Snuckles

It's www.blackarrowlimo.com Be sure to ask or check to see if they are still running a cruise special.

We were a group of 7 looking for private transportation from local IAH hotel to Galveston on cruise day with a return following our cruise. We needed private transportation as we wanted to stop at a store before heading to port.

Jiovani was excellent to work with. The car provided was just right as it fit us all including our luggage. The driver the morning of our cruise was on time, professional, very pleasant and informative. Our return driver was also on time and communicative as we didn't know what time we would actually clear customs.

The cost for round trip was MUCH cheaper for our size group then paying per person on a shuttle and quite frankly much cheaper than other private transportation companies.

I highly recommend Black Arrow Limo and wouldn't hesitate to book with them again. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll ever cruise out of Galveston again.

We went with Bay Island Adventures and had an AWESOME time! It was the highlight of our cruise!!! We did the 3 stop snorkel tour, steak & lobster lunch with open bar (beer, mimosas, rum punch, vodka). I was disappointed that we didn't get Captain Ray, but the crew for the day was fun and awesome! After the snorkel trip they took us to see the monkeys & sloths. We would book with Bay Island again in a heartbeat! Hope this helps someone on the fence.

Went a couple of days ago to Victor's. There were sloths however we got there around 3:30 or so and the sloths were all tired. We did not get an opportunity to hold one however the kids touched one. Most of the sloths were resting, which we totally respected. Was cool to see them. Just know that you need to go early in the day if you want to hold them.

I'm all set on selecting/reserving excursions none are through Carnival so I'm aware of my balances. Just wanted to know if I should feel comfortable whipping out a credit card. I really like the idea of taking envelops for each day with appropriate $ in it with a little extra for the unexpected. Hmmm, okay, I guess I need tally everything up and go to the actual bank today :) I'd already planned to go as I needed those $1s for the ship.

We are leaving on the Freedom from Galveston on Saturday but hear that we'll be in many ports with Magic :)

For those that are curious our excursions are

Cozumel - Paradise Beach

Belize - Cave Tubing & Zip Lining

Roatan - Snorkel tour (including a sunken ship) with Lobster lunch on private island. We will also see the sloths and monkeys. Transportation to and from port included all through Bay Island Adventures.

Flying out for my cruise tomorrow and trying to determine how much cash to bring. For those of you who have taken many cruises or Caribbean veterans, how should I pay for my excursions, gifts, taxi, food, etc there? Should I feel comfortable whipping my credit card out to pay for most things? Should I take a bundle of cash for port activites?

Cozumel, Belize, Roatan are my ports.

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

We agree! I was just searching for something other than LFK (don't get me started on my frustrations) and we wanted to make sure we were snorkeling and enjoying local goods.

 

 

When do you go?? Let me know how your experience goes - we don't go until end of September.

Will do, we are going Feb 21st! So freaking excited!!!!!

We booked a snorkeling excursion through Bay Island Adventures (found them on tripadvisor). Took us in a power boat to 3 different snorkeling sites, had an amazing lobster lunch on a secluded beach, included rum punch and beer, and ended at West End beach area. Got to see a lot of the island. Taxi to and from port included. Communicate via Facebook messenger. Tell Kendra what you're interested in and they can customize a tour. Food was fantastic and snorkeling was awesome.

Good lawd, this sounds awesome!

Nevermind, Google is my friend :) Found out he's the general manager at Beacher.

Was Emil Webster part of the Beacher excursion package? Or did you book him separately?

HI S,

 

Below is a site that has a couple of maps that will help you locate the best place to enter the ocean off the beach; look for the hotel and in the water will be a floating trampoline. The map shows it with green flags:

 

https://uponarriving.com/2016/06/16/...atan-honduras/

 

We've snorkeled for years and spent over an hour in the water last visit (Dec 2017). We think Roatan is one of the best areas to snorkel in the entire Caribbean.

 

Have fun!

Kel:D

Nice! Thank you so much for sharing.

You all are so very kind! Thank you for responding to my request, I've been really stressing about this. Thank you.

Thanks for the recommendation!! It sounds like you don't need to pay for a snorkeling excursion to have an AWESOME experience in Roatan. You can experience just the same right from the beach! Are you strong snorkelers? Can you share the map of where to get in and the route to take?

Snorkeling is very important to us. I'd hate to go all the way to Roatan on a cruise ship and NOT get the best experience possible. This will be the only port where we actually snorkel. So . . . with that being said what's the general opinion on going to West Bay and snorkeling from shore VERSES using one of the snorkeling vendors at West Bay VERSES booking a snorkeling excursion like Roatan Ocean Adventures (or another tour operator)?

• To me it appears that snorkeling vendors at West Bay may not give me enough water time for the $ as I'm sure they want to make as much as possible during the course of the day.
  
• With an excursion, I know how much water time I'm getting ahead of time and the boat may be better than a Bay's vendor.
  
• Snorkeling from shore might just be just as amazing as the two options above (BUT I have absolutely no idea).
  

Can someone weigh in and put me out of my misery? Pretty please :) and thank you so much!

We've selected this very same itinerary! I thought the sloths were included in the Best Of Roatan tour?

Snorkeling is very important to us, so now I'm second guessing and wonder if we should book a full snorkeling tour instead, then see the sloths if we have time afterwards. I hear snorkeling at Roatan is amazing. Maybe I'll start a new thread to see what the experts suggest.

Avoid cruising during high flu season is probably the best advice :( I leave in 18 days!

I just read the "Just off the Breeze" report and have seen others where people get sick while on the ship or soon after returning. I know this is almost unavoidable with the number of people we come in contact with just being on a cruise. So besides washing hands often & using hand sanitizer what can we do to help protect ourselves? What should we pack to help soften the blow of the flu or an upper respiratory infection? So far I have,

Vitamin C

Alka-seltzer cough and cold or Theraflu

What else would be good? Also looking for preventative ideas as well.

That is pretty funny that no one responded! Sounds horrible! I was just going to ask what happens at the power hour cocktail party? And how to set one up?

We are on your same cruise, Snuckles. We are also flying into IAH (just the two of us). We get in Friday early evening, and decided to just stay at a hotel near the airport with free shuttle. Haven't decided yet whether we will shuttle back to the airport in the morning and book one of the shuttles to the cruise port in Galveston, or try Uber.

You know scsagh, I was looking at the responses and thinking same thing. This would reduce our cost of paying for transportation to a hotel then another to the port. Okay off to check the prices of hotels around the airport with shuttle services. Hope I run into you 19 days!! Woot! Woot!

Thank you all for responding and being so helpful. I really appreciate it.

That's a thought, to just stay in Houston overnight. I thought the general consensus was to get as close to Galveston as you can to avoid any morning faux pas by being stuff in traffic, road closures, snow, etc. Can you recommend cities that are close to Galveston that may not be popular that weekend? Or should we just spend the night in Houston?

Hello all, looks like a lot of the hotels in Galveston has raised their prices for the weekend after Valentine's day. We are flying into IAH and taking a Uber to a hotel. Looking for recommendations and or cities I should look for hotels that are close to Galveston. Thank you for any advice or guidance you can provide.

Thanks ABQrobin,

I'm toying with the idea of adding the zipline to my cave tour in Belize and leaving Roatan for a full day of snorkeling.

Awesome! Thanks!

Looking forward to your review. We sail on her in 19 days for our 2nd time.

If I bring the drops (i.e. liquid) does it need to be in my carry on or can I pack it safely in my luggage?