_beachgirl_

Here is a link to the website of the water taxi we used. http://www.belizewatertaxi.com

Depending on the time of year you go there may be a difference in 1 hour due to day light savings.

I found this picture in my album that shows you the ground pretty well.

Hope this helps.

Gosh, I wish I had a better memory so I could give you definitive answers.

Yes it is on the mainland. You will be taken right to Daniel's house. The sloths hangout in trees in his backyard that hang over the ocean.

As far as steps or soft sand, I don't remember any steps at all. The ground is compacted hard sand from what I remember. I would definitely contact Daniel and ask him about accessibility to be sure.

I'd recommend hoping on the water taxi and heading over the Caye Caulker for the day. It's an easy walk from the pier and reasonably priced. If you don't want to waste any time at all, flying is also an option. I believe there are 2 airlines that fly but I'm not sure on the names of those. Maybe someone else can chime in.

Once at Caye Caulker I'd recommend a visit to Caveman Snorkeling Tours. He's amazing. Give him a google over on Trip Advisor or look up some of his reviews here. He's great and we had a blast with him. His private tour price is also reasonable in my opinion. Especially if you can get together a group of 4.

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Here is a link to the little review I wrote up about our cruise if you'd like to look at pictures or read any more info. Our day with Daniel is on page 3.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2312771&page=3&highlight=daniel+johnson

I'm sure you will have a fantastic day no matter what you pick. It really is a beautiful island and the monkeys and sloths are truly a highlight.

That's really strange about the gate. I really don't remember one at all. Perhaps your friend was off the ship early or coming back late? Or maybe I'm just not remembering clearly.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Did you see anything else at Roatan with him?

 

I was only able to find a Facebook page on Daniel Johnson. Is that how you contacted him? When I look at trip advisor it has reviews of Daniel Johnson's place from Island Marketing Ltd Roatan Cruise Excursions.

 

I was speaking with a friend who has been to this port several time and she "warned" me against doing any private tours at this port. She said there is a large gate separating the port from the island that has to be opened for you to enter and exit and sometimes it is difficult to get someone to open it. She said it is very dangerous to go outside the gate without being on a cruise excursion.

 

I'm sorry for so many questions.

He showed us around most of the island while giving information and facts about the culture and people. We stopped at a gas station where he went in with us to recommend snacks and help us order local food. We stopped at a few beaches and also at a little lighthouse you could go up in and get a view of the island from a higher point. He talked a lot about his life and what it was like growing up there. He gave us some information about the local politics and infrastructure. He was really interesting. In some of the other reviews I read, it was his mom that did the tour portion for people.

Yes I contacted him directly though his Facebook page. He normally answered within about 24-48 hours.

Are you going to be docking at Coxen Hole or Mahogany Bay? We were at Mahogany Bay and there was no gate like that but it is owned by Carnival. We just walked out of the area and then up a little hill and all the vendors were there waiting for signs. I would definitely not just rent a car and go driving around myself. Though lots of people do. I'm a bit of a nervous nelly but I felt safe with Daniel. I think if you go with someone who is well reviewed (Victor Bodden, Rony's Tours, Daniel Johnson), or with the cruise line, you will be in great hands. But don't just leave the area with a random vendor or go off by yourself.

I booked directly with Daniel and he drove us around himself. We were with another family in an air conditioned van. We could have had a separate car if we wanted but we were fine with sharing.

How long did you spend at Daniel's?

About an hour or an hour and a half. We toured around the island, stopped to get local snacks, went to a lighthouse, went back to his place to see the animals and hold the monkeys and sloths. Then we went over to the iguanas because some in our group wanted to do that as well. They paid an additional $10 or so if I remember correctly to do that. Then we went back to the ship. The day with him was from 9-1 because we only had a short day in port (the ship left at 2). I wished we had longer so we could have done the snorkel portion as well.

Had an amazing day with Daniel. He showed us all around the island and we stopped for a visit at his property to hold the animals. Daniel is extremely well informed and very nice. He answered all our questions and gave a ton of information about the island, the culture, and the animals in his care. I would highly recommend him.

I fully recommend Caveman Snorkelling. You can get a private boat with him for a very good price.

Any further updates?

We posted in our roll call and found another lovely couple that split the cost with us. Perhaps that might work for you too?

I really enjoyed my day with Caveman snorkelling. Depending on the number of people you have in your group, he tends to be cheaper and offers a private boat to your group. You do have to use the water taxi service yourself to get there and back though.

If the travelling on your own makes you nervous, might be best to book through Carnival. It will probably be a very large group though.

We didn't have any problem at all. Ronnie asked us when we arrived what time we needed to be back and he got us back 30 minutes before we needed to be. The walk between the water taxi and Caveman's place is only 5-10 minutes.

It's just a short little review. Caveman is on the second page.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2312771

Hi Sleepylove83. My husband and I did the private snorkelling tour (half day) back in January of this year. It was AMAZING!! We actually found another couple on our roll call that split the cost with us so it was only $50 a person and we had a boat for just the 4 of us with our guide Ronnie (who was really awesome).

If you have any specific questions I'm happy to help you out. I also did a review of the tour which I can link you to if you are interested.

Thank you so much for this review. I too have sailed NCL once and swore them off. I've been debating the Escape because it looks really great but wasn't sure if I should give them another try or not. Your review has convinced me to give their newer ships another chance!

So is Lobster/formal night the 2nd night of the cruise? Do you have any of the MDR menus? I see Eastern ones but I wonder if they are the same.

 

P.S. We have a cabana booked for Mahogany Bay but the sloth thing looks so much cooler!

Yes lobster night was the second night (Sunday). Wish I had made it! :p

Unfortunately I don't have any of the menus. Didn't think to take pictures at the time. The sloth visit was an absolute blast!!

We took the water taxi over to Caye Caulker and snorkelled with Caveman. It was a fantastic day and I fully recommend his tour company.

Snorkel! You'll only have so many chances to see the second largest barrier reef.

On his fb page it says he is only open Monday and Saturday, is this correct?

We were there on a Wednesday. I'd send him a message just to make sure.

I'm just going to echo what the others said. To really enjoy the snorkelling you really would need to do a boat tour.

Can anyone tell me how long the drive is from the port to the sanctuary and also how far is the walk to the sanctuary? My mobility is a bit limited so I'm wondering about the distance. Thanks in advance.

Hi Sherrie,

It depends which port your will be docking at. Mahogany Bay is closer than Coxen Hole but neither are walking distance to the sanctuary.

I have experience with the Mahogany Bay port (you have to walk out of the tourist area and up a small hill). I believe you can rent a taxi to take you up the hill for a couple of dollars since you said mobility is an issue. If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them for you.

The best way to go would be to contact Daniel. He will pick you up at the hill and bring you straight to his place. Once you are there, he just parks in his driveway and you walk to his backyard. It's not far at all. When you are done he will take you straight back to the port. He has an option to do an island tour as well if you are interested in that.

We sail this week...I was sort of planning on the ferry and taking the 1:30 back. I hadn't seen this thread before and now am not sure on the ferry back? I wonder if it is more reliable now? Did any recent cruisers have success with the1:30?

Took it there and back in January without an issue.

Reading through this and wondering if there's anything at Caye Caulker for us? We were thinking of visiting but neither my wife nor I drink and all the suggestions here are to stop at bars and have drinks lol. Any help is appreciated!

 

Thanks!

If you snorkel this is absolutely one of the best places in the world to do it.