Vendors on Mahogany Bay

[aghajanian2000]

Traveling through Carnival to Roatan. Don't want to get overcharged on excursions by buying from ship. Activities we want to do are: 

Chairlift to Mahogany Beach, West Bay Beach for snorkeling at corral reef, Gumbalimba Park, Ziplining.

Which vendors have good deals and are professional? Which should be avoided?

[crewsweeper]

Chairlift is ship excursion.  IMO not worth it.  5 minute walk to beach.

Gumbalinda Park for cruisers is also ship sponsored excursion.  If staying on the island you just need a taxi to the entrance or drive your rental.  Not possible anymore for cruise ship passengers.

West Bay Beach is best accessed from Mahogany Bay via one of the resorts' day passes.  Bananarama, Beachers, Paradise Beach, Infinity Bay all have packages with transportation to and from.  Google or DuckDuckGo for information. You can get there via taxi, but it costs more and getting a taxi back could be difficult, even if you try to arrange with the driver who took you there. Ships go to Tabayana Beach but you can walk down to other spots on your own.

[aghajanian2000]

How much time do you think we should leave for ziplining? We only have from 10 to 6. Also, I read chair lift gives great views. Why no good? Lines too long?

[crewsweeper]

Chair lift too short too much $$ for length of ride.   Clip N Zip is right across from port shopping.  It's a down hill zip (they drive you up to the top platform.  Same or better views than chairlift Takes around 45 minutes.

 

There are lots of other zip lines on the island but they will take a taxi to reach. Or booking via Rony's Tours or Victor Bodden.  Either will give you an opportunity to get more bang for buck if looking to do a variety of things. 

[ABQrobin]

Mahogany Bay is owned by the cruise line, Carnival.  You have to walk thru the port and exit the gate, then walk down a hill to meet any "outside" excursions.  Mahogany Bay has a shopping area and a beach area, its a large enclosed port.

 

Rony's and Bodden are both private excursion vendors you can meet outside the gates down that hill...but you need to book ahead of time.  They need a certain number of people and need to know which van/bus to bring for each excursion.  Look up their websites on TripAdvisor or google them.  Both have great reputations.

[Guest 2000]

You have several options depending on what you wish to do and how much money you wish to spend.  As said above, there are ship excursions to both Gumbalimba and Tabyana (West Bay). The chairlift and a zip line are both at Mahogany Bay or you could do the zip at Gumbalima. 

 

If you wish to do both zip and play on West Bay Beach perhaps a private driver as mentioned above. Bodden or Rory or any of the other tour operators with good reviews. They would collect you just over the hill from port, take you to any zip which makes sense then take you to West Bay Beach or they could take you to a zip an arrange snorkeling via boat of the beach itself of not the draw. The tours guys are the best possible information about the timing, that spend their days shuttling people about and understand time very well indeed. 

 

This thread has heaps of info about transport and snorkeling West Bay. 

[aghajanian2000]

I'm also confused because if I were to look up all the different tour companies for all the activities in each of the 4 islands we're visiting it will be very time-consuming and stressful. Is there really no way to just walk up and book them?

[Guest 2000]

I have not been to Mahogany Bay but I understand there are kiosks with options. 

 

The risk you run here is poor planning of time and perhaps what you wish to do it not available. But if you choose not to do the research now or make a firm choice on what you wish to do so we can help... sure walk up and take your chances.  Easy Peasy. 

 

Let me offer this: Roatan's reef is second only to the Great Barrier, Roatan is ALL about what is under the water.. any of the other activities you can find on any other island. People come from all over the world to dive and snorkel Roatan.  Better snorkeling I have only found in the south pacific. 

[crewsweeper]

14 hours ago, aghajanian2000 said:

I'm also confused because if I were to look up all the different tour companies for all the activities in each of the 4 islands we're visiting it will be very time-consuming and stressful. Is there really no way to just walk up and book them?

Non-ship sponsored vendors aren't allowed inside the gates at Mahogany Bay.  You have to trek "over the hill" and then try to locate a vendor willing to do an excursion you are interested in doing.

 

The kiosks Guest 2000 mentioned are in Coxen Hole, but Carnival doesn't dock there.

[crewsweeper]

14 hours ago, aghajanian2000 said:

I'm also confused because if I were to look up all the different tour companies for all the activities in each of the 4 islands we're visiting it will be very time-consuming and stressful. Is there really no way to just walk up and book them?

This is why when using private vendors many folks here start working months in advance, narrow options and then start the reservation process 2-3 months before sailing.  If surfing the web is too stressful or your cruise is coming up quickly, best use the excursions offered by the ship or wing it in certain ports.

[Guest 2000]

9 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

Non-ship sponsored vendors aren't allowed inside the gates at Mahogany Bay.  You have to trek "over the hill" and then try to locate a vendor willing to do an excursion you are interested in doing.

 

The kiosks Guest 2000 mentioned are in Coxen Hole, but Carnival doesn't dock there.

 

Well then, that is all kinds of rotten of Carnival. I know you have to meet the tours guys over the hill but I didn't realize they had no voice within the complex.  

[crewsweeper]

4 hours ago, Guest 2000 said:

 

Well then, that is all kinds of rotten of Carnival. I know you have to meet the tours guys over the hill but I didn't realize they had no voice within the complex.  

Guest, as you should be well aware, local pols/real estate tycoons rule the roost in Roatan.  I won't toss out names, but MBCC is a joint venture and the local influence into who can and cannot operate inside is what controls this. 

[jbirdmedic]

On ‎6‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 4:41 PM, Guest 2000 said:

Let me offer this: Roatan's reef is second only to the Great Barrier, Roatan is ALL about what is under the water.. any of the other activities you can find on any other island. People come from all over the world to dive and snorkel Roatan.  Better snorkeling I have only found in the south pacific. 

 

Does anyone know if any vendor docks are close to the ship. Want to snorkel without more than a couple minutes ground transportation.

[crewsweeper]

2 hours ago, jbirdmedic said:

 

Does anyone know if any vendor docks are close to the ship. Want to snorkel without more than a couple minutes ground transportation.

There's a small dock before the MBCC beach where cruise sponsored boat based excursions pick up and drop off passengers.  Non cruise sponsored  vendors can't pull in there, from what I've been told.

You're in a taxi to French Harbor, West End or West Bay for private vendor  boat snorkeling tours.

[Guest 2000]

3 hours ago, jbirdmedic said:

 

Does anyone know if any vendor docks are close to the ship. Want to snorkel without more than a couple minutes ground transportation.

 

If your docking at Mahogany Bay it's going to take you more than a few minutes to get over the hill. 

 

I know people snorkel off of the pier right on Mahogany Bay Beach, from what I understand it's not good snorkeling but it can be done. 

 

If you're docking in Coxen Hole you could go to Maya Key. 

[jbirdmedic]

Discouraging.

Do not want to do Carnival sponsored but do not want the risk of ground transportation more than a few minutes.

 

Thanks for the info though!

[Guest 2000]

22 hours ago, jbirdmedic said:

Discouraging.

Do not want to do Carnival sponsored but do not want the risk of ground transportation more than a few minutes.

 

Thanks for the info though!

 

I am not clear on what risk you would be talking.. all the tour operators do this for a living... baring anything completely out of the oridinary they will get you back to the ship on time. IT would be a shame to miss some of the best snorkling in the Carribean.. or perhaps this is a good excuse to have a longer land stay.. :0)