OMG - Am I hooked??

[Timeshare Von]

So I did my first ever cruise with my sister just a month ago . . . a "short" 5 night from Tampa to the Bahamas. I had a great time and said I'd do it again . . . SOMEday. Well someday is going to be February 2024. Again out of Tampa, this time to Honduras, Belize and Cozumel for 7 nights on the same cruise line, but different ship . . . also with my sister. Again, she booked a solo trip, but when telling me about it, I was excited as Central America and particularly Belize, is on my "wish list" for travel.

Boy do I just L O V E being (mostly) retired. My REAL retirement date is May 2024, when I reach FRA and will start collecting SS.

 

[silentg]

Yes, once you start taking cruises, they do become addictive. We have taken two River cruises, a Panama Canal Cruise and are booked on a Trans Atlantic cruise next fall. Still love Timeshare vacations, but have scaled down to just a couple ownerships left. Enjoy your cruise!

 

[moonstone]

@Timeshare Von , we will be at our winter apartment in the northern part of Belize (Corozal) when you are on your cruise stop. It is a beautiful country so make sure you don't just hang around near the tender docks. Belize City is not a nice, or safe spot, to spend any time in. I would suggest taking an excursion to a Mayan site (Belizeans dont like them being called ruins), either Laminai (great 1-2 hr boat ride up a river to get to it from near Orange Walk town), or Altun Ha (a popular one for cruise excursions because its faster to get to). The Xunantunich site is south of Belize City and over at the western border of Guatemala. It is in the mountainous area of Belize and we hear it is very scenic even just driving there. It is on our list now that we have done the others. Have a great cruise!

~Diane

 

[Timeshare Von]

@Timeshare Von , we will be at our winter apartment in the northern part of Belize (Corozal) when you are on your cruise stop. It is a beautiful country so make sure you don't just hang around near the tender docks. Belize City is not a nice, or safe spot, to spend any time in. I would suggest taking an excursion to a Mayan site (Belizeans dont like them being called ruins), either Laminai (great 1-2 hr boat ride up a river to get to it from near Orange Walk town), or Altun Ha (a popular one for cruise excursions because its faster to get to). The Xunantunich site is south of Belize City and over at the western border of Guatemala. It is in the mountainous area of Belize and we hear it is very scenic even just driving there. It is on our list now that we have done the others. Have a great cruise!

~Diane

Thanks you Diane for the local insight and suggestions. In looking at the cruise line's excursions I'll admit nothing of interest really stood out for me . . . and that was disappointing as Belize is one of those places I've wanted to see & experience. I'm traveling with my sister, who is a bit of a cruise expert (having done MANY of them) . . . so I'll be largely following her lead. That said, I will definitely share your insights from a local perspective. Thanks again!

ADDED: I am on the R/C excursion site now. It is pretty sparse, what they have to offer on our Belize day:

Tiger Cave Zip Line Tubing Combo with Lunch​

Exclusive Crystal Cave Tubing and Lagoon with Lunch​

Bridges in the Sky with Cave Tubing Combo​

Belize City & Rum Tasting​

Goff's Caye Snorkel & Beach Break​

 

[TheHolleys87]

Thanks you Diane for the local insight and suggestions. In looking at the cruise line's excursions I'll admit nothing of interest really stood out for me . . . and that was disappointing as Belize is one of those places I've wanted to see & experience. I'm traveling with my sister, who is a bit of a cruise expert (having done MANY of them) . . . so I'll be largely following her lead. That said, I will definitely share your insights from a local perspective. Thanks again!

ADDED: I am on the R/C excursion site now. It is pretty sparse, what they have to offer on our Belize day:

Tiger Cave Zip Line Tubing Combo with Lunch​

Exclusive Crystal Cave Tubing and Lagoon with Lunch​

Bridges in the Sky with Cave Tubing Combo​

Belize City & Rum Tasting​

Goff's Caye Snorkel & Beach Break​

Do you use Facebook? If so, look for a FB group for your cruise - match ship as well as dates. Those FB groups are usually a great source of information about independent excursions that you can book with reliable companies who understand the necessity of returning to the ship on time. Also check Cruise Critic for your ports of call as well as for your specific cruise’s Roll Call, also a good source of information about doable private excursions.

 

[beejaybee]

We took a Celebrity ship excursion to the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins when in Belize. Perhaps a similar excursion will become available on your cruise.

 

[Timeshare Von]

Do you use Facebook? If so, look for a FB group for your cruise - match ship as well as dates. Those FB groups are usually a great source of information about independent excursions that you can book with reliable companies who understand the necessity of returning to the ship on time. Also check Cruise Critic for your ports of call as well as for your specific cruise’s Roll Call, also a good source of information about doable private excursions.

Yes I am very active on FB and used their groups for our last cruise, and have already joined the group for this upcoming trip too. Thanks. My sister is active with Cruise Critic, so I'll defer to her on that forum. (We were just talking about that earlier, as I already had A LOT of social media resources and didn't want to have one more "in my ear" so to speak. LOL)

 

[Timeshare Von]

Do you use Facebook? If so, look for a FB group for your cruise - match ship as well as dates. Those FB groups are usually a great source of information about independent excursions that you can book with reliable companies who understand the necessity of returning to the ship on time. Also check Cruise Critic for your ports of call as well as for your specific cruise’s Roll Call, also a good source of information about doable private excursions.

Regarding private excursions, we're already looking at a couple for Honduras & Cozumel. I understand the concerns of missing the ship . . . although I'm also hearing of concerning vehicle conditions in this part of the world. It's one thing for them to "KNOW" you need to be back by a certain time . . . another if the vehicle(s) used are in poor mechanical condition, etc. I'm sure we'll do our homework and due diligence before making a commitment to a private trip not booked through R/C.

Thanks so much for your insights and suggestions. I deeply value my TUG community!!!

 

[Icc5]

We've cruised about 15 times. Mostly. Caribbean Cruises but did full Panama Cruise a few years ago followed by a cruise from England the following year. We've done about 6 different cruise lines and like Princess the best and Carnival the least. Best cruise so far was East Coast New York to Quebec City. Next year we have Princess booked for 9 day Australia followed by a 10 day New Zealand. We will be on the same ship and have the same room for each trip.
Bart

 

[moonstone]

I would be very leery of using a private excursion in Belize knowing their roads and the frequency of accidents on them for destinations far outside of the city. I know the private companies say they get you back on time but there is always the 'what if'. At least on a cruise sponsored excursion and the tour is severely delayed returning they will wait, not so with a private one.

We have done cave tubing (near San Ignacio) and really enjoyed it. There was a woman in our group who found she was claustrophobic and had to leave the cave, but neither DH, DD or myself had any problems. The guide had everybody's inner tubes tied together so nobody got separated. I would like to try ziplining but with 2 shoulder and a knee injury I don't know that it would be a good idea.

Snorkeling at Goff Caye sounds good. It is a very small island but right on the reef. The waters are so clear it is amazing. I remember the first time visiting Belize on a cruise and DH & I were standing at the railing and were sure the ship was going to run aground getting close to the anchor spot as the water looked to be about 10ft. deep! Goff's Caye is about 15 miles away from where your ship will anchor off Belize City.


~Diane

 

[babysteps]

We did a private tour to Goff Caye 5+ years ago. Iirc we just got off the tender and chose a tour operator there. Very much enjoyed-loved the snorkeling!

I believe Viatour and others offer get-back-on-time guarantees if you book through them instead of direct.

Typically we DIY, often wandering on our own, renting a car, or hiring a taxi for the day. Belize City is not a wander-on-your-own place for us

Happy travels!

 

[Timeshare Von]

@Timeshare Von <<SNIPPED>> The Xunantunich site is south of Belize City and over at the western border of Guatemala. It is in the mountainous area of Belize and we hear it is very scenic even just driving there. It is on our list now that we have done the others. Have a great cruise! ~Diane

Hi again Diane and Happy Holidays! This is the one my sister & I REALLY want to do. We're a bit concerned because R/C doesn't offer it, but we've found a couple of other cruise excursion companies who do have it. It seems to be a bit tight on scheduling, with one company providing a guarantee to make it back to the ship on time. We're inclined to go with them, but the reviews say it's "about a 5 minute walk up hill from the parking lot to the site" . . . while another excursion company says to be prepared, as it's a mile uphill (which for me and my asthma & mobility issues could be an issue). This is the company/tour we're considering.

Have you been there yet? Any personal insight you can provide as a "local" . . . or perhaps you can connect us with someone locally who would be reliable and fair in representing this experience? I have always wanted to visit Belize and am starting to ponder whether or not by cruise ship is a good way to do so.

 

[moonstone]

Hi again Diane and Happy Holidays! This is the one my sister & I REALLY want to do. We're a bit concerned because R/C doesn't offer it, but we've found a couple of other cruise excursion companies who do have it. It seems to be a bit tight on scheduling, with one company providing a guarantee to make it back to the ship on time. We're inclined to go with them, but the reviews say it's "about a 5 minute walk up hill from the parking lot to the site" . . . while another excursion company says to be prepared, as it's a mile uphill (which for me and my asthma & mobility issues could be an issue). This is the company/tour we're considering.

Have you been there yet? Any personal insight you can provide as a "local" . . . or perhaps you can connect us with someone locally who would be reliable and fair in representing this experience? I have always wanted to visit Belize and am starting to ponder whether or not by cruise ship is a good way to do so.

Hi Yvonne, Happy Holidays to you too! No we haven't been to Xuantunich (yet). That tour company says it is a 90 minute drive to the site, but I would bet money on it that it is closer to a 2hr drive. It is only about 80 miles from the docks where your tender comes in, but the roads are not like those in the USA and you might be stuck behind a slow moving vehicle or need to stop for animals on the road. I'm not sure how long you have in port, but deducting 3-4 hrs of travel time might not leave you much time to explore the site. If the tour company guarantees that they get you back to the ship in time then go for it. Make sure to take good bug repellant (high DEET) and wear closed toe shoes and a hat. A bottle of water would be a good idea too as the heat can really sneak up on you and heat exhaustion is no fun, speaking from experience.

When we went to Lamanai we spent about 4 hrs exploring the various parts of the site. I am not sure how the size of Xuantunich compares to Lamanai. We did quite a bit of walking on fairly flat ground at Lamanai seeing the various sections, and I did climb up the back stairs to the top of one temple but not up the stone steps to the largest one. Between my short legs and arthritic knee, I knew it wasnt a good idea to try. Here is DH & DD climbing down from the tallest one.

and this is part of the grounds (Royal Complex) -you can see how relatively flat it is.

If you don't have time to see all that you want to see at the site that will give you a good excuse to book a separate trip to Belize for a week or 2 (or 3) of more exploring. I would be glad to help with more places to visit.


~Diane

 

[Timeshare Von]

Hi Yvonne, Happy Holidays to you too! No we haven't been to Xuantunich (yet). That tour company says it is a 90 minute drive to the site, but I would bet money on it that it is closer to a 2hr drive. It is only about 80 miles from the docks where your tender comes in, but the roads are not like those in the USA and you might be stuck behind a slow moving vehicle or need to stop for animals on the road. I'm not sure how long you have in port, but deducting 3-4 hrs of travel time might not leave you much time to explore the site. If the tour company guarantees that they get you back to the ship in time then go for it. Make sure to take good bug repellant (high DEET) and wear closed toe shoes and a hat. A bottle of water would be a good idea too as the heat can really sneak up on you and heat exhaustion is no fun, speaking from experience.

When we went to Lamanai we spent about 4 hrs exploring the various parts of the site. I am not sure how the size of Xuantunich compares to Lamanai. We did quite a bit of walking on fairly flat ground at Lamanai seeing the various sections, and I did climb up the back stairs to the top of one temple but not up the stone steps to the largest one. Between my short legs and arthritic knee, I knew it wasnt a good idea to try. Here is DH & DD climbing down from the tallest one.

If you don't have time to see all that you want to see at the site that will give you a good excuse to book a separate trip to Belize for a week or 2 (or 3) of more exploring. I would be glad to help with more places to visit.

~Diane

Thanks so much for the great insight. Some of the things you noted are concerns for us too. I think we've decided to skip Xuantunich (just to risky) and do Altun Ha. The same tour operator has a 4 hour excursion that includes that location so we're much more comfortable with the timing and making it back to the ship. I was telling my sister last night, that a cruise ship port stop really isn't the best way to sample Belize the way I want to, and that "some day" I may have to just make a real vacation to experience more of what I'm interested in.

 

[Timeshare Von]

@moonstone . . . R/C just posted an excursion offering for Altun Ha, so we've signed up for it! So happy to have something in Belize set . . . just 6 more weeks!

 

[moonstone]

@moonstone . . . R/C just posted an excursion offering for Altun Ha, so we've signed up for it! So happy to have something in Belize set . . . just 6 more weeks!

Great! You will enjoy it! My cousin & DW went there on their cruise excursion years ago & really enjoyed it but wished they had a little more time to explore the site.
Remember to take a water bottle and some bug spray and wear closed toe shoes if possible.

~Diane