Herod's Island Delight or Land and Sea tour

Anyone done either of these? We are signed up for the Island Tour but would love to do the Land and Sea tour but need 6 more people to make up the required 10. Anyone interested?

Just did Harod's Land and Sea, It was AWSOME!!!! We got our group of 10 together on the roll call board. I would try that. It was very personal, he was very nice and professional and very informative. This is like no other island tour I've ever taken. Amazing!!! Oh, the beach is to die for along with the hot bread he gets for you.

We might be interested in this.. there could be four - possibly six.

Here is the web site. It looks like a fantastic tour. We have 4 going now on the Island Delight but would rather do the LAND & SEA if we can meet the 10 people needed My e-mail is denicewu@comcast.net. All you have to do is e-mail herod and let him know you would like to book the Land and Sea tour and he will let us know we have enough to go.

He said if we get 6 more added to the 4 in our party it would be a go. our names are Denice & Glen Wuerthele and are traveling with 2 friends. Please send us an e-mail if you book so we can follow up with Herod on our end.

Here is the site.

http://www.herodsislandtours.com/land_sea_safari_tour.html

Thanks Denice

He said if we get 6 more added to the 4 in our party it would be a go. our names are Denice & Glen Wuerthele and are traveling with 2 friends. Please send us an e-mail if you book so we can follow up with Herod on our end.

 

Here is the site.

http://www.herodsislandtours.com/land_sea_safari_tour.html

 

Thanks Denice

Email him back and ask him if you can join another tour. That's what we did when he said we needed to find more pax for the trip. Didn't think that was MY responsibility to do that, so asked him if we could just join another group. He answered right away that it would be no problem. I recently emailed him again just to confirm things for our March trip and he said all was well and that he'd be waiting for us. So give him an email and you probably won't have to go searching out more people.

Email him back and ask him if you can join another tour. That's what we did when he said we needed to find more pax for the trip. Didn't think that was MY responsibility to do that, so asked him if we could just join another group. He answered right away that it would be no problem. I recently emailed him again just to confirm things for our March trip and he said all was well and that he'd be waiting for us. So give him an email and you probably won't have to go searching out more people.

What date are you looking at? We have 6 people so far wanting to go on Herods Land and Sea Safari tour on March 4th-- and need 4 more.

What date are you looking at? We have 6 people so far wanting to go on Herods Land and Sea Safari tour on March 4th-- and need 4 more.

That's a week too early for us.

Herod actually emailed back and said our excursion was a no go because he didn't have enough for that day.

We finally decided on the Island Tour with Serenity Tours. I'm pretty happy with the day they have in mind for us. If it turns out that you can't go with him if you can't get the numbers, I'd definitely recommend you give Serenity a call.

We just got back from the RCCL's Jan 17 Serenade OF The Seas' cruise and our group of 4 were lucky enough to have booked Herod's Soufriere Island Delight Tour a week before we left on the cruise.

It was all that others who raved about it led me to expect. He met us at the pier (but couldn't come into the lobby, a new policy for that day), drove us around the island, bought fresh bread, offered beer, soda, rum punch (watch out for "mom's rum punch"), bananas near the banana fields, arranged an excellent guide for our look at the caldera, bought fishcake or johnnycake from a vendor at the waterfall/botanical gardens where he also bought the admissions. We spent an hour at a beach at the foot of the Pitons where he drove us to a private resort and their shuttle took us down to the beach (no charge, tip optional). This was possible because we were a small group; other larger groups arrived at the beach (which is public) by water taxi. All along he told us all about the island, answered all of our questions and was very patient with our every request or need. The price he charged us was $50 per person; we gave him more because I think he charges too little for what he does.

I arranged the tour only a week earlier after looking at his website, http://www.herodsislandtours.com and since his site didn't respond to an email because it was under construction I called his cellphone. I'm sure he would have liked 2 or 4 more but he didn't hesitate to confirm. Cosol's tours are popular on CC and I haven't compared notes with anyone on his tours this cruise but Herod is a smaller operator and since he stopped working thru the ship's tours depends now mostly on word-of-mouth referrals and he has mine. His van is clean, new and he is an excellent driver and tour guide.

The roads on St Lucia are crooked, narrow and steep (but paved); our 2 ladies were a little intimidated by that and the intermittent rain but it was nothing to worry about and the island is beautiful. You should make your arrangements ASAP in case he might already be booked if one waits as late as I did.

That's a week too early for us.

 

Herod actually emailed back and said our excursion was a no go because he didn't have enough for that day.

 

We finally decided on the Island Tour with Serenity Tours. I'm pretty happy with the day they have in mind for us. If it turns out that you can't go with him if you can't get the numbers, I'd definitely recommend you give Serenity a call.

We did the same and booked with Serenity for $65 but it does include lunch at The Beacon Restaurant with a view of The Pitons and snorkeling at Anse Cochon, the best snorkeling place. I got tired of being told to find more people to fill up their vans. John at Serenity told me they have 16 seater vans but only place 10 people in those and the reviews have been awesome.

Last year we did a tour with Fabian and it was great as well. I yet have to hear someone not having a good time with Cosol, Herod and Serenity. I chose the latter because of the lunch options as well.

Hope you enjoy your trip. we will be in St. Lucia on March 24th. Els :o)

I emailed Herod and he said if we can't get 10 people, he can do a land only tour with only 4 (or more) for $50.pp-- his island tour is the same as Serenitys and Cosols, goes to all the same places and provides all the fun island foods and drinks, however his tours cater to much smaller groups than Cosols so can be more personally tailored to what we want. The reason he said he needs 10 people for the land and sea tour is because he charters a 32' outboard motor boat to tour the coastline of the island, and it is not economically feasible for him to charter the boat for less than ten. The land and sea tour costs $70. and includes an amazing buffet luncheon as well as the boat tour of the Pitons and the coastline. i just like the idea of spending less time in a van on windy roads-- and more time seeing the Pitons and island from the sea. We are going on March 4 whether or not we have ten. We have 6 so far-- and will do the island tour if we can't get 10 for the sea portion of the tour, but are hoping to get 10. email me if you are interested-- alaynedoermann@gmail.com

Thanks

Alayne

We toured with Herod back in September and it was wonderful. The drive is amazing if you love roller coasters. Enough places to stop and enjoy the scenery, swam between the Pitons, saw the volcano, did a quick dip under a waterfall, lunch was good, and then the boat ride back to ship.

There was about 14 of us from CC that did the tour. Very worthwhile.

Yes his web has some work to do, but he did carry his blackberry so he could resond to requests.

Just got back from a cruise last week. Wanted to recommend Herod's tour as well. Review above is accurate- it was great. He will work with whatever your group wants. Email takes awhile- if you're anxious call. Wanted to give back as I always gain so much from this site.

My group of 9 adults took Herod's Land and Sea tour on February 18/09. Overall this was an excellent tour. The itinerary listed on his website was accurate and we got to see everything listed. For my group the highlight was lunch at his parents' estate - a delicious buffet of St. Lucian foods and specialties. I tried a bit of everything and my plate was piled with food! For dessert they offered pink and yellow watermelon that was grown right on the estate. The setting for lunch was beautiful (on the front porch overlooking the jungle) and Herod's parents and other assistants were very gracious.

On a previous cruise I took Cosol's tour, which was also excellent. Both tours went to the same places. I would rate Herod's and Cosol's attention to their guests, explainations, and knowledge of the country as excellent and did not notice a big difference between them.

What I liked about Herod's Land and Sea tour, above Cosol's tour, was (1) the beautiful lunch, (2) a smaller group (we had 2 vans of people, although I am sure this varies day-to-day), (3) not stopping at all of the (very congested) "tourist stops" along the side of the road, and (4) taking a boat for the return trip (on a land tour you return via the same route).

Note that the "tour" part with Herod ends when you get into the boat at the end, as Herod and Junior (the other driver) stayed behind (you depart from their home town, and this way they don't have to make the 45-minute return trip). However, the driver of the boat made several stops for pictures along the way. It was nice to see the coast and there are spectacular views of the Pitons.

Overall I highly recommend Herod's Land and Sea tour - excellent value for your money.

Snorkel_Girl

Our group LOVED HERODS TOUR! We not only enjoyed learning about and seeing the beautiful island of St Lucia, but we especially enjoyed Herod-- what a quality gentleman! His tour stands out from all the others we took on the other islands because we were able to meet his family-- enjoy a buffet lunch of delicious local foods at his home-- and experience local St Lucian life for a few hours. By far the best tour of our cruise!

Alayne

After reading all the wonderful reviews of Herod's St. Lucia tours, we've emailed him about taking his Land & Sea tour on June 11, 2009. He responded quickly to our request.

Thanks to all of the helpful reviews, we decided that returning to the ship by boat was preferable to driving the winding roads back. Not only did I read that traffic can be bad going back in the afternoon, but it's just a long time to be in a van. Plus, one reviewer said the boat trip was one of the highlights for him.

Our big goal now is to find at least 6 others to join us. We have four, but he needs 10 in order to hire the 32' boat for the sea part of the Land & Sea tour. His tour includes the same stops as Cosol's and others, including the botanical garden & Toraille Waterfall, the volcano, Jalousie Beach and so on. Plus, his tours are treated to lunch at his mother's estate. "Snorkel Girl" posted a recent helpful review.

If you're looking for a great tour on St. Lucia with a reputable guide, you might want to check Herod's reviews on the St. Lucia forum. If you'll be there on June 11th, 2009 and decide to sign up, you'll know that 4 of us are already on the list!

Herod's website:

http://www.herodsislandtours.com/land_sea_safari_tour.html

and e-mail: hstanislas@cw.blackberry.net or hstanislas@hotmail.com

Thanks for checking this out! Have fun planning your cruise!

Debbie

We had a change of heart regarding signing up for Herod's tour on June 11, 2009. We had narrowed our choices to Spencer Ambrose's Splendid Tour and Herod's Land & Sea Tour. They both sound fabulous, but we thought we'd go with Herod because he offered the boat option.

Today, I heard back from Spencer Ambrose and he's willing to arrange a boat back to the ship for us. What a guy! That changed everything for me, as he was actually my first choice, if not for the difference of the boat. Nothing against Herod! I think he would provide an excellent tour, as well. I just don't feel up to the task (or worry) of finding others to meet the minimum. Plus, I just have a good feeling about Spencer from everything I've read and from my correspondence with him. He really seems to love what he does.

Sorry if this affects anyone's plans! Hopefully not, since I only posted that yesterday.

Debbie

We took Herod's land and sea tour on April 7th. He offers a great tour of the island with many stops along the way for pictures, snacks and other sight seeing. In Soufiere we took a boat to Jalouise Beach (not to be missed) and then came back to his house for a Creole lunch. The food was excellent and the view of the Pitons from the verandah is fabulous. I highly recommend Herod for your visit to St Lucia.

We had a change of heart regarding signing up for Herod's tour on June 11, 2009. We had narrowed our choices to Spencer Ambrose's Splendid Tour and Herod's Land & Sea Tour. They both sound fabulous, but we thought we'd go with Herod because he offered the boat option.

Today, I heard back from Spencer Ambrose and he's willing to arrange a boat back to the ship for us. What a guy! That changed everything for me, as he was actually my first choice, if not for the difference of the boat. Nothing against Herod! I think he would provide an excellent tour, as well. I just don't feel up to the task (or worry) of finding others to meet the minimum.

It is the responsibility of the Operator to post info that to make the tour feasible (monetarily) there must be a minimum number of persons signed up for each tour .... and typically the Operator himself is the one who creates a list of interested persons to assemble the minumum number required --- it is NOT required that participants themselves create a group to meet the minimums! Especially for the typical traveler. That is simply idiotic!

One of the benefits of communicating directly with the Operator is knowing that you have indeed had your name added to the List (a "reservation" if you will), and an idea of the group size at any given time ... if, for example, Herod is having trouble filling out a group, then it IS helpful if the Listed Participant helps to "recruit" fellow passengers who express similar tour interests .... and it is instantaneous for Herod to add those prospective names to flesh out his list, satisfying the minimums and better able to properly prepare for the enjoyment of those fortunate participants. This is what happens when anticipation transforms mere "Participants" into "Partners" and which adds a sense of 'adventure bonding' (a Group Dynamic) that contributes significantly to the entire experience!

Herod has the most Fleet resources (cars, vans, busses, boats) in St. Lucia that are specially selected for ultimate comfort and safety. His tours have become the model for other "competing" operators, and are always being upgraded behind the scenes to assure fortunate guests that they indeed will go home with special memories to cherish always.

When comparing Operators, ask specific questions that will reveal the differences that can make or break your tour, such as: How large is the boat that will take us? (this will dictate your comfort when powering along the coast); Do you own the boat, or are you sub-contracting? (this addresses safety and operation issues directly); Who will personally guide us during our tour/transfer? (it is critical to your overall experience that you are engaged and "supervised" by one who has a vital interest in your satisfaction, rather than a 'hired hand'), and so on.

There is a big difference in how Tour Providers put everything together for Cruise guests, and Herod has not only set the bar quite high for the others to emulate, he has not had a single negative posting nor an unhappy participant in any of his tours! Maybe that is why he is so renowned in St. Lucia?

Herod's Website

Enjoy your cruise, and your tours in St. Lucia .... the beauty of the island and the Lucian charm will warm your soul!

I think you and many others are not understanding what a "Tour Minimum" is, and what it may or may not mean for you as a Tourist!

 

It is the responsibility of the Operator to post info that to make the tour feasible (monetarily) there must be a minimum number of persons signed up for each tour .... and typically the Operator himself is the one who creates a list of interested persons to assemble the minumum number required --- it is NOT required that participants themselves create a group to meet the minimums! Especially for the typical traveler. That is simply idiotic!

Yes, I "get" what a tour minimum is. I understand that it doesn't make good financial sense to hire a boat without a threshhold number of people. I certainly don't hold that against the tour operator! And the tour operator and I DID discuss me posting it on this message board. My biggest problem is that I'm visiting St. Lucia during a "non-peak season" which means there's a stronger likelihood that the tour will be cancelled due to lack of numbers (it's happened to people on the St. Lucia forum). I'm not trying to offend anyone, I just feel more comfortable with this decision.

We just returned from our cruise and must say that Herod's tour was one of the great highlights of our trip. I was a little leary at the beginning but found it to be highly interesting, informative and entertaining. We LOVED going to Mom's house for the buffet. Waterfall was gorgeous and the volcano was fascinating (that is telling you something because we used to live on an active volcano in Italy). Also, we snorkled at all 5 islands and this small beach had the most varied marine life. We saw a turtle, lobster, small squids, tons of fish...amazing. I highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants to see everything there is to see on St. Lucia.

My wife and I went on Herod's tour on Apr. 29th...

I too was leery of having to organize and find a few other participants to be able to book the Land & Sea tour...

However...I was able to find 7 other interested couples on the roll call board right here on Cruise Critic...With just a little e-mail correspondence I was able to book his tour with ease...Two vans(8 people in each)...

The fact that Herod actually takes you to his mother's house where there is a scrumptious lunch spread of authentic Creole food would lead me to think that this part of his tour most likely sets it apart from most of the others offered...The fresh homemade grapefruit juice was real tasty...

He is very friendly and knowledgeable about the island that he lives on and his tour includes a lot for one's buck(as he also provides snacks/drinks along the way and handles the entrance fees at certain locations)...

I would absolutely recommend his tour to anyone...

I have a party of 4 that is interested in Herod's land and sea tour on June 10, so we're looking for at least 6 more. Anyone up for it?

We are interested in doing the land and sea tour could someone please tell me how did you pay for the tour did you have to pay in advance thank you

We are interested in doing the land and sea tour could someone please tell me how did you pay for the tour did you have to pay in advance thank you

We paid cash at the end of the tour. There was no option for a CC or anything like that. He never asked for any cash or payment upfront. I would highly recommend this tour.

I e-mailed Herod telling him that my fiance (getting married this Sat) and myself are interested in the land and sea safari tour on Tuesday, October 14. He replied back saying that we are the only two so far to request the tour for that date and that he needs to have at least 8 more people that want to go on this day. If anyone else is desiring to go on 10/14 please e-mail him with your interest and number of guests.