More Cave Tubing Questions...From a First Timer

[CaribbeanCrazy]

I have been researching both cave tubing and snorkeling for our cruise stop in Belize. I have been bogged down with sooooooo much info on snorkeling...I am utterly confused. So....I decided to start my research on cave tubing. So far the companies that sound good to me are Wet & Wild, Coral Breezes, Xtreme and YHony. The following are some questions I have for anyone who has used any of these companies. (Please indicate which company you went with.)

1. Do any of the companies make you wear...or carry life jackets?

2. How many caves did you tube through?

3.What time did your excursion leave/return? Clarify whether it was belize time or ship time. (I'm really confused on this issue)

4.Was anyone late getting back to their ship?

5.Did you experience long lines when you got to the spot where you enter the water? I read another post that said when they got there there was a long line of...I don't remember the amount off hand but it was alot. I think they said they waited 45 min for everyone in front of them to get in.

6.How long was the actual time you spent on the river?

7.Did anyone get cold? It seems to me that being you are wet...it would be kind of cold when your in the caves...with the absence of the sun to warm you.

Well I guess that's it for now anyway.

I would like to hear from as many as possible...it will make my decision on which company to go with easier.

It seems to me that some companies spend more time on the river...and others leave more time to eat lunch. I don't mind the idea of stopping for lunch...but I wouldn't want it to take away from the time spent on the river.

Thanks

CaribbeanCrazy

[NeedstoCruise]

We did this tour with Wet n Wild in November. It was Thanksgiving week and there were alot of people doing the tour that day with many other groups. Our group had 13 people, not a bad number, but a bit on the large side, in my opinion. Junior was our guide. He had a lot of good info during the drive there.

The walk to the caves is not strenuous but we had a drizzly day and there were areas that were more difficult to manage. (a bit slippery at times) A nice walk just the same, but bring the bug spray!

 

The river is great, the caves amazing, but not always easy to navigate. We linked feet under the tube infront which helps. Another tip, wear an OLD tee shirt. The tubes permanently stained the ones we wore. It also prevents the rubbing and chaffing.

 

I found it hard to hear Junior in the caves, many others there, and our chain ran long. Asking about the size of the group is important.

 

Wet n Wild answered my questions prior to the trip (via email) and were prompt for the tour. Time can REALLY be an issue if you are not in port long. We got off on one of the earlier tenders, which gave us plenty of time to meet then go. At the end of our trip ( which included a local lunch that was tasty) we got back to the pier in ample time. No rush. I can see how some people can run into time issues. It is tight. Check with the tour company to see if the others on your tour are from your ship and on your time schedule.

 

It seems to me that there are many good companies that provide good service for this tour. It is also clear that some tours self promote in order to compete. Do your research. Check other posts by posters and see if the talk about anything else besides "the tour the took". Buyer beware. But this is a wonderful experience and a memory my family and I will have to enjoy for a long time. Have Fun!

 

Elaine

[CaribbeanCrazy]

Thanks Elaine...those are some great tips. I thought about wearing a tee shirt in case I got cold...but I never thought about rubber marks and chaffing. Now thanks to you I will take an old tee shirt.:)

Glad you had a great time with Wet and Wild. I have read very good things about them. We are definitely leaning toward them...but I just wanted to hear a few more opinions on the other tour operators.

Do you remember how many caves you went through? And also how long were you on the water?

Thanks again :)

CaribbeanCrazy

[cruisinhs]

The life jacket issue depends on when you are there. We were told that normally it isn't a big deal unless you WANT to take one with you. However, the day that we were there the (I think they were police because it is a government owned park) police stopped our group and said we needed to take them with us. Our guide showed us how to strap them to our intertubes so that we didn't have to carry them or wear them the entire time.

We went with Wet n Wild and I think the tour includes three caves. This is the same route all the private tours take unless you go on a really long tour which because of time we were told is usually for those who are staying in Belize, not just in port on a cruise ship.

The whole time issue is very confusing and it will all depend on where you leave from. We left from Galveston so our ship was on central time. We were an hour earlier than Belize time, however some of our group was from a different ship and their time was an hour later than ours. The good thing is that they (the tour operators) do this everyday and they work it all out. We left basically when our group was all there and we returned an hour and 15 minutes before our final tender.

No one was late making it to their ship, nor have I ever read of someone missing their ship. (not to say it's never happened though)

The person who had to wait 45 minutes to get into the water must have been on a ship excursion because they take large groups of about 30-35 and I'm sure it takes a long time to get everyone in the water and situated in their tubes. The place where the private tours enter is another cave upstream so you are only usually waiting for those in your group. We had eight in our group.

I can't remember exactly how long we were in the river. I would say an hour (give or take 15 minutes).

We weren't cold, because eventhough we were inside without sun there also wasn't any wind which is what always gives me the chills.

The lunch time doesn't take any time away from your time on the river because you will still go through the same caves no matter what company you use. It is really neat to experience a traditional Belizean meal though and it is delicious! You basically have to way what you want to get for your money. We had an awesome experience with Wet n Wild and would recommend them without hesitation to anyone visiting Belize. Cave tubing is an amazing experience in itself and you will love every minute of it! Good luck!

[NeedstoCruise]

CarribeanCrazy,

 

I think that most of the private tours do the same caves, assuming they have the time. It is easy to modify the tour and shorten it. I agree that the long wait and extremely large group must have been with one of the ships.

 

I did enjoy my tour tho I can not say that they were GREAT. All my questions were answered, the tour delivered as promised, but tho our guide was very nice, and the information on the trip there and back was very interesting, I didn't feel as looked after in the caves themselves. It also was hard to hear what Junior was saying.

 

So much can be attributed to the day, how crowded the caves were, how many tours each tour company had filled that day and so on. Again, I am sure that there are many good, reputable companies, Wet n Wild surely is one of them, but not the only one. Just watch out for the self promoters.

 

As far as specifics, the walk was about 45 mins. The water was cool, but I found it comfortable, we were in the caves for maybe an hour, tho I am not sure. The drive there was about 45 min. The drive back included a break for lunch. Maybe 1 1/2 total. I believe it all added up to about 4 1/2 hours total.

[CaribbeanCrazy]

Thanks to both of you for all your help.:) It's nice when posters are specific...it paints a clearer picture of what to expect.

In regards to how long your on the water and how many caves you go through...I was mainly asking this because one of the companies states that they go to one more cave then the rest. I think it was Xtreme. Being as they list their tour time for 5 hours without lunch...and the rest of them including Wet and Wild list total tour time for 5 hours with a stop for lunch. It just seemed to me that maybe Extreme does give you an extra cave...being you don't stop for lunch. Does this make any sense??

If Xtreme does the exact same route as the rest of the companies...than I would go with one of them. Because both Wet & Wild and Coral Breeze price is 60.00 (59.00 for Coral Breeze) and includes lunch. Where as Xtreme charges 60.00 without lunch.

Maybe someone who has went with Xtreme will chime in here.

Thanks again

CaribbeanCrazy

[cruisinhs]

I honestly think that all the private companies tube through the same amount of caves. The ship tours (the large groups) are the ones who stop about 10 minutes before the others. I remember our guide showing us where the others normally get in and said that we were going to walk just about 10 minutes more to get in another cave. We were completly by ourselves as well that day. Eventhough the Xtreme tour doesn't include lunch I have read on other posts that people on the tour usually have lunch, but they pay for it themselves (I think they said $5). So if they have time to eat lunch then I doubt the tour is any longer.

[cruztime]

Hi,

 

We just got back yesterday. We went with XStream last Friday. We met at 7:50 Belize time (CST). We were back by 2:00 PM Belize time. The ship was on EST.

XStream was wonderful. It was the highlight of our trip. Richard ( founder of XStream) was our guide. There aren't enough words to describe how good he was. XStream is well aware of the tender times and has never been late in all the years they have been guiding. Remember that tourism is the number one product of Belize. Without the ships, they are in bad shape. So a company cannot afford to be late.

 

We traveled through 3 caves and then down the river for about another hour to the take out point. We had 10 in our party and we were the only group at the entrance Richard took us to. We saw the ship tours going through the jungle but never encountered or heard them. Richard said that is because they really enter the 2nd cave which has a break in it so that it appears they did 2 caves.

 

The lunch afterward was $5 and was awesome. Grilled chicken, rice, tomato, peppers, a homemade bread that was incredible and a homemade sweet roll that was out of this world.

 

XStream was the best. Do yourself a favor a book them.

[Sunrise]

We went with Wet and Wild -- loved it! No worries about making it back in time. They are good about making sure you don't miss the ship. Size of the tour is the most important thing. Of all the groups you are looking at the tours will be basically the same. We had 10 people total and we were so glad to only have that many. We made a chain of our tubes through the caves which made it easier to hear what was going on. We passed the cruise ship tours and they were a mess -- hundreds of people being herded like cattle! The day we were there is was windy and cool -- but we were fine in the caves and on the river. Not cold at all!

 

Hope you have a great time!

[Dojomo]

Sunrise,

Do you have a website for Wet and Wild? Right now I'm booked with cave-tubing.com (Yhony) but I'd be interested in knowing what this company offers. Also, what month did you go. I'm heading there in 2 weeks and am concerned about the water being cold.

[rchauv]

Sunrise,

Do you have a website for Wet and Wild? Right now I'm booked with cave-tubing.com (Yhony) but I'd be interested in knowing what this company offers. Also, what month did you go. I'm heading there in 2 weeks and am concerned about the water being cold.

 

Son jumped in and got immersed; I eased in and kept my shoulders dry. Son was I cold, I was O.K. This was January 6th. We both had on "T" shirts.

 

I think one difference is that wet-n-wild includes lunch, worthwhile.

[clackey]

Hola Amigos,

 

We got home last night at 10:30 so this is a fairly recent review. We booked with Marvin at Wet and Wild( www.belizecavetubing.com) and had a wonderful time. We had Charlie and Junior as our guides and both are very knowledgable about the flora and fauna of their home country. Their history of the country helps to make the time go by as they shuttle you to the river which is about 40 miles away from town. Upon arriving at the river you pick up your tubes, headlamps and life jackets and then hike through the rain forrest for about 45 minutes. On the way back to town we stopped at a small roadside diner called Amigos and had a very good lunch.

 

There are seven caves in this area and they have a tour that takes seven hours to tube though all of them. The water is about 74 degrees and shallow with very little current when the river is normal. If the river is high from heavy rain they sometimes have to cancel the trips.

 

I would not recommend this or any other cavetubing trip if you have any health problems or if you are over weight. One lady from another tour got stuck in shallow water in the cave and could not get out of her tube. She panicked and started screaming and crying until someone in our group rescued her. An over-weight man in our group had problems paddling his tube and had to be dragged through the cave. So if you have any difficulty climbing stairs or step hillsides, you might want to consider something else. This is no place to get hurt. Not with town an hour away. Wet and Wild runs a first class operation with great guides, good equipment and are very professional.. I would not hesitate to book with them again.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Have a good time.

Clackey

[mnsawyer]

Clackey - what ship were you on? Did you have any problems with tenders and getting back in time? Were you on eastern time (ship)?

 

Thanks!

[starznmoon]

Moricoman there is a lot of information for X-stream at http://belizecruiseexcursions.com/belizecavetubing.htm we also were able to participate in this adventurous tour just a few weeks ago and it was just great. I think the ages of your children are just right for this tour too.

[CaribbeanCrazy]

Do you HAVE to lock legs or make a chain when going through the caves? I noticed several people who went with Wet & Wild have mentioned this. Is this something you HAVE to do...or can you float by yourself?

How about Coral Breezes and Xtreme...can anyone tell me if they do it this way also???

Thanks

CaribbeanCrazy

[clackey]

mnsawyer,

 

We sailed on the ELATION out of Galveston. The ship and the tour was on CST. Carnival lets the guests that booked tours through the ship tender first. We had no problems, whatsoever. Marvin knows the ship schedules and can adjust the tours to fit your specific needs. I have never heard of anyone missing the tender. If it has ever happened to any of you please let me know.

 

CaribbeanCrazy,

 

You asked about linking tubes together? You can do about anything that you want to do. You can stand up and wade part of the way. The current is slow with only a couple of fast runs. It is really a nice lazy day after you get in the water.

 

Have a great Trip!!

Clackey

[CaribbeanCrazy]

Clackey,

Thanks for responding. Several posters have stated that when they go through the caves (not outside the caves) that everyone linked their legs together and formed a chain or train. What I want to know is...if the guides require you to go through the caves in this manner...or can tube through singlely. What was your experience?

 

Anyone else???

 

BTW...I'm asking this for my DH...he doesn't like the idea of linking tubes together!:(

 

CaribbeanCrazy

[NICOLE628]

CaribbeanCrazy- No you do not have to link the tubes together. You can do everything on your own if you want to. The linking may be a security issue with the people who do it- like Clackey said- BTW shout out to you Clack- you do what ever makes you comfortable. Yes this is a very active excursion. If you are unfit in any way, shape or form I suggest you do something else. Clackey was telling the truth about the lady getting stuck. I happened to float past her as the 15 year old in our group helped her out. The other guy he was talking about was my father and he did have trouble controlling and keeping up with everybody because he is overweight. I stayed back with him most of the time. The water is comfortable a little cool at first but comfortable. I am glad I wore a tee shirt- no chaffing because of it! The life jackets are linked onto your tube and you can opt to wear them or not. We did get back to the pier with plenty of time to spare before grabbing the last tender back. Overall I thought the experience was the best part of my cruise. Oh by the way- if you are a daredevil- definately do the jump off the cliff to get into the river- what a thrill!! You do not have to they have a spot that you just walk into and get in your tube.

 

Let me know if this helps!

 

Nicole

[Sunrise]

Here is the information from Marvin's e-mail. It has the contact information and web address for Wet and Wild: Ecological Tours & Services

P.O. Box 473

Belize City, Belize

Cel # : 602-8487

URL : http://www.belizecavetubing.com

 

A couple of notes -- we were there on a cold day (all the locals were in jeans and jackets). I think it was in the low 70's. We didn't jump all the way in and were warm the whole day. This was in mid-January.

 

The weight issue...hmmmm...how to say this tenderly..."overweight" is an obscure term. I am certainly no where near my ideal weight but had no problem with the hike or the tubing. I think what is more important is that you have full range of motion and no problem getting from reclining to standing (then imagine doing this in a river with an unstable bottom of rocks). We also had an individual who had a litttle trouble (she was skinnier than me -- but a bit older and in poorer physical condition), and Carlos was excellent and stayed with her the entire time. At one point or another just about everyone got stuck on the rocks in the shallow parts -- regardless of their weight. If you are worried about this, then hang back in the group a bit and navigate yourself around the shallow parts. Being "overweight" should not stop you from going cave tubing, but having a limited range of motion might be a reason to look at other activities.

 

Hooking tubes together -- I was bummed when they told us to do this -- and then super happy once it was done! It was fine, and we unhooked once we left the caves and were just on the plain old river. Being closer together helped b/c we could all point our headlamps at the same place and see the formations. I imagine if I wanted to float freely they would not have minded.