Prickly Pear Island Excursion

I did a search on here for Prickly Pear Island...most were too old and I would like a newer review of this island/excursion. We will be booking through Royal Caribbean arriving in a couple of weeks (dec. 2017).

Trying to decide whether this 5 1/2 HR excursion from 8-1:30 is worth the $129 per person which includes buffet lunch. Debating on doing this excursion vs just catching a taxi and heading on a beach on our own. My husband and I mid 50's plus 2 adult kids ages 32 want a relaxing beach with some snorkeling, relaxing under an umbrella, etc.

Any info pros/cons appreciated.

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I did a search on here for Prickly Pear Island...most were too old and I would like a newer review of this island/excursion. We will be booking through Royal Caribbean arriving in a couple of weeks (dec. 2017).

 

Trying to decide whether this 5 1/2 HR excursion from 8-1:30 is worth the $129 per person which includes buffet lunch. Debating on doing this excursion vs just catching a taxi and heading on a beach on our own. My husband and I mid 50's plus 2 adult kids ages 32 want a relaxing beach with some snorkeling, relaxing under an umbrella, etc.

 

Any info pros/cons appreciated.

 

 

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OMG the price has really increased, and Cruise Herds.

Suggest you book your whole day at Jacqui O's. Just shabby chic class. Better food, actual mixed cocktails, superb personal service, etc., etc.. A day to remember. Book well in advance and don't forget to sign the visitors book. No Cruise Herds. It's a no brainier.

Welcome to the club. 😉

The Beach you are describing is called Galleon Beach, This is Antigua's best-kept secret. It is a bit far from the town where your ship will dock, however, you can find a quiet beach, perfect for your family, great hiking, the best shore snorkeling in Antigua, sea turtles, rays, lots of fish etc.

There are two tour companies currently doing tours at Galleon Beach.

Scooter Snorkeling scootersnorkeling.com/

Bernies Snorkeling Antigua snorkelingantigua.com/

Or you can just take a taxi to this location If you prefer freestyling..

The Beach you are describing is called Galleon Beach, This is Antigua's best-kept secret. It is a bit far from the town where your ship will dock, however, you can find a quiet beach, perfect for your family, great hiking, the best shore snorkeling in Antigua, sea turtles, rays, lots of fish etc.

There are two tour companies currently doing tours at Galleon Beach.

Scooter Snorkeling scootersnorkeling.com/

Bernies Snorkeling Antigua snorkelingantigua.com/

Or you can just take a taxi to this location If you prefer freestyling..

I really couldn't find a lot of info on either of those sites. Not really into the scooter snorkeling, but Bernie's snorkeling looks especially interesting, but there's no info on prices, where they're headquartered, if they deal w cruise people, etc. Have you any firsthand experience with them?

My recommendation is adventure antigua. Had a great time with them last year on the around the island speed boat tour. Had snorkeling, lunch, and the sting rays. We are doing it again in April. There are other companies that will go to snorkeling spots and beach.

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I really couldn't find a lot of info on either of those sites. Not really into the scooter snorkeling, but Bernie's snorkeling looks especially interesting, but there's no info on prices, where they're headquartered, if they deal w cruise people, etc. Have you any firsthand experience with them?

You can find both tours on trip advisor things-to-do in Antigua under scuba and snorkeling. Bernie's operate through Pineapple Resort.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g3473300-d10244686-Reviews-Snorkeling_Antigua_W_I-Saint_Philip_Parish_Antigua_Antigua_and_Barbuda.html

To get prices and availability you will have to email. As far as I know, they do cruise ship passengers. You will just have to pay for the pickup and drop off to and from the port. Most tour companies who do pick up will offer a better rate than the taxi's.

. Most tour companies who do pick up will offer a better rate than the taxi's.

Would a tour company act like a taxi, without us doing a tour with them? I'm confused....

My recommendation is adventure antigua. Had a great time with them last year on the around the island speed boat tour. Had snorkeling, lunch, and the sting rays. We are doing it again in April. There are other companies that will go to snorkeling spots and beach.

 

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Thanks for the recommendation. We have done Eli's twice, and are interested mainly in snorkeling at this point.

Would a tour company act like a taxi, without us doing a tour with them? I'm confused....

Let me clarify, Tour companies who offer pick up and drop off service usually offer a better rate than the taxi's. The service is only offered when you are doing a tour with them. They do not do pick up without you actually doing a tour.

The closest to that you will find is if a group wants to do a tour, and they ask the company to do a pick up, and one or two persons want to ride along without doing the tour, or just to use the beach, they will charge a small fee, and not charge the tour price.

Which day will you be in Antigua btw? I must let you know, this time of the year, most companies are usually booked. You stand a better chance getting availability on the weekends. The closer to Christmas we get, the worst availability becomes.

I'm affiliated with a tour company, Scooter Snorkeling, as I suggested previously. Even if you are not interested in this type of tour, tell me what you are looking for, and I can give you information. If you are working off of a budget, What is it overall? You mentioned you are only interested in Snorkeling; do you have your own equipment?

Are you intending to do snorkel on your own, or with a tour guide?

Please provide this info, and I will try and assist you, Cheers.

Thanks for your reply, Skylork. I really appreciate your input. I did notice that you were associated with Scooter Snorkeling, as your name is the same as the URL for the company. :) We will be in Antigua on Feb 2, which is a Friday.

We are avid snorkelers, do have our own gear. We do like to snorkel on our own, if the snorkeling is good, as there is no time limit and we can dawdle and really look at what is below the surface. But shore side coral is so frequently beaten up by nature, over-loving tourists,or careless ones who pay no attention to what they're standing on or smashing with their fins, that there is frequently not much to see. We do love going out with tour guides, who can first of all take us to out of the way places that are not available to the average beach goer, and are not quite as beaten up as shoreside, or areas frequented by larger species. We also appreciate having things pointed out to us. There's so much there, and it's so easy to miss if you're a novice. We've snorkeled probably 100 times or more, but still don't know what we're seeing in a majority of cases. But the tours designed for tourists are so - touristy. We don't necessarily need the booze, the sightseeing to the places we've been before, lunch or any of the other things that extend the day. All we want is the water, good snorkeling and lots of it.

Your tours look like fun, too. I was tired the other night while on this board, and was unable to find all the info on your site (musta been REALLY tired). This time I was able to find out much more. How many people do you take on your tour? I haven't showed hubby your website yet. There's a good chance that he will be interested.

How and when do you decide which beach you start from? Do you find that in the afternoon the water starts getting cloudier from all the people on the beach in the morning?

We've really hijacked this thread. We should prolly start a different one.

I'm also looking for information on Prickly Pear Island. The excursion offered by the ship is 3.25 hours for $70. It doesn't include lunch. Could you tell me if lunch can be bought separately on the island? We're just looking for a nice beach getaway for the day. How would the Prickly Pear excursion compare to taking a taxi from the cruise port to Dickenson Bay Beach? (Besides being so much less money.)Thanks!

Prickly Pear Island use to be our absolute favorite place to go in the Caribbean. We have been there 3 times, all were ship excursions that lasted at least 5-6 hours and included a buffet lunch and drinks. This place is primitive like a deserted island, so don’t expect nice rest rooms, palapas, and padded loungers. There is a nice white sandy beach and the water is shallow for quite a ways out. We loved sitting in the shallow water with our rum punch all afternoon. However, on our last trip to Antigua, the ship didn’t offer the excursion, so we booked it directly through the website. Miguel, the old man that started the excursion to prickly pear had died and my understanding, his daughter or granddaughter is now running it. We were picked up from the port and driven to a small resort where a boat was supposed to take us out to the island (you can see it from the shore). There were several other couples who had booked the excursion as well waiting also. We waited for about an hour and someone walked up and told us they were canceling the excursion because there was some wind damage. Personally I believe they didn’t want to deal with such a small group and chose not to proceed with the excursion for the day. We then had to wait for transportation back. In the end, I had to file a complaint with PayPal to get my money refunded.

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How disappointing! I see that Royal Caribbean is offering a Prickly Pear excursion, but it's a little pricey for us ($129) for a beach day. And the "important notes" said "• Guests must be able to walk miles over various surfaces, with inclines and steps and extended periods of standing.

• Guests must consider their physical fitness level and medical history when determining whether this tour is appropriate."

Really? Did you have to walk miles?

How disappointing! I see that Royal Caribbean is offering a Prickly Pear excursion, but it's a little pricey for us ($129) for a beach day. And the "important notes" said "• Guests must be able to walk miles over various surfaces, with inclines and steps and extended periods of standing.

• Guests must consider their physical fitness level and medical history when determining whether this tour is appropriate."

Really? Did you have to walk miles?

No, not really a bunch if walking. The island is really small. You are driven to a resort, you have to walk through the resort to the ocean, then you get on a boat that takes you to the island. The short boat ride can be bumpy and this is not really a good excursion for those with mobility issues, scooters, etc. The extended periods of standing is probably referencing waiting at the resort for the boat to get there to take you to the island because it may take several trips to get everyone to the island and back. The $129 is pretty pricey but I’m assuming that includes drinks and the buffet. But it also includes transportation to and from and a boat ride to get to the island. I guess if you take all of that into consideration, it’s actually a reasonable price if they are going to make any money doing it.

I would probably do it again as an excursion through the ship but definitely not independently. It just depends on what you are looking for. So many people expect resort accommodations and that’s not what this is.

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I appreciate the comments, thanks!

The type of snorkeling you describe here is exactly what I am looking for! Did you go to Galleon Beach? Was it what you expected? I'm not interested in a booze cruise or a huge crowd; I just want some good quality snorkeling. Would prefer a guide and smaller group. Suggestions for Antigua or surrounding islands much appreciated!

Thanks for your reply, Skylork. I really appreciate your input. I did notice that you were associated with Scooter Snorkeling, as your name is the same as the URL for the company. :) We will be in Antigua on Feb 2, which is a Friday.

 

We are avid snorkelers, do have our own gear. We do like to snorkel on our own, if the snorkeling is good, as there is no time limit and we can dawdle and really look at what is below the surface. But shore side coral is so frequently beaten up by nature, over-loving tourists,or careless ones who pay no attention to what they're standing on or smashing with their fins, that there is frequently not much to see. We do love going out with tour guides, who can first of all take us to out of the way places that are not available to the average beach goer, and are not quite as beaten up as shoreside, or areas frequented by larger species. We also appreciate having things pointed out to us. There's so much there, and it's so easy to miss if you're a novice. We've snorkeled probably 100 times or more, but still don't know what we're seeing in a majority of cases. But the tours designed for tourists are so - touristy. We don't necessarily need the booze, the sightseeing to the places we've been before, lunch or any of the other things that extend the day. All we want is the water, good snorkeling and lots of it.

Your tours look like fun, too. I was tired the other night while on this board, and was unable to find all the info on your site (musta been REALLY tired). This time I was able to find out much more. How many people do you take on your tour? I haven't showed hubby your website yet. There's a good chance that he will be interested.

 

How and when do you decide which beach you start from? Do you find that in the afternoon the water starts getting cloudier from all the people on the beach in the morning?

We've really hijacked this thread. We should prolly start a different one.