Cosol Tours

Do COSOL tours guarentee that you will be back to the ship on time? That is if you don't make it back will they pay to get you to the next port?

Thanks for help,

MAC

I don't think you would find anyone in the Caribbean who would guarantee that.

If you are that concerned, book with the cruise line and pay twice the price. It is all about your risk tolerance. I'm sure you would read on this forum if one of his passengers missed their ship.

Cosol is very aware of the ship times and will adjust the tour to ensure that you are back in time. Cosol tells you that he knows that this website and others like it ensure this business. We were back in enough time to shop at the stores at the dock.

If you are still so worried, book a ship tour.

But if you can, book with Cosol. I enjoyed his tour so much last year, I'm touring with him again this year**!!

Happy sailing!

**I'm touring with him again due to my ship was in St. Lucia on Easter and very little was open.

I don't think you would find anyone in the Caribbean who would guarantee that.

 

If you are that concerned, book with the cruise line and pay twice the price. It is all about your risk tolerance. I'm sure you would read on this forum if one of his passengers missed their ship.

Well it certainly isn't unreasonalbe for a company to make such a guarantee considering it would likely (or certainly could) increase the amount of people taking the tours substantially. And as long as they always get people back in time would not have to worry at all. And in the unlikely case they are late they could have always purchased insurance. My guess is over the long hual the increased cash flow from more people taking tours would more than balance out the insurance. If not then obviously they wouldn't do it, but it certainly is possible that it would be a good business decision especially if they are confident that they can get you back on time.

Also I would be willing to pay up to 20% more for said guarantee. I don't mind paying the ships prices but sometimes would like different tour from the ones the ship offers.

If they aren't confident I am certainly not confident in them getting me back on time so I will continue to book through ship.

We just came back from St. Lucia and did our tour through COSOL and loved it. They were fun and covered a lot of ground for the price, including feeding us and keeping us hydrated with rum punch, beer and water. They are very aware of time and the deadlines with the cruise ships. We were back at the ship with 2 hours to spare. In fact, our guide said they get all their business via Cruise Critic and depend on it completely. Still, having said that, I don't think they'd guarantee anything so if you are concerned, pay a bit more and book through the cruise line. That extra money is worth it if it gives you peace of mind and allows you to enjoy yourself.

Macisbac- You've posted this on various port threads. As I answered on the Antigua thread, the majority of the private tour operators are well aware of the port times for various cruise ships. This is their livelihood, and they relay on word of mouth for buisness. Their tours are booked, fully, in advance without having to offer a guarantee. Believe me, some tour operators are booked well in advance.

As others have said, if you are so worried, take a ship's tour.

I wish the ship tours would go to the same places Cosol goes to. I really would like to book with him but I just worry too much about missing the ship.

I wish the ship tours would go to the same places Cosol goes to. I really would like to book with him but I just worry too much about missing the ship.

Yeah I hear you. I don't understand why the cruise ship doesn't work with COSOL. I would gladly pay the ship an extra $20 bucks just for the piece of mind.

Yeah I hear you. I don't understand why the cruise ship doesn't work with COSOL. I would gladly pay the ship an extra $20 bucks just for the piece of mind.

Me too!

Don't worry about missing the ship, we never use the ship's excursions and have never had a problem! Just plan your tour, as mentioned above, so that you have some shopping time near the ship the last hour and a half or so. In St. Lucia there is a mall right at the pier and around a 10 minute walk into Castries, there is a wonderful market where we always load up on spices and vanilla, (you can get a quart for around $10, if you bargain well). Make sure you try some St Lucian bananas, they are much sweeter than the South American ones we get in the States.

Even if there were a major accident or a tree fell down across the road or something like that, it would block the return of the ship's excursions and loads of other passengers as well and the ship would wait. Relax and do it on your own, the more you do, the more your stress levels will go down and you will certainly have a better time than on the ship's excursions.

Yeah I hear you. I don't understand why the cruise ship doesn't work with COSOL. I would gladly pay the ship an extra $20 bucks just for the piece of mind.

Book with a ship sponsored tour then. We have toured with Cosol and have enjoyed the tour very much. We like the fact that the tour can be done in a way that really enhances the customers' experience. Cosol's tour is far better than any ship sponsored tour that I have taken. I would hate to see that change. We plan on taking his tour again next January. I have never seen a posting where anyone has ever missed the ship. Can it happen? Sure, anything can happen, but Cosol's drivers get you back with a built in time cushion, to take into account any possible delays. It is a very good value. Cosol probably likes having independence and not having to answer to a cruise line. He's got a good thing going there. Why "fix" what ain't broken?

Eric

Yeah I hear you. I don't understand why the cruise ship doesn't work with COSOL. I would gladly pay the ship an extra $20 bucks just for the piece of mind.

But that's part of the point...if it was a Carnival excursion, it would be NOTHING like the personalized tour you get with an independent tour operator. It wouldn't BE Cosol's tour.

You pay less money for a better excursion when you book independently (usually), but the trade off is the very slight risk factor of missing the ship.

Book with a ship sponsored tour then. We have toured with Cosol and have enjoyed the tour very much. We like the fact that the tour can be done in a way that really enhances the customers' experience. Cosol's tour is far better than any ship sponsored tour that I have taken. I would hate to see that change. We plan on taking his tour again next January. I have never seen a posting where anyone has ever missed the ship. Can it happen? Sure, anything can happen, but Cosol's drivers get you back with a built in time cushion, to take into account any possible delays. It is a very good value. Cosol probably likes having independence and not having to answer to a cruise line. He's got a good thing going there. Why "fix" what ain't broken?

 

Eric

Built in time cushion......maybe some ships are in port longer then the Maasdam. Very best case I have 6.5 hours in port. Tours run 5.5 - 6.0 hours so pretty small cushion. Are there some ships that spend a longer day in St.Lucia?

Definitely - we docked at 8AM and didn't leave until 6PM. We returned from our tour with Cosol around 2:30 and had plenty of time to shop around the port. I wonder why the Maasdam leaves so early?

Yeah I would like to know that myself. Then they go and stay at another port way longer then anyone wants. I would for sure take a tour with Cosol if the ship left at 5 or 6. Maybe another time...on another cruise...

Thanks for the info cinnam0n.

I amusing Cosol and can not wait! I should be back around 3 and have 2 hours to shop. In St Kitts I am one of many who are using a local guide. he knows we ahve to be back at 130 of not sooner for the shoppers. i am not worried.

Yeah I would like to know that myself. Then they go and stay at another port way longer then anyone wants. I would for sure take a tour with Cosol if the ship left at 5 or 6. Maybe another time...on another cruise...

 

Thanks for the info cinnam0n.

On our tour with Cosol, there were cruisers from all 4 ships that were in port that day. One of the ships (I believe it was Celebrity Constellation, but don't quote me!) was due to leave port at 3pm, 2 hours earlier than the others. Cosol arranged for all the passengers from that ship to ride in the same van and got them all back to their ship by 2:00-ish. They missed some of the tour obviously but got most of the 'good stuff' in.

because she does a scenic coastal cruise in the process of picking up passengers in Soufriere that were on a ship excursion. What a way to see the coastline after taking Cosol's tour!!!!!!!

We went with Cosol in November and returned in more than enough time. We have booked with him again for next month. It was our first time taking a shore excursion that wasn't sponsored by the ship and I would do it again in a NY minute :D

Cheers, Denise

because she does a scenic coastal cruise in the process of picking up passengers in Soufriere that were on a ship excursion. What a way to see the coastline after taking Cosol's tour!!!!!!!

 

We went with Cosol in November and returned in more than enough time. We have booked with him again for next month. It was our first time taking a shore excursion that wasn't sponsored by the ship and I would do it again in a NY minute :D

 

Cheers, Denise

Thanks Denise for the information. It was after seeing your pictures that I wanted to do a tour with Cosol. They are really great!

Firstly....if anyone had ever missed the ship due to a Cosol tour you would (most likely) be reading all about it on this (these) board(s)

Secondly, after our tour, I overhead someone talking about how Cosol used to do tour thru the cruise lines, but realized that he could do it better, and less expensive, if he did it himself.

What a gig he has! I would love to have his job! Tropical island, being able to employ his family and friends, showing tourists the amazing things that St. Lucia has to offer....

All I got is a cube, a boss, a computer and a deadline!

I am jealous!

We just got off the Pearl today (02/17). We did COSOL and LOVED IT!!! Don't worry about time, they are well aware of the departure time and very well organized/professional. I highly recommend COSOL and it was in the highlights of our cruise

First time cruising and have got myself sorted with tours for St Thomas and St Lucia but now would like to find similar operators like Cosul and Godfreys for St Kitts,Barbados and Tortola. I would prefer not to use the ships excursions as I would prfer to work with the locals and foster thier businesses.

Bracken, you should post this message on the boards of the islands that you mentioned. That information doesn't fit under the topic of this thread, which is "Cosol Tours."

Yeah I hear you. I don't understand why the cruise ship doesn't work with COSOL. I would gladly pay the ship an extra $20 bucks just for the piece of mind.

My husband and I just got back from a 9 day cruise on NCL. We toured with Cosol in his van! (He owns 7 of them with top notch guides) Since he was our personal guide he gave us a lot of personal information and history about himself and the island. One nugget was that he used to work with the Cruise lines driving a large 40 passenger bus for them. FYI he went out on his own because he makes better money! His vans are beautiful, the seats VERY clean. :D You will not have a problem getting back to the ship on time. He was born on the island, does this tour daily during the tour season, knows the island intimately and is TONS OF FUN to be with... not to mention a real gentleman.

It's your loss if you miss this one!

Yeah I hear you. I don't understand why the cruise ship doesn't work with COSOL. I would gladly pay the ship an extra $20 bucks just for the piece of mind.

...we took his tour last month...excellent, by the way. This guy now has 7 vehicles providing tours...has all the business he can handle...why turn over 20-30% of your revenue to RCCL or Carnival and have to answer to them?

A ship tour with larger crowds, older vehicles, higher prices?? No, Thank You.