Is Cosol in St. Lucia as good as people say??

[serendipity1499]

Cosol got 22 of our Cruise Critic Roll call in one bus on his tour last week. This tour is outstandfing and well worth the money. The isalnd is beautiful. Silvia our guide, and Dameon our driver took excellent care of us insuring all of us had plenty to eat and drink.

 

The food stop is at a home but it is held outside in the driveway. The view there is spectacular and the food good. The bathroom was $1 but that is to cover the cost of water that has to be trucked up the mountain in order to flush. The bathroom was clean. I didn't mind paying the $1.

 

As for the windy roads the fresh hot bread and cheese near the end of the tour helps keep your stomach settled as you go over the mountain back to the ship. The timing is perfect for it.

 

This was a very professionally run tour.

 

How long was your tour?

Did the drivers take you back to the ship in Castries or did they take you to board the tenders in Soufriere..Our ship is leaving Castries at 3:p.m. & picking up people on a ships tour in Soufriere at 5:p.m....

Also could you tell me what type of food was served..Our DH's have some health & diet restrictions ..

Thanks for your help....Betty

[sholto]

we just got bac and we done cosol tours yes very good but you spend most of the day in the bus the beach was good and the water taxi across was fun just depends on what you looking for out of a trip they give you good knowledge about the island and there some great sights on the way just found it bit to l.ong for me

[unberwoob]

We did the Cosol tour last month and had Fat Man as our guide (Cosol himself was in the van in front of us). Fantastic tour. It was long, but there is a lot of distance between the sights, and the roads are unbelievable. The van was comfortable and the free drinks helped. I would highly recommend this tour.

[eetonaee]

How long was your tour?

 

Did the drivers take you back to the ship in Castries or did they take you to board the tenders in Soufriere..Our ship is leaving Castries at 3:p.m. & picking up people on a ships tour in Soufriere at 5:p.m....

 

Also could you tell me what type of food was served..Our DH's have some health & diet restrictions ..

 

Thanks for your help....Betty

 

We were on the Caribbean Princess and were docked so there were no tenders involved in our sailing or tour.

 

The tour is 6-7 hours long depending on traffic and how quickly your tour participants are at getting on and off the minibus at the various stops.

 

The food is very good and is identified with a handwritten sign and the guide will answer basic questions about what it is. However if your DH's have food issues than I don't think they should be eating food that may have been prepared in homes or possibly unlicensed kitchens. Some of the foods are spicy, others have high sugar content and may contain nuts. There are also sea food products.

Better to sneak some food off the ship if you are worried.

[BOYNSEA]

Highly recommend the tour with Cosol. We had his brother, Yellowbird, as our driver. We learned a lot about the island and all it has to offer. The banana plantation, the delicious buffet spread out for us, the blue "moving bar" van. The bakery was closed due to a family emergency or something and Cosol arranged for us to have warm baked bread and cheese. Yum! Yes, it is a long day in and out of the van but you get an amazing view and feel for St. Lucia. Definitely add on the boat ride to Jalousie beach. The snorkeling there is amazing.

Thank you, Cosol!!!!

[ValerieJo]

Here is what I posted on another thread. (I honestly think the driver you get makes a huge difference) This was our experience as well as our fellow passengers.

 

Just back yesterday. Did the Cosol tour a few days ago. To me it was more of a cattle call than anything else. It was a very long day with lots of crowds at every stop. (3 ships in port that day). Cosol has a large fleet of vans that hold roughly 12 people in each. You have no choice over which driver you get. Our driver was just OK and the tour was a bit chaotic. We had about 30 minutes at the beach to snorkle. The waterfall was kind of a waste of time. I did like seeing the volcano. I will also add that the food provided was amazing and delicious and we did see quite a bit of the island.

 

We were picked up right off the ship dock at approximately 9:30am however, I was very nervous for our return. We were to be on board the ship by 4:30pm. Our drive actully had to go the wrong way in traffic just to get us back by 4:20. Way too close in my opinion.

 

I will add that one of the people I spoke with on our cruise had been in Cosol's van and raved about what a fabulous time they had.

 

Of course this is all from my experience this past week and yours may be different. I can honestly say that it would be tough for me to comfortably recommend this tour.

[UniqueNTexas]

We just got back from the Carribean Princes on 3/28/10. The tour was excellant!! I would highly recommend it to anyone. Cosol did a great job and he can arrange a private car for 4 - 6 people. Out driver was very polite and knowledgeable.

 

My husband's favorite part was the boat ride to Jauilouse beach. It goes right by the Pitons. Watch out for the Rum Punch. It'll hit you when you least expect it. The food was really good too.

 

I placed the whole day on my video cam and can't wait to download it and re-live the day. Again, I would definately suggest this tour. You get to see the locals and the whole island. They even showed us where they filmed "The Bachelor".

 

All in all, to me it was well worth the money and very well organized!! I would do it again in a heart beat.

[LASULLIVAN444]

Where do you keep money while snorkeling?

[dolfndreams]

I did Cosol on this March and agree it was a great day. I did not find it too congested, actually was very impressed at how he staggered the buses etc. There were 10 on our bus and really enjoyed the whole day.

 

The groups did meet where the food was etc but I never felt too crowded. It is a busy day but I can't see any other way to see and experience so much along with enjoying good food and company. I had Yellow bird and he was great. I really don't mind the time in the van as I enjoy watching the scenery go by, lots of stops also for pics.

 

As for what to do with money, I travel solo and with only independent tours I did decide to carry money, a credit card and passport. I bought one of the waterproof pouches that hang from a lanyard and it worked great on all of my excursions, lots of snorkeling this trip, I just put it under my swimsuit, nothing got wet and peace of mind was worth it.

[apollobeach]

We just took a Cosol tour in St. Lucia last week. The air-conditioning

in the van was not working properly. We had to pay $1. each to use

the restrooms at a meal stop. They did not tell that the boat ride

to Jalosie Beach would be rather rough plus when we got Jalosie Beach

we could not relax under the shady trees or use the chairs (unless we

ordered a drink). Everywhere we went, people wanted money. Someone

give one a tiny piece of coconut and demands a dollar or someone takes

a couple's picture (with their own camera) and then demands ten dollars.

Felt like we were being continually be harassed.

[eetonaee]

We just took a Cosol tour in St. Lucia last week. The air-conditioning

in the van was not working properly. We had to pay $1. each to use

the restrooms at a meal stop. They did not tell that the boat ride

to Jalosie Beach would be rather rough plus when we got Jalosie Beach

we could not relax under the shady trees or use the chairs (unless we

ordered a drink). Everywhere we went, people wanted money. Someone

give one a tiny piece of coconut and demands a dollar or someone takes

a couple's picture (with their own camera) and then demands ten dollars.

Felt like we were being continually be harassed.

 

 

Sorry you didn't enjoy the tour as much as most of the rest of us have. Please remember that most if not all of the people who are asking for money have nothing to do with Cosol. They also appear at at the stops the other tour companies make. These are people who know where the tour vans stop and take advantage of the situation.

 

As far as the Jalousie situation this would have been well known in advance by cruise critic readers and is another reason to use this site for research before choosing any excursion.

[apollobeach]

Do not recommend Cosol Tours:

 

 

1. have to pay $1. to use rest rooms at first stop

 

2. could not use chairs or put towels in any shady area

at Jalousie Beach

 

3. staff at Jalousie Beach very unwelcoming

 

4. could not use rest rooms at Jalousie Beach

 

5. air-conditioning in van did not work properly

 

[doug508]

Our family of six adults booked a tour with Cosol in January, 2010. Our driver was Adrian and we shared his van with three other people. It was a fantastic tour- probably the best we've been on in terms of variety and extras. Cosol is not a small operation- there were approximately 25 people from our ship (Summit) driven around in several vans that followed each other. We had breakfast together (really great to sample local fare) and then took an all-day tour of the island. The highlight was a boat trip to Jalousie Plantation's beach, which is one of the most idyllic spots you'll ever see. There was lunch at the beach and we stayed about an hour. Plenty of beer and soft drinks as well as hot cheese/biscuits on the way back to the ship. An extremely well thought out and managed tour. It isn't cheap, though- $65 per person (with no discount for groups) is almost double what we paid on other islands. But it is an excellent experience and we recommend it highly.

 

A note concerning the prior post:

1) The $1 was a suggested donation since the rest stop (which was the breakfast break) was someone's home.

2) Jalousie Plantation owns the primary beach area- you can rent a lounge chair for $10. Our tour guide instructed us to stay on the left side of the beach, and there were free chairs, food and drink. Jalousie Plantation is a five-star resort and the staff understandably doesn't want to be overrun by a large group. Most of the tour participants remained away from the Jalousie area and didn't encounter any problems. We used the restrooms at Jalousie without a problem. The bottom line is that a visit to this beach will be one of the most memorable experiences of your life.

[ETski]

Our family of six adults booked a tour with Cosol in January, 2010. Our driver was Adrian and we shared his van with three other people. It was a fantastic tour- probably the best we've been on in terms of variety and extras. Cosol is not a small operation- there were approximately 25 people from our ship (Summit) driven around in several vans that followed each other. We had breakfast together (really great to sample local fare) and then took an all-day tour of the island. The highlight was a boat trip to Jalousie Plantation's beach, which is one of the most idyllic spots you'll ever see. There was lunch at the beach and we stayed about an hour. Plenty of beer and soft drinks as well as hot cheese/biscuits on the way back to the ship. An extremely well thought out and managed tour. It isn't cheap, though- $65 per person (with no discount for groups) is almost double what we paid on other islands. But it is an excellent experience and we recommend it highly.

 

A note concerning the prior post:

1) The $1 was a suggested donation since the rest stop (which was the breakfast break) was someone's home.

2) Jalousie Plantation owns the primary beach area- you can rent a lounge chair for $10. Our tour guide instructed us to stay on the left side of the beach, and there were free chairs, food and drink. Jalousie Plantation is a five-star resort and the staff understandably doesn't want to be overrun by a large group. Most of the tour participants remained away from the Jalousie area and didn't encounter any problems. We used the restrooms at Jalousie without a problem. The bottom line is that a visit to this beach will be one of the most memorable experiences of your life.

 

 

Thanks for the positive review of Cosol tours. We have booked him for our visit in May. Everyone has their own opinions and expectations if we were all alike what a boring world we would live in.

[apollobeach]

We used Cosol Tours on April 2, 2010.

 

1. The van was not properly air-conditioned; very unpleasant.

2. At the first stop: one dollar WAS REQUIRED to use the restroom.

3. IMMEDIATELY, upon arrival at Jalousie Beach we were told

by the staff that the chairs and rest rooms were for hotel guest

only.

4. When we attempted to put our towels down in a shady area

near palm trees; we were told the only place we could place

our towels down was in limited area near the water which was

directly in the sun.

 

This is actually what occurred in St. Lucia on April 2, 2010;

For these reasons, we do not recommend Cosol Tours.

[cherbear4000]

I used Cosol's tour last year. It was the first time we did a tour not sponsered by the cruise line. It was wonderful. They feed you and there is all the soda/water/beer you can drink. You get to see so much of the island. We saw the bananas, the volcano, a waterfall, had a delicious buffet, went to the beach, and so much more. We had his brother Yellowbird as a guide. I did not use the restroom at the buffet, so I can't comment on if there was $1 charge. As for the beach, we were told ahead of time we could rent a lounge chair or just put your towel on the sand. The beach is at a hotel, but in St Lucia, all beaches are public. So the hotel can't stop you from using the beach, but they can from using their chairs. We did use the restroom there no problem. The beach was nice, but there were some jellyfish in the water the day we went. I would definately recommend this tour.

[sue7045]

I used Cosol's tour last year. It was the first time we did a tour not sponsered by the cruise line. It was wonderful. They feed you and there is all the soda/water/beer you can drink. You get to see so much of the island. We saw the bananas, the volcano, a waterfall, had a delicious buffet, went to the beach, and so much more. We had his brother Yellowbird as a guide. I did not use the restroom at the buffet, so I can't comment on if there was $1 charge. As for the beach, we were told ahead of time we could rent a lounge chair or just put your towel on the sand. The beach is at a hotel, but in St Lucia, all beaches are public. So the hotel can't stop you from using the beach, but they can from using their chairs. We did use the restroom there no problem. The beach was nice, but there were some jellyfish in the water the day we went. I would definately recommend this tour.

 

I hope you can help. I booked this tour and and I still have some questions. How much time do youmget on the beach? Is there a place to change or should you just wear your bathing suit under your clothes? Is there a place to snorkel and is it worth doing? Anything other information would help. Thanks

[eetonaee]

I hope you can help. I booked this tour and and I still have some questions. How much time do youmget on the beach? Is there a place to change or should you just wear your bathing suit under your clothes? Is there a place to snorkel and is it worth doing? Anything other information would help. Thanks

 

IMHO if your prime reason for taking this tour is for the beach and snorkeling then find another tour or go right to a beach. This tour gives you an overall view of the Island including a banana plantation, volcano, local foods and boat trip to the beach that includes a 15 minute ride each way. Your time at the beach is no more than 1 hour. I would wear your bathing suit especially if it is a hot day as you can dry out on the boat trip from Jalousie back to the tour van.

[travelnut4]

I am very interested in Cosol's tour, as we have not been to St. Lucia before. How far in advance did you book it? I am assuming he is aware of the time everyone needs to be back on the ship, but has anyone had a bad experience with "missing the boat"?

[GaryNFla]

We had the pleasure of a tour with Cosol last week and loved every minute of it. We had Cosol himself and he was fantastic. The food was abundant and delicous and there was always plenty of water, beer, or rum punch.. This was one of our best days ever on a tour and I would recommend it completely. It never got too crowded and his vans are huge and very comfortable and very new.. Cosol is a good man and he wants nothing more than to share his love of the island..:)

[travelnut4]

How far in advance did you reserve, and did you ask for Cosol to be your guide at that time?

[GaryNFla]

How far in advance did you reserve, and did you ask for Cosol to be your guide at that time?

 

I reserved a couple months out and did not make any special requests. They were very accomodating. I did take Cosol a couple green apples tho..Maybe that helped, he loves them and they are pricey on the island..

[welldone60]

We used Cosol in Feb of this year. There were 11 of us from our roll call in our van. We were all a little unhappy with the tour. Cosol tried hard but he overloaded the tour on this day. There were six ships in port and he tried to handle all of them. Every stop was way to crowded. At the first stop they ran out of drinks, the food stop you were lucky to get a little taste of 2 or 3 items. The Volcano was a total mess. Traffic was backed up for a mile or so. Same at the falls. These two stops used up alot of our time. We loved the parts of the island that we saw, the Banana plantation was nice.

I think this would be a great tour if Cosol cut back on the number of people he takes. But then it's all about the money. Just check and see how many ships are in port before you book this tour.

 

Traffic at the Volcano

[NWLA Cruiser]

We used Cosol in Feb of this year. There were 11 of us from our roll call in our van. We were all a little unhappy with the tour. Cosol tried hard but he overloaded the tour on this day. There were six ships in port and he tried to handle all of them. Every stop was way to crowded. At the first stop they ran out of drinks, the food stop you were lucky to get a little taste of 2 or 3 items. The Volcano was a total mess. Traffic was backed up for a mile or so. Same at the falls. These two stops used up alot of our time. We loved the parts of the island that we saw, the Banana plantation was nice.

I think this would be a great tour if Cosol cut back on the number of people he takes. But then it's all about the money. Just check and see how many ships are in port before you book this tour.

 

Oh, wow, welldone60. All of that traffic would have made any tour challenging. I'm sorry y'all didn't have a blast, but I can definitely see your point.

 

I toured with Cosol on my first cruise in 2007. I can honestly say that it is the absolute funnest vacation experience I have ever had! (I can also honestly say I was very tipsy at the end--we all had a singalong on our bus at the end of the tour...) Cosol joked around with us, shared many wonderful stories, told us lots of interesting facts, answered a lot of questions, and showed us many, many gorgeous sites. I have some stunning photos of St. Lucia. I get the general impression that the tour was less expensive in 2007, but it was well worth every penny and we tipped big.

 

I remember one of the buses in our group got a flat as we returned to the ship. The flat was changed in a jiffy, with many laughs and smiles (and some people trying to sneak to the very popular red van that carried the drinks) and we were still back in plenty of time to meander to the ship. I think that experience really speaks of how professional Cosol and his staff are and how they are prepared to take care of their guests. And yes, I felt like a guest rather than some foreigner being carried around on a tour.

[aislynmae]

We just returned from St. Lucia, and used Cosol tours. We had Bumpy, he was awesome. He made several stops along the way and would pick different things, cashews, Banana's, Cinnamin SP and explain how it was grown, and cultivated.

The breakfast was more than what we expected, as well as the fresh bread and cheese we had for lunch. PLUS a van with nothing but Rum, Beer, Water, & soda's follows us the entir time. We took a water taxi to a private beach and we were abe to swim for about an hour. I really was not sure I wanted to spend the entire day in a car, but we were all very comfortable.

I feel like I really got my $'s worth, as well as a great learning day about the island.

 

We loved St Lucia best of all the islands we visited. WOuld come back here in a heartbeat.