3 Island Snorkel Tour

[KMP]

Has anyone used Captain Alan and the Awesome for the 3 Island snorkel tour? Is there a maximum number of guests for the tour? What is the cost per person and do they pick you up at the peir. Any info you can give on this is appreciated

Thanks

[Wineguys]

DISCLAIMER! Laura - I do not know this person....LOL LOL LOL!!!!!

We had a fantastic day with Paul and Carol (Carol is Alan's sister and Paul is his brother in law). We had originally booked a 5 hour tour through Island Marketing for 14 people (which is basically booking the whole boat for the entire day). Now, there were only 10 of us which was a very comfortable number of people for the Awesome Too. Lots of room for lounging about on board. The fact that one was a small child helped as well, but it was a beautiful boat.

 

Island Marketing screwed some things up (see the Island Marketing post), but nothing too bad so we would book directly through www.captainalan.com next trip. It was $720 for the 5 hour trip (which was really more like 5-1/2 hours). The Island Marketing driver was 25 minutes late in picking us up. It all works out either through Island Marketing or Captain Alan to about $70 a person for the 5-1/2 hour tour, I think. You just have to contact them....

 

The "Awesome Too" was a 30 ft. 225hp double engine powerboat that seated up to 14 persons and was a beauty to behold. It was a wet and wild day from the moment we left the marina at Oyster Pond at 12:30pm to our 6:00 pm return. We started out with snorkeling at Pinal Island (which was great and we had a 5 year old on board and Carol was just great with her - she was really patient and taught her so much more about snorkeling - we wish this wasn't the LAST stop on our cruise!). Then we went to Green Key which was a tougher snorkel out towards the white buoy, but a gorgeous glide back to the boat. These people know their islands, the waters surrounding them and they know exactly what they are doing. We then went way around the northern tip to Grande Case, pulled up at a dock to have a bite to eat (great burgers, fish, chicken, chips, etc.) with an incredible steel band playing. The food took a long time to come because it was New Year's day and they had been open all night. Finally, a 4th stop at Tintamar, where we anchored close to the beach and walked inland a few feet to get a fantastic exfoliating mud bath, sat on the beach as it dried on us and watched the sun go down over Sint Maarten/St. Martin. A wonderful experience. We had great experiences in St. Thomas/John, Tortola, Barbados, Grenada and other places, but everyone on this excursion said - THIS WAS THE BEST EXCURSION OF THE ENTIRE CRUISE!!!!

 

So, in answer to your questions, I've used Paul, the Awesome Too, the maxiumum was 14 (although the Awesome holds more I think), and they can arrange for a van to pick you up at the pier because they are at Oyster Pond, right over on the French Side, it's about $6 a person each way to get to them.

 

So if you contact Captain Alan, and get to talk with Paul or Carol, send regards from Patrick and his motley crew of Americans, Canadians, Quebecois and Brits from the best New Years Day we all ever spent!

[cruzobsessed]

wineguys.....what happened to your other thread? i thought i was going crazy because i posted to it and had other questions and you were suddenly.........gone:eek:

[crisp1]

I believe the thread was pulled because it was a review and not an answer to a question. I've been in contact with Paul and made our deposit. I was concerned that it there weren't enough people booked for our day that the excursion might be cancelled. Paul said that we go even if it was just the 2 of us. We had booked the Golden Eagle on our cruise this past December to go to Tintamarre, but the excursion was cancelled due to high winds, so we're excited about this one

[cruzobsessed]

o.k. so i'm gonna ask here.......how do you all feel about the whole CLOTHING OPTIONAL thing? i googled the places that this excursion goes to and everyone is naked:p personally....i could care less. but we are traveling with another family and it's actually the "men folk" who are complaining.

[crisp1]

Cruzobsessed,

I've been to Pinel Island and it is a family beach with plenty of kids, maybe a thong or 2- the one I saw was on a mother with a 6 or 7 yr old- must have been French lol.

Greenkey isn't much more than a big rock- you can see it from Orient. From what I understand you'll be snorkeling off the boat here- I wouldn't be co doing that- mine looks like bait :D:eek: Tintamarre does have a co area, so if you stay clear of that you'll be fine.

[Wineguys]

yes, as I said in the pulled post (hmmm, pulled pork, yummy - you can tell it's almost dinner time!)...anyway, we never went ashore at Pinel so I couldn't tell you, we just snorkeled it, but I mean if you can't handle seeing a bare breast, then don't do the French side. Green Key is exactly as crisp describes it and if the current is strong, you will care less about who still has the bathing suit on :D !

 

As for Tintamar, I looked for the naked people, really I did!!! Saw none....:( . Just kidding ... like I care. I grew up in New York City and most people never realized that there were CO beaches in Queens, right there within the confines of NYC. Shocking, isn't it! In the 70s and 80s and maybe still today! :rolleyes: Unfortunately, most of the people who sunbathe nude really shouldn't be. But the visit to Tintamar is really designed such that it should not shock anybody. My suggestion is that you ask them to make it your last stop, if possible. Most people are gone by late afternoon.

 

The "men folk" huh? Hmmmmm.....

 

OH, right, one more thing.....for those who have the time (like on a 5-1/2 hour tour....). I would SKIP Pinel totally and ask them to take you to Creole Rock off of Grande Case for some great snorkeling. They know it well and you could always eat lunch at Grand Case afterwards.

[crisp1]

The snorkeling tour is just 4 hrs with an 'open cooler' and light snacks- whatever that means. I wonder if we'll go to Tintamarre first to beat the cats, Pinel and then Greenkey, or Greenkey, Tintamarre and then Pinel so anyone who did want to eat could do it then. We leave at 8:45 and return by 12:45

[Wineguys]

The snorkeling tour is just 4 hrs with an 'open cooler' and light snacks- whatever that means. I wonder if we'll go to Tintamarre first to beat the cats, Pinel and then Greenkey, or Greenkey, Tintamarre and then Pinel so anyone who did want to eat could do it then. We leave at 8:45 and return by 12:45

 

Probably Tintamar, Green and then Pinel....It would be the logical progression back. I think. Tintamar is furthest? Or is it Green Key? Anyways, Pinel is closest back to the Marina, so I assume that would be the last stop, no?

[KMP]

Does anyone know what the light snacks are and what kind of drinks are in the cooler?

[Wineguys]

Does anyone know what the light snacks are and what kind of drinks are in the cooler?

 

Water and soda, maybe beer and I don't recall any light snacks...

[cruzobsessed]

o.k. i just sent paul an email asking him how i lock this thing up now.:)

we will be 8 on dec. 31 and he is charging us $880. to have the boat to ourselves. do you recommend going to pinel at around lunchtime since they are supposed to have a nice restaurant?

also....we've been to maho twice ....but on the beach. i asked paul if we could go there by boat and watch the planes from the water....:rolleyes: what's your opinion of that?

[Wineguys]

o.k. i just sent paul an email asking him how i lock this thing up now.:)

 

we will be 8 on dec. 31 and he is charging us $880. to have the boat to ourselves. do you recommend going to pinel at around lunchtime since they are supposed to have a nice restaurant?

 

also....we've been to maho twice ....but on the beach. i asked paul if we could go there by boat and watch the planes from the water....:rolleyes: what's your opinion of that?

 

How long do you have the boat for at THAT price??? Hopefully, it's for at least 6-1/2 or 7 hours.

[cruzobsessed]

wineguys....not really sure but there are only 8 of us. is $110 pp so expensive?:o

[crisp1]

wineguys....not really sure but there are only 8 of us. is $110 pp so expensive?:o

 

I think the point that wineguys is making is that it's usually $70pp for the 4 hr tour. I suppose that since your 'chartering' the boat- letting no one else onboard, Captain Alan is charging a premium

[Wineguys]

Well, yeah, what I'm saying is we paid $720 (which included a 10% discount for booking online) for a 5 hour tour (originally $800) to rent the entire boat. For $880, if you booked directly through him, you should be getting AT LEAST 6 hours - 5 -1/2 at a minumum!!! Yeah, $110 pp for a 4 hour trip is VERY expensive. I will personally call and tell them off, after writing such nice reviews about them, if they start gouging people. Ridiculous! :mad:

[cruzobsessed]

Thank you for contacting us again.

A plan could be like this:

8:30 : We pick up Chesterfield (near the cruiseship terminal)

We cruise via the south-part to The Island Tintamarre where we will snorkel and will do the mud bath (takes ten years of you) and hang out for a little while and have a drink. After that, we climb on board and cruise to Pinel-island where we snorkel and hand feed the fish. On board again we have a drink, a little snack and will cruise to the French side of the island. We will pass and visit a couple of beaches (Petit Caye and Happy Bay are more or less secluded). We will visit Grand Case where you have different affordable beach restaurants to lunch and/or perfect water to do some tubing. We continue the cruise, pass Marigot (Capital of the French Side), different beaches. We make a couple of stops to relax, have a drink. Round 16:00 We stop at the Airport and have a drink, watching planes coming in. From the airport we head to Chesterfield, passing a couple of nice beaches. Around 17:00 you will be back on the dock, in time for your cruise-ship.

Please tell me what you want to add

With best regards,

 

Paul

Captain Alan’s Boat Charters

this is what he recommends......what do you think?

 

 

 

 

Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.

[cruzobsessed]

the above post represents a sample of what we'd do. how does that look?

[Wineguys]

the above post represents a sample of what we'd do. how does that look?

 

SOUNDS AWESOME!! LOL! Hun, this is an 8-1/2 hour day....it is a fantastic itinerary and you are getting quite a deal. Feeding the fishes at Pinel is fun, and eating lunch and swimming at Grande Case is great too. Tintamar is fantastic and I would definately make a stop at Petit Caye if you can.

Far from gouging you, he is giving you a fantasic discount. You have the whole boat for $100 an hour. WOW. That is basically his price without the middle man. GOOD JOB!!!

[cruzobsessed]

wineguys.......was waiting for that....i'm booking today. thanks for your help:)

[SocrRiss18]

We were looking into the 3 island tour. We were confused as to if Captain Alan and Island Marketing LTD were different or the same, but Captain Alan said that LTD was basically just someone that arranges the tour. We were going to book directly with Captain Alan (saved like $1/person... wahoo. JK) but Captain Alan's cancellation policy wasnt good. He required a larger depost 20% i think, and if the ship wasnt able to come in to port we would lose that money. We've heard that with the Destiny, Carnival sometimes isnt able to dock in St. Kitts... and therefore goes to La Romana for two days instead of st. kitts and st. maarten. Island Marketing LTD said if the ship doesnt come in to port we get our money back.

[crisp1]

This past December there were 40mph winds as we pulled into port ( that didn't stop us from docking) but it did cause all the water related excursions to get cancelled.

[Wineguys]

We were looking into the 3 island tour. We were confused as to if Captain Alan and Island Marketing LTD were different or the same, but Captain Alan said that LTD was basically just someone that arranges the tour. We were going to book directly with Captain Alan (saved like $1/person... wahoo. JK) but Captain Alan's cancellation policy wasnt good. He required a larger depost 20% i think, and if the ship wasnt able to come in to port we would lose that money. We've heard that with the Destiny, Carnival sometimes isnt able to dock in St. Kitts... and therefore goes to La Romana for two days instead of st. kitts and st. maarten. Island Marketing LTD said if the ship doesnt come in to port we get our money back.

 

Absolutely....then book with Island Marketing. They are basically his booking agent. Then explain to Alan (the knucklehead) how he lost that 20% because of his refusual to give that guarantee. (Island Mktg is also 20%). What a moron Alan is! I never dealt with him. I dealt with Paul and Carol (Alan's sister and BIL). Alan is a great capitain but a poor buisinessman. So, he loses the 20% anyway, because that becomes IM's share. :confused: :rolleyes: Le sigh....I give up.

 

Cruzobsessed, I am glad you are all set. I'm out of here for now!

 

Enjoy your excursions. I got snorkeling in Mexico to prepare for and think I may just want to get SCUBA certified. Ciao, people.

[crisp1]

Just got our confirmation from Paul for our date. We are the only ship in port that day and Paul says we're going even if there are no other bookings. The boat even has an ipod hookup. Looking good:D

[Wineguys]

By the way, Captain Alan definately DOES give the guarantee about the cruise ship not docking in St. Martin, you DO get your deposit back. I have friends crusing there in March (on Carnival :cool: ) and e-mailed Paul to ask him about this. He said they Do offer the refund on deposit if the cruise ship does not dock. Sometimes it is a language barrier.