Best Beach (In General) For Our Itinerary

[ajtraveler66]

We are planning a Norwegian cruise for January of next year.  We pretty much know what we are going to do in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  However, we will have four other ports of call.  At one of those four ports of call, we would like to have a top-notch beach day (no snorkeling...just beautiful beach, WHITE sand, and decent waves).  Here are those other four ports:  Costa Maya; Roatan (Bay Islands, Honduras); Harvest Caye in Belize; and Georgetown, Cayman Islands. [The more quiet the beach--if that's possible--the better)  Other suggestions for any of these ports of call are welcome....especially for some Mayan Ruins.  Thank you so very, very much.

 

[lifes-a-beach]

Understand that you will likely get differing perspectives from cruisers that have been to your ports.  Take what you see as valuable and leave the rest.  Including mine.

 

In my experience, the whitest, most fine ground sand on your list will be found on Grand Cayman. Waves, on the other hand, are not my strong suit so I will leave that to someone else.  Hop over to the Cayman sub and you’ll read lots of different likes and dislikes.

 

Costa Maya, specifically Blue Key, is our favorite beach day of all of them.  The sand is course though and there are virtually no waves.  

 

West Bay Beach on Roatan is a beautiful beach but completely different than others due to the crowds and vendors.  The snorkeling is probably the best on your list although Cemetary Beach on Grand Cayman is awesome too but completely isolated with no facilities at all.  I don’t remember any waves there either since the reef offshore tends to block the wave action.  The beaches are beautiful though.  

 

Never been to Harvest Key but there are several amazing ruins in Belize.  Lamanai was one of our all time favorite trips and we did it through the ship.  Since you will be at a private island I don’t know if the cruise line will offer any ruins but if they do you should consider skipping the private island and going to the ruins.

 

There are also ruins in Costa Maya that many have spoken highly of.  Definitely worth reading about on the Costa Maya board. Since it’s our favorite beach stop we’ve never been so I can’t comment on it.

 

Lots of good information to be found on the individual port of call subs.  Hope you have a blast whatever you do.  And if you miss something or just wish you had done something different, well, get busy planning your next one.  No such thing as too many cruses.

[texancruzer]

I (and husband) are divers but do  a lot of snorkeling too.  We have dove al over the world including the Red Sea while on a trip to Egypt.  THE best has been Roatan Honduras.  West Bay Beach is beautiful white sand, restaurants and bars (all very low key) and gorgeous water and reef for snorkeling right off the beach.  West End is a $3.00 - 8 minute water taxi ride away for shopping and more restaurants etc.

Belize and Grand Cayman are next for snorkeling but I can't stand Belize so don't plan to go there again (been twice) so Grand Cayman is nice but very crowded island.  Gorgeous sand and water tho and diving is great but snorkeling not so sure as most places you need to go out (in a boat) to access reefs and fun stuff to see.

Thats my 2 cents 😑