Belize....keep it?

[cruzn buckeye]

I am just curious as to what people think of keeping Belize as a port of call.

I know that many people love the cave tubing. But I have also read many reviews that say once is enough. I have been looking over the tours and I was interested in doing the cave tubing but now have a health issue that will keep me from doing it. I really have no interest in going to the zoo...we have a great one right here in Columbus. I am considering just using this as a stay on board day.

Do you think that Belize should be kept as a port of call?

[tef43]

I'd keep Belize over Jamaica any day.

[mnsawyer]

It's a nice stop but feel it's important to take a tour. We did Goff's Caye snorkeling and enjoyed it very much. If we go there again, we'll do the river and ruin tour right through Carnival. The village area is new and nice but just a few feet from the gates, it's pretty rough....it's nice to see some unspoiled Caribbean islands instead of just the very commericalized ones...my vote for it to stay for sure! Progresso...that's another story but again, if you took a tour it would be much different!

[CoachTerry14]

There have been rumors for a while that Carnival is going to build a pier -I think it will probably stay as a port - You have to go to the jungle to enjoy Belize (Tubing, ruins, etc.)

[ppeckham]

OP, when are you going? I'll be leaving on the Miracle in just four weeks. We're doing the Altun Ha/River Wallace tour in Belize. I can let you know about that tour when I get back. It looks like Mnsawyer knows something about it.

[BelizePlease]

I'd keep Belize over Jamaica any day.

 

Ditto. :D

[runner1909]

I third tef43 and BelizePlease. Snorkeling on the barrier reef and visiting Amebergis Caye is our very favorite activity.

[momof4boys]

Our group wants to do the lost canopy tour--you know...Zip line through the canopy of the rainforest. Sound like something that's not offered too often is good old Missouri!:D

[cruzn buckeye]

We are going on the Valor in September. We were considering the River Wallace tour. Let me know what you think.

For those of you that have done the cave tubing thing....is this something you would do again if you are in Belize again or....will you be searching for something new?

I also don't care for the stop in Jamaica....Cancun would be nice.

[tef43]

Cancun would be nice.

Cancun was once a port of call on NCL's western itineraries. Other than excursions to Chichen Itza, Cancun was a waste of time.

[Grayce]

Belize was our favourite stop on our cruise. We did the shark/ray swim. It was great. I'd love to go back and do some more snorkeling there.:)

[crystalgirl]

We really loved Belize. We have only been once, but it was one of our favorites. We booked a tour a little different than what I had been seeing here. We went horseback riding through the rainforest. Wonderful tour, and we were really the only ones on it! I wrote a review and posted it on the Belize board if you are interested in reading it.

[lojill]

Hey crystalgirl we are going to belize also in Feb13th cruise. Are there other things to do in Belize besides snorkling. We are taking a group and some people don't want to snorkle.And horseback riding is out also.

[gjules]

:) I loved Belize! I did a ruin tour, but next time I want to do the cave tubing. I would love to go back just to Belize...not necessrily on a cruise. My ruin tour took all the time we had, which was fine, but I would love to see more of the country...it's beautiful. I wouldn't pass it up.:D

[Titans1]

We stopped there on the Miracle in April! I was pretty apprehensive. You have to do a tour. There isn't much of anything to see on your own. And when we went it was really hot and humid but that is par for the course on most carribean stops. We took the River Wallace/Altun Ha tour and it was actually pretty nice. We wanted to see the ruins but in most of the other ports, a ruin excursion was usually 7 hours plus. This tour was 6 hours in total and half was on a boat and not stuck on bus. We got to see wildlife, meet some locals and eat some authentic Belizean food, and see some pretty nice ruins. Plus, you may never be back and at least you can say you have been there and done that. We were told on our excursion that Carnival is definitely building a pier. There was some holdup due to if Belizean people would staff the build or if Carnival would staff it so there was a little bit of a delay. But I would say, Belize is there to stay as a stop.

[serene56]

I agree with Titan- if you dont have a tour scheduled stay on the ship- there isnt much to do on your own. I dont even recall seeing taxis here.

 

We did the Altun Ha ruins and a city tour. Interesting.

 

http://www.coralbreezelimited.com/

 

http://www.belizecruiseexcursions.com/

 

 

both of these companies are highly recommended on the boards. You can also look at the Port of call for Belize for other suggestions

[dznymom]

We did Shark/Ray Alley with Coral Breeze and absolutely loved it. There were so many choices, we had a hard time narrowing it down to that one. I would love to go back to Belize and try one of the other tours. Belize was great!

 

Of course, I loved Progresso and Costa Maya, too. The only port I have ever been to that I don't care about going back to is Jamaica.

[pacerzfan]

We loved Belize! Away from the pier "shopping area" you get a chance to see the real Belize!

[Lollipop's Mom]

Are there beaches you can go to in Belize? I was looking at the Elation, but one reason I didn't like it was because Belize was on the itin., and we are not the cave tubing or zipline type people. We just want to relax on a beach and swim!

[serene56]

No beaches in Belize. Even the crusie director told us this is a port that you can not do on your own.

[sugar n spice]

No beaches in Belize. Even the crusie director told us this is a port that you can not do on your own.

 

We missed this information somehow. I guess I missed that meeting and the t.v. replay too. We went into Belize City. We didn't know it wasn't safe. I wouldn't recommend going on your own into Belize City to anyone even though we had a wonderful tour and enjoyed meeting the people, visiting historic spots, going to the museum. Once we were several blocks into the heart of the city, we became aware that we were being followed by a man, a native of Belize. We didn't know what to think...felt uneasy about it for sure. But, Frank turned out to be an angel in disguise.

 

To the OP, Belize wasn't our favorite port of call but I wouldn't be quick to say that it should be dropped. I would like to go back someday and try some of the excursions......and maybe even look up our "brother", Frank.

[BelizePlease]

No beaches in Belize. Even the crusie director told us this is a port that you can not do on your own.

 

No beaches in Belize!?!? Where the heck WAS I then?!? :eek:

LOL

 

There are beaches...you just have to get in a boat to get to them. And WELL worth doing it!! :D

[serene56]

There are beaches...you just have to get in a boat to get to them. And WELL worth doing it!! :D

 

 

Did you get to the beach by yourself or through a tour?

 

There is NO beach that you can get to by yourself- you have to take a tour.

 

(that is what was told to us by the cruise director

[Wile1170]

There have been rumors for a while that Carnival is going to build a pier -I think it will probably stay as a port - (Tubing, ruins, etc.)

 

I don't think this will ever happen in Belize...the ships anchor so far away from shore because of the reef system that encompasses the entire coastline of Belize. To enlarge any existing cargo port areas and dredge it out/make wider would further upset the ecosystem.

 

The other rumour that has gone around is that a lot of cruise lines ARE thinking of pulling out of Belize because for the last 5 years Belize has been a free-port for cruiselines...they haven't assessed any port taxes in order to encourage the ships to come....well now the country is trying to levy port taxes to the cruise lines and the lines are threatening to pull out of Belize....

[BelizePlease]

Did you get to the beach by yourself or through a tour?

 

There is NO beach that you can get to by yourself- you have to take a tour.

 

(that is what was told to us by the cruise director

 

We got off the ship and made arrangements with a "tour" (I guess you'd call it?) to go out to Goff's Caye. You can't get to a beach without a guide...unless you own a boat in Belize! But there are beaches... :cool: