NCL Escape Virgin Gorda and the Baths review

Our family DH, DS10, DD 12, DS31, DS's GF and I sailed the week of 6/3 on the Escape. We chose to purchase this tour from NCL since time is very limited in Tortola. We were all supposed to go, but due to my DS10 not feeling well, he and DH stayed on the ship.

We gathered at 7am, with about a hundred or so of our shipmates, and boarded a ferry for a 35 minute ride, which took us to a port where we boarded an open-air shuttle. The ferry had open-air seating up top and comfy inside seating in a/c. When the shuttle dropped us off we took a fairly short hike to Devil's Bay. The water was beautifully clear and the sand white and fluffy. Unfortunately with not a lot of time, 20-25 minutes is all we got to spend here. It was then on to the much anticipated Baths. Since that was what all the hype was about, and Devil's Bay was so amazing, my expectations were really high...in fact they were way too high.

The description clearly explains that this excursion is for those who are fairly fit. It should also explain it is for those who can fit in tight spaces. If you have bad knees, bad hips, a bad back, claustrophobia, or extra girth, there are probably more suitable excursions. This became apparent as we spent a very long time in line waiting our turn climb up and down rocks, narrow ladders and through very tight spaces. When we finally made it through, the beach was nice, but not nearly as nice as Devil's Bay. The water was clear, but the sand was not wonderful, soft, fluffy kind that we just left. There was a small bar area for drinks, and a place to buy little souvenirs. By the time we got there, we again only had about 20 minutes.

The guide gave us the whistle signal that it was time to go. We walked up a pathway and back to the shuttle area. Our family all wished that we had just gone down the path to get to the beach in the first place. We were served rum punch, fruit punch or water at the top of the path. We then boarded the shuttle and then the ferry to get back to the ship.

Our family all agreed that this excursion was overall disappointing and not worthy of the high price tag.

That was really disappointing! Thanks for the feedback.

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Thanks for your report, and sorry your day wasn't more enjoyable! It's too bad you went in the opposite direction and couldn't enjoy Devil's Bay after exploring the grottoes, not sure why the group was directed that way? But as you said there wasn't a lot of time for that anyway. And it is unfortunate that enjoying the Baths from a cruise ship - whether through the ship or on your own - is a challenge because of the number of people. On a short port day, even going on your own you aren't able to avoid the crowds because there isn't enough time to adjust your itinerary. It's a shame NCL doesn't allow more time in port at Tortola because there are so many beautiful places to enjoy if time allows.

But thanks again for your candid report, and I hope you haven't crossed Tortola and the other islands of the BVI off your list? A future land vacation is definitely worth looking at, and that gives you the opportunity of visiting different areas at your own pace.

This breaks my heart because its the one excursion that my husband and daughter are excited about.

This breaks my heart because its the one excursion that my husband and daughter are excited about.

Redmomof4 there are many more rave reviews than like this one, and people tend to take the time to leave negative reports more than glowing reports. So don't be too disheartened as the Baths can be a great experience, and going on your own can be a much better choice because you are not tied to a larger group following a guide, just our opinion. The ferries are very reliable and going on your own is quite safe.

Enjoy your cruise!

How much did this excursion cost through NCL? (It isn't listed for my December Escape cruise yet.)

TIA!

I think it's $89 through NCL. We did it on our own, easily, for $38 pp. one of our best days. Everyone loved the Baths!

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If you go to the Baths - head to side that is more commercial and (I believe it's the right side) -- walk down the path and ignore everything and start walking through the rocks to get to the other beach -- which is by far AMAZING and I would have rather spent all my time there. However, since you are going through the Baths, you must at least go through the rocks.

There are some places with tight spaces to squeeze through, so don't have a huge backpack -- I saw some people taking baby strollers, etc...

Any ways, it's a one time thing for sure. But the beach on the other side is so much nicer.

>> There are some places with tight spaces to squeeze through, so don't have a huge backpack -- I saw some people taking baby strollers, etc... <<

That is too funny!

We did the Baths and had an awesome time. We hooked up with a Dion on Tortola who had his own personal boat and dropped us off right on the beach in front of the Baths. From there we walked through the Baths and up to the top. We were in our late 50's when we did this. The boat came back to the beach and we had to swim back to the boat which was not difficult for us. It cost us $50 per person. The boat ride over was about 25 minutes. No need to book with ship and waste time waiting in line. Plus with the ships excursion you have to take a bus over. With going with Dion, we had a lot more time to spend exploring.