Which company to book with for swim with turtles?

[mag0737]

Sorry, another question about swimming with the turtles. Does anyone know of a reliable company to book directly with (instead of using the cruise excursion -which are now booked anyway)? If you haven't used them directly, have you heard of any good companies to book with? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Cruising Lions]

We just used the Silver Moon and it was great
http://oceanadventures.bb/Guest%20comments.htm

[DrmnOfMaui]

I have not been yet, but I booked the lunch cruise on Shasa.... will report back in about a month!:)

[cruiserfromohio]

I have taken and just booked another excursion with these folks. This is a very nice excursion -- typically 12 - 15 people. There are three stops. One, to swim with the turtles, one at a sunken barge (a ship wreck) and one by a beach for lunch and a some beach time, if you want that or you can swim and snorkel from the boat. All this combined with a sail up and back the sheltered West side of the island. Just a great time.

[cruisemenace]

I have not been yet, but I booked the lunch cruise on Shasa.... will report back in about a month!:)

Just returned from an awesome outing with Jason of Shasa. There were 5 of us, 6 with Jason. The small group is very nice and he times it so you are not snorkeling with the larger groups. It is very fun and he's a great guide. Swimming with the turtles is very fun. We even had a sting ray. Tess, his wife, meets you at port and transports you to and from the cruise terminal. She even washes your feet before the return trip:)
We did not do lunch so can't comment on that....but my suspect is it's good. Tess is a massage therapist, she just needs to figure out how to incorporate a massage with the snorkeling....

[DrmnOfMaui]

Just returned from an awesome outing with Jason of Shasa. There were 5 of us, 6 with Jason. The small group is very nice and he times it so you are not snorkeling with the larger groups. It is very fun and he's a great guide. Swimming with the turtles is very fun. We even had a sting ray. Tess, his wife, meets you at port and transports you to and from the cruise terminal. She even washes your feet before the return trip:)
We did not do lunch so can't comment on that....but my suspect is it's good. Tess is a massage therapist, she just needs to figure out how to incorporate a massage with the snorkeling....

Thanks for the comments!!! We leave in 14 days and I am SO excited. This is one excursion that we are really excited about... your comments have made us even more excited!

[momsbusy]

how much is the silvermoon trip, its not on their website.

[cruiserfromohio]

Their 4 -5 hour lunch cruise is $90 pp

[momsbusy]

Is it possible to swim with the turtles on our own or do we have to book a trip?

[cruiserfromohio]

Our experience is that the turtles have been conditioned to come to an off-shore location -- maybe 200 - 300 yards off-shore. As such, you really can't "swim with the turtles" on your own, but have to go with an excursion that goes to "where the turtles are." It is very much like swimming with the sting rays on Grand Cayman -- you can't swim there but need a boat to take you there.

[CruisingEasy]

Sorry, another question about swimming with the turtles. Does anyone know of a reliable company to book directly with (instead of using the cruise excursion -which are now booked anyway)? If you haven't used them directly, have you heard of any good companies to book with? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Somerset - I used to work there. I know it well.

[CaribbeanBound]

We booked with Glory Tours...

Bridgetown, Barbados
We really enjoyed Barbados. We prearranged for Glory Tour's "Best of Barbados Tour" (Option A) $94 per person (after web discount) plus tips which included lunch, entrance fees, and drinks. It was an all-day tour that ran from 9:00am to 4:00pm. All entrance fees were included. There were just six of us on this guided tour that took us all over the island. Our driver, Stephen, took us first to Harrision Cave where were enjoyed a guided tram tour underground. These caves are spectacular. Then on to Bathsheba on the East Coast for impressive views of the ocean and rock formations. We ate a delicious lunch of Flying Fish, rice and beans, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese casserole, and a coke. We then worked our way to the Wild Life Reserve where we saw an abundance of green-tailed monkeys, tortoises, iguanas, a python, peacocks, turkeys, and other critters I couldn't identify. Stephen then treated us to a Barbados Rum Punch at the bar there. On the West Coast, we took a glass bottom boat to two snorkeling destinations: first visiting a ship wreck, then a spot where we swam with sea turtles (West Coast). My computer background image is a picture of a turtle we took while snorkeling here. Recommended!

Here are more of our Secrets of the Caribbean!
http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html
These are our very detailed personal reviews, hints, and tips for ports of call that you will be visiting.

[Nanatravel]

Do you have a web address or email address for Glory Tours? I could not find one on CC.

[CruisingEasy]

http://www.glorytours.org/

It is not .com but .org

[rebeljohn]

We enjoyed our trip with Shasa Catamaran for the turtles. Capt. Jason O'Neal will make sure you have a GREAT cruise with him. As you can see, the turtles got VERY close............
It was the highlight our our 10 day cruise..........
http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/43573/2467786210041895530S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2467786210041895530iqvNBn)

[TinyToni]

I am assuming that they are all 4 - 5 hour tours,. Is that correct?

[CruisingEasy]

Sorry, another question about swimming with the turtles. Does anyone know of a reliable company to book directly with (instead of using the cruise excursion -which are now booked anyway)? If you haven't used them directly, have you heard of any good companies to book with? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

El Tigre Cruises

[dznymom]

Another vote for Shasa Catamaran. It was absolutely the highlight of our cruise. Jason & Tess made our day very special and I am completely comfortable recommending the Shasa. I wish I was there right now!

[Lsimon]

Silver Moon is the best.

You'll see the same turtles and snorkeling spot - but from there the trips differ a lot. Silver Moon is uncrowded boat, great food and drinks, friendly crew, and a wonderful time!

We have lots of photos on our web site:
Click here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Galaxy-S-Caribbean-Feb-2007/Barbados-and-the-Silver-Moon/2513949_w3W5w#132021862_vVQ7e)
or here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Constellation-3-23-07-10-Day/Barbados-and-the-Silver-Moon/2988197_FjtV5#161860333_fZctZ)
or here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Galaxy-March-2008-Caribbean/Barbados-and-Day-Sail-on-the/5625909_WgQJC#345666005_FsrTU)
or here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Constellation-March-2009-b2b/March-27th-2009-Sailing-All/7889882_ArRPb#511617093_idsKG)

[DrmnOfMaui]

Silver Moon is the best.

You'll see the same turtles and snorkeling spot - but from there the trips differ a lot. Silver Moon is uncrowded boat, great food and drinks, friendly crew, and a wonderful time!

We have lots of photos on our web site:
Click here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Galaxy-S-Caribbean-Feb-2007/Barbados-and-the-Silver-Moon/2513949_w3W5w#132021862_vVQ7e)
or here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Constellation-3-23-07-10-Day/Barbados-and-the-Silver-Moon/2988197_FjtV5#161860333_fZctZ)
or here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Galaxy-March-2008-Caribbean/Barbados-and-Day-Sail-on-the/5625909_WgQJC#345666005_FsrTU)
or here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Constellation-March-2009-b2b/March-27th-2009-Sailing-All/7889882_ArRPb#511617093_idsKG)

While I did the Shasa tour (and loved it!!) I have to say your photos are fantastic!!! Nicely done. What kind of underwater camera did you use? My husband purchased an Olympus for our trip and it died as we entered the water in Barbados. SO frustrating! Nice job lsimon! I felt like I was there!

[Lsimon]

While I did the Shasa tour (and loved it!!) I have to say your photos are fantastic!!! Nicely done. What kind of underwater camera did you use? My husband purchased an Olympus for our trip and it died as we entered the water in Barbados. SO frustrating! Nice job lsimon! I felt like I was there!


I've used three different cameras over the years - the older one a Minolta DiMage XT, the 2008 photos a Fuji f40, and the 2009 underwater photos were with a Canon SD870 - all with an underwater case designed for the camera and sold by the camera's manufacturer. These are a little pricey but work great. I've heard other people's stories about problems with the supposedly waterproof cameras too - so I'm very leery of them. I have more info and tips on my web page on underwater photos - see the link in my signature below or click here: http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/gallery/2211051#162491389_BCEyY

The secret is doing some very basic color correction with a program like Photoshop Elements or another basic photo editing program.

[DrmnOfMaui]

Sorry!!! I saw your writing on the smugmug site but have to admit I just didn't read it. Maybe it's the glass of wine I had earlier combined with my tired eyes. I've have read about the cases, and I think you did it right. My husband had used our camera a couple of times in different swimming pools, but when it hit salt water it was toast. Very frustrating. It took gorgeous pics on land. I'm embarrassed to say that some of his point and shoot shots were far better than my DSLR shots! But it didn't hold up when we needed it. I think we will go your route next time. Nice shots! Our cruise was a couple of months ago, and I think I've got the blues again after looking at your shots!! Thanks for sharing.

Kim

[CruisingEasy]

Silver Moon is the best.

You'll see the same turtles and snorkeling spot - but from there the trips differ a lot. Silver Moon is uncrowded boat, great food and drinks, friendly crew, and a wonderful time!

We have lots of photos on our web site:
Click here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Galaxy-S-Caribbean-Feb-2007/Barbados-and-the-Silver-Moon/2513949_w3W5w#132021862_vVQ7e)
or here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Constellation-3-23-07-10-Day/Barbados-and-the-Silver-Moon/2988197_FjtV5#161860333_fZctZ)
or here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Galaxy-March-2008-Caribbean/Barbados-and-Day-Sail-on-the/5625909_WgQJC#345666005_FsrTU)
or here (http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Constellation-March-2009-b2b/March-27th-2009-Sailing-All/7889882_ArRPb#511617093_idsKG)

I am sure Silver Moon is great but it just does not offer a 3 hour tour which we need.

[Princess T]

We booked a snorkle and sea turtle tour with Shasa Catamaran in September and they were truly the best! We do not like excursions that you feel like you are traveling as a herd of cattle, we opt for a smaller, intimate type of excursion. Jason and Tess are a husband and wife team and they will go above and beyond to ensure all your needs are met. The catamaran only holds 12 people which is perfect. We were picked up by Tess promptly at the pier and transported to the catamaran, where Jason was waiting for us. We boarded and were served unlimited rum punch, water, beer or soda. Jason sailed to the first site which was a shipwreck and he actually gets in the water and points out sea life and feeds the fish so you get an up close view of everything. Then after about 40 minutes we sailed to swim with the sea turtles. That was the greatest experience. Jason brings small fish to attract the sea turtles and also shows you interesting other sea life:(blow fish, sting rays, etc.) while snorkling with the turtles. This excursion was the highlight of our cruise and it was due to Jason and Tess. They are lovely people and the price is very inexpensive $40/pp for a 3 hour trip. Once you return back to shore Tess is waiting to take you back to the ship or drop you off at another location if you wish. You can't go wrong with Shasa Catamaran, we can't wait to go back and see them again!:)

[Vehorn]

We just returned from Barbados and had a fantastic trip on the Calabaza. We had been on other catamarans and all were good. What made the Cabaza special is that is takes no more than 12 people and you get fantastic hospitality from Gina and her son and mate Gregory, who actually calls the turtles by their first name. Lunch come with dinner ware and glasses - not paper plates. You also have banana bread and rum punch on your arrival, and a short while later home-made appetizers. And then after a snorkle and swim trip, you have one of the best prepared lunches you could get on the island. We had white marlin and chicken kabobs along with other specialties. Warning: don't eat much before boarding. Before discovering Calabaza on tripadvisor we were going to take the same Cat we used before. It was great, but this time when we saw it there were more than 30 people on it, which made for a lot of people spashing and trying to get to the turtles. they scare easily, too. One Cat had so many people on it that it left a young lady at the turtle stop. Gina, our Cat owner, picked up the lady, gave her a rum punch and took her to the Cat she missed. We visit Babados regularly and the Calabaza is the best trip we have had. The cost is $100 per person, and you will get a quick response to any questions. Oh, yes. When we returned a few days ago Gina emailed me many of her personal recipes as she had promised to do. You will love meeting and talking to her, and being entertained by
Gregory. sailcalabaza@gmail.com

[stanford's girl]

We booked a snorkle and sea turtle tour with Shasa Catamaran in September and they were truly the best! We do not like excursions that you feel like you are traveling as a herd of cattle, we opt for a smaller, intimate type of excursion. Jason and Tess are a husband and wife team and they will go above and beyond to ensure all your needs are met. The catamaran only holds 12 people which is perfect. We were picked up by Tess promptly at the pier and transported to the catamaran, where Jason was waiting for us. We boarded and were served unlimited rum punch, water, beer or soda. Jason sailed to the first site which was a shipwreck and he actually gets in the water and points out sea life and feeds the fish so you get an up close view of everything. Then after about 40 minutes we sailed to swim with the sea turtles. That was the greatest experience. Jason brings small fish to attract the sea turtles and also shows you interesting other sea life:(blow fish, sting rays, etc.) while snorkling with the turtles. This excursion was the highlight of our cruise and it was due to Jason and Tess. They are lovely people and the price is very inexpensive $40/pp for a 3 hour trip. Once you return back to shore Tess is waiting to take you back to the ship or drop you off at another location if you wish. You can't go wrong with Shasa Catamaran, we can't wait to go back and see them again!:)
How long ago did you book this 3 hour excursion to get the $40 pp? I am interested in this but I just checked their website and the price for the same excursion is now $60 pp. :(

[Vehorn]

I have been on several of the catamaran trips to swim with the turtles and have found that http://www.calabazasailingcruises.com/ is the best. Others think so, too. check out tripadviser.com, attractions barbados. I will say all the cat trips I have been on were enjoyable, but you will get a more personal, less-crowded experience on Calabaza. Plus, you can't beat Gina's lunch, appetizers, and banana bread.

[torontomale26]

Has anyone tried Heatwave cruises? it looks pretty good and includes free admission to the Boatyard after the cruise.

http://www.heatwavesailingcruises.com/buffetlunchcruise.html

[torontomale26]

Can anyone tell me what food they serve on the cruises for lunch?

thank you

[Lsimon]

Can anyone tell me what food they serve on the cruises for lunch?

thank you

On Silver Moon they serve one fish dish (flying fish or Mahi) at least one other non-fish entree, a couple types of salads and a side dish or two. Banana bread for dessert.
http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Galaxy-March-2008-Caribbean/Barbados-and-Day-Sail-on-the/5625909_WgQJC#345665952_kduKD

Food is very good.

[pjwtrouble]

Hi everyone. Been reading lots of threads trying to figure out what to do while in Barbados for the day. We have been there 2 other times and did the whole turtle cat trip with El Tigre tours. We had a great experience but since we have seen the same thing twice now we are wondering if any of the tours that all you people have done go to someplace other then the barge. We would love to see the turtles again but would really prefer to see something other then the barge.

Thanks for all your help,

Kevin and Pam

[Lsimon]

Hi everyone. Been reading lots of threads trying to figure out what to do while in Barbados for the day. We have been there 2 other times and did the whole turtle cat trip with El Tigre tours. We had a great experience but since we have seen the same thing twice now we are wondering if any of the tours that all you people have done go to someplace other then the barge. We would love to see the turtles again but would really prefer to see something other then the barge.

Thanks for all your help,

Kevin and Pam

By barge do you mean the sunken ship not far from the turtles, same stop as for a nearby reef? As far as I know every snorkel/turtle excursion stops at the same places for snorkeling and turtles.

Silver moon does that stop then sails to a nice place to anchor off shore for a couple hours for swimming, lounging and lunch.

[CruisingEasy]

Hi everyone. Been reading lots of threads trying to figure out what to do while in Barbados for the day. We have been there 2 other times and did the whole turtle cat trip with El Tigre tours. We had a great experience but since we have seen the same thing twice now we are wondering if any of the tours that all you people have done go to someplace other then the barge. We would love to see the turtles again but would really prefer to see something other then the barge.

Thanks for all your help,

Kevin and Pam

Hike Barbados is a an amazing tour. He can also privatize your tour to do other things besides the caves and caverns.

[torontomale26]

Trying to decide wether to do the turtle excursion, but my wife is concerned about getting sea sick, is it easy to get sick on these catamarans if you are prone to sea sickness?

Thank you to all that reply

[CruisingEasy]

There is no one who gets more sea sick than me.

Tell her to take a Transderm Scop Patch and she will be fine. I always like to add a Valium with it but she does not have to do that.

You could very well get sick on the Catamaran just as you could on any other marine vessel.

Taking medicine is the best defense. If one gets sick after taking what I take maybe it is better they do not travel.

[rockost]

We just returned from Barbados and went with Shasa. Great tour! Jason and his wife Tess are wonderful. There were three ships in port that day and Jason took us to a spot to snorkel with the Turtles that the others don't go to. We were the only ones there and had them all to ourselves. I am diver and was surprised to see the largest sting ray I have ever seen swim on by. Jason also commented it was the biggest he had ever seen as well. He suggested we go to a reef instead of the wreck since it would be packed with three ships in port and I am glad he did. Again, the only boat in the area. The boat is smaller than the other tours, but that allows Jason to give you a more personalized tour. I can't say enough about the great experience we had.

[vb,cruisers]

We just got off the Silver Moon, and it is the ABSOLUTE BEST Catamaran tour in the Caribbean. Carol

[miss meow]

DrmnOfMaui - - we have bought an Olympus waterproof camera that is good up to 33 ft underwater ourselves....and I've been reading about people having issues when they take them underwater (which we haven't had a chance to do yet - but will be on our cruise next year)...did yours leak? If so, could you tell where/how? I'm thinking of buying a silicone skin for it to see if that helps at all....just as extra "security". Was it ruined?
BTW...we're considering the Shasa tour as well - and sounds like they are a good company to go with - we'll be cruising next April.

[Lsimon]

Trying to decide wether to do the turtle excursion, but my wife is concerned about getting sea sick, is it easy to get sick on these catamarans if you are prone to sea sickness?

Thank you to all that reply

These small boats do rock around quite a bit. They do travel under sail power which compounds the rockiness. I've never seen anyone get sick on the Silver Moon but we were on a catamaran trip in Maui on a similar boat where someone with a history of sea sickness had real bad problems. No offense, but I think you would be wise to save both your wife and your fellow passengers some major problems and take a pass on this if she is "prone to sea sickness".

...Tell her to take a Transderm Scop Patch and she will be fine. I always like to add a Valium with it but she does not have to do that....

...Taking medicine is the best defense. If one gets sick after taking what I take maybe it is better they do not travel.

I have a friend who was prone to sea sickness and tried a transderm patch on a cruise a few years ago. Not only did it not help but the ship's doctor told him that the medicine in the patch was making him sick too. They pulled the patch, gave him a shot and told him to take a mild non-drowsy type of over-the-counter sea sickness medicine for the rest of the cruise. He was fine after he recovered from the transderm and the sedatives in the shot. Moral of the story is that "medicine is the best defense" is not a solution for everyone. We find that when we are feeling the effects of rough seas (which we seldom do any longer) that just taking some ginger pills cures the problem.

[CruisingEasy]

These small boats do rock around quite a bit. They do travel under sail power which compounds the rockiness. I've never seen anyone get sick on the Silver Moon but we were on a catamaran trip in Maui on a similar boat where someone with a history of sea sickness had real bad problems. No offense, but I think you would be wise to save both your wife and your fellow passengers some major problems and take a pass on this if she is "prone to sea sickness".



I have a friend who was prone to sea sickness and tried a transderm patch on a cruise a few years ago. Not only did it not help but the ship's doctor told him that the medicine in the patch was making him sick too. They pulled the patch, gave him a shot and told him to take a mild non-drowsy type of over-the-counter sea sickness medicine for the rest of the cruise. He was fine after he recovered from the transderm and the sedatives in the shot. Moral of the story is that "medicine is the best defense" is not a solution for everyone. We find that when we are feeling the effects of rough seas (which we seldom do any longer) that just taking some ginger pills cures the problem.

Dr Simon. The Valium that I mentioned offsets the chemicals in the patch that make you sick. You need both together. He is the only person I have ever heard of getting sick from the patch.

[rebeljohn]

He is the only person I have ever heard of getting sick from the patch.

I tried the patch once, and had to take it off after a few days. I actually felt worse WITH the patch. I had just about every side effect you could have. Dry mouth, dizziness, blurred vision, dilated pupils, etc. Ginger and Bonine ended up working best for me..........

[CruisingEasy]

I tried the patch once, and had to take it off after a few days. I actually felt worse WITH the patch. I had just about every side effect you could have. Dry mouth, dizziness, blurred vision, dilated pupils, etc. Ginger and Bonine ended up working best for me..........

You were not aware that you might get blurred vision from the patch.......it says it is one of the side affects on the packaging. I believe the other symptoms you had are also listed as side effects.

[rebeljohn]

You were not aware that you might get blurred vision from the patch.......it says it is one of the side affects on the packaging. I believe the other symptoms you had are also listed as side effects.

I was aware of the side effects............I was hoping that I would not have ALL of them.....................

[rickcop44]

Does Shasa have a website that someone could post here?

[rebeljohn]

Does Shasa have a website that someone could post here?

http://www.shasacatamarancruises.com/


Have fun..................we certainly did...............