Belize City - NCL Excursions - Cave Tubing Question

[JC5240]

Hi Everyone!

 

I hope I'm posting this in the correct area. I have a cruise booked on the Getaway on May 15th - May 22nd, and are in the beginning stages of planning excursions.

 

I noticed on the NCL website that there are two different excursions for Cave Tubing in Belize City:

 

Cave Tubing & Rainforest Trek ($109 PP)

Crystal Cave Tubing ($129 PP)

 

Can anybody give insight on the difference (besides the price and the two different caves)? Has anybody done both? Liked one better than the other? The price is only $20 difference so that's not a concern, I'm just not sure what the difference is (besides two different caves).

 

To those that are familiar with the caves themselves, are there any major differences? The basis of both excursions are basically the same...70 minutes of travel time by bus, hiking, tubing, and lunch. I'm just wondering if there are any major differences between the two, and if you would lean towards one or the other and why.

 

I'll also post this in the Port of Call section, as I'd love to get some insight from locals as well!

 

Thanks to everyone in advance :)

[jakesnana]

Hi Everyone!

 

I hope I'm posting this in the correct area. I have a cruise booked on the Getaway on May 15th - May 22nd, and are in the beginning stages of planning excursions.

 

I noticed on the NCL website that there are two different excursions for Cave Tubing in Belize City:

 

Cave Tubing & Rainforest Trek ($109 PP)

Crystal Cave Tubing ($129 PP)

 

Can anybody give insight on the difference (besides the price and the two different caves)? Has anybody done both? Liked one better than the other? The price is only $20 difference so that's not a concern, I'm just not sure what the difference is (besides two different caves).

 

To those that are familiar with the caves themselves, are there any major differences? The basis of both excursions are basically the same...70 minutes of travel time by bus, hiking, tubing, and lunch. I'm just wondering if there are any major differences between the two, and if you would lean towards one or the other and why.

 

I'll also post this in the Port of Call section, as I'd love to get some insight from locals as well!

 

Thanks to everyone in advance :)

 

We cave tube in Belize all the time. Plan on doing it again on my W. Caribbean cruise in March. We usually go through a private vendor for this and NEVER had a problem. Also, it only cost $45 through the private vendor. If you would like the info, just let me know. FYI, they all go to the same caves :)

Edited January 20, 2016 by jakesnana

[vinnytman]

We did the crystal cave tubing last month in Belize. We thought it was ok. We did zip lining the same day and that was more fun. We did it through NCL, but like the poster said above, book through a private vendor and it's half the cost.

 

Oh, bring lots of bug spray. We got eaten alive.

[JC5240]

Thanks for the quick reply! I would really appreciate the information. Thanks!

 

We cave tube in Belize all the time. Plan on doing it again on my W. Caribbean cruise in March. We usually go through a private vendor for this and NEVER had a problem. Also, it only cost $45 through the private vendor. If you would like the info, just let me know. FYI, they all go to the same caves :)

[JC5240]

Thanks for the heads up with the bug spray. We are doing the zip lining in Cozumel at the Xplor park, which looks really fun.

 

We did the crystal cave tubing last month in Belize. We thought it was ok. We did zip lining the same day and that was more fun. We did it through NCL, but like the poster said above, book through a private vendor and it's half the cost.

 

Oh, bring lots of bug spray. We got eaten alive.

[Shaned122]

We cave tube in Belize all the time. Plan on doing it again on my W. Caribbean cruise in March. We usually go through a private vendor for this and NEVER had a problem. Also, it only cost $45 through the private vendor. If you would like the info, just let me know. FYI, they all go to the same caves :)

 

Is it a problem that they give people who book through NCL priority? We booked through Butts Up and my girlfriend is worried we won't be able to get there in time.

[mattio]

I'll put a recommendation in for cavetubing.bz

[DaniJo]

We're on the same sailing (and roll call) - I'm planning on booking through cavetubing.bz (but no experience yet) - seems to have the best reviews on the Belize board and their website is very informative.

[gymbomb]

I just booked with cavetubing.bz, it is $50 for just cave tubing or $75 for tubing + zip line. They claim on their website that they have never had anyone miss their ship's tender, and get very good reviews on Trip Advisor.

[JC5240]

Thank you everyone for your input. You all definitely made the decision easier!

 

I'm leaning towards cavetubing.bz. DaniJo, we'll see you there!

[rochelle_s]

I did two cruises that stopped in Belize this past autumn and ended up using cavetubing.bz on both occasions. We really enjoyed it. We were able to arrange for a Cruise Critic/group rate and only paid $35 each. A nice thing about this company is that you do not have to carry your own tube, with the exception if you opt for doing the fourth cave. In which case you have to carry it just to that starting location (about another 7-10 minutes away). The cruise line and some of the other companies do not do this fourth cave.

 

The cruise line does not have any priority at the caves. They are in a national park and it is pretty much first come first served as to who gets in the water first.

 

If you do opt for the company I mentioned I would recommend getting off the ship as early as possible. We were among the first off on week one and therefore arrived at the caves pretty much before anyone else. Until we got near the end it was pretty much just our small group alone in all the caves, which really made the experience significantly better. No noise from others and no head lamps disturbing the view either. If you have a group from your roll call it does not hurt to check with the group services coordinator (or the concierge if you are in a suite) to inquire about a group walk-off. You really do want to be on the earliest tender possible.

 

Have a wonderful time.

 

 

Rochelle

[Shaned122]

Yeah I just e-mailed cavetubing.bz as well

[JC5240]

Thank you Rochelle. I've seen you reply to various questions and posts, and you are always so informative.

 

I really appreciate everyone's take on this! I'm reading the reviews for cavetubing.bz and it definitely is the one to do.

 

Since we dock at 8AM, will there be transportation at that time from cavetubing.bz? I'm assuming they'll coordinate with that the closer we get. Just wondering if it's a specific pick-up time, or if they have shuttles going at various times.

 

I did two cruises that stopped in Belize this past autumn and ended up using cavetubing.bz on both occasions. We really enjoyed it. We were able to arrange for a Cruise Critic/group rate and only paid $35 each. A nice thing about this company is that you do not have to carry your own tube, with the exception if you opt for doing the fourth cave. In which case you have to carry it just to that starting location (about another 7-10 minutes away). The cruise line and some of the other companies do not do this fourth cave.

 

The cruise line does not have any priority at the caves. They are in a national park and it is pretty much first come first served as to who gets in the water first.

 

If you do opt for the company I mentioned I would recommend getting off the ship as early as possible. We were among the first off on week one and therefore arrived at the caves pretty much before anyone else. Until we got near the end it was pretty much just our small group alone in all the caves, which really made the experience significantly better. No noise from others and no head lamps disturbing the view either. If you have a group from your roll call it does not hurt to check with the group services coordinator (or the concierge if you are in a suite) to inquire about a group walk-off. You really do want to be on the earliest tender possible.

 

Have a wonderful time.

 

 

Rochelle

[Shaned122]

This is kind of a silly question but for any of you who have used cavetubing.bz before...is there beer available anywhere? I'm used to enjoying a cold one after floating the river lol

[JC5240]

haha not silly at all -- from what I read, it definitely includes unlimited rum punch at lunch...but I'm curious about beer as well (even if it's to purchase during lunch).

 

This is kind of a silly question but for any of you who have used cavetubing.bz before...is there beer available anywhere? I'm used to enjoying a cold one after floating the river lol

[gymbomb]

Thank you Rochelle. I've seen you reply to various questions and posts, and you are always so informative.

 

I really appreciate everyone's take on this! I'm reading the reviews for cavetubing.bz and it definitely is the one to do.

 

Since we dock at 8AM, will there be transportation at that time from cavetubing.bz? I'm assuming they'll coordinate with that the closer we get. Just wondering if it's a specific pick-up time, or if they have shuttles going at various times.

 

They told me there isn't a specific meeting time due to tendering, but to try to get on the earliest tender I could.

[pmmr]

We had great experience with cavetubing.bz last Dec. Follow the instructions they provide when you book in terms of meeting up with them at the terminal - I was glad to have them. They had lots of staff waiting arrivals and got you organized into your group/shuttle as soon as you signed in. A very well oiled machine and took acre of you in the order you met up with them. They were very organized and very focused on making sure we all enjoyed our day. Lunch was great, rum punch was awesome. Whole experience was great. We just did the cavetubing experience....definitely liked how we were treated in comparison to the other tour groups we saw along the way - tour was geared to the groups wants, nice equipment, etc.. would book with them again in a heartbeat.

Edited January 20, 2016 by pmmr

[Shaned122]

We had great experience with cavetubing.bz last Dec. Follow the instructions they provide when you book in terms of meeting up with them at the terminal - I was glad to have them. They were very organizedand very focused on making sure we all enjoyed our day. Lunch was great, rum punch was awesome. Whole experience was great. We just did the cavetubing experience....definitely liked how we were treated in comparison to the other tour groups we saw along the way - tour was geared to the groups wants, nice equipment, etc.. would book with them again in a heartbeat.

 

Thanks a million for the input!

[nolatravelgirl]

I just did cave tubing in Belize with cavetubing.bz and had a fabulous experience. We made a reservation via email but didn't have to give any type of credit card or other form of payment. We just found the guys on the pier with the yellow cavetubing.bz shirts where they lead us to their check in podium at the port.

Jade cruise by Rachel G, on Flickr

 

Once there was "about a bus load" of people we then were loaded onto a motor coach and driven about 30 minutes to this hut. While driving they gave us some history and told us what to expect.

 

At the "hut" you paid for your excursion ($50 per person) and if you didn't have water shoes or other type of appropriate footwear then you had to rent a pair at the hut for a couple of bucks. There is a fair amount of walking over some mildly rocky terrain and some slippery rocks. i was glad I had a sturdy pair of water shoes.

 

Untitled by Rachel G, on Flickr

 

There is no priority for cruise excursions as it is a national park and everyone goes through the same gate.

 

When we got to the park we were instructed that the bus was secure and we could leave our totes and other things on the bus. I left my dry shoes and clothes but wore my waterproof phone tote around my neck.

 

We walked over to another hut and were each given a helmet with headlight and a life vest. Each tour operating company has their own huts and some outfits had better jackets than others. I was pleased with ours. As stated in some reviews some tour operators require you to tote your own tube. Those that were doing cave tubing and zip lining had to carry their own tubes and I think they may have gone a separate way because we didn't meet back up with that group till at lunch.

 

You then make your way down some wet stairs to the edge of the river where you cross the river with the assistance of a rope.

 

Jade cruise by Rachel G, on Flickr

 

Jade cruise by Rachel G, on Flickr

 

We then had a fairly lengthy trek over some moderate terrain.

 

Jade cruise by Rachel G, on Flickr

[mattio]

This is kind of a silly question but for any of you who have used cavetubing.bz before...is there beer available anywhere? I'm used to enjoying a cold one after floating the river lol

 

No beer that I remember. However, you have a traditional Belizean lunch after the cave tubing. The meal includes rice & beans, chicken, and cole slaw. Also, there are soft drinks in bottles AND rum punch that is very good.

[Cruise-mom]

Nolatravelgirl, thank you for sharing your photos. We are looking at this now that Harvest Caye has been changed to Belize City for our cruise. Do you know what the shoes were like that they rented? Or would you recommend to bring/buy your own?

 

Thanks

[nolatravelgirl]

Nolatravelgirl, thank you for sharing your photos. We are looking at this now that Harvest Caye has been changed to Belize City for our cruise. Do you know what the shoes were like that they rented? Or would you recommend to bring/buy your own?

 

Thanks

It was a hodge podge of water shoes. Some looked like fake crocs and some looked more like the stretchy water shoes. I would either bring a pair of water shoes or a pair of old sneakers that you wouldn't mind getting wet. The only down side to old sneakers is that when you cross the river your shoes will get soaked and then you will need to walk in heavy water soaked sneakers for the 20 minute walk.

[nolatravelgirl]

I just booked with cavetubing.bz, it is $50 for just cave tubing or $75 for tubing + zip line. They claim on their website that they have never had anyone miss their ship's tender, and get very good reviews on Trip Advisor.

We were on the bus back to the pier and our bus broke down. I briefly got scared but thankfully our guide immediately got on the phone and magically two smaller shuttle buses showed up within 15 minutes and we were on our way! I believe them that they have never had anyone miss the tender.

 

I will say that this is a very full day excursion due to the lengthy drive on either end. The lunch stop is the last thing you do before getting back on the bus so if you are somehow delayed during the day then they will skip lunch. Because lunch is so late in the day I was advise to eat a satisfying breakfast that morning to tide you over.

 

The lunch was very small. It was a side of rice and beans with one stewed chicken leg or thigh. Rum punch (from a big cooler) was free along with canned sodas or bottled water. Beer could be purchased for $2 or $3 USD.

 

Untitled by Rachel G, on Flickr

 

Agree with whoever said to bring bug spray. You don't need sunscreen as the majority of this excursion is under the canopy of trees.

 

This was one of the few sunny spots I saw. As we were walking to the entry point we saw other groups in the rivers. I just want to say that these guides work HARD as they are really guiding and pulling these tubes. I know tipping is a touchy subject but we really thought they earned a tip and tipped generously

 

Jade cruise by Rachel G, on Flickr

 

 

Inside the caves

Untitled by Rachel G, on Flickr

 

Waiting to enter the river

Jade cruise by Rachel G, on Flickr

 

You are required to take a jacket, helmet and wear proper footwear but there were two women on our excursion who refused to actually wear the jacket or helmet. I felt really bad for our guides as they kept pleading with them to put the jacket and helmet back on. Yes, it looks a bit dorky but the river is deep in some parts. While we were in the caves part of our tube group hit a set of rocks that tipped a tube completely over that happened to be carrying a child! The child was fine and the guide plus parent were able to handle the situation but I could imagine that the situation may have been different if they weren't wearing a life jacket and helmet.

[DREAMGIRL2012]

Is it a problem that they give people who book through NCL priority? We booked through Butts Up and my girlfriend is worried we won't be able to get there in time.

 

I used Butts Up two years ago and will again in June. We didn't have any issues getting to the bus. Great time and highly recommend them.

[nolatravelgirl]

Here is some video from inside the caves.

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Edited January 21, 2016 by nolatravelgirl