Cosol, Herod, Frank, Phillip, Fabian: Which?

[Peterpritch]

My wife and I and two friends, who were first time cruisers and first time in the Carribean, returned yesterday from P.& O's "Arcadia" Taste of the Carribean and Transatlantic Cruise.

 

Whilst in St Lucia, we used the services of Herod (pre-booked from recommendations on this site) and could not have been happier. Nothing was too much trouble for him and we had a wonderful tour of the sites of the island. There were six of us in his ten seater air-conditioned minibus at a cost of $50 each inclusive of all entrance fees. So much cheaper than booking through the Cruise line, whichever company you are with and so much more personal and civilised. We were plied with a constant supply of ice cooled drinks of his mother's rum punch, local beers and soft drinks. His pleasant manner was a joy and although I have no experience of the other recommended drivers, I have no hesitation in urging others to avail themselves of this remarkable taxi service.

 

If you do use him, tell him that Mr.Peter sends his regards and best wishes.

[lawton54]

DW and I just returned from visiting St. Lucia. We booked with Phillip tours and were wonderfully pleased. We were met at the port by our driver, Jackson, and escorted to his very nice 12 passenger, AC van. We wanted to have lunch at the Ladera resort as a focal point of the tour and were completely satisfied with our treatment. Jackson stopped at sevreral good photo locations along the way, hit the main points of interest on the island as well as several spots you would never have found on your own, and stopped at one town where he brought us fresh made bread to sample. He was wonderfully paitent with all of the "tourist" questions and told us much of the history of the island. The thing I liked most was that we were able to book the tour for the size group we wanted. We were quoted a price for "our" group and knew exactly how many people we would have in our van, and where we would be going. They were willing to customize the tour to our wants and timetable. The price was $40 per person ($35/PP if the group was 5 or more) which was a bargain for all that we saw. This was the best tour we had in all of our 5 island stops.

[KTaylore]

I have had the pleasure of taking both a Cosol Tour (a few years ago before he had a website) and a Modeste Tour just a few months ago (frankly I am not sure why Mr. Modeste is not featured on this site that much? http://www.modestetours.com) -- and I will say both were great. Cosol Tours has grown, so his tours are bigger. The Modeste Tour we took was very similar, just a bit more customized and intimate. Either way, they are both first class gentlemen and you won't be disappointed!

[swom]

Do any of these tours (Cosol, Herod, Frank, Phillip, Fabian) offer sightseeing, shopping and beach time/snorkling for around 45.00?

I love to do a tour that includes all of these things. Or.......is St Lucia not a good shopping port? I really just want a few souvenirs to bring home.

Thanks!

[klo18]

We prearranged a zipline and full island tour with Fabian. He was great to deal with on line (quick replys and complete information to all my questions) and was there as planned when we arrived on 4/10/08. We could not have asked for a better experience. We had the best day in St. Lucia thanks to Fabian!

[mnnjcouple]

Got back from a family cruise. Our parents went with Bernard (St. Lucia taxi man) and had a great time. They thought he was informative and helpful.

 

My wife and I (along with 3 others of our family party) went with Frank because of the zip line option. We only added the island tour the day we arrived because others wanted to do sightseeing too. After the zip line adventure (which was GREAT!), we went into a van that was not driven by Frank.

 

Our "island tour" really ended up being just a drive through St. Lucia with lunch that had a beautiful vista of the Pitons (Beacon Restaurant). The drive was not that informative at all (the guy's name was Masell - worked with Frank for the past 2 years). So, if you do choose to book through Frank, you should double-check that he himself is doing the tour that day.

 

Wish we were back there. St. Lucia is one of the best islands we saw during our cruise. Very lush, mountainous, and beautiful water. Have fun!

[michalanajon]

We used an amazing guide who used to be a police officer....he knows his way around and you feel extra safe with him. He is very informative and has a great personality!! His name is Spencer and you can contact him at spencerambrose1990(at)hotmail.com. He tailored the tour to our needs and was professional and warm!!! He was great! The things he pointed out and the snacks and local breads were awesome....not to mention the great stop at Joulouise!! You won't regret touring with him!

[margaritawoman]

My DH & I have been on 20 or more cruises. We had Cosol as a tour guide last April 2007. The best tour we have ever taken on a cruise. I can't say enough about him. We were with 2 other coulpes (best friends) they also have cruised many times and we all agreed it was one of the best tours we had ever taken. He will give you a wonderful day and make sure you are back to the ship with time to shop if you want.

[gfall@aol.com]

We just came back from our cruise and once again used Herod. This is the second year in a row, and he is by far the best tour operator we have ever met. Such a kind, wonderful, informative, gentle soul. He loves his island and his tour reflects it. We did half on land, half at sea. It included lunch in a wonderful tropical setting. We went past his house, which is wonderful, had fresh bananas, homemade sweet bread, and more! I can't tell you how much we enjoyed this tour. Herod is very accommodating, and will incorporate any suggestions you might have. So research the island and if there is a particular sight you want to see, he will make sure you do. I hope you enjoy his tour as much as we did. We were a party of 13, ages from 11 to 55. So there is something for everyone.

Kathy

[Darcy8]

We went with Herod also. It was a great tour- really liked it that it was only the 8 people in our party. Not so big! I recommend Herod to anyone. We stayed on land for our tour.

darcy8

[blyle]

We just returned and used Serenity TVL, John and Caroline are the owners. Once you call their toll free line and speak with them you will see why they offer a wonderful experience. They pride themselves on personal treatment with an attention to detail! We loved our recent all day tour !!!You can't go wrong with Serenity TVL.

[J & G]

We just returned from St. Lucia. We were there for 5 days for our son's wedding.

 

If you are willing to try someone new, you might contact a gentleman who drove us from Sandals Grande to Almond Morgan Bay after the wedding. His price was lower than any of the other drivers we had used and he gave us a little mini-tour on the way back to our resort.

 

He will arrange whatever sort of tour you like. He is extremely personable and knowledgable and drives a spotless Toyota touring van. His name is Augustus and he can be contacted at 758-384-2971. We didn't find him until our last day in St. Lucia :( , but if we are ever in St. Lucia again, we will be sure to book a tour with him.

[Cats3]

We just returned from a cruise in late April. We used Cosol when we were in St. Lucia. I can't say enough good things about his tours. We saw everything in St. Lucia. We left about 8:30 and returned to the ship about 3:45. Everything he says in his ad is true. Our driver, Elias, was knowledgeable and friendly. Take your swim trunks and appetite. I would definitelt use him again.

[ycartracy]

Just returned from St. Lucia. We booked with Cosol and had an outstanding time! The DW and I were in complete agreement - Cosol tour was our best tour of the entire cruise. St. Lucia was not the greatest island we visited but Cosol more than made up for that. Tons of food and drinks. Our van was full of CC folks and we had a BLAST. Baptist (our driver) was super knowledgable and friendly. He never got tired of our silly tourist questions. For the price, you can't have anymore fun and see all the sights!!!

[blyle]

Serenity Tours,

One thing that was appreciated is the fact that Serenitytvl accepts credit cards and they have a US bank acct. No cash needs to be carried and no exorbitant CC fees to worry about. This is a big plus for us since we don't like to carry much cash when we are on a tour and most of the others require cash!

[princessD]

Can Anyone Give Me The Website For The Tour Companies In St Luica

 

Thanks

Marsha

[shadowdiver]

does Herod have a web sight? He sounds like a nice tour guide.

[fuzzywuzzy]

Has anyone any information regarding the tour guide Nash Deplessis from 2X Tours?

[fuzzywuzzy]

Just toured with Nash and we had the time of our lifes.But as soon as i post a reply it is taken off why.nashville77@hotmail.com:D

 

Hi: I see it here on the board? Thank you for your comment. That is good to know as we are contemplating going on a tour with him. We only want a 2 to 3 hr. tour but one that is fun and informative and safe.

[sailingaway12]

fuzzy,

Serenity seem to be now offering a 2-3 hr tour call the rhythm discovey tour. I've toured with them before but it was a whole day affair. Thinking of doing a short tour next time around.

[Crusin Karen]

We just got off the beautiful Miracle on Monday :( and to beat the PCD, I am planning the NEXT ONE! ;) We will be in St. Lucia on 2/13/09 and had planned to book with Cosol. Should I book this now, this far in advance? Also, does he charge your credit card when you book or after you actually take his tour?

[fuzzywuzzy]

We just got off the beautiful Miracle on Monday :( and to beat the PCD, I am planning the NEXT ONE! ;) We will be in St. Lucia on 2/13/09 and had planned to book with Cosol. Should I book this now, this far in advance? Also, does he charge your credit card when you book or after you actually take his tour?

 

I have been in touch with Cosol Tours and he has informed me that he would like the payment in cash at the end of the tour. His tour apparently lasts about 5 hours but we have opted not to take it because we are concerned that it will be too long as our ship will be sailing at 3:00 p.m. heading to Soufriere. We are going to take a smaller tour with someone else that I have been emailing and sounds very nice as well.

[sailingaway12]

Fuzzy I am sure Cosol will have persons from the same cruise ship as you on that particular day leaving port at 3:00pm. I am sure any operator will be aware of the ships departure so there should be no need to worry. You should just enquire to be on the safe side and back on time.:cool:

[Crusin Karen]

Thanks for the info, fuzzywuzzy (LOVE that screen name ;) ) Does anyone suggest I book the tour NOW?

[cw2go]

I just coresponded with Cosol this week for April 09 spring break and he has booked me. I do not think you are too early this is thier busy season and I believe he likes to plan a head count for future business. Just my opinion. I had quick communication with him and he thanked me for booking with him. So there's some idea as how far out to plan.

 

Hope this helps,

Patty