gaviota tours cayo santa maria

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Be careful with Gaviota Tours - Cayo Santa Maria Forum

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Long story short, I paid for the catamaran tour with Gaviota tours to go with my girlfriend, and when the date came up to go, our names werent on the list.

Apparently they took our money but forgot to put our name in the database to go. While we were very upset, they at least offered a full refund.

Suffice it to say, I now see the charge for tour, but absolutely no refund is in my statement. It's been a week now, and I've sent them various emails... but of course, no response.

Im working with Mastercard to get this fixed.

Buyer beware!!!

Whenever I've booked a tour, I have been given a recept by the vendor. I then bring the recept with me to whatever activity I have paid for.

Out of curiousity, did you show up without the recept or any kind of proof that you had booked and paid for the tour?

Of course. I had the receipt.

But the morning of, just before you get to the tour bus, you show the receipt and they match up the name to a list they have on a clipboard. Our names werent on the list even though we had proof of payment.

They did do another transaction to credit me the full amount of the cost, but of course that credit hasnt been processed on my credit card (they of course, conveniently processed the charge for the excursion that I never got).

Thanks, here's hoping that they refund you eventually.

Plus you will lose out on the exchange rate back to Canadian.

Unless I am missing something, I don't see that this was deliberate - just an unfortunate mistake.

So I doubt that any one tour company is more prone to this than any other.

Our excursion was cancelled because of weather. We have been waiting over two months for our refund.

No, not deliberate.

Just an example of how stupid that company is. They take your money, and dont call in the head office to put your name on the list for the excursion. And they offer a refund, but never process it? Luckily I have a receipt, but just shows you the lack of professionalism you get with Gaviota Tours.

This is a good reason to pay cash and not pre book using cc.

If paid in cash stand your ground and do not leave till your refund is hand.

Just so everyone is aware, I have been told that it is best to purchase excursions through your tour operator i.e. Sunwing, Air Canada Vacations, etc. It is much easier to get your money back from them if here is some kind of mix-up, and/or if the tour is cancelled because of weather.

I bought my trip through Transat, who partnered with Nolitours/Gaviota tours. I dont think there's an option to purchase directly through Sunwing.

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• TAILOR MADE TRIPS
• EXPERIENCES
• EXCURSIONS IN CUBA
• HAVANA TOURS

Cayo Santa Maria

Pick up by private car from Remedios at 2:30 p.m. towards Cayo Las Brujas, a 1-hour journey through the pedraplén, a road over the sea that offers a wonderful view of navy blue tones.

At 4:30 p.m. you will depart on a catamaran from Marina Gaviota Cayo Brujas on a romantic tour of islets in the area to watch the sunset.

Dinner on board with seafood, lobster and free bar of drinks.

Return to the marina at 9:00 p.m. A private car will take you to Remedios.

From Remedios to Cayo Las Brujas you have approximately 1 hour of distance. On the way to Cayo Las Brujas you will pass through a 48km road over the sea, known as pedraplén, which connects the keys with the mainland from Caibarién. A beautiful spectacle for the senses to travel enjoying the variety of blues of the Caribbean Sea.

From Marina Gaviota Las Brujas the excursion begins at 4:30 p.m.

On board a catamaran set to Cuban music you will sail close to the coast skirting the islets and beaches of Cayo Santa María. The area is a refuge for countless birds and shelter for a beautiful dolphinarium in which more than 15 dolphins live, so you will have the opportunity to get up close to these incredible creatures and see their pirouettes and affectionate maneuvers.

The navigation continues to live a magical and privileged experience of contemplating how the sun settles on the sea, creating a beautiful light show, and disappears while you are infected by the tranquility of the sea.

In the same boat, the crew will offer you a dinner based on local fish and lobster.

ON A BOAT AROUND LAGO HANABANILLA

SALINAS BEACH REMEDIOS-CAYO LAS BRUJAS

LAS GAVIOTAS BEACH (SANTA MARIA KEY) RELAX / DIVING / FISHING

Can't find the excursion you are looking for here? Don't worry, we can organize it according to your needs.

Booking for Cayo Santa Maria

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• Cayo Santa Maria Tourism
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Be careful with Gaviota Tours - Cayo Santa Maria Forum

• Caribbean    
• Cuba    
• Villa Clara Province    
• Cayo Santa Maria    

Be careful with Gaviota Tours

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Long story short, I paid for the catamaran tour with Gaviota tours to go with my girlfriend, and when the date came up to go, our names werent on the list.

Apparently they took our money but forgot to put our name in the database to go. While we were very upset, they at least offered a full refund.

Suffice it to say, I now see the charge for tour, but absolutely no refund is in my statement. It's been a week now, and I've sent them various emails... but of course, no response.

Im working with Mastercard to get this fixed.

Buyer beware!!!

1. We booked a custom tour of Matanzas for 9 for about 170 US dollars. We spoke with the agent about what we wanted to see. The day of the tour, the guide said " I'm supposed to ask you what you want to do", and then continued on what she'd decide to show us, i.e., very little, compared to what was planned.

She started taking us around Matanzas, on the bus of course, with interesting commentary but nothing really to see, and no stops. We had booked a 6 hour tour for 9 in a private bus so having a one hour bus tour of Matanzas was not what we expected!

I decided to ask her if we would go to the " cuevas", very interesting caves I'd seen on the public tour, indicating we'd spoken about our wishes to the booking agent from Gaviota. She first said they'd be closed ( at 3PM). Luckily I'd asked the agent who said they closed at 5 PM, so I indicated that to her.

She agreed to take us there. We went down for the hour long tour and it was the height of our visit.

Just seeing the town of Matanzas really had no true interest. Seeing an art school or some other functioning institution might have been of interest, but the run down streets of the town were not.

We were shocked she actually tried to limit our 6 hour tour to a minimum. Had I not asked about the cuevas, it would have been quite a waste of the 170 or 180 US dollars we were asked. And I'm sure we could have seen other interesting aspects of Cuban culture had the guide shown any desire to give us a full tour.

2. The other occasion where we noticed a total disregard for us was on the day we left.

The agency booking the tour in Paris, Tui France, had mistakenly booked us on the transfer from Havana airport to El Patriarca, whereas we arrived at Varadero airport.

On the way in, I'd be able to negotiate getting on a bus at Varadero airport that was going to El Patriarca anyway, even though we waited 3 hours for others to arrive.

On the way back, we'd spent an hour the day before talking to an agent about making sure a bus would take us to Varadero for our flight . She'd, as for others writing here and in case number 1, assured everything was arranged, and to be in the lobby at 10:30 for a 2:30 PM flight ...

That seemed like a long time ahead for an airport that was a 40 mn ride away and flights that never leave on time but we complied.

And waited. And waited. And waited. Two buses passed by that we supposedly could not get on. At 11:20, I went to talk to talk to an agent from Gaviota who was at her desk not minding us the whole time to say there seemed to be a problem.

She said she knew nothing about our case. Called her boss but the person would not talk to me directly and even said: " Just stay here", as a solution!

Basically, Gaviota did nothing to solve an issue: getting us on a shuttle to the airport that was part of our trip, except it was Varadero - Varadero instead of La Havana - Varadero. The impression that they truly dont care is truly disgusting. I know communism and socialism do that, I understand how this can happen.

But it left me with a very bitter taste of Cuba, an island I was attracted to until then.

We booked a Havana overnight excursion with Thomson via these tour guys and the night before we were due to go on our trip it was cancelled.. now when it came to processing a refund back onto my card I had paid with the machine suddenly wasn't accepting my card anymore so we had to do an old fashioned card swipe carbon transaction.. needless to say theee weeks later I still don't have my refun either but I can see the original charge for the tour went onto my card in a matter of days... absolute con as nobody seems interested in providing the refund either GT or Thomson even though I have my refund receipt

The lovely thing about using credit cards is you get most of your money back if the Vendor doesn't provide what you paid for. Sure, it takes time and it's a pain but for international travel, the alternative is paying in cash and then waiting months or forever for the cheque to arrive in the mail.

Many people prefer to book excursions in person at their hotels and others prefer to book through their tour operators. There are positives and negatives for each.

your story sounds a lot like mine - the trip to havana wasnt cancelled though, they changed it to a bus trip back, and we were given the option to cancel and we took it - same thing, the machine wasnt working for the refund, so it was done old style - yet when we sat there less than a minute later it worked to process payment for a replacement excursion......did you get your money back??

You know it was the same for us with the machine as well, something tells me they don't like to give refunds..... We went via the bank when we got home so got it back within the month thankfully!

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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"ADVENTURE IN CAYO SANTA MARÍA" Tour

General Information

• Category : Half day tours
• Modality : Landing tours
• Duration : 4.30 hrs
• Departure time : 08.00 hrs
• Tour guide : Yes
• Children are allowed : Yes
• Languages spoken : Spanish, English, French and Italian

Program Details

"ADVENTURE IN CAYO SANTA MARÍA" Tour

Description:

• Transportation by bus to the dolphinarium with driver.
• Boat ride to Santa Maria Cove.
• Jeep tour through the protected area, bird watching and observation of flora and fauna.
• Return to hotels by bus.
• Transportation by bus to the rental point with driver and local guide.
• Boat ride from Santa Maria Cove to the Dolphinarium.

Departure days: Daily.

TIPS : • Recommended: light clothing, sunglasses, hats or caps, tennis, sandals or comfortable shoes,solar protection and photographic camera. • For the tour we recommend a water bottle.

• The collected may be delayed up to 15 minutes depending on the number of hotels and punctuality of customers. Customer should be informed on sales desk to avoid disagreements. • This tour operates with a minimum of 8 passengers. Holiplus will reconfirm 48 hours before the departure of your tour. If the provider decides to cancel, for not meeting the minimum required amount of passengers, Holiplus will offer an alternative tour or fully refund cost of your trip.

Cancellation and no show policy:

• Cancellations more than 72 hours before the tour: No penalty applies. • Cancellations between 72 hours and 48 hours before the tour: a penalty of 50% of the total value of the excursion applies. • Cancellations less than 48 hours before the tour: a penalty of 100% of the total value of the excursion applies. • NO-SHOW: a penalty of 100% of the total value of the excursion applies.

BOOK "ADVENTURE IN CAYO SANTA MARÍA" TOUR

Collective tour.

• Air conditioned bus (Transport)
• Daily departures

Tour by bus for collective use with specialized guide service in several languages. The best price.

Would you like to receive special offers?

You may receive exclusive discounts and we'll keep you up-to-date with the latest news from Cuba

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CATAMARAN CUBA

Catamaran boat tours in Cuba

Catamaran day tours from Varadero, Havana, Jibacoa and Cayo Santa Maria.

A catamaran day tour, an absolute MUST for many Cuba vacationers!

Enjoy a whole day at sea, in beautiful bays and in the immediate vicinity of the countless small islands on the beautiful north coast of Cuba.

With our catamarans we will take you to the second largest coral reef in the world . You can swim, snorkel or simply enjoy the day relaxing on board. Your catering is provided.

Your tours begin in the marinas of Cayo Santa Maria and Varadero.

Tour schedule and services

Guests from Cayo Santa Maria start directly at the local marina. Our guests from Varadero, Jibacoa and Havana start in the Marina Gaviota, at the northernmost tip of the Varadero peninsula.

For guests in Varadero, Jobacoa and Havana:

We will pick you up at your hotel at the agreed time and take you to the marina of Marina Gaviota.

During your trip on the catamaran you will experience the charm of the Cuban north coast, which you can enjoy on board at an open bar (beer, soft drinks and Cuban cocktails).

You visit the ranch "Cangrejo " where you will see dolphins.

After a short break, we continue to Cayo Blanco. Here you can enjoy the typical Cuban

Caribbean atmosphere with an appetizing lunch with lobster, crabs and fish.

Finally, you have time to enjoy the crystal clear water and relax under the Caribbean sun. Afterwards, return to the marina and transfer to the hotel.

For guests in Cayo Santa Maria:

We will pick you up at your hotel at the agreed time and take you to the Cayo Santa Maria marina.

On board our catamaran you will experience the charm of the Cuban north coast, which you can enjoy at an open bar (beer, soft drinks and Cuban cocktails).

You drive to "Cayo Blanco " where you will enjoy the typical Cuban-Caribbean atmosphere and a delicious lunch with lobster, crabs and fish.

Afterwards there is enough time to enjoy the crystal clear water and relax under the Caribbean sun. Afterwards, return to the marina and transfer to the hotel.

Scuba Diving

Beginners and diving enthusiasts, who are staying in one of the hotels of Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Las Brujas and Cayo Ensenachos, can easily book excursions and enjoy the local marine life; the "Jardines del Rey" archipelago is recognized for the quality and diversity of its dive sites.

The dive center is located at the Marina Gaviota on the small island Cayo Las Brujas, only a few minutes from the hotels of the three cays. When booking a diving excursion, transportation between your hotel and the marina is always included. Accepted certifications include: PADI, CMAS, NAUI, SSI, FEDAS, and ACUC. Amateur divers are required to take the introductory lessons given for free at the hotels' pools before the diving excursion, see the schedule of these introductory lessons at the bottom of this page.

Several types of dives are offered, day and night dives, at different depth, in coral reefs, shipwrecks and caves. It's possible to make up to 2 dives per day. The dive center also offers courses (different levels) with an ACUC certification (internationally recognized).

With complete equipment supplied :

• 1 dive: 45 USD • 2 dives: 65 USD • 3 dives: 90 USD • 4 dives : 110 USD • 5 dives : 135 USD • 6 dives: 156 USD • 7 dives: 175 USD • 8 dives: 196 USD • 9 dives: 216 USD • 10 dives: 240 USD • 11 dives and more : 22 USD per dive

If you have your own equipment :

• 1 dive : 40 USD • 2 dives: 55 USD • 3 dives and more: same prices

Non-diving companion : 25 USD Price: 2022 Click HERE about currencies in Cuba

Day and time of the introductory lessons (1 hour):

• Iberostar Ensenachos (SPA section pool): (9:30 am) Monday and Friday • Sol Cayo Santa Maria (family pool Melia): (9:30 am) Wednesday and Saturday • Melia Cayo Santa Maria (family pool): (9:30 am) Wednesday and Saturday • Melia Las Dunas (family pool): (9:30 am) Monday, Thursday, Saturday • Playa Cayo Santa Maria: (9:30 am) Tuesday, Friday and Sunday • Starfish Cayo Santa Maria: (9:30 am) Wednesday and Friday • Memories Resorts: (9:30 am) Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday • Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: (9:30 am) Wednesday • Roc Lagunas del Mar: (9:30 am) Monday, Thursday, and Saturday • Roc Casa del Mar: (9:30 am) Tuesday • Valentin Perla Blanca: (9:30 am) Monday and Thursday

Contact information for Marina Gaviota : Address: Cayo Las Brujas, Cayeria Norte, Caibarien, Villa Clara, Cuba Phone: (53 42) 35 0113 / 35 0013 [email protected] [email protected] Opening hours:  9 am to 5 pm daily

Lily & Normand © cayosantamaria.info © destilino.com

# EXCURSIONS GAVIOTA

#CAYOS DE VILLA CLARA

Si vous réservez un de nos hôtels, vous pouvez également acheter un de ces circuits à partir de la destination : croisière du sol ramassage en omnibus climatisé à 8h00. arrivée à cayo las brujas, montée à bord d’un catamaran pour longer les petits îlots. contact interactif et spectacle avec les dauphins. session de snorkelling (plongée de surface) dans les eaux chaudes et transparentes, habitées par des formes de vie complexes et colorées. déjeuner marin (avec langouste, crevettes et poisson) pause baignade. retour en voile. bar et musique pendant la traversée. arrivée aux hôtels à 17h00. safari en jeep sortie en omnibus jusqu’à caibarién à 8h00 parcours à travers les chemins ruraux en jeeps, pour profiter des vues panoramiques de la campagne cubaine. visite d’une ferme, pour observer les activités fermières cubaines comme la traite des vaches, l’alimentation des volailles, chevaux, etc… déjeuner créole dans un restaurant champêtre avec cochon rôti et cuisine créole. baignade dans une rivière de la zone. retour jusqu’à caibarién par la route. déplacement en omnibus jusqu’aux hôtels. arrivée approximative à 18h00. #hôtels en cayos de villa clara.

HOTEL PLAYA CAYO SANTA MARÍA *****

CAYOS DE VILLA CLARA

Le Resort Hôtel Playa Cayo Santa María est classé « all inclusive », et vous propose une infinité de services.

VILLA LAS BRUJAS

Villa Las Brujas tout un paradis naturel pour profiter de la magie que nous offre la nature, lieu idéal pour les couples et familles.

On aime Cuba avec vous

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