Second guessing belizecruiseexcursion Booking... Please calm my fears!

[sculder]

I just booked belizecruiseexcursion (belizecruiseexcursion.com) for a tour of Lamanai during our visit there in two weeks. I was really excited because I didn't really find an reputable, independent operator conducting the Lamanai tour this time of year (slow season).

 

But now I'm second guessing myself. People who have used Island Marketing (belize cruise excursion) around two to three years ago all say the same thing "They were great, we had a blast." Now I see recent posts to Trip Advisor, and other places saying "Old vans, rude guides, they start the tour late", etc.

 

Is there anyone who has used them recently that can calm my fears? Luckily, I have also booked the Carnival Xunantunich excursion as a backup (you can cancel with Carnival ahead of time without penalty).

 

Should I continue on with belize cruise excursions, or take the safe way out with the cruise excursion? The wife and I really wanted to see Lamanai, and Carnival doesn't offer this tour.

 

Thanks!

[cruisingforsix]

I just booked belizecruiseexcursion (belizecruiseexcursion.com) for a tour of Lamanai during our visit there in two weeks. I was really excited because I didn't really find an reputable, independent operator conducting the Lamanai tour this time of year (slow season).

 

But now I'm second guessing myself. People who have used Island Marketing (belize cruise excursion) around two to three years ago all say the same thing "They were great, we had a blast." Now I see recent posts to Trip Advisor, and other places saying "Old vans, rude guides, they start the tour late", etc.

 

Is there anyone who has used them recently that can calm my fears? Luckily, I have also booked the Carnival Xunantunich excursion as a backup (you can cancel with Carnival ahead of time without penalty).

 

Should I continue on with belize cruise excursions, or take the safe way out with the cruise excursion? The wife and I really wanted to see Lamanai, and Carnival doesn't offer this tour.

 

Thanks!

I wrote about this tour in a couple of other posts. we took this same exact tour with them 2 different times. if it is just your family going you will probably have a wonderful time . if it is a cattle drive it will seem rushed and you will probably not enjoy it as much. we had the same tour guide both times too. he was great with our group of seven .the ride down the new river is wonderful and he pulled over several times for howler monkeys and different birds nand even a croc in the water. we got to see everything ! if there are 30 some people it is not so relaxing , he was distracted and we did not get to tour the whole ruins site(glad we saw it before) find out how many people are going first.

[sculder]

I wrote about this tour in a couple of other posts. we took this same exact tour with them 2 different times. if it is just your family going you will probably have a wonderful time . if it is a cattle drive it will seem rushed and you will probably not enjoy it as much. we had the same tour guide both times too. he was great with our group of seven .the ride down the new river is wonderful and he pulled over several times for howler monkeys and different birds nand even a croc in the water. we got to see everything ! if there are 30 some people it is not so relaxing , he was distracted and we did not get to tour the whole ruins site(glad we saw it before) find out how many people are going first.

 

 

We learned they had one van filled and we're on the second van that's halfway filled. I'm imagining probably no more than 14 scheduled to go now.

[jtmalt]

I just booked belizecruiseexcursion (belizecruiseexcursion.com) for a tour of Lamanai during our visit there in two weeks. I was really excited because I didn't really find an reputable, independent operator conducting the Lamanai tour this time of year (slow season).

 

But now I'm second guessing myself. People who have used Island Marketing (belize cruise excursion) around two to three years ago all say the same thing "They were great, we had a blast." Now I see recent posts to Trip Advisor, and other places saying "Old vans, rude guides, they start the tour late", etc.

 

Is there anyone who has used them recently that can calm my fears? Luckily, I have also booked the Carnival Xunantunich excursion as a backup (you can cancel with Carnival ahead of time without penalty).

 

Should I continue on with belize cruise excursions, or take the safe way out with the cruise excursion? The wife and I really wanted to see Lamanai, and Carnival doesn't offer this tour.

 

Thanks!

 

I certainly wish that I had gone with the Carnival Xunantunich excursion rather than attempting to do this through Belize Cruise Excursions this past May. Your experience is very dependent on how promptly the others in your group tender off the ship.

 

If you get stragglers in your group, you may be off to a VERY late start. I've posted about it in another thread, but here's what I had to say:

 

We were just in Belize on May 16th. We had booked a tour to Lamanai through belizecruiseexcursions (Island Marketing) who subcontracts to X-Stream. Our tour was supposed to meet at 7:20 for a 7:30 departure (local time, which was 2 hours earlier than ship time). It was pouring rain and the ship was having trouble getting tenders tied up, so the tendering process was running slowly, but we got up early and were on the first tender over, and met the representative at 9:15.

 

We waited at the X-Stream booth while they got their various cave tubing tours organized, enjoying the fumes from the fleet of buses parked in front of us. As 9:30 came and went, we were still waiting. We grabbed Richard Arnold, who appeared to be the head honcho there, and asked him what was going on. "We're waiting for two people" he said. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes".

 

At 10am, we stumbled across another couple who was also waiting. I asked Richard again what was going on. "We're still waiting for 14 people." he said. "I'm going to call a van and get you out there right now. We'll have them join up with you later."

 

At 10:30 he led us out of the gates, talking on his cell and constantly looking at his watch. He led us out of the cruise complex and around to a back gate, where he had us stand on the street. "The van will be here in a minute, it's on the way". He scooted through the gate and left us standing on the street.

 

Five minutes later, he came back, and ushered us through the security gate, saying "You can't wait here, you have to come inside." The security guard on duty was none too pleased, and started arguing with him, but inside this back area of the port we stayed.

 

He received another phone call. We heard his end of the conversation and realized that the van he had called for was not going to arrive...it had been stopped at a checkpoint somewhere.

 

At almost 11am, a troupe of 14 passengers joined us. I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge this inconsiderate bunch who couldn't be bothered to get up early enough to be on the first three tenders:mad:. In fact, they all had stickers for tender 11 stuck to their shirts. Thanks guys!!

 

Now, Richard started scrambling to arrange a bus that would fit us all. My confidence in Richard's ability to get us there and back again was starting to become a little wobbly.

 

I expressed my concerns...we were now leaving at least an hour and a half later than we had contracted, and some of the passengers were from another ship that was leaving far earlier than we were. I could not see how we could possibly take the two hour trip to Lamanai, include the 1/2 hour for lunch, and the return trip, and still have a reasonable amount of time at the ruins. We demanded our money back, and received it, along with another couple. When we left them, the remaining 14 latecomers (thanks again, guys:mad:) were still waiting for a bus to arrive.

 

I don't know if I'm more furious at the 14 lazy jerks or Richard for waiting on them, but either way this would have turned out to be a very stressful day if we had gone ahead and taken the tour after already having lost so much time. To his credit, Richard gave us our money back without (much of) an argument, but we should have departed on time. I guess he couldn't face the prospect of losing 14 fares.

 

As much as I'm an advocate of independent tours, I don't think I would attempt Lamanai again unless it is either offered as a ship's tour or as a completely private excursion. I certainly don't think that X-Stream handled this properly at all.

[sculder]

I've gotten responses from UpClose Belize (http://www.upclosebelize.com). They too offer the Lamanai tour, so I currently have no idea what to do and the cruise is less than two weeks out!

 

Thanks for your responses!