Was told this port not worth seeng. . .True ?

[waterwaver]

I know its only some peoples opinion, but have been told by a few who have been, its not worth the stop. Is it ? Not really hearing good things, any other opinions ? Would love to hear from others who have been. THANK YOU ahead of time. ( it is a port stop while cruising )

[USFcrew]

Roatan is pretier than Belize and some other areas in the caribbean. It's a struggling developing Island, but just remodeled its Port plus carnival is doing there own Private project there. It is growing and gaining more activities to do. Some people are just not used to seeing poverty and remain close minded Give it a try and you'll see how beautiful it is.

I know its only some peoples opinion, but have been told by a few who have been, its not worth the stop. Is it ? Not really hearing good things, any other opinions ? Would love to hear from others who have been. THANK YOU ahead of time. ( it is a port stop while cruising )

[sptrout]

We stopped there last week and went straight to Fins & Flippers. Had a great time and highly recommend it for all the reasons you can read about in the F&F thread. 13 of my 15 cruises have been in various parts of the Caribbean and F&F ranks as one of the best places we have visited.

[Sparkylok6]

We stopped there almost 2 weeks ago and did a private island tour with Bodden Tours. The driver took us all over the island and then to a resort for lunch and snorkeling. When we were done there we went to the Cameo Factory and to the ship.

 

I have only been to about 10 different islands, but, Roatan came in 2nd to Dominica for us. It has a natural beauty if you can look past the very poor living conditions. The poor living conditions were not "in your face", but they are noticeable.

 

I believe that we are all blessed to be able to afford cruise vacations and to miss an opportunity to see how others live would be upsetting to me. Do more research on the internet about Roatan and take the time to see the beauty of this island.

 

Happy cruising to all.

[IslandChick504]

Roatan has a lot to offer. Ups and downs happen to every place but the island itself is a true getaway from side to side!

[bobcat00]

My family loves to visit Roatan. I'm guessing the negative info you heard came from individuals who didn't stray far from the cruise ship terminal. If you stay within a mile of the ship, you will see nothing that Roatan has to offer. The most gorgeous beaches I've ever seen are in West Bay Beach. If you like beaches you will love Roatan, and if you like to get off the beaten path, the island will also accomodate you. The prices for private trips are affordable. It is a great island to take private tours instead of the ship's excursions. The people work hard to make tourist happy and it is my favorite stop of any cruises I've taken. We loved it so much that after cruising there, we took a vacation there.

[robvan]

My family loves to visit Roatan. I'm guessing the negative info you heard came from individuals who didn't stray far from the cruise ship terminal. If you stay within a mile of the ship, you will see nothing that Roatan has to offer. The most gorgeous beaches I've ever seen are in West Bay Beach. If you like beaches you will love Roatan, and if you like to get off the beaten path, the island will also accomodate you. The prices for private trips are affordable. It is a great island to take private tours instead of the ship's excursions. The people work hard to make tourist happy and it is my favorite stop of any cruises I've taken. We loved it so much that after cruising there, we took a vacation there.

 

What favourite private excursion did you take?

[frenchylover]

I agree with Sparky that Dominican is my favorite, but DH has not been there. So far, this has been our favorite port of call together. We did the zip line and beach combo. The view was fabulous, everyone was very friendly, and the island was very clean. They had people constantly cleaning the seaweed of the beach while we were there. I would not hesitate to go again and we are looking at going on the same cruise (Glory) again this October.

[hon2u]

I just posted this on a roll call board but thought I would share with you as well.

 

In 2005 we booked a private tour through ISLANDER TOURS with Juan Carlos.

http://islandertours.com/index.html

 

His nephew Enrique met us at the dock holding a sign reading Islander Tours. He was a delightful 23 year old young man that spoke 4 languages. He was working to attend the university on the mainland for tourism. He gave us a great tour of the island including the Iguana Farm (This was really cool! There were giant leaves to feed the iguanas and they were everywhere) , ship wrecks and beautiful overlooks and a stop at a local convenient store for Salva Vida (local beer) and snacks. Enrique was right there to help with the language and currency exchange. (Lempiras)

At one of the overlooks there were a few locals selling items like shells and craved wooden items. Sadly there were young children who we thought were begging – maybe they were. One of the children, a stunning little girl who could have not been more than 1 ½ and clad only in a diaper holding American coins in her out stretched hand. So we added to her collection…..Later Enrique told us that American dollars are accepted in the Roatan banks but our coins are useless. The children actually wanted us to exchange dollars for the coins that were worthless to them. :o So if you encounter these beautiful but very poor children please help them.

 

We had booked a 2 hour horseback ride with Barrio Dorcas Ranch– Roosmarie was my contact and so responsive to emails. http://www.barriodorcasranch.com/ Enrique was not familiar with the ranch so took us to another riding stable. I had told Juan Carlos we had a reservation and I am unsure what happened here. I felt really bad that we had a reservation and did not make it as scheduled. When I got home there was an email from Roosemarie and she was worried about us since we did not show up as planned. She asked how it could be avoided in the future. Very customer service oriented people. Although we did not make it I would highly recommend them if you are interested in riding. I would use their driving service to make sure you get there.

 

We had a great ride through the jungle with macaws and parakeets flying over head, down to the beach, through a million dollar neighborhood and many scenic overlooks. It was great but I do wish we had been taken to Barrio Dorcas. Our guide for the ride spoke 0 English so we were really glad that Enrique rode with us. After the ride he took us to the Mayan Princess for drinks/food and beach time. It was a beautiful place with excellent food and drinks (complete with umbrellas). The four of us got a seafood platter for $15 and could not finish it. It was lobster, shrimp, fish, fried plantains and other goodies. We bought Enrique a soda and burger and he share stories about growing up in Roatan. When we arrived back at the dock we went with him to meet his mother and sister, who worked a booth in the flea market area directly across from the ship. We made a few purchases then had to say farewell to Enrique. We spent about 8 hours with him and the cost $100……we tipped him big! He deserved it. :)

 

I will be checking to see if he is available for our next trip as well.

 

I hope you will experience Roatan and enjoy!! ;)

 

I know its only some peoples opinion, but have been told by a few who have been, its not worth the stop. Is it ? Not really hearing good things, any other opinions ? Would love to hear from others who have been. THANK YOU ahead of time. ( it is a port stop while cruising )

[mazda]

We spent a day with Juan Carlos in 2006 and have arranged to meet up with him again in April. Great guide and loved spending the day with him.. I say YES get off the ship!!

We ziplined in South Shore Canopy, went to West End/Bay (can't remember name) beach, lunch and snorkeling, saw the iguana farm, monkeys on the beach, and a little shopping it was a GREAT day.

[JSQ01]

Roatan is absolutely beautiful...we took a private tour with a lady who had an air-conditioned van for us. I don't remember the name, but we found it on cruise critic. On the tour we went to some high points looking down on the ocean and the views were spectacular. It may not be a place you want to visit over and over (unless you owned a little condo on the beach there;)) but it's definitely worth seeing on your cruise.

[freddy penguin]

We stopped here last year on our spring break cruise. We had a driver from Victor Bodden. We chose to be driven around the island. We saw the iguana farm (eeww!), the cameo factory, gorgeous ocean views, monkeys (holding them was a highlight for my teenagers), shopping away from the cruise port, and the beach. Our driver Norma was so nice she hooked me up with a beachside massage ($30/hour) and entertained my kids on the beach while I was relaxing. This was a very relaxed excursion since it was only the three of us and our very knowledgable driver. There is no set itinerary just a list of suggested places to visit.

[Clubber]

This port was one of our favorite stops. It's a very beautiful lush island, but very poor. We did the extreme zip with Pirates of the Carribean. It was the highlight of our trip.

[traveljunky99]

I know its only some peoples opinion, but have been told by a few who have been, its not worth the stop. Is it ? Not really hearing good things, any other opinions ? Would love to hear from others who have been. THANK YOU ahead of time. ( it is a port stop while cruising )

 

As you can see from the reviews no one has written anything bad about Roatan. We were there in Nov 08 & used Bodden tours to do an island tour + zipling at a pace that suited us. It is a very beautiful island and worth the stop!!

[MAO]

We used Victor Bodden, had a private tour guide who took us to ziplineing , monkeys and the beach. It's worth the stop! Country side is beautiful.

The poverty is "in your face", we saw people struggeling and we saw a dead dog in the street as well as many ill looking ones. Children were begging and it seemed very guenuine (sp?) , and the dwelling were the worst I've seen in all the ports I've been to.

2 things...it makes you appriciate what you have and value your vaction and it makes you want to give more to people in need. It was hard to look past it and enjoy the day but....you do.

Have a good time and sorry if my post is a bit of a downer, you should know what to expect and of course this was my experiance so please take it as you will.

[bobcat00]

Robvan,

We used Bananarama (that has a dive shop & snorkel rental), which is a small resort at West Bay Beach. The same driver has picked us up every time. That is where we've returned to stay. Every time we've been there, there are alot of taxi's bring cruise shippers to Banarama, so an option is just to ask a taxi to bring you there. If you like beaches and want to snorkel on your own, West Bay Beach is perfect. The cruise ship people occupy a portion of the beach (Tabayana)where the good snorkeling is, but you can walk down the beach and go in the same water they use. The whole beach is beautiful and there are several beach shacks & restaurants to get drinks, and there are shaded areas if you just want to sit and people watch. If you don't want to pay for a chair, bring your towel. There isn't much unique shopping, so I wouldn't plan to shop much. We have done other private tours, but not to the main tourist traps because we were making an effort to getting off the beaten trail. Regardless, it is one of the few ports where I would feel totally comfortable getting a private tour for my family. Just set your price ahead of time, don't be afraid to negotiate a little, or say no thanks. I hope you enjoy it.

[JustStartin]

We were in Roatan last August via Carnival Legend. Looking out at the island while coming into port was beautiful. We enjoyed the island as it was not a commercial stop like Grand Cayman and some of Cozumel. We went to Gumbalimba Park and enjoyed it thoroughly. Yes, you see poverty, but even in the area near port the people were so friendly, but not pushy. The port was under construction when we were there and looked like it will be beautiful also.

 

Roatan was my favorite port I think.

[shark&minnow]

I like Roatan too. It is the poorest island I have been to....it's not all comercalized (sp?). On our first visit we went to the orphanage and toured the island with a private driver. Last year our ship was only in port for a few hours so we just wandered in the town and had some drinks at a bar near the ship. I so enjoy being around the local culture..... but I would not wander to far off by myself! This year we are going to the beach with the ship organized excursion.

[LAMAX]

We were in Roatan last August via Carnival Legend. Looking out at the island while coming into port was beautiful. We enjoyed the island as it was not a commercial stop like Grand Cayman and some of Cozumel. We went to Gumbalimba Park and enjoyed it thoroughly. Yes, you see poverty, but even in the area near port the people were so friendly, but not pushy. The port was under construction when we were there and looked like it will be beautiful also.

 

Roatan was my favorite port I think.

 

We also went to the gumbalimba park and it was fantastic. We liked it better than any of the ports we have been to except St.Marteen. I wish we could have been there longer and we are definately going back. The poor are no worse than any of the poor ithat I have seen especially in mexico but they appear to be proud and happy people. They did not beg but the did try to sell you souveneers. If you like wood bowls, carvings and jewelry they have it for really cheap and it's nice things. I had a very positive experience on Roatan.

[theschwanz]

hey frenchylover, you said you did a zip and beach combo. was that thru the ship or did you do that on your own? how do i find that tour? sounds cool. thanks for your time.

[DireMongoose]

I know its only some peoples opinion, but have been told by a few who have been, its not worth the stop. Is it ? Not really hearing good things, any other opinions ? Would love to hear from others who have been. THANK YOU ahead of time. ( it is a port stop while cruising )

 

Well, it's in the eye of the beholder. Roatan is definitely a very undeveloped island relative to others in the Caribbean.

 

My parents went there last year and didn't much care for it.

 

Conversely, my wife and some friends and I went there a few weeks later (coincidentally on the same ship/itinerary) and it was by far our favorite stop. We'll go out of our way to go back.

 

If you like to scuba, Roatan is awesome for that. The three of us in the party that don't booked a private tour through Victor Bodden and had a great time with it.

[robvan]

Robvan,

We used Bananarama (that has a dive shop & snorkel rental), which is a small resort at West Bay Beach. The same driver has picked us up every time. That is where we've returned to stay. Every time we've been there, there are alot of taxi's bring cruise shippers to Banarama, so an option is just to ask a taxi to bring you there. If you like beaches and want to snorkel on your own, West Bay Beach is perfect. The cruise ship people occupy a portion of the beach (Tabayana)where the good snorkeling is, but you can walk down the beach and go in the same water they use. The whole beach is beautiful and there are several beach shacks & restaurants to get drinks, and there are shaded areas if you just want to sit and people watch. If you don't want to pay for a chair, bring your towel. There isn't much unique shopping, so I wouldn't plan to shop much. We have done other private tours, but not to the main tourist traps because we were making an effort to getting off the beaten trail. Regardless, it is one of the few ports where I would feel totally comfortable getting a private tour for my family. Just set your price ahead of time, don't be afraid to negotiate a little, or say no thanks. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Thanks for the info. I will add it to my plans

[ellie_p74]

We were just there with Carnival Valor and the port is very new with a few shops. But the surrounding town is very poor. But the island is beautiful. We went to Gumbalimba park for the parrot and monkey tour. If is a very nice park. We didn't get enough time at the beach because we were a later tour. So I wish we had more time. But they also had a nice inground pool there by the beach. It was about a 20 minute ride or so from the park to the port, but the views were great when driving. I'll see if I can get some pictures in here.

[vacationseeker]

We are looking to see the islands natural beauty and are wondering of this is it?

[astilbe]

I'm going on NCL pearl pn 3/15 to Western Caribbean with my 15 tr old son. What didyou think of the zipline? Maybe not for me as I'm over 50, but hw might like it if its safe...?

Thanks,

astilbe (my 1st post to this message board)