NCQ or Jaguar Paw for cave tubing?

[klo28910]

I am torn between which company to use for the cave tubing and zip line excursion. I have narrowed it down to NCQ (Nacho and Cynthia) and Jaguar Paw because they have a shorter walk. I've read great reviews of NCQ and he has been wonderful about calling me and answering all of my questions. But he is $30 more per person for what seems like the exact same excursion. That would be $120 for my family of 4. Does his people stay with you the entire excursion or do they hand you off to Jaguar Paw operators since they leave out of there?

[FLCRUISINGCPL]

Vitalino Reyes is the best:

1. Greater than 15 years experience

2. $45/person includes 2 caves, not 1 like other operators, transportation, equipment, guides, lunch, and drinks (water, beer, rum punch)

3. Meal is cooked by his sisters and wife (chicken, rice, beans, etc.)

4. Specializes in small intimate goups of 8-12 people with 2 guides

5. If you want to cavetube and zip line it costs a little bit more

6. would not recommend some of the other guides

[Kailyn]

Can't comment on NCQ, but I can say that we had a fantastic time with Jaguar Paw in December. A private driver they had hired picked up 4 of us at the port and drove us there. He handed us off to the Jaguar Paw specific operators for zipline and cavetubing and then stayed with us for a fantastic lunch and drove us back.

[klo28910]

What was the walk to the Raddisson like? They said it would be like a 3 minute walk. Where there people around? I hated walking down the streets in Jamaica and don't want anything like that.

[Kailyn]

It could have been less than 3 minutes. There were people around inside the gates where the cruise line area is, mostly waiting for or selling tours. You simply walked out of the building and through the gate to the right, then one block away up a small street. No problems at all.

 

My boyfriend didn't trust my geographical judgement (lol! boys....) and stopped to ask one of the people trying to sell us a tour. When we told them we were booked with Jaguar Paw, they immediately pointed us in the right direction. Yes, the way I was going. When we got there several guides were waiting for us. The only hiccup we had was that the other people who had booked from our ship were an HOUR late getting a tender so we had to wait for them. Well, there were 4 we were waiting for, but we left 2! Haha!

[Nickymjw1]

I've read that Cynthia comes with you on the zipline and the cave tubing.

 

Also with going with NCQ you will have them as tourguides going to the location and learn a lot about Belize. Not sure if those 2 things are worth $30/pp though.

[World Gallery]

I can honestly say that I am not sure if it is worth the extra $30 or not. I can say that we did use Nacho and Cynthia and they were great. Cynthia did stay with us the entire time, pulling our "train" through the entire time (We had gone with the ship tour years before and had to paddle our way the entire way, which was difficult with a current). We were a party of 10, 4 adults and 6 children, and we were well taken care of the entire time.

[PnkyandtheBrain]

Another vote for Vitalino and his family at Cavetubing.bz

 

We just returned from a trip on NCL Spirit and used them in Belize on Feb 4, 2010 and it was absolutely the best excursion of the cruise.

 

Vitalino and Jr. took the best care of our group of 10 that I could possibly imagine.

 

They can add just about any activity you want onto your cavetubing, be it zoo, zipline or mayan ruins that will fit with your shore time.

 

Brad

 

Vitalino Reyes is the best:

1. Greater than 15 years experience

2. $45/person includes 2 caves, not 1 like other operators, transportation, equipment, guides, lunch, and drinks (water, beer, rum punch)

3. Meal is cooked by his sisters and wife (chicken, rice, beans, etc.)

4. Specializes in small intimate goups of 8-12 people with 2 guides

5. If you want to cavetube and zip line it costs a little bit more

6. would not recommend some of the other guides

[lmt425]

I am torn between which company to use for the cave tubing and zip line excursion. I have narrowed it down to NCQ (Nacho and Cynthia) and Jaguar Paw because they have a shorter walk. I've read great reviews of NCQ and he has been wonderful about calling me and answering all of my questions. But he is $30 more per person for what seems like the exact same excursion. That would be $120 for my family of 4. Does his people stay with you the entire excursion or do they hand you off to Jaguar Paw operators since they leave out of there?

 

I was torn between Jaguar Paw and Major Tom. I called Jaguar Paw last week to make the reservations ($70/person) but it never showed up on my credit card. I called back today and they told me they did not have any record that I called and that it is now $99/person and that it is owned by a different company (Bakabush Caribbean Tours). So I just said screw it and have now reserved with Major Tom ($101/person).

 

Good luck on your choice!

[jdbmga]

I was torn between Jaguar Paw and Major Tom. I called Jaguar Paw last week to make the reservations ($70/person) but it never showed up on my credit card. I called back today and they told me they did not have any record that I called and that it is now $99/person and that it is owned by a different company (Bakabush Caribbean Tours). So I just said screw it and have now reserved with Major Tom ($101/person).

 

Good luck on your choice!

 

That's good to know. Thanks for posting. :)

[SingingPixie]

Just got back today, and went with Jaguar Paw to do both cave tubing and the zipline on Tuesday. I did see the "Backabush" t-shirts and was slightly confused. All-in-all the excursion went well- the activities and food were great- but we probably spent a good two hours waiting around, between the hour we waited for everyone to arrive at the Radisson, and another hour waiting to gather people along the way. We were a whole bus-load of people (our group only 6, but many others from our ship joined us). We arrived just in time for the last tender back to the ship. If I had it to do again, I'd probably go w/ NCQ just because the smaller group would mean less wasted time, and less being nervous about making it back to the ship. That said, I don't want to minimize how great an experience the actual ziplines and tubing were!

[Pjnc]

Hi

 

We used NCQ (Nacho & Cynthia) for the cave tubing my husband myself and our 11 year old granddaughter. Had previously used NCL's cave tubing. NCQ got you closer to the caves ) Much shorter walk) thru the caves it was the three of us Cynthia and another guide really personalized treatment. Did two caves while the cruise line does one. Lunch was inside the restaurant with NCQ while with the cruiseline it was outdoors.

 

NCQ is exceptional service gets our vote.

 

hope this helps

 

Pat

Myrtle Beach, SC

[drjohnfever]

Another vote for Vitalino and cavetubing.bz , small family run outfit focused on keeping customers happy. Doesn't have the budget for advertising so needs word of mouth, which as you can see, works as his customers become big fans!

[Fourseventeen]

I did X-stream with amazing results! Went Oct 2009. The guides were informative and really watched over us PLUS we were the only ones I seen on the river that didnt have to hold the feet of the person behind us...EWW. We also started out higher up the river...about 5 more mins of walking but so well worth it!

 

I am going again in October 2010 and will book with them again.

[Brazengrrl]

Here's my review of NCQ

http://www.ncqadventuretours.com/We just got off the valor. We went through NCQ. They were amazing !! *They actually called me in the phone to answer the questions I had emailed to them. *Nacho and Cynthia are beautiful people! They were very patient in waiting for us, we had a few late risers that missed the first tenders out. We had a total of 17 people in our group. We had two vans that catered to us *They kept us entertained on the ride in, and on the ride out we stopped and picked up some cashew wine. Their equipment was a great condition I took notice of the difference in some of the operations out there and although this was my first time cave tubing I saw that the life vests that were used were actual watersport vests not the orange ones tgat just wrap around your neck. The tubes were yellow and some were orange. They seemed bigger then some of the other tubes out there so our buts never dragged the bottom. We had amazing guides. They told us about the island, palm trees, termites and leaf cutter ants. They also did a good job in keeping us away from the sides of the caves. We had people in our group who's ages ranges from 18 to 40 and they interacted well with everyone. We had a delicious lunch with a huge variety of food, too much to finish actually. At the end we couldn't help but to hug Nacho and Cynthia and some even *hugged the guides (who's names I have forgotten but I do have pictures). Please feel free to email ne if you want to see them!!

[STARFISH*4]

dont like hearing about all the WAIT TIME for others to show up...doesnt sound GOOD and cuts into your TOUR time ...still deciding on who to use...looking at Jaguar Paw as i am not going tubing hubby is and i could wait at the resort for him...so least we could have the ride together and be in the same approx vicinity....decisions decisions:confused:

maybe just even to go with the ship...least i know he wouldnt be left;)