St Lucia's Local Opinion

Not really, per se. There are a few non-AI resorts that offer "day passes" that include a day room of available such as Bay Gardens Beach Resort or Royal by Rex. Or Coco Palm, etc.... Some don't include their pool, just lounge chairs, lunch and day room, etc. Best to check directly with property as each one varies.. No beach clubs with pools and such on the island. Pools are associated to hotels, and each hotel has their own rules on who can use them....

Thank you, reedprincess

Hello Everyone,

 

After going through this forum, I realized that many persons visiting St Lucia have many questions about the destination. My name is Dexter and I live in St Lucia about 15 minutes away from the Cruise Terminal. I love the internet and I’m generally online so I thought I may offer anyone my local opinion on questions about St Lucia. Please note that I don’t work in the tourism industry so I may sometimes have to research certain questions you may have.

 

Feel free to ask any questions and Id be happy to respond!

 

Devoulty,

Dex

We visited your beautiful island three years ago. We had a wonderful tour (my favorite on any of the many islands we've visited). The man's name was James, and he drove a Pittsburgh Steelers van. We have friends visiting your island soon, and I'd like to get them in touch with him. By any chance do you know if he's still doing tours?

Lori

We visited your beautiful island three years ago. We had a wonderful tour (my favorite on any of the many islands we've visited). The man's name was James, and he drove a Pittsburgh Steelers van. We have friends visiting your island soon, and I'd like to get them in touch with him. By any chance do you know if he's still doing tours?

 

Lori

Yes, James Touring Serviced com is still alive and well and operating his great tours. You can find him at that website. Enjoy your next visit.

ReedPrincess and Dex, quick question about speedboats from Castries to Jalousie Beach... how frequently do you see children on these speedboats? We are traveling with a 6-year-old and 1-year-old, in January 2017, and we are considering a speedboat excursion to Jalousie for a nice beach day with the chidlren, and of course the opportunity to view the Pitons. I'm concerned about the bumpiness of the speedboat ride, and the reliability of the boats, the companies, and getting to the ship well before it leaves. I'm wondering if there is any other recommended option, not the long drive, to Jalousie Beach. I'm not sure how much the typical weather for this time of year impacts the water. Thanks in advance!

ReedPrincess and Dex, quick question about speedboats from Castries to Jalousie Beach... how frequently do you see children on these speedboats? We are traveling with a 6-year-old and 1-year-old, in January 2017, and we are considering a speedboat excursion to Jalousie for a nice beach day with the chidlren, and of course the opportunity to view the Pitons. I'm concerned about the bumpiness of the speedboat ride, and the reliability of the boats, the companies, and getting to the ship well before it leaves. I'm wondering if there is any other recommended option, not the long drive, to Jalousie Beach. I'm not sure how much the typical weather for this time of year impacts the water. Thanks in advance!

The tours are reliable - they Make their living off of visitors including cruise visitors, and wouldn't stay in business if they got their passenegrs back late. Boats are inspected yearly,, operators are licensed and have to take ongoing safety training, Carey life jackets, etc..

Howvwr - a 1 year old would be tough! There are no child seats or the like, most are speedboats with bench seating, and yes it can get bouncy if it's at all rough. The boats move pretty fast, but I personally wouldn't be too comfortable with a 1 and 6 year old and having to hold them all the time, etc... I'm sure folks do it just fine no problems, but you'd have to hold them tight the whole way. Consider instead maybe a catamaran tour with some snorkeling along.g the way, or similar if you don't want to do the land tour. The cats sail much slower, more seating options, etc...

Good luck and enjoy your visit.

The tours are reliable - they Make their living off of visitors including cruise visitors, and wouldn't stay in business if they got their passenegrs back late. Boats are inspected yearly,, operators are licensed and have to take ongoing safety training, Carey life jackets, etc..

Howvwr - a 1 year old would be tough! There are no child seats or the like, most are speedboats with bench seating, and yes it can get bouncy if it's at all rough. The boats move pretty fast, but I personally wouldn't be too comfortable with a 1 and 6 year old and having to hold them all the time, etc... I'm sure folks do it just fine no problems, but you'd have to hold them tight the whole way. Consider instead maybe a catamaran tour with some snorkeling along.g the way, or similar if you don't want to do the land tour. The cats sail much slower, more seating options, etc...

Good luck and enjoy your visit.

Thank you!

Very good point about the small boats on open water.....also NOT recommended for anyone with back or hip issues, or recent surgery. I can speak from experience on that, re a power boat that carried about 25 people in open ocean waters. I did all I could in advance to try to figure out what kind of tour it was, and it sounded like a nature preserves tour. But it turned out to be totally not as described by the ship tour info and personnel. I and the 2 pinched disks in my back paid for that tour twice, including the 5 weeks of aggressive chiropractic that followed.

Hello Everyone,

 

After going through this forum, I realized that many persons visiting St Lucia have many questions about the destination. My name is Dexter and I live in St Lucia about 15 minutes away from the Cruise Terminal. I love the internet and I’m generally online so I thought I may offer anyone my local opinion on questions about St Lucia. Please note that I don’t work in the tourism industry so I may sometimes have to research certain questions you may have.

 

Feel free to ask any questions and Id be happy to respond!

 

Devoulty,

Dex

Thank you for being so helpful! Couple more questions for you. Does the bus go to Pigeon Island? Does the rainforest charge approx $55 (US) to enter if we do it without a tour? Can you recommend a good catamaran tour company for Jalouise beach from the cruise port. I see land/sea tours with speed boats, but who would you recommend for a smoother ride? How would we get to Anse Mamin beach?

Thanks again.

Thank you for being so helpful! Couple more questions for you. Does the bus go to Pigeon Island? Does the rainforest charge approx $55 (US) to enter if we do it without a tour? Can you recommend a good catamaran tour company for Jalouise beach from the cruise port. I see land/sea tours with speed boats, but who would you recommend for a smoother ride? How would we get to Anse Mamin beach?

Thanks again.

Not sure when we last saw Dex2015, but I'm happy to help.

Bus does not go all the way to Pigeon Island. You can try to catch a bus in Castries to Cap Estate, then get off at the PI gap and walk in, about 20 minute walk. Buses on the return will be scarce though - our buses do not run on a schedule, they run when they are full. A taxi r/t to PI will be $70us. Serenity offers a "tour" which includes transportation, entrance fee, drinks, and lounge chairs plus rep on site.

You can "enter" the rainforest in different places. BArre D'isle hike, Edmunds Rainforest preserve, etc. If you mean Rainforest Adventures (zip line, aerial team ride, etc) - if you're not doing one of their activites, there's not Pont going there. It's about 40 minutes on way from Port, and cab again, about $40 one way. Buses do run there but serious time constraints! If you go on your own to do an activity without a reservation, you may or may not get in. They do contract with the ships, on the understanding that they won't take independent ship guests.

Check out Mystic Man, Carnival, Jus Sail, Bateau Mygo, or SeaSpray cruises for catamaran sailongs to Soufriere. All offer various tours. Mystic Man' has a great snorkel excursion if you're into that.

You'll want to make up your mind as there's no way you Cando all that in way day. Sheer drive time will rule it out!

Enjoy your visit.

Very good point about the small boats on open water.....also NOT recommended for anyone with back or hip issues, or recent surgery. I can speak from experience on that, re a power boat that carried about 25 people in open ocean waters. I did all I could in advance to try to figure out what kind of tour it was, and it sounded like a nature preserves tour. But it turned out to be totally not as described by the ship tour info and personnel. I and the 2 pinched disks in my back paid for that tour twice, including the 5 weeks of aggressive chiropractic that followed.

question for Reedprincess, I am concerned about the speed speed boat as well however I was looking at the land and sea tour with Spencer or Herod, are these considered speedboats ? If so is there a catamaran tour that does the same without snorkeling ?

Not sure when we last saw Dex2015, but I'm happy to help.

Bus does not go all the way to Pigeon Island. You can try to catch a bus in Castries to Cap Estate, then get off at the PI gap and walk in, about 20 minute walk. Buses on the return will be scarce though - our buses do not run on a schedule, they run when they are full. A taxi r/t to PI will be $70us. Serenity offers a "tour" which includes transportation, entrance fee, drinks, and lounge chairs plus rep on site.

You can "enter" the rainforest in different places. BArre D'isle hike, Edmunds Rainforest preserve, etc. If you mean Rainforest Adventures (zip line, aerial team ride, etc) - if you're not doing one of their activites, there's not Pont going there. It's about 40 minutes on way from Port, and cab again, about $40 one way. Buses do run there but serious time constraints! If you go on your own to do an activity without a reservation, you may or may not get in. They do contract with the ships, on the understanding that they won't take independent ship guests.

Check out Mystic Man, Carnival, Jus Sail, Bateau Mygo, or SeaSpray cruises for catamaran sailongs to Soufriere. All offer various tours. Mystic Man' has a great snorkel excursion if you're into that.

You'll want to make up your mind as there's no way you Cando all that in way day. Sheer drive time will rule it out!

Enjoy your visit.

Thank you so much!!!

Yes, James Touring Serviced com is still alive and well and operating his great tours. You can find him at that website. Enjoy your next visit.

Thank you so much for your help. He was the best guide we've ever had on all our 8 cruises. His tour of your island made me want to come back for a longer stay.

Hello, I just want to say it is wonderful that you are wanting to give advise as a "native" of St. Lucia.

We are going to do the Cosol Tours (that's are plans) in April, as CC has many people posting that they are a good one to go through.

I just want to put my 2 cents worth in for St. Lucia. it will be almost 9 years since I was there before, and I FELL IN LOVE with St. Lucia. I am from the state of Missouri, and love the Caribbean. This is my small description of what St. Lucia is to me, when I "discovered" it. It has mountains and valleys, and so colorful, that I say it is like a Crayola box, and to top this off, the people are very special too.

I have never met anyone on any of my cruises that when we talked about St. Lucia, that they didn't like, or enjoy the port/island.

Hello, I just want to say it is wonderful that you are wanting to give advise as a "native" of St. Lucia.

 

We are going to do the Cosol Tours (that's are plans) in April, as CC has many people posting that they are a good one to go through.

 

I just want to put my 2 cents worth in for St. Lucia. it will be almost 9 years since I was there before, and I FELL IN LOVE with St. Lucia. I am from the state of Missouri, and love the Caribbean. This is my small description of what St. Lucia is to me, when I "discovered" it. It has mountains and valleys, and so colorful, that I say it is like a Crayola box, and to top this off, the people are very special too.

 

I have never met anyone on any of my cruises that when we talked about St. Lucia, that they didn't like, or enjoy the port/island.

I'm sure you'll enjoy Cosol, his tour is so highly rated and recommended for a reason!

Thanks for your kind words regarding my home. I hope it's every bit as beautiful as you remembered!

Not sure when we last saw Dex2025 around here, hasn't posted in a while, but I'm sure he shares my sentiments.

Enjoy your re-visit!

question for Reedprincess, I am concerned about the speed speed boat as well however I was looking at the land and sea tour with Spencer or Herod, are these considered speedboats ? If so is there a catamaran tour that does the same without snorkeling ?

I see Reedprincess is back on the thread so I am re-posting TIA

question for Reedprincess, I am concerned about the speed speed boat as well however I was looking at the land and sea tour with Spencer or Herod, are these considered speedboats ? If so is there a catamaran tour that does the same without snorkeling ?

Give a girl a chance to answer! Lol.

Yes, Spencer and Herod's tours are both speedboats. Yes, they go fast!

Cat tour options include Carnival, Mango Tango, Bateau Mygo, Endless Summer, Mystic Man, etc.. Tour options vary by operator... Enjoy.

Not sure when we last saw Dex2015, but I'm happy to help.

Bus does not go all the way to Pigeon Island. You can try to catch a bus in Castries to Cap Estate, then get off at the PI gap and walk in, about 20 minute walk. Buses on the return will be scarce though - our buses do not run on a schedule, they run when they are full. A taxi r/t to PI will be $70us. Serenity offers a "tour" which includes transportation, entrance fee, drinks, and lounge chairs plus rep on site.

You can "enter" the rainforest in different places. BArre D'isle hike, Edmunds Rainforest preserve, etc. If you mean Rainforest Adventures (zip line, aerial team ride, etc) - if you're not doing one of their activites, there's not Pont going there. It's about 40 minutes on way from Port, and cab again, about $40 one way. Buses do run there but serious time constraints! If you go on your own to do an activity without a reservation, you may or may not get in. They do contract with the ships, on the understanding that they won't take independent ship guests.

Check out Mystic Man, Carnival, Jus Sail, Bateau Mygo, or SeaSpray cruises for catamaran sailongs to Soufriere. All offer various tours. Mystic Man' has a great snorkel excursion if you're into that.

You'll want to make up your mind as there's no way you Cando all that in way day. Sheer drive time will rule it out!

Enjoy your visit.

One more question! Is the $70 taxi r/t to PI, per person? We are a party of 4 so not sure if that's for all of us or per person. Thanks once again!

I may be out of place, but for $75 for 4 - 5 hour tour pp with snacks/drinks, we are doing Cosol. All I have ever heard of this name is good news.

One more question! Is the $70 taxi r/t to PI, per person? We are a party of 4 so not sure if that's for all of us or per person. Thanks once again!

It's for the taxi, not per person.

I have been to the beautiful island of St. Lucia numerous times, but next year will be the first time with my hubby. I know exactly what I want us to do on our day there. I want to be on a sailboat (or sailing cat), sail to the Pitons and have time to snorkel at the marine park. I would prefer NOT to do a big tour with a million people, and am willing to pay more to have a private or semi-private tour (6-12 people perhaps). 5-6 hours with lunch and drinks would be nice.

Anyone know who offers this kind of tour?

I have been to the beautiful island of St. Lucia numerous times, but next year will be the first time with my hubby. I know exactly what I want us to do on our day there. I want to be on a sailboat (or sailing cat), sail to the Pitons and have time to snorkel at the marine park. I would prefer NOT to do a big tour with a million people, and am willing to pay more to have a private or semi-private tour (6-12 people perhaps). 5-6 hours with lunch and drinks would be nice.

Anyone know who offers this kind of tour?

Serenity Vacations and Tours offers customized tours and they have excellent reviews, and are good with responding to email and phone calls.

Does anyone have an email address for Pink Plantation House restaurant?

TIA!

Does anyone have an email address for Pink Plantation House restaurant?

 

TIA!

Try wildorchidstlucia at hotmail dot com. If that doesn't get you in touch with them, best bet is to call... Enjoy

I have been to the beautiful island of St. Lucia numerous times, but next year will be the first time with my hubby. I know exactly what I want us to do on our day there. I want to be on a sailboat (or sailing cat), sail to the Pitons and have time to snorkel at the marine park. I would prefer NOT to do a big tour with a million people, and am willing to pay more to have a private or semi-private tour (6-12 people perhaps). 5-6 hours with lunch and drinks would be nice.

Anyone know who offers this kind of tour?

Mystic Man offers just this kind of experience...perhaps check with them? Serenity is a great tour company, but often contracts out the tours with the actual operators...they do run their own tours, but mainly the land portions... Either way, enjoy.

Try wildorchidstlucia at hotmail dot com. If that doesn't get you in touch with them, best bet is to call... Enjoy

Thanks!