Which resort day pass? Help me choose

Are there stray dogs at this part of the beach? How about horses?

Yes it's a private restaurant but ALL beaches in Antigua are PUBLIC. They do have loungers and umbrellas to rent. It's less than 10 minutes from the port and I believe it was $6 each way for the taxi. We didn't have any vendors bother us.

 

We booked the all inclusive option the day we went and Gail pre-arranged the taxi for us so it was super easier. When he dropped us off we arranged for what time we wanted him to pick us up to go back to the ship. He was a super nice guy and right on time both times.

 

I cannot express HOW impressed I am with Beachlimerz. I won't go anywhere else in Antigua. Gail and her staff are amazing!

http://*******.com/yc8tupbs Interesting shots of destruction in the Caribbean

Gail wrote this AM. We would prefer an umbrella two chairs and light food.

BEACHLIMERZ DAY PASS / PAYG OPTIONS

FAQs

· What time do you open?

We begin serving from the bar at 10AM. However, once we have reservations we will be ready whether it’s 10AM or 9 AM. To wit we are flexible.

· Does the Day Pass option require a deposit?

Yes – USD30 PP Please note the charge for children 10 and under for a Day Pass or PAYG is USD30.

· Does the Pay As You Go option require a deposit?

Yes this option requires a deposit of USD25 which will go toward any purchase from the restaurant or rental of watersports equipment.

· What is your cancellation policy?

(i) A 100% refund if you got to Antigua and your captain did not allow you to leave the ship...this has happened in the past where the captain thought it was too windy to stay berthed at the dock.

(ii) Should it be raining heavily accompanied by thunderstorms and you are unable to lie on the beach or go into the water for most of the day we will do a partial refund**

· Do you offer the BBQ everyday?

We offer the BBQ once we have reservations from cruise passengers. Sometimes we do the BBQ from indoors should it be a less than busy day or the weather threatens to be uncooperative.

· What is the cost of the BBQ on the Pay as you Go option?

US$40 includes 2 meats, 2 sides, green salad, dessert, water, Wadadli beer or Rum Punch (or non-alcoholic beer or Fruit Punch).

· Do you limit day passes and pay as you go passes?

Not really. We are a small semi secluded facility and our focus is relaxation but with much fun. We don't have motorized watersports equipment. Further we do not have an arrangement with any of the tour companies and so have never had scores of visitors descending on us. We have never done more than about 30 cruise passengers at any one time and we make an effort to ensure we are not going above 50 on any one day. Some days, especially in the off-season (May – December) you may very well have the beach to yourself.

**This refund [(ii)] is not cast in stone as circumstances will vary and we will refund accordingly. We are guided by our desire to be fair. We want every visitor to leave with an overall positive impression and good feelings towards Beachlimerz. We want also to stay in business for many years to come. We shall strike a balance.

BEACHLIMERZ

Fort James, Antigua

(268) 562-8574 / (268) 789-8706

DAY PASS INFORMATION

CRUISERS ONLY

Day Passes are USD65 PP (including tax). The Day Pass includes the following:

(a) Use of Water Sports equipment (kayaks, body boards, standup paddleboards, snorkeling equipment)

(b) Use of Chaise Lounges and Beach umbrellas

© 2 Rum Punches (OR 2 Wadadli Beers) AND 2 Waters per person

(d) Beach BBQ - Ribs, Chicken, Fish, Hamburgers Sides - Fries, Potato Salad, Grilled Veggies, Rice, Sauteed Potatoes & Green Salad. Dessert - House made Bread Pudding drizzled w/coconut rum sauce.

(e) We are located seconds from Fort James itself and some guests enjoy a walk around the old Fort which itself dates back to the early 18th century and retains most of the old structure including canons.

Groups of 10 or more pay USD60 PP ( including ABST). We charge USD30 for children under ten (10)

Distance from port - about 1.5 miles. Currently taxi cost is US$4 per person each way if over 4 passengers. Less than four the fare is $6.00 per person

We accept MasterCard and Visa.

Effective May 15th 2017

we have only done the jolly beach resort but loved it so much that we have done it twice and have plans to go back in january. beautiful long beach, nice pool, very friendly staff, grat food and drinks

Does anyone know the email address for day-pass reservations at Sandals Grande Antigua?

I thought I read somewhere Sandals Grande Antigua was closed... not sure if this temporary or not. You might want to try the 1-800 number.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Sandals Antigua is supposed to re-open on December 16. The resort doesn't extend day passes very often. In order to try to get the pass, you must call the resort directly at 268-484-0100. You will either be turned on or given the gm's email address or his assistant. Then you must send an email to request the day pass. They may or may not get back to you.

Don't go unless you have a confirmation email. We were sharing a cab with 2 other couples. We had the confirmation. They didn't despite being told to come by the front desk. We got in and they didn't. We weren't traveling with them so it didn't affect us directly. I did feel bad for them.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Surely there are lots of beach bars that can give you an authentic Caribbean atmosphere, rather than going to a plastic artificial resort like Sandals. It's a bit like going to Italy and wanting to eat pizza in a Pizza Hut.

Sent from my SM-T700 using Forums mobile app

I just called Sandals and they confirmed they are closed until December 16th. I then emailed The Verandah and have requested reservations for two day passes for our cruise next month. No swim up bar, but it has great reviews. :cool:

Good to know.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

we have only done the jolly beach resort but loved it so much that we have done it twice and have plans to go back in january. beautiful long beach, nice pool, very friendly staff, grat food and drinks

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

I just called Sandals and they confirmed they are closed until December 16th. I then emailed The Verandah and have requested reservations for two day passes for our cruise next month. No swim up bar, but it has great reviews. :cool:

What does the Verandah charge for a day pass?

I just emailed blue waters lol

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

After looking the offer over more closely, it is only for travel agents. :(

My father in law owns a travel agency this may work for us!!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Hi all,

 

I just returned from my cruise and wanted to post an update for those who requested more information about my experience.

 

We chose a day pass at Blue Waters Resort. I corresponded with them via email to "reserve" it in advance. There wasn't a fee or payment required in advance but they did request you let them know if you were coming so they could put your name on the list so security would grant you access to the property when you arrived.

 

The day pass is valid from 10 am to 6 pm. Our ship was in port from 8 am to 6 pm. We arrived around 10:15 am. We checked in at the front desk and were given a card that indicated we had a day pass. We chose to go with the pay as you go option rather than the all inclusive as we did not feel we would eat and drink enough for the price difference (and we did not).

 

We were then shown around the property (the pools, the restaurants and their hours, the towels, the restrooms, etc.). We chose to hang out at the first pool as it was completely empty. We had the pool to ourselves mostly the entire day. One couple came through and took a quick dip before moving on and another couple put their belongings there while they went to lunch but then came and took them elsewhere when they were finished eating. The pool was clean and the water was warm (which I love).

 

Around 12:30 pm we went to a restaurant for lunch. We chose the restaurant with more substantial food over the one with snack type food. They had a buffet at this restaurant but we did not go with that option or even look at what it provided. I believe the host said it was seafood and other Antiguan items. I ordered the jerk chicken, DH ordered a bbq sandwich. Both were excellent and large portions.

 

After lunch, we returned to the pool and spent the rest of our time there. Overall, it is a very nice resort. It's quiet and relaxing. If that's what you are looking for, this is a great option. It felt great to get away from the 3,000 other people we were cruising with as most other ports you always felt like everyone was doing what you were doing. I am not aware of anyone else who did this from the ship and we were the only ship in port that day.

 

The staff were very friendly and nice.

 

If there are any other details I can provide, please let me know!

I would love to know the prices!! And how far was it from the port?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I can second Beachlimerz. I went to dinner there when I stayed in Antigua and the food was great. Beach is nice. It is in Fort James and close to cruise port. We had stayed right next to Sandals at Antigua Village which is Dickerson Bay beach area and it was about 5 minutes from there. I think it is about 5-10 minutes from cruise port. The people running it are really nice and friendly. BTW - I did see your post about which day pass. Unless you want a pool, I would just hang out at a beach all day with a beach bar/restaurant nearby. Dennis' was really nice with a nice beach (not sure if they rent chairs there though but the beach was beautiful). Beach limerz is nice. Turners...etc... Antigua has a lot of places to go with great food/drink. It just isn' the place I would look for a day pass for.

Yeah.....I have to say it wasn't an impressive response from Lance. I was not there so I don't know what happened......I do know that often people order appetizers aka small plates rather than full meals during lunch.....and I do think that if I have spent a fair amount of money in doing so (that guest spent in excess of $100 USD for 2 people) then the restaurant should be fine with that. It turned me off from wanting to visit Lance.

 

So that said, we all have our bad days and our less than stellar responses.

 

Beach Limerz that is referred to several times may be the smaller beach vibe without the motorized beach toys and smaller crowds....that also serves food and drink......with the option of package or pay as you go.

 

The good news is that this thread has provided some great options to research and make a choice from based on what your priorities are.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

If you are still looking, Sandals Grande Antigua is back open. Your travel agent can get you a day pass very easily. I used to work for Sandals and have been to all of them. I would highly recommend this resort if you are a beach lover looking to make the most of drinking, eating and activities. You have full access to all bars and restaurants, all motorized and non-motorized watersports, and even the snorkeling and dive trips (if you are PADI certified its free). For the snorkeling and diving I recommend going to the watersports desk right when you arrive to see if there is space available on the trips. For all other activities like water skiing, tubing, paddelboards, etc you just wait until one is available. Sandals Grande Antigua is on one of the best beaches (probably second to Long Bay where Pineapple Club is, IMO) in Antigua and the water is clear and calm. The ride is about 10-15min from where you dock in St Johns. If you are on a smaller ship tendering in Falmouth Harbor its much farther away.

If you are still looking, Sandals Grande Antigua is back open. Your travel agent can get you a day pass very easily. I used to work for Sandals and have been to all of them. I would highly recommend this resort if you are a beach lover looking to make the most of drinking, eating and activities. You have full access to all bars and restaurants, all motorized and non-motorized watersports, and even the snorkeling and dive trips (if you are PADI certified its free). For the snorkeling and diving I recommend going to the watersports desk right when you arrive to see if there is space available on the trips. For all other activities like water skiing, tubing, paddelboards, etc you just wait until one is available. Sandals Grande Antigua is on one of the best beaches (probably second to Long Bay where Pineapple Club is, IMO) in Antigua and the water is clear and calm. The ride is about 10-15min from where you dock in St Johns. If you are on a smaller ship tendering in Falmouth Harbor its much farther away.

Do you know how much a day pass is?

It was $100 pp in April.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thank you!

I just emailed blue waters lol

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Hi we are there the first week in January did they respond to your email,

Long ago on a Caribbean cruise (can’t remember which island), I accepted a “free” beach resort day. I was taken by taxi to a resort and only then was I told that this was a time share sales property. I thought I would never get out of there.

My husband and I just returned from a 7-day cruise, where we opted to do the All Inclusive Day Pass at Blue Waters Resort & Spa in Antigua for our port visit.  Of our 5 days of port visits, this was the one day I was looking the most forward to, after seeing the photos/reading reviews of Blue Waters - Couldn't wait to go there!  Though unfortunately, my husband and I jointly agree, it was the worst day pass we have experienced to date (seasoned cruisers, here), and the worst day of our entire cruise (even the cruise ship hospitality blew Blue Waters out of the water).  Absolutely, the resort is impeccably manicured, lovely and tranquil - however, the service was the worst we've seen from any resort.  It was obvious from the minute we checked-in, that American's weren't exactly looked kindly upon, and it was seen in the front desk service, service at the bar, and service in the restaurant.  The two gentleman staffing the water sports office, were the exception to the rule - They were quite lovely, and kind to set up a private sailing lesson for my husband.  From what one of the staff told us, later in the day, they really don't like American visitors - as they stereo-typically think we are rude.  The entire day was quite frustrating really - Despite our high class manners and warm demeanor, we still received less then good service, yet still tipped amazingly well for the service we were able to receive.  The cost for 2, all-inclusive, was $300 for the day (not including another $100 in tips) - Which was steep, considering, it was the most difficult and frustrating all-inclusive I've ever been to, to get a snack/meal (it felt like pulling teeth).  I've never written a negative review of any all-inclusive, yet alone, one of the caliber that Blue Waters is supposedly known for.