Belize missed port?

[ILCruzr]

I am going on the glory next month and I just read a review about the glory Xmas cruise and they said Belize was skipped due to too many ships in port. They were diverted to costa Maya. Is this still an issue with Belize and the port? I know there were issues with Belize a few years ago, but Belize is one port I really want to go to. Can someone fill me on the current situation there?

[ILCruzr]

Anyone?

[Corporatezombievacay]

Currently on the Conquest and we are just leaving Belize. Only 1 other ship was there RCL Mariner of the Sea.

[CENTEX CRUISER]

According to this site, there will be 5 ships there on Feb 6...Is that your date..If not scroll down to the bottom of my link and select ship schedule.

 

http://cruiseportinsider.com/belize.html#.UOYfxByeOTw

[CENTEX CRUISER]

Looks like Glory is there again on the 20th, with 5 total again. Guess we are lucky in April on RC Mariner, as we are the only ship.

[kelkel2]

According to this site, there will be 5 ships there on Feb 6...Is that your date..If not scroll down to the bottom of my link and select ship schedule.

 

http://cruiseportinsider.com/belize.html#.UOYfxByeOTw

 

It looks like there will be 3 on Janurary 29th which is when we will be there. Is that too many? Do you think we will make it?

[seannyice81]

When I was there last month, it was 4 ships Us (Glory), Legend, Norwegian Dawn, and Norwegian Star (I think).

 

With 4 medium-large ships in port, the tender boats were going non-stop. They seemed ok handling it. I was thinking had there been one more ship or instead an Oasis Class ship in place of one of us, it would be their max.

 

The other thing is, The room for all the ships to fit. The ships anchor off the coast but inside a pretty particular area. Im not really sure where they'd have a 5th ship, but I suppose one might fit.

[ILCruzr]

Yea I'm nervous after hearing about the xmas cruise. I did read on cruisett the number of ships there. Ugh I hope we don't get screwed over by carnival. Booked this cruise in may and I've been looking forward to it for awhile!

[summer_day]

Don't know how they determine who has to skip the port ... I was on the Legend and it was following the same ports, same days as the Glory, and we definitely stopped in Belize last week.

 

Hadn't realised the Glory didn't ... there were definitely four ships there, and the tenders were continually running. I'd noticed two were NCL but obviously didn't pay attention to what the other was ... assumed it was the Glory.

 

In fact, with four ships in port, there were delays in getting some of the CCL excursions underway, which meant in part that we left port almost 2 hours late because they were waiting from some of the excursions to return (and one had a broken-down coach). Last tender was supposed to leave at 4 and i think it left about 6 or 6.30.

[ILCruzr]

Don't know how they determine who has to skip the port ... I was on the Legend and it was following the same ports, same days as the Glory, and we definitely stopped in Belize last week.

 

Hadn't realised the Glory didn't ... there were definitely four ships there, and the tenders were continually running. I'd noticed two were NCL but obviously didn't pay attention to what the other was ... assumed it was the Glory.

 

In fact, with four ships in port, there were delays in getting some of the CCL excursions underway, which meant in part that we left port almost 2 hours late because they were waiting from some of the excursions to return (and one had a broken-down coach). Last tender was supposed to leave at 4 and i think it left about 6 or 6.30.

Did you go during Xmas?

[Crazy4Koko]

If there are going to be that many ships in port, there easily could be tender issues...they are contracted, and there may not be enough to go around..

 

that could mean massive delays in getting OFF the ship ( who cares about getting back on, as long as you are where you are supposed to be when they tell you to be there!)

[summer_day]

Did you go during Xmas?

 

yep.

 

cozumel 25/12. glory was at the international port, legend at the one downtown.

 

belize 26/12. tendered to the pier.

 

roatan 27/12. glory was pulled in at the same pier we were at mahogany bay.

 

grand cayman 28/12. both ships were side by side, tendered to pier again.

[southpaw_1979]

Sounds busy, we will be on the Legend on the 6th of February, when there is expected to be 5 in port. If I'm not mistaken, Glory, Legend and Elation will be there from Carnival

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Much rather go to Costa Maya. Belize blows.

[RuthlessBoss]

Yea I'm nervous after hearing about the xmas cruise. I did read on cruisett the number of ships there. Ugh I hope we don't get screwed over by carnival. Booked this cruise in may and I've been looking forward to it for awhile!

Yup, Carnival is out to get you. I sure wouldn't want to be there with multiple ships and tendering. Each trip in and out is about 15 minutes just for 1 tender boat.

[Hstergo]

Missing Belize is not such a bad thing especially if they replace the stop with another port.

[imluvncruzn]

We sail on the Glory this Sunday, the 6th. Our original itinerary included Belize but Carnival notified us that we were skipping Belize and going to Costa Maya because there were too many ships scheduled that day and they would never be able to tender that many passengers in a timely manner.

[Crazy4Koko]

I LOVED Belize..with the right tour guide, its going to be a highlight for sure!!

 

Hope you don't miss it....

[Paraveina]

We sail on the Glory this Sunday, the 6th. Our original itinerary included Belize but Carnival notified us that we were skipping Belize and going to Costa Maya because there were too many ships scheduled that day and they would never be able to tender that many passengers in a timely manner.

 

When did they notify you?

[serene56]

If the weather is windy you could miss the port as they use tenders to get you in.

Tender ride is about 20 minutes. if the water is choppy you will not be getting on those tenders.

[RuthlessBoss]

I LOVED Belize..with the right tour guide, its going to be a highlight for sure!!

 

Hope you don't miss it....

I don't know why Belize would be someone's favorite port. The only safe area is the port, and that is walled, yes walled off so you won't venture the real Belize. A paying tour will take you to a tourist area. So, to be perfectly safe, you must pay out of pocket to do so.

We booked what we thought to be a cheap tour once we were at the port, wondered why no one else was on it. It was a tour, that took us by buggy outside the wall. We saw the narrow streets, fenced in yards that had guard dogs, homes with barred windows (it turned out the bars were for other reasons than theft), Most homes were at poverty level.

We sure got lectured upon return by fellow passengers. During the early shipboard talk, that we didn't go to, had warned people not to go outside the wall. I shuddered after this tour thinking how dangerous a spot we put ourselves in, we were 2 females. During the tour, we put our faith in the driver of the buggy, thinking no one would do anything as we were a paying a local person for this tour, and he obviously was well known in this area.

[andie1969]

I will be on the Legend the week of the 20th and there are 5 ships scheduled that day, 2 NCL, 1 Princess, the Glory and us. How far in advance would we be notified if we had to miss it? DH would NOT be happy, that's the one port he's really excited for.

[thinfool]

All of these cautions and warnings about Belize also are applied to:

Colon, Panama

Limon, Costa Rica

Cartagena, Colombia

Jamaica (parts)

and likely other places too.

 

Most of this is anecdotal and based on the fact that many/most cruise pax have never seen abject poverty so close up.

 

Belize, as explained to us by locals, while very poor, has great respect for the law and the fact that they host thousands of visitors via the ships every year.

 

We will go back and enjoy the experience every time we sail a Western Carib. itinerary.

[Crazy4Koko]

I don't know why Belize would be someone's favorite port. The only safe area is the port, and that is walled, yes walled off so you won't venture the real Belize. A paying tour will take you to a tourist area. So, to be perfectly safe, you must pay out of pocket to do so.

We booked what we thought to be a cheap tour once we were at the port, wondered why no one else was on it. It was a tour, that took us by buggy outside the wall. We saw the narrow streets, fenced in yards that had guard dogs, homes with barred windows (it turned out the bars were for other reasons than theft), Most homes were at poverty level.

We sure got lectured upon return by fellow passengers. During the early shipboard talk, that we didn't go to, had warned people not to go outside the wall. I shuddered after this tour thinking how dangerous a spot we put ourselves in, we were 2 females. During the tour, we put our faith in the driver of the buggy, thinking no one would do anything as we were a paying a local person for this tour, and he obviously was well known in this area.

 

 

I guess it depends upon the amount of research you do, and what you are looking for in a port. Belize city and its dangers have been discussed at length on the port of call boards, so it would of course be a place that I would avoid. I happen to enjoy rainforests and animals in their natural habitats..and you can't see parrots in Massachusetts!

 

You will find that most of the ports you visit in the Caribbean are impoverished.. Roatan, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Nassau ...the private tour operators are dependent upon our dollars when you get there..We booked a private operator who came highly recommended here on CC in both Roatan and Belize.. had a WONDERFUL time. Not only do you get to see more of the ports, but they aren't stupid enough to take you some place to put you at risk intentionally. ( Our guide told us he moved OUT of Belize city because of the crime). They NEED the money cruise ships and tourists bring in. We had a wonderful tour of Altun Ha, the Baboon sanctuary, and despite a torrent of rain, I could have stayed for hours listening to the sanctuary operator talk about his plans for saving the wild panthers and howler monkeys of Belize...he was amazing and you could FEEL the energy and love for what he was doing, and I would go back in a few years just to see how the place has been improved.

 

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Belize..there is so much to see...and yes, sometimes you have to pay for it.

[ILCruzr]

I will be on the Legend the week of the 20th and there are 5 ships scheduled that day, 2 NCL, 1 Princess, the Glory and us. How far in advance would we be notified if we had to miss it? DH would NOT be happy, that's the one port he's really excited for.

 

That's how I feel! Same with us when we we are on the glory beginning of feb.