NCL Sea.... what excursions to take?

[Greenapple]

Hi! My family (husband, infant son, sister & parents) are cruising on the Sea in Jan 05. I'd be interested in advice regarding what excursions people liked, and any hints/tips! Thanks!

 

Greenapple

[danfiveoh]

just got off the SEA yesterday. Did all of our own excursions. The canopy tour in Roatan was the best! Did shark/Ray alley tour in Belize and really enjoyed that too, but last time we were there we did cave tubing and I would do that if you haven't been there before. Cozumel we took a taxi to the beach and Cancun we walkws around and shopped. Post any questions and I'll try to help but like I said, if your looking for the cruise line excursions, I can't help much.

[ute_fan]

What kind of things are you interested in -- activity related, sight-seeing, snorkeling? Narrowing your interests down a little might help people to post more on areas that you will enjoy.

 

We did mainly sight-seeing/historical trips-- Tulum out of Cozumel, and Altun Ha in Belize.

[charyoung]

Hi! Just got off the Sea Saturday and had a blast! Coz-took taxi to Paradise Beach. No entry-have shade, lounge chairs,snorkling, tanning mats, iceburg, water trampoline. Drank some beer and had some food. Daughter went parasailing($55) and had a blast! Roatan-canopy jungle tour and Fosters Bay Beach-Taxi for day $60, Canopy $35pp-great time! Note-taxi driver hangs around with you all the time(kind of creepy), but were not left stranded. Belize-Lamanai Ruins-Best day-drive, boat ride, lunch, very informative guide through tour. Not enough time to shop though. Cancun-snorkling and shopping right at pier-no need to go anywhere else! Saw a shark and grouper, pretty fish and barracuda. Would not change a thing about our excursions, except in Roatan would go through a tour company for driver.

[jla418]

In December '02 we were on the Sea and in Belize City we took the tour to Lamanai and really enjoyed it. I checked and it looks as if it is still offered. There is some hiking involved, and it can be muddy (It is after all a RAINFOREST!) but the ruins, flowers, and wild life were spectacular. Lunch wasn't bad either. There was a couple on our excursion with an infant. The baby did better than many of the adults!

[New cruiser from Atlanta]

Cozumel - Paradise Beach and shopping.

 

Roatan - hired an independent guide (Victor Bodden). He cost us $100 but it was well worth it. We reserved him in advance and he took us around the island, to an iguana farm, glass bottom boat tour and on the canopy tour.

 

Belize - Altun Ha ruins. Tour guides were very knowledgable. It may be a long day for an infant because the bus ride is about 50 minutes each way.

 

Cancun. - free shuttle to the mall and shopping.

[newmexicoNita]

Cozumel - Paradise Beach and shopping.

 

Roatan - hired an independent guide (Victor Bodden). He cost us $100 but it was well worth it. We reserved him in advance and he took us around the island, to an iguana farm, glass bottom boat tour and on the canopy tour.

 

Belize - Altun Ha ruins. Tour guides were very knowledgable. It may be a long day for an infant because the bus ride is about 50 minutes each way.

 

Cancun. - free shuttle to the mall and shopping.

What exactly is the canopy tour and is it something 3 couples in their 60s, all in fairly good health would enjoy? We have done Roatan twice and this time had thought about Salt and Peppers, but now the glass bottom boat and the canopy tour seem to be calling us to them. You said Victor charged you $100; for how many? NMNIta

[ute_fan]

If you end up doing the glass bottom boat, please let me know if you enjoyed it. We were scheduled to do one in Roatan, but the weather wasn't cooperating and they cancelled it. My husband doesn't swim, so snorkeling is out, but I would like to get back and do one some day.

[New cruiser from Atlanta]

What exactly is the canopy tour and is it something 3 couples in their 60s, all in fairly good health would enjoy? We have done Roatan twice and this time had thought about Salt and Peppers, but now the glass bottom boat and the canopy tour seem to be calling us to them. You said Victor charged you $100; for how many? NMNIta

There are a few reviews of the Canopy Tour on the Roatan message board that you may find helpful. I will try my best to describe it. There are eleven platforms connected by cable wires placed throughout a forest. The guides give you a helmet, gloves and harness. The harness is attached to your waist. The guides clip the harness to the metal cables and you glide between the trees from one platform to another. There was a couple in their mid-60s who did the canopy tour with us. It is a little scary for the first few platforms because you are really high off the ground but other than that I think you all could definitely do the tour.

 

Victor is a little more expensive then other tour guides. Largely because he has internet access so you can make a reservation with him before you arrive in Roatan. Prior messages said that Victor charged between $20 and $25 per person (he charges less if you have more people) but I cant complain that he charged us $100 for three people because I was traveling with my sister and son and we wouldnt have felt comfortable grabbing a tour guide at random. He was really worth it. He also has to rent a car or van for the tours.

 

The glass bottom boat tour was nice. It cost $20 per person. We saw some pretty fish. It was a little boring after about 20 minutes so I am glad we didnt do the shore excursion version which costs more (maybe they went to a different location). Make sure to take a motion sickness pill before you go.

[CFuller]

I'm booked with Victor Boden for the Sept. 4th cruise. There are 9 of us in our group, and he's charging me $25 each (except no charge for a 2 year old). Hope this helps. You can e-mail him and he'll reply back to you promptly.

[Greenapple]

The canopy tour sounds beautiful. But, would we be able to take our infant? I can't imagine how we'd get our infant across to each canopy. Ideas?

Does the ship have babysitting for infants? I had read they have children's programs.... but I suspect the programs are for older children.

[teacup754]

how did you arrange your day to do both the canopy tour nd the beach? Did yougo on the canopy tour first and how long does it take? I'm worried because we're going in dec and it says we ae only docked from 12 to 8 pm(but I figure it will be dark early in Dec.) any suggesitons?

[newmexicoNita]

If you end up doing the glass bottom boat, please let me know if you enjoyed it. We were scheduled to do one in Roatan, but the weather wasn't cooperating and they cancelled it. My husband doesn't swim, so snorkeling is out, but I would like to get back and do one some day.

 

 

We have somewhat the same situation; my hubby swims, but not too well and is petrofied of snorkeling which I love. The other couple we are going with are mixed as well. I thought the glass bottom boat sounded like a good alternative. I will let you know what we decide and how we like it.

 

NMnita

 

ps can't be a UTE fan, live near ABQ, grand daughter at Colo State and we are grads of San Diego state. LOL

[ute_fan]

NMNita:

 

I see why you can't be a Ute fan all right. We've had basketball season tickets for 25 years -- maybe if I stop buying tickets I could cruise more often??? Nope, think that comes first.

 

We were really disappointed that the glass bottom boat got cancelled. The weather was just lousy that day -- overcast, not rainy, but quite windy. The people from our group who went out to snorkel had wasted trips because they weren't allowed out near the coral due to the choppy sea. Luckily NCL refunded the additional charge for the snorkel trip and just charged for the Tabyana Bay excursion.

 

I'd really like to do this cruise again before the Sea leaves the fleet, but I just don't think it's going to work out. Hopefully we can do it once the Sun moves to New Orleans.

[charyoung]

We got off the ship about 12pm, found a taxi and told them what we wanted to do and settled on price. He took us to the canopy and dropped us off. I guess it took about 30 min. to get there and about an hout to zip. They met us at the bottom, then took us to the beach. We stayed about 2 hrs and was ready to go. You have to pace yourself and 2 hours beach time is quite enough after zip lining. We were tired, but had fun and were glad to be back on ship about 5- ready to eat and shower.

[newmexicoNita]

NMNita:

 

I see why you can't be a Ute fan all right. We've had basketball season tickets for 25 years -- maybe if I stop buying tickets I could cruise more often??? Nope, think that comes first.

 

We were really disappointed that the glass bottom boat got cancelled. The weather was just lousy that day -- overcast, not rainy, but quite windy. The people from our group who went out to snorkel had wasted trips because they weren't allowed out near the coral due to the choppy sea. Luckily NCL refunded the additional charge for the snorkel trip and just charged for the Tabyana Bay excursion.

 

I'd really like to do this cruise again before the Sea leaves the fleet, but I just don't think it's going to work out. Hopefully we can do it once the Sun moves to New Orleans.

 

 

I don't think there is anything that can spoil a cruise more than bad weather. I can live with less than idea food cause it never is terrible: service, any is better than cleaning and cooking at home even if I do love to cook, entertainment, well I don't expect a 2 hour Vegas show so I have never been totally disappointed and we love trivia, but bad weather, Ugh! Good weather, friendly staff and nice people make a cruise!! The people sailing out of Houston always seem to be great. As for sailing out of New Orleans I would guess that will be in our future as well. The Sun is an awesome ship!! NMNita

[ute_fan]

My sentiments exactly. Luckily the only day the weather was bad enough to really cause problems was in Roatan, and even then it was just disappointing. We aren't much in the way of sun worshipers or beach people, so it was kind of boring to lay on the lounge chairs in the windy/cloudy weather. I did go in the ocean, but it was too chilly with the wind to enjoy it much. Obviously, since we're here in landlocked Utah, it isn't something we get to do often.

 

Actually, the rest of the time the weather was a bonus. It was cool and cloudy in Tulum -- perfect for me as I burn very easily. It was warmer and sunny in Belize, and we loved it there. The Altun Ha ruins were great. I didn't enjoy Cancun, but it had more to do with the "tourist trap" vendors than the weather, which was actually quite warm and sunny.

 

As far as I'm not cooking and cleaning myself, it would take lots to spoil a cruise :D .

[New cruiser from Atlanta]

The canopy tour sounds beautiful. But, would we be able to take our infant? I can't imagine how we'd get our infant across to each canopy. Ideas?

Does the ship have babysitting for infants? I had read they have children's programs.... but I suspect the programs are for older children.

You may want to start a new thread about cruising with an infant. The ship does offer group babysitting but the minimum age is 2 yrs. old, I believe. There is an extra charge for babysitting when the cruise is in port and I don't know if you can leave a child who is still in diapers because the counselors do not change diapers.

 

The canopy tour was excellent but I dont know if they would allow you to take an infant or even if you would feel comfortable having the infant with you when you went across the zip line. The best option I can think of is if there is someone in your group who doesnt want to go on the canopy tour who can wait at the end of the tour with the baby.:(

[ArkansasFish]

IF we make it to Cancun, we are planning on going here.

For 50.00 per person, you are suppsoed to get to eat and drink all you want.

I will be at the swim up bar.

http://www.riubambu.com/RIU_WEB_PAGES/MENU/RESORT/CANCUN/CANCUN_POOL/cancun_pool_photos.htm

[SWACruiser]

We will be on the NCL Sea in Decemeber and love the water excursions!

Any suggestions ????

 

Thanks,

SWACruiser

 

Ps. I work for Southwest Airlines and I want to Thank ALL of you that travel on SWA.