TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Nowhere to run..

...seems the hordes have found Long Bay ( West End ), Tortola.Went to " Tropical Fusion" for lunch today...the beach was jammed with cruise shippers, and every table had been reserved although there were several empty..and a lot of people just standing drinking...or just standing and not spending $$$. The sympathetic lady shrugged when we asked if this would be going on every day there was a cruise ship and we pointed out that their regulars would stay away..shame. The golden goose just took another hit..

Remember heading over to Long Bay from Sophers Hole for afternoon swim and dinner maybe 5 years ago. They were still recovering from the Hurricane (cant remember which one). Place was a ghost town - they were so nice they GAVE my family a room for the day to change in for dinner rather than use the bathroom. Guess they are back - good and bad news.

They're not back at Long Bay by any means. They're just bringing tourist busses in for day trips. The resort was almost deserted when my husband and I were there in late February/early March, but several tourist busses were parked in the grassy area across from the old reception area and up-scale restaurant. We were glad the busses were stopping there rather than bringing the cruise ship people to Smuggler's and ruining that beautiful beach. It's a shame if Tropical Fusion is being overrun by the cruise ship crowds. We had a couple of wonderful meals there, and it's a lovely location. Good for business to some extent, but it's the regulars who really will help it continue to be successful.

Wow I'm glad Mal didn't say that. Oh I think he did.

I just sailed past the West End yesterday and was surprised to see "Wind Song", one of the 2 big 4-masted cruise ships that occasionally slip into the North Sound, anchored right off Soper's Hole with their orange lifeboats shuttling passengers into the West End. I'd never seen any big ship there before and it almost filled the cut.

I have seen some "small" cruise ships there before.

It certainly made tacking through the cut a bit tricky in yesterdays Round Tortola race..

I guarantee most of the people at "Tropical Fusion" did not order lunch..it looked totally chaotic in there and service is not that fast when they only have a handful of tables..I know these people only have a couple of hours then " Back to the ship!"It is a big mistake to turn away folks ready to spend on a nice lunch and a couple of glasses of vino..we'll be here when the cruise ships are in Alaska and the Med.
BTW.." Tropical Fusion" is not affiliated with Long Bay Beach Club so its not helping their economy and probably pi$$ing off their guests who want to use the beach ( as they have no pool anymore)..they also fill up the parking lot with Safari buses.

Went by "Tropical Fusion" today..they told me that they will next be catering to cruise shippers on April 6th and 12th..interestingly, and smartly, Mary at "The Sugar Mill" was approached to handle the hoards and, very politely, declined..BTW "Tropical Fusion" does a buffet on cruise ship days..a "no no" for me even without the hordes..