Calabaza or Calypso cruise to snorkel with se turtles

Has anyone ever done a snorkel excursion with Calabaza or Calypso? We are trying to decide which one of these is better or if we should book something through carnival.

With sea* turtles. Sorry!

Go with Shasa! They only take 12 people & it was great, saw lots of Turtles!!!

Just used Calabaza and they were great. $110 pp included the ride to the pier, lunch and all kinds of beverages. Saw turtles at the 1st spot, lots of fish at the wrecks. Very good crew. I will mention that all of the catamarans were at the same spot in the morning, it was quite crowded. We then sailed to a more remote spot where they anchored for a bit so we could swim to the beach.

We sailed with Calypso last August and it was the best excursion I've experienced. Service, food and drinks were outstanding! I wrote a review on TripAdvisor. I booked with Calypso again for 2015. You can't go wrong with either one.

I just returned from my Carnival Valor cruise and used Calabaza while in Barbados. I have to say it was the most amazing excursion I have ever been on. From the moment you step foot on the Catamaran, you are waited on hand & foot. Gina and her crew were amazing. Food & drinks all day long and only 12 people onboard.

I would definately recommend Calabaza and would definately book with them if I ever get back to the Babados again.

Calabaza was the best excursion EVER and Gina is a gourmet cook. She also only takes 12 people and it's really the most amazing day ever.

Another vote for Calabaza. First class experience all the way with great food and service, really nice bathrooms and lots of shaded areas on boat, great snorkeling. We just booked again for our next cruise. They only take 12 people. We have traveled extensively and this was one of our best excursions ever.

Do you have to book Calabaza ahead of time, and do you have to have a full party of 12 to do so? Or can you book for just a few people? The catamaran/sea turtles adventure is on my must-do list while in Barbados and it seems this one is coming highly recommended! I'm hesitant to book the excursion through Carnival because every review I have read has had complaints that the catamarans are stuffed to the gills with 30+ people and there is hardly any room to sit. :( This one sounds like a much better time!

Email calabaza as soon as you decide you want to do it. You can book it for just a few people. I tried to book with them and she was already full. She was great and sent me a list of a bunch of other people that also did these cruises. I ended up booking with elegance because it was second on trip advisor behind calabaza, we will be doing it in two weeks!

Thanks for the info! I also forgot to ask - do these 'independent excursions' usually require pre-payment, or can you just pay them cash before/after the excursion? I'm hoping to be able to pay cash. I'm going on this trip with my family of 5 and it would make it WAY easier if we could all just pay on our own.

Most of the ones we have done/are doing might take a credit card number to hold it, but take cash or credit card that day. Some require you to pay in cash.

Thanks for the info! I also forgot to ask - do these 'independent excursions' usually require pre-payment, or can you just pay them cash before/after the excursion? I'm hoping to be able to pay cash. I'm going on this trip with my family of 5 and it would make it WAY easier if we could all just pay on our own.

We will be there Feb. 13th and tried to book with Calabaza because friends spoke so highly of them. Gina said she was booked but to try Silver Moon because they were very accommodating. She sent other websites too, but since she referred Silver Moon, we went with them.

They required 1/2 payment to hold and requested I pay in cash when we go on our excursion. I hope it's as good as Gina said it is.

Good Luck,

Gloria

I just returned from my Carnival Valor cruise and used Calabaza while in Barbados. I have to say it was the most amazing excursion I have ever been on. From the moment you step foot on the Catamaran, you are waited on hand & foot. Gina and her crew were amazing. Food & drinks all day long and only 12 people onboard.

 

I would definitely recommend Calabaza and would definately book with them if I ever get back to the Babados again.

We just booked with Gina (8 of us) for May 14th ! What kind of drinks are available? Is it a full bar or a few specialty mixed drinks? Thanks in advance!

We just booked with Gina (8 of us) for May 14th ! What kind of drinks are available? Is it a full bar or a few specialty mixed drinks? Thanks in advance!

I just received this reply from Gina. We are going on Calabaza in a month.

our bar is soda, tonic, diet coke, coke, sprite and ginger ale, orange and pineapple juice

white wine, beer, rum punch, rum, gin and vodka

Lunch is typically, beef or chicken, potatoes or pasta, fish, caesar salad, coleslaw, mixed salad, couscous, rice and garlic bread

We just booked with Gina (8 of us) for May 14th ! What kind of drinks are available? Is it a full bar or a few specialty mixed drinks? Thanks in advance!

I just received this reply from Gina. We are going on Calabaza in a month.

 

our bar is soda, tonic, diet coke, coke, sprite and ginger ale, orange and pineapple juice

white wine, beer, rum punch, rum, gin and vodka

Lunch is typically, beef or chicken, potatoes or pasta, fish, caesar salad, coleslaw, mixed salad, couscous, rice and garlic bread

Lets just say the rum punch is very good. I may of had one or two too many ;). You will not go drink free. I got out of the water, sat down and in less then a minute, there was a rum punch in front of me.

The food was delicious. Gina made a Caribbean Beef Stew that was to die for. I want to go back to have 2nds

I could not recommend Gina and Calabazza enough. You will definately not regret booking with her.

We will be there Feb. 13th and tried to book with Calabaza because friends spoke so highly of them. Gina said she was booked but to try Silver Moon because they were very accommodating. She sent other websites too, but since she referred Silver Moon, we went with them.

 

They required 1/2 payment to hold and requested I pay in cash when we go on our excursion. I hope it's as good as Gina said it is.

 

Good Luck,

Gloria

Hi Gloria!

I hope you are still monitoring this board because I have a question.:)

I also tried to book with Calabaza but they were full & recommended Silver Moon.

I'm going to book with them and have an odd question.

Did you fax your CC info them? Not sure about faxing my CC info including security code.

Just curious if you were given another option or did you fax it.

Also...how was it?!

We don't go until next January, but found out right quick that if we don't go ahead and book...we might be left on the dock!

Thanks in advance,

Karen

I just returned from my Carnival Valor cruise and used Calabaza while in Barbados. I have to say it was the most amazing excursion I have ever been on. From the moment you step foot on the Catamaran, you are waited on hand & foot. Gina and her crew were amazing. Food & drinks all day long and only 12 people onboard.

 

I would definately recommend Calabaza and would definately book with them if I ever get back to the Babados again.

Calabaza was the best excursion EVER and Gina is a gourmet cook. She also only takes 12 people and it's really the most amazing day ever.

We were on Calabaza March 19th. Had a wonderful time! We will also be repeat customers.

I'm booked with Calabaza for my Valor cruise in November. She had 10 spots left and I now have 14 people going. Can anyone suggest who might be a close second to Gina so I can make a suggestion for 4 of my people?

I have emailed Gina too so hoping she may have a suggestion and if she does tandems with from time to time.

I'm booked with Calabaza for my Valor cruise in November. She had 10 spots left and I now have 14 people going. Can anyone suggest who might be a close second to Gina so I can make a suggestion for 4 of my people?

I have emailed Gina too so hoping she may have a suggestion and if she does tandems with from time to time.

Someone on my cruise and rollcall used Silvermoon and had a great experience with them. Have your 4 check them out but I would think Gina can help you. I'm sure she doesn't want anyone to have a bad experience.

Good Luck.

Someone on my cruise and rollcall used Silvermoon and had a great experience with them. Have your 4 check them out but I would think Gina can help you. I'm sure she doesn't want anyone to have a bad experience.

 

Good Luck.

I may check into Calypso as well. Silvermoon wants a 50% deposit up front to reserve. We all like paying the vendors in cash when we get there.

I may check into Calypso as well. Silvermoon wants a 50% deposit up front to reserve. We all like paying the vendors in cash when we get there.

I didn't realize that. I prefer to pay in cash when I get there also. I'm sure Gina will come back with some great referrals.

Good luck

I didn't realize that. I prefer to pay in cash when I get there also. I'm sure Gina will come back with some great referrals.

 

Good luck

She referred Silvermoon and then when I told her I would rather pay cash there then a 50% deposit up front she also gave me Calypso. I checked them out on tripadvisor and they did have better ratings then Silvermoon. Most all those had really good one's.

There was a couple on our CC roll call that wanted to go with us on Calabaza but they were already full. So they booked with Calypso. They said they had a great time on the Calypso. He didn't give any details, but said they really enjoyed themselves. YMMV

Interesting - The Calypso was the original Calabaza. During a hurricane it was damaged and the current owner bought it from Gina(Calabaza) and fixed it up. She then bought the new Calabaza.

Another option that was also mentioned on here is to just go to Payne's beach and swim out to the turtles. They also have boats that will take you out for around $20 pp but I hear it is a short swim.

We were going to book with Sasha or Gina but might decide to just hit the beach. Don't drink so losing the rum punch is not an issue :)

We'll see.