Filling my passport with family, travel and bliss

Day 3 of our Carnival Cruise found us on the scenic island of Barbados.

As first-timers to the island with so many things to do and see, it was hard deciding on how we’d fill our day.

Hubby enjoys rum on occasion, and he read about Mount Gay Rum Distillery located near the port, so we decided to start our day by going on the $10.00 Signature Tour. The tour included a narrated history of the company by the entertaining Dario, a short film on Mount Gay and a few samplings afterward.  It was well worth the $10.00, and we both agreed due to the smaller, more intimate tour, it was better than the Bacardi Tour in Puerto Rico.

Out of all the online research I did for “must-do” activities in Barbados, the majority of reviews kept pointing to the fabulous snorkeling.  So after making the easy decision on snorkeling as our afternoon adventure, it was time to make the hard decision on exactly which establishment we would use to make our snorkeling dreams come true.

Thanks to the many reviews on the travel site TripAdvisor, we decided to have our snorkeling adventure with Thriller Ocean Tours.

A family owned company, Steve and Kim were amazing hosts!  We were picked up around noon by daughter Kim and taken directly to the 35ft off-shore powerboat. Large enough to fit 14 people comfortably, we all boarded the boat and headed out to explore the island’s golden coast.

For $70 per person, our adventure included a high speed boat ride along the coast, snorkeling over a sunken shipwreck and coral reef, and swimming with sea turtles!  We even stopped at a beach and spent about 30 minutes soaking in the sun.

Helpful tip: If you’re prone to getting seasick, take ginger tablets beforehand! One of our tour mates spent a good part of the afternoon leaning over the edge of the boat 😦

Although I’m an average swimmer & have snorkeled twice before, I still feel very uncomfortable when I’m in deep water.  One of the reasons I chose Thriller Ocean Tours was because of the many reassuring reviews I read about Stephen and Kim. They provide snorkel coaching to all swimmers, novice or expert. I told them of my fears (drowning in my mask being one of them…LOL!), and they were right there with me giving me instruction on how to properly wear the snorkel, jump off the boat, (I was NOT a fan at first!  But Stephen held my hand as I slid off the edge!) and snorkel techniques.  After awhile, I was thoroughly enjoying myself without any fear!

Fear of deep water…me?  Nah!
(If I wasn’t wearing a life preserver, that’d be a different story!)

Kim sprinkled out num-nums for the turtles, and they got close enough to touch!

Stephen and Kim wrapped up our afternoon of fun by providing us with tasty snacks and beverages. They really though of everything and made it a day to remember!

If you’re trying to figure out what to do in Barbados, I highly recommend Thriller Ocean Tours. Perfect for beginner or expert swimmers/snorkelers, it’s a great way to spend the afternoon and have a unforgettable experience!

Thriller Ocean Tours
info@thrilleroceantours.com
Phone: +1 246.231.8300