pattywac Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 1st time with Royal, and only our 2nd cruise, so this is the 1st of many questions. Holding a sloth is an BIG item on my bucket list, and my prime motivation for going to Roatan. I saw an excursion listed on the RC site which includes the sloth/monkey/parrot farm (I love animals!), then a mini sub which sounds interesting but also mentions a rum and chocolate factory (which sounds blah). Read there’s an iquana farm in Roatan too, but this wasn’t mentioned in the Royal excursion. Has anyone done the Royal excursion or are there other companies that provide a better experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinez78717 Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 @pattywac we just came back from Roatan and booked an excursion directly with Daniel Johnson -> https://monkeyandslothhangout.com/site/our-excursions/ It was $55 per person and we visited their wildlife exhibit, got to hug the sloth and play with the monkeys, then went snorkeling and hung out on a beach afterwards. Hugging the sloth was awesome! My daughters really like the snorkeling as well. There was 5 of us so we had private transportation to and from the location. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neesa Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 Yes, we just did this in June. I was lazy and booked through Royal. Next time I will book a private driver like @wordell1 suggested. The animals were fantastic, we felt the love by the caretakers. The rum and chocolate was tedious, I did not enjoy as it was crowded beyond measure at the little place for rum and chocolate they took us to. We did go to an iguana farm as well. The WORST part was they once again like most Royal excursions squished us in a tiny vehicle with knees in your throat, crowded to the point of every tiny seat taken and over bumpy roads minus any air conditioning. The transportation was abysmal, the animals were breathtaking and amazing. Next time I'm listening to @wordell1!! pattywac, OCSC Mike, Yo2slick and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo2slick Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 We booked directly with Daniel Johnson's Monkey and Sloth hangout for our excursion. Was a great time with amazing people. They offer snorkeling right next to where they are and it was great as well. Neesa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 https://ronystours.com/ Rony's Tours is good for customizing a private tour. They will go wherever you want, skip wherever you don't want, and have multiple sloth/animal options. We had one scheduled in 2019 but high winds prevented Harmony from docking in Roatan so we missed it. We have a re-do planned for next summer. Neesa and wordell1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 I use Rony's Tours. You can join a group tour or for a small amount more, do a private tour. If you price it out, the private tour is basically $90 - $120 plus the cost of whatever you want to do - a small price to have someone who knows the island with you all day. The other advantage is that they are flexible and can make adjustments based on time and other factors. #2 Rony’s Private (Free Style)Tour, OPTIONAL BEACH/ATTRACTIONS / ACTIVITIES -ADD-ONS -West Bay Beach by Land or Sea Weather Permit, (Free Boat Ride). - Roatan Tours, Cruiseship Activities, Excursions, Zipline Canopy Tours with Ronys Independent Tours, Roatan (ronystours.com) Neesa and OCSC Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 15 minutes ago, wordell1 said: I use Rony's Tours. I still have our list from 2019 but anything particular you liked/disliked? Can't-misses or avoids? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 21 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: I still have our list from 2019 but anything particular you liked/disliked? Can't-misses or avoids? Zip lines are always a good choice in Roatan. I also enjoy the snorkeling off the beach at West Bay beach. On our last trip we did waverunners. There are some really good seafood places in Roatan also. we usually do ziplining in the morning, followed by lunch and beach/snorkeling. My wife likes the sloths, so we always have to stop in at one of the sloth places. We avoid all of the tourist trap places like the chocolate factory and rum distillery. OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Squirrel Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 We also used Rony’s. We went to Daniel Johnson’s first thing in the morning and beat all the ship excursion buses/crowds. Then we crossed over to spend the rest of the day ar Infinity Bay. We had a great time at both. As others have said, Rony’s will customize for whatever you’d like to do. OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattywac Posted August 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2023 Thank you each for sharing your experience; those photos made me smile! Can’t wait to visit the island. It sounds like Ronny’s will be the perfect fit for us. I’m interested in seeing the animals and have no desire to waste time at some rum factory (which sounds like a cheesy tourist trap). Did any one have issues getting back to the ship with time to spare (my hubs is nervous of being a pier runner since we wouldn’t be under Royal’s umbrella). Neesa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptrg Posted August 11, 2023 Report Share Posted August 11, 2023 22 hours ago, wordell1 said: I use Rony's Tours. You can join a group tour or for a small amount more, do a private tour. If you price it out, the private tour is basically $90 - $120 plus the cost of whatever you want to do - a small price to have someone who knows the island with you all day. The other advantage is that they are flexible and can make adjustments based on time and other factors. #2 Rony’s Private (Free Style)Tour, OPTIONAL BEACH/ATTRACTIONS / ACTIVITIES -ADD-ONS -West Bay Beach by Land or Sea Weather Permit, (Free Boat Ride). - Roatan Tours, Cruiseship Activities, Excursions, Zipline Canopy Tours with Ronys Independent Tours, Roatan (ronystours.com) L Do we have to pay daily pass to the West Bay beach + chairs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptrg Posted August 11, 2023 Report Share Posted August 11, 2023 23 hours ago, martinez78717 said: @pattywac we just came back from Roatan and booked an excursion directly with Daniel Johnson -> https://monkeyandslothhangout.com/site/our-excursions/ It was $55 per person and we visited their wildlife exhibit, got to hug the sloth and play with the monkeys, then went snorkeling and hung out on a beach afterwards. Hugging the sloth was awesome! My daughters really like the snorkeling as well. There was 5 of us so we had private transportation to and from the location. Snorkeling is off shore only or we have a choice? Paying Xtra to enter the Beach? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted August 11, 2023 Report Share Posted August 11, 2023 17 minutes ago, Ptrg said: L Do we have to pay daily pass to the West Bay beach + chairs? Yes, There are several choices listed on the site with prices. Rony will quote you for everything and you pay the driver - he makes the arrangements. If you are just looking for something inexpensive near the snorkeling, I would choose Bananarama. They have a place to change, and you will get beach chairs. It is a short walk to the beach snorkeling. If you just want to snorkel, the driver can probably get you to the beach without chairs, etc for nothing extra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn G-MEI Travel Posted August 11, 2023 Report Share Posted August 11, 2023 You can also use ShoreExcursionsGroup.com as they will ensure you make it back to port for departure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseGus Posted December 27, 2023 Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Just return from a private tour with Rony. 5 of us all day most activities, sloths, horseback ride covered. Around $100 per person. Much better than a ships tour. EXCELLENT service, well worth the slight additional expense. Not a worry at all about returning to ship on time. Very professional in that regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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