Papa J Tours
Papa J Tours
5
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Full view
About
Private boat charter for snorkeling to Gibbs Cay, bottom fishing tours, deep sea fishing, Salt Cay day trips, and whale watching. An adventure awaits you on your arrival at Grand Turk Cruise Center! Located 200 feet from the Grand Turk Cruise Center, at the Local Village Bar and Restaurant.Snorkel, Swim, Bottom fish, Deep Sea Fishing and Explore Gibbs Cay.With Papa J Tour's you choose the adventure and we'll take care of the rest!Are you searching for the true beauty of the Turks And Caicos? Well search no more, we have the local knowledge and experience to take you on the trip of a lifetime.Climb aboard One of our boat's and prepare yourself to be whisked away to sights unseen. Indulge yourself with a tour along the south east coast of the Island of Grand Turk. You'll discover the beautiful uninhabited cays, and visit pristine reefs, with exotic tropical fishes. We're ready to provide anything your heart desires, from half-day snorkeling, light or deep tackle fishing tours, also Whale Watching! At Papa J Tours we are here to cater to you with private charters all your own. So come and explore the "Beautiful By Nature" Island of Grand Turk, and Gibbs Cays for a breath taking day at the beach.
Similar Experiences
Travelers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
419 reviews
Excellent
362
Very good
35
Average
10
Poor
7
Terrible
5
Charlene G
Stratford, Canada5 contributions
Jan 2020
We booked the Ultimate Snorkelling Tour (two different locations, including along the reef wall). Two of us had done other snorkelling, but for the other two members of our party (including a ten year old) this was their first time. The pick-up at the Grand Turk cruise centre was on-time, the boat and snorkelling equipment were in good repair, and the choices of snorkelling locations were excellent. We saw sea turtles, many different kinds of fish and coral, and an octopus plus a clear delineation where the sea wall falls away. Highly recommended!
Written January 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your amazing and memorable experience! So glad to know that you were
satisfied! And thanks for the recommendation.
Written March 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
iamandrewsharp
Mary Esther, FL7 contributions
Dec 2019
We booked a swimming with stingrays tour for our family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids ages 10 & 6). We ended up getting there early (confusion on our part on time changes) however Dwight the owner was there extra early to make sure we knew where we needed to be and at what time, very helpful and nice.
A short drive to the beach and we were setup with a boat ride over to the beach where the stingrays are. We ended up being the only ones on this tour which was awesome for us!
Our youngest was a little nervous about swimming with the Stingrays and Erickson the boat captain sat down and talked with us all about how safe it is, what to look for and how to do it in a fun and careful way.
The water was amazing, Erickson found a huge stingray and guided each of us through getting to pet and hold one of these amazing creatures with ample time for photos too! After getting in a swim and some play on the beach we headed back and spent some relaxing time on the main beach waiting for the shuttle back to our cruise ship. Overall a really good experience and we would definitely recommend Papa J Tours!
A short drive to the beach and we were setup with a boat ride over to the beach where the stingrays are. We ended up being the only ones on this tour which was awesome for us!
Our youngest was a little nervous about swimming with the Stingrays and Erickson the boat captain sat down and talked with us all about how safe it is, what to look for and how to do it in a fun and careful way.
The water was amazing, Erickson found a huge stingray and guided each of us through getting to pet and hold one of these amazing creatures with ample time for photos too! After getting in a swim and some play on the beach we headed back and spent some relaxing time on the main beach waiting for the shuttle back to our cruise ship. Overall a really good experience and we would definitely recommend Papa J Tours!
Written January 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We really appreciate our guests taking time to give their feedback. Thanks for sharing your amazing experience. Ericson has a way with the stingrays and making the guests feel comfortably with them. Also, thanks for your recommendation.
Written March 18, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lyndsay T
Castle Dale, UT5 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Our family of 7 did the triple play with Papa J tours and it was the best part of our trip! Erickson, Joseph and Juline were fantastic from the beginning! We had about 14 people on the boat with us, which allowed more snorkeling time. Our very first stop we saw a shark off the boat! Erickson swam down to grab it so that we could all touch it! So awesome!! My daughter was so scared and he made sure she was safe and happy. (4 years old) we saw tons of fish and coral reef.
Our next stop was to the Wall. It was amazing! So beautiful, and again we saw hundreds of fish. We headed back to the Govenors beach to drop the people off that weren't doing the stingrays and picked up 2 more people. So total of 9 of us. We got to Gibbs Cay and right away saw lots of stingrays! Erickson was able to get a hold of a female and we touched her, kissed her, got pictures and learned a lot about the area and Ray's. My kids (12, 10, 8, and 4) thought this was the best part. We were able to swim around the area to see more sting rays and other fish.
I would HIGHLY recommend this tour to anyone that is looking to see more off the island of Grand Turk. Our scheduled tour was 3.5 hours and so we had plenty of time after to walk around the shops and could have played at the beach for another hour or so but we chose to get back on the boat early for lunch and naps.
Thank you Erickson, Joseph and Juline!!
Our next stop was to the Wall. It was amazing! So beautiful, and again we saw hundreds of fish. We headed back to the Govenors beach to drop the people off that weren't doing the stingrays and picked up 2 more people. So total of 9 of us. We got to Gibbs Cay and right away saw lots of stingrays! Erickson was able to get a hold of a female and we touched her, kissed her, got pictures and learned a lot about the area and Ray's. My kids (12, 10, 8, and 4) thought this was the best part. We were able to swim around the area to see more sting rays and other fish.
I would HIGHLY recommend this tour to anyone that is looking to see more off the island of Grand Turk. Our scheduled tour was 3.5 hours and so we had plenty of time after to walk around the shops and could have played at the beach for another hour or so but we chose to get back on the boat early for lunch and naps.
Thank you Erickson, Joseph and Juline!!
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your amazing and memorable experience! So glad to know that team Papa J made your day and that you kids felt safe and enjoyed themselves. Thanks for the recommendation too.
Written March 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
golfusa2012
Bettendorf, IA130 contributions
Feb 2020
We spent about 30 minutes on the shuttle bus waiting for two late arrivals - - - and then the bus drove less than 2 minutes down the road to drop us off. It was a waste of time. Once the tour started we were disappointed in the snorkeling. The vast majority of the fish were attracted by crackers thrown about in the water, the lack of good coral also meant a lack of an abundant and varied number of fish to see. One added problem was the dive boat; it was difficult for most and impossible for some to climb back into the boat using the small ladder. The best part of the tour came at the end when we visited the sting rays and were able to hold one in my arms. I would recommend skipping the snorkel tour and just do the portion where you visit the sting rays. A 2nd option would be to bring your own crackers and attempt to attract the fish from the sandy beach.
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your feedback, please note that we have tours set to depart at various times. Some guests would arrive very early, while other come just around the set time. As for the vessel, please note that we will upgrade the ladder soon as the new one arrives, as we already ordered a different style to make it easier for the user. We do have Catamaran that is also used for this tour, but was out for maintenance. Thanks again, for including your enjoyment of the Gibbs Cay Stingray Encounter!
Written February 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Manju W
6 contributions
Oct 2022 • Family
My parents and I took an island tour with Dwight and it was exceptional! At first we were a bit hesitant since we've never done a tour that wasn't directly through carnival but Dwight made us feel incredibly welcome and safe throughout the entire tour. We were lucky to have the majority of the tour be just us and Dwight and it made it feel a lot more personal, he shared a remarkable amount of knowledge with us about the island, it's people and it's history.
The tour itself was cheaper than the ones offered by Carnival directly for the island and not only did it feel like a better value than previous tours we have done at other islands, it was easily one of our favourite tours overall, largely due to Dwight!
I can't speak to every service provided by Papa J Tours, but the Island Tour with Dwight was phenomenal and I would easily recommend this to anyone looking to see all the major landmarks of the island, as well as gain a deeper understanding about the island's history and it's people.
The tour itself was cheaper than the ones offered by Carnival directly for the island and not only did it feel like a better value than previous tours we have done at other islands, it was easily one of our favourite tours overall, largely due to Dwight!
I can't speak to every service provided by Papa J Tours, but the Island Tour with Dwight was phenomenal and I would easily recommend this to anyone looking to see all the major landmarks of the island, as well as gain a deeper understanding about the island's history and it's people.
Written October 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jen0m
Dublin, Ireland225 contributions
Apr 2022 • Friends
Avoid cruise promoted tours and book Papa J tours!
Highly recommended. Juline our tour guide was lovely and extremely informative. She brought us all around the island and was accommodating for stops and photo opportunities. Masks were required inside the bus which was air conditioned and we were given chilled water when we got on. The tour was just under 2 hours and we visited the lighthouse, museum, salt ponds and Cockburn Town.
Thanks Juline from the two Irish Girls!
Highly recommended. Juline our tour guide was lovely and extremely informative. She brought us all around the island and was accommodating for stops and photo opportunities. Masks were required inside the bus which was air conditioned and we were given chilled water when we got on. The tour was just under 2 hours and we visited the lighthouse, museum, salt ponds and Cockburn Town.
Thanks Juline from the two Irish Girls!
Written May 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crysvann
New York City, NY8 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
We hired Dwight, proprietor for an island tour that ended at Jack’s Shack (separate review) with a special request for a stop to pick up diapers.
Let me start by saying that Dwight is very knowledgeable, entertaining, and accommodating (very important when herding cats (my family). I recommend his tour with a caveat to go early ( if cruising…get off early) before the other tour companies arrive with their guests…the chaos can be unnerving (at least for me…not fond of crowds).
As with all islands I’ve toured, all businesses are symbiotic. I don’t book through the cruise lines, I book locally so reviews on Trip Advisor are very helpful, we did the local food and shopping as recommended…all very good. We stopped at the light house (beautiful view), the market (diapers), and finished at Jack’s Shack as agreed. Dwight offered to return for us and we agreed on a time. He was on time…we were late…LOL…the beach trapped us.
In summary, my kids want to return (AirBNB) and we will look up Papa J Tours for our water activities and really just to say hi. Good honest people. Highly recommended. 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let me start by saying that Dwight is very knowledgeable, entertaining, and accommodating (very important when herding cats (my family). I recommend his tour with a caveat to go early ( if cruising…get off early) before the other tour companies arrive with their guests…the chaos can be unnerving (at least for me…not fond of crowds).
As with all islands I’ve toured, all businesses are symbiotic. I don’t book through the cruise lines, I book locally so reviews on Trip Advisor are very helpful, we did the local food and shopping as recommended…all very good. We stopped at the light house (beautiful view), the market (diapers), and finished at Jack’s Shack as agreed. Dwight offered to return for us and we agreed on a time. He was on time…we were late…LOL…the beach trapped us.
In summary, my kids want to return (AirBNB) and we will look up Papa J Tours for our water activities and really just to say hi. Good honest people. Highly recommended. 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Written July 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John S
3 contributions
Jan 2020
My review is a little different. We booked a private tour for 13 people through Papa J tours. On the day of the tour, strong winds meant that our ship was unable to dock. The cancelled port was on Friday and we received our refund on Monday. Hassle free even when the weather doesn't cooperate.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We strongly beleive that your yes is yes; so we have to honor our cancellation policy, as your ship missed the port. We would love to show your family a great time once you return to Grand Turk.
Written March 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
drdlm2000
Delmont, PA10 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
We purchase a tour of the city/trip to Governors Beach through Carnival Cruise Lines.
Strike 1:Our original tour was scheduled for 8:30am which was pushed back to 10:30am due to “lack of participation “. We checked with the attendant at the port at 8:30 who let know they were going to try and get us out early to enjoy the day. Great! We visited the port and returned at 9:25am as directed for 9:30 departure. We then sat until 10:10am in the heat before leaving.
Strike 2: Our tour guide Tracey was informative enough but he stopped on the way to the beach to let 2 passengers go get their passports stamped while we all waited in the bus! This kept us from beach time that we paid for.
Strike 3: We were supposed to have 2 hours at the beach. Tracey initially told the bus 1:20 at the beach to later (out of the earshot of our family) told everyone a different time. We got out of the water, dried off and waited for him to later learn we had the wrong time. We then went back in the water when we learned that we had the wrong time and had to get off and get dried off again….to have him be 40 minutes late picking us all up. Thank God we got on that bus because he left people behind who had been waiting already 40 min. Tracey blamed tourists not being on time back to his bus at another stop. Long story short, his unprofessional behavior and lack of time awareness cost us time at the beach that we paid for. Governors Beach is probably the most beautiful beach I’ve ever been at and I’m not sure if I’ll ever make it back there but I can’t recommend Papa J’s Tours.
Strike 1:Our original tour was scheduled for 8:30am which was pushed back to 10:30am due to “lack of participation “. We checked with the attendant at the port at 8:30 who let know they were going to try and get us out early to enjoy the day. Great! We visited the port and returned at 9:25am as directed for 9:30 departure. We then sat until 10:10am in the heat before leaving.
Strike 2: Our tour guide Tracey was informative enough but he stopped on the way to the beach to let 2 passengers go get their passports stamped while we all waited in the bus! This kept us from beach time that we paid for.
Strike 3: We were supposed to have 2 hours at the beach. Tracey initially told the bus 1:20 at the beach to later (out of the earshot of our family) told everyone a different time. We got out of the water, dried off and waited for him to later learn we had the wrong time. We then went back in the water when we learned that we had the wrong time and had to get off and get dried off again….to have him be 40 minutes late picking us all up. Thank God we got on that bus because he left people behind who had been waiting already 40 min. Tracey blamed tourists not being on time back to his bus at another stop. Long story short, his unprofessional behavior and lack of time awareness cost us time at the beach that we paid for. Governors Beach is probably the most beautiful beach I’ve ever been at and I’m not sure if I’ll ever make it back there but I can’t recommend Papa J’s Tours.
Written July 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jackie C
3 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
I booked this excursion via our cruise ship website, and it was perfect! Papa J was very informative on our tour. We stopped to take pictures, got off downtown to see the museum and grab some food from food trucks, and ended with a 2 hour stop at the beach to relax and swim. The beach included umbrellas, chairs, rum punch, and food. (DJ was very kind and helpful at our beach stop).
Written March 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is there a bathroom on either the boat or on Gibbs Cay?
Written April 26, 2019
Apologies, i was thinking of another excursion. There is no bathroom available on the Papa J boat we were on but they do have different sizes depending on the excursion.
Written May 2, 2019
Catherine H
Mayer, Minnesota
If I do a private boat snorkel trip, would you be able to accommodate a family member ina wheelchair. He has smoked before out of a boat and if very independent and physically fit. Cathy
Written January 29, 2019
Hello yes we are able too.. we have our Captian and capable deck that would assist him.. we also have a comfortable catamaran as well.
Thanks
Dwight
Written January 30, 2019
Can your island tour accommodate a wheel chair passenger?
Written September 23, 2018
Yes we do have a van with a wheel chair lift.. thanks
Written September 23, 2018
I was wanting a snorkel/stingray and shallow water tour...I thought I saw this on your site and ow I can't find it. Do u have such a thing?
Written April 4, 2018
Dear Joleen, My husband, Terry, and I have talked about Hurricane Irma and the damage that must have occurred to your island. We went on the sightseeing tour of the island March, 2016, with Joleen. We enjoyed the day visiting and learning about your home. We do hope you and your family are safe. Is there much left on the island? You explained on the trip that build had to be completed to withstand hurricanes. Was that helpful to some survival of buildings? If you can, please reply and post pictures if you have some.
Sincerely, Robin Leigh
Written September 9, 2017
Hello Robin, Thanks for your concern!
Everyone right now is picking up the pieces, we've been hit by Two hurricanes in a space of Two weeks!
The majority of the buildings are still standing and partially damaged. The repair works have started to get the Island open for our visitors...My family is doing very well, besides all our vehicles were damage...best regards Juline
Written September 25, 2017
Hello,
Can you tell me if you do the 1-1/2 hour snorkel trip how much time is allowed to snorkel the wall?
Thanks!
Written March 14, 2017
Michelle S
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
My family and I will be in Grand Turk on Oct 4 from 8am-2:30pm with a Carnival cruise. I have been looking at the combo of the ultimate snorkeling and Gibbs cay. What times would this be offered on this day and about how many people are usually on this type of activity? We are hoping for a small group.
Written January 9, 2017
Thank you for contacting us, can you please forward your request too our official email address on our website.
Regards
Written January 10, 2017
I am interested in booking the "Ultimate Snorkeling" experience; what is the average number of participants for this experience? We are hoping to avoid being stuck in a large group through a cruise excursion.
Written January 12, 2016
I would like to book the ultimate snorkel package but could not get it booked with viator anyone know if this is still offered? Thanks for the help The Floyds
Written March 21, 2015
Hello Floyd,
Please log in to our website and send a request with date of your requested excursion.
thanks
dwight
Written March 21, 2015
Showing results 1-10 of 15