Tortola excursions

[tterryj50]

Has anybody done the Virgin Iland Sail Away excursion with Holland on Tortola? They say it includes snorkeling at the caves and beach tiime at a location called "The Bith(?)", not to be confused with The Baths VG. If so, how was it? What exactly did it entail? We were planning on a beach day until we read some posts questioning the water quality at Cane Garden Bay. Can anybody recommend some scenic beaches on Tortola with good swimming and chair/umberella renatls? All suggestions welcomed. We can't do The Baths due to wife's Rheumatoid Arthritis. Thanks.-Terry

[fgtex]

Vacationed on Tortola for a week a few years back and visited several beach areas. To me the the best of the bunch was Smugglers Cove. Abosolutely beautiful and virtually deserted when we were there.

Back then there was only one concession area that had gotten pretty wasted during a hurricaine - instead of re-building and re-opening the owner just turned it into a self-serve "honor system" concession.

There were rental chairs & umbrellas, plus a fridge with beer and soft drinks and a cigar box on what used to be the bar for you to drop your money into. No Joke ! The owner just dropped by a couple of times a day to refill the beer box and empty the cigar box ! It may be more civilized now but still a great beach with fair snorkeling. It was a bit tricky to get to back then over some unpaved stretchs of road but no real problem.

Smugglers Cove is located on the NW side of the island - heres some info on it :

http://www.bareboatsbvi.com/smugglers_cove.html

[Marcylynn]

We are going to be in Tortola on March 24th on the Westerdam and taking Patouche charters to Willie T's and the caves. We did this last January and they were fabulous. The best excursion we have ever done. They work great with cruise passengers so you don't have to worry about not booking thru Holland.

[bluefish]

Marcy, we will be in Tortola on March 10th (Thursday) on the Westerdam and have been looking for an excursion to caves at Norman Island and Willie T. Can you give more details on your trip with Patouche? On their website, it says Thursdays they sail to the Baths on V. Gorda.

[HeatherInFlorida]

tterryj, we did the Sailaway excursion in November when we were on the Oosterdam. It was one of my all time favorite tours in the Caribbean. I did a full review of the tour awhile back. Here is the link: Cruise Critic Message Boards - OCruisers ... I didn't forget! (http://boards2.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=100853&highlight=Virgin+Islands+Sailaway)

I also had taken several pictures on that tour. You'll find them here: Webshots Community - heatherinflorida's Photo Home Page (http://community.webshots.com/user/heatherinflorida). Click on "Oosterdam Cruise" and go to page 4, 5, 6. Most of those pics are from that tour.

I highly recommend it!!! Have fun!

[clopaw]

Heather, I had read someone else's review that called this excursion the high point of their cruise. I have a question for you. My husband uses a guide dog. The dog is an excellent sailor. Would he be able to get on and off the sailboat without a problem? Last year we took a private tour on a sailboat in St Thomas. We had to take a zodiac out to where the boat was anchored, and the captain (bless him) lifted this 95 pound dog up onto deck and back down twice. The captain knew the situation ahead of time, and was kind enough to do this. I don't want to have to count on someone being willing to do that.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I have to say I'm not sure. I'm positive the dog could get on in some way, but I'm not sure they would let the dog on. The boat took only 30 people. When we went there was a woman who had to be carried on and off the boat and there was no problem with that. In fact they did it 2 or 3 times. Perhaps you should call the Shore Excursion desk and I'll bet they could help you with that. It is an awesome tour so I hope it will work out for you! Have a great cruise.

[MandyGirl]

If you book with Patouche in Tortola, I would say they would be MORE than accommodating for a guide dog on their catamaran. They have two adorable dogs: Bosco and Squirt. They didnt' go out with us on our day, but apparently they go out when they drag themselves out of bed. :) (Oh, the life of a dog). Email Patouche and I'm sure you will receive a positive reply - Joe and Julie are absolutely terrific. We went on Shamwari (Patouche's 48' catamaran) this past November and had a wonderful day. There is a pretty detailed thread about Patouche on the "Caribbean - Other" boards here on CruiseCritic titled "Patouche".

[MandyGirl]

Oh - at the Patouche dock in Tortola we just walked on. No problem. However, when stopping at the Baths and for snorkeling at another island, we jumped overboard and climbed a ladder to get back on. It was maybe 4-5 feet from water level to deck level going up the ladder (?).

[clopaw]

Heather and Mandy, thank you both for your answers. Heather, our experience has been that on excursions booked through the ship, the shore excursion staff always makes sure that we are expected. We have never had a problem, and generally the tour guides have been very welcoming. I just don't want to have to worry about lifting the dog. The dog has been on four cruises, and he has not been allowed off the ship in three places: Barbados, St Kitts, and Panama. On both Celebrity and HAL, some one from the staff has been kind enough to dog sit. The only trouble we have ever had in the Caribbean was in Aruba, where we were denied access to two places so we just got back on the ship.

Mandy, I will send them an email. We might choose to stay on the catamaran, and not get off. I unfortunately can't swim, so I won't go in water over my head. And we appear to have the only lab in the world who doesn't care for the water!

[MandyGirl]

:) You made me chuckle about your Lab and water! My grandmother lives on a lake and every time my brother brings his Lab when he comes to visit, he makes a beeline straight for the lake. He looks so funny when he makes that flying leap from land to water for a good belly flop. :D And of course my dog (not a lab) steers clear of water.

On our day with Patouche, one person always stayed on the catamaran for sure (crew). I want to believe there may have been a couple who stayed onboard at both stops as well - getting to enjoy the catamaran without the other guests. There is a covered area with bench seats to protect from the sun as well. Also, they do have a dinghy if you wanted to go ashore - and I'm sure Julie/Joe will know all those details since they have their two dogs (as far as dogs at the Baths).

[CDRMark]

Hope to visit Tortola this year. Thanks for the Info
Cheers
MarkB

[Islandbuoy]

Jan & I did this one & loved it--best part was tthe beach after the snorkeling!!!

[OCruisers]

We always enjoy our port stops in Tortola!

Just returned from a 14-Night on Veendam. This time we went back on the "Virgin Island Sailaway" and it was as good as we remembered! :)

Here's our review (posted on Ports of Call Board):

Virgin Island Sailaway (CLICK HERE) (boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=132229)

We LOVE this excursion! Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[boards]

How difficult is it to board the catamaran? We are not in the best of physical shape, pound wise, and was wondering if you can just walk on or do you have to climb. We do not snorkel and my wife doesn't swim, would it be worth the money just to go for the ride? I am referring to the "Virgin Island Sailaway" particularly.

[OCruisers]

boards .... This past trip there was an older couple who told us that it was their THIRD time taking the "Virgin Island Sailaway" in Tortola. They took it for the sail and also enjoyed the beach stop.

The only time they were NOT able to participate was at the 45-minute snorkel stop. (A ladder is used to get in and out there...not a problem for most.) Some other folks stayed on the catermaran there as well. Not really a bad thing to do because the scenery was beautiful.

The beach stop was NO PROBLEM for anyone because the catermaran pulls up to a dock and you just WALK off.

Hope this helps some! A more complete description of what to expect is in our REVIEW. (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=132229)

Happy Sailing! OCruisers

[Marcylynn]

Hey, sorry it took so long to get back to you. I would just e-mail them or call and talk to Julie. They do more than one trip a day and are super to work with. When we booked this time I got to request where to go because we booked so early. I do know that on the 24th when we are going they are doing one to The Baths and one to Willie T's. If you have any more questions let me know. They really are outstanding.