Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Good Shopping in Belize?

swimmom32

By swimmom32,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

Recommended Posts

swimmom32

swimmom32

Posted
Posted

can anyone tell me if there is alot of good shopping in Belize? I was chatting with someone I met who had gone recently and said its like the capital of shopping..lol

We dont plan on doing an excursion on this island and not sure if we will get off but in case we did just wanted to check to see if they had some good deals..

 

pocketbooks? maybe jewelry....

 

Thank You

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CWcruisers

CWcruisers

Posted
Posted

pocketbooks? maybe jewelry....

 

Thank You

 

 

Yup, they've got both of those. Right there at the pier in Belize is all the shopping you need, lots of it and reasonable prices. In fact, that is what DH and I are doing when we are there in January off the Dream, and we will end at the Wet Lizard where they served the best conch fritters in the Caribbean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CWcruisers

CWcruisers

Posted
Posted
In short, the shopping Belize is worse than horrible, in fact there is almost none at all.

 

 

What?!?:confused:

 

I was just there two years ago and spent the entire day shopping right there at the pier. Has something changed since then?:confused:

 

I bought a dress, a purse, shoes, t-shirts etc. I know I'm not imagining it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
vacruizer

vacruizer

Posted
Posted

Belize is one of my favorite places. It's actually not an island and is part of mainland Central America. Wonderful people. Belize City is like a lot of port cities around the world and a bit dumpy. Get out of the city and see the rest of the country. It's wonderful! As for shopping, there are quite a few shops at the tourist village. Mostly your typical cruise port stuff. T-shirts, chain jewelry stores, liquor, etc. but there are also a few neat stores with local handicrafts. If you like beer, be sure to try a Belikin while in Belize!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

Posted
Posted

Belize is probably one of the most wonderful places in the Caribbean that you'll ever visit. But you do need to plan and book an excursion to really see what the country has to offer. As others mentioned, there's good shopping as you get off the tender. In fact, it's pretty similar to the stores found as you get off the ship in Cozumel.

 

But there's so much more! Like cave tubing, snorkeling or SCUBA diving on the second largest coral reef in the world, beaches at one of the many cays off the coast of Belize, the River Wallace, and several Mayan ruins including Altun Ha.

 

Unfortunately, many people try to wing it and just walk around the area right outside the cruise terminal, and then they complain that it was the dumpiest and worse port they've ever visited.

 

Personally, I would stay on the ship in Cozumel before I stay on the ship in Belize. In fact I DID stay on the ship in Cozumel when we sailed on the Dream a few weeks ago. I'm sick of this Mexican inspired fake tourist trap with chain stores that Carnival insists on forcing on every Western Caribbean itinerary. :mad:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jetskier

jetskier

Posted
Posted

Rain Forest Rum Cakes

Belikin Beer

Mr P's Cashew Wine

Medications at the pharmacy (one of the few places to get pain meds OTC)

 

Go outside the tourist shops to the left and the first building on the left is the San Pedro Water Taxi. Take a water taxi to Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye. Much cheaper than the ship or local tourist excursion.

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RuthlessBoss

RuthlessBoss

Posted
Posted

What a mixed bag of answers. The shopping area is quite large, and I found it to be clean, including restrooms. But, you are advised NOT to venture outside "THE WALL" on your own. We did. The immediate area is what we are not accustomed to..run down homes, all yards fenced, guard dogs everywhere, over all scarey. Take a ship approved tour to outlying areas, I understand it's really beautiful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
yogimax

yogimax

Posted
Posted

 

But, you are advised NOT to venture outside "THE WALL" on your own. We did. The immediate area is what we are not accustomed to..run down homes, all yards fenced, guard dogs everywhere, over all scarey. Take a ship approved tour to outlying areas, I understand it's really beautiful.

 

We enjoy walking around the port cities. We also walked into town. It was depressing with virtually nothing of interest. Walking past the guy with holding the snake wasn't exactly the highlight f the day either.

 

We did meet a mother with little girl on the way to town and bought some stuff from her. It seemed like a good thing to do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
killian25

killian25

Posted
Posted
What a mixed bag of answers. The shopping area is quite large, and I found it to be clean, including restrooms. But, you are advised NOT to venture outside "THE WALL" on your own. We did. The immediate area is what we are not accustomed to..run down homes, all yards fenced, guard dogs everywhere, over all scarey. Take a ship approved tour to outlying areas, I understand it's really beautiful.

 

Yea you will hear that about Belize....

I have been there once and wouldn't care to go back at all...

If I went back I would do water activities, cave tubing to me was very boering. Cool at first then slow and boering...The lunch we got after was nice...

 

While walking throught the rain forest to the caves a girl almost stepped on a snake that coiled up and we had no clue it was there......The tour guide said that she was lucky because it was a viper of some sorts...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
marym933

marym933

Posted
Posted

I think the only thing I have ever bought in Belize was a magnet. The shopping village has the usual DI, TI and all the other approved Carnival stores. The pharmacies are always crowded.

 

I've been there 3 times. We've done 2 different Mayan ruins and one fishing tour. I enjoyed all of them. The countryside on the way to the ruins (both times) was strewn with garbage and trash. Skinny dogs that were either pregnant or nursing were seen frequently roaming around the side of the road.

 

Next time, if I see another Mayan ruin tour that interests me, I may book it. Other than that, I am finished with Belize.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

Posted
Posted
I agree that the shopping in Belize is nothing special, but a few years ago we purchased carving boards and other items made our of mahogany and other native woods that were nice gifts.

 

You can still buy local artifacts at the tourist village. In fact, there's a GREAT store (aptly called) "Made in Belize". Great items made of local mahogany and other woods from Belize. It's pricier than the other stores, but once again, you are not purchasing plastic junk made in China with a "Belize" sticker on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
oregonrebel

oregonrebel

Posted
Posted

We were in Belize early October and after our excursion went outside the "wall" to the little flea market to the left of the exit across the street. We were with a couple we meet on the ship. We were browsing the crap and this lady offered the guy a foot massage for $5 so he did it... We wandered around for a few minutes and then his wife comes up to us frantic because 5 "cops" just took him to a neighbor building... We go over to were she saw him last and wait 5 minutes or so and he comes out looking like he just saw a ghost.. He says "lets get the fu@* out of here" and we had back inside the walled area... So he tells us after the foot massage he gets up walks about 5 feet and gets surrounded by these guys and they accuse him of buying drugs and take him into a bathroom and make him empty pockets, bags everything and then tell him to take off his Crocs.... He does and out falls a tiny tiny baggy of some brown crap.... They get all crazy and tell him he is going to jail... Pretty much he got setup by the lady, she put the baggy in his shoe after the massage and he got duped. They took all his money, a few hundred, a new invicta watch he just bought and the bracelet he just bought from the massage lady!!!!

He wasnt sure these guys were really cops and from what i saw they had no markings but were dressed pretty nice.. He says two had pistols they showed him.... it was pretty crazy and scary but it could have happened any place i suppose...

We talked to the CD on the ship and he had him report it too security on the ship but what are they going to do??? nothing

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tweety33

tweety33

Posted
Posted
We were in Belize early October and after our excursion went outside the "wall" to the little flea market to the left of the exit across the street. We were with a couple we meet on the ship. We were browsing the crap and this lady offered the guy a foot massage for $5 so he did it... We wandered around for a few minutes and then his wife comes up to us frantic because 5 "cops" just took him to a neighbor building... We go over to were she saw him last and wait 5 minutes or so and he comes out looking like he just saw a ghost.. He says "lets get the fu@* out of here" and we had back inside the walled area... So he tells us after the foot massage he gets up walks about 5 feet and gets surrounded by these guys and they accuse him of buying drugs and take him into a bathroom and make him empty pockets, bags everything and then tell him to take off his Crocs.... He does and out falls a tiny tiny baggy of some brown crap.... They get all crazy and tell him he is going to jail... Pretty much he got setup by the lady, she put the baggy in his shoe after the massage and he got duped. They took all his money, a few hundred, a new invicta watch he just bought and the bracelet he just bought from the massage lady!!!!

He wasnt sure these guys were really cops and from what i saw they had no markings but were dressed pretty nice.. He says two had pistols they showed him.... it was pretty crazy and scary but it could have happened any place i suppose...

We talked to the CD on the ship and he had him report it too security on the ship but what are they going to do??? nothing

Holy Smoke:eek::eek:!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...