Capitan Bob Cass

Can someone tell me their experiences taking this tour and not getting Captain Bob? At first they told me that they can't guarantee getting Captain Bob until the morning of and then they told me he is already booked for the day when I said I didn't really want to book unless they can guarantee him. In a way, I feel lied to. I REALLY want to take this tour because his reviews are amazing...but are they still amazing even without Bob himself? They said they don't use a dive boat or the larger slower boat unless you have a large party. I guess I just need to know $110 a person is worth it and that I should go with this tour vs Robinson Speed Boat Tours.

We had Capt. Matt and he was amazing!!! Capt. Bob oversees all the boats/captains and you should not have any concerns at all. We had hoped to have Capt. Bob as my husband has back problems and I was concerned if the boat ride would be too rough for him, so I requested Capt. Bob when we booked, which was almost one year in advance. Capt. Bob contacted me and said my husband would be fine in the boat and he would make sure he was comfortable but he could not promise we would be on his boat. As it turned out, we had a perfect day with Capt. Matt - we did everything which was promised and had plenty of time at each stop. Matt was a great guide, very watchful over everyone when snorkeling and lots of fun.

You shouldn't have any concerns about not "getting" Capt. Bob. You will have a great day and this was one of the best excursions we have ever done! Go and enjoy!!

We took Capt Bob's excursion on our recent Freedom of the Seas cruise and had the BEST time. We didn't have Capt Bob we had a young man who was GREAT! The lunch was great and he kept filling up the beer on the boat. I would highly recommend this excursion!

One of the best excursions we ever did. If you love to snorkel this is the best. The views we saw were unbelievable. The meal that was served was one of the best meals we had all week and the boat was fast and fun! We were on the Independence of the Sea with Royal Carribean and had no problem getting back in time for the ship to leave. We even had time to shop in the stores at the port before we got back on the ship. This excursion is a must.

Our group took a trip with Capt. Bob's tours just a few weeks ago. We were with Capt. Matt and he did a fabulous job! We had a great boat ride, saw lots of interesting things, saw sea turtles and lots of fish. We also had a wonderful lunch that rivaled anything we had on our cruise boat. We did stop to hopefully see a plane landing at the airport, but as Matt told us we were there at their slow time so we didn't have any luck with that. No worries, it would have been exciting to see but the rest of the trip was so great we didn't mind at all. It's not like Matt or Bob could have done anything about it anyway. Matt took great care of us and we would book with Capt. Bob again and request Matt in a heartbeat. We were greeted by Capt. Bob at the dock and when we saw him at lunch and at the dock afterwards he made sure we had everything we needed and were having a great time. Great job, guys! We would recommend this trip to anyone. :D

Recently my husband and I went on our first ever cruise. We planned excursions at each port that would allow us to see and learn the most about each island we were stopping at in the short time we had available. We decided on venues that would not be laden with other “cruisers” as well as limited numbers of guests on each excursion. After much searching we booked a day trip around the island with Captain Bob based mainly on the many excellent reviews as well as fitting into the criteria we had decided upon.

One area of concern for me was how long it would take to walk to Captain Bob’s location and the return walk but true to his online words it is indeed a very short walk (10-15 minutes maximum, leisurely). The walk is not complicated, basically a straight line from the ship, down the street, through a restaurant to the water where Captain Bob waits for his guests. As we waited for all the guests to arrive, 15 in total, Captain Bob reviewed paperwork, payment and trip information with us. On this particular occasion Captain Bob was taking an “office work day” and in charge of the boat were his two able Captains-Brett and Tyrell. Captain Bob, Brett and Tyrell are all very aware of each cruise line arrival and departure times and ensure there is ample time to both make it to the dock on arrival as well as back to the ship after the excursion.

The boat that we travelled on was very new with the potential to be very fast, and I am sure we never seen it at its full power! It had both cushioned areas to sit as well as comfortable room to stand, hold on and let the wind blow through your hair. Refreshments on board were on ice, plentiful and ready to flow once we were on our way. Throughout the day both Brett and Tyrell shared knowledge about the island and were eager to answer any questions. The weather was perfect and all the guests on board were friendly, courteous and looking to enjoy the day.

During our outing we made four stops, two for snorkeling, one for lunch and one to relax. The first snorkel stop lasted about 40 minutes (just the right amount of time), the water was extremely clear and we were able to see many large turtles as well as a stingray. Unfortunately for us, at this location, our underwater camera decided it did not want to be a camera anymore! After lunch we stopped for our second snorkel by a rock outcropping and although there were other boats with scuba and snorkelers around it did not feel crowded. Instructions by the Captains to not venture to close to the rocks, where to watch for current and where to look for fish were well advised. The amount of time spend here was also perfect. Lunch was on a small island that required us to swim to from the boat, we spent some time in the water/on the beach until our meal was ready, ate, and then swam or sunned some more before returning to the boat. Three choices at lunch included ribs, chicken or fish, all of which seemed to be exceptionally good as there was a lull in conversation as everyone ate heartily. The other stop was at a small island were you waded to from the boat in water about waist high. It had a stand to buy drinks and a gift “souvenir” type shop. We did venture in and have a look around but only stayed a short time then returned to the area where the boat was anchored to relax in the water and have a beverage. On the way back to dock we made one more stop near the now famous Maho Beach Bay to see if any planes were landing or taking off. Some smaller planes were there and although nothing large came in it was easy to see how dramatic, awesome and frightening large planes coming in or departing there could prove to be. We docked with lots of time to make it back to the ship and wander through a few shops before returning to our ship.

Personally I was apprehensive about booking ahead for an excursion based solely on online information, even given the good reviews and positive feedback. In this particular case I can honestly say I couldn’t have imagined that the excursion could have gone any better (with the exception of perhaps reapplying sunscreen more frequently!!!). Captain Bob keeps the booking simple, the amount of guests keep the experience personal, Captains Brett and Tyrell are fun, safe and knowledgeable and make the trip memorable. Thanks Guys!!! We would recommend Captain Bob’s to anyone who is looking for something a little different, lots of fun and away from the crowd!

I must say this was the best excursion I have been on from a cruise ship or otherwise and we have been on many independently booked trips. Captan Bob Cass at Soualiga Destinations was the key. Our large family group of 22 ages 8 to 67 needed an operator that could not only meet our ships schedule but accomodate a wide range of ages. Soualiga Destinations exceeded our expectations. Snorkeling with sea turtles, all kinds of fish, a full trip around the island with an incredicble cooked to order hot lunch on the beach in the France side. I'll try and uplaod a few photos if I can figure out how. We ere sailing on hte Carnival Sunshine which we loved.

Tried to upload pictures but said I was blocked??:confused:

I stayed on St Maarten in May and took Capt Bob's tour. I didn't get Capt Bob as the Capt but the person we had (can't remember his name) was great. it was a great tour. It was 5 women ages 40-55 and we had a great time. One of them was sure she would have a bad time, at the end of the tour she raved about it.

I'm going back in August on a cruise and will be going again with 3 boys, 14, 20 & 21. Hope they love it as much as I did.

This tour is great, whichever Capt you get

Oh, and I didn't get the "speed boat" but the boat we had there was shade on it so it ended up working out very well

Well, I am really late in posting about our trip with Capt Bob but wanted to add to the many favorable reviews!

We were on St Maarten in late March and had the BEST time with Capt Tyrell. Every aspect of the trip, from the nice people at the restaurant near the dock where you meet the boats to the very end of the day, was wonderful.

The snorkeling was great. At one point, we were fortunate to come upon a pod of wild dolphin and had an incredible experience swimming with them. The lunch was good - we were starving when we got there. Great frozen drinks! Tyrell was a superb captain and good at pointing out interesting spots, telling bits of local lore. We even watched a few jets lumber into the airport while we enjoyed a cold beverage.

We were a group of 7, all over 21 (some by a lot:). We sailed on the Norweigian Getaway. This excursion was definitely a highlight of the whole trip!

Booked Capt Bob while in Saint Maarten on Freedom of the Seas in June 2014. Easy walking distance from pier. Excellent communication from Capt Bob before cruise. Had a wonderful time with husband and 10 yo son. Capt and first mate very attentive to needs of passengers. Met another nice family on the same excursion with us. Excellent value and time for the money. I would highly recommend this excursion that you can book on your own!!

I have a question,

Looking at booking this for a future visit.

My question is what sort of tip do you give the capt/crew?

I typically tip about 20% of total booking price if a great time/good service etc. Hope that helps

Thanks

Booked a trip mid August, having now paid the deposit all the costs become apparent.

5% electronic payment, gratuities and drinks with lunch.

But with such good reviews i'm sure we will have a great time.

We only had Capt. Fab and we tipped him $20. We didn't buy drinks with lunch because there was plenty on the boat. All day for 2 was around $200, including lunch and tip. It was well spent! Going again on January!

We took this excursion about 1 1/2 years ago. It was great and we did get to see large planes come in at Maho. It was especially interesting to see planes taking off and the effect on the people on the beach - sand blowing everywhere! The only part of the tour that I was unhappy about was the wading thru the waves onto the beach for lunch. The water was not shallow and the waves were active. I lost my balance and another woman was knocked down completely. We're headed back to St Martin in a few months but I'm not sure if I want that experience again. P.S. My husband says that it did not bother him.

This is hands down one of the best excursions my family has ever taken! Well worth every penny we spent. We took a boat ride to our first snorkel spot which was covered with sea turtles. Then, we were taken for an amazing lunch at a quaint restaurant on the beach. We were served a plate full of amazing food (I had the fish and it was excellent!). The only money you need is to purchase a guavaberry colada- a must have! We were then taken to a second snorkel spot and later to the airport to watch incoming jets. We will definitely be taking this excursion the next time we are in St. Maarten!

I am booked for this in august. Can someone give step by step instructions on how to get to the boat dock? Yes Capt. Bob gave directions but they were not specific enough for me. The road with the palm trees? What is the roads name? East or west? Pictures?

I'd love a picture by picture for each turn like you can choose in google maps

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Leave the port, turn left and walk down the sidewalk. Its really the only street. Join your cruise's roll call and I am sure others will be headed that way, too!

His directions include a map. It's pretty straightforward .

We are also going in Aug :) FOS sailing Aug 10.

His directions include a map. It's pretty straightforward .

We are also going in Aug :) FOS sailing Aug 10.

Magnetchief and jbitzer, please come back and let us know how you liked it! We're booked with Capt. Bob in November, and I would love to hear about your experiences.

Will do. But the reviews on Trip advisor seem to about sum it up. That's what convinced us to sign up.

I have been and I have already booked for a second time in January. It REALLY is a great day; beautiful water bluer than you've ever seen, fun snorkeling, great service from your captain, a great lunch and cold beers, and a super cool boat to spend the day on. What more could you want??

Leave the port, turn left and walk down the sidewalk. Its really the only street. Join your cruise's roll call and I am sure others will be headed that way, too!

I'm happy to hear that this is the only street. The map and pictures weren't specific enough for me-- I would like a turn by turn pictures, name of street, cross street, approximate mileage, etc...

Captain Bob's directions "street with the palm trees" directions wasn't specific enough for me.

I have been and I have already booked for a second time in January. It REALLY is a great day; beautiful water bluer than you've ever seen, fun snorkeling, great service from your captain, a great lunch and cold beers, and a super cool boat to spend the day on. What more could you want??

Yep, that's what we're counting on! Also, Capt. Bob has been very accommodating in setting this up for us. Our ship doesn't arrive until 10am, which is when he usually leaves. He is holding one of his boats until 10:45 for people from our ship, even though we are just a party of 2. I put it on our roll call and another 2 couples signed up, so we have 6 now. But he didn't make me line up the additional people, they are booking directly with him, which I really appreciate! Now I just hope our ship changes to island time so the "ship time vs. island time" thing doesn't mess us up!

Here is a good photo taken from my day in St. Maarten spent with Captain Bob.