Lawrence of Antiqua tours

[Co. Cruisers]

Has anyone been on a Lawrence of Antiqua tour? Please provide your pros, cons and price. I have looked at the web site - looks pretty good but am looking for some first-hand experience. We are a group of 8 sailing on the Emerald Princess 11/26 - 12/06; have all tours booked with the exception of Antiqua. Thanks much!! We're cruising! :) :confused:

[Zeno]

Has anyone been on a Lawrence of Antiqua tour? Please provide your pros, cons and price. I have looked at the web site - looks pretty good but am looking for some first-hand experience. We are a group of 8 sailing on the Emerald Princess 11/26 - 12/06; have all tours booked with the exception of Antiqua. Thanks much!! We're cruising! :) :confused:

 

We went with lawrence a couple of years ago and were very satisfied.

Pros:

He is very professional in his efforts to make sure that you enjoy your tour and that you see all the important sites. For example; at each stop he made sure that we took advantage of all that was offered - at the Dow's Hill Interpretation Centre, he made sure that we saw the presentation and got the tour, same at Nelson's Dockyard.

His vehicle is spotless and air-conditioned.

He never rushes you at any of the sites.

He is always willing to stop for photo ops.

I had been on two previous Antigua tours and his was bar far the best.

Cons: He is more expensive than just taking a taxi

Price: You have to check with him. When we went it varied somewhat depending on the number of people in the group.

[Co. Cruisers]

Thanks so much for your response and input - it is much appreciated!

Regards! PS; - his $$$ at $45.00 PP are almost 1/2 what Princess wants, ( $84.00 PP ), for basically same tour - DUH!!!

[Zeno]

Thanks so much for your response and input - it is much appreciated!

Regards! PS; - his $$$ at $45.00 PP are almost 1/2 what Princess wants, ( $84.00 PP ), for basically same tour - DUH!!!

 

If your choice is between a ship tour and Lawrence DEFINITELY pick Lawrence.

Of the 3 Antigua tours we have taken, the ship's tour was the most expensive and the least satisfactory. The taxi tour was the cheapest BUT the driver did not take us to all the sites that Lawrence and just did not make much of an effort. Lawrence took us to the most sites and was the most accommodating and professional and not much more expensive than the taxi tour.

[Host Caroline]

About 8 of us are taking his island tour in January from Carn. Liberty and really looking forward to it.. he answered emails promptly etc. gives "beach or no beach option".. we didn't want beach which some others included... based on reviews on this site he looked great...

...see even the moderators use all these boards too ! :D

[Host Star]

About 8 of us are taking his island tour in January from Carn. Liberty and really looking forward to it.. he answered emails promptly etc. gives "beach or no beach option".. we didn't want beach which some others included... based on reviews on this site he looked great...

 

 

...see even the moderators use all these boards too ! :D

 

hi fellow Hostie :)... I used him with some friends last year and he was easy to spot with his plaid vest and his new bus/van was very comfortable and he was very accommodating.. he stopped and got us some delicious fresh pineapple.. took photos with us and for us!...

[kylescoolmom]

I am glad I picked this tour. Sounds like a very nice time.

[cruisecruisecruise1234567]

Has anyone been on a Lawrence of Antiqua tour? Please provide your pros, cons and price. I have looked at the web site - looks pretty good but am looking for some first-hand experience. We are a group of 8 sailing on the Emerald Princess 11/26 - 12/06; have all tours booked with the exception of Antiqua. Thanks much!! We're cruising! :) :confused:

 

He is more expensive than anyone else by about $20 per person. He offers the same tour and he tries to pack them in.His website shows a big bus,but he mostly uses the old little bus with the fold down seats so he can get 15-17 people in it.

If your ship is late,he will leave you.Do a search back and you will see he did this a few times.All of those that had a successful tour will now pounce on my reply.

Save your money,get off the ship and there are dozens and dozens of people who will offer you a tour for $20 per person and if you have 6 or so people,you will get your own personalized un-crouded tour.

Do a search to see how many ships will be in port your day and see if he will be packing like sardines.

If he takes the big bus, you will have to park out as it is too big to park anywhere close.

[212cruiser]

First, realize that Antigua is a small island with few, well defined sights that ALL tour operators bring their guests to see. Antigua is not like touring Rome or Paris.

That said, we used Lawrence but we would not use him again. His tour was nothing special, and he basically followed all of the other tour vans from site to site. Worse, he left us several blocks from the dock simply pointing the way back.

[Zeno]

He is more expensive than anyone else by about $20 per person. He offers the same tour and he tries to pack them in.His website shows a big bus,but he mostly uses the old little bus with the fold down seats so he can get 15-17 people in it.

If your ship is late,he will leave you.Do a search back and you will see he did this a few times.All of those that had a successful tour will now pounce on my reply.

Save your money,get off the ship and there are dozens and dozens of people who will offer you a tour for $20 per person and if you have 6 or so people,you will get your own personalized un-crouded tour.

Do a search to see how many ships will be in port your day and see if he will be packing like sardines.

If he takes the big bus, you will have to park out as it is too big to park anywhere close.

 

Don't waste you time, most of the island is not worth it.This island IMHO is for the views and beaches

 

 

 

Really? Interesting comment from someone who clearly did not enjoy Antigua. How many people were there on YOUR tour WITH Lawrence - on ours there were only three - definitely not packed. I HAVE done both the 'cheaper" tour and Lawrence and his was FAR superior and more personalized and much longer and more extensive and detailed. Have you done both? How was YOUR tour with Lawrence? How did it compare with YOUR regular taxi tour?

[cruisecruisecruise1234567]

Really? Interesting comment from someone who clearly did not enjoy Antigua. How many people were there on YOUR tour WITH Lawrence - on ours there were only three - definitely not packed. I HAVE done both the 'cheaper" tour and Lawrence and his was FAR superior and more personalized and much longer and more extensive and detailed. Have you done both? How was YOUR tour with Lawrence? How did it compare with YOUR regular taxi tour?

 

I did not tour with Lawrence, my wife did with the other woman and the men ended up touring because our Scuba trip was cancelled due to weather so we had nothing else and Lawrence had room for 2 people,not 6 and it became the joke of the cruise.We played follow the leader,the WHOLE entire time.There was not one sight that was different.Their complaints were too many people in the LITTLE van as he grabbed a couple on the way out of port to fill their whole van including those fold down seats.They complained Lawrence had a hard to understand accent.We had 6 people in our tour at more than half the cost.

You were lucky you had three people.Did he use the BIG bus which he advertises or did he bait and switch you with the old little bus?I am surprised you even had a tour.If you read some of the other reviews,he refused to run the tour because he did not have enough people.

No I did not enjoy Antigua because there is nothing there.What do you find SO interesting that you would take a tour twice.IMHO this is a beach/water island.The park presentation was a joke,a waste of time,the rubble left there is just that,rubble.The Dockyard is also a joke.If you want a real dockyard, try Portsmouth in the UK,that was impressive.

[Zeno]

I did not tour with Lawrence, my wife did with the other woman and the men ended up touring because our Scuba trip was cancelled due to weather so we had nothing else and Lawrence had room for 2 people,not 6 and it became the joke of the cruise.We played follow the leader,the WHOLE entire time.There was not one sight that was different.Their complaints were too many people in the LITTLE van as he grabbed a couple on the way out of port to fill their whole van including those fold down seats.They complained Lawrence had a hard to understand accent.We had 6 people in our tour at more than half the cost.

You were lucky you had three people.Did he use the BIG bus which he advertises or did he bait and switch you with the old little bus?I am surprised you even had a tour.If you read some of the other reviews,he refused to run the tour because he did not have enough people.

No I did not enjoy Antigua because there is nothing there.What do you find SO interesting that you would take a tour twice.IMHO this is a beach/water island.The park presentation was a joke,a waste of time,the rubble left there is just that,rubble.The Dockyard is also a joke.If you want a real dockyard, try Portsmouth in the UK,that was impressive.

 

Even more interesting! Did his van say on the side "Lawrence of Antigua" because if it did not - then that was not Lawrence of Antigua (there is at least one taxi driver who has been "known" to pose as Lawrence). What colour was this guys vest? Also the "real" Lawrence speaks English quite clearly (in my opinion anyway).

 

We had a van because we went with him before he bought the bus (he told us about his van and it was exactly as advertised - clean and air-conditioned). He also made no attempt to "pick-up" other passengers. He did tell us if we met anyone on our cruiseship who was interested we could bring them with us (he was quite specific about "no more than 4 extra people" - as he did not want to overcrowd the van). There was more than enough room for 4 extras but he was quite happy to just take the three of us. I have NEVER heard of him backing down on a booked tour.

 

OK - what did I like about the island and why did I do the tour 3 times.

1. First two tours DID NOT go to all the sites of the historical park AND we had a friend with us who had never seen Antigua before.

2. I am a history major and I find historical sites interesting. BTW comparing Portsmouth to Nelson's Dockyard is comparing apples to oranges. One is a LARGE modern dockyard. The other is a small historical site. I found the buildings at Nelson's Dockyard were well- restored and presented and I did not notice any "rubble" there. Some of the other sites were in a more ruined state but guess what - that is what happens to old buildings. I LIKE old buildings and ruins and I like scenic overlooks and I like beaches. I think any island that can provide some historical sites, some scenic views and some nice beaches has a lot to offer a visitor.

 

What else would you expect to find on a Caribbean island that Antigua was lacking in???

[Grumpy8]

How rude!

Zeno.. I agree with you. This could not of been our Lawrence. He has had real problems with the other Lawrence. He would in no way take his small bus for a group of 8 and would never pick up someone to fill the bus.:mad:

[Host Star]

He is more expensive than anyone else by about $20 per person. He offers the same tour and he tries to pack them in.His website shows a big bus,but he mostly uses the old little bus with the fold down seats so he can get 15-17 people in it.

If your ship is late,he will leave you.Do a search back and you will see he did this a few times.All of those that had a successful tour will now pounce on my reply.

Save your money,get off the ship and there are dozens and dozens of people who will offer you a tour for $20 per person and if you have 6 or so people,you will get your own personalized un-crouded tour.

Do a search to see how many ships will be in port your day and see if he will be packing like sardines.

If he takes the big bus, you will have to park out as it is too big to park anywhere close.

 

I have taken lawrence's tour .. it would be physically impossible for him to get 15-17 people in his smaller van.. from what i understand for 8 or more he uses the large bus, which we did our tour in and we were very comfortable.. yes, most of the tours go the same places as these are the hi lights of the island.. the ship's tours cover the same attractions.. however a private tour can be customized if you do your homework or read CC boards for some suggestions where to go.. Lawrence will take you anywhere you wish to go and do, as will most private tours...we found him to be very pleasant and well dressed and articulate..you will definitely enjoy your tour..

[cruisecruisecruise1234567]

Even more interesting! Did his van say on the side "Lawrence of Antigua" because if it did not - then that was not Lawrence of Antigua (there is at least one taxi driver who has been "known" to pose as Lawrence). What colour was this guys vest? Also the "real" Lawrence speaks English quite clearly (in my opinion anyway).

 

We had a van because we went with him before he bought the bus (he told us about his van and it was exactly as advertised - clean and air-conditioned). He also made no attempt to "pick-up" other passengers. He did tell us if we met anyone on our cruiseship who was interested we could bring them with us (he was quite specific about "no more than 4 extra people" - as he did not want to overcrowd the van). There was more than enough room for 4 extras but he was quite happy to just take the three of us. I have NEVER heard of him backing down on a booked tour.

 

OK - what did I like about the island and why did I do the tour 3 times.

1. First two tours DID NOT go to all the sites of the historical park AND we had a friend with us who had never seen Antigua before.

2. I am a history major and I find historical sites interesting. BTW comparing Portsmouth to Nelson's Dockyard is comparing apples to oranges. One is a LARGE modern dockyard. The other is a small historical site. I found the buildings at Nelson's Dockyard were well- restored and presented and I did not notice any "rubble" there. Some of the other sites were in a more ruined state but guess what - that is what happens to old buildings. I LIKE old buildings and ruins and I like scenic overlooks and I like beaches. I think any island that can provide some historical sites, some scenic views and some nice beaches has a lot to offer a visitor.

 

What else would you expect to find on a Caribbean island that Antigua was lacking in???

 

The picture is of a bald or shave headed man in a scottish vest and the van is too far away to see if his name is on the side,but there is something there.The van also looks to be two toned. I asked my wife and she said that the fold down seats were used, so I assume it must be a 14 passenger van including the driver.

 

As far as islands go, it was like all the others.Great beaches and views.The island tours are designed for tourists and it is a way for the islanders to earn a living.I don't fault them for it,it works.

[Grumpy8]

The picture is of a bald or shave headed man in a scottish vest and the van is too far away to see if his name is on the side,but there is something there.The van also looks to be two toned. I asked my wife and she said that the fold down seats were used, so I assume it must be a 14 passenger van including the driver.

 

As far as islands go, it was like all the others.Great beaches and views.The island tours are designed for tourists and it is a way for the islanders to earn a living.I don't fault them for it,it works.

 

Hmm... he does not own a two tone van. Can't be him.:confused:

[cruisecruisecruise1234567]

Hmm... he does not own a two tone van. Can't be him.:confused:

 

The van is away in the picture and there is another next to it so it could be a shadow on it.The man in the picture has a rounded face and the van looks like it has something on the windshield,animals characters or something.A girrafe?

[212cruiser]

I have taken lawrence's tour .. yes, most of the tours go the same places as these are the hi lights of the island.. Lawrence will take you anywhere you wish to go..you will definitely enjoy your tour

 

No, that's not correct and very misleading to people reading this board.

Lawrence will tell you he will take you somewhere just to get you to book with him. For example, on our tour he conveniently found reasons not to take 2 different couples where they agreed Lawrence was supposed to take them, and then he did not take all of us to one site we all agreed to go.

 

In addition, he did not even take us back to the ship. He decided to drop all of us off a few blocks away from the dock, and just pointed the direction we should walk. A few elderly passengers were noticeably upset, and rightly so.

People should also read the other threads concerning Lawrence and the less-than-sterling antics described.

But it was really no big deal to us because there's is nothing so important to see on Antigua that it even matters if you miss it!

 

And to all of Lawrence's defenders, especially the thread monitor, have you ever asked Lawrence to show you his insurance? Do you even know if he carries any? You don't even know if Lawrence has a valid drivers license. I don't think board moderators should be "endorsing" the services of anyone without knowing the facts.

 

[cruisecruisecruise1234567]

I don't think board moderators should be "endorsing" the services of anyone without knowing the facts.

 

 

Good point, should they be able to comment on for profit operators at all?

[Zeno]

No, that's not correct and very misleading to people reading this board.

Lawrence will tell you he will take you somewhere just to get you to book with him. For example, on our tour he conveniently found reasons not to take 2 different couples where they agreed Lawrence was supposed to take them, and then he did not take all of us to one site we all agreed to go.

 

In addition, he did not even take us back to the ship. He decided to drop all of us off a few blocks away from the dock, and just pointed the direction we should walk. A few elderly passengers were noticeably upset, and rightly so.

People should also read the other threads concerning Lawrence and the less-than-sterling antics described.

But it was really no big deal to us because there's is nothing so important to see on Antigua that it even matters if you miss it!

 

And to all of Lawrence's defenders, especially the thread monitor, have you ever asked Lawrence to show you his insurance? Do you even know if he carries any? You don't even know if Lawrence has a valid drivers license. I don't think board moderators should be "endorsing" the services of anyone without knowing the facts.

 

Since one can only speak from personal experience:

Lawrence took us exactly where he told us he would and made a number of extra stops that we requested.

As for not dropping you off at the ship, I don't suppose it occurred to you to ASK why he could not. The Antigua taxi association has some VERY strict and very enforced rules about who may pick up and drop off at places like the airport AND the cruiseship docks. When we took our tour with Lawrence we asked and he explained that he did not have permission to make dockside drop-offs. At the time he was trying to get it.

As for Lawrence not having insurance or a driver's license - LIKE YOU!!! - I have absolutely no idea one way or the other. I can only say that he was a safe driver. Since Antigua is very strict about taxi tours etc - I am pretty sure he has a license or he would not be in business.

I can understand why you might feel that his tour is "not worth the extra money" or not to your personal tastes but I find this vendetta against him where you do things like imply he has no driver's license interesting in an unpleasant way.

As for people "defending" him - why not??? We had very good tours, delivered exactly as promised.

[CinWin]

We were in Antigua almost 2 yrs. ago and booked our tour in advance with Lawrence. He was very professional and accommodating, and we toured in his very comfortable brand new bus. Our ship had problems, so the itinerary was changed and our arrival date in Antigua had to be on a different day. We e-mailed Lawrence from the ship to let him know. On the new day, he was right there at the dock waiting for us. The only problem we had was that a couple of people who had booked didn't show up, so he kept us waiting and waiting for a long period of time hoping they'd come. They never did show, but while we were sweating out in the hot sun by the pier, he found a couple on the street willing to come also. Don't remember how many people were on the bus with us, but it wasn't crowded. We are going to Antigua again in January but will do something different this time. However, I would definitely recommend booking with Lawrence. By the way, his English is excellent. :)

Cindy

[212cruiser]

Lawrence will take you anywhere you wish to go and do..you will definitely enjoy your tour..

 

That's not true.

Many people have expressed their dissatisfaction with Lawrence and his antics, myself included. Just review the other threads. Why is the moderator lending endorsement to this specific tour operator? In all fairness I think a full disclosure is in order.

[cruisecruisecruise1234567]

The van is away in the picture and there is another next to it so it could be a shadow on it.The man in the picture has a rounded face and the van looks like it has something on the windshield,animals characters or something.A girrafe?

 

I saw a post that dissapeared here that mentioned he had a website.I looked it up and there is a picture of him with 2 vehicals.

 

That is him!!!He's is the same man shown in my wifes picture.

[LauraS]

And to all of Lawrence's defenders, especially the thread monitor, have you ever asked Lawrence to show you his insurance? Do you even know if he carries any? You don't even know if Lawrence has a valid drivers license. I don't think board moderators should be "endorsing" the services of anyone without knowing the facts.

 

 

 

Whoa there!

 

If you had read our Community Guidelines (which you agreed to when you became a member), you would know that we clearly state that our "hosts" opinions are their own, and that they are free to share their personal experiences on the boards as they see fit. They can answer what they like; they can choose not to answer. We also clearly state that you should treat their "opinions" just like you'd treat anyone elses on the forum, with no more weight than anyone elses.

 

We choose our hosts because they have a knowledge of cruising and ports of call. Why shouldn't they share their experiences. It would be a different story if a host was giving their opinion without having USED a company...but that's not the case here.

 

I have released this post because, all of the above said, I do think your question regarding asking for insurance is a valid one -- one that anyone should ask a tour operator before they use their services. Sad to say, many do not.

 

LauraS

Cruise Critic

[Host Star]

on Antiqua, not sure of other islands but a couple of the requirements to operate a tour van/bus/taxi are as follows

 

vehicle must be licensed and insured in order to be on the road

 

driver must have a Public Service Driver's Permit which must be renewed every year

 

driver must have up to date drivers license

 

other islands may have different requirements.. I would think you can contact the island's office of tourism before you go and check requirements and then ask to see your driver's credentials before getting into his vehicle... this is only a suggestion..