Virgin Gorda Highlights excursion

[immargaret]

We are booked with Patouche. How did you find out it was cancelled? Our time in Tortola is listed as 8-1, which could change.

 

I'm so unsure what to do. :D I think the private tour would be smaller and much more fun but I'm a little concerned about the swim. What to go????

 

Since I didn't get in the water I really can't help much with the swim difficulty.

 

We found out about the time change at about 5PM on Friday and I emailed them right away to see if they were ok with the earlier time. There wasn't a response by Sunday morning when we left for the ship. We decided to go with NCL since we hadn't heard anything, and the two teens with us really didn't want to get up at 6AM to get off the ship by 7AM......and I wasn't booking independently with them being left on the ship.

 

When I got home there were 2 emails from Julie at Patouche. The first saying she was ok with the time change, and the second email saying that others who had booked had backed out and she needed a larger group to make it worth taking the boat out for her so she had to cancel our excursion.......she suggested we book directly with NCL since they are the ones who handle the NCL Baths and Snorkel excursion.

[drewdie]

If you are on a private tour, ask them to take you to Pond or Savahana(sp) Bay. Both bays are about 10 minutes from The Baths, so time should not be a problem. They are never crowded- usually empty, and gorgeous. Very calm with good snorkling around the rocks. The Baths are amazing, but can get really crowded. There is also a small beach to the right of the Baths called Devil's Bay- more private.

[Snowrose]

DH and I LOVED the Baths! But I would say that it is for people that enjoy nature and/or beaches, there isn't any shopping or anything. I especially recommend taking the caves to Devil's Bay. The caves are an experience all their own, and the beach is wonderful!!

 

 

 

The ride to the Baths is a bit time consuming, but not much you can do about that since it is on another island. We had very reasonable seas on going across, no one on the boat got sick.

 

Teri

[judyf]

Thanks for the pictures everyone. I talked to my Mother today and she wants to stay on the ship, she isn't up for the early Baths excursion.

 

Margaret didn't you have to give your CC number? If you don't cancell prior you get charged. Am I wrong on this, that's what I think I was told. I know I gave CC info to book the tour.

[M&MCruisin]

Thanks everyone for the info and those are great pictures everyone posted. I just cant wait to go and hopefully I wont run into that snake. I was under the (dumb) impression that snakes didnt live in the caribbean! LOL! Hope no one is around if I see one, cause Im pushing everyone out of the way! LOL!

[immargaret]

Thanks for the pictures everyone. I talked to my Mother today and she wants to stay on the ship, she isn't up for the early Baths excursion.

 

Margaret didn't you have to give your CC number? If you don't cancell prior you get charged. Am I wrong on this, that's what I think I was told. I know I gave CC info to book the tour.

 

I think you are right on the cancellation policy....

 

I don't like giving out my CC number on the web, so instead I put down a gift card number that had a small balance available.......can be used anywhere that accepts Visa. I was just going to pay cash when we arrived. Since they were the ones who cancelled the excursion I doubt they tried to charge the credit card.

[Dolfan-Neil]

We took the highlights tour for our Feb 16th sailing of the Pearl and I am glad we did. This way I was able to take my camera into the caves and get some great pictures. We were a group of 4 and I was the only one to go into the caves, so the other people appreciated the pictures.

 

You are right, it can get crowded in there and you had to wait at times to let groups pass in the opposite direction, but all in all no big deal and way worth it.

[M&MCruisin]

We took the highlights tour for our Feb 16th sailing of the Pearl and I am glad we did. This way I was able to take my camera into the caves and get some great pictures. We were a group of 4 and I was the only one to go into the caves, so the other people appreciated the pictures.

 

You are right, it can get crowded in there and you had to wait at times to let groups pass in the opposite direction, but all in all no big deal and way worth it.

 

What a great point! I too am carrying my camera, but wouldnt be able to take the digital if I did the snorkel option. Now I am really glad I booked the highlights tour with NCL... DID YOU LOVE THE PEARL??? Im getting ready to go on her!

 

Also, were the caves "scarey"???? Im afraid of what might be in them! :eek: Especially since I saw the picture of the snake a few posts up!

[immargaret]

What a great point! I too am carrying my camera, but wouldnt be able to take the digital if I did the snorkel option. Now I am really glad I booked the highlights tour with NCL... DID YOU LOVE THE PEARL??? Im getting ready to go on her!

 

Also, were the caves "scarey"???? Im afraid of what might be in them! :eek: Especially since I saw the picture of the snake a few posts up!

 

The caves weren't scarry at all. The snake was on a secluded trail, the long trail, that leads back up to the top of the Baths and I don't think many people had been on that trail at all before us that morninng. The snake didn't bother us, we just watched it make it's way across the path and left it alone. The trail itself was nice with many different cacti to take pictures of.

[M&MCruisin]

immargaret...thanks for the response! Im deathly afraid of snakes. My mom is so bad, she cant even see one on tv, but if I see one in real life, I'll be knocking people over! Im terrible!

 

Glad the caves werent scarey. I saw one picture of some steep stairs to climb out of a cave, or at least that is what it looked like. Im sure it will be a fantastic experience. Between that and the ziplining tour in Dominica we are doing, I think I will have enough excitement for the week!

[Surfgirl]

M&M-- what's the zip lining tour???

 

I'm looking for excursions to do on my Spirit trip and haven't a clue!

[Snowrose]

No, the caves aren't at all scary. There's one small duck-through passage but other than that they're open, airy, sandy-clean.

 

They aren't really caves so much as humongous boulders sitting against each other.

 

We did see 2 salamanders on the way back, going up the back trail. They completely avoided us.

 

Teri

[M&MCruisin]

M&M-- what's the zip lining tour???

 

I'm looking for excursions to do on my Spirit trip and haven't a clue!

 

For lack of a better description...my dh and I call it "swinging through the jungle". You are suspended from a cable that is connected from tree to tree and you "zip" through the jungle, some of which is pretty high. In Dominica, the zipline tour has several ziplines and several footbridges to cross. You can see a little more by visiting the park...http://www.wackyrollers.com . NCL has an agreement with them so you cant book direct. That park also offers river tubing, which is not contracted through NCL according to an email I received from the park.

 

(Sorry for getting off subject of the baths, my fault! Dont ZAP us please!)

[M&MCruisin]

No, the caves aren't at all scary. There's one small duck-through passage but other than that they're open, airy, sandy-clean.

 

They aren't really caves so much as humongous boulders sitting against each other.

 

We did see 2 salamanders on the way back, going up the back trail. They completely avoided us.

 

Teri

 

Great! I think I will love the baths. Salamanders...I would stop for a photo...SNAKES...push my momma down to get out of the way! Kidding, sort of!:D