Guadaloupe on a Sunday?

[Toad]

Any suggestions? What have you done here?

[airlink diva]

I was just in Guadaloupe this past Sunday. Of all my stops on my cruise, it was my favorite.

I will say that this was mainly in part of the wonderful tour that I booked with shoretrips. The tour was high $159, but it was so worth it.

Now when you get off of the boat, one the left is a small tourist booth. The only thing is none of the info is in English, but the people working there can speak English and were willing to assist.

There are cab drivers willing to do tours and beach trips. Bargin and get your pricing in US dollars agreed on if you don't plan to use Euros.

The HAL is only offering one tour at the time, going to a local garden and rum factory. There was a lady at my table that went and enjoyed it.

I will go into full detail this weekend!!

[Toad]

Thanks, I m waiting anxiously for your review!

[airlink diva]

Thanks, I m waiting anxiously for your review!

I had a wonderful time in Guadaloupe!!

I feel that HAL is wasting a wonderful port here. I really hate to say that some crew members imformed me that it was nothing to do in Guadaloupe. To me that's not what you want to say to a customer.

HAL only offered one tour to a local garden and rum factory. This was only offered midway on our cruise. The reason given was because it was a Sunday it was hard to find tours. I feel that if I could find vendors, including one offering to do tours if at least four people would book, so could they.

But to your question Toad.

When you get off of the ship, on your left they have a small tourist booth set up. The people in the booth can speak English and have plenty of maps and pamplets. However, they are only printed in French (HAL needs to request pamplets in both English and French). The people in the booth will assist you and make suggestions.

There was also someone near the taxi stands to assist on making tour plans. The more people with you the better the pricing. One couple at my table did a short island tour, went to the rum factory and to a local beach for $30. I did hear where some drivers tried to get more money out of people when they were away from the port (such drivers need to be reported so they can't work the area again).

I did my tour with shoretrips which gave me a wonderful overview of the island. I went to a sugar plantation where we drove the small winding roads along the fields and stop to enjoy fresh fruit,termites and sugarcane.

We next went to a small local beach that was off road that only a local would know about. There were only about 10 other people there with us.

We then went to a small town and had lunch at a local woman home. We had fresh fruit juice from her garden. We also had local made rum. We had lunch from items from her garden just prepared. We also had blood sauage and stewed chicken. She also grew her own coffee and it was so good.

We next went to a local waterfall where we had to travel a bit to get to it. This was also a place that only the locals would know about and it was fun being with families out for the day.

My driver was excellent in translating all day and got me back to the ship in time.

I know that what I did was more that 99% of the people on the ship did and it was the highlight of my ports.

The vendors prices where in Euros in the port area and kind of high. There was no ATM machine near by and the vendors in the port didn't really budge on prices too much.

Would I go again?? Yes, but I would do another tour with someone like shoretours unless HAL step up it's game.

[BabySis]

Tamara, thanks so much for the information. We'll be there in April..... wish you could share who your taxi driver was!!

[airlink diva]

Tamara, thanks so much for the information. We'll be there in April..... wish you could share who your taxi driver was!!

Go to http://www.shoretrips.com . To to the Caribbean shore trips section and then click Guadaloupe.

This is the people that I booked with and trust me, it was worth every penny!!