Silver Moon Cruise Tours

[Seawitch]

Hi Debbie (jellyfish) and triggerhoppe,

 

We were also on the Victory cruise with you and were the group of six that were supposed to be on your SilverMoon 12 person catamarran.

But, unfortunately we were transferred to another company's boat because Silvermoon overbooked or one of their catamarrans was broke.

 

Well, needless to say, our experience was nothing like yours. First of all our catamarran was smaller and somewhat crowded, The canopy had no side panels and only covered four people when it rained ( which it did often.) There was ONE small bathroom down a very steep staircase and our personal possessions were strewn all over the kitchen area because of lack of space.

 

Our crew seemed disinterested and there wasn't much interaction with the passengers. My mouth waters when I read about your lunch and drinks. We never received the amount or variety of food and drinks that triggerhoppe mentions and what we did get was mediocre to say the least.

 

Swimming with the turtles was wonderful but other than that I can say that this was the most disappointing thing about our cruise.

 

There was no mention either of getting a discounted price because of the inferior substitution. No sir, still had to pay the remaining balance of $110.00 up front.

 

If this sounds like sour grapes, it is. We are still p***ed off about being ripped off.

 

We were so looking forward to that big SilverMoon catamarran, but Debbie we are glad you had a nice time because it was your birthday and your husband had to stay on the Victory (by the way, hope he is feeling better.)

 

So just a suggestion to others to beware of Silvermoon when booking. Even if they tell you you are on the catamarran shown in their ads, you may find yourself on a second rate substitute.

[jtmalt]

Finally, the beautiful downwind sail back to Road Town.

 

Whoops, mixing up my towns! I meant to say it was a beautiful downwind sail back to Bridgetown.

[Seawitch]

I would like to revise my previous negative post regarding the inferior SilverMoon excursion. We received a sincere apology and refund from Nick at SilverMoon. Apparently, he did not know what had occurred when we were on the substituted catamarran. He was genuinely concerned about our inferior boat and experience and this is not a true representation of his business. It certainly will not happen again to any of his customers. If I had not posted , he would not have known so, therefore, Cruise Critic provides great knowledge to cruisers and also tour operators alike.

 

So anyone thinking of booking with SilverMoon go right ahead with confidence. I know if we get a chance to visit Barbados again, you will find us booked on SilverMoon with no reservations what-so-ever in our minds.

 

Nick is a class act! Book SilverMoon in Barbados and have the time of your life swimming with the sea turles.

[jellyfish]

Seawitch,

Hi, I just saw your two posts and I am so glad to hear that silvermoon contacted you and that you received a refund. I was so sorry that your day was not like mine, but hopefully you can return to Barbados again and sail the Silvermoon. Thanks for asking about my husband. Yes, he felt alot better that night and the rest of the cruise. Take care and it was nice meeting you!

Debbie

[jellyfish]

A couple of pictures from the Silvermoon. One of me and the crew and one of the beautiful water.

[jellyfish]

First time I've tried to post pictures. Glad to see it worked!

[Cruiser21]

A couple of pictures from the Silvermoon. One of me and the crew and one of the beautiful water.

 

Was this the catamaran that holds 12 or 24 passengers?

[jellyfish]

This was the one that held 12 passengers. It was a great day!

[wimswim]

Hey everyone! We're considering booking with Silvermoon, but wanted to make sure that no one had any issues getting back to their ship in time. It sounds like they're a great company to deal with, but wanted to ask one last question before we book.

 

Thanks!

[jellyfish]

No problem at all! It's only about a 5 minute ride back to the port. I think we got off the Silvermoon around 2:30 or 2:45 and then straight back to the port. It was a wonderful day and totally worth the money. The day we sailed there were only 9 of us on the 12 person boat. The crew was wonderful and I will do it again if I ever get back to Barbados.

Have Fun!

[Lsimon]

As Jellyfish said - the day sail finishes mid afternoon. We've always had all the time we could use in shopping the stores at the pier building but never tried going anyplace else afterwards.

 

BTW - Ocean Adventures provides transportation to/from the cruise port terminal. It is a short ride but too far to walk.

[jamiddl]

Thanks for all the reviews on this thread. We booked for our August cruise and we can't wait!

[CINDYSUE]

Could you please tell me the cost and do they come to the cruise ship pier to get you???

 

Thanks!

[CINDYSUE]

Oooppps, sorry I didn't read far enough. My questions are answered.

[cppwiz]

Just wanted to add another recommendation for Silver Moon. We cruised on the 24-person catamaran on June 10th and it was the highlight of our week. The drinks, snorkeling and lunch were outstanding. However, I would add one very important tip: apply at least SPF 45 sunscreen to your back before and after each snorkel. My wife and I and others we talked to from CruiseCritic got bad sunburns this day and we all applied sunscreen that day. I think the water acts like a magnifying glass to cook your back while snorkeling this close to the equator.

 

Also, Silver Moon's reservation system could use some improvement. (i.e. use Paypal or another Internet payment system) They can only make the reservation when you fax them a signed paper with your credit card number. Since their Barbados international fax number was blocked from my fax machine at work, it was a hassle to get the reservation made.

 

Another suggestion is to have a sign for Silver Moon at the port tour gathering area. We walked up and down the line of buses at the port looking for Silver Moon, but couldn't find them. Luckily, we knew some other people who were on the tour and just hung out with them until the bus left.

 

I hope this doesn't sound too critical. I would definitely do the tour with them again but they have a little room for improvement.

[jtmalt]

Just wanted to add another recommendation for Silver Moon. We cruised on the 24-person catamaran on June 10th and it was the highlight of our week. The drinks, snorkeling and lunch were outstanding. However, I would add one very important tip: apply at least SPF 45 sunscreen to your back before and after each snorkel. My wife and I and others we talked to from CruiseCritic got bad sunburns this day and we all applied sunscreen that day. I think the water acts like a magnifying glass to cook your back while snorkeling this close to the equator.

 

Also, Silver Moon's reservation system could use some improvement. (i.e. use Paypal or another Internet payment system) They can only make the reservation when you fax them a signed paper with your credit card number. Since their Barbados international fax number was blocked from my fax machine at work, it was a hassle to get the reservation made.

 

Another suggestion is to have a sign for Silver Moon at the port tour gathering area. We walked up and down the line of buses at the port looking for Silver Moon, but couldn't find them. Luckily, we knew some other people who were on the tour and just hung out with them until the bus left.

 

I hope this doesn't sound too critical. I would definitely do the tour with them again but they have a little room for improvement.

 

Thanks for the review. I agree with you about the sunscreen. The first time we went on Silver Moon, my DW got very badly sunburned because she wasn't reapplying frequently enough. Now, we wear "Solar Safe" disposable wristbands to remind us when to reapply.

 

I also had trouble faxing them, wound up scanning the document and emailing it instead.

 

Both times we sailed with them, our confirmation told us to meet them at Gate 2 at 9am. Gate 2 was clearly marked, and a small sign for Silver Moon was posted at the desk. At 9am on the dot, someone came to the desk to round up Silver Moon patrons.

[slo cro]

would anyone recommend silver moon for young adults(26 and 29)? Or is it more popular with an older crowd?

[Lsimon]

would anyone recommend silver moon for young adults(26 and 29)? Or is it more popular with an older crowd?

 

Any age would be fine. I know people your age on one cruise who did it and enjoyed it quite a bit. Aside from the snorkeling the day is very relaxing and laid back, but enjoyable for all.

[lives2travel]

We recently went on the 12-person Silver Moon cat, on June 10th, with Captain Elvis (who looked and sounded a little like Morgan Freeman). It was an outstanding day, truly one of the highlights of our trip! ( I have to say 'one of' because we also did river tubing with Antours on Dominica and swimming with stingrays on Antigua-awesome!). The Silver Moon is a gorgeous well-kept catamaran with a friendly, attentive 2-person crew. Thank you to those CC members who commented that it was worth the extra money to take the 12-person cat! There was so much room onboard that we felt like we were on a friend's boat for the day. The lunch was delicious and plentiful. The drinks were tasty and also plentiful...they even blended virgin pina coladas for our kids. The service was top-notch.

 

Someone asked what age it's appropriate for. It's for anyone who likes to sail, snorkel, swim or just enjoy the beautiful coastline & waters of Barbados! Snorkeling with huge sea turtles was a big thrill for us. We've swam with turtles in Hawaii, but one of the turtles we saw that day, in Barbados, was much bigger! I'll try to figure out how to post some pics.

 

Cppwiz mentioned having trouble faxing. I went to Kinko's and didn't run into any problem. It was the only excursion that required me to fax, but I found it a minor inconvenience. As for finding the Silver Moon agent at the pier, we didn't have any trouble there either. They made it clear to look for "Ocean Adventures" at Gate 2. That's where we found them. Sorry cppwiz...I totally agree with you on being careful about not getting sunburned, though. My DH got a burn, too. I would recommend wearing a shirt when you snorkel. My kids and I did not get burned, as we all had on shirts or rash guards.

 

If you're considering this excursion, but feel like it's a lot of money (which it is), I can tell you that we would do it again, in a heartbeat! It was just that great! :p

[grammy c]

Lives2Travel--Could you tell me about the snorkel gear they provided? We're booked for 11/26 and most always bring our own snorkel and mask, but use the operators fins, assuming they provide them. Last yr. did the Tiama trip and there were NO fins allowed or offered. I understand about that at the turtle sight, but at the other sights I NEED fins. Also, were there two snorkel sights or just the wreck? I seem to be getting confused as to what they actually do. Fourth time on cats in Barbados, first time on Silver Moon and can't wait! And YES, those turtles are spectacular ! Thanks, Diane

[jtmalt]

Lives2Travel--Could you tell me about the snorkel gear they provided? We're booked for 11/26 and most always bring our own snorkel and mask, but use the operators fins, assuming they provide them. Last yr. did the Tiama trip and there were NO fins allowed or offered. I understand about that at the turtle sight, but at the other sights I NEED fins. Also, were there two snorkel sights or just the wreck? I seem to be getting confused as to what they actually do. Fourth time on cats in Barbados, first time on Silver Moon and can't wait! And YES, those turtles are spectacular ! Thanks, Diane

 

Diane, the first site is the turtles...no fins allowed.

2nd site & 3rd site are actually one stop...fins are distributed, and you first swim over the shipwreck, then continue just a bit further on to the reef. Then you return to the ship, swimming back over the shipwreck on your way.

[lives2travel]

Hi Diane,

 

We brought our own masks & snorkels. I would recommend bringing your own. I don't think their snorkels had purge valves. I don't like to snorkel with a plain open snorkel. I also finally invested in a prescription mask. It was so worth it! We used their fins at the second stop. They were fine. You'll have a wonderful time!

 

Here are some of our turtle pics from this trip.

 

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Have a great time! Wish I was there...

 

Debbie

[jtmalt]

Hi Diane,

 

We brought our own masks & snorkels. I would recommend bringing your own. I don't think their snorkels had purge valves. I don't like to snorkel with a plain open snorkel. I also finally invested in a prescription mask. It was so worth it! We used their fins at the second stop. They were fine. You'll have a wonderful time!

 

Here are some of our turtle pics from this trip.

Debbie

 

Wow, fabulous pics! I've yet to get mine to come out anywhere near that nice! Those are as nice as LSimon's!

[lives2travel]

Thanks, jtmalt! I didn't use anything fancy. I just used a Canon ELPH in an underwater bag (by Digipac). Also, I used the "instant fix" feature, which as LSimon points out, filters out the blue murkiness you normally get in an underwater shot.

 

I posted a few stingray pics on the Antigua forum (Memorable Antigua Pics), if you're interested. It was awesome swimming with the rays! It was my first time. I highly recommend it, if you haven't tried it already.

 

 

Debbie

[grammy c]

lives2travel--Thanks for the info. and the GREAT pics. We took some last yr. that were ALMOST that good, but timing is everything with moving creatures. We each have the olimpus 770 underwater camera and just love it. Our third trip with it and it is a great travel camera. Will check out your stingray pics. too. Always love to see other water pics. Also, ditto on that tip about the instant fix to get the murk out. Now if I could just get one of those turtles to say CHEESE :D Maybe this yr. with only 12 onboard there won't be as many obstacles to avoid. The Tiami last yr. had the MAX. that day. Probably 30/35. Also, could you tell me about drinks they serve, in particular beer? I've not heard anyone say they did, but I don't DO rum, so will have to take whatever, I guess! Thanks Diane