Best Excursions CCL excursions in Roatan and Belize?

[Joe817]

Thanks everybody for chiming in and contributing. This has been really helpful! 

[FloridaMommyof3]

When I went (probably 7 years ago I think) I booked a tour not with Carnival but to see sloths, monkeys and an iguana farm as well and it was fantastic.  I have a pic of my son holding a sloth like a baby.  Really amazing.

[BrotherCraig]

For Roatan (Mahogany Bay), I highly recommend going to the west side of the island.  One of the most beautiful beaches in the world, great zip lines at South Shore Canopy, great bars and restaurants up and down the beach, shops, and one of the best snorkeling spots on the planet that is right there from the beach.  All at West Bay Beach. The cruise line goes here with their Tabyana Beach Break.  Best part of that beach with private resorts next door - which you can get a day pass at Infinity Bay Resort and use their enormous pool (if you wanted).  I stayed there for a week once and it was amazing.  Ready to go back down for a week in 2022.  Carnival also has a Gumbalimba Park excursion that has Tabyana as well.  

[BrotherCraig]

For Belize, Shark Ray Alley and Island Excursion.  It is what Belize is best known for.  The reef is amazing and the island is the wonderful Caye Caulker (GO SLOW).  

[teknoge3k]

 In Belize, we always use AlTourNative Belize Services. David Castillo is amazing and his company is rated #1 on TripAdvisor in Belize City. I will use him every time and highly recommend his company. The last time we were there, we first went to the Community Baboon Sanctuary where we went into the jungle to feed the wild howler monkey. They came down from the trees and ate fruits from my kids hands. They LOVED that and still talk about it to this day. Then we went to Altun Ha to see the ruins.  From there, we went to a local school to donate supplies we brought. The schools are not government funded there, they're ran by churches. We spent a few hours at the school with the kids talking to them. It was an amazing time. From there, we went to tour Belize a little bit before getting dropped back off in Belize City to shop a little bit before catching a tender back to the ship. 

 

In Roatan we usually hire a driver with Rony. Go to Daniel Johnson's first before the cruse traffic gets there and it won't be so packed. From there we go to the west end and shop, eat and hang out. Then tour around on the way back to the ship later in the day. 

 

[BrotherCraig]

16 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

 In Belize, we always use AlTourNative Belize Services. David Castillo is amazing and his company is rated #1 on TripAdvisor in Belize City. I will use him every time and highly recommend his company. The last time we were there, we first went to the Community Baboon Sanctuary where we went into the jungle to feed the wild howler monkey. They came down from the trees and ate fruits from my kids hands. They LOVED that and still talk about it to this day. Then we went to Altun Ha to see the ruins.  From there, we went to a local school to donate supplies we brought. The schools are not government funded there, they're ran by churches. We spent a few hours at the school with the kids talking to them. It was an amazing time. From there, we went to tour Belize a little bit before getting dropped back off in Belize City to shop a little bit before catching a tender back to the ship. 

 

In Roatan we usually hire a driver with Rony. Go to Daniel Johnson's first before the cruse traffic gets there and it won't be so packed. From there we go to the west end and shop, eat and hang out. Then tour around on the way back to the ship later in the day. 

 

 

Excellent way to do it.  Not sure if you knew but there is a great sloth and monkey place on the way over to the west end of the island.  Will save a lot of time.  We are usually the only ones there since that is the first place we hit.  Bodden's Monkey Business is the name of it. We use Rony as well and they are excellent.

[teknoge3k]

1 minute ago, BrotherCraig said:

 

Excellent way to do it.  Not sure if you knew but there is a great sloth and monkey place on the way over to the west end of the island.  Will save a lot of time.  We are usually the only ones there since that is the first place we hit.  Bodden's Monkey Business is the name of it. We use Rony as well and they are excellent.

 

Is that one owned by Victor? I've heard of it but never been to it. I will add that to my list and the next time we go to Roatan we'll give it a shot. Thanks for the recommendation! 

[BrotherCraig]

8 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

 

Is that one owned by Victor? I've heard of it but never been to it. I will add that to my list and the next time we go to Roatan we'll give it a shot. Thanks for the recommendation! 

 

 

Yes.  Rony takes people there as well.  Will save you about an hour for sure.  We enjoy it.

[sushitex]

On 7/6/2021 at 1:54 PM, teknoge3k said:

 

Is that one owned by Victor? I've heard of it but never been to it. I will add that to my list and the next time we go to Roatan we'll give it a shot. Thanks for the recommendation! 

Although it's been almost 5 years since we last visited, we have been to Victor Bodden's Monkey Business twice, and it was great fun walking around in the screened-in areas, while monkeys and macaws  hopped and flew around, and on, our heads and shoulders. At the time, sloths weren't a thing, I guess, at least not there. Our son, a teenager at the time, greatly enjoyed the "Zip" (ziplining) part of the tour - I graciously took photos of him dangling from the ziplines (there were several, in cool, woodsy, jungled, hilly areas. ) Hubby and I just paid for the "Dip" of the "Zip and Dip" package, which meant that we all boarded the van which took us to a beach afterwards (Bananarama?)  I remember we ate lunch and maybe dipped in the sea the first time, but we were able to skip the dip the second trip, and they just dropped us off near the pier. 

 

We returned almost a week ago from the Carnival Vista, and for this cruise, we actually didn't book a shore excursion - we went to Mahogany Bay (Beach) for the first time. Quite enjoyable, and of course, not too crowded. We liked the nature trail! 

Edited July 30, 2021 by sushitex

[BlerkOne]

On 7/4/2021 at 2:25 PM, Eli_6 said:

We were originally supposed to go to Jamaica and Cayman, but our itinerary changed.  I have been to both before and wasn't crazy about either of my excursions at the time so am looking for recommendations for both ports. In Mahogany Bay, I thought Big French Key looked interesting. Any thoughts?  In Belize, I am torn between Snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve-Small Group, 4x4 Jeep Adventure to Altun Ha Mayan City, Lamanai: Majestic Ceremonial Ruins & River Cruise, and Xunantunich Mayan Ruins with Lunch.

 Snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve-Small Group, is what I am planning on doing in September. If the water is too rough, or not enough people sign up, it could be canceled.

[sushitex]

On 7/6/2021 at 1:20 PM, BrotherCraig said:

For Belize, Shark Ray Alley and Island Excursion.  It is what Belize is best known for.  The reef is amazing and the island is the wonderful Caye Caulker (GO SLOW).  

We just did our second tour to Shark Ray Alley and the Island Excursion (back to Caye Caulker, yes!)  during our cruise on the Carnival Vista last week. It's been 6 years since the first time, but if memory serves, we were led around a shallow coral reef for maybe an hour. This was the "snorkeling" part and I was fine with that (perhaps traipsing around a coral reef is no longer allowed.)  This time around, with a different shore excursion company, we went out into 40-feet-deep water to snorkel. Hubby had hurt his toe the day before, and I wasn't keen on going into that deep of water, so we stayed on the boat. However, afterwards, I joined most of the other passengers as we snorkeled and stared at the nurse sharks and stingrays swimming beneath our feet and flippers. After that, we returned to Caye Caulker, and ate lunch at the Lazy Lizard (same as the first trip, but this time, we ate at long tables under palapa huts outside; last time it was indoors.)  

[beachesanywhere]

On 7/4/2021 at 7:37 PM, AtSeaWithChris said:

We have done Victor Bodden private tours in Roatan the 2 times we have been and if we can do a private excursion in November we will do so again. We will get a driver and a private vehicle and go see the sloths, the iguana farm, and West Bay beach for some time at Bananarama.

Exactly the same tour in Roatan every time. We love Bananarama too. 

[beachesanywhere]

On 7/6/2021 at 2:20 PM, BrotherCraig said:

For Belize, Shark Ray Alley and Island Excursion.  It is what Belize is best known for.  The reef is amazing and the island is the wonderful Caye Caulker (GO SLOW).  

Usually do an excursion to Shark Ray Alley when on a cruise stop in Belize. I fell in love with Caye Caulker and went back for a land Birthday Vacay January 2020 10 days was absolutely one of my best ever vacations! It was also lobster season at that time so lobster almost ever day fresh out of the water!! This trip was right before the bottom dropped out of travel with COVID, so happy I went when I did and would do it again in a heartbeat! I would love to catch the ferry over for the day from our cruise but unfortunately don’t think there is enough time with tender and ferry times🙁

[BrotherCraig]

On 7/30/2021 at 4:15 PM, sushitex said:

We just did our second tour to Shark Ray Alley and the Island Excursion (back to Caye Caulker, yes!)  during our cruise on the Carnival Vista last week. It's been 6 years since the first time, but if memory serves, we were led around a shallow coral reef for maybe an hour. This was the "snorkeling" part and I was fine with that (perhaps traipsing around a coral reef is no longer allowed.)  This time around, with a different shore excursion company, we went out into 40-feet-deep water to snorkel. Hubby had hurt his toe the day before, and I wasn't keen on going into that deep of water, so we stayed on the boat. However, afterwards, I joined most of the other passengers as we snorkeled and stared at the nurse sharks and stingrays swimming beneath our feet and flippers. After that, we returned to Caye Caulker, and ate lunch at the Lazy Lizard (same as the first trip, but this time, we ate at long tables under palapa huts outside; last time it was indoors.)  

 

 

Love the updates at Lazy Lizard at the Split there on Caye Caulker.  We stay there for a week and love it.  Glad you got to experience it.

[BrotherCraig]

On 7/31/2021 at 12:45 PM, beachesanywhere said:

Usually do an excursion to Shark Ray Alley when on a cruise stop in Belize. I fell in love with Caye Caulker and went back for a land Birthday Vacay January 2020 10 days was absolutely one of my best ever vacations! It was also lobster season at that time so lobster almost ever day fresh out of the water!! This trip was right before the bottom dropped out of travel with COVID, so happy I went when I did and would do it again in a heartbeat! I would love to catch the ferry over for the day from our cruise but unfortunately don’t think there is enough time with tender and ferry times🙁

 

Great to hear you went and stayed there.  We stay there for a week and love it.  We rent a house near the small island airport.  Great way to spend a birthday.  Best way to get there if not taking the ferry (which only gives you a comfortable and rushed three hours) is to get with Coral Breeze Tours.  They have an island day there for a decent price.  Gives you more time and peace of mind.