CDNJehn

Can anyone tell me how the beach is here? Seaweed or any issues?

And thanks OP for this thread. I think I know what I want to do in Belize now!

There isn't a 'beach' per se if you go to the split. There is a huge dock area and the water is clear.

I read there was a beach south of the airstrip, but we didn't venture there.

That's great info Tom, I think you've convinced us to stay onboard with this tour...pun intended. ;). We do love wrecks and new reefs, so having exhausted the snorkeling in the Western Caribbean this might be a nice change. And thanks for the comparison to the spots you've been. That's helpful. This is our first trip to Aruba, and while I'd like to see some sights, I feel like it's somewhere we'd go back to, so lots of time for that. Our 4 days at sea also help justify my NOT lying on a beach all afternoon, because I've got plenty of time for sun.

I've been reading up on the snorkeling at this wreck site. Some people say that visibility is limited and that it is best for scuba divers...not great for snorkelers. I also read that sometimes the visibility can be especially poor in the afternoon. Does anyone have experience?

We have snorkeled in several spots including Mexico, Grand Cayman, The Bahamas, Cuba, Belize and Honduras. Will we find the Aruba snorkeling sites underwhelming in com parison?

We only have limited daylight in Aruba (arriving @ 1pm) so I don't want to waste the 'day' on a snorkel tour that we'll regret taking. My other option was a beach afternoon and snorkeling from shore (we have our own equipment).

We are in the same situation, arriving at 1pm and leaving at 10pm (so assume 9pm all aboard). We are planning to book an afternoon snorkel tour with Jolly Pirates ... any suggestions for what to do in port afterwards. Preferably within walking distance from the ship.

Has anyone been to Park Royal Recently. We have done this 3 different time and love the place. I emailed them to confirm the still offer day passes, but did not hear back. Are they still $40?

Looks like as of October they still had the $40 pass.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1911436

Does anyone have a current link to the water taxi service? When you click on the one for Cay Caulker from this thread, it shows that the website has been closed due to management's decision.

 

I also read in another thread that the water taxis have consolidated.

 

Has anyone been recently or have updated information?

We used http://www.belizewatertaxi.com

They were directly beside the port, could see them from the tourist village

We will be traveling with a 6 month old and no car seat and would like to visit a beach but know it might be short lived if no shade

 

 

I have been to Cozumel numerous times and can't recall if there is a beach within walking distance. Anyone know?

 

Also we are going with Carnival so maybe we would feel safe in a bus, any decent beach excursions with shade that you recommend?

:confused:

If you're at Puerta Maya pier then Park Royal or El Cid would be within walking distance and have small beach area. Pay as you go and All Inclusive options available.

DH and I have been to Cozumel only once before. We like to be independent and to go walk-about. We got off the ship straight into a "shopping village" which was so crowded that it was impossible to stop and have a look at what was for sale. We sought refuge in a shop and bought a small bottle of tequila. Having regained our equilibriums' date=' we just headed back to the ship as quickly as was possible.

 

In February, we are going to Chankanaab Park. What is the easiest way to get to the taxis? I have tried looking on Google Earth but nothing is very evident.[/quote']

 

Try http://ports.cruisett.com

We will zip-line with Victor Bodden next week, at Mayan Jungle Canopy.

 

Does anyone know if we need to wear sneakers? Are sports sandals ok, so they won't fall off?

 

I searched, and can't find any info on this.

 

Thanks.....

I think my husband wore sport sandals (Teva). I wore my sneakers and was glad I did, just for the amount of climbing involved. We did Pirates Extreme.

We plan to go to West Bay Beach 1/22. We had thought we would book with Bananarama - $40. includes transportation, chair, drink, snorkel gear for 2 hours. However, I read a review where someone had trouble getting them to provide transportation back to the ship. Also, I got an email asking for full payment upfront by me emailing my credit card number (in 2 separate emails - "for security" reasons or calling a phone number. I am hesitant to do this. Has anyone booked with Bananarama in this manner? We really just want to spend the day at the beach and don't want a tour of the island. We really just need transportation and snorkel rental - at least the fins and a float vest. I see Rony's has a $30pp. with a group transportation and Island Marketing has $33.pp. Any opinions are welcomed. Any other suggestions of transportation is welcome. There are just the two of us.

This is how we booked Bananarama twice. No issues with payment or with getting back from port. That said, we absolutely LOVED Rony. We did a freestyle tour that was ziplining @ Pirates and then afternoon at West Bay. You can choose where to go. See his site and the link on the freestyle tour that shows the add-ons. Lists spots along West Bay, costs, pros/cons.

http://www.ronystours.com/add-ons.html

Yes, it's both of our's first trip to Roatan. My friend's inability to snorkel limits things. She has her quirks. There are two tours of West End we are considering. One is with the glass bottom boat and West End tour (3.5 hrs.) and the other is called Discover West End (4 h.5 hrs). Both say you can chill on the beach. Sounds like you are just paying for a nice coach ride. Is the public beach there nice and can you rent lounge chairs? Any info greatly appreciated.

Gosh that's a shame, the snorkeling in Roatan is just amazing. The reef is so close to shore. I think your summation of the tours is right, you're getting transportation to/from West End with some tour guide banter along the way.

I can't comment on locations to rent chairs in West End as we've only been to West Bay Beach. There is a fast water taxi between the two, VERY short ride, if you wanted to go to West Bay. There are many beach clubs there. I like this information for pros/cons and costs...http://www.ronystours.com/add-ons.html

You'd have to search for West End specific beaches.

If you get the chance, rent some snorkel gear and head out to the reef...even if just for a bit. The snorkeling at the LEFT end of West Bay, near the iguana wall, is great and the beach is gorgeous.

I am interested..... but can you snorkel at Sunset House? Their website only talks about diving...

Yes you can. You can bring your own gear or rent from them.

Thanks for the info. my roomie refuses to do a private tour. Irrational fear of being left behind. lol. Having said that I think we will do something at West End.

Well we're all entitled to our hang-ups, right? ;)

Is this your first trip to Roatan?

I'm glad you asked this here because the communication about how it worked wasn't that great on our first FTTF. It was great on our second tender when we knew what to do. Enjoy the perk!

Thanks for your post. We are bringing a first time cruiser with Celiac on Dream in April. She is obviously always concerned about dining out, and when I was telling her some of the things I'd read about the GF offerings on Carnival she was in disbelief. Your reviews of the foods and the locations onboard to get GF will be very helpful for her.

This is great info, thanks! I had no idea, I thought Bon Voyage was the only way to order full bottles. Hubby and I were just talking the other day about how much to order without having TOO much. Last time we 'brought' our own onboard but it was such a hassle and added stress of being caught. Not something is care to spend time doing again, especially if we can just buy bottles onboard.

Trying to pick an excursion on our April MSC cruise. Only one option includes lunch, Parrot Tree Beach. The other beach options are Las Palmas and Fantasy Island but do not include lunch. Does anyone know if these other resorts have lunch to purchase? Is the provided lunch at Parrot Tree nice? My roomie cannot snorkel so it would be hard for her to pay for a snorkel adventure and not be able to use it on one of the excursions. I want a beach/rest day. The glass bottom boat tour would be nice for her but a little ho hum for me. I'm a diver and have dove the Caribbean extensively. Here is a link to the available excursions. http://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en//Cruise-Destinations/Caribbean/Honduras/isla-de-roatan.aspx?excTab=4&year=2013

Just wanted to add that the day pass for Parrot Tree looks like it's only $15, and if you research some private tour companies in Roatan you will probably find that you can get there for much cheaper ($30/pp) than what the cruise ship is charging, and you'd likely get more time at the resort.

Many people will suggest a day at West Bay Beach, but we did not find it very relaxing last time, with vendors interrupting our peace non-stop. While we love the beauty of West Bay, we would definitely go elsewhere for a relaxing day next time.

Looking for a nice beach but have limited time.

 

We did Goff's Caye last time and enjoyed it.

 

Looked at doing Caye Caulker but the timing only really leaves us 2 hours, seems like to much running around for 2 hours.

 

we are in port 8-5pm, if we tender in on the first tender at make the 9am water taxi, get to Caye Caulker by 10am and have to leave on the noon water taxi to be safe.

 

Need help with what else we could do here!

 

thanks

Are you arriving at 8am ship time or Belize time?

We did Caye Caulker last time, LOVED OUR DAY. We got the 9am departing taxi and 1:30pm return taxi. We were in port from 9-6 (ship time).

Coral Breeze does offer transportation to Caye Caulker on its own. You go as part of the Shark/Ray Alley tour and they drop you before taking the snorkelers out to the reef. Might allow you to spend more time on Caye Caulker without having to be limited by the water taxi schedule.

Yup...it's technically right at the end of the road if you keep going by the Kaibo. You can't miss the gates now, they're massive and kind of foreboding. :grin: The Public Beach sign is (at least as of today) on the lot just to the left of the gates. It's not, as far as I can tell, any kind of official public beach. (The official Public Beach is to the left of the Kaibo, as you're facing the water, on the other side of the condos.) The Kaibo's nicer, IMO. Both that public beach and Starfish Point/Ivory Kai are just vacant lots. I've never really understood the fascination people have with that place...but your mileage may differ...

Awesome, thanks. The public beach near Kaibo is probably fine for us, but I think my son might like Starfish Point. Just looking for some options up that way (other than Rum Point) before we head back towards port. We've been to Grand Cayman several times (splitting our time between the Reef in East End and London House on north SMB) and snorkeled at Starfish Point once from a boat...but this is my son's first time in Grand Cayman. :)

I've heard a bit on here about the busing. Will be in GC in two weeks - want to do Turtle Farm, Hell, Seven Mile, (is Butterfly farm still open?) - don't want to spend all our time sitting on the beach. Can we do GC on the bus line and if so, would that be more economical than say, renting a car? My BF and I have never been to GC so not sure about driving when we don't have a clue where we are. We will be on RCCL Freedom - so need to make sure we can get back to the ship on time. Any suggestions/ideas/feedback?

Our first time in GC we rented a car from Cayman Auto right near the port (Andy's will also shuttle you to/from port) and drove everywhere. LOVED IT. We found the island easy to navigate, just have to concentrate on driving on the proper side of the road. Passenger remind driver 'left, left, left" at turns. There are also roundabouts that can be challenging for folks that don't navigate them normally (we have a lot here so no issues).

That said, if you don't want to see the island other than Turtle Farm and SMB then bus is the way to go. Very easy to use. Very frequent. Pay driver upon exiting. Flag them down as you need them.

Agree with the other poster, skip Hell or make it low priority. 10 minute stop at best.

Capt. BJ,

 

We are thinking of taking a cab to Smith Cove Bacadere first to do some snorkeling, then walking to Sunset House to do some snorkeling, and then have lunch and drinks at my Bar before heading back to the ship. Does this sound feasible? If so my question is about Sunset House. Do you have to check in with anyone when you get there? Is there a place to leave your stuff such as lockers?

 

Thanks for any advice.

We always just walk to Smith Cove, rather than paying a cab. It's a 30 minute walk, just watch the narrow street. Smith Cove only has a 2-stall bathroom hut and an outdoor shower. Couple of picnic tables around hut nowhere to put your stuff, as BJ said. Last time there in October we saw 12 people. Fave beach.

Email communication from Sunset House is top notch, super friendly and helpful. Not that BJ can't answer all your questions. ;) Be sure to try the conch fritters and a cold Caybrew. My fave!

Also recommend popping into the little craft house on the opposite side of the road from Smith Cove/Sunset House. Lovely store if you're looking for some souvenirs that aren't junky.

It's just down the road from the Kaibo.

We normally eat at Kaibo Beach Bar, would we pass that and just look for the public beach sign? We have never gone further down that road but would love somewhere to chill in the area OTHER than Rum Point.

Have you had any problem (as was reported by one poster) with them not taking you back to the ship when you wanted to?

Nope, never had that issue.

And one time (I'm not proud to say) I was so wasted from the rum punches that I can't even believe they knew what I wanted when I went to ask for a ride. Not sure I was even speaking English.

I will say our one vehicle was a bit sketchy...the airbag had deployed and then been stitched back up like Frankenstein! Part of the fun of vacation I guess. ;)

Here is one of the reasons half the people go to Jamaica and have a good time and the other half hate it. In the culture, real people, there is no response as NO THANK YOU. It's no or thank you wish means yes. If you say no thank you , meaning no/yes, some will hear the no and move on, others the thank you, meaning yes and keep hassling you. It's best to simply say no or no I am good, meaning good without it and move on.

 

Do not hold anything. Holding something is a way of giving someone something but in your case expect to pay.

 

If you are offered herb, of course don't say no thank you, that's no/yes. Who knows if they got the no part or the thank you /yes part. Don't bother replying I don't do drugs, to many it's a herb that grows like weed. Simply reply you don't smoke, many won't expect you to start just to help them out. If you smoke be careful.

 

As for the men, ladies no matter what they look like, no teeth, no shirt, no shoes, they think they can make you happy. Any eye contact and a smile could be interpreted as an invitation to fun. Yeah you will be expected to pay for the fun . Sadly some do.

 

Asking, it's a gift. You could be asked for anything from money to your child.

 

This is Jamaica beyond excursions.

Great information, thanks for sharing. Sometimes it's the little idiosyncrasies that cause the most 'problems' when travelling.

We were considering Sunset Grande but will now be brining our 16 year old son and the cost seems a bit steep now. My next thought was ATVing, but those are only 2ish hours and I like to fill my day to the brim. Your post gave me some things to think about and a few things jumped out ...

Can you share the driving distances between some places, specifically Coyaba River Garden and Museum, Blue Hole and the route to Nine Miles that you described. Is all of this doable in one day via a private tour (obviously depends on how long we stay at the places)? Is Wilderness ATV anywhere on this route that we could add that on as well?

Thanks!

It was fairly open. There weren't any really tight spaces. You are in water (at varying depths) most of the time. I do understand your reluctance. :) If I could do it, you can. I ziplined once on Oasis and I said never, ever again. I regretted doing that and I was shaking for about an hour afterwards. I'd do the cave again but not the zipline. So, you can make it. :) There were a few fish. They were about 1ft long very skinny. Scared the bejeepers out of me. :)

Excellent. I'll keep an eye out for the fish. ;) I booked and the confirmation page is wrapped...no going back now. Thanks again for sharing your experience.