No Cave-Tubing in Belize through Carnival???

[Dabbo]

Leaving Sunday on the Legend and we're down to prepping for Belize. Seeing the posts here, it's clear cave-tubing is not to be missed. I'm aware of the site cave-tubing.com, but was wondering if booking through Carnival was an option. Please advise.

[Kurbanfan]

I'm not sure if it is a option thru Carnival right now. A woman was killed on one of their excursions last year.........

[Jrabbit128]

Went cave tubing last year in Belize and booked through Carnival and it was by far one of the best shore excursions ever!! Try to be as early as possible. Be one of the first people on the tour. The reason I say this is because when we went, we were on the first bus to pull out. The ride there was so nice and the driver and crew were great! Once we got there, our guides took us through the forest and half way up, we stopped and the guide said that had we come here later, we would have had to start at this point since it would be too crowded up top with all the rest of the tours. But because we were the first ones there, we climbed up another 20 minutes and then got in the water. We were in the water for such a long time. When we got to the halfway point he showed us, sure enough, there were people who were starting there. I was so happy we were the first ones.

Also, wear ALOT of bug repelent on your feet, ankles and calves. There are red ants there that bite you as you climb the forest. I didn't notice I was getting bitten until I got back onto the ship and when I looked at my ankles, there were little red bumps all over.

[jandjfun]

I guess they like for the passengers to actually stay alive. Don't go river tubing!! Personal experiences and the report of a ladies death in 2008 is enough to convice me it is not safe!

[travelntreats]

I guess they like for the passengers to actually stay alive. Don't go river tubing!! Personal experiences and the report of a ladies death in 2008 is enough to convice me it is not safe!

Cave Tubing is VERY SAFE.... for you to make a statement contrary to this is just wrong.

 

Yes, there was a death that occured in 2008 and it has yet to be determined who was really at fault or how the death actually occured. But there was also a zipline death in 2008 as well, but that does not mean it is not safe by any means.

 

Each person has to make the decision regarding if THEY FEEL IT IS SAFE and although for you it may not be, others have to make the decision on their own.

 

With the new safety requirements of guides being enforced now, it is probably safer than in the past.

 

I have cave tubed with a variety of tour operators several times (won't mention names as that is not what the OP asked for) and each operator was very strict regarding safety issues when I have ENJOYED this excursion !

[newt98]

i believe there was a snorkeling death in 2008 also, therefore, dont go snorkeling! you might die!:(

 

mike

[Middleager]

There was a eating death...:eek: therefore ...:confused:

 

 

Last time we were in Belize, some of us went diving/snorkeling. But my BIL, SIL, and MIL (she was 80 yrs old) went cave tubing. They had a great time.

[trvlcrzy]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2836

 

Here's the link of Cruise Critic's story on the event.

[farler05]

People die in cars every day, better not get in one.

[Lard Greystoke]

i believe there was a snorkeling death in 2008 also, therefore, dont go snorkeling! you might die!:(

 

mike

 

Somebody fell off the ship a couple of weeks ago. So don't get on the ship.

[jessed]

Major Tom - one guide - four people - very safe.

[ahper8]

We did Cavetubing.com for the second time in December, took my 12-year old niece, and 62-year old mother...both thought that it was the best experience of the whole trip.

[gatorclaw]

We get it... people die everyday. Please no more posts like that.

 

That said, I'm booking w/ my family with X-stream. I used them a few years ago and had a great experience. Can't wait to do it again! :)

[vrj]

I guess they like for the passengers to actually stay alive. Don't go river tubing!! Personal experiences and the report of a ladies death in 2008 is enough to convice me it is not safe!

 

I heard the comments, questions and rumors on this site, positive and negative and my response is if you are frightened, don't do the tour. I want to go cave tubing but my wife does not so we are not going.... No need to make a love one uncomfortable during a vacation, especially since there are other things to do during our vacation in Belize.

 

Well, I searched and found a report of the Cave Tubing incident where the Carnival Glory tourist died. The incident happened around 09/24/08 and via the Belize News 5 interview labeled "Vacationing nurse dies cave tubing", the couple from Orlando, FL (Linda and Eduardo Linan) had a fatal experience while cave tubing.

 

It seems that the tour was conducted by Bel Cruise. Per Belize' Laura Esquivel, Director of Product Development, B.T.B:

 

"It seems that at the very end of the cave system where there is a little rush, if you will, a situation happened where there was a bottleneck and this person unfortunately was thrown off her tube and got swept under with the rapids. That’s the information we have so far.”

 

"On that day the currents were flowing swiftly and the river was high and now questions have been raised as to whether the tour should have been allowed to proceed."

 

Per Fidelio Montes Jr., Tour Guide, Jaguar Paw Jungle Resort:

 

“The water gets very fast; there are areas in the cave that need extreme caution. Without proper guide procedures and without proper knowledge of what you are actually doing, it is very problematic because what happens, you can end up trapped in places where you don’t belong. It’s just very fast water, very dangerous.”

 

And last but not least, the below quote is from the victims husband (Eduardo Linan, Husband of Deceased):

 

“The safety should be in place and the trip should be cancelled automatically. It should have been cancelled because we tourists we don’t know how to operate in the water in different situations. My wife and I and two more people raised our hands on the bus to say that we are poor swimmers to our guide. The guide was busy giving instructions to forty plus people and he said ok you guys keep going and he forgot completely me and my wife and the two people.”

 

 

The article links are listed below:

 

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=21883

 

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=21892

 

 

Also, on 07/11/06, a primary school teacher from Belize dies while cave tubing. The Belize News 5 story heading "Teacher drowns while tubing in Cockscomb".

 

The report states 36 yr. old Edelmira Morey was caving tubing around 9:30am with 9 other adults and 11 students was cave tubing in "South Stann Creek in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary when she became entangled in debris in the rain swollen river.

 

The force of the water caused her to become separated from her inner tube and she went under. Despite the rescue efforts of her companions, she never resurfaced alive." The story link is listed below:

 

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=16594

 

 

Per Belize News 5 reporter Donna Young:

 

“It’s been going on for years, I’ve been saying someone is going to die, someone is going to drown and it was just a matter of time and by the grace of God you know, there’s been some incidents and accidents but no one was ever killed. I kept saying someone is telling us something, someone is warning us and we have to be careful. You can’t play with water.”

 

My research above is just to inform. of that facts as described and you need to decide if this if for you. I'm not trying to bash Belize or their tourist industry but I am trying to educate others and myself of POSSIBLE inherent dangers. The tour company per the article(s) has sent a press release offering condolences to Linan’s family and saying that it “deeply regrets the unfortunate tragedy that occurred at Caves Branch.

[lou7]

I did cavetubing in june and almost died......Be very carefull if the river is high and dont listen to these yahoos.....better to be safe than sorry!