Spencer Ambrose tours????

[ship99]

Wow, sounds like everyone had a great time with Spencer. We had considered Cosol, but I like the idea of trimming some of the "extra" stuff to spend more time at Jalousie Beach. How do I contact Spencer? Also, about how long were some of your tours? We don't want to be off the ship the entire day, our itinerary is a little different, we go to St Lucia after St Thomas, don't arrive until 12 pm. Where is there to shop? Thanks for your help everyone :)

[Sgt. Jeff]

Wow, sounds like everyone had a great time with Spencer. We had considered Cosol, but I like the idea of trimming some of the "extra" stuff to spend more time at Jalousie Beach. How do I contact Spencer? Also, about how long were some of your tours? We don't want to be off the ship the entire day, our itinerary is a little different, we go to St Lucia after St Thomas, don't arrive until 12 pm. Where is there to shop? Thanks for your help everyone :)

 

Here is his e-mail.... spencerambrose1990@hotmail.com

[BBQ Lover]

Ship99, just contact Spencer and let him know what you want to do. He'll take care of you, and you will have a great time.

 

Hey Sarge, save a seat on the plane for me!

[Sgt. Jeff]

Ship99, just contact Spencer and let him know what you want to do. He'll take care of you, and you will have a great time.

 

Hey Sarge, save a seat on the plane for me!

 

You got it!!! Hey I see you are from California!! We just booked the Splendor of the Seas out of Long Beach yesterday,,,We are going in September...Never been to the west coast!

[ownercarry]

Hi all,

We were on the QM2 in mid December and booked Spencer after reading this thread and some others.

 

Unless you are just an old grump, there is no way you will not have the experience of a lifetime with him.

 

Everything, I mean everything is included in his trip. You get local lunch, snacks, drinks (even beer, as much as you want, he'll stop to get more if you want), park admission and more. The only thing we paid for was snorkel gear at Jalousie beach.

 

So while $55 initially seems like a lot, considering how far he took us showing us the entire island, the 2 parks we went to, a delicious jerk chicken lunch and three snack stops to enjoy local foods, I think we were on the top side of the deal.

 

Unless you say different, you take his tour and I couldn't see a reason to do anything different (maybe if it was your 2nd tour with him).

 

The highlight is Jalousie beach. It is magnificent. Like the beach you cannot get to except by boat on the north side of Kauai in Hawaii, the walls shoot straight up on both sides of you with one of the twin peaks right next to you. It was an old Hilton or something I think, so the facilities themselves are exceptional, but the scenery is why you are there. The snorkeling was also the best we had in all of our 6 stops.

 

And from what Spencer tells us, the hotel got a bit upset with the other "big" tour operators and no longer lets them take their vans to the beach. All access is now through the hotel, but they will let Spencer’s customers take the hotel vans down to the beach while he waits in his van for a couple hours. Others have to come in by water taxi and because of the cost, most don't do it now. PERFECT for you.

 

Our tour was nearly 8 hours and was the best of all our stops. We've had some very good and personable guides before, but none as easy going, knowledgeable and willing to please as Spencer.

 

He does NOT hang out at the pier, so you won't find him there. He is by referral only, so you must email him and setup your tour. He works every day but Sunday and his brother will help out if there is more than 12 as that's all his vans seat (BTW, his vans are nearly new and very comfortable).

 

I cannot recommend anyone so highly for a day trip there.

 

If you really want to show your appreciation, bring him some roasted salted almonds. His wife and daughters love them. Or maybe some almond M&Ms, he didn't know they existed.

 

Be sure to tell him Tim and Heidi from AZ say hello.

 

spencerambrose1990@hotmail.com

[jms2362]

We had Spencer and his bother "Small" for our tour (24 of us). Really enjoyed the tour. We customed our tour, skipped all the volvanic, botanic, water fall, just a short tour around the capital and straight to Jalouise beach.

 

MTV

How much was it and how long?

[MTV43]

How much was it and how long?

 

Right when we got off the ship and dropped us back just 30 minutes prior to sailing. Our ship docked from 8:00 - 5:00. I booked with him a year ago and paid $35 each.

 

 

 

MTV

[jms2362]

Right when we got off the ship and dropped us back just 30 minutes prior to sailing. Our ship docked from 8:00 - 5:00. I booked with him a year ago and paid $35 each.

 

MTV

 

Thanks I appreciate your quick reply. Were there alot of fish when you snorkeled there?

[chrtran]

Tours now are all $65 per person. I guess the difference between Spencer and Cosol is the beach experience? Spencer takes you directly there whereas with Cosol, you have to take a water taxi, which costs additional?

 

Is anyone joining this tour on April 9, 09?

[diddlydi]

Can anyone please give me spencers email site.

I looked quickly through this board and can not find it.

Thanks you.. :o

[jacketwatch]

Can anyone please give me spencers email site.

I looked quickly through this board and can not find it.

Thanks you.. :o

 

spencerambrose1990@hotmail.com

[JenShanny]

We are touring with Spencer on Wednesday, March 25th, and cannot wait! Last I emailed with him, he still had room in his vehicle for others!

[Sgt. Jeff]

We are touring with Spencer on Wednesday, March 25th, and cannot wait! Last I emailed with him, he still had room in his vehicle for others!

 

Hey.....would you please tell him that Sgt. Jeff and family from South Carolina said hi????

[cruisetwin]

We just returned yesterday from our cruise. We did a private tour with Spencer, just the four of us, we paid extra for that. It was amazing, there was a little mix up - we tendered rather than docked, so we were a little late connecting up with him, but we had his cell number and the locals helped us track him down, he raced over and off we went. We did all the great things, he stayed ahead of the Cosol tours so when we went to the waterfall my husband was the only one taking a dip in the pool under the falls, as we left, the hoards of Cosol people were coming in. It was so nice to not deal with any crowds.

 

He shared so much personal knowledge about the island, and all the wonderful foods he has grown up with he shared from local roadside vendors - it was awesome. He will adjust your tour however you wish if you are scheduled on a private tour so you can have more or less time at stops based on what you want.

 

He also has two brothers that help him out if he's already booked.

 

As other have said, you must book in advance and you will not regret it. It was truly one of the highlights to our trip. It was like touring the island with a friend. He shared many great stories and was so easy to talk to.

[shipknotshore]

Does Spencer have a web site? I have his email address but thought it would be nice if we could see some of the highlights on a web-site.

 

Thanks.

 

~Jill

[RCrpntr]

I just spoke with Spencer this past Sunday. He is working on upgrading his website. He promised to let me know as soon as it's finished and I'll post it.

 

This is his current website:

 

http://www.splendidtours.sampa.com/splendid-tours/

[shipknotshore]

I just spoke with Spencer this past Sunday. He is working on upgrading his website. He promised to let me know as soon as it's finished and I'll post it.

 

This is his current website:

 

http://www.splendidtours.sampa.com/splendid-tours/

 

Thank you so much for the link. We won't be there until Dec. 09 but it's about time to get the ball rolling on excursions!

[pw2003]

My wife and i booked Spencer for our island tour in March this year. He told us at the time of booking that his Brother would take us as he had a large group.

 

What a day....

 

WE had a great time with John, he was very knowledgable of the island and stopped at every curve of the road for me to take photographs. I can not recommend Spencer, or indeed, John enough.

 

We started the day with a drive along the coast to a waterfall where we took dozens of pictures, ate at a local stand (Big Mommas....you have to try the fish and the chicken she makes....and the spiced rum). Then we travelled through the town to the Volcano. there we spent 30 mins or so with our own guide showing us the hot pools and describing the geology.

 

Finally we went to one of the most beautiful set beaches I have ever seen. Set between the two pitons, Jalosie beach is just stunning.

 

Driving back to the dock we stopped for fresh made casava bread which is awesome...my mouth waters thinking about it.

 

John was superb. Any question I had was answered and he went above and beyond anything we expected.

 

A really magical day.

 

Paul and Lynn.

[2kidsforus]

We just toured with Spencer this past wednesday 3/18. First I must say he was a great tour guide, and is very eager to please. Second I must tell you that we had booked a "private" tour for 6, three adults and three kids. In his emails he said under no circumstance would he ever join a "private" tour with others. Well... we got off the SOS and he wasn't there holding his sign. A local taxi driver asked who we were looking for & actually called Spencer for us. I had brought all my email correspondence with me which also had his phone # on it. About 10 min later Spencer's brother showed up and informed us that Spencer would be with us shortly, he had to pick up 4 others off the Princess ship. I immediately asked why, as we had booked a private tour. He said Spencer would explain. In the email it said to get off the boat asap as we had a packed day ahead of us. We were off the boat at 7:30, only to wait until 8:15 for the "others" who were not even to be with our "private"group. When Spencer showed up with the others, they too had thought they were getting a "private" tour. I told Spencer we were not paying the full amount for the tour and I told him what we were willing to pay. He said no problem, whatever will make you happy. Spencer is very knowledgable about St Lucia, and provides you with snacks, local foods, Piton beer, and the stongest rum punch I have ever had. The kids enjoyed the tour too. We preffered to pass on the volcano, however the other 4 did not. Spencer gladly dropped them off and took us to Jalousie beach. Bring your water shoes if you want to snorkel! Spencer went back to get the other 4 and then brought them to the beach. I would not hesitate to use Spencer, however be aware that he may put you with others even though you book a private tour. The other 4 were all very nice, but that wasn't the point. Spencer does want everyone to have a great time and he was very eager to make sure we were pleased. The other 4 paid the private tour rate, I am not sure why, we did not. Enjoy St. Lucia and don't hesitate to book with Spencer he's a great tour guide!

[JenShanny]

I just posted the same review under the "Cosol or Splendid??" thread, so I apologize for the repeat, but I wanted to one last time spread the love for Spencer's tour! :)

 

My husband and I toured with Spencer Ambrose during our day in St. Lucia on Wednesday, March 25th, and had the most incredible time!

 

To begin, of the five islands we visited during our cruise, St. Lucia was the most beautiful as it was the most lush and green. Therefore, touring the island was the perfect way to spend our day. Our ride was a newer van with seating for only a dozen or so passengers. We loved that the setting would be intimate, and actually only had one other couple with us on our tour, so we were truly treated royally!

 

Spencer is one of the most amazing tour guides I’ve ever met; he is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and seemed to be well-liked and respected by the local people at the different stops we made. As a former cop who has worked in a lot of the cities on the island, he also knew where to get and treat us with incredible, local food, which included bananas, coconuts, jolly bread, jerk chicken, coconut bread, Creole bread, and cassava bread. My husband and I pleasantly gorged, and had a hard time finding an appetite for dinner that night!

 

During our tour, we visited a banana plantation, waterfall, drive-in volcano, and Jalouise beach, and stopped at many other places too for Kodak moments. Spencer actually accompanied us at our stops and explained everything, even pointing out different plants and flowers; tourists with different excursions actually joined our small circle for explanations, as they were basically just “dropped off” at the sites by their tour guides.

 

Moreover, as opposed to some other tours, Spencer has clearance to drive in to Jalouise beach. Other excursions we noticed did not, and thus had to take a bumpy boat ride in. Because of this, they had less time to spend at this beautiful beach between the Pitons. My husband and I were so thankful for the extra time we got to spend there, and for our decision to tour with Spencer!

 

Overall, the day was just amazing, and Spencer is truly just so gracious, accommodating, and fabulous! We would highly, highly, highly recommend him to anyone, and hope to see him again ourselves some day in the future! :)

[smooth_sailin]

I completely agree with the last poster. We toured with Spencer Ambrose the day after they did, 3/26/09. We booked him for a private tour for our group of four. We did basically the same tour as the previous poster described and ate some (but not all) of the same foods. In addition, we stopped at a farine factory (where cassava route is ground and tried into farine, a staple of the Caribbean diet) and met Big Mama outside the waterfall, who fed us BBQ chicken and johnny cakes. We bought her spiced rum, purported to be an aphrodesiac, which seemed pretty cool when we bought it but looked kind of scary back home. :p He also provided drinks all day: bottled water, Piton beer and rum punch, which we didn't touch until after our swimming/snorkel visit to Jalousie Beach. It kind of tastes like Kool-Aid with a kick, so it went down TOO smooth -- by the time we returned to the ship we were pretty looped.

 

You can't go wrong with a Spencer Ambrose tour. he knows everyone and everything on St. Lucia -- a day with him was a real privilege for us.

 

Photos can be seen here:

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=256747796/a=153387574_153387574/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

[chrispycruiser]

I just posted the same review under the "Cosol or Splendid??" thread, so I apologize for the repeat, but I wanted to one last time spread the love for Spencer's tour! :)

 

My husband and I toured with Spencer Ambrose during our day in St. Lucia on Wednesday, March 25th, and had the most incredible time!

 

To begin, of the five islands we visited during our cruise, St. Lucia was the most beautiful as it was the most lush and green. Therefore, touring the island was the perfect way to spend our day. Our ride was a newer van with seating for only a dozen or so passengers. We loved that the setting would be intimate, and actually only had one other couple with us on our tour, so we were truly treated royally!

 

Spencer is one of the most amazing tour guides I’ve ever met; he is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and seemed to be well-liked and respected by the local people at the different stops we made. As a former cop who has worked in a lot of the cities on the island, he also knew where to get and treat us with incredible, local food, which included bananas, coconuts, jolly bread, jerk chicken, coconut bread, Creole bread, and cassava bread. My husband and I pleasantly gorged, and had a hard time finding an appetite for dinner that night!

 

During our tour, we visited a banana plantation, waterfall, drive-in volcano, and Jalouise beach, and stopped at many other places too for Kodak moments. Spencer actually accompanied us at our stops and explained everything, even pointing out different plants and flowers; tourists with different excursions actually joined our small circle for explanations, as they were basically just “dropped off” at the sites by their tour guides.

 

Moreover, as opposed to some other tours, Spencer has clearance to drive in to Jalouise beach. Other excursions we noticed did not, and thus had to take a bumpy boat ride in. Because of this, they had less time to spend at this beautiful beach between the Pitons. My husband and I were so thankful for the extra time we got to spend there, and for our decision to tour with Spencer!

 

Overall, the day was just amazing, and Spencer is truly just so gracious, accommodating, and fabulous! We would highly, highly, highly recommend him to anyone, and hope to see him again ourselves some day in the future! :)

We were in St. Lucia on April 1st and toured with Spencer Ambrose. He is a wonderful tour guide who made our day perfect. He was incredibly accommodating. JenShanny, your review is right on the money. I too would highly recommend a tour with Spencer Ambrose.

[will work to cruise]

I completely agree with the last poster. We toured with Spencer Ambrose the day after they did, 3/26/09. We booked him for a private tour for our group of four. We did basically the same tour as the previous poster described and ate some (but not all) of the same foods. In addition, we stopped at a farine factory (where cassava route is ground and tried into farine, a staple of the Caribbean diet) and met Big Mama outside the waterfall, who fed us BBQ chicken and johnny cakes. We bought her spiced rum, purported to be an aphrodesiac, which seemed pretty cool when we bought it but looked kind of scary back home. :p He also provided drinks all day: bottled water, Piton beer and rum punch, which we didn't touch until after our swimming/snorkel visit to Jalousie Beach. It kind of tastes like Kool-Aid with a kick, so it went down TOO smooth -- by the time we returned to the ship we were pretty looped.

 

You can't go wrong with a Spencer Ambrose tour. he knows everyone and everything on St. Lucia -- a day with him was a real privilege for us.

 

Photos can be seen here:

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=256747796/a=153387574_153387574/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

 

Hello smooth_sailin,

 

We are looking at going with Spencer Ambrose also. If you don't mind me asking, what was the price per person for the "private tour."

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[smooth_sailin]

Hi Mike,

 

We paid $75pp for an all-day tour. When I say all day, he was at the dock when we got off the ship (and we were the first people off), and we got back to the pier about 20 mins. before all aboard.

 

We ended up tipping him A LOT too. All that rum punch made us feel very generous! :D

 

When you compare the enjoyment of this tour to what we paid NCL for mediocre ship-sponsored tours, we felt it was well worth the money. We hope to return and visit him again and intend to stay in touch. He visits Miami a couple of times a year, and two from our group lives in SWFL, so they hope to see him next time he comes up. He promised to bring them farine!

 

Best wishes,

 

D from NJ

[vincesm]

I just posted the same review under the "Cosol or Splendid??" thread, so I apologize for the repeat, but I wanted to one last time spread the love for Spencer's tour! :)

 

My husband and I toured with Spencer Ambrose during our day in St. Lucia on Wednesday, March 25th, and had the most incredible time!

 

To begin, of the five islands we visited during our cruise, St. Lucia was the most beautiful as it was the most lush and green. Therefore, touring the island was the perfect way to spend our day. Our ride was a newer van with seating for only a dozen or so passengers. We loved that the setting would be intimate, and actually only had one other couple with us on our tour, so we were truly treated royally!

 

Spencer is one of the most amazing tour guides I’ve ever met; he is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and seemed to be well-liked and respected by the local people at the different stops we made. As a former cop who has worked in a lot of the cities on the island, he also knew where to get and treat us with incredible, local food, which included bananas, coconuts, jolly bread, jerk chicken, coconut bread, Creole bread, and cassava bread. My husband and I pleasantly gorged, and had a hard time finding an appetite for dinner that night!

 

During our tour, we visited a banana plantation, waterfall, drive-in volcano, and Jalouise beach, and stopped at many other places too for Kodak moments. Spencer actually accompanied us at our stops and explained everything, even pointing out different plants and flowers; tourists with different excursions actually joined our small circle for explanations, as they were basically just “dropped off” at the sites by their tour guides.

 

Moreover, as opposed to some other tours, Spencer has clearance to drive in to Jalouise beach. Other excursions we noticed did not, and thus had to take a bumpy boat ride in. Because of this, they had less time to spend at this beautiful beach between the Pitons. My husband and I were so thankful for the extra time we got to spend there, and for our decision to tour with Spencer!

 

Overall, the day was just amazing, and Spencer is truly just so gracious, accommodating, and fabulous! We would highly, highly, highly recommend him to anyone, and hope to see him again ourselves some day in the future! :)

 

We were actually with JenShanny on this tour and will 'second' her opinion and comments. Important fact is he Spencer prides in his work wants you to have a fine time, continuous attention to his 'guests' - as stated by JenShanny he not only 'dropped' us at the waterfalls but came with us pointed out various areas/flowers and even explained the areas to others who weren't in his group - this goes beyond what is expected....Hands down Spencer is the best !!!!!:)