Belize excursions through Carnival

[MickeyG]

We will be sailing on Carnival's Miracle this December. While in Belize, we are considering doing the cave tubing or horseback riding excursions through x-treme excursions. Our ship is also offering a shark ray alley tour. We have two children ages 11 and 13. Both kids are very good swimmers and have been horseback riding for a couple of years. Just wondering if anyone has taken any of these excursions, specifically the ship's shark ray excursion. We have booked the stingray city tour at Grand Cayman but now appears that do to Hurricane Ivan, we may not be stopping there. So I thought it might be nice to do the shark ray and stingray tour through the ship. Any suggestions or thoughts. I would greatly appreciate any ideas. Thanks!

 

Mick:)

[TrqoisWtrs]

Hi Mick - I've done both Cayman's Stingray City and Shark/Ray Alley in Belize. It is a very neat experience and I'm sure your kids would love either one. Hopefully you will be able to visit Cayman in December (http://www.caymannetnews.com/2004/09/740/emergency.shtml). If not, I personally would do the stingrays in Belize. You can horseback ride anywhere, but you're limited in where you can swim with the stingrays. As an adult, the snorkeling though was so-so. But from a kid's perspective, they would probably love swimming with the rays and nurse sharks (some quite large).

 

I did something similar to the cave tubing when I was in Hawaii, so that would be fun too. Guess it depends on what you feel more like doing and what you're able to do at your other stops.

 

Any other questions, ask away. :)

[MickeyG]

Thanks for the info, cruisin*tigger!

 

You make a good point about horseback riding. You rarely get a chance to snorkle and swim with underwater life, so might as well take advantage of it when the opportunity presents itself.

 

Did you use the ship's excursion to do the shark ray alley in Belize or did you book your own? This being our first cruise I want to do it right, but make sure all of our shore excursion connections fit into place, too.

 

Thanks,

 

Mick:)

[TrqoisWtrs]

Hi again. A group of us did a land vacation to Belize in May (stayed on Ambergris Caye) so visited shark/ray alley through a dive shop there, so can't help you on which excursion to pick.

 

My sister and I did visit Belize from a cruise in January, and since it was our first time there, we decided to book the excursion we picked (boat ride and altuna ha) through the ship -just for our peace of mind. But a lot of people like to book with independent operators. From what I've read here, it seems like some people have been cutting it close catching that last tender. I would be too stressed out to do that. But that's just me. It is about a 15 minute tender ride from the ship to shore so you have to factor that into your time too. Guess it depends on how comfortable you feel doing it on your own, and if the difference in price is a factor.

[MickeyG]

Thanks, Cruisin*tigger and JunpinJackFlash.....good recommendations. I am torn between doing the cruise offered excursions and setting things up independent of the ship. I know the pro ship logic is that the peace of mind knowing that we will not be left behind. The con is the higher cost. Another factor is the age of our daughter. She is 11 and will not turn 12 until April. Many of the ship sponsored excursions (cave tubing and HB riding, I believe) do not allow kids until age 12. So I am wondering if I may need to set up the cave tubing myself. Thanks again!

 

 

Mick:)

[nectrc]

Hey there cruisin*tigger, do you remember how much your belize excursion was? Also is that the one with an open bar? (sting/ray alley)