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Silent Penguin

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    Anyone used Chad4nature for a tour in Freeport?

    in Bahamas

    Posted

    I am glad to see this thread brought back to light because it would be a shame if someone visiting Freeport didn't know about Chad4nature ahead of time and missed an opportunity to book a tour.

     

    Last September, dh and I took a West End tour with Jay. Here is an excerpt concerning our experience from my cruise report.

     

    I wasn't concerned about the quality of the excursion because the reviews on Travel Adviser were unanimously glowing, but I was concerned about missing it. Here's why. Every excursion we have arranged prior to a cruise has been with a company that has a website, requires a deposit, and indicates a time and location to meet. Not so with Chad4nature. No website, just an email address. No deposit, just an email from us with our names, our shoe size for the flippers, and our lunch choice. No time and location for meeting, just a phone number to call when we get off the ship. My biggest concern was we are going to walk off the ship in Freeport and find ourselves unable to immediately find a phone to call Chad and so much time would pass between finding a phone and making contact that our guide would decide we were “no-shows” and leave without us.

     

    As it turned out, there was no time for worry. Within seconds of walking off the ship, we spotted a neatly groomed Bahamian man holding a sign that read “Chad4Nature”. With giddy relief, we shook his hand. Our guide, Jay, knew who we were before we could introduce ourselves. A good sign.

    The next pleasant surprise was that we were the only people on the tour. It's not that we don't enjoy the company of others -we love meeting new people – but who wouldn't want a tour guide all to oneself? Jay offered us some time to peruse the port shops but we weren't interested. Instead we we headed to Jay's van, which I was relieved to see was clean and relatively new. (One time, we booked a snorkeling excursion that boasted clean and comfortable transportation, but our actual conveyance from the port to the snorkeling boat dock turned out to be an old Chevy truck with no muffler, passenger side window glass or seat belts.)

     

    As we left the port center to start our Western End tour, dh expressed an interest in the industrial aspects of the Port of Freeport, asking questions about the refinery and container centers we could see from the ship as we entered the Port of Freeport. Honestly, I didn't expect Jay to have much to say, but I was wrong. Instead of heading straight for the “nature” part of our nature tour, Jay started us off with a guided tour of the industrial operations near the port. He was a walking encyclopedia and Dh couldn't have been happier.

     

    The full description -with pictures - of our West End tour is on page 4 of my cruise report.

     

    http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=35542717&highlight=jay#post35542717

    Has Anyone traveled to a port via Amtrak

    in Ask a Cruise Question

    Posted · Edited by Silent Penguin

    OP, I see you are from Virginia. If Lorton, Va isn't too far, you might want to look into taking the Autotrain. It's not the fastest means of convenyance -it's an overnight trip - but it has a lot of advantages. We have taken the Autotrain several times. It's has always been an enjoyable and comfortable experience. Pricewise, sometimes it was cheaper than flying and other times it wasn't. It depended on whether we hit a "Kids-ride-free" special. Factoring in that dinner and breakfast is included (and the food is good) and there is no luggage fee, it balances things a bit.

    Wonderful time on the Carnival Pride Sept 16-23: Review, Pics + Comparisons to HAL

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    felt so lucky I had discovered the missing bag prior to getting on the cruise since I am sure it would have cost a fortune to buy things on the ship.

     

     

     

    Yes, toiletries do cost a small fortune on the ship. I had to buy a new toothbrush and it was $3.00, not even a Colgate or Crest brand, just a plain old, no name toothbrush.

     

    I was on the Pride right before you. It was our first Carnival Cruise. Going from a Mickey motif on the Disney ships to "nip-nips everywhere" decor (as my nephew used to say when he was a newly weaned toddler) was a bit of an adjustment. Congratulations on the great deal. I think we could live with the "bowling alley" if it means saving a few hundred dollars while still having a balcony of sorts.

    1st timer Carnival Inspiration review with photos. Better late than never!

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    Embarkation Day:

     

     

    317271_2185680033914_1069366325_n.jpg

     

     

    We began to make our way around the ship and explore what it had to offer. We were amazed at all the ship had and enjoyed the loud décor of the ship. The lights and the music in the background all added to the mood. We were quickly falling in love with the idea of cruising!

     

    I haven't read the whole thing yet, but I'm already having so much fun reliving the thrill of the first cruise reading your review and looking at your pictures. I have that same dress in red. It's one of my favorites.

    Grand Turk Nathans Golf Carts

    in Grand Turk

    Posted

    Reading this thread has been educational. Forewarned is forearmed. We will probably rent from Nathan.

     

    It doesn't sound like these carts or the roads are in any worse shape than those I've experienced in parts of Mexico, Costa Rica or Columbia. If you can't fit a whole cinderblock or most of a car tire in the potholes, it's not a pothole by Baranquilla standards. If the cart has seats that are attached to the floor of the vehicle, it's nicer than what we rode in as missionaries in Santa Marta.

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