Week three went by in the blink of an eye. I can't believe that we only have one more week on the island! The week started off amazingly with a sunset horseback ride on Monday. The ride included a trail ride, a stop for a bonfire roasting s’mores on the most southern rock on the island, and a ride through the ocean. It definitely felt like a movie moment. As the ride came to an end our guide asked us to please tag their company if we post pictures so that more and more people will see how great of a time it is and book with them. He also told us that during the busy season they are usually booked out and that when cruises come into port, they get a lot of cruise goers booking with them. I found this interesting because the location of the horseback riding is not very close to the cruise port. Last week cruise goers told me that they don’t like to get cabs or do excursions and usually just walk around. I assume this would be a lot different for a family with kids. From my own personal experience, I loved looking for excursions whenever the cruise ship made it to a port, but we did not do an excursion at every stop. Of course, it also depends on how long the ship is staying at that specific port.
Tuesday was the Rhino Safari which was also an amazing experience. I loved being able to drive the watercraft around the island and experience what it is like to drive through the choppy waters of the ocean. One thing I found very interesting was that on the Rhino Safaris website under snorkeling tour they state that “it features some of the best snorkeling SXM has to offer with its diverse ecosystem of coral reefs and colorful fish”. I found this to not be the case. While I enjoyed my time snorkeling, I mainly just saw the seafloor and a fish here and there. The image that they present shows a girl swimming by a turtle, lots of coral, and surrounded by fish. yes, there may be a day when it does look like that but not most of the time. I did not see this as a big issue since the main part of the excursion is being on the rhino water crafts but I could see this leaving room for negative comments or bad reviews on the snorkeling tour specifically if someone is mainly excited for the snorkeling aspect. From a PR and marketing standpoint you always want to present your brand/ company in the best light but also need to be truthful with the words and images you decide to present to dodge any backlash. To satisfy the customer’s needs and wants you must be honest. That way customers' high expectations won't be ruined.
Thursday, we spent the day on the water on a catamaran. As we made our way around the island the views were endless, and the water was crystal clear at each stopping point. We saw Donald Trump's place on the island, and the Louis Vuitton hotel, which is $9,000 a night may I add. I think that the catamaran ride is definitely a highlight of the trip. I love being on the water especially with all the amazing people I get to call friends now. It still blows my mind that we all go to the same school, and this is how we are meeting. It will be interesting to see how many times we run into one another now that we all know each other. I thought that the crew on the catamaran were quite friendly, but I also heard some other thoughts from other people. Since word of mouth is so huge on the island you would think that the crew would do everything in their power to make their passengers happy. That way the passengers can tell others to book through them. I think that they could work on their Stewardship by emailing surveys to passengers asking how their experience was and if there is anything that could be improved. I personally had a blast and would recommend this company to friends and family. I can't wait to see what the last week holds!
-Sierra Sohn
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