Fins an Flippers Island

[bakerintn]

I recently sent an email with 3 questions to Fins and Flippers. Here is the reply that I got:

 

1. Is the long white beach on the ocean side of the key available to

> day-pass guests?

Yes that is our main beach area.

>

> 2. What is the purpose of the rectangular "dock" on the bay side? Does

> this keep sharks or boats out, protecting that beach?

We use to have Dolphins in that area. We no longer have anything

in there at this time.

>

> 3. I have read several reviews that rave about your day-pass cruise ship

> excursion, but they all mention problems with the sand fleas. What can

> guests do to minimize sand flea problems??

Yes there is sand fleas in Roatan, the best thing for them/you is to

wear bug spray ie. OFF.

>

[CaliforniaDreamer]

In fairness to Fins and Flippers, my friend went to Coral Cay Beach and also returned with bites. Just bring some Deet.

[Planer's Edge]

Can anyone tell me the approximate cost for food and beverages?

 

PE

[VonChap]

Can anyone tell me the approximate cost for food and beverages?

 

PE

 

Hi PE, Its Kim & Bill that you met on the Pearl in April. We are going to be at Fins & Flippers next week. There menu is on their web site and it looks like the food is around $10 and local beers are $2. Sounds like the whole day is going to be very reasonable in price.

 

Take Care

[Planer's Edge]

Hi PE, Its Kim & Bill that you met on the Pearl in April. We are going to be at Fins & Flippers next week. There menu is on their web site and it looks like the food is around $10 and local beers are $2. Sounds like the whole day is going to be very reasonable in price.

 

Take Care

 

Hey there. I see you are going back on the Pearl. We are going on the Pearl again in April.

 

PE

[cruisego23]

Wooh just came back from our cruise and fins and flippers.

 

It was great!

 

The beach is not the best for those of you that just want to swim... but the snorkeling is amazing. If you go past the red buoy you will see some amazing coral and fish.

 

It was a great experience. The pool was very nice and clean. Also there is a small zoo and it looks like they are working on expanding it and making a big zoo. The monkeys are quite nice one loves to even give hugs!

 

The boat ride was extremely fast and the boat was excellent.

 

If you like to relax or snorkel GO GO GO!

 

There is not much people there, which makes it even more amazing.

[jz's folks]

Ok i'm ready to go...NOW!!! Was looking for something to do in Roatan besides the zip-lining thing. (been there..done that)..I'm so thrilled to discover this little slice of heaven on the boards!!! Sent DH the link to FandF, waiting for his 'go' (like it matters..hehe) and i'm booking online...might throw in the massage too...

On another note, anyone know how many ships will be in Roatan on 1/27/09??

[rmsanger]

F&F was one of the highlights from our cruise last week on the Pearl. The grounds were well kept, the facilities & bathrooms were CLEAN, and the snorkeling was amazing.

 

I wouldn't reccomend it for a beach day but if you want to snorkel this is the place. Humberto was a great guide and spent ample time taking me on a solo run in the afternoon. We stayed out so late and almost missed the ship. Another great thing is they will drop you off right at the boat instead of having to take that miserable walk back through town.

 

Food was $8 and enough for the two of us (fish special ~ Snapper with rice, bean, plantains, etc..). Mixed drinks were $5 but the local beers @ $2 were the best buy.

 

The only bad thing was the walk through the seedy part of 'town'. Tons of iffy people with whistiling at DW and a guy named "Dragon" trying to sell us some smoke. Eventually when we just kept saying fins and flippers they left us alone.

[imluvncruzn]

Wooh just came back from our cruise and fins and flippers.

 

It was great!

 

The beach is not the best for those of you that just want to swim... but the snorkeling is amazing. If you go past the red buoy you will see some amazing coral and fish.

 

It was a great experience. The pool was very nice and clean. Also there is a small zoo and it looks like they are working on expanding it and making a big zoo. The monkeys are quite nice one loves to even give hugs!

 

The boat ride was extremely fast and the boat was excellent.

 

If you like to relax or snorkel GO GO GO!

 

There is not much people there, which makes it even more amazing.

 

I've read alot about fins and flippers but never heard mention of monkeys! Can you expand on that a little bit more. Do they allow you to hold the monkeys? We're going with our kids and they really want to see monkeys so for that reason we were going to book with Victor Bodden. But I really want to go to Fins and Flippers so we might be able to kill two birds with one stone. Also, what did you see snorkeling? Thanks for the info!

[cruisego23]

We stayed out so late and almost missed the ship. Another great thing is they will drop you off right at the boat instead of having to take that miserable walk back through town.

 

It may have been because you were on the last run. They dropped us off at there dock but it was a quick walk back. Roatan just has a lot of poverty and you need to be ready for that and understand it. It is not another 'America' and unfortunately there is poverty. It is a pretty quick walk but be ready for solicitors. But they were also very friendly and pointed us to the F&F dock.

 

 

 

I've read alot about fins and flippers but never heard mention of monkeys! Can you expand on that a little bit more. Do they allow you to hold the monkeys? We're going with our kids and they really want to see monkeys so for that reason we were going to book with Victor Bodden. But I really want to go to Fins and Flippers so we might be able to kill two birds with one stone. Also, what did you see snorkeling? Thanks for the info!

 

Well... they have 3 small cages two inhabiting two monkeys and the other with 3 monkeys and a baby monkey. Also a cage inhabiting a wild cat (there may have been 2 cages with wild cats but I only saw one) and another cage with 6 or so parrots.

 

Anyways, you could touch the monkeys through the cages just be careful. But the one that was in the first cage was very nice and friendly. It was eager to hold hands and hug. It even wanted to give a kiss. The other monkey it was with was just sitting up top. In the other cage there was a very silly monkey that was just jumping around and stuff.

 

Like I said again it appears they are building some big fences and areas for the animals to be. You will find the monkeys if you turn left from the entry dock or straight once you leave the giftshop going back to where you were before.

 

The island is very well preserved and the plants are all just beautiful. There was also a brown short long animal that ran past me but I did not know what it was. Seemed like a beaver or something but I know it wasn't.

 

Anyways... when we went snorkeling at first the water was very shallow but once you go past the red thing and keep going you will find some awesome things. We saw all different types of coral and also coral that looks like brains. There was multicolored fish. I really liked one that had lots of blue dots that were glowing. Also there was one with a rainbow tail. Anyways if you keep going you see a sudden drop where the ocean just keeps going down and all you see is water in front which was a great experience. The coral is very beautiful but you want to make sure you pick a good trail and remember where it is because the coral is quite high at many points. You can swim over it because I did successfully but you can get cut as it is hard. BUT I really recommend going. Both me and my 14 year old son had a blast. Make sure you go out far enough, because if you are in the shallow water you are not. The guide will show you where to go though.

[aamechs2]

Our family of 4 love Fins and Flippers. I laid on the beach while hubby snorkeled and the kids played in the sand and swam. It was so nice to NOT get bugged all day by waiters. It did rain so we went up by the pool under the umbrellas and ate. The food was very good, $6.00 for shrimp. Then we went back to the beach. The walk to the boat is OK, just keep repeating "Fin's and Flippers!" It wasn't scary, just annoying.

 

Also we got a tour thru the animal rescue area. Monkeys, toucan's, ocelots, even a boa. A very nice place to spend the day.

[cruisego23]

Our family of 4 love Fins and Flippers. I laid on the beach while hubby snorkeled and the kids played in the sand and swam. It was so nice to NOT get bugged all day by waiters. It did rain so we went up by the pool under the umbrellas and ate. The food was very good, $6.00 for shrimp. Then we went back to the beach. The walk to the boat is OK, just keep repeating "Fin's and Flippers!" It wasn't scary, just annoying.

 

Also we got a tour thru the animal rescue area. Monkeys, toucan's, ocelots, even a boa. A very nice place to spend the day.

 

Ah... it's an animal rescue place. We just walked there by ourselves : )

 

I had some chicken fingers which came with some strange banana chips that I did not like but it is the islands special I suppose since it comes with a lot of there meals.

 

It also rained when we were there extremely hard but ended fast.

[AllyGirl13]

Ah... it's an animal rescue place. We just walked there by ourselves : )

 

I had some chicken fingers which came with some strange banana chips that I did not like but it is the islands special I suppose since it comes with a lot of there meals.

 

It also rained when we were there extremely hard but ended fast.

 

LOL those weren't banana chips, they were plantains (totally different). They do look like bananas but you can't think of them as such or they will taste funny...

[bakerintn]

Ah... it's an animal rescue place. We just walked there by ourselves : )

 

 

I'm wondering how they could have monkeys "rescued" if monkeys are not natural in Roatan. Maybe other outifits brought them in and gave them up along the way?? I hear that there are lots and lots of stray dogs in Roatan --- can anyone confirm that??

 

We are headed to Fins & Flippers in January -- it just looked like and easy, nice and inexpensive thing to do.

[cruisego23]

I hear that there are lots and lots of stray dogs in Roatan --- can anyone confirm that??

 

We are headed to Fins & Flippers in January -- it just looked like and easy, nice and inexpensive thing to do.

 

I saw one stray dog near the Fins and Flippers dock but I saw two also in Grand Cayman.

 

There are of course none on the Fins and Flippers dock and the stray dogs are harmless. Just don't go petting them : )

[gargoyle999]

ok..I'm on the Miracle which just had it's itinerary changed. We are now going to be in Roatan so I'm doing some quick research on excursions.

 

Looks like everyone thinks Fins 'n Flippers is the place to go for snorkeling so I've just sent off my reservation request!

 

I like it when I find something everyone has positive comments about and for $20/pp how can you go wrong?

 

If anyone else has comments about Fins 'n Flippers please share! :)

[BecciBoo]

That may have been a kinkajou you spotted:

 

You'll see a lot of blue headed wrass like this and the one you mentioned that is neon is this one:

[COCRU]

We went to Fins and Flippers the week of December 2nd. We had previously emailed Fins & Flippers (google them for website, email address & more info) and gotten an email confirmation from them with instructions on what to do when we got to Roatan. When you leave the secure cruise area, you take a right and run the gauntlet through town for a very short distance. You'll see a person with a Fins & Flippers sign at a dock where their boat will take you to the island, which is only about 5 minutes from where your ship docks.

 

Fins & Flippers was the most relaxing day of our cruise. It is an island paradise. Very quiet and peaceful. We snorkeled in the reef off the end of their pier. The water is crystal clear. The beach area has lounge chairs and lots of shade thanks to all of the beautiful palm trees. Charming pool area and outdoor bar/cafe area too. The lunch menu is small, but the food is very tasty. We also had delicious pina coladas that were served in little coconut cups. They have a very nice gift shop with t-shirts and stuff like that. People have mentioned the need for Deet due to no-see-ums or sand fleas. We had Deet wipes with us, but never even used them and didn't have any problems.

[agagal313]

Great place to spend the day while in Roatan.

 

Private setting with Great Snorkeling, with Pool, food/bar and gift shop.

Clean bathrooms :)

 

Humberto guides you out through the reef opening to the ocean side. He was there to help get some of the less skilled swimmers/snorkelers out of trouble as well. Beautiful reef with lots of animal life.

 

I didn't have trouble with the sand fleas. I was in the water most of the time.

[gargoyle999]

Great place to spend the day while in Roatan.

 

Private setting with Great Snorkeling, with Pool, food/bar and gift shop.

Clean bathrooms :)

 

Humberto guides you out through the reef opening to the ocean side. He was there to help get some of the less skilled swimmers/snorkelers out of trouble as well. Beautiful reef with lots of animal life.

 

I didn't have trouble with the sand fleas. I was in the water most of the time.

 

What kind of trouble did they find themselves in?? :confused: I'm going there in Feb and plan to spend a lot of time in the water.

[GatorTom]

We were on the Pearl and at Roatan on Dec. 16th and had an excellent experience. The morning started with heavy rain which delayed exiting the ship. Around mid morning the weather started to improve and we headed down the gang plank. You literally walk about a block to get to their shuttle dock. We were the first to head out to the island and the trip takes only a few minutes. We were greeted at the dock I believe by Cathy. She's from Ft. Lauderdale and came down to Roatan with her husband on scuba trips and decided to move down. You check in at the gift shop, pay the fee, and will receive a wristband. The gift shop is large and well stocked and adjacent to the shop in the same building are large restrooms that are clean and allow you to change if necessary. We explored the grounds and the landscaping was very beautiful and well manicured. The property has cages for locally donated monkeys, toucans, green parrots, and an oscelot. The outdoor bar, restaurant and patio area is adjacent to the pool. The sun started to come out and we headed to the pier where Umberto greeted us and took us out on a guided snorkel tour. He was an experienced snorkeler and took us on an hour tour of the reef. I was amazed at the quality and how vibrant the reef was. We went out a second time after lunch as the skies were totally cleared and the reef was even more alive with color. After snorkeling we went to the pool and ordered drinks, $2.00 Vida Salve (local beer) and a hamburger with plantains which was $6.00. Both were very good. We lounged in the pool until it was time for the shuttle boat to take us directly back to the ship. Because of the way the weather started the day, there were only 11 of us on the island that day. We felt like it was our own private resort. This island with its friendly staff is a welcoming contrast to the poverty on Roatan. One suggestion, make sure that you use bug repellent because the sand fleas were active at the time. All in all we had a great day.

[Akiba]

I have reservations for the first week in Feb and wonder is it appropriate to tip the person who helped you snorkel and what amount for a couple (we are experience snorkelers) would be appropriate.

:)

[Fighterone]

I have reservations for the first week in Feb and wonder is it appropriate to tip the person who helped you snorkel and what amount for a couple (we are experience snorkelers) would be appropriate.

:)

We were there 2 weeks ago and enjoyed snorkeling. There is always someone to guide you and show you interesting reefs/fish. I unfortunately did not bring any cash to the beach since we were at the pool but I wish I had to tip the young guide. I would certainly think that a dollar or two per person would be plenty. That is one of the things I regret not doing.

[ms8654]

So I haven't seen any responses to the massage questions. The price on the website is extremely reasonable and about half of what I normally pay locally. Has anyone has the massage and was it any good?

 

Marie

[Fighterone]

So I haven't seen any responses to the massage questions. The price on the website is extremely reasonable and about half of what I normally pay locally. Has anyone has the massage and was it any good? Marie

We didn't see any massage tables there or any signs advertising massages. Don't know that they offer these and we toured the grounds pretty extensively.

 

Don't miss the meal of the day. The fried grouper was the best I've ever had. It was served with black beans, rice, red cabbage slaw and fried plantains. A friend had the same dish as I did and when he mentioned to the waiter that he didn't get any plantains in his, the waiter said that "the cook must have forgotten because she is getting pretty old". She was a sweet lady.

 

The bartender, Morrison, cut open a coconut that I found on the beach and put a straw in it so I could enjoy the milk. No charge! His pina coladas made with flor de cana were great.

 

Don't miss the bottled hot sauce if you are a fan of hot sauces. It was unusual. It is called "Celase Special Hot Sauce" and is made with coconut oil, banana peppers and (I remember the bottle said many more ingredients). I write this from memory of what I read on the bottle while sampling it when I was there. As I now look at the bottle I brought back to list the ingredients here, I note that the area with the list of ingredients has been blacked out with a sharpie. Bummer! This is the most expensive bottle of hot sauce I have ever bought but well worth it. Sorry I won't be able to get it again. I sent an email to the address on the bottle but didn't get a response.

 

A friend had the fundido which is served in an intersting way. If you are concerned with lead, you might want to pass on it. The mixture of black beans and cheese is melted and served over a bed of hot coals in a little clay bowl with chips.

 

Crew members from our ship also spent the day there. They used the beach and in the pool.

 

One thing to note: if you go to F&F on a Thursday, be prepared to share the facilities with more than the usual group of cruisers. A neighbor island hotel also an Anthony Key Resort ferries their guest to F&F for a picnic every Thursday.

 

Unfortunately, there are many stray dogs in Coxen Holel they didn't bother us. They walk alongside the cars and mingle with the crowds of tourists and beg for a piece of food and to be petted. They don't smell very good. I was not scared of them and wish I could have brought them all home with me. They are pretty mangy looking and some are badly bruised. It's really a shame to see them and it broke my heart.