Soufriere Land Excursion

Bottom line: 1. Driver was late, causing us to be rushed all day. 2. Not a tour, just a driver. 3. Did not have time to do all that was promised on the tour. 4. Were not offered the information or drinks promised. 5. Jaycee Tours initially responded to my communications after the fact, but then ghosted me. Details below: This tour was operated by Jaycee Tours. We were at the meeting point at the cruise port 15 minutes in advance of the 9:30am meeting time. I had to call twice to inquire on the status of our guide and was told he was “almost there” both times. By the time our driver arrived, we were already 45 minutes late. He said there was a miscommunication, that "they had the wrong date,” and implied he was called at the last minute to fill in. When I contacted the tour company after the fact, they said the delay was due to weather and traffic. There was a light rain, but there is no reason we shouldn’t have started on time. Make no mistake, this is a hired driver, not a tour. Our driver didn’t even know where we were supposed to be going that day or what was included in the tour. He provided very little information along the way. Also, the vehicle had a problem, and the driver said he needed a part. So the SUV did the entire trip from Soufriere to Castries in a low gear. We feel fortunate to have made it back. If we had just hired a taxi off the ship, we would have started when we wanted and would have been the same level of interaction for maybe a cheaper price. MUD BATHS: The tour descriptions states this is a 1-hour stop. Our guide told us we only had a total of 30 minutes from arriving to leaving, which included parking, tickets, changing, restrooms (after a long drive), and being in the pool for less than 10 minutes. Also, while the tour description specifies a choice between 3 activities, we did not have the opportunity to choose anything other than going to the mud bath. One person in our party did not go in the mud bath and would have preferred the tour. When I contacted Jaycee about this after the fact, they responded with a photo of the sign from the mud baths saying you can only stay IN them for 30 minutes. We were only IN them for less than 10 minutes. WATERFALL: By this point, we didn't have time to go in the waterfall so we just walked to it and took photos and left, which took less than 10 minutes. Because we didn't go in, our driver didn't have to pay our entrance fee, which was included in the price of our tour. SOURFRIERE: We drove to the town of Soufriere to eat lunch. We asked for recommendations for a restaurant and were only told one where our driver dropped us off. He did not take us to the main street or to the market. And he told us we had no more time. OTHER AMENITIES: The tour includes complimentary local beer, water, juice, but we were never offered anything. I did email Jaycee Tours after we returned home. They initially responded, but after I gave more details, they ghosted me. I am writing this review after nearly 4 weeks since my initial communication.

Jaycee Tours provided a very informative tour from the time we left the north of the island. The driver has a very bubbly personality and kept us very entertained throughout the trip. The packed cooler was a surprise because you dont get that on most tours. there was a variety of very refreshing drinks. Kudos to the Jaycee Tours Team!!!!! We look forward to trying out all of your tours!!! :)