Cosol Tour in St. Lucia

[BroncosFan2010]

I appreciate all reports of all tours, good and bad.

 

But I also agree that people need to do ALL their research before they sail. If there are 5 or 6 ships in port, of course the operators are going to be overwhelmed and of course the sites are going to be crowded (looking at the port calendar, the most listed were 4 ships on 3/4). I don't really see how that is the fault of any tour operator. Of course, they could stop accepting bookings, couldn't they?

 

It clearly states at the top of the POC boards that reviews are to be posted ONLY at someone's request. I have no idea why. I believe it is to prevent tour operators from posting fake, glowing reviews about their own tour companies.

 

I'm booked with Cosol in May. I've done my research and we're the only ship in port that day. I'm going under the assumption that we'll have a MUCH better time than the people going on the ship excursions, and will see many more sights at a lower price.

 

I do appreciate objectivity in all reviews, whether they are about ships, ports, food, whatever.

 

And shouting in super-large fonts isn't necessary. We can all read. If you want a tour operator to know your views, write to them specifically. Expecting them to lurk on these boards is silly. Some do read here, but expecting them to come here to find out how you felt is not the way to go about things. Let them know how you felt and make suggestions on how they can improve their tours. An anonymous message board isn't the way to implement change.

 

I DID do my research before booking this tour. In fact, I researched this tour and the ships in ports to death before our cruise! Every single one of the sites I checked about the number of ships in port said that there was only 2 other ships, and they were all very small. I guess they got it wrong, or perhaps there was a weather problem and some ships had to change their schedules. Either way, I feel that people have a right to know about this tour and that it might have possibly changed from what previous posters expected.

 

I did contact Cosol, and did not get any response about my experience on his tour. The fact is, I booked this tour based on all the wonderful things I read about it on Cruise Critic. I know of several others who did the same. I feel that people have a right to know about current experiences on any tour, and these boards are the place to do just that.

[finucane]

I DID do my research before booking this tour. In fact, I researched this tour and the ships in ports to death before our cruise! Every single one of the sites I checked about the number of ships in port said that there was only 2 other ships, and they were all very small. I guess they got it wrong, or perhaps there was a weather problem and some ships had to change their schedules. Either way, I feel that people have a right to know about this tour and that it might have possibly changed from what previous posters expected.

 

I did contact Cosol, and did not get any response about my experience on his tour. The fact is, I booked this tour based on all the wonderful things I read about it on Cruise Critic. I know of several others who did the same. I feel that people have a right to know about current experiences on any tour, and these boards are the place to do just that.

 

"Ditto" and well said... And I didn't have to use caps so I'm not in trouble for that one, I speaking very softly! Hope the color red doesn't offend anyone!:cool:

Sounds like it is just a crap shoot on this excursion...

[sweetestpea]

Shouting... Yeah, try hearing loud SHOUTING to you 3 or MORE times while on the tour to give good reviews on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor. Now that's shouting. I've been on a lot of tours (cruise and land based) and I have never been told that! It's kinda like being rich, if you have to tell people... you know the saying! Your actions speak for themselves and louder than words! And, yeah... I feel if you can't handle the crowd, don't book the business! That is GOOD business practice! I would have much rathered to be turned away than the experience I had, no doubt!

 

Also, I talked to three groups that were on the tour and we (including us) were all under the assumption that we booked Cosol to be our driver. Nope, didn't happen for any of us. That too has never happened. I'm fortunate that I had amazing tours with Bernard in St. Martin and Gordon in Antigua! Highly recommend.

 

Hi Mokaheena, you were among the restless! What a day! I too felt SO bad for my family (I was the self appointed Julie McCoy), I really talked this tour up and in fact it was our worst tour of the cruise. Live and learn I guess but I feel your frustation because I love CC and want to trust reviews and when you are so sure about something and then it turns out to be anything but what you thought, not fun! This was my first time to St. Lucia and who knows when I'll get back. Oh well, I've learned that different people expect different things... I guess I expect too much, or at least what's advertised. Crazy concept! :confused:

 

Coppertop, from your photo, I think I sat across from you on the Bernard's tour.

[BroncosFan2010]

Shouting... Yeah, try hearing loud SHOUTING to you 3 or MORE times while on the tour to give good reviews on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor. Now that's shouting. I've been on a lot of tours (cruise and land based) and I have never been told that! It's kinda like being rich, if you have to tell people... you know the saying! Your actions speak for themselves and louder than words! And, yeah... I feel if you can't handle the crowd, don't book the business! That is GOOD business practice! I would have much rathered to be turned away than the experience I had, no doubt!

 

Also, I talked to three groups that were on the tour and we (including us) were all under the assumption that we booked Cosol to be our driver. Nope, didn't happen for any of us. That too has never happened. I'm fortunate that I had amazing tours with Bernard in St. Martin and Gordon in Antigua! Highly recommend.

 

Hi Mokaheena, you were among the restless! What a day! I too felt SO bad for my family (I was the self appointed Julie McCoy), I really talked this tour up and in fact it was our worst tour of the cruise. Live and learn I guess but I feel your frustation because I love CC and want to trust reviews and when you are so sure about something and then it turns out to be anything but what you thought, not fun! This was my first time to St. Lucia and who knows when I'll get back. Oh well, I've learned that different people expect different things... I guess I expect too much, or at least what's advertised. Crazy concept! :confused:

 

Coppertop, from your photo, I think I sat across from you on the Bernard's tour.

 

Ditto on the being shouted at to write a good review! How obnoxious! A tour should present itself in such a way that the people WANT to write a review. I agree, this was the worst part of the entire week. We had a wonderful time at Antigua doing Eli's Eco Tour. We even had a good time ont he RCCL booked excursions. I do want to return to St. Lucia. It was a beautiful island and I would love to visit a beach and kayak between the Pitons, but there is no way I would recommend this tour to anyone after experiencing it. Perhaps, at one time it was a good tour. Perhaps we would have had a different experience if there had been fewer ships in port, or less people were booked on this tour. However, I can only speak for what I experienced. Since I obviously cannot trust the websites that post the number of ships in port (and their names), it will never be fully possible to know how busy this island or tour may be. People have the freedom to choose whatever tour they wish. If they want to listen to our reviews, then great. If not, I hope they have a better time than we did.

 

I don't want to sound like a complainer. I had a wonderful cruise and was highly impressed with every other aspect of our week in the Caribbean. I just feel that people have a right to be warned. What you read on Cruise Critic might not be the most accurate, people prefer different things, and tours and tour operators change over time.

 

Happy cruising!

[cruisergal 1]

We too were recently on the Cosol Tour, one of 5 ships in for the day. My comments are similar to the others, I felt we were being hoarded from place to place. Our tour guide was a last minute replacement, when I had originally booked, our CC group about 6 months before, Cosol himself was to be our guide, but that did not happen. Our guide was quiet & rather shy, and we had to pry answers out of him. He did not get any interaction going within our group, so I did. (maybe I should've gotten a discount from Cosol):D Some of the places I could've gone without, as there were so many people crowded in the same area. Maybe all this was as a result of so many ships being in port on the same day. We had as many drinks as we wanted, throughout the day, and all sorts of stops to have munchies. I would've liked to stay at the beach longer, than 50 minutes. I think I would have to take his tour once more, to really make a call on it. only because previously he was given so many positive reviews.

[cruisingcoppertop]

You are too funny, Janice. As my luck would have it my cruise mates are already enlisting my "travel agent talents" for our next trip! I did have to plug my ears after hearing all the complaints about Cosol from my traveling companions though. I do have to say that the beauty of the island was diminished by the lack of organization of the tour which is indeed unfortunate. St. Lucia is such a breathtaking destination! I hope some of you have better luck with other companies. Enjoy this lush, clean tropical paradise, regardless who you tour with!!:D

[cruisingcoppertop]

Shouting... Yeah, try hearing loud SHOUTING to you 3 or MORE times while on the tour to give good reviews on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor. Now that's shouting. I've been on a lot of tours (cruise and land based) and I have never been told that! It's kinda like being rich, if you have to tell people... you know the saying! Your actions speak for themselves and louder than words! And, yeah... I feel if you can't handle the crowd, don't book the business! That is GOOD business practice! I would have much rathered to be turned away than the experience I had, no doubt!

 

Also, I talked to three groups that were on the tour and we (including us) were all under the assumption that we booked Cosol to be our driver. Nope, didn't happen for any of us. That too has never happened. I'm fortunate that I had amazing tours with Bernard in St. Martin and Gordon in Antigua! Highly recommend.

 

Hi Mokaheena, you were among the restless! What a day! I too felt SO bad for my family (I was the self appointed Julie McCoy), I really talked this tour up and in fact it was our worst tour of the cruise. Live and learn I guess but I feel your frustation because I love CC and want to trust reviews and when you are so sure about something and then it turns out to be anything but what you thought, not fun! This was my first time to St. Lucia and who knows when I'll get back. Oh well, I've learned that different people expect different things... I guess I expect too much, or at least what's advertised. Crazy concept! :confused:

 

Coppertop, from your photo, I think I sat across from you on the Bernard's tour.

 

 

Sweetestpea...Yes, that was me. I agree with your comment about Bernards in St.Martin. Maybe he should give Cosol lessons on tour booking because he does a super job keeping it fun and personal while still touring a moderately sized group.

Mookeena, I also researched in depth the ships in port that day and hundreds of postings regarding this tour and felt really mislead as well. The fact is, we all can't be wrong about how we felt. It was a poorly run excursion and he needs to rethink his booking process or his business is going to suffer and I would hate to see that happen to anyone. Oh, well.....lesson learned I suppose.:o

 

AMY

[OHCruisin]

You are too funny, Janice. As my luck would have it my cruise mates are already enlisting my "travel agent talents" for our next trip! I did have to plug my ears after hearing all the complaints about Cosol from my traveling companions though. I do have to say that the beauty of the island was diminished by the lack of organization of the tour which is indeed unfortunate. St. Lucia is such a breathtaking destination! I hope some of you have better luck with other companies. Enjoy this lush, clean tropical paradise, regardless who you tour with!!:D

 

LOL! Ashley was not doing well with her picks for excursions. Lucky for her, this was the only one I joined her on. However, she had picked out two others that her mother joined her on and was not thrilled with the picks:D In all fairness, we had all done our due diligence in researching Cosol and really thought we had made the right choice.

 

For those of you who had a terrific excursion with Cosol, I'm really glad you did. Just know that some of us legitimately did not. I'm not a complainer. I look at it as, hey, I'm not at work, I'm in the Caribbean. But after our experience, I could not in good concience recommend Cosol, at least to anyone I like:p

[ynp1]

I'll have to agree with some of you. After many positive reviews about Cosol Tours our party of 6 decided to book with them. We were on Serenade of the Seas on the Dec. 5 cruise. We got to St. Lucia and found a gentleman with a Cosol sign and he told us it would just be 5 minutes before we left. About 45 minutes later and what was about 150-200 people swarmed the vans. Really chaotic and way to many people. Our tour guide was not friendly at all and did not explain too much of the island or the places we visited. And forget about going to the bathroom along the way back except for the one stop at the craft stop. Several people had to go and he would not stop anywhere along the way, until one guy told the driver that he would go in the backseat if he didn't pull over. Also at the beach for the water taxi's forget about any safety precautions for overloading those boats, there were way too many people on each boat and no mention of were the life vests were located if they even had any on board. We all were really disappointed about this tour and would not recommend it unless you want to be rushed and tour with a huge amount of people.

[orangjulz]

We toured with Cosol (although not Cosol himself) last week and really enjoyed it. I would recommend skipping the waterfalls to spend more time at the gorgeous beach between the Pitons (Jalouise?) next time, which I didn't realize was an option. The only parts we didn't like are unavoidable...those windy roads! If anyone gets car sick in your group, I wouldn't recommend doing a driving tour on this island.

 

There were several ships in port, but we still felt well attended to and our driver did his best to keep us out of the crowds. The cooler wasn't in our van specifically but we were offered beverages several times and encouraged to "stock up" for the ride. One of my favorite parts was enjoying the local foods. From bananas to the breakfast snack buffet to the local cookies (mix shortbread and biscotti) and freshly baked bread and cheese...these are things I never would have found on my own.

 

Our driver, Baptiste drives a cab when not working for Cosol. Perhaps you could do a personalized private tour with him if you'd rather. 758-719-8370 or baptiste_770@hotmail.com

[mardon]

i agree with parknchow. we went with Cosol and enjoyed the tour. there were alot of ships in port that day and the only tie up was at the pier when we were being assigned vans. we had pascal as our driver and he made the tour fun. it was well worth the money.

[sweetestpea]

Hey Mokaheena, thanks for the friend add. I know what you mean about coming off as a complainer. I'm quite easy to please, really! I'm always a half full girl but...

 

To everyone who has had a positive experience with Cosol, I'm SO glad you did, I wish I could say the same. I don't know... if this is how your day went, could you honestly give a good review?

 

Had to tender (wasn't supposed to be), this caused havoc with everyone but when we finally did meet the tour, not the nicest welcome. I assume this was because of the stress level due to the fact that entirely too many people were booked for the tour. Sorry, not our fault! Our driver wasn't the best, I think he was hired for the day because of the amount of people booked that day, plus his van didn't have adequate AC and on the curvy roads, not a good combo! Plus, Cosol said he was going to be our driver when we made the reservation. No banana plantation stop & no beach stop. We saw the waterfall & botanical garden (?) but didn't realize it was the same stop because nobody told us this so we were thinking we were going to make another stop. I guess we missed the botanical garden area. A short stop was made at the volcano. Thank goodness it was short because really, I would have been happy with a drive-by photo op shot. Sad to say... The first stop of the day was the food stop and 200+ people swarming at food & drinks, so NOT fun! I wish I had photos!!! I think anything over 50 would be pushing it but over 200 was beyond words. And, the other stops... all photo op stops were swarmed with 10 Cosol vans plus other tour companies. Of course, I'm not faulting the other companies but just the Cosol bunch was WAY too many people. IMHO. And, I think the shouting of Cosol telling us to give good reviews (3 or more times) just pushed us over the edge... You can imagine our dissapointment when our day was one dissapoinment after another and turned out like this and at full price. Anyway, I hope when you go, there aren't too many ships and Cosol hasn't overbooked! Perhaps if that was the case, we might have had an entirely different experience. Who knows!

 

OK, I'm moving on...;)

[ellbon]

I was on his tour last April. We had a great time. I agree more time at hte beach would be nice. back hten we could drive there not anymore. we only had 3 vans that day-maybe 4. I enjoyed the waterfall but never got near it as I was waiting for the bathroom. ireally wanted to get into it. i wsih that stop was longer and skipped something else. I would use him again.

[KnightsofColumbus]

I'm glad people are standing up to COSOL. I had booked with him but after hearing that he isn't doing a good job I plan on canceling as well. Not to mention that he raised the price to $65 from $55 when all the prices of everything is going down not up. Some arogance on his part.

[NCTribeFan]

Well, if you folks didn't know there would be 5 ships there, then I bet Cosol didn't know it either!

 

If half the other folks were booked for other days, which of them do you think he should've abandoned at the pier, so y'all could've had him to yourselves?

 

I'm sorry it wasn't what you expected. It sounds like no one expected there to be that large of a crowd there that day.

 

From what I've read, there is one main road that circles the island. I'm not sure what anyone could've done to get you to where you expected to go if the roads were packed with all those tour groups.

 

Again, sorry it didn't live up to your expectations. Thanks for sharing your experiences. But I have to think that that one day was an exception, rather than the norm. So we shouldn't now expect that his tour will be awful and be a terrible let down just because of what happened that one particular day.

 

Thanks for warning us that it COULD happen. Still, it's the tour that offers what I most want to do. I'm not going to cancel and book with someone else just because there's a tiny possibility that things won't be perfect. That's a possibility no matter which tour is booked.

 

I emailed Cosol about something after I'd booked and received an immediate reply and with options for what we could do in the situation I described.

 

I get many "canned" responses when I book online. I don't expect a personally crafted response to a simple online booking. If/when I write with additional questions, I've always received personalize responses, including from Cosol.

 

Prices are going down? On what planet? On the actual cruises, maybe, but I think every excursion I've booked for this cruise, the prices are higher than they were in the past, according to the threads on these boards (except for Papa Bear in St Thomas).

 

Heaven forbid that the islanders cover their costs for hauling our butts around their idyllic islands. They should do it for free and just stand around with their hands out and hope for tips. :rolleyes:

[KnightsofColumbus]

Well, if you folks didn't know there would be 5 ships there, then I bet Cosol didn't know it either!

 

If half the other folks were booked for other days, which of them do you think he should've abandoned at the pier, so y'all could've had him to yourselves?

 

I'm sorry it wasn't what you expected. It sounds like no one expected there to be that large of a crowd there that day.

 

From what I've read, there is one main road that circles the island. I'm not sure what anyone could've done to get you to where you expected to go if the roads were packed with all those tour groups.

 

Again, sorry it didn't live up to your expectations. Thanks for sharing your experiences. But I have to think that that one day was an exception, rather than the norm. So we shouldn't now expect that his tour will be awful and be a terrible let down just because of what happened that one particular day.

 

Thanks for warning us that it COULD happen. Still, it's the tour that offers what I most want to do. I'm not going to cancel and book with someone else just because there's a tiny possibility that things won't be perfect. That's a possibility no matter which tour is booked.

 

I emailed Cosol about something after I'd booked and received an immediate reply and with options for what we could do in the situation I described.

 

I get many "canned" responses when I book online. I don't expect a personally crafted response to a simple online booking. If/when I write with additional questions, I've always received personalize responses, including from Cosol.

 

Prices are going down? On what planet? On the actual cruises, maybe, but I think every excursion I've booked for this cruise, the prices are higher than they were in the past, according to the threads on these boards (except for Papa Bear in St Thomas).

 

Heaven forbid that the islanders cover their costs for hauling our butts around their idyllic islands. They should do it for free and just stand around with their hands out and hope for tips. :rolleyes:

 

 

Spiderman's tour in St. Thomas went down to $23. Also gas and oil are going down, and everything is onsale all over the country. We are experiencing deflation therefore it should go down not go up. Who ever heard of prices going up during a recession.

[Ashley9880]

Well, if you folks didn't know there would be 5 ships there, then I bet Cosol didn't know it either!

 

If half the other folks were booked for other days, which of them do you think he should've abandoned at the pier, so y'all could've had him to yourselves?

 

I'm sorry it wasn't what you expected. It sounds like no one expected there to be that large of a crowd there that day.

 

 

 

NCTribeFan - I really don't think you're being fair. You have a very accusing tone to your post - as if the previous posters have done something wrong by posting their experiences. Your post also implies that somehow we were wrong for not enjoying the tour - for whatever reason that may have been.

 

The posters that have been posting (myself included) about Cosol's tour have all posted about DIFFERENT days on the tour. Maybe there were a lot of ships in port, maybe there weren't. The point is, we all felt that we needed to share with others about OUR experiences with Cosol. I read a lot about this tour before booking and it just didn't live up to the hype for me. That's my opinion and I felt it was important to share that with people. Does that mean we're all trying to stop people from booking with Cosol? No. I think everybody just wants people to be informed. I'd like to think most people are fair-minded and are going to evaluate the good and bad reviews.

 

Obviously you have chosen to continue with your tour with Cosol and that is certainly your right. I hope you have a better experience than several of the more recent posters. Again, this doesn't make our reviews wrong or suggest that 'we just didn't do our research.' It appears that Cosol's tours vary by driver and I hope you have a great tour and get a fantastic driver.

 

I can appreciate the fact that you got a personal email from Cosol about a request that you made to him. It is always nice to be acknowledged outside of the "canned responses." I hope this means that you will also receive personal service from him but I have my doubts and hope that you won't prematurely correlate the two.

 

I hope you will report back to us when you return from your trip to let us know how it was. In the meantime, I respectfully request that you refrain from 'accusing' the previous posters of anything until you can report back with your own experiences.

[sweetestpea]

Well, if you folks didn't know there would be 5 ships there, then I bet Cosol didn't know it either!

 

If half the other folks were booked for other days, which of them do you think he should've abandoned at the pier, so y'all could've had him to yourselves?

 

I'm sorry it wasn't what you expected. It sounds like no one expected there to be that large of a crowd there that day.

 

From what I've read, there is one main road that circles the island. I'm not sure what anyone could've done to get you to where you expected to go if the roads were packed with all those tour groups.

 

Again, sorry it didn't live up to your expectations. Thanks for sharing your experiences. But I have to think that that one day was an exception, rather than the norm. So we shouldn't now expect that his tour will be awful and be a terrible let down just because of what happened that one particular day.

 

Thanks for warning us that it COULD happen. Still, it's the tour that offers what I most want to do. I'm not going to cancel and book with someone else just because there's a tiny possibility that things won't be perfect. That's a possibility no matter which tour is booked.

 

I emailed Cosol about something after I'd booked and received an immediate reply and with options for what we could do in the situation I described.

 

I get many "canned" responses when I book online. I don't expect a personally crafted response to a simple online booking. If/when I write with additional questions, I've always received personalize responses, including from Cosol.

 

Prices are going down? On what planet? On the actual cruises, maybe, but I think every excursion I've booked for this cruise, the prices are higher than they were in the past, according to the threads on these boards (except for Papa Bear in St Thomas).

 

Heaven forbid that the islanders cover their costs for hauling our butts around their idyllic islands. They should do it for free and just stand around with their hands out and hope for tips. :rolleyes:

 

I guess I'm not over this! ;)

 

NCTribeFan, I respect your comment but I guess you would have had to personally experience what we did to fully understand our frustration with the whole experience. I'm sure you are right, Cosol probably didn't know until the last minute that other ships would be diverted causing them to show up all on the same day. Plus, our ship was tendered and that was an added problem to the mix. All understandable! People from our ship emailed Cosol when we found out that we were being tendered (since we were worried about the time issue), he had a few days notice. However, I don't think that makes it 'OK' to be less than welcoming. I felt like I was more of a bother than anything and so did many in our group. We were herded around unlike any other tour I've been on. It was crazy! My main problem/issue was how it was all organized. If Cosol knew in enough time to hire extra drivers, etc., he could have done things a little (or a lot) different. With 50 people, you can pull out a couple of card tables with food and I feel that would be appropriate. Pulling out two card tables for 200+ people, doesn't work. Truuust me! We all didn't need to 'meet' for breakfast. Split up the food and put some in each van along with a cooler and get on with it. Some people waited for over an hour until the tour even started and this was after the time delay of tendering. Get them off the boat, get them in a van, and get them on their way to see the island! It isn't rocket science. We could have been site seeing and not have missed the banana plantation and the beach (see if you like your tour without the beach stop) if it was handled differently. There is also no reason to travel in caravans. If there was some organized lecture or something at each stop, I could see that but they just drop us off and we take photos so why do 10+ vans need to stop everywhere at the same time. It doesn't make sense, it didn't make sense.

 

Like I said prior, I'm so happy for people who have had a positive experience with Cosol. I wish I had. I do believe our circumstances weren't normal but as popular as this tour is, I feel Cosol needs to reevaluate how it's organized, especially when there are over 50 people on the tour. The tour was not personal/private at all and if I'm going to be herded around and etc., I'd much rather it be on a ship tour where at least, there is some organization involved and a driver/guide adds something to my experience. I loved St. Lucia, it was my first time and I can't wait to go back but I really missed out on a great experience (along with my family) that I got on the other islands and obviously, that bothers me. I just wanted what was advertised, that's all. Nothing more. I would have been happy if that were the case. It didn't happen and I wasn't happy, that's all.

 

I hope you have a great tour.

[Ms. B]

Wow! I'm sorry to hear about your experience with Cosol. I must however let readers on this board know that I did a tour with Cosol on March 18th and it was EXCELLENT! It was by far, definately the best tour that we took during our 7 day cruise on Seranade. There were about 100 of us and the tours were very organized. I believe that Cosol had about 8 vans plus an additional mobile bar that followed us to our different locations. I really enjoyed the commentary along the way,. Cosol also made sure that there were ample stops for photographs. The food was very good. It allowed us to sample some of the traditional Island cooking.. Also, before doing the tour I was a little apprehensive about the water taxi as I have mobitlity problems. However, when Cosol realized that I have problems with my legs he personally made sure that I had enough help getting on and off of the water taxi. Cosol is very proud of his island and on our tour, he did a wonderful job. I am sure that Cosol, after reading some of these more current reviews,(and he does read the reviews) will implement some of the changes that have been suggested. I really, really, think that it is his aim to satisfy his clients.

 

I would suggest for those planning on doing Cosol's tour in the future, to research how many ships will be in port. Then ask Cosol how he will handle his tours when there are many ships in port. I'm sure that he will do whatever is requred to make your tour an enjoyable one. I am sorry about the negative experience that some of you had and my hope is that Cosol will use this as a learning experience so that his clients will not have negative experiences in the future.

 

I would DEFINATELY recommend Cosol. And if I am in St Lucia again I will take his tour again.

[newcruiser22]

I took the cosal tour on March 18th. It was well organized and a great tour! It is 6 hours and we visited all of the places on his website. My guide was yellowbird and he was great! He told me that they had 20 vans that day taking the tour. I really thought it was fun and well worth the money. the food was good and we made frequent drink stops. The most we ever saw at a time was 10 because they had split into two groups. The water taxi to the beach between the pitons was fun and the beach is so beautiful. This was the highlight of my week.

[BroncosFan2010]

I guess I'm not over this! ;)

 

NCTribeFan, I respect your comment but I guess you would have had to personally experience what we did to fully understand our frustration with the whole experience. I'm sure you are right, Cosol probably didn't know until the last minute that other ships would be diverted causing them to show up all on the same day. Plus, our ship was tendered and that was an added problem to the mix. All understandable! People from our ship emailed Cosol when we found out that we were being tendered (since we were worried about the time issue), he had a few days notice. However, I don't think that makes it 'OK' to be less than welcoming. I felt like I was more of a bother than anything and so did many in our group. We were herded around unlike any other tour I've been on. It was crazy! My main problem/issue was how it was all organized. If Cosol knew in enough time to hire extra drivers, etc., he could have done things a little (or a lot) different. With 50 people, you can pull out a couple of card tables with food and I feel that would be appropriate. Pulling out two card tables for 200+ people, doesn't work. Truuust me! We all didn't need to 'meet' for breakfast. Split up the food and put some in each van along with a cooler and get on with it. Some people waited for over an hour until the tour even started and this was after the time delay of tendering. Get them off the boat, get them in a van, and get them on their way to see the island! It isn't rocket science. We could have been site seeing and not have missed the banana plantation and the beach (see if you like your tour without the beach stop) if it was handled differently. There is also no reason to travel in caravans. If there was some organized lecture or something at each stop, I could see that but they just drop us off and we take photos so why do 10+ vans need to stop everywhere at the same time. It doesn't make sense, it didn't make sense.

 

Like I said prior, I'm so happy for people who have had a positive experience with Cosol. I wish I had. I do believe our circumstances weren't normal but as popular as this tour is, I feel Cosol needs to reevaluate how it's organized, especially when there are over 50 people on the tour. The tour was not personal/private at all and if I'm going to be herded around and etc., I'd much rather it be on a ship tour where at least, there is some organization involved and a driver/guide adds something to my experience. I loved St. Lucia, it was my first time and I can't wait to go back but I really missed out on a great experience (along with my family) that I got on the other islands and obviously, that bothers me. I just wanted what was advertised, that's all. Nothing more. I would have been happy if that were the case. It didn't happen and I wasn't happy, that's all.

 

I hope you have a great tour.

 

I feel the exact same way! I guess I too am having a hard time getting over the disappointment. My family, even my husband keeps talking about the cruise and the "highlights". Every time it gets brought up, the low point was Cosol, and, of course, I get the blame because I was the one who insisted on changing our zipline to the "cattle herding experience" as my dad likes to put it. Well, live and learn. I will be going back to St. Lucia, and I will be doing something else. I will probably never do another island/van tour ANYWHERE again, after this experience. It soured me to island tours. I think it is that fact that saddens me the most, because I am sure there are many great ones out there, but I will be very slow to trust another CC review when it involves being driven around by a van.

[Ashley9880]

I will probably never do another island/van tour ANYWHERE again, after this experience. It soured me to island tours. I think it is that fact that saddens me the most, because I am sure there are many great ones out there, but I will be very slow to trust another CC review when it involves being driven around by a van.

 

This is EXACTLY what my mom said! She said NEVER AGAIN to an island tour - and we've done quite a few island tours over the years. We had such an awful time that she has put her foot down.

[familytimeusa]

My husband and I were also on the March 18th tour. Not only did Cosol give an excellent tour, he made sure we got a tour worth our $65. It was only supposed to be a 5-6 hour tour and he spent about 7 hours. To us that was great. We saw so many wonderful sights on the island. We were fortunate to have Cosol as our driver, and yes he did have a full tour, but we never felt that is was disorganized. He does this 6 days a week. I think he has a great system in place. It definitely beat dealing with taxi drivers by the ship area hitting you up for tons of money to see half of what he showed us. The food & beverages were great, the beach stop was fine. Who really needs more than an hour of beach time on an island tour? You have 4 other islands to lay on the beach during the cruise.

We would highly recommend Cosol to anyone traveling to St. Lucia.

[KnightsofColumbus]

My husband and I were also on the March 18th tour. Not only did Cosol give an excellent tour, he made sure we got a tour worth our $65. It was only supposed to be a 5-6 hour tour and he spent about 7 hours. To us that was great. We saw so many wonderful sights on the island. We were fortunate to have Cosol as our driver, and yes he did have a full tour, but we never felt that is was disorganized. He does this 6 days a week. I think he has a great system in place. It definitely beat dealing with taxi drivers by the ship area hitting you up for tons of money to see half of what he showed us. The food & beverages were great, the beach stop was fine. Who really needs more than an hour of beach time on an island tour? You have 4 other islands to lay on the beach during the cruise.

We would highly recommend Cosol to anyone traveling to St. Lucia.

 

 

It sounds like if you get COSOl you are fine, but if you get anyone else you are screwed. How did you get COSOL, do you have to be the first one off the boat? It sounds like most people really don't like this tour. I'm registered right now, but I'm considering canceling after all the bad reviews it gets.

[Ashley9880]

It sounds like if you get COSOl you are fine, but if you get anyone else you are screwed. How did you get COSOL, do you have to be the first one off the boat? It sounds like most people really don't like this tour. I'm registered right now, but I'm considering canceling after all the bad reviews it gets.

 

 

I think from what I can gather - if you get Cosol, Yellowbird, or Baptiste, you're in luck. On the day I was on the tour, Cosol didn't even give a tour himself. He just moved from location to location to try to shuttle us all in and out as the vans arrived. We were not always traveling with the pack of vans (I think we were moving a bit slower) so we only were able to get drinks off of Cosol's van at the breakfast stop and the trash dump where you get in the water taxi to go to Jalousie. It seems that on some tours drinks were more readily available but people need to be prepared to stock up when you see the drink van. You may not see them again the rest of the day!