Just Back From Harvest Caye: 10 Things Cruise Passengers Will Love About Norwegian's

So, reading the article it mentions you can use your cruise card for the beer vending. Does this mean you can use your card for food as well? If so, was there any confirmation that the UBP would be valid there?

when I read that article, I get the very clear impression that UBP will not apply

Thanks for the article and photos (on FB)!

OP

Were you able to charge the cost of food/drinks onto you sea pass card or do they only take cash/credit??

It sounds so fun! I hope other cruise lines do start using it.

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Thank you for posting.

After reading the article, it sounds very clear that everything, except beach chairs and the beach, will be a-la-carte pricing. Therefore our UBP and dining won't be included (like Princess Cay). Seems to be the way NCL is going...nickel and dining everywhere they can!

After reading the article, it sounds very clear that everything, except beach chairs and the beach, will be a-la-carte pricing. Therefore our UBP and dining won't be included (like Princess Cay). Seems to be the way NCL is going...nickel and dining everywhere they can!

The pool is also free. And the butterfly garden thing they mentioned. Your disappointment is understandable but it seems to be a great destination for a swim and a drink, beats a day at the office right? :)

After reading the article, it sounds very clear that everything, except beach chairs and the beach, will be a-la-carte pricing. Therefore our UBP and dining won't be included (like Princess Cay). Seems to be the way NCL is going...nickel and dining everywhere they can!

Just an FYI, I recently booked a cabana at Great Stirrup Cay and called NCL to ask if the UBP can be used and they told me yes. They said the waiter will bring what we want if we have the beverage package. For the price of the cabana I don't want to pay anymore than I have too. That was about 2 weeks ago. Maybe I should call again to see if this will no longer be the case there.

Can't wait!

This looks like it's going to be a real fun port to visit. Looking forward to it.

Just an FYI, I recently booked a cabana at Great Stirrup Cay and called NCL to ask if the UBP can be used and they told me yes. They said the waiter will bring what we want if we have the beverage package. For the price of the cabana I don't want to pay anymore than I have too. That was about 2 weeks ago. Maybe I should call again to see if this will no longer be the case there.

GSC has been a private NCL island, that has simply been improved. In the past GSC even had a lunch buffet (BBQ) set up on site that was included. My one cruise that included GSC wasn't able to make the stop, so I've never experienced the old GSC. Hopefully some day I'll get to try the new.

Harvest Caye is a new entity and partnership with the government of Belize. It is being set up to accept non NCL vessels, so limiting the use of NCL cards on island makes sense. The rules may be very different on HC than on GSC.

Could I bring my own bottle of wine off the ship and drink it while at harvest caye?

GSC has been a private NCL island, that has simply been improved. In the past GSC even had a lunch buffet (BBQ) set up on site that was included. My one cruise that included GSC wasn't able to make the stop, so I've never experienced the old GSC. Hopefully some day I'll get to try the new.

 

 

 

Harvest Caye is a new entity and partnership with the government of Belize. It is being set up to accept non NCL vessels, so limiting the use of NCL cards on island makes sense. The rules may be very different on HC than on GSC.

Harvest Caye was set up by Norwegian in partnership for its exclusive use. Similar to how Mahogany Bay in Roatan is for carnival. I could see Regent and perhaps Oceania stopping here, but not an NCL competitor.

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*Sniffles* I was going to be there in a couple of weeks, but those people selling stomach wraps chartered the Escape and my cruise was canceled. :( It looks so pretty.

Harvest Caye was set up by Norwegian in partnership for its exclusive use. Similar to how Mahogany Bay in Roatan is for carnival. I could see Regent and perhaps Oceania stopping here, but not an NCL competitor.

 

 

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"Although nothing official is in place just yet, Norwegian also plans to allow other cruise lines to use the port once it's up and running."

Harvest Caye was set up by Norwegian in partnership for its exclusive use. Similar to how Mahogany Bay in Roatan is for carnival. I could see Regent and perhaps Oceania stopping here, but not an NCL competitor.

 

 

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I agree that Norwegian's competitors would likely not stop there. Not because Norwegian wants it to be exclusive, but the other cruise lines might not want to pay Norwegian for the privilege of letting Norwegian profit from their cruise customers.

I can't wait to read the reviews from the first passengers in November.

What I'd like to know is if or how private tours can be booked or met there. I don't like the NCL offerings, or the prices, and we hardly ever do ship tours anyway.

"Although nothing official is in place just yet, Norwegian also plans to allow other cruise lines to use the port once it's up and running."

Exactly what I said. Oceania and Regent ;).

Perhaps they will allow MSC, as they have partnered before with GSC.

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Exactly what I said. Oceania and Regent ;).

Perhaps they will allow MSC, as they have partnered before with GSC.

 

 

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I believe MSC is in the process of opening their own private island.

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What I'd like to know is if or how private tours can be booked or met there. I don't like the NCL offerings, or the prices, and we hardly ever do ship tours anyway.

Just using business logic, I doubt that private tour companies will have too much interest in Harvest Caye. First, you have to compete with the island itself. How many passengers will be willing to get ferried to the main land to do an excursion? I expect that this will be a hard sell even for the NCL sponsored excursions.

Second, you only have one ship per day. Maybe if it is a big ship like the Getaway with 4K+ you might have enough numbers, but what if you only have a 2K ship? Plus, the island is 3 hours south of Belize City, which means it is waaaaay to far from the regular shore excursions.

I will be there on 11/23 during the first week it is opened. Frankly, I’m not real happy. I love Travel Channel shows and have heard of Belize cave tubing for many years (big crush on Samantha Brown). When the cruise was booked, that was going to be the highlight of my trip. Instead, I get to walk around an island, trying out a self serve beer machine.

Just using business logic, I doubt that private tour companies will have too much interest in Harvest Caye. First, you have to compete with the island itself. How many passengers will be willing to get ferried to the main land to do an excursion? I expect that this will be a hard sell even for the NCL sponsored excursions.

Second, you only have one ship per day. Maybe if it is a big ship like the Getaway with 4K+ you might have enough numbers, but what if you only have a 2K ship? Plus, the island is 3 hours south of Belize City, which means it is waaaaay to far from the regular shore excursions.

I will be there on 11/23 during the first week it is opened. Frankly, I’m not real happy. I love Travel Channel shows and have heard of Belize cave tubing for many years (big crush on Samantha Brown). When the cruise was booked, that was going to be the highlight of my trip. Instead, I get to walk around an island, trying out a self serve beer machine.

This is exactly what I'm afraid of. We did do the cave tubing when we were there before, and it was great. We'd like to do something different this time, either a ruins tour or a snorkeling tour of the reef--but not with NCL. I'm not a big fan of cruise line private islands anyway since they usually are just a beach day and we will have other beach days.

I did not realize it was that far south of Belize City. While I appreciate not having to tender there--it was kind of a long tender--it makes it difficult to find excursions.

Please let us know what it is like. We sail Dec. 4th on the Getaway. One snorkeling company responded to my inquiry that they were evaluating whether they would pick people up at Harvest Caye or not. I'm not sure if it is close to some of the other Cayes or not.

I have been to Belize twice and really enjoyed it. I was not sure if I liked the idea of Harvest Caye but it seems like they are helping a very poor country by supplying jobs and I like the idea of it looking like a village and not an amusement park. Although I will not see it myself for over a year I find myself looking forward to it.