Help! Want to do cave tubing, afraid of being left behind!

[Oneluckywoman]

I just read a review of someone who just got of the Glory, and she said she had cancelled her cave tubing tour through an independent company because she had read here that people had been left behind because the tour didn't get back before the ship left. Oh my gosh!! We booked through www.cavetubing.com and read some really good reviews on them. I don't know what to do now, don't want to take a chance on not getting back on the ship!! If you have any info on this, please share!! Thanks and happy cruising!!!!!

[TakeMeAway1001]

I just read a review of someone who just got of the Glory, and she said she had cancelled her cave tubing tour through an independent company because she had read here that people had been left behind because the tour didn't get back before the ship left. Oh my gosh!! We booked through www.cavetubing.com and read some really good reviews on them. I don't know what to do now, don't want to take a chance on not getting back on the ship!! If you have any info on this, please share!! Thanks and happy cruising!!!!!

 

We have used their company twice and they are very professional and very aware of the time constraints. I have never read about anyone on here who has been left behind and I wouldn't hesitate about using them again :)

[tammymacb]

We also booked a cave tubing trip privately and had no problems.

[SCUBA Mark]

We used that company before. The cave tubing was awesome.

 

We got back with about 30 minutes to spare. I was a little nervous but it turned out ok.

 

I even had time to buy a local beer while I was waiting in line for the tender.

[clerky96]

I also have not read of anyone on here not making it back from cave tubing on time, but I think your decision will depend upon how well you, personally, handle stress. I, myself, could not do it. I am a "nervous ninny" and 30 minutes lee way is not enough for me. I would give anything not to be this way, but it is me and that is just the way I am. I have been that way all of my life and I don't think it's going to change now.

[red lobster]

I also have not read of anyone on here not making it back from cave tubing on time, but I think your decision will depend upon how well you, personally, handle stress. I, myself, could not do it. I am a "nervous ninny" and 30 minutes lee way is not enough for me. I would give anything not to be this way, but it is me and that is just the way I am. I have been that way all of my life and I don't think it's going to change now.

I am the same way, when we were in Guatemala this April we took an independent tour and we kept telling them we need to head back, they wanted to take us to a place to eat anyway to make a long story short we only had about 30 minutes and we were very uncomfortable with that. I will never take an independent tour in Santo Tomas again. That being said we have taken many in other places with no problems.

[Fourseventeen]

If you have 30 mins to spare whats the issue? You got back on ship with 30mins to do nothing on the ship your spending a week on ;) As long as im back on the ship before it motors away then I am a happy camper. :D

[red lobster]

The part that made me nervous was the fact you have to take a small motor boat quite a ways to get back and if there is an issue with the little boat not starting or running out of gas of breaking down then what? I think the other poster could have been equally concerned that the bus might have hit a traffic jam ect. I am just one of those better safe then sorry people. I admit I too am a worry wart.

[GinDon]

I think 30 minutes is cutting it waaaay too close. I, too, would be panicked with that time frame. We always book something that gets us back 1-1/2 to 2 hrs before sailaway, or if we can't arrange that, we settle for the ship excursion. Try to get booked on the very earliest tour you can. We booked independently (with another company) and had plenty of time to spare (and shop!). Like previous poster said, the operators know that being late is VERY bad for their reputations, and take great care to see that it never happens.

[clerky96]

If you have 30 mins to spare whats the issue?

If only it were that easy. People who don't have this "worry wart issue" truly do not understand it. In fact, I am sure people think you should be able to control your worry. It is just something you learn to live with. Unfortunately I passed it on to one of our daughters. She is also a "worry wart". :o

[3redheads]

I changed my cave tubing excursion because of my fear of being left behind. Yes, I'm a worry wart :D

 

Booked the Land Rober 4 x 4 and Cave excursion through Carnival and it was the BEST excursion we took!

 

30 minutes to spare would seriously affect my ability to have a good time. I would be constantly looking at my watch.

[navybaby1113]

This fear is actually what is worrying me about booking a private excursion.

[LynneL]

We did the cave tubing with a vendor I booked on-line - cave-tubing.com I think. We made sure we were the first tour of the day. Made sure our group of 9 was one of the first to tender off ship. Our guide was waiting on the road behind where the shops were. It is a bit of a ride to the river but interesting to see way of life (very poor) & speak to our driver about life in Belize, education system for children, etc.

 

I had concerns over the making it back to ship prior to booking but did ask them to tell me how a situation is handled if the van breaks down. (driver did have radio contact & another van could be sent). We were the first ones to reach the river & start down - which made it nice because we were the only ones going thru the caves - not a group of 50+. We were finished & busloads from the ship were still arriving, taking forever to get their tubes, etc.

 

I do understand worriers...my husband is the king...Must be at work at 10:00 a.m. (he does have about a 2 hr. commute) but he leaves at 6:20 a.m. because "you never can count that buses & trains won't be off schedule." And even he didn't feel a time crunch getting back! Had time to shop & back on ship early.

[shari1737]

We also booked a cave tubing excursion but read too many things on here about possibly getting left behind. We knew that if would happen to anyone, it would happen to us. There are just too many things that could go wrong. What if the van wrecked? I understand if the van broke down they could get another one there but the way I understand it, the river is an hour away. We booked another excursion with coral breezes & stayed on the water snorkeling. We made it back with an hour to spare before the last tender. It was a great experience I am so glad we changed. I know we wouldn't have a good time for fear that something would have gone wrong. Yes we are worry warts too but I would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to excursions. And Belize isn't a place I would want to be left behind....

[dappledumpling]

I booked with cavetubing dot com and we did not get left behind. BUT! We were told at the beginning of the day we would be back with an hour to spare. But after numerous delays one of which not being able to go to the river as thier guide to customer ratio was not right & we sat for 30 minutes waiting for them to find more guides...

 

WE got back 5 minutes before the last tender.. Yea! made it...But stressed at that point..

Enjoyed the trip but would not book with them again... hopefully just a bad day but I don't want to deal with a stressed out wife again.

We are heading back in febuary and my wife has already informed me that in Belize we will do a ship sponsored excursion.

 

Hope that helps

Rick

[minncruisers]

In Belize I will always go through the cruise lines excursions. We did the River Wallace/ Altun Ha excursion through CCL the last time we were there and ran into bus problems on our way back. They were definitely waiting for us when we got back to the dock and we had to take the tender to the back side of the ship because they had rolled up the regular gangway already. Had that been a private company, we never would have made it. I'm not a major worry wart but that experience solidified our decision to use the cruise line excursions as much as our wallet will allow.

[blc164s]

A few years ago we did the cave tubing through Carnival (on the Valor). We were running late (no fault of our own) and were the very last tender back to the ship. Once the tender docked with the ship, the ship made immediate preperations to leave and started turning around to head to the next port of call - all while we were trying to board.

 

It was a Carnival sponsored tour, so they weren't going to leave without us (hopefully), but it just goes to show the risk that you can take by using a third party - especially on an excursion that takes you so far into the middle of the mainland with no easy transport back.

 

You just have to use good judgement and balance the lower cost vs the risk.

[IslandToIsland]

I just read a review of someone who just got of the Glory, and she said she had cancelled her cave tubing tour through an independent company because she had read here that people had been left behind because the tour didn't get back before the ship left. Oh my gosh!! We booked through www.cavetubing.com and read some really good reviews on them. I don't know what to do now, don't want to take a chance on not getting back on the ship!! If you have any info on this, please share!! Thanks and happy cruising!!!!!

 

I booked with them this past Feb while on the Glory. You are in very good hands. They were fantastic. We did the ATV and cave tubing and still had a little time to shop before getting on the tender.