Cave tubing w/ Carnival...answers needed...

[CRU1Z1N]

We are sailing on Valor the end of August. DH really wants to do cave tubing with Carnival (we ONLY do ship sponsored excursions...no need to tell us about other companies or your experience with them).

 

I am claustrophobic and was wondering how closed in are the caves?

 

Does Carnival link you together?

 

How long is the actual tubing time?

 

Heard it was 1.5 hours ride then a 40 minute walk to the tubing site....Is this true?

 

Thank you!

[MDSue]

Carnival cancellled cave tubing excursions after a woman drowned during the excursion. The word was the water was higher and rougher than normal and that people were not linked together. I'm not sure if they've started offering this popular excursion again, but if so, I suspect they've increased the safety procedures. I think a good reliable excursion company is the best way to go cave-tubing. I've read many excellent reviews, but haven't wanted to try it myself.

[vfb2girls]

Have no experience with Carnival cave-tubing, we used an independent company but being that I hate closed in spaces, I found the caves to be fine. From what I remembered the walk wasn't quite 40 minutes to get to the spot where we went into the water, and the walk was pretty easy. We were linked together with a guide and he pretty much did all the work for us, at first our group tried to paddle down the river by ourselves but found that to be exhausting so the guide just linked us together and pulled us. We did this excusion in November and the water was really cold! I couldn't stop shivering through out the whole excursion. So hopefully the water will be much warmer for you!

[Chilehead]

We just went a few weeks ago and the water was cold then too. The caves are very large with very high ceilings. I don't think you'll have any problems with clostraphobia. My wife has a few issues with closed in spaces and had no problems at all.

 

Have fun!

[bewh3327]

We just got off the Valor last week and did Cave Tubing. (No, we did not book the Carnival excursion, but my guess is there all similar). Bus trip took about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Indeed about a 40 minute walk through the rainforest. (Ask your guide to eat some termites, pretty cool). The actual cave tubing took about 35-45 minutes and the ceilings are high. I'm a bit claustrophobic myself and didn't get creeped out. Really fun excursion, definitely different.

[KateHarper]

i'm considering cave tubing through Minor Tom's tour company in Belize, but we are going in December. I hear a lot about the water being cold and i'm wonderng if it will be any worse in December.

 

Thoughts?

[nemini]

As long as the water's been underground for a while before you enter it, it'll likely be a pretty constant temperature year-round, much as the cave itself is.

 

I went cave-tubing in New Zealand early one September (late winter there), and the guide mentioned to us that the water was always about the same temp--rather cold.