Pinel Island transportation.

I wouldn't worry too much about your personal security with two big guys during the daytime at tourist destinations.

 

My wife and I travel (daytime) without too much concern other than being very aware of our surroundings at all times. We have clocked over a thousand kilometers of car travel during some of our stays.

 

Guns are illegal on the island (though available) but I'd probably be more concerned about a guy with a machete. :)

 

I've posted photos of some of the watersports businesses on Orient offering a shuttle, not "water taxi" to Pinel in the past, but I haven't noteced that recently, and I usually walk the entire beach each visit.

 

The Jetski rental guys would surely offer to shuttle you back and forth for a price, but I don't have any idea what that would be.

 

gary

Thanks Gary!

In 2008, my daughter and 7 yr old grandson and I rented a car (reserved ahead) Don't remember the name, but I would call it "rent a wreck"......not a criticism at all, I want to do it again. We had to wait a bit for the car, it was right next to the dock....they warned us to leave the windows down and the door unlocked when we parked at the dock to take the little boat over to the island. It was on the far side of the island, but we found it easily. It was one of the best times on our cruise! Lounge chairs and umbrella's to rent, a little restaurant with good food, and their own tables if you don't want to bring it to your lounge chair. Calm water, nice sand, and we walked to the other side of the island and had waves to play in. If there are lot's of taxi's now, I might do it that way, but definitely want to go there again. We even had time on the way back, to stop at a discount liquor store in town. I live an hour from beaches in Costa Rica, and this beach is an A+

I second the vote for kayaks! We just did this last week and had an amazing time.

 

I prearranged a cab driver (I did a google search, but if you PM me I will give you his contact info)and we paid him when he returned to pick us up (his idea). Oz, the owner of Caribbean Paddling, even called the cab driver to make sure he was coming.

 

It was a simply wonderful day in paradise.

Hi, this is really useful information. I'm sorry but I can't see a way to PM here. I'm planning a trip for my parents who will be there next week and would really appreciate info on the driver's contact details as my parents would really like to visit the island. Thanks in advance for your help!

Here is the cabdriver's email...

dr.glen170@hotmail.com

He was great - and very reasonable. He wouldn't even let us pay him until the return trip (so we knew for sure he was coming back!)

any other updates with this beach...as in, how long of a cab ride to the ferry, and how much the cab is? Pinel suitable for 3 kids? Looks like nice reviews just wondering timing, etc..

Things have changed in 10 years. We went to Pinel island for the day, this past Saturday. The taxis group those going to Pinel with those going to orient beach @ $8pp. The ferry leaves @ 9:30am and every half hour after that. Return ferry is every hour after 1pm. Ask your cab driver to pick you up at a certain time & someone will be waiting there for you. It has become a popular location. Our ship left at 5pm so we asked the cabbie to pick us up at 3pm. We took the 3pm ferry back -it's less than 10 minute ferry ride. Got back to the ship in plenty of time. Ferry is $10pp round trip. We had a FABULOUS day in paradise. Hope you enjoy it as well! :)

Did you snorkel there? We are interested in snorkeling and don't know if Pinel Island is noted for that...

Thank you.

Did you snorkel there? We are interested in snorkeling and don't know if Pinel Island is noted for that...

Thank you.

Yes, there is snorkeling on Pinel Island. We thought it was decent. If you have your own gear, you could probably snorkel right from the beach. There is also a snorkel hut where snorkeling in that specific area is provided on your own or a guided tour where the gear is provided. I don't know what the exact charges would be for that since it was included in our private tour when in St. Maarten/St. Martin on our cruise in May 2013. We took the private tour for "peace of mind" to make sure that we'd have arranged transportation back to our ship.

Yes, there is snorkeling on Pinel Island. We thought it was decent. If you have your own gear, you could probably snorkel right from the beach. There is also a snorkel hut where snorkeling in that specific area is provided on your own or a guided tour where the gear is provided. I don't know what the exact charges would be for that since it was included in our private tour when in St. Maarten/St. Martin on our cruise in May 2013. We took the private tour for "peace of mind" to make sure that we'd have arranged transportation back to our ship.

Thank you for your information. You are right...it would provide peace of mind if one books a private tour.

If you don't mind, I have another question: what do you mean by the snorkeling was decent? Is it worth going to Pinel Island to go snorkeling? Thank you. la

Thank you for your information. You are right...it would provide peace of mind if one books a private tour.

 

If you don't mind, I have another question: what do you mean by the snorkeling was decent? Is it worth going to Pinel Island to go snorkeling? Thank you. la

I guess I should clarify decent a little better. The day before we arrived in St. Maarten/St. Martin, they had heavy rains. It was all day rain, not the typical "passing shower". We had beautiful weather the whole day we were in St. Maarten/St. Martin but because of the previous day's rains, the clarity in the water wasn't the best so visibility wasn't as good as it normally is and the gal who runs the snorkel hut let us know that in advance. The water was calm in the protected area that's between Pinel Island and Cul de Sac/Orient Bay. That area has some coral but mostly grasses. Once around the side of Pinel Island is where there are more rocks and a variety of corals and fish but that is where the current picked up (nothing we couldn't handle), the water was choppy and we were bobbing around a lot, making it difficult to stay in one spot to really get a good look and since we weren't seeing much do to the bobbing around and low visibility, we just headed back for some beach time. Normally, snorkeling is supposed to be very good especially around that other side. It is also roped off for protection for snorkelers. There are also areas right along the beach on both sides of the sand bar that are also calm and you can snorkel there as well. If you were interested in seeing the pictures I got while snorkeling in Pinel Island, I did a review of that trip and it's in my signature (Carnival Valor - Southern Caribbean - May 2013) and those pictures are on Page 16 of the review. Even though I took pictures from the area around the side of the island, none of those came out (water clarity/too much movement from currents and bobbing around), so I didn't include them. The pictures I have are from the calmer area that had some coral and mostly grasses but again, with the clarity wasn't the best. But I would definitely recommend the snorkeling there.

We only get the opportunity to snorkel while on cruises and I'd say from other areas we've snorkeled, Pinel Island was above average. It's much better than the Underwater Snorkeling trail in Trunk Bay, St. John (2010 cruise). We did a lot of snorkeling in Sapphire Beach in St. Thomas and really enjoyed it, but Pinel Island was probably better (better variety of fish and corals). Our favorite spot was in St. Lucia at Jalousie Beach (beach between the Pitons) and we were kind of spoiled by that. We did our snorkeling early, before a lot of the other groups started showing up and it was the most interesting we've seen with a lot of different kinds of fish and coral, very colorful coral. I have heard that the water clarity gets poor at Jalousie Beach later in the day when a lot of the larger tour groups arrive since the water gets stirred up but it was very clear when we snorkeled earlier. I hope this helps and if you decide to go to Pinel Island, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. It is very pretty there.

I guess I should clarify decent a little better. The day before we arrived in St. Maarten/St. Martin, they had heavy rains. It was all day rain, not the typical "passing shower". We had beautiful weather the whole day we were in St. Maarten/St. Martin but because of the previous day's rains, the clarity in the water wasn't the best so visibility wasn't as good as it normally is and the gal who runs the snorkel hut let us know that in advance. The water was calm in the protected area that's between Pinel Island and Cul de Sac/Orient Bay. That area has some coral but mostly grasses. Once around the side of Pinel Island is where there are more rocks and a variety of corals and fish but that is where the current picked up (nothing we couldn't handle), the water was choppy and we were bobbing around a lot, making it difficult to stay in one spot to really get a good look and since we weren't seeing much do to the bobbing around and low visibility, we just headed back for some beach time. Normally, snorkeling is supposed to be very good especially around that other side. It is also roped off for protection for snorkelers. There are also areas right along the beach on both sides of the sand bar that are also calm and you can snorkel there as well. If you were interested in seeing the pictures I got while snorkeling in Pinel Island, I did a review of that trip and it's in my signature (Carnival Valor - Southern Caribbean - May 2013) and those pictures are on Page 16 of the review. Even though I took pictures from the area around the side of the island, none of those came out (water clarity/too much movement from currents and bobbing around), so I didn't include them. The pictures I have are from the calmer area that had some coral and mostly grasses but again, with the clarity wasn't the best. But I would definitely recommend the snorkeling there.

 

We only get the opportunity to snorkel while on cruises and I'd say from other areas we've snorkeled, Pinel Island was above average. It's much better than the Underwater Snorkeling trail in Trunk Bay, St. John (2010 cruise). We did a lot of snorkeling in Sapphire Beach in St. Thomas and really enjoyed it, but Pinel Island was probably better (better variety of fish and corals). Our favorite spot was in St. Lucia at Jalousie Beach (beach between the Pitons) and we were kind of spoiled by that. We did our snorkeling early, before a lot of the other groups started showing up and it was the most interesting we've seen with a lot of different kinds of fish and coral, very colorful coral. I have heard that the water clarity gets poor at Jalousie Beach later in the day when a lot of the larger tour groups arrive since the water gets stirred up but it was very clear when we snorkeled earlier. I hope this helps and if you decide to go to Pinel Island, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. It is very pretty there.

Thank you so very much for the pictures and the information. I would go snorkeling at Pinal Island if I saw 1/2 of what you showed in the pictures. They are fantastic. So that is what we plan to do on the 11th of December when we are there.

Snorkeling is amazing. I never thought I could participate because I wear glasses now. Well I learned about RX. snorkel mask (mine were a bit expensive since I have astigmatism) but I went for it. The first time I snorkeled, I was hooked. The only problem is that hubby get sea sick real easy like he did when we were in Maui (on a cruise). We booked a snorkeling tour. About 10% of folks were vomiting and DH was the worst. I was a little green so I couldn't eat the lunch or drink at all and it was included. So now I try to avoid snorkeling from a boat. On that same cruise we took a catamaran. It was in a lagoon, and DH didn't have a bit of trouble with it at all.

We were going to take a boat snorkel tour in Nassau when we go on the Allure next week, but decided against it. Someone gave DH some pills to take but we still decided not to go.

Like you, snorkeling is something we can only do when cruising. We live in North Florida.

Now, I have even more questions because of your blog on CC. I loved your blog but never considered keeping notes and pictures on CC because I thought that after a while they would no longer be there. Also, no matter how many times I have tried, I have yet learned how to download a picture to a post. If you have time to explain this, I would be most grateful.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. la

Thank you so very much for the pictures and the information. I would go snorkeling at Pinal Island if I saw 1/2 of what you showed in the pictures. They are fantastic. So that is what we plan to do on the 11th of December when we are there.

 

Snorkeling is amazing. I never thought I could participate because I wear glasses now. Well I learned about RX. snorkel mask (mine were a bit expensive since I have astigmatism) but I went for it. The first time I snorkeled, I was hooked. The only problem is that hubby get sea sick real easy like he did when we were in Maui (on a cruise). We booked a snorkeling tour. About 10% of folks were vomiting and DH was the worst. I was a little green so I couldn't eat the lunch or drink at all and it was included. So now I try to avoid snorkeling from a boat. On that same cruise we took a catamaran. It was in a lagoon, and DH didn't have a bit of trouble with it at all.

 

We were going to take a boat snorkel tour in Nassau when we go on the Allure next week, but decided against it. Someone gave DH some pills to take but we still decided not to go.

 

Like you, snorkeling is something we can only do when cruising. We live in North Florida.

 

Now, I have even more questions because of your blog on CC. I loved your blog but never considered keeping notes and pictures on CC because I thought that after a while they would no longer be there. Also, no matter how many times I have tried, I have yet learned how to download a picture to a post. If you have time to explain this, I would be most grateful.

 

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. la

I'm sure you will have a wonderful time and Pinel Island is one of my favorite spots in St. Maarten/St. Martin. We were there on our honeymoon in 1992 on a cruise line sponsored snorkeling/beach break excursion and there was nothing there, not even a lounger, and we put our towels in the sand. They now have plenty of loungers, two restaurants (I believe), hiking trails to the top with great views all around and the thing we liked is that it was not crowded at all. My husband wanted to see something "new" this time but I talked him into it and he was so happy we went. There is a ferry ride (it's actually a regular boat) to get to Pinel Island but it's only a 10 minute ride, so I don't know if that would be long enough to bring on motion sickness or not.

The blog I have is a cruise review to share with others on CC since I've read & enjoyed so many reviews by others. I wanted to "pay it forward" because reviews have really helped us plan our past two cruises and have given us some wonderful ideas for things to see and do that we probably wouldn't have known about otherwise and hope that mine has helped others or at least given them some ideas. The reviews will stay in CC and most reviews are posted in the "Cruiseline" boards here in CC. I have noticed it's nice to have it so I can look back to it to either relive our cruise or to jog my memory if there is something I've forgotten. I still spend time reading reviews by others and really enjoy them.

To upload the pictures you'll need a "hosting site". Some use Shutterfly and I normally do, but for some reason I have been unable to get pictures to post from Shutterfly onto CC. I have been using Photobucket but use it specifically for pictures that I'll share here on CC. You'll get a limited amount of storage for free but once you reach that limit, there is a charge. It isn't too expensive. That's the only downside for me since Shutterfly does not charge to store photos, no matter how many you have. It may be our computer and may work for you since it does work for others. I'd try it before Photobucket since it is free. With Photobucket, uploaded into Photobucket, they can easily be uploaded to CC. When you bring an individual picture up, usually by clicking on it, you'll have options for sharing in a box that appears on the right side of your picture. It will say "Share Links" and there are four options in the box. They are: EMail & IM; Direct; HTML; and IMG. IMG is what you need and all you need to do is click in the box (it will have the URL) and once you click on that, the box will appear "yellow" and inside will say "copied" and then just copy into CC where you'd like to put your picture. The easiest way to do it is to have the CC window and the Photobucket window open on your computer and it will go much quicker.

For some great details and instructions for posting pictures, there is another CC section titled "Digital Photography & Cruise Technology" and in that board is a section titled "Photo and Camera Discussions". There was a thread started by another CC member asking how to post pictures, so there are several pages of responses and others new to posting pictures can "practice" or "test" post there. I'll attach the link directly to that thread for your convenience since there are some that included very easy and specific details. Here's that link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1714741

You don't have long at all to wait for your cruise. I hope you have a wonderful time and great weather. I'd love to go on the Allure or her sister ship, the Oasis, one of these days. A friend of mine was on Oasis earlier this year and he and his family loved it.

I'm sure you will have a wonderful time and Pinel Island is one of my favorite spots in St. Maarten/St. Martin. We were there on our honeymoon in 1992 on a cruise line sponsored snorkeling/beach break excursion and there was nothing there, not even a lounger, and we put our towels in the sand. They now have plenty of loungers, two restaurants (I believe), hiking trails to the top with great views all around and the thing we liked is that it was not crowded at all. My husband wanted to see something "new" this time but I talked him into it and he was so happy we went. There is a ferry ride (it's actually a regular boat) to get to Pinel Island but it's only a 10 minute ride, so I don't know if that would be long enough to bring on motion sickness or not.

 

The blog I have is a cruise review to share with others on CC since I've read & enjoyed so many reviews by others. I wanted to "pay it forward" because reviews have really helped us plan our past two cruises and have given us some wonderful ideas for things to see and do that we probably wouldn't have known about otherwise and hope that mine has helped others or at least given them some ideas. The reviews will stay in CC and most reviews are posted in the "Cruiseline" boards here in CC. I have noticed it's nice to have it so I can look back to it to either relive our cruise or to jog my memory if there is something I've forgotten. I still spend time reading reviews by others and really enjoy them.

 

To upload the pictures you'll need a "hosting site". Some use Shutterfly and I normally do, but for some reason I have been unable to get pictures to post from Shutterfly onto CC. I have been using Photobucket but use it specifically for pictures that I'll share here on CC. You'll get a limited amount of storage for free but once you reach that limit, there is a charge. It isn't too expensive. That's the only downside for me since Shutterfly does not charge to store photos, no matter how many you have. It may be our computer and may work for you since it does work for others. I'd try it before Photobucket since it is free. With Photobucket, uploaded into Photobucket, they can easily be uploaded to CC. When you bring an individual picture up, usually by clicking on it, you'll have options for sharing in a box that appears on the right side of your picture. It will say "Share Links" and there are four options in the box. They are: EMail & IM; Direct; HTML; and IMG. IMG is what you need and all you need to do is click in the box (it will have the URL) and once you click on that, the box will appear "yellow" and inside will say "copied" and then just copy into CC where you'd like to put your picture. The easiest way to do it is to have the CC window and the Photobucket window open on your computer and it will go much quicker.

 

For some great details and instructions for posting pictures, there is another CC section titled "Digital Photography & Cruise Technology" and in that board is a section titled "Photo and Camera Discussions". There was a thread started by another CC member asking how to post pictures, so there are several pages of responses and others new to posting pictures can "practice" or "test" post there. I'll attach the link directly to that thread for your convenience since there are some that included very easy and specific details. Here's that link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1714741

 

You don't have long at all to wait for your cruise. I hope you have a wonderful time and great weather. I'd love to go on the Allure or her sister ship, the Oasis, one of these days. A friend of mine was on Oasis earlier this year and he and his family loved it.

Thank you for the link on Digital Photograpy and Cruise Technology. I will spend some time on that when we return. Right now I have been busy with our upcoming trip. However, I am not sure about how I can post a review like you did on cruise critic. The ones I saw were like a format and you answered some questions but I didn't see a place to insert pictures.

Did you just start a new thread? How do you know that your notes and pictures will be kept by CC? I would hate to have them removed in 5 years.

I hope you understand my questions and once again, thanks for all the support you have offered.

la

Thank you for the link on Digital Photograpy and Cruise Technology. I will spend some time on that when we return. Right now I have been busy with our upcoming trip. However, I am not sure about how I can post a review like you did on cruise critic. The ones I saw were like a format and you answered some questions but I didn't see a place to insert pictures.

 

Did you just start a new thread? How do you know that your notes and pictures will be kept by CC? I would hate to have them removed in 5 years.

 

I hope you understand my questions and once again, thanks for all the support you have offered.

la

You're questions are good questions and I am understanding them. That's what I like about CC, there is usually help from other members and believe me, I needed plenty of it. :) I also had to ask for help in getting pictures posted and it took me a while to get the hang of it.

Yes, when I did my review I just started a new thread. Since we were on a Carnival cruise, I started the thread in the Carnival section of CC. There is a also a section for "reviews", but that's for basic reviews. The picture reviews that are like blogs or stories of vacations are usually posted in the specific cruise line boards (there is a section for each cruise line). I had the text part typed up in a Word document then cut and pasted into CC to make it easier. For inserting pictures, just add the link to them from Photobucket, or other hosting site, into CC where you want to place them within the text portion. When I wrote about a specific thing we did, like our day in Pinel Island, I added the pictures from Photobucket right below the text that talked about a specific thing. For an example, when I wrote about our snorkeling in Pinel Island, I'd have the specific paragraph describing what we saw then added the link to those specific pictures from Photobucket right below that paragraph. Each post will allow up to six pictures and the smiley faces count as pictures. I found that out when I had six photo pictures added but may have also used a "smiley face" and when I went to submit the post, I received the message that only six pictures were allowed per post. I'd either have to remove a picture and use it in my next post or delete the smiley face. I think there is also help on CC, when you first get in on how to post, add comments, answer multiple comments, etc. Before I attempted my first review (the one from our Valor cruise), I had read so many different reviews, so I was able to figure out how to do it. It is time consuming but it's also fun and a great way to relive your trip.

The reviews shouldn't be deleted by CC but if they are inactive, you may have to do a "search" for it after a while. I did my Valor review in September 2013 and it still pops up now and then when someone reading has a question or just leaves a comment. There are reviews from several years ago that will still pop up to the first few pages and I've also done searches on a few that I really enjoyed just to read them again, and they are still there.

If you have more questions or need more help when you go to write yours when you get back, just let me know (post here) and I can provide my home email to help you out in a more detailed way if you'd like. I don't mind. I hope you have a wonderful trip and enjoy it to the fullest. :)

Thanks for all the info pgh (coming from a Browns fan, lol)! I was so wrapped up in getting to Pinel and then the last month just let it drop figuring it was too much trouble and possibly not worth it. Gosh, now you have me plotting and planning again, I have less than 2 months to decide! :)

You're questions are good questions and I am understanding them. That's what I like about CC, there is usually help from other members and believe me, I needed plenty of it. :) I also had to ask for help in getting pictures posted and it took me a while to get the hang of it.

 

Yes, when I did my review I just started a new thread. Since we were on a Carnival cruise, I started the thread in the Carnival section of CC. There is a also a section for "reviews", but that's for basic reviews. The picture reviews that are like blogs or stories of vacations are usually posted in the specific cruise line boards (there is a section for each cruise line). I had the text part typed up in a Word document then cut and pasted into CC to make it easier. For inserting pictures, just add the link to them from Photobucket, or other hosting site, into CC where you want to place them within the text portion. When I wrote about a specific thing we did, like our day in Pinel Island, I added the pictures from Photobucket right below the text that talked about a specific thing. For an example, when I wrote about our snorkeling in Pinel Island, I'd have the specific paragraph describing what we saw then added the link to those specific pictures from Photobucket right below that paragraph. Each post will allow up to six pictures and the smiley faces count as pictures. I found that out when I had six photo pictures added but may have also used a "smiley face" and when I went to submit the post, I received the message that only six pictures were allowed per post. I'd either have to remove a picture and use it in my next post or delete the smiley face. I think there is also help on CC, when you first get in on how to post, add comments, answer multiple comments, etc. Before I attempted my first review (the one from our Valor cruise), I had read so many different reviews, so I was able to figure out how to do it. It is time consuming but it's also fun and a great way to relive your trip.

 

The reviews shouldn't be deleted by CC but if they are inactive, you may have to do a "search" for it after a while. I did my Valor review in September 2013 and it still pops up now and then when someone reading has a question or just leaves a comment. There are reviews from several years ago that will still pop up to the first few pages and I've also done searches on a few that I really enjoyed just to read them again, and they are still there.

 

If you have more questions or need more help when you go to write yours when you get back, just let me know (post here) and I can provide my home email to help you out in a more detailed way if you'd like. I don't mind. I hope you have a wonderful trip and enjoy it to the fullest. :)

Boy pghsteelerfan, did I truly appreciate your comment. I am going to cut and paste your notes so I have them readily when we get back. It took a lot of your time to be so very through and words can't explain how much I value your expertise. I hope we get to travel together one day. My husband and I do want to extend our snorkel hobby. Hopefully we can take a cruise together in the future. He doesn't get sick on a ferry. Only when we took a boat to go snorkeling and the boat stops and then bobs back and forth. However, it didn't happen in Bora Bora because it was a lagoon and we were on a catamaran. We also have some pills that an Australian couple gave him that we will try in the future if we take a boat to go snorkeling again.

My email address is in my signature if you want to send it to me. If you want, you can let me know if you have other cruises planned.

Have a lovely day and know that someone in Florida really appreciates you. I also noticed that because of your post, someone else will be going to Pinel Island....

Boy pghsteelerfan, did I truly appreciate your comment. I am going to cut and paste your notes so I have them readily when we get back. It took a lot of your time to be so very through and words can't explain how much I value your expertise. I hope we get to travel together one day. My husband and I do want to extend our snorkel hobby. Hopefully we can take a cruise together in the future. He doesn't get sick on a ferry. Only when we took a boat to go snorkeling and the boat stops and then bobs back and forth. However, it didn't happen in Bora Bora because it was a lagoon and we were on a catamaran. We also have some pills that an Australian couple gave him that we will try in the future if we take a boat to go snorkeling again.

 

My email address is in my signature if you want to send it to me. If you want, you can let me know if you have other cruises planned.

 

 

Have a lovely day and know that someone in Florida really appreciates you. I also noticed that because of your post, someone else will be going to Pinel Island....

Aww, thank you so much and I really don't mind at all. I had a lot of help from others when I was first getting familiar with CC and we are all "beginners" at some point. I'm just glad that I was able to help you.

I'm so glad you're going to Pinel Island and my pictures don't do it justice. It looks so much better when you are actually there. The ferry from Cul-de-Sac is a regular boat, but with enough seating. It's motorized and the ride is only about 10 minutes and only stops at each end (Pinel Island & Cul-de-Sac), so it shouldn't be that bad. I love snorkeling and we try to do it every chance we get and I hope you get a lot of opportunities on your upcoming cruise to snorkel.

I'll send you an email to keep in touch. I have "met" a few others through CC who I'd also love to cruise with someday and we keep in touch through email and the other social networking site that we're not supposed to mention on CC. :)

I'll send the email now before I get busy for the day and forget. :)

Thanks for all the info pgh (coming from a Browns fan, lol)! I was so wrapped up in getting to Pinel and then the last month just let it drop figuring it was too much trouble and possibly not worth it. Gosh, now you have me plotting and planning again, I have less than 2 months to decide! :)

If you get a chance to go to Pinel, it's definitely worth it and hope you can. I'd love to go back again next visit, whenever that will be. We used the private tour, as I said, for peace of mind. We almost got stranded by a taxi once (our first port of call on our very first cruise) so I'm leery of that, even though some say they will be there. With the private tour, all we had to do is book it and show up on time and they handled the rest and gave specific instructions (times, where the snorkel hut was and also were there to answer any questions)...easy peasy. :) We had a great time and there are others there, but it definitely was not packed like some other places.

Love that "coming from a Browns fan". Always love the Steelers vs. Browns rivalry and I still remember the "old" Cleveland Browns and the games in the "dog pound". Those were some great games. The Browns are surprising a lot of people, and other teams, this year...they are looking pretty good. I hope they make the playoffs too and they still could. I don't think the Steelers will and even if they do find a way to slip in, they won't go far. I think some of the players have it in their heads that they are the "Pittsburgh Steelers" and think by just showing up for games that they'll have an automatic win and they still haven't figured out that it doesn't work that way. They have to play some football to win. LOL!!!

Good luck to you and hope you do get to Pinel, you'll love it!

What do you have for a phone number for the taxi?

I second the vote for kayaks! We just did this last week and had an amazing time.

 

I prearranged a cab driver (I did a google search, but if you PM me I will give you his contact info)and we paid him when he returned to pick us up (his idea). Oz, the owner of Caribbean Paddling, even called the cab driver to make sure he was coming.

 

It was a simply wonderful day in paradise.

Edited to delete. I just read the entire thread and found what I was looking for:)

I second the vote for kayaks! We just did this last week and had an amazing time.

 

I prearranged a cab driver (I did a google search, but if you PM me I will give you his contact info)and we paid him when he returned to pick us up (his idea). Oz, the owner of Caribbean Paddling, even called the cab driver to make sure he was coming.

 

It was a simply wonderful day in paradise.

Hi I would love the name and number for the cab driver. However, I do not know how I can PM you. In fact, is it really possible?

If you have an opportunity, could you send the info via email me > my address is with my signature. Thank you.