Anyone Been to Goff's Caye Lately???

[elaineb]

We're doing the Carnival Miracle in July and I really wanted to snorkle at Goff's Cay. It's not coming up on our itinerary, and it's not coming up on a co-workers who is going in April. Has this been dropped??? So has anyone been going lately? And are we just the unlucky ones that this excursion isn't on our list?:(

[TravelWorks]

Goff's Caye is always open...it is a state park...If the cruise ships aren't going there....there are many many tour operators at the dock where you tender into that go...and you can also charter a private boat to take you if you have a large enough group too...

 

I hope that helps...we were there in December....it was lovely...Snorkeled around the whole island....played on the beach and slept in the sand...then snorkeled the reef again frm the boat....WE hired a private charter for 6 hours.

 

Here is some pics from the trip in December:

 

 

I hope that helps.

Amy

my email:

cruisephotos@gmail.com

 

 

PS

If you go with the ships promoted "snorkel/private beach break" it takes you on a boat with 150 other peolpe to Turneffe Atoll(nice snorkel spot) to snorkel and then to privately owned "Bannister Island"

 

...the ships are pushing this tour for $ reasons...because they get kick backs from the pivate owners at Bannister....

 

Goff's Caye and Rendezvous Caye don't do this...they are publicly managed "state parks" for Belize.

 

Some of the cruise lines will tell you...they don't offer the tour because it is too far away...but Turneffe Atoll is further out than the Cayes on the reef...so go figure.

 

Have fun no matter what you do.

[TravelWorks]

Map...the barrier reef runs north to south....

 

Rendezvous and Goff's cayes are among the tiny islands that run along it......just east and south east of Belize city....

 

As you can see Turneffe Atoll and the Turneffe islands are east of the reef and further out.

[luvgreys]

Wow! Thanks for the pics travelworks!!! I cannot wait to go! I have a tour booked with Marvin and Patricia Deras.

[rebeccajo68]

Are there any excursions to Ambergris Caye or is it too far away?

[TravelWorks]

Are there any excursions to Ambergris Caye or is it too far away?

 

There aren't any excursions that I know of for the cruise ship passengers...

 

Ususally for a cruise ship passenger the furthest North the passengers go is to Cay Caulker, because of the time constraint...

 

....but there is a small airport in Belize City where you can pay to fly to round trip to Ambergris and back.... but it is tight in the time frame... What is in Ambergris??? Do you want to dive?

 

It is faster to take a boat with a dive company to the "blue hole" and dive there then to get to Ambergris...I hope that helps.

[MIsharona]

has anyone been on carnivals excursion to turneffe or the one to horseshoe? trying to decide on which one. shallowest would be best and calmest? thanks

[rebeccajo68]

I just heard that Ambergris was beautiful. Caye Caulker sounds great too. What is the best tour going there?

[MIsharona]

on our cruise i dont think we have time to go there unless we fly. i think we just want to go through the ship so we dont have to tender into belize.

[me2love2cruise]

If you book Goff's Cay thru the cruise it is for 3.5 hrs. Can you stay longer since it is a State Park and find other transportation back? Or do you have to come and go the same and at your designated time? I just hate having 9 hours at the port and only a few hrs at the beach and snorkling!

[TravelWorks]

If you book Goff's Cay thru the cruise it is for 3.5 hrs. Can you stay longer since it is a State Park and find other transportation back? Or do you have to come and go the same and at your designated time? I just hate having 9 hours at the port and only a few hrs at the beach and snorkling!

This is why I book with a private charter.

[Ya Ya Cruiser]

Hi Travelworks,

 

Would you be willing to share your private charter company? The trip you took to Goff's Cay sounds exactly what our group is looking for - we are 6 for sure, possibly 8.

 

Your advice is appreciated!

[sharks48]

However - if you take the ship's tour, they pick you up right at the ship, i.e. you don't have to tender into the port and then back out again. We don't usually do ship's tours, but we did this one for that very reason. We LOVED Goff's Caye.

[TravelWorks]

Hi Travelworks,

 

Would you be willing to share your private charter company? The trip you took to Goff's Cay sounds exactly what our group is looking for - we are 6 for sure, possibly 8.

 

Your advice is appreciated!

 

Sure...

I emailed Tom *********

He is the president for Belize's board of cruise tourism and he also owns a Belize cave tubing . net company....

but he knows everyone...and he found us a great captain and charter boat and crew for the day just for our group...

If you don't have a group~

He also finds smaller groups a puts them together and recommends different tour operators that have room on existing tours on the docks in Belize City.

 

If you need more info

my email is cruisephotos@gmail.com

 

Good luck.

Amy

[Luv2BatC]

We were in Belize on March 29. In January, I had set up our group of 10 to go to Goff's Caye with someone being recommended on this post. Imagine my surprise and embarassment when we arrived at the pier and were told no one takes anyone to Goff's Caye anymore, period. We were told we had two choices, Caye Caulker or Bannister Island. To make a long story short, after wasting an hour on the pier trying to get a straight answer (as to why I wasn't notified, etc.), we found a wonderful company that did take us to Goff's Caye. I am a recent newbie to posting, but have been reading and following the advice of these boards for over 3 years, for 4 different cruises, and this is the first time we have ever had a bad experience. If anyone would like more information, please feel free to email me: Luv2BatC04@aol.com

[shay1]

Hello,

 

I emailed Tom (Thanks Travel Works) but he told me they are NOT doing any tours to Goff's Cay! They are only doing snorkel tours to Bannister now.

 

If Bannister is a private Island and they pay the tour guides to take people maybe that explains it. :(

 

Just does not seem fair if someone wants to go to Goff's Cay and they are already paying a fair price for the tour that they are now being told they have to go to Bannister.

 

We do not like to book through the ship because they are usually cattle boats, too many people and too many first time snorkelers (not that there is anything wrong with being a first timer) but they can get in the way and take up time for those of us who are experienced snorkelers, divers and want as much underwater time :)

 

That is why we try to book direct tours.

 

Does anyone have information on someone who will go to Goff's Cay?

 

Thanks,

Shay 1

[Luv2BatC]

Hi Shay~

You can email me and I will be glad to let you know who took us to Goff's Caye last week! Luv2BatC04@aol.com

[TravelWorks]

Hello...everyone...I have had a disappointing email from Tom...

 

I wanted to post it here for everyone to read...

 

$10 bucks...that is what this is really about...

 

Here is a part of my email below and Tom's response:

 

 

MY EMAIL:

 

It seems that the whole docks in Belize City are against Goff's suddenly for $$$ and political reasons.

 

The problem is people who have been before or people from CC are not ignorant....they know what they want.

 

Everyone in Belize city figures if they just quietly move from one island to another...no one will notice!!!:mad:

 

Here is a letter Tom sent me....about why they are not going to Goff's....It is about the same reason the cruise lines have stopped...$$$$$...:rolleyes:

 

I am really fustrated .

It seems politics and money are corrupting everything good.

 

Because if Tom stops going to Goff's in a protest...

everyone begins to stop....

people on the docks follow his lead....

because he is the President of Cruise tourism for Belize.

Red Tape.

The problem is if Tom stops going,

& the cruise lines stops going,

and the other operators stop going...

there is really no one who will...

 

and then where do you go for a more exclusive tour to avoid the crowds... ???

 

Crowds = money.....it is a vicious cycle.

 

And it is all over $10!!!!

 

 

Here is Tom's Response to what is on the boards:

 

 

Hi Amy,

No we did NOT say Goff's Caye was destroyed. The authority controlling it raised the entrance fee 100% to $10, and blew everyone out of the water, and besides, we were there a number of times and the island had not been cleaned, nor had the authority brought in the bathrooms that are a part of the fee provisions; a few trips complained, so we decided to use BANNISTER CAYE, a totally new and fabulous island developed for the trade, and take guests on snorkeling trips to the reef 3 minutes away. Bannister has EVERYTHING - beach, bar cabanas, canoes, sailing dingies, jet skis, proper, modern bathroom system, restaurant, all on an island about 6 times the size of Goff's Caye and far far cleaner and more wholesome.

Captain Marvin and ourselves work together in providing the best snorkeling now that we are actually using a "fresher" part of the reef not as used and abused as Goff's Caye. We have had TOTAL satisfaction in this new direction, and since Bannister is actually a little closer than Goff's Caye, our guests are happy, esdpecially because we did not raise the cost.

The last group (Rhonda) I moved over to another fellow marine operator who agreed to keep the price established and do Goff's Caye; the group was happy. I have shifted all requests now to Bannister and the Barrier Reef; Rendezvous and the Barrier Reef, and Shark Ray Alley.

Another consideration will be English Caye (across from Goff's, which is being developed beautifully), in combo with Rendezvous Caye for the more adventurous with the ability to pay the new rate which is most likely about $10 more.

Hope that answers all. With Rhonda's group, we stuck to it until they got what they wanted.

In future I will have to explain that Goff's is $10 more, with the chance there will be no bathroom. I am truly loathe to sell that island now, unless they make some serious changes.

Regards,

Tom

He says in his letter that Rendezvous is still an option....(my personnal #2 choice) we are looking into that to see if it is true....

I will keep everyone updated...

Amy

[elaineb]

Amy -

I'm with you. Still have my heart set on Goff's Caye, but would also consider Rendezvous. Waiting for Luv2Bat's response for my e-mail of who took her. Also got an e-mail from Splash Wave Tours that they would take us there. However, no one has seemed to use them, and seeing it's Belize, I'm a little leery of trying something new. We cruise in July, so I hope I can find out soon how to get there! I want what I want - and screw the politics.

[TravelWorks]

Is it true...the cruise lines have decided to go back?

[elaineb]

Yes, it is on for our cruise, 7/9. It came up on the excursion list in April.:)

[sbpat]

Is the snorkeling good at Goff's Caye for kids? (we have a 7 and 9 year old)

[elaineb]

Here is my review of the Miracle - please see the Belize section. Basically, the kids could snorkle just off the beach, but I think the excursion is very tough and I wouldn't recommend it for children. The beach had sand fleas and horse flies, so I had to stay in the water after our snorkle just so I wouldn't get bit.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=403798

[tigermaroon2]

I would agree that it's not for kids....at least not if you stay on the boat and snorkel because the current was very very strong.

 

We didn't have any Sand Fleas or anything....maybe it's the time of year? Maybe because it had rained heavily the day before? We were there last Thursday and loved it. It's an island paradise.

[tankersbabe]

I would agree that it's not for kids....at least not if you stay on the boat and snorkel because the current was very very strong.

 

We didn't have any Sand Fleas or anything....maybe it's the time of year? Maybe because it had rained heavily the day before? We were there last Thursday and loved it. It's an island paradise.

 

We are booked for this excursion in October...and was wondering something.

 

Did they offer to let anyone stay on the island until the second excursion group was over with? We are going with the first excursion, and I have a feeling we might like to just lounge there all day...

 

Thanks!