Awaiting review, Wallace River/Altun Ha Carnival Tour

[oooohDonna]

I can't find the thread, but I someone said they were doing this, I think this week, so waiting for them to return and tell me about it. :D

My cruise is 8 more days, woohoo.

[fourcruisin]

We did this excursion a couple of years ago. We enjoyed it but it was a long day. Took the river ride first. Had a stop at a small "restaurant" before boarding the bus to Altun Ha ruins.

The ruins were great. I enjoyed hearing the history etc. Members of our party climbed to the top.

 

The bus ride back was long and everyone was very tired at the end of the day. I would do it again though. Good excursion.

[oooohDonna]

We did this excursion a couple of years ago. We enjoyed it but it was a long day. Took the river ride first. Had a stop at a small "restaurant" before boarding the bus to Altun Ha ruins.

The ruins were great. I enjoyed hearing the history etc. Members of our party climbed to the top.

 

The bus ride back was long and everyone was very tired at the end of the day. I would do it again though. Good excursion.

 

 

sounds good, thanks!

[1barrel]

We did this last August. We got on the bus and left the port area for the ruins. Our tour guide told us a lot about the city and the surrounding country side. When we arrived at the ruins we followed our guide who told us of the history of the place. We got to climb up one of the buildings for a birds eye view of the site. There were some young boys at the site with a few critters that they would let you hold for a "buck". This was our first time to tour anything like this, we enjoyed it. We got back on the bus and drove to The Black Orchid Resort on the river. While we were there we ate lunch, (inexpensive), and bought some crafts made by some of the local people. We the got on an open boat and toured the river. We saw iguanas, crocs, bats, monkeys, birds and manatees. The boat dropped us off back at the tender dock . I enjoyed the whole excursion.

[Tinker326]

Hi- it wasn't me that posted before but I did just get off this tour last week. We were on the Carnival Glory and stopped on March 24th in Belize.

 

We gathered in the Amber Palace at 8:15 and were on the first tender over. They lined us up in the terminal and we boarded a bus. The bus ride was about an hour long through Belize City & the countryside. We saw all the children going to school at this time. We also got a nice chiropractic adjustment on the bus ride going through country roads at 50mph over potholes big enough to swallow Rhode Island. This infrastructure alone made me glad to book through Carnival in case the tires blew or something & we got stranded....

 

We arrived at Altun Ha and there was a 2 year old little girl standing out with a turtle you could hold & then give her a buck. My girls were captivated by the turtle! :)

 

There was a tour given at the Ruins and you were not really 'left alone' to do your own thing. Which was good and bad - Good from a safety standpoint as I hear there can be crime targeted at tourists here (although we saw nothing that made us uncomfortable and we had two small girls with us).. but bad becasue I would have liked to explore on my own some more.

 

We got to walk to the top of one ruin & then back down and back on the bus for a 30 minute ride to Black Orchid Resort where we could purchase lunch (I thought expensive for what they gave us.. like $8 for a tiny burrito thing and $2 for a bottle of coke). We boarded a boat and spent about 1.5 hours on the boat- saw crocs (about 5 of them), bats, iguanas, birds, manatee & dolphins. I thought the boat ride was neat.

 

We arrived back in port with about an hour to spare. Overall, the tour was nice. I'm not one for ship excursions- I don't like large groups on large tours. But based on safety warnings, I did book through Carnival and was glad I did it. The tour group was small (maybe 30 people) and our guide was very good. I had young children which had I known more, I may not have booked for them- it was a bit 'adult' for them. They did enjoy the river ride a lot.

 

Most of all, I never felt unsafe. Which was a big concern considering my children. We had an armed guard on our bus and I'm guessing that maybe our guides might have been armed too. But I don't know that for sure. No shady characters nor did anyone approach us. Going with a group was the safe way to go. IT was worth the price- a good tour- considering that I don't like ship tours.....

 

I hope you go and enjoy it. And sorry this is so long! :)

[Le Cruiser]

We just returned from the Valor 3/22 cruise, and did the River Wallace-Altun Ha tour. It was great!!! If you go to http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=53287 you can read my review, and go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/lecruisers322valorcruise/sets to see some of the photos. You'll love this tour, especially if you get Jewel as a guide!

[oooohDonna]

Tinker,

Thanks for the review. For some reason I thought the river part was first. Maybe that depends on which time you book? I DID book the 8:15 tour but got a email a couple of weeks after booking saying they moved us to 8:45. THEN others in our group, 6 of them, booked the 8:15 one, after me, and they did not get a email...that is annoying :(

But we wanted to be on same tour so hoping can get that fixed once on board with excursion desk....ok I am rambling off the subject now! Sorry!

That sounds really cool though, especially the river and all the wildlife you saw! I don't normally book with the cruise ship either but like you said, with it being Belize and the length of time involved we felt way more comfortable doing that this time. And a armed guard? Wow.

So, was it HOT HOT HOT? Would you need bug spray (Off) or something?

Any other tips or advise?

[oooohDonna]

We just returned from the Valor 3/22 cruise, and did the River Wallace-Altun Ha tour. It was great!!! If you go to http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=53287 you can read my review, and go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/lecruisers322valorcruise/sets to see some of the photos. You'll love this tour, especially if you get Jewel as a guide!

 

 

Thanks! I'm at work so could not view the pics...the dreaded red "x" thing. Have to check them out from home but sounds like you enjoyed what I am about to enjoy!! :D

[oooohDonna]

Is the same tour guide/operator with you the entire time? On the bus and the river boat tour?

I was wondering about side tipping. How many people would there be to tip?

[Tinker326]

Carnival does run them several ways.... We were on the 8:15.

We met up with another group at the resort for lunch. After the lunch they boarded our bus. And we boarded their boat. They must have been on the 8:45? Although we had a group right behind us, also from Carnival that did bus first, then boat. THey were about 15 minutes behind us most of the time- I don't know how they ran it?!?! :) I just went where I was told!

 

We had the same 'tour' guide the entire trip & I'm totally blanking on his name- but he was good. Marco maybe? Then a bus driver and the armed guard on the bus & two boat drivers. We tipped the bus driver a few bucks & the tour guide about $20 (we had 4 people in our group). And several dollars for the boat people (maybe $5 total).

 

I didn't expect to see as much wildlife as we did as the boat was loud- but it's plentiful. They get right up to the crocs & manatees & dolphins. Our guide did a great job of spotting the wildlife. It wasn't too hot - we had strong winds our whole trip so they were present even in Belize. And the tour guide told us no need for spray- but we brought it and used it. After all, it is jungle & malaria is present. No chances! :)

 

You are doing the same cruise we did. Glory Western 2 weeks ago- we hit all the same ports- hope you enjoy it. We did!

 

My only advice- expect a sore back from driving over those roads!!!! :)