Private Tour Suggestions - Free Port and/or Nassau

This is our 8th cruise, but it has been awhile since we have been to the Bahamas ports.

In some of our past cruises, we have found great private tour guide recommendations (especially in St Marteen and St Thomas - wow) that gave us a great private view of the islands and took us to secluded beaches, etc.

Does anyone have any recommendations on tour guides in these two ports??? Thanks

I can only speak of the one we went on and it was a "highlight" of our trip last summer in Freeport.

Pat and Diane's Snorkeling

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147420-d1575346-Reviews-Pat_Diane_Snorkeling-Freeport_Grand_Bahama_Island_Bahamas.html

We did the Snorkel, secluded beach lunch.

The snorkeling was "ok", we were first timers and they really helped us. The secluded beach was beautiful. The soft white sand was like powder under my feet. The beach was shallow water, getting a bit deeper.

The lunch was awesome. The drinks were included and flowing (if you drink alcohol), no alcohol also included.

The guides were all super nice.

Can't say enough good things about this excursion.

In Freeport, we did this tour company:

http://www.calabashecoadventures.com

They have snorkeling, but we just did the Freeport Adventure.

Click on "Cruise Ship Guests" and see their tours.

It was the best tour we've done in many cruises. He took us to Gold Rock Beach. If you google "images" for "Gold Rock Beach in Freeport", you will see how lovely it is.

Good luck in your search. :)

We have been to Nassau many times of the past several years but this past Jan, 2014 we took a private tour, it was great and only $25.00 pp, well worth it. If you are interested in his contact information just email me at megator2@aol.com. I posted some pics of the tour on another Thread .

We have been to Nassau many times of the past several years but this past Jan, 2014 we took a private tour, it was great and only $25.00 pp, well worth it. If you are interested in his contact information just email me at megator2@aol.com. I posted some pics of the tour on another Thread .

Thanks for the information!

This is our 8th cruise, but it has been awhile since we have been to the Bahamas ports.

 

In some of our past cruises, we have found great private tour guide recommendations (especially in St Marteen and St Thomas - wow) that gave us a great private view of the islands and took us to secluded beaches, etc.

 

Does anyone have any recommendations on tour guides in these two ports??? Thanks

I just returned from a cruise that stopped in Nassau and have a great recommendation for a tour guide. Her name is Branderlee Hepburn and she is delightful. She met us promptly and took us on a tour of Nassau in her clean, air conditioned mini van. She even came back and took us to the Government House in the afternoon...FREE of charge. Our tour was 35.00 each for 3.5 hours. She answers email promptly as well. Her email is brenhepburn@hotmail.com.

Tell her Carol sent you!!

Mario now does 3 different tours. 2 hr for $25, 3 hr for $35 and 5 hr for $60 which includes lunch, the others in clude free conch fritters YUM!

If anyone would like Mario's contact information because I don't believe we are allowed to put it on cruise critic posts, just email me at megator2@aol.com and I will be happy to give you his contact info to pre book at tour with him.

We keep in contact via email, such a nice guy and a great tour guide!!!! Happy Cruising!

Would love info

My email is in my signature down below

Thanks

Mario now does 3 different tours. 2 hr for $25, 3 hr for $35 and 5 hr for $60 which includes lunch, the others in clude free conch fritters YUM!

 

If anyone would like Mario's contact information because I don't believe we are allowed to put it on cruise critic posts, just email me at megator2@aol.com and I will be happy to give you his contact info to pre book at tour with him.

 

We keep in contact via email, such a nice guy and a great tour guide!!!! Happy Cruising!

I can only speak of the one we went on and it was a "highlight" of our trip last summer in Freeport.

 

Pat and Diane's Snorkeling

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147420-d1575346-Reviews-Pat_Diane_Snorkeling-Freeport_Grand_Bahama_Island_Bahamas.html

 

We did the Snorkel, secluded beach lunch.

 

The snorkeling was "ok", we were first timers and they really helped us. The secluded beach was beautiful. The soft white sand was like powder under my feet. The beach was shallow water, getting a bit deeper.

 

The lunch was awesome. The drinks were included and flowing (if you drink alcohol), no alcohol also included.

 

The guides were all super nice.

 

Can't say enough good things about this excursion.

We have this booked for May. I cannot WAIT!! :)

Has anyone done a tour that includes going to Ardastra Gardens or is this easy enough to do on your own?

We are meeting Mario at the end of the pier, I believe, on March 6 at 9 am. Mario says he will have a sign. We have chosen the 3 hour tour for $35 each. There are only three of us, however, and Mario can carry more if anyone would like to join us. MuffyKismet has provided her email address. I emailed her for more information and Mario promptly sent an email to me. He sounds like a great guy and MuffyKismet surely enjoyed her tour with him. I would include my email but I am leaving tomorrow and won't be here to reply.

My family and I (myself 50, husband 53 and two sons 26 & 22) just returned Saturday from our cruise. I booked Mario Bethel for a island tour before we even left home. He showed us everything on the island from Atlantis to the poverty area and everything in between. All four of us really enjoyed this. His email is Mario.bethel@gmail.com. He offers 2 hour, 3 hour and 5 hour tours. We took the 3 hour. He also told us not to ever book a tour with a person that has blue license plates. They are not certified and those are the ones that could get you in trouble.

Is there a website to see the tour information for Mario? We will be there in December.

I don't think Mario has a website. He works from his cell phone. If you do decide to book a tour with him or anyone, please get the correct time. We did not get to take our tour with Mario because he was on island time and I was on ship time, so we were an hour late. It just happened that one of the ladies at the pier helping cruisers find where they wanted to go was Mario's cousin, so she called him when I told her we were looking for him. He called me immediately and apologized. We ended up going with Dan the Man and took a great tour. I don't know what the difference would have been with Mario. The various tour drivers include different spots, so read all you can and be able to tell them if there is something you want to see. Dan did not take us to the rum factory, but he did go to the pirate caves, which was very interesting. Don't stress. If you miss something you didn't even know was there, it can't matter. Other family members with us walked to a ferry to go to Atlantis, then returned and walked around dowtntown Nassau, eating and drinking along the way. They had fun but they are not a group interested in seeing anything in any way educational or interesting....they just want fun. After the tour with Dan, a couple of us walked around town using a Nassau walking tour we had printed from Fodor. We ended up shopping and going to the Market. One mistake we made was going to a restaurant Dan said was a good one, but it was way overpriced and not very good. There were lots of people there in business clothes, so I think it is a place locals go to to avoid tourist areas. I don't think Dan has ever been there. I have forgotten the name but it's not in the tourist area and is not one recommended here, so I don't think you will run into it. Our other gang ate in the tourist area and came back raving about the food. Good luck.