Any reasons to AVOID regtours or Xstream?

[rkmom]

I have read and read and researched trying to decide which company to use. First I thought Coral Breeze, then decided maybe these others sound better. Anytime I start leaning toward one, I see a review stating a negative for that company or something so positive for another company, I get confused!:confused:

 

So, has anyone had really bad experiences or know someone whose opinion you trust who had a horrible time? They are probably all about the same as far as good and bad experiences, as people's opinions vary, but I just want to know if there are any really good reasons one company or other is to be avoided.

 

Time getting back is of course a special concern (Reggie's site says they have a private tender just in case)

 

Thanks for advice!

 

Kim

[davidaperryman]

They probably are all about same. We went with X-Stream. No complaints.

[2FromTN]

We did ours with RegTours and had a great time. We had 4 people in our group and our guide (Lionel) did a wonderful job. We had plenty of time to each lunch at the cave tube area (very delicious) and even stopped off at a grocery store on the way back to pick up a few items at non port prices. We got back to the peir around 3:00.

[addicted to cruising]

rkmom,

I feel your pain, I went through the same thing and fortunatley our sailing has a roll call page and one of my fellow cruisers has used Reggie and states he is great. Done deal, I didnt even book it my fellow cruiser was kind enough to take care of that. Good luck with whoever you choose.

[2FromTN]

I've personally been on X-stream and can't think of a bad thing to say about them, the only complaint I've read about them is that you have to book earlier then most as they sell out quickly and only take a limited number of people.

 

We considered Reggie and our concern there was that they are not inside the port area, you have to leave the port to find them, we weren't that keen on wandering around in Belize City(doesn't have the greatest reputation). X-stream was inside the port, very easy to meet.

 

We went with Reggie and you don't have to wander through the city to find him. He's about 100 feet from the port gates and you can see his vans when the tender boats arrive. By the way, I would agree that you don't want to venture too far from the port area as the streets looked somewhat scary.

[laceyjane]

We went with xtreme. Richard was our guide-fantastic-we would choose xtreme again.

[Lisa&Neb]

X-stream here and it was great... really liked the small group (10-13 max)... it was great. HE talked to us on teh ride out and back, told jokes and stories and it was a great time!!

[pdq]

We just got back from our cruise on the Carnival Miracle, and we went with X-stream for cave tubing in Belize. Maybe we just hit a bad day, but they seemed overall a little disorganized.

 

While other tours used full-sized motorcoaches for the drive to and from the cave/river, Xstream used a smaller van/shuttle type vehicle, which I thought could have been a little more comfortable. We had a flat tire on the way, and while they were changing it I saw to my dismay that the tire that went flat had a dinner-plate-sized area that was bald-to-the-belts-and-beyond. I rode the rest of the way with my fingers crossed, hoping the other tires were in better shape and knowing that we didn't have another spare.

 

When we got to the park, we were hot and thirsty. Unfortunately for us, apparently the place where XStream usually gets it's bottled water from was closed (it was Good Friday). They could only come up with some small plastic bags of water- for some of us. The rest (including my party) were just out of luck. (Imagine our chagrin watching a kid who had gotten one of these little bags dribbling it over his head while I and the rest of my party went thirsty!)

 

The walk to the river was prolonged a bit because there were two groups and the guides didn't seem to know how many were in each group, so there was a couple of times while we stood around until the guides decided we were all there. XStream takes you through two caves, not just one, which has both upsides and downsides. The walk is significantly longer, and the first cave is not as interesting geologically as the second cave (which everyone goes thru)- the second cave has stalactites, etc, while the first has a mostly smooth ceiling which feels a little like floating through a long culvert. On the other hand, the total float is longer (which is really why you're there) and you can leap from a rock into a pool at the beginning of the first cave, which is fun.

 

I was also a little disappointed that we didn't get as much of the way of commentary on the geology, etc, from our XStream guide as other groups we saw did. Our group was spread out sort of randomly, and when our guide did speak, it was hard to hear him unless you were close, and we couldn't all be close enough.

 

Finally, when we were done, the tropical fruit platter that the XStream web site says you get at the end was another no-show, with no explanation.

 

It wasn't horrible- the float itself was neat, the guides were nice enough and the river water was clear and cool and wonderful on a hot day. But honestly, there were times when I kind of wished we had gone with another group.

[1361bass]

We went with Reggie in early March and had a great time. If you have any questions or concerns just ask. He and I exchanged e-mails before my trip. The first thing they asked us is when we needed to be back and they got us back with one hour to spare. They are right outside the port terminal. Our guide stopped at a conveinence store on the way out town and said if you want water get it here cause it is much cheaper than any other place. One person in our group sat in front and carried on with him for much of our drive time and learned a lot. Nothing out of the ordinary to report. Our guide was Lionel and he even told us about all the low water spots on the float or when we should look for or look out for this and that. I would say to pay with cash and have exact change for your trip. I would think twice about trying to take a camera that is not a water proof. My waterproof (I think it was a Fuji from Walmart) ended up floating. With some of the paddling you have to do a regular camera may be a hinderance for you.

[rkmom]

Thank you to all who have posted a response. It is so hard for me to make a decision. All of the companies have mostly good reports, but then you hit one or two bad and I just don't want to have a negative experience. I understand anyone can have a bad day where things don't go right, and people's opinions can vary on the same tour, so how do I decide? I'm actually now considering Wet and Wild with Marvin/Charlie, because they have good reviews too (and of course a few negatives--anyone here have anything to say about them?

 

PDQ: we will be on the miracle, too. How was it? Were you in port 7:30-4:30 ship time? And was that different from the Belize time? What time did you get back to the port from your tour? When is the last tender? I've heard so many people worry about cutting it close, and for some reason the time thing is so confusing. I was just wondering form someone who has been on that particular ship lately--Thanks!

[Mickeyism]

We just returned last Sunday from the Miracle. We did the cave tubing with Wet n Wild. As with everyone else I had concerns about booking outside the ship's excursions. But I really have to say that I am glad we researched and picked Marvin. The excursion was to leave at 830 Belize time, 930 ships time. We got one of the 1st tenders and was there by 745 or little after, Once to the port, I thought we would have a hard time finding Marvin, but his confimation email was very specific, there were alot of other companies standing around the pier area, it was very crowded, Marvin and Carlos were there waiting, we found them almost instantly. They had big signs to identify them. There were 21 people in all in our group. The 9 people from my immediate group were there 1st so we had a longer wait than the others but that was ok. The tour buses that were there taking the ships excursion groups got a head start so it was not crowded when we got to the river. Once the rest of the group arrived, we were loaded onto a bus that held 18 the other 4 went in a van. It took about 45 min to an hour to get to the national park where we would pick up or tubes and head lamps. Our guides were Carlos 1, Carlos 2 and our driver Blinkers. Carlos 1 was the main guide, he was very informative about the Belizan culture. By the time we arrived at the park we were all "family". Carlos was very informative and kept the group together and made sure we could all hear when he said something. The walk was not all that bad but it sure was hot. 101 degrees on 3/25/05. I thought once we arrived at the water we would have this big jump into the water, but we did not. We jumped off a rock and man did the water fill cool and refreshing. The water was low and had a few areas of "BUTTS UP". Once the tubung was over we walked a short distance to the changing areas, changed and loaded the bus for the trip back. On the way back we stopped at a place called Amigo's for lunch. This was included in the trip. We were served chicken, beans and rice, cole slaw and drinks. I have to say the food was really good but the beans and rice were excellant. Not once were we hounded or asked or was a tip mentioned. But we all let one on our way out. We arrived back at the cruise pier with 45 minutes to spare and were able to do alittle shopping. I have to say I was really impressed with Marvin and his operation and I would recommend his company to anyone I knew that was going to Belize. Carlos was great and like I said before very informative, he answered all our questions and took good care of us. As far as bugs and stuff I took bug spray like was recommended but I did not use it. I did use sunblock as we were in the sun alot. Sorry this is so long, but wanted to give some details. I would definately do this again and maybe the next time we go the water will be higher.

[pdq]

RKMom, that's a very important point. Belize is a looong tender in, and of course, guests taking Carnival shore excursions were given priority. The tenders are fast, but relatively small, so it takes more time to tender everyone than other places. We basically lucked out- we just showed up at the departure area on deck 1 early and a guy slipped us onto an early tender that we weren't supposed to get on.

 

We later heard from others that went through the regular process - if you're not on a carnival excursion, you first get a ticket, or something like that, and wait until you're called. Some of these folks didn't get to the port until 11:00, two hours after our tour left.

 

I'm not trying to push a Carnival tour- I generally like to find a well-recommended independent tour (like you are doing) and go with them. The pursar suggested if we had told them about our early, non-Carnival tour earlier (like days earlier, I guess), it would have been better, but then I don't really know if that would have helped or not.

[pdq]

The Miracle was quite nice. A little garish in places: the main showplace, the Phantom lounge, is heavy on Atlas-like (like they're holding up the roof) male and female statuary, and the main dining room is an explosion of weird-and-wild hot mauve light-blobs covering the walls and ceiling in a bunch-of-grapes motif. On the other hand, each elevator door is covered, inside and out, by an tasteful, intricate (and REAL-look closely) inlaid wooden artpiece.

 

The only other downside I noticed was that the propulsion ("azipods", I think they're called) produced a significant rumble in the lower decks at the back of the ship. At dinner, on the upper level, it sounded like a continuous not-so-distant thunder, and when we ate on the lower level for the midnight buffet, you could reeeally feel it (and hear it). I'd be a little wary of a low-deck cabin in the rear of the ship.

 

Just so I don't come across as a grumpy fussbudget, let me say the rest was wonderful. I loved the variety of food- at lunch, you had a burger bar, a well-stocked salad bar, an international choice (often Asian), a hot-carved-meats line, a _great_ deli, or six kinds of pizza. Or you could eat in the formal dining room. The deli was open long hours, and the pizza and soft-serve ice cream was there 24/7 for the kids. Oh, and a pretty good sushi bar most nights for before-dinner tidbits. For myself, I think I have enjoyed the food on Carnival as much or more so than the 4 other lines we've sailed on, including "upscale" ones.

 

Our room (we booked an inside cabin and got upgraded to an outside, near the bow) was quiet, roomy and comfortable. The spa/gym is large, well-equipped, and rarely crowded, even with a full ship. They manage the deck chairs better than they used to, and so only the loud pools were hard to get a spot by (if that's your thing- I like the quieter pools). The shows were generally good. For some reason, even at times when there was noticable ship motion, it didn't seem to bother anyone in our party or anyone we noticed. And the service was uniformly great.

 

In short, it was pretty much everything I enjoy in a cruise. I'd have to say "highly recommended"- you'll have a blast.

 

 

PPS- The tour guides are pretty good about getting you back in time- I wouldn't worry too much about that part.

[verb0979]

I took a group of 8 kids cave tubing with Yhony Rosado from

cave-tubing.com on March 29th, 2005. Though our ship docked late and we didn't get to the pier until 3:20 P.M., Yhony agreed to take us anyway! The water was cool and refreshing, not cold. All 8 kids (most of them jaded teenagers) had the time of their lives. For our group of 9, we had 2 guides. They were very knowledgeable about Belize and answered all of our questions. The path through the jungle is wide and clear (lots of rocks and tree trunks, but no debris). If there had been a snake, we would have seen it in plenty of time to get out of the way. Well worth the $45 we paid for the experience! Email me with any questions at ejverbos@hotmail.com.

[soprano1]

We used Regtours last Wednesday, March 30, and think we could have done better in terms of transportation. Lionel was our guide and Reg drove. Lionel was funny as all get out. We had no problem finding the bus (they had green flags waving outside the port area) but the bus (an old school bus) was the problem. Reg's tour does not include lunch, as some others do, so he booked Amigo's (the restaurant) by phone for those of us who wanted to pay $6 for lunch. (We had decided to bring a sandwich off the ship because we didn't know what the lunch plans were). Anyway, after the bumpy ride in, the cave tubing, and the bumpy ride out, we stopped at Amigo's, where someone noticed that one of the tire was flat. Since Reg does not have spare tires, everyone on the bus had to wait for the other 2 buses coming along 45 minutes later to get back to the port. My husband and I, instead, thumbed a ride with one of the other tour operators who stopped at Amigo's in a small, comfortable, air-conditioned van to get back to the port before we had to get back on the Sun. Reg was very responsible, very concerned and very nice but the bus was the problem. Good luck.