Spencer Ambrose - Land and Sea vs. Jaloise Beach Break

Can any of you who did these two tours help me out? Both of these tours sound great. Does Spencer combine the two tours for the trip back to ship or does the Land and Sea take the slower route that the Jalousie Beach Break tour takes getting to the beach? What did you think of either tour? Thanks in advance.

We were on the beach break tour with him just last week. I had originally sighned up for the land and sea...but he came out with the beach tour of which we switched to. If you like to see awesome beaches , homes , etc. take the beach tour...more time on and in the water....you will love it!

We were on the beach break tour with him just last week. I had originally sighned up for the land and sea...but he came out with the beach tour of which we switched to. If you like to see awesome beaches , homes , etc. take the beach tour...more time on and in the water....you will love it!

Sigma, I made reservations for the Jalousie Beach Break for our cruise in April, could you tell me if there are restrooms available, and what Spencer served you for lunch? I just want an idea of what to expect, we are a family from 4 to 58 and I like to be prepared.

We made two stops....one at a black sand beach that had a resort there...you have to pay for the rest rooms there...2 dollars a pop I believe...the stop was for about 30 minutes or so but was really a neat place. There are restrooms at Jelousie Beach. Lunch was a box that contained chicken , potatoe salad and some other concauction...was quite OK. His rum punch he provides is to die for. This was by far our favorite excursion of the cruise.

We made two stops....one at a black sand beach that had a resort there...you have to pay for the rest rooms there...2 dollars a pop I believe...the stop was for about 30 minutes or so but was really a neat place. There are restrooms at Jelousie Beach. Lunch was a box that contained chicken , potatoe salad and some other concauction...was quite OK. His rum punch he provides is to die for. This was by far our favorite excursion of the cruise.

We are signed up for this tour in a couple of weeks. Can you tell me how bumpy the boat ride was? I don't usually care, but recently have had some issues with my neck and don't want to be jostled around too much.

Thanks.

We are signed up for this tour in a couple of weeks. Can you tell me how bumpy the boat ride was? I don't usually care, but recently have had some issues with my neck and don't want to be jostled around too much.

Thanks.

It was somewhat choppy at times but not what I'd call rough...the boat ride stays close to the shoreline which could be worse than being out aways. If you are used to boating on lakes , etc, you should have no problem.

i booked the Jalouise beach break for March. How long were you at Jalouise beach for? How long did it take to get there and how long did it take to get back, were you on his personal boat or a water taxi?

My wife and I contacted Spencer about the water tour to Jalousie Beach in May. It sounds awesome and it will be on our actual anniversiary. How was the snorkeling and is the rum punch unlimited (w/in reason).

My wife and I contacted Spencer about the water tour to Jalousie Beach in May. It sounds awesome and it will be on our actual anniversiary. How was the snorkeling and is the rum punch unlimited (w/in reason).

Actual time at Jalousie beach was 3-3.5 hours I believe. The snorkeling was right by the moutain side...above average. The first part of the tour takes about 90 minutes..maybe a tad longer...but it was gorgeous! He has his own boat...about a 25 foot open boat with outboards...safe and in good shape. My advice on the rum punch is grab a bottle of it early and hoard it...he only brings a limited supply...a very SPICY (sp) rum punch it is.

Have just sent an e-mail off to spencer ambrose about his land and sea adventure tour (my wife is already planning gifts of banana jewelry).

Just seeing if anyone else has done this trip - will be there in March on

the Caribbean Princess.

Also just a thought - do I need to start queing to get off the ship an hour

before I really want to - I hear it can take a while to get ashore.

Just returned from a Celebrity Cruise that included St. Lucia. We took the Jalousie Beach Break Tour with Spencer Ambrose. Not sure that I would recommend this tour. Spencer Ambrose was very good communicating via email and a nice man in person. Our guide Clint was very personable, friendly and a good tour narrator. Everyone else including the boat driver and fee collectors were borderline rude.

We began the day meeting the tour outside the terminal. Walked to the dock and boarded a speed boat which comfortably fit our group of 10. As we got to the end of the bay we turned around and returned to the dock to pick up a late couple which took away from our beach time.

It took approximately an hour touring the coast, going into bays, etc on our way to Jalousie Beach. Beautiful island. Arriving at Jalousie Beach the beautiful beach shown on the Spencer Ambrose Tour website is NOT the beach we were allowed to go to. That beach is owned by Jalousie Plantation Resort and they are not friendly to non-resort guest. The Spencer Ambrose tours are put onto a very small area on the other side of the small pier. Bring your water shoes because there is not much sand, mostly rocks. It was OK with my husband and myself because we like rustic beaches and had one of the few chairs available. We sat under a sea grapes tree most of the 2 1/2 hours we were there. The tour had promised drinks but ran out shortly after we arrived at the beach. They brought one small cooler for the day. I didn't feel like drinking rum punch at 8:30 in the morning and wanted some when we got to the beach. Sorry all gone. There was nowhere else to get drinks except the resort. One of the ladies on our tour went to the bar at the resort. No other customers were at the bar. It took her 20 mins to get her 6 ounce drink and cost $15. The lunch the tour provided was typical Caribbean food. Lots of it too.

Other tours arrived later (land and sea tour, etc) There were no drinks and no chairs for them. Then when we left they crammed both tours together in the boat we came in. We had a very uncomfortable and fast 30 min ride back to the cruise ship. Wished he could have taken it 15 mins slower to make it a more pleasant ride. There was plenty of time. We got to the dock just past 2:30.

In review I would not recommend this tour. The people on the land and sea tour had even more complaints. Perhaps one of them will post a review.

It was not a bad day. Spencer Ambrose Tours just needs to be more organized to make it better. A person needs something to drink on the beach.

Spencer Ambrose Tours also should be honest and show the real beach on the website.

They need to have enough chairs for all guest.

The people that collects your money at Jalousie Beach should be more polite. They were very rude.

The boat tour back to the beach should not be so ridiculously fast.

The good parts:

1)Sitting in a chair looking at one of the Pitons. It is one of the only tours that you can sit on a rustic beach and view the Pitons for a couple hours.

2)Taking pictures of numerous small fish in the water without even getting my hair wet.

3)Clint our guide was very nice and personable. He was able to come up with 4 beers that the 10 of us shared.

In future trips to St. Lucia I will not go on a Spencer Ambrose.

BonnieLark --

Did you have a 1/2 hour stop at Anse Chastenet on the way there for snorkeling, like Spencer advertises?? I am booked on this tour in a couple of weeks, and Spencer told me by email that there will also be a stop at Anse Chastanet, and that is also stated on his website. Were you expecting that and it was scrapped for some reason? Thanks!

BonnieLark --

Did you have a 1/2 hour stop at Anse Chastenet on the way there for snorkeling, like Spencer advertises?? I am booked on this tour in a couple of weeks, and Spencer told me by email that there will also be a stop at Anse Chastanet, and that is also stated on his website. Were you expecting that and it was scrapped for some reason? Thanks!

From Spencer Ambrose website:

"You will be in awe as you gaze upon the secluded and picturesque volcanic black sand beaches of Anse Mamin, Anse Cochon and Anse Chastenet. At Anse Chastenet we will go ashore for a brief swimming stop. This beautiful sheltered cove, surrounded by lush hills and glorious palm trees, is absolutely stunning!"

We did cruise into Marigot Bay for a look around by boat. Stopped for about 30 seconds at Anse Chastenet for pictures.

No stop for snorkeling there. If you do take this tour. Just be aware that it isn't totally as described. Some people snorkeled at Jalousie Beach. There was snorkel gear available for a fee.

From Spencer Ambrose website:

"The Bat Cave in Soufriere Bay is another sight sure to captivate you. Hear, see and smell the screeching of "Fishermen" bats which reside in this unique 4-storey high cleft in the coastal rock."

*No bat cave was ever mentioned on our tour.

From Spencer Ambrose website:

"Jalousie is French for "jealousy" and it is easy to see why! This dramatic white-sand beach nestled between the stunning volcanic peaks of the Gros and Petit Piton boasts amazing scenery and spectacular views that will simply take your breath away!"

*There is a beautiful beach there but not the one his tour is allowed to sit on. The picture shown at top on his website is the Plantation Resort beach. That is where we all went when we arrived and their security told us to leave. We went back to much less beautiful side of the beach to plastic chairs to sit in the less white sand and rocks. It is a rustic beach. There is a very, very small area on the tour's side of the beach with white sand. You can rent an umbrella for $20. The area is shown on the picture on his website where the boat is at the pier. It's the beach behind the boat. My husband and I sat under a sea grapes tree out of the sun. It was OK with us because we like rustic beaches. We just felt like Spencer Ambrose was dishonest in representing his tour. Most of the people that worked for him that day were rather rude too. Our guide was extremely nice tho. It is a beautiful view but you will be sitting right beside the pier with motor boats coming and going all day. Not the relaxing beautiful beach we were looking forward to. Make sure to bring something to drink. Checking his website again it does say drinks "aboard the boat" but there is not really anywhere to buy drinks at Jalousie Beach which was disappointing. It is one of the only tours available that you can sit on a beach with a view of the Pitons.

You should also know that the beaches on St. Lucia are public...you should have told the security guy to take a hike. You may not be able to get chairs there...but we had a great time just hanging out on a toewl on the sand. Anne Chasnut was a 30 minute stop...did what we wanted...swam , etc. He is a little cheap on the provided drinks...could have used some more rum punch.

Bonnie lark , You should know that ALL beaches in St Lucia are public . Our friend Max has about 1,000 acres on the west coast with about a half mile of beach front . However he can't tell people to not come on the beach for 40 yds or so back from the water it can't be purchased . He wouldn't mind cept people leave litter and he spends a lot of time picking up after them . You can go any where along the water you want , regardless. Now we have toured with Spencer years ago and he knows that as well , actually he's one of Max's neighbors . So I think I would send him a copy of your post . I am

sure he'd love your feedback , or maybe not lol . Your post is not only reasonable but very well written and honest . I think your point of view is very much in line with anybodys expectations . Sorry your day had some problems but loved your overall attitude the Pitons are magnificent ! Thanks for the review ! Ted

Have just sent an e-mail off to spencer ambrose about his land and sea adventure tour (my wife is already planning gifts of banana jewelry).

Just seeing if anyone else has done this trip - will be there in March on

the Caribbean Princess.

Also just a thought - do I need to start queing to get off the ship an hour

before I really want to - I hear it can take a while to get ashore.

We have juust returned from carribean and did the land and sea tour with Spencer we had an amazing day he is a brilliant guy and nothing was too much trouble for him . If you can book this trip go for it i am sure you will not be disappointed . He needs 10 to do this tour to cover costs of speed boat return . There were only 2 of us but he will add you to others if he has any booked or he will suggest you put an add on roll call or any other site you know , we made up the numbers this way . We were not tendered so could just get off ship . Hope this helps cannot speak highly enough of him.

Hi BonnieLark: I found your experience on Jalousie Beach to be very surprising. We went to Jalousie Beach with Spencer Ambrose on his West Coast Tour and had an amazing experience. We simply put our towels down in the sand and could walk around and utilize any part of the beach. (My boys had a blast jumping off that little green dock in the water). So yes, we were able to experience the beach just like the pictures shown in Spencer’s website. No security hassled us or told us that we were not allowed to be there. Since all the beaches in St. Lucia are public, I am surprised that you had security tell you that you could not be on a certain area of the beach--this really is not good for tourism! I don’t think Spencer is intentionally being dishonest about this. Your experience on the beach is beyond a tour operators control and I am sure all tour operators were facing this same frustration that day. I don’t think your beach experience was a normal occurrence and it is unfortunate that you were not able to fully appreciate the full beauty of Jalousie Beach. As far as the chairs go, they are owned by the Jalousie Plantation and tour operators have no control over the amount of chairs that are available. Normally, if you want a chair, you have to rent one from the resort. I understand the resort has put aside a few chairs for cruise passengers to utilize, free of charge, but these would only be available on a first come, first serve basis. It is also unfortunate that you were not able to see the bat caves or actually stop at Anse Chastanet as advertised on Spencer’s website. I am not familiar with “Clint”, so perhaps your guide and boat driver are new members of Spencer’s team and need more training on what they are to show and where they are to stop according to the tour description. In any event, it wouldn’t hurt to let Spencer be aware of your concerns, so that he can address it and assure his “team” is living up to his expectations.

Going on Spencers tour while in port the week of 2/20 with the Adventure of the Seas. Can't wait for this tour.

My wife and I booked a tour with him for our visit to the island. We were promised a small group of about 8-10 people and we were told we needed to be at the meeting place for a PROMPT 830am departure. We show up at 810am only to sit around and wait. 830 came and went. By this time there was well over 30 people waiting for a tour with Spencer Ambrose. I am now starting to wonder what happened to my small tour group and 830 departure time promise. By about 845am Spencer (or one of his workers) moved some of the people onto a bus and sent them on their way. Then told the rest of us to follow him. We then waited out by the taxi stand for another about 15 mins while he was walking in circles and making phone calls. It appears that they over booked and didnt have a bus to take the rest of us on our tour. just after 9am he had a bus show up and loaded a bunch of people on it...much more then the small group I was told I would be in. My wife and I decided we didnt want to wait any longer to be piled on a cattle bus so we asked a cab driver about a private tour. another couple in line waiting to get on Spencers bus overheard us and asked if we wanted to split the cab drivers fee 4 ways and go in on this private tour. We left Spencers cattle line and went with this cab driver. That ended up being the best decision we made. The cab driver was very friendly and very knowledgeable about the island. Took us ALL over the place and stopped anywhere we wanted and for as long as we wanted. Ended up costing us $40.00 per person, $160 for the 4 of us to take a private tour for the entire day! Seemed to me like Spencer Ambrose just tells people what they want to hear to get their business...its a shame. If your visiting St Lucia give the local cab drivers a chance for your business instead. The woman driver we had was AWESOME! I wouldnt hesitate to hire one of these cab drivers for the day again.

Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:28:47 -0400

Subject: Re: Book a Cruise Ship Tour ExtendedForm Submission

From: spencer7114@gmail.com

Thanks ***, you Will have a great time on the beach. The left side of the beach is use for snorkeling and the right for swimming. You will be able to use the whole beach so don't you worry .The beach is public but you cannot wander on the property or use their swimming pools, you can patronise the bar though if you wish

If you want a chair with umbrella you will get it for $20.00 if there are Any available but other that that the beach is yours. Normally we leave the beach about 2.30 to 3.00pm , in all you get to spend about 4 to 5 hrs on the beach.

I look forward to meeting you all.

Please post your experience when you get back, hopefully they will work out the kinks between now and then.

Just got back from there and personally would not recommend his services. Read my review on this forum. If you like cattle buses you may enjoy the tour but personally I like smaller groups (less then 10-12 people at most) so that we actually get more time to see the sites and not feel rushed or like we missed out on something.

Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:28:47 -0400

Subject: Re: Book a Cruise Ship Tour ExtendedForm Submission

From: spencer7114@gmail.com

 

 

Thanks ***, you Will have a great time on the beach. The left side of the beach is use for snorkeling and the right for swimming. You will be able to use the whole beach so don't you worry .The beach is public but you cannot wander on the property or use their swimming pools, you can patronise the bar though if you wish

 

If you want a chair with umbrella you will get it for $20.00 if there are Any available but other that that the beach is yours. Normally we leave the beach about 2.30 to 3.00pm , in all you get to spend about 4 to 5 hrs on the beach.

 

I look forward to meeting you all.

Hope it works out for you. We were cruising away from Jalousie Beach at 1:15. Maybe take that email with you and when Spencer tells you to be on the boat ready to go at 1:15 you can remind about the 2:30 to 3:00 time. Have a great trip. St Lucia is a beautiful place.

We were on the same tour (Jalousie Beach Break) as BonnieLark. After discovering that the nice cushioned beach recliners were off limits, we pulled a couple of the cheapo chairs stacked along the edge of the beach onto the sand.

Since we snorkeled most of the time our location on the beach was not that important, but if I booked this tour expecting to enjoy a lazy day lounging on the beach with drinks and food included, I would have found it sorely lacking.

The food was OK but nothing special, and as BonnieLark posted the drinks were in short supply.

My main gripe is how they rushed us off the beach at 1:15. I did not remember the stated duration of the tour at the time, but on Spencer's site it says "Duration: 6 hours". In all we spent less than 5 hours and missed two stops - swimming at Anse Chastenet and the notorious "bat cave".

I also did not enjoy the high-speed return trip. Normally I would like a ride in a fast speedboat, but not when you're crammed in and holding onto the rail to avoid sliding off the end of the bench as I was!

For anyone considering this tour please insist on the complete itinerary and length of time stated on the website.

Dw and I are coming in Feb. would really like update on tour experience.

this trip is VERY important. want all to be good