Serenity Vacations & Tours - Fun at the Beach

[aberthelot]

Hi, we are thinking about going to Pigeon Island beach for the day to snorkel and sightsee. We are looking at booking with Serenity Vacations & Tours. Has anyone done this and if so, how did you like your day? I was just wondering if we would be missing out on seeing other attractions???

Thanks in advance!

[reedprincess]

Some recent threads about Pigeon Island (and the Serenity Tour)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1606098&highlight=pigeon+island#

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1533728&highlight=pigeon+island#

 

No real need to do a tour, unless you like the "security" of having a tour operator, so to speak. They do not stay with you at the island, they get your chairs, point out the facilities and leave you with your cooler until pick up time - you are able to hike and tour the ruins, etc. at your own pace - no tour guide or the like.

It can be less expensive to do it on your own - $$70US r/t for up to 4 people. $5US pp entrance fee and chairs are available at about $6US - or you can simply put your towel down on the beach or grass or in the shade, wherever you want. The showers/changing rooms are included in the entrance price. There are 2 restaurants - an English pub and Jambe De Bois with excellent local food - both have great bars and are reasonably priced.

The hikes are great - amazing views (if it is not hazy) out to Martinique and around the north end of the island. There is a small reef for a bit of snorkeling.

You would miss out on the iconic sites of St. Lucia however - the Pitons, the volcano, the waterfalls, etc. Those are towards the south of the island - completely different area than where the ships dock and the north/Pigeon Island. So - it's a trade off.

Whichever you do, enjoy your visit!

[aberthelot]

Some recent threads about Pigeon Island (and the Serenity Tour)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1606098&highlight=pigeon+island#

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1533728&highlight=pigeon+island#

 

No real need to do a tour, unless you like the "security" of having a tour operator, so to speak. They do not stay with you at the island, they get your chairs, point out the facilities and leave you with your cooler until pick up time - you are able to hike and tour the ruins, etc. at your own pace - no tour guide or the like.

It can be less expensive to do it on your own - $$70US r/t for up to 4 people. $5US pp entrance fee and chairs are available at about $6US - or you can simply put your towel down on the beach or grass or in the shade, wherever you want. The showers/changing rooms are included in the entrance price. There are 2 restaurants - an English pub and Jambe De Bois with excellent local food - both have great bars and are reasonably priced.

The hikes are great - amazing views (if it is not hazy) out to Martinique and around the north end of the island. There is a small reef for a bit of snorkeling.

You would miss out on the iconic sites of St. Lucia however - the Pitons, the volcano, the waterfalls, etc. Those are towards the south of the island - completely different area than where the ships dock and the north/Pigeon Island. So - it's a trade off.

Whichever you do, enjoy your visit!

Hi,

Thank you so much for your advice. I think you are right...what is the best way to see the Pitons and the waterfalls without spending a lot of money? There is an excursion through Carnival which takes you around the Pitons. I really would like to take pictures of the waterfalls also. Help!

[reedprincess]

there are lots of tours and options for seeing the Pitons from $35US pp tours up through $hundreds of dollars. It depends on how you want to travel, how long you want to be gone, if you want to got hrough the ship or independent, etc.

some independent tours that are highly rated are Cosol - a land tour that is about 6.5 hours and inlcudes banana plantation, Marigot Bay scneic stop, fishing villages, volcano, waterfall and gardens, 1 hour or so beah time between the Pitons and snacks and drinks all day.

Spencer Ambrose offers a similar land tour or a land/sea combo - by land down, by speed boat back. Land tour, about $70US, land/sea $85.

Herods, son of Man, Frank's, Jame's Touring, etc all offer similar tours - Pitons, volcano, gardens and waterfall, banana plantation, Marigot photo stop, food and drink, etc. all range between $65-$125 depending on whether it is land only or land/sea.

Serenity offers a short 3.5-4 hour tour for $35pp which is basically straight down to the volcano and then some Pitons viewing and back up - no food or drinks, etc. but hits the highlights without an all day tour.

As for your ships tour - looks like the Land & Sea combo for about $89 is similar to the above tours. It does not look like it includes the volcano though - which is interesting!

either way you go, I am sure you will have a wonderful day. The Pitons are not to be missed!! Enjoy!

[aberthelot]

there are lots of tours and options for seeing the Pitons from $35US pp tours up through $hundreds of dollars. It depends on how you want to travel, how long you want to be gone, if you want to got hrough the ship or independent, etc.

some independent tours that are highly rated are Cosol - a land tour that is about 6.5 hours and inlcudes banana plantation, Marigot Bay scneic stop, fishing villages, volcano, waterfall and gardens, 1 hour or so beah time between the Pitons and snacks and drinks all day.

Spencer Ambrose offers a similar land tour or a land/sea combo - by land down, by speed boat back. Land tour, about $70US, land/sea $85.

Herods, son of Man, Frank's, Jame's Touring, etc all offer similar tours - Pitons, volcano, gardens and waterfall, banana plantation, Marigot photo stop, food and drink, etc. all range between $65-$125 depending on whether it is land only or land/sea.

Serenity offers a short 3.5-4 hour tour for $35pp which is basically straight down to the volcano and then some Pitons viewing and back up - no food or drinks, etc. but hits the highlights without an all day tour.

As for your ships tour - looks like the Land & Sea combo for about $89 is similar to the above tours. It does not look like it includes the volcano though - which is interesting!

either way you go, I am sure you will have a wonderful day. The Pitons are not to be missed!! Enjoy!

Hi again!

Thank you so much for the information. I just realized you are from St. Lucia!!!! Nice to meet you. I discovered on the internet that there is a private school in St. Lucia which is accredited by my province of New Brunswick here in Canada! I would love to visit this school when I am there since I am also a teacher. I was thinking about writing to the school. Do you know any details about the school?

Talk to you later,

Angela

[reedprincess]

Hi again!

Thank you so much for the information. I just realized you are from St. Lucia!!!! Nice to meet you. I discovered on the internet that there is a private school in St. Lucia which is accredited by my province of New Brunswick here in Canada! I would love to visit this school when I am there since I am also a teacher. I was thinking about writing to the school. Do you know any details about the school?

Talk to you later,

Angela

That would be The International School, located in Rodney Bay. Here is the contact info:

International School St. Lucia

Upstairs Gablewoods North

P.O.Box RB 2701

Rodney Bay

St.Lucia W.I.

Phone: 1 758 458 0989

Fax : 1 758 458 4558

Email: internationalschoolstlucia at gmail.com

They are also on Facebook.

 

I am sure they would welcome a visit from you and would enjoy showing you around the classrooms, etc. Definitely contact them well in advance to arrange an appointment - they may even come pick you up at the port, etc. You never know!

If you visit them in the morning, you could easily go on to Pigeon Island for a while in the afternoon - or visit Reduit Beach, right there in Rodney Bay.

Enjoy your visit!

[Nana G]

We did the Serenity Tour 2 years ago and plan to do it again next year. Wouldn't have enough good things to say about it. Picked us up from the pier early and then drove thru an area of the most lovely houses we have ever seen. (This was our 5th trip to St. Lucia and hadn't seen this part of the island). Pidgeon Beach was fabulous. Small, great views and hiking/swimming. Changing facility was very clean. 2 guides stayed with us the entire day. Great to talk to a resident of this beautiful island. Wayne and Jenna were their names. The cooler was stocked full. We stayed the entire day, about 6 hrs. and then dropped us back at the ship. Most pleasent experience yet!

[ragbag1]

We did the Serenity Tour 2 years ago and plan to do it again next year. Wouldn't have enough good things to say about it. Picked us up from the pier early and then drove thru an area of the most lovely houses we have ever seen. (This was our 5th trip to St. Lucia and hadn't seen this part of the island). Pidgeon Beach was fabulous. Small, great views and hiking/swimming. Changing facility was very clean. 2 guides stayed with us the entire day. Great to talk to a resident of this beautiful island. Wayne and Jenna were their names. The cooler was stocked full. We stayed the entire day, about 6 hrs. and then dropped us back at the ship. Most pleasent experience yet!

 

Hi, as we have been down to the Pitons twice on prior trips, we are interested in something different, I mean getting to know another part of St Lucia -- without a totally exhausting slug up into the mountains or a 45 minute powerboat ride! Pidgeon Bay could be the answer. We would like to combine snorkel with sightseeing.

I went to Serenity's website and couldn't find an email address. Do you have one? I did complete the request form on the site and sbmitted it but the server said it isn't working.

While on the subject, do you or anyone else reading this have another "non-Piton" destination to suggest? We will be in Castries for the day of March 1, 1013.

Thanks.

[reedprincess]

Hi, as we have been down to the Pitons twice on prior trips, we are interested in something different, I mean getting to know another part of St Lucia -- without a totally exhausting slug up into the mountains or a 45 minute powerboat ride! Pidgeon Bay could be the answer. We would like to combine snorkel with sightseeing.

I went to Serenity's website and couldn't find an email address. Do you have one? I did complete the request form on the site and sbmitted it but the server said it isn't working.

While on the subject, do you or anyone else reading this have another "non-Piton" destination to suggest? We will be in Castries for the day of March 1, 1013.

Thanks.

Right from the bottom of their "Contact Us" page:

"Your Team of dedicated Ambassadors.

Email: ambassador at serenitytvl dot com Tel. 1 866 766 0794 toll free USA & Canada or 1 301 576 2288. 1 758 450 4525 St. Lucia"

Enjoy.

[Nana G]

We have always made reservation by phone. Again, they have never failed to meet and exceed expectations.

[ragbag1]

Right from the bottom of their "Contact Us" page:

"Your Team of dedicated Ambassadors.

Email: ambassador at serenitytvl dot com Tel. 1 866 766 0794 toll free USA & Canada or 1 301 576 2288. 1 758 450 4525 St. Lucia"

Enjoy.

 

Thanks for making me persist! The email went through this time and a lady with the attractive name of Acacia has started to correspond with me.

Choices are Anse Cochon and Pigeon Island.