Golden Eagle Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

[Gonzo13]

Has anyone taken this tour & would you recommed it?

[Nanner]

If this is the sail to Tintamar...GO!!! The catamaran is wonderful, with plenty of room for either sun or shade while in transit. They provide nonalcoholic drinks and a sandwich on the way over. Scenery is marvelous.

 

Tintamar is a slice of paradise. Uninhabited island preserve, pristine beach with great sand, and water that is clear and reflects a gorgeous color. We didn't snorkel, but heard it was good. Even the nonswimmers saw a sea turtle when taking the dingy back after our shore time. It was the favorite beach of our trip, though there were others we loved as well (Jalousie in St. Lucia comes to mind). Since there is no way to get there except by boat, it was uncrowded, with perhaps a total of 40 people on the day we went.

 

A few things you should know: There are NO facilities on the beach. There's a head on the catamaran, so go there. The tour provides a cooler with liquids while you are on the island. There is NO shade, so be sure to bring and use sunscreen. This is not a beach with a long, slow drop off. You go about 5 feet from shore and the bottom drops very quickly. Also, it is on the French side and clothing is optional. We did see some nudity, but at least it was younger folks who didn't look half bad :)

 

On the way back to St. Maarten you are provided with the alcoholic beverages (good rum punch). On our trip, we had a great view of a rather large wildfire on St. M.

 

The "mud baths" are discouraged, as the crew said that they now allow overnight camping on Tintamar and some folks are relieving themselves in the mud. There was a group at the beach with us who had taken advantage of the mud and seemed to be having a great time, but none of us decided to chance it.

 

One other thing endeared the captain to me. The woman on the crew, who was preparing our snacks, almost let a plastic bag fly off the ship. He grabbed it and reminded her to be careful, as the sea turtles wouldn't appreciate having one stuck over their head.

 

I would recommend this excursion to anyone, assuming you aren't offended by nudity.

[Gonzo13]

Thank you Nanner. I think we will give it a try.

[rob51]

Nanner, I had signed up for this excursion on Carnival's website and wasn't quite certain if I was going to do it or cancel....with your glowing description of it, I will definitely go on this excursion. Afterwards will visit Mullet and Maho....can't wait.

 

Thanks for helping me with my decision.

 

Rob

[beerrun]

We have done the Golden Eagle several times and it is our favorite excursion in the Caribbean! Great crew, catamaran is modern and clean, and the rum punch doesn't hurt either. The crowd is always a bit quiet on the way to the island, but loosens up as the booze starts kicking in. Make sure you secure a spot up front on the nets. Enjoy!