chrisand

looking to go there and do some snorkeling. Have read that it has all facilities. Anyone know cost of taxi for 3 adults. Is the snorkeling close to shore? What the cost is for chairs/umbrellas. Any info or would be helpful.

We have always rented a car. I have read in other posts that it is $45 to get to Porto Marie but I do not know firsthand. For my wife and I the chairs and umbrellas were $11 I think. Just grab a chair and then someone will come along and take your money. The Snorkeling starts near and then goes far from the beach...it all depends on how long you want to be in the water. There are reef balls in a trail pretty close to the beach. The beach is awesome and the bar/grill is a great spot for lunch.

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Haven't noticed any comments on refilling the gas at the end of your rental, other than to expect to pay cash. Can anyone give me an idea where to top off the gas tank prior to returning the car? Also, about how much did you pay after a full day of touring? Trying to get an idea of costs and how much cash to take off the ship for our day. Thanks!

We have used Avis 3 times now and drove up to Playa Porto Marie the last couple years. We spent $15 I think and filled just north of the pier. Getting to the gas station was a bit tricky. I am trying to rent from somewhere other than Avis this year because they are a bit shady every year. Last year they did not have the car size we requested so we paid for an SUV as that was all that was left and then we were charged $20 after we returned home even though we filled the tank. I would take pictures of the car when it is dropped off because more than likely nobody will be there to check you in. In 3 years we have never had someone there to check us in when we return the car to the pier.

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I should have mentioned that the ship tour also offered a stingray/kayak combo. The kayak portion of the trip was pretty good.

We have only done Atlantis while in Nassau. We booked with the ship in Antigua. I did not even think to book privately in Antigua for the stingrays. The ship experience was pretty good. The kayak was alright but not great.

Any suggestions or tips on quality of this excursion. We swam with stingrays in grand cayman and loved it. How does this compare?

We have done both tours. Although it was quite a few years between doing the Antigua tour and Cayman tour I would say they are both comparable. Some differences: You will not get a back rub with a stingray in Antigua and the water you stand in is deeper in Antigua. We were able to feed a couple stingrays which was fun. I think this is one of the better tours to do in Antigua having tried a number of different tours through the years

This was a great review! Very informative. Thanks for all the work you put into this. Your review of Creole Cruises in Antigua has helped me finally decide my excursion for our cruise in January. Thank you for that!

We took the Serenade through the Panama Canal on our very first cruise now I'm hooked on cruising. And now you've got me thinking that we should sail the Serenade again.

For your trip to St Thomas I would also recommend taking the trip over to St John's and going to Trunk Bay. It was a great beach and decent snorkeling. We had a great time there. Magen's Bay is also a nice beach if you just want to be a beach bum...and it is a pretty quick trip from either dock to help optimize your day.

Thanks again for the great work!