All land or land/sea to Soufriere?

We are likely going to go with one of the trips to Soufriere and back, and see the tourist sites like the volcano, mud bath, beach. This is our first time to St. Lucia, so I know we want to see some of the land sites that I've read about on some of the trip reports here. For that reason, I've pretty much ruled out the tours that just go by boat round trip to Soufriere and the beach and back to the cruise ship.

That leaves us with the land-based tours or the land/boat combination. I am wondering if the complete land-based tours seem "too long" in the van. We are a family of five and none of us usually get car sick. We have done a lot of land vacations by car (with hundreds and hundreds of miles of driving, so my kids are used to it), but I didn't know if the ride back to the pier just seems endless as you've already done it going to Soufriere a few hours earlier. The land/sea option sounds like a good balance, but the costs for my family are making it more of a stretch than the strictly land-based tours.

Thoughts? If you've done one or the other (or both), I'd love to hear from you. Thanks!

For the best of both, land trio down and Sea trip return gives you a great overviews of many of the main sights and experiences of the island. That would be first choice...

We are likely going to go with one of the trips to Soufriere and back, and see the tourist sites like the volcano, mud bath, beach. This is our first time to St. Lucia, so I know we want to see some of the land sites that I've read about on some of the trip reports here. For that reason, I've pretty much ruled out the tours that just go by boat round trip to Soufriere and the beach and back to the cruise ship.

 

That leaves us with the land-based tours or the land/boat combination. I am wondering if the complete land-based tours seem "too long" in the van. We are a family of five and none of us usually get car sick. We have done a lot of land vacations by car (with hundreds and hundreds of miles of driving, so my kids are used to it), but I didn't know if the ride back to the pier just seems endless as you've already done it going to Soufriere a few hours earlier. The land/sea option sounds like a good balance, but the costs for my family are making it more of a stretch than the strictly land-based tours.

 

Thoughts? If you've done one or the other (or both), I'd love to hear from you. Thanks!

I would second the land and sea suggestion. It does give you a well balance trip and overview of St.Lucia's vista. The return on an all land tour maybe be a bit boring for the kids whereas the sea portion has snorkeling and music and fun.

Thank you for your replies. I figured the land/sea option would give the most variety. I am wondering if anyone who has done either or both, especially with kids, can weigh in. We are possibly thinking private tour so we can choose what we do at our own pace, but that seems to preclude the land/sea option.

We did the land and sea tour with Herod's and it was FANTASTIC. We were a family of four any everyone loved it. The snorkeling was much better than we expected (not great, but good), so bring snorkel gear if you enjoy that activity. Lunch was terrific. We got to see SO MUCH of the island. I highly recommend.

I am wondering if the complete land-based tours seem "too long" in the van. We are a family of five and none of us usually get car sick. We have done a lot of land vacations by car (with hundreds and hundreds of miles of driving, so my kids are used to it)...

I have been on many land vacations as well as cruises to St. Lucia as my husband was raised there and we still have family living there. I can definitely tell you that the road to Soufriere is, well, among the longest trips I have ever been on in my life. The road is narrow, and has many pot holes. Your family may have been on many road trips but none will compare to what you will experience in St. Lucia. Not trying to scare you - just telling you honestly so you can make an informed decision. :)

TBN Hubby here.....

We did the 'Land/Land' trip several years ago and, although we enjoyed the meal, volcano, and other tour sites, the return trip bordered on torture. As stated by someone above, the road is narrow, not normally in good condition, and very curvy. Also there is only one road, so you will see nothing new on the way back that will interest you. Added to that, you may have the bad luck to be in the middle of a van seat on that curvy road, It was not a great experience.

The land/sea trip would be my recommendation. Better yet, if there is a tour with sea transportation both ways with a land portion near the Pitons, volcano, etc., that would be by far the best.

We have a large amount of on board credit so we are thinking of booking the Land and Sea tour through Royal Caribbean. My question is, does Royal Caribbean use Spencer Ambrose for this excursion? I know they don't mention the actual company being used for their excursions, I was just curious as I have heard really good things about the Spencers tour.

We have a large amount of on board credit so we are thinking of booking the Land and Sea tour through Royal Caribbean. My question is, does Royal Caribbean use Spencer Ambrose for this excursion? I know they don't mention the actual company being used for their excursions, I was just curious as I have heard really good things about the Spencers tour.

Nope. RCI does not use Spencer's Ambrose for the tour. Not sure who they use, but it is not one of the more popular independent Operators. Cosol, Spencers, Frank's, James, Real St Lucia Tours, etc all operate independently of the cruise lines..

We did the land and sea tour with Herod's and it was FANTASTIC. We were a family of four any everyone loved it. The snorkeling was much better than we expected (not great, but good), so bring snorkel gear if you enjoy that activity. Lunch was terrific. We got to see SO MUCH of the island. I highly recommend.

I know Herod's has a minimum. Did you just contact him with your date and you joined others that had also contacted him, or did you create a large enough group with your Roll Call?

The road is narrow, and has many pot holes. Your family may have been on many road trips but none will compare to what you will experience in St. Lucia.

I didn't really want to do the sea both ways. Are you thinking that we shouldn't do land at all?

Better yet, if there is a tour with sea transportation both ways with a land portion near the Pitons, volcano, etc., that would be by far the best.

I guess I thought that there were things worth seeing on the land portion of the trip. I don't think we really want round trip by land, but I thought that seeing the land sites once would be interesting/good. (I'm talking about the land sites en route to the volcano and waterfalls. Those are a definite.)

Thanks for all of your input. Anyone else?

just returned from a 10 day and of all the ports we visited, this is one I probably wouldn't even get off the ship for. everything they say about the torture is true! we hired a private van when we got off the ship. we paid $100 for 4 people. thank goodness, at least we weren't cramped but still very uncomfortable. this at least gave us flexibility as well. by the time we reached the volcano we were so exhausted from the ride, all we wanted to do was return to the ship. we had the option to do the mud baths (there is no charge to see the people covered in lava/mud and the "pool") and do the volcano but it was extra and at that point, we didn't care anymore. we did see the Pitons and Marigot Bay from a distance. But Soufrieres? I'm still baffled by this so called attraction. we drove thru the town - we didn't stop - it is incredibly poor. if poverty is the draw, well then we got our fill.

the driver did mention, if we had headed the opposite direction, we would have seen the "tourist areas" - whatever that means.

it was in our top 5 worst tours.

I know Herod's has a minimum. Did you just contact him with your date and you joined others that had also contacted him, or did you create a large enough group with your Roll Call?

 

 

 

I didn't really want to do the sea both ways. Are you thinking that we shouldn't do land at all?

 

 

 

I guess I thought that there were things worth seeing on the land portion of the trip. I don't think we really want round trip by land, but I thought that seeing the land sites once would be interesting/good. (I'm talking about the land sites en route to the volcano and waterfalls. Those are a definite.)

 

Thanks for all of your input. Anyone else?

We did the "Land, Sea, and Beach Adventure" with Spencer Ambrose this past September and I'll try to give you some info on our experience. It is correct that with Spencer, you take a speedboat directly from the ship to Soufriere. Once in Soufriere, we transferred to air conditioned vans to see the land sights. Most of the land sites that are popular on all of the tours are right around Soufriere and we did stop at them: The volcano/mud baths; overlook of Petit Piton; Toraille Waterfall; stop at the banana farm; then back in the speedboat to Jalousie Beach for a couple hours (great snorkeling there if you're into that) and if not, it's a beautiful, scenic beach. The return trip is the sea tour with several stops along the way, some of them are the bat cave, great views of the Pitons from the water, Anse Chastenet, Cannaries, you'll go into Marigot Bay, the famous "arch" or "slipper arch" (from "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie) and they allow time for picture taking.

Hope this is helpful.

We did the Speed Boat/ Land tour last week with Spencer. Was excellent as stated. The land portion took in all the sights and the beach was awesome. Very knowledgeable crew and took excellent care of all our needs. We are both early 70's and it was awesome.

mtab--I'm sorry St. Lucia was such a disappointment. Since we've never been to any of these islands (and figure we probably won't be back in the next few years), we'd like to give it a try and see some of the main sites each port has to offer.

pghsteelerfan--You have already been super helpful. I've already read both of your reviews of this itinerary, and all the details have been great. Thank you so much for writing such extensive reviews. :) My main concern is doing land both ways for the long portion of the trip. I think one way to Soufriere would be fine by the long land ride, but I am not sure about both with my entire family. On the flip side, there are five of us (three are adults), so the round trip by sea starts to add up. We want to be able to see sites in each port (there are five), so I need to be mindful of that as well.

divinc--This is the one I would do if price were not an issue. It sounds like the perfect mix. I am trying to find the best port options for my family within reason for cost. Five ports starts to add up for five people. My rationale is that since we've never been to any of these islands, I'd like to see as much as possible...and then if we really like them, we can return another vacation to see more/see things in more detail.

Here is another question, for anyone who is still reading--is the round trip by sea option worth another $100-150 (what the price differential is for my family of five)? If you say "yes", keep in mind that we are likely doing tours at every port, so it won't be like St. Lucia is our splurge. (I didn't start out this way when we booked this cruise, but when I realized that just hopping in a cab and going to the beach and back to the port at many of these islands will cost me about $100, I figured it might be worth looking into tours where the beach is included.)

Thank you so much!

mtab--I'm sorry St. Lucia was such a disappointment. Since we've never been to any of these islands (and figure we probably won't be back in the next few years), we'd like to give it a try and see some of the main sites each port has to offer.

pghsteelerfan--You have already been super helpful. I've already read both of your reviews of this itinerary, and all the details have been great. Thank you so much for writing such extensive reviews. :) My main concern is doing land both ways for the long portion of the trip. I think one way to Soufriere would be fine by the long land ride, but I am not sure about both with my entire family. On the flip side, there are five of us (three are adults), so the round trip by sea starts to add up. We want to be able to see sites in each port (there are five), so I need to be mindful of that as well.

 

 

divinc--This is the one I would do if price were not an issue. It sounds like the perfect mix. I am trying to find the best port options for my family within reason for cost. Five ports starts to add up for five people. My rationale is that since we've never been to any of these islands, I'd like to see as much as possible...and then if we really like them, we can return another vacation to see more/see things in more detail.

 

Here is another question, for anyone who is still reading--is the round trip by sea option worth another $100-150 (what the price differential is for my family of five)? If you say "yes", keep in mind that we are likely doing tours at every port, so it won't be like St. Lucia is our splurge. (I didn't start out this way when we booked this cruise, but when I realized that just hopping in a cab and going to the beach and back to the port at many of these islands will cost me about $100, I figured it might be worth looking into tours where the beach is included.)

 

Thank you so much!

Lolavix,

You can do a Land and Sea tour between $100-$125.00 depends on the operator. There is much to see on the land portion which is very scenic. From the banana farms, to Marigot Bay, to Botanical gardens to mud baths etc. I suggest you look into the different operators and see what works best for you. Local operators for this is Serenitytvl and Spencer Ambrose, both highly recommended. The difference is that Spencer does his round trip via boat with a stop in Soufriere and Serenity offer a more detailed land portion. I am sure both can offer this privately if you prefer it that way. St.Lucia is a very beautiful island and with the right driver the narrow road becomes insignificant. Besides there is only one portion of this road trip that gets very bumpy which is the Edmund's rain forest as you are approaching Soufriere. Enjoy whatever you choose to do.

lolavix,

I was just on Herod's tour last Thursday, and like you, I was hoping to see as much of St. Lucia as possible. I thoroughly researched the tours provided by Herod and Spencer, chose Herod, and have no regrets. While I have no doubt that Spencer provides an excellent tour, here's why I'm glad I went with Herod:

1) I got to see more of St. Lucia by traveling to Soufriere by land. I enjoyed seeing Castries, the fishing villages, and the countryside. The trip to Soufriere went by quickly with several stops along the way and things to see as we drove along. I was in awe of the beauty of the island, and it was neat to witness the culture and lifestyle in these small villages. The trade off when going with Herod is that you get less beach time, one hour versus two. I felt that one hour on the beach was enough time, as this was more of a sightseeing tour for us than a beach break.

2) Lunch at Herod's mom's home was delightful. We had a great view of the Pitons and sat in a charming outdoor restaurant that had a cool breeze. Drinks and desserts were served to us while the meal was served buffet style. When we arrived at the beach, it looked as though Spencer's group was eating on the beach, which is less desirable in my opinion.

3) The boat ride back to the ship was beautiful, and we saw everything that was included in Spencer's tour. I agree that a van ride back would not be ideal.

4) Herod's tour was $85. I believe Spencer's was over $100.

While it was just my husband and me on this trip, as a mother of three ranging in ages of 7-16, I know that my kids would have loved Herod's tour.

I hope that this information helps you out.

Herod had no problem meeting the minimum and there were not a lot of ships in port the day we were there.

A good friend toured with Spencer and they were late in returning and very concerned about possibly missing the ship. It was for that reason we chose Herod. We couldn't have been more pleased with our choice.

Dragon2109--thanks for your reply. I have looked into many of the operators. It is helpful to hear that the road didn't bother you. I really would like to do sea one way back, but with five of us, the extra cost over the round-trip-by-land starts to add up.

KelseyD--I have been eyeing Herod's trip as well. Did you have to get a group together, or were you just able to reserve with you and your husband?

Printingchick--This is good to know. We are the only ship in port as well. Late would freak me out! Thanks for the information. :)

Dragon2109--thanks for your reply. I have looked into many of the operators. It is helpful to hear that the road didn't bother you. I really would like to do sea one way back, but with five of us, the extra cost over the round-trip-by-land starts to add up.

 

KelseyD--I have been eyeing Herod's trip as well. Did you have to get a group together, or were you just able to reserve with you and your husband?

 

Printingchick--This is good to know. We are the only ship in port as well. Late would freak me out! Thanks for the information. :)

I was prepared to recruit others from my roll call if necessary, but it wasn't. There were probably 30+ with Herod that day, and they divided us into 3 vehicles, each with our own tour guide.

Herod's prices are a little less for kids. $45 for 5-11, I believe, and $80 for 12+.

I booked with Ambrose....kind of wish I had researched it more and booked with Herod. :( Sounds like the same excursion and Ambrose is $20/pp more expensive. :(

KelseyD--My roll call consists of just me right now. ;) We're still six months out, so we'll have to see.

Cruisin Karen--I wonder what constitutes that price differential. I have heard good things about both tours, but I can understand the disappointment.

KelseyD--My roll call consists of just me right now. ;) We're still six months out, so we'll have to see.

 

Cruisin Karen--I wonder what constitutes that price differential. I have heard good things about both tours, but I can understand the disappointment.

Yea, $40 is kind of a "chunk." I re read Herods and it says something about how many people are on the tour for price "change" or something like that. I know when I was researching Dominica, I wanted to go with one excursion, but for 2 people it would be $100pp, 4 people in van would be $20 cheaper, etc up to 10 people would only be $40/pp. Some on my roll call were interested, but I didn't want to get involved with organizing something. So I went with another excursion that had a "flat rate/pp." Spencer was my lst instinct and sometimes it's good to go with them, so I guess I will just keep that tour!

Yea, $40 is kind of a "chunk." I re read Herods and it says something about how many people are on the tour for price "change" or something like that. I know when I was researching Dominica, I wanted to go with one excursion, but for 2 people it would be $100pp, 4 people in van would be $20 cheaper, etc up to 10 people would only be $40/pp. Some on my roll call were interested, but I didn't want to get involved with organizing something. So I went with another excursion that had a "flat rate/pp." Spencer was my lst instinct and sometimes it's good to go with them, so I guess I will just keep that tour!

I am in a different situation as there are five of us, so we do boost the number of people in a tour but the price differentials add up quickly for us--even with kids' tour prices. I hope you have a great time! :)

I am in a different situation as there are five of us, so we do boost the number of people in a tour but the price differentials add up quickly for us--even with kids' tour prices. I hope you have a great time! :)

Thank you! I was just re reading both tours. I think Ambrose has 2 hours at the beach vs. an hour with Herods. But I might be wrong. I'm only on my 2nd cuppa lol. :o I'm sure someone will know; there are tons of experts here! I do note that Ambrose has a buffet lunch and Herod you go to him Mom's home for lunch which would be interesting and probably fun! Good luck with YOUR planning!

Another difference I noted in Herod's tour is that the tour starts at 9am, vs. Ambrose at 8:30 am. Not sure what ship you are on, but Pride gets in at 8am, so 8:30 is a bit scary to me! Would have liked to have an extra 1/2 hour to get off the ship and find him! :eek: