Eco Tours Cancellation of Bannister Island

[Cruzinbabe06]

I had this tour booked thru Eco Tours. We sail Nov 14 and as we all know, due to the storms, the Bannister Island Excursion is a no go. I emailed Eco to see if they have an alternative beach tour.

They responded back in a day. Basically, they said they're in the process of notifying booked pax of the cancellation and said Goff Caye will be used aa an alternative. They said it is a 25 minute ride and they also said it is more "natural" than Bannister, with less amenities. They said it has a Palapa, restroom and picnic tables.

From the videos on YouTube, It looks nice. Not very big. I guess my only concern is there's no beach chairs.

Eco Tours also said they will update their website by Friday (Oct 29) with more information.

I think we'll still go. Just wanted to share with everyone.

[zqvol]

Here are a few images of Goff Caye from August 2009

 

 

As you can see it is tiny, and the restroom is a porta potty on the dock

 

 

They may have added some improvements since then but this island is tiny (maybe an acre), so be prepared. Also take water shoes as the sea floor is covered with stones that are no fun to walk on as you get deep enough to snorkel.

[Irishlinny]

I was alsoo booked with Ecotours fo 11/11 and they offered this option. While it looks nice, I also really need chairs...the towel on the sand no longer works for me:o They offered me the tour to the ruins, but I would rather poke my eye out with a stick:p

Looks like we will have an extra sea day instead (not a bad thing with 4 ports in 4 days), with maybe a jaunt over to the Wet Lizard for some cocktails;)

[MonkeyBiz]

i have an ecotour excursion booked for the beginning of december while on liberty of the seas. its snorkleing and bannister beach. wonder if things will be better by then

[crewsweeper]

i have an ecotour excursion booked for the beginning of december while on liberty of the seas. its snorkleing and bannister beach. wonder if things will be better by then

If I were you, I would contact Ecotours and find out. If I had to guess, you'll still be snorkeling but instead of B.I. it'll be Goff's Caye per zqvol's pics.

[MonkeyBiz]

that place looks like friggin gilligan's island? lawd have mercy! i guess it will be alright. they better get me a chair though.

[Irishlinny]

that place looks like friggin gilligan's island? lawd have mercy! i guess it will be alright. they better get me a chair though.

No chairs...that's where they lost me:( There are a couple of picnic tables....ummm, no thanks.:rolleyes:

[MonkeyBiz]

i agree. crap on that place. i rather them reduce the cost and just take me back after snorkeling then go to some camp site lookin place. i'm not all about roughing it.

[Cruzinbabe06]

I know what you guys mean. The water looks beautiful. But, I agree about no chairs. Have not told hubby yet. He basically leaves these things up to me. We are in our 40's and sitting on a beach floor is not that relaxing either.

Now I'm thinking, should we go? Excursion will probably be around $70.00 or $80.00. That's a nice day of drinks on the ship relaxing at Serenity.

Decisions, decisions:)

[MonkeyBiz]

i havent told my friend that's going with me either. i guess i'm going to pray that we can go to bannister island by december when we go. if not, i'll probably be in the water the entire time at that island.

[Cruzinbabe06]

Just talked to hubby. Told him the situation and showed him the pictures on here from Goff Caye (thanks for posting pictures):D. He stills wants to go, even though there's no beach chairs. Island Marketing offers this tour with unlimited Rum Punch.

For those of your who's been to Goff Caye, my husband wants to know if there are any other kinds of alcoholic drinks available for purchase? Can he sit at the Palapa? Is it like a bar? Also is there any food available for purchase?

Thanks in advance

[wadethegringo]

Just talked to hubby. Told him the situation and showed him the pictures on here from Goff Caye (thanks for posting pictures):D. He stills wants to go, even though there's no beach chairs. Island Marketing offers this tour with unlimited Rum Punch.

 

For those of your who's been to Goff Caye, my husband wants to know if there are any other kinds of alcoholic drinks available for purchase? Can he sit at the Palapa? Is it like a bar? Also is there any food available for purchase?

 

Thanks in advance

I havent been there but I found this

 

On Goff's Caye you can lay your towel on the sand below the natural shade of the palm trees, enjoy endless rum punch and order burgers, kabobs or lobster from the Barbecue. (Food items are not included in the tour price).

Belizean Barbecue offering chichen Kabobs, grilled chicken, lobster, hotdogs and more...

 

Plus I cant think of anyplace here in Belize that does not have Belikin Beer.

[MonkeyBiz]

i emailed them too and they said they hope things will be up and running by december, but no guarantees. i prefer to go to bannister, but we arent going to cancel. we go the 2nd week of december, so i'll pray that bannister island is back up and running.

[CruisingPiper]

We are sailing at the end of March and, like MonkeyBiz, are hoping that Bannister Island is back up and running.

[marshhawk]

Goff's Caye was probably my favorite of all the shore excursions I did, but do not look for nicities, yes there is a port a potty, it's a concrete block on the far side of the island, yes there was a bar, well it was a guy who sold drinks, or mixed drinks out of a cooler, yes there was food, a kid cooking chicken and lobster kabobs, on a grill served with corn and beans, straight from a can cooking on the grill. Yes, there is a store, some guy shows up and sells you wood carvings. This is about as far as you can get from civilization, and still not have to hunt for food. The lobster/chicken kabab was fantastic! The orange soda was great, the snorkeling not so good, and the beach had a rip current they warned us about before we went in. I loved it.! It was beautiful! But I would seriously worry about the eco system of this tiny island if more than 80 people a day landed on it and thought i twas a play island. It's the last island between you and the sea. That's it. A spit of land facing Africa. :o

[CruisingPiper]

Thank you for the write up Marshhawk!

[marshhawk]

You are welcome...graduated from Macalester years ago while my folks lived in Edina for a while, had a friend who married a Piper-wonder if we are related? LOL. Yeah I just loved Goff's Caye. and thanks heavens I didn't have to use the port a potty!

[CruisingPiper]

You are welcome...graduated from Macalester years ago while my folks lived in Edina for a while, had a friend who married a Piper-wonder if we are related? LOL. Yeah I just loved Goff's Caye. and thanks heavens I didn't have to use the port a potty!

 

Ha-ha! My hubby and I are from San Diego, and moved here 14 years ago already married. Hmmmm. . . . I should try and track down that other Piper!

 

I just read another post that said Bannister Island opened again on 11/10. Hopefully that means no port-a-potty for me!

[marshhawk]

Bannister Island is more of family oriented "play" beach, so I cannot imagine why it would stay closed for long once they cleaned up post hurricane debris. Goff's Caye is more of a location to walk into the water from, and if they were warning adults about rip currents, probably not very kid friendly. Have a great time Piper and right now enjoy your snow! My second year in college up there during January Macalester offered winter survival classes, build an igloo, swim in frozen lake, that kind of stuff. One of my friends signed up for the course, and we had no snow. NO SNOW! LOL:rolleyes:

[CruisingPiper]

NO SNOW! LOL:rolleyes:

 

Hard to believe! We got a foot yesterday. My husband and son are still trying to dig us out.

[dsrn99]

Bannister Island is open. We were just there 5 days ago. We booked it through RCCL-Liberty of the Seas. We had a great time, there were plenty of chairs. They still have a small section that is off limits, that they are still working on, but for the majority, it was fine, we had a blast.

[katiecat]

I'm glad to hear somebody has been to bannister since the hurricane. Other than chairs what else is there I heard a water trampoline is this true? How did the bottom of the ocean there feel to your feet was it sand or like thick wet cement? I have 18 pp going and don't want anyone disappointed. Thanks for any new up dated info!

[Binker]

Hi - We are from MinneSNOWta too :-)

We too are looking at Bannister, good to hear its open and recovering. We sail in January ~ And we are thinking of just taking a taxi over with the other two couples we are cruising with.

[katiecat]

I just got a reply from eco tours that things have changed for bannister island. I'm on the legend in January and they won't open the island unless a RCL or NCL ship in dock. On that note I don't feel carnival would be welcomed there. I have a group of 18 people now looking for another tour option.

I already did the cave tubing so that's not a option for me.

What to do now?

[MonkeyBiz]

i was just on a snorkeling tour with eco tours on wednesday. a few days before i got on the ship (sunday dec 5) i emailed eco tours and asked them if we were still going to bannister island. they said no, we were going to some little island that didnt have much amenities. i wasnt thrilled about it, but whatever, i went with the flow.

 

much to my suprise, when i got to eco tours to check, they said we WERE going to bannister island and acted like i was crazy when i said "but you said we werent going in the email" so i was happy to go. it was a nice island. they had the trampoline, but its hard to bounce on because its not real tight. you jump and nothing really happens. the bathrooms are pretty stinky, but whatever. drinks at the bar were about $10-12 and came in a small cup.

 

snorkeling portion of the eco tours was WONDERFUL. i would have rather done that twice as long then go to bannister island. dont get me wrong, bannister is ok, but snorkeling is so much better. they said when we booked that we would get rum punch. it never happened. we got water that comes in a bag that you have to rip the corner off with your teeth to drink. not really what i had in mind