tastings of local fruits etc. It was both an informative and fun tour and the Island is just so gorgeous!!

I wish you a wonderful time, whatever tour you end up deciding to do!!! :)

 

Shere,

 

Can you tell me how many ships were in port the day you took the tour? That seems to be the problem.

 

Thank you

 

Debr

[debr]

Our group of 8 did the Cosol tour two weeks ago. We all decided that this was the most fun of all the 8 ports that we visited. I would highly recommend it for anyone!

 

luv2getaway,

 

Can you tell me how many ships were in port the day of your tour?

 

Debr

[A Sixth?]

Just the Volcano and Pitons. Best to just walk off and take your chance with seven of us.....?

 

Is there really any advantage to booking off the internet?

 

Done both and had great luck

[BeadBabe]

We have booked with Monrose for the 27th of December...we'll post about it when we get back and let you know. :D

[Abberboo]

Here is what I do in St. Lucia, I have done it twice. I just copy pasted this from my cruise review just posted:

 

St. Lucia: We do not book excursions at this port while there are many to do. We are adventurous so when we were here in April, we booked with a man named JUNIOR when we arrive right off the ship under the covered area where the tourism board has St. Lucia materials available about the island. JUNIOR'S excursion is $55 a person and includes the following: power boat ride (with shade) which goes up the gorgeous coast of St. Lucia on the way to the famous Pitons. You can email or call him in advance at the following contact information - Synergy Charters, Junior, Telephone 1-758-715-3484, Email - synergycharter@hotmail.com. The powerboat ride goes up the coast and they will stop to let you see the villages, they go into the coves, we got to see Marigot Bay up close, Anse Cochon which is where the Tikaye Resort is and then you also visit Anse Chastanet which is where the Anse Chastanet resort is (http://www.ansechastanet.com/). After stopping by those areas, we stop at the town of Soufriere - home to the Drive in Volanco and the Torialle Waterfalls. These are the two places all the cruise ship excursions take you to. Admission into these two parks is included. When you get off the power boat, you load into vans and they take our up the scenic drive to the Drive in Sulfur Volanco and the Torialle Waterfalls. We stay at each location for somewhere between 30-45 minutes give or take. After visiting those sites, you head back to the power boat. When back on the boat, you are taken to Anse Cochon which was visited earlier in the day but this time they let you off and you get to enjoy the beach (sand is almost black from the volcanoes), restaurant, water sports and beach. This beach has phenomenal snorkeling. When we were here last in April 2007, they took us to the other beach referenced above, Anse Chastanet, snorkeling is great too - both beaches are amazing. After an hour to an hour and a half at the beach you head back to port. They ensure you are back with at least an hour or hour and a half to spare. I HIGHLY recommend this excursion with JUNIOR.

 

If you want to view photos, I posted many from the excursion on the photos section of this website, just type in St. Lucia and you can see how through this excursion is.

 

Hope this helps if you want a tour of St. Lucia by boat (our preference).

[vossjemi]

Voss,

 

I am glad you had a good time in St Lucia :) we also enjoyed are time there and the private exclusive tour we did with John

 

We did very much enjoy our day w/Serenity. I should however note a couple kinks we had so that others can decide whether or not those are important factors to them.

 

1)Serenity was late picking us up. They were supposed to be at our villa at 8:30 am on Monday morning. We arrived in St. Lucia very late Sat night so no time to call Serenity. Sunday was full with going to church, going over menus with the cook, grocery shopping for the week, and going out to Rainforest Hideaway that before I knew it was too late to call and let them know we in fact had arrived. I didn't figure I really needed to call, but when they didn't get there on time...I called them at 8:35. John had been trying to get hold of us, but didn't have our villa phone #. I had forgotten to give it to him. The driver for our tour was having to take a couple back to their hotel or airport or somewhere because their tour got cancelled. He asked if they could join us, but we declined since we wanted and paid for a totally private tour. They arrived around 9:00 am. At first some of my familiy was irked about it as we had already used Hugo and the villa taxi for other things and they had all been early. But, Serenity did more than make up for it by all the fun we had that day, and in fact, we stayed out way later than normal end tour time. I don't think we got back to the villa until 7pm just so we could see and do everything we wanted. So, in the end everyone was more than satisfied. (And Serenity was on time Friday for the zipline excursion we booked with them, which was cool too because we only had 5 going and didn't necessarily book it private, but we got it private)

 

2)The only other complaint was everyone felt like Peter the captain of our boat was not real friendly. John & Sherma & Vincent were great. But, Peter was gruff and kind of acted like he was scared we'd get his boat dirty or wet or something. He also didn't have very good snorkel equipment. My DH & I always bring our own mask, snorkel, & fins. All Peter had for the rest of the group was a mask and snorkel. No fins and no lifejackets. Some of them had trouble with the masks leaking and the mouthpieces being torn. We were all shocked that there were no blow up lifejackets as we've always had them on the numerous snorkel excursions we'd had over the years. When we asked Peter about lifejackets, he said "well you can swim, can't you?" Yes, but in 30 or so foot of water, a lifejacket would have been nice. He didn't keep the boat real close to us either so it was quite a swim to get back to the boat. My Mom actually chose not to snorkel since there was no lifejacket. She was sooo worried about us that she kept counting heads the whole time. But, we did appreciate them taking us to see our villa from the water, and all the extra time we had since we got a late start.

 

Anyway, I kind of feel bad even mentioning these 2 things because we really all did have a terrific day with Serenity. My Mom came to visit this past weekend and told me once again this was simply the best birthday she had in all her 62 years. She was sooo touched by the great meal at the Hummingbird with the birthday cake and special Hummingbird painting John got for her. She loved the privacy aspect of the tour and that we had virtually all the sites to ourselves as well since there were no cruises in town that day. John, Sherma, and Vincent were all very friendly and made the day special for her. A couple of kinks, but nothing that ruined the day for anybody.

[AllenF]

I am glad your day turned out good. We learned along time ago about using tours snorkel equipment but I know it hard for everybody to have there own but we are avid snorkelers so it has paid off to have our own. I am just the opposite I hate it when tours make you wear the life jackets but then again I am a former life guard and swim extremely well and the jackets keep you from diving down . I think there will always be some kinks in doing tours but as long as the pros out weight the cons all is well in the end I know my wife did not like the fact John was on the phone alot but it did not bother me I know yu sure cant beat the privacy and that was what i wanted and recieved 10 fold. I am looking forward to returning to St Lucia in the fall of 08

[vossjemi]

I've never had a problem diving down with a lifejacket...you just let the air out. Then, when you want it blown up, you pull the tab again. It was simple. Although, everyone was actually surprised how buoyant we actually were without lifejackets. I had just never not had one before. Mom's not a good swimmer though and would have needed one for sure. She wasn't too disappointed though. She rarely swims when we go out on our boat at home. She doesn't like to ruin her hair and makeup! ha ha. But, she did surprise us all by getting into Toraille with us! It all turned out just fine.

 

Yes, John was on the phone a lot. But, that seemed to be standard with all the places we went...all the drivers/tour guides got calls. It didn't really bother me. In fact, it was kind of funny...one time Hugo got a call...IT WAS MY PARENTS!! Ha ha. He had taken us kids (8 of us) to the beach for the day. Mom & Dad didn't want to go. When Hugo picked us up, we needed to do a quick grocery stop and then to the bridge near Castries for red snapper. Hugo was so great in helping us get that for dinner the next day. Well, I told you Mom was a worrier. It gets dark around 5:30 there right now, and it was fast approaching 6:00 and we weren't home yet. So, she made Dad call Hugo to check on us! We all thought he was just getting a regular call when we heard him assuring Mom & Dad he had us all and we were safe & sound! ha ha.

[samnjoc]

I would recommend St. Lucia Frank while you are in St. Lucia. His website is *****************. The tour fee is $45 per person. It is 5 to 6 hours and the tour leaves at around 8:30am. You get to visit the waterfall, volcano, botanical garden, marigot bay, fishing villages, banana plantation, shopping, beach and snorkeling at the Hilton Jalousie hotel which is between the Pitons and many more things on the way. He pays all the entrance fees. Lots to sample of the local taste and shops along the way. Frank made us laugh the entire way and kept us full with rum punch and beers all the way home - time seemed to fly!

 

I am not a big fan of van tours of islands - I typically like to do something more adventurous, but for a van tour this was top notch - you cannot beat the way Frank treats you - like a friend and royalty all at the same time. I emailed him many times prior to our cruise and he was responsive and helpful every single time - there is certainly something to be said about professionalism! If I were to do this tour a second time I would ask for more beach time and a visit to the sulfur baths where you can actually bathe in the mud and maybe add on the zipline tour for more excitement, but I wouldn't hesitate to book it all with Frank!

 

*Be warned that the shops in St Lucia run on Caribbean time - we got into port at 8am and nothing was open, when we got back at 4:15pm the shops were all closing so be sure to get back earlier if you want to buy any souvenirs!!*

[BeadBabe]

We are booked with Monrose for a private custom tour on December 27th. What are the "must sees" we should go to?

[lovetocruise99]

If you want to go on a tour that is 1/2 boat and 1/2 van I would go with Peter the Great. I couldn't stand the thought of being in the back of a van on curvy roads for 4 hours.

 

Here is a full review of the day we spent with Peter the Great in St Lucia with some photos.

 

http://familytravelfun.com/stluciatours.html

[lala424]

Just toured St. Lucia with Cosol Tours. I highly recommend his tours. His is very informative and gives you a full day of entertainment and food. Well worth the money! One of the best tours I've been on.

[teltrainer]

HI, just wanted to add my two cents about Frank's tour. This was my second visit to St. Lucia but the last one was in the 90s.

 

To celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary, we opted for a personal tour with him instead of being crowded on a van with strangers. It was well worth the money for the personal service and ability to decide what we wanted to see and how much time to spend at stops.

 

We met him at 8:30am (ship's time, 9:30 St. Lucia this time of year so be sure to confirm right time with him so he doesn't think you are a "no show") and had only until 1pm due to a 2pm departure time. Frank managed to work within our timeframe beautifully. We enjoyed his rum punch, sing along to his favorite island tunes and his insight on the history and present island conditions as we drove around the magnificent St. Lucia rolling hills. We saw bananas growing on trees up close and learned about the farming process. We walked through the botanical gardens and waterfall area. He introduced us to the person who "owns and runs" the gardens.

 

The drive in volcano with sulfer plumes was incredible to see. Frank connected us with "Junior" one of the volcano guides who explained the history and science which my husband greatly enjoyed. We took a tour of the cassava bakery where Frank introduced us to one of the workers to stirs a huge iron pot for an hour to dry it so the cassava bread can be formed and baked.

 

We were unable to have lunch due to the schedule since we opted for more touring and could eat afterwards on board. Frank made sure we still had time for the must have photo from the restaurant top with the Pitons in the background.

 

His rum punch was delicious and added to the fun day. Next time we will use Frank to take us to places we missed including a beach visit and some other local history we know we would enjoy learning about with Frank. Being able to speak with some of the locals he introduced us to was a wonderful experience. We'll never forget the welcoming attitudes of his friends and the fun time we had with Frank.

 

We highly recommend him as a tour guide!

 

Melissa & Barry

[Bdm1962]

We will be traveling to St. Lucia in March, on the Serenade. We have two boys, ages 11 and 12. I would love to have them see the island "up-close and personal". They are good travelers, but many hours in a van could try their patience a little. And Ours! Do you have the website for Frank's Tours? It sounds like a private tour where we can control our time at some of the stops would be the best for us. Are most of the geological features of St. Lucia a long way from the pier?

[teltrainer]

Hi, You can read about his tours on st lucia frank dot com (I spell it out since some addresses have problems showing up here).

 

The cost for 2 people including lunch is $160 for 4.5 to 5 hours. I think he normally charges 40-45 per person but you can ask for the pricing details.

 

It was a long winding drive to the Pitons but we made 3-4 stops along the way until there so it broke the drive up. Figure around 45-60 min if you were driving there straightwithout the stops. You can email him and tell him what you would like to to and he can customize based on the schedule including a beach stop if you have time.

 

The only concern is how he may be booked up early. I requested him personally about 9-10 months in advance. He does use other drivers he personnally selects and trains for touring from what he told us and he will tell you if he himself can't do the tour for you.

 

Good luck and hope you enjoy as much as we did!

[growinassets]

There were six in our group and we toured with Herod. He speaks clearly enough to understand him and has a great tour of the island with an hour at the beach between the Pitons. The local stops he made along the way made the experience more enjoyable, he stayed clear of the pushy vendors for the most part. There are other posts about Herod and his tour is a great value. We saw the Gosol tours along the way and those folks were telling us that there were too many 'trinket sales' stops along the way. I'm sure that Herod will be booked, so email him early if you want a great valued tour in St. Lucia. His tour helped make this the best port of the entire cruise. :)

[seastheday]

My husband and I were in St. Lucia on December 6th, and had booked a tour with Cosol. There were four ships in harbor that day, and what I noticed was that Cosol started with the first ship to disembark, collected a van load (which in our case was five couples) and off we went. This resulted in staggered departure times and meant that twelve vans weren't stopped at all the scenic stops together (except for a couple times which were fun as we were all drinking and eating and enjoying our time together).

 

It is a long day of driving but there are so many stops and so many beautiful things to see, culminating in a lovely couple hours swimming at the Jalousie resort between the Pitons, that it seemed a minor detail. Especially since we were teamed with "Bumpy", our fun-loving, informative, gregarious driver (and what a great driver he is). We had a blast and fell completely in love with the island.

 

Unfortunately, when we returned to the ship, we discovered we had lost our camera and all the photos of our cruise. :( A call to Cosol had him off searching it down in Bumpy's van, and it was found! He has FedExed it to us...now how is that for customer service? :D

 

Cosol really does care that everyone has a good experience and enjoys their time on the island. You will eat, drink and be merry all across St. Lucia for an astonishingly low charge...don't know how they can swing it!

 

Whatever you do on St. Lucia will be wonderful, I'm sure. Have fun!

[Ships_Ahoy]

I wanted to add my comments about Cosol Tours.

 

Not being a fan of van tours, I originally was thinking of something more adventurous like the 4 wheel drive/hiking combination offered by Jungle Tours. I'm glad I didn't take that choice as the island, covered in rain forest, gets sporadic showers. An open truck and hike would have been doable but a little soggy. The covered van tour offered by Cosol was a better choice.

 

The many positive comments on this board about Cosol Tours have been accurate. While the popularity of the tour is well founded, it might also be a detractor.

 

The tour certainly delivers on all that it promises including the sights, admissions, and plenty of delicious food samples along the way - never a shortage of food and drinks including the best rum punch I have ever tasted. Watch for the "liquid *****" - very funny. Previous posts have already listed the stops so I won't repeat. Our van driver was very informative for the first half of the day but fell silent during the last couple hours of the tour. At least they could have livened it up by playing some soft reggae music over the sound system to keep the tour participants in the island mood.

 

I never realized the power of Cruise Critic until we got off the ship to find the van. The thought of having found a private tour of St. Lucia was shattered when we found a line of about 50 other Cosol tour participants all having found the tour through this web site. While we traveled nine to a van, there was a caravan of about six vans making the same stops at the same time. The stops were well organized to cater to 50 people at a time but my expectations of going on a small group tour were a bit bruised.

 

Overall, a great introduction to St. Lucia for people with a limited amount of time. To make the most of the day, don't forget to bring a swimsuit and beach towel for use at the waterfall and the beach.