crAZytwinmomma

We plan to snorkel in Bonaire. Any recommendations for a private snorkel company?  

2 adults, 2 teens and 1 child will be snorkeling. We prefer to find an option for a private snorkel to help ensure amazing snorkeling and because our youngest will be six. He has snorkeled in Costa Rica at age 3 and in Belize at age 4 and is a great swimmer, but it is easier to do a private experience with a great guide. 

When in a tender port, you must leave the ship via the ship provided tender. Any excursion however, may have the option to meet you once you are on land. On tender ports, it is wise to check the refund policy of an independent excursion provider to see if they will refund you if the ship is unable to tender.

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We love to snorkel so we did both

We used Happy And Grumpy tours in Belize and snorkeled in Ambergris Caye (look up on trip advisor)

In Roatan, we used Roatan Ocean Adventures (look on Fb or trip advisor)

We snorkeled and visited the Daniel Johnson Monkey and Sloth preserve

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http://roatanoceanadventures.com/

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Try Herbert at Roatan Ocean Adventures. He is on Fb too. He can create a personal day for your family. His house/business is right by the Daniel Johnson Sloth place so be sure to incorporate that too with him. He took great care of us when we visited.

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Snorkeling is better in Roatan than Cozumel.

In Roatan, we used Roatan Ocean Adventures

We arranged to be picked up & did two snorkel spots plus the Daniel sloths (which is literally right next to their place where we snorkeled)

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I’ve always made “dog tags” for my children. I have their name printed along with if lost call 123-123-1234. We have used them as necklaces on a chain, put onto a bracelet or even tied in shoe laces or made a belt and strung it through that.

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I have read of that happening - when we went we decided to go with Happy & Grumpy to avoid that very situation.

We enjoyed a well executed and stress free day including flying to Ambergris and snorkeling the whole day just hubby and myself with a personalized experience.

Good luck!

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Our first cruise our son was 4. We went cave tubing with Major Tom. Our son loved it! He sat on my husbands lap. Now our son could swim and was used to a life jacket, so they would make a big difference. But it was something he really liked.

Good to know that went well. My son can swim also (we have a pool at our house in AZ) and is used to wearing his coast guard approved puddle jumper for boating/ocean swimming.

I never thought of him on my lap. That could be an option. I’ll have to try it out in our local pool with a lazy river to get a better idea.... thanks.

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Thank you for sharing this! I'm having the hardest time trying to find the perfect snorkeling excursion in Belize for just my husband and I. We're only going to be there from 8am-5pm with Carnival Freedom. Grumpy & Happy seem like a good company, they are expensive but their reviews and website seem promising. Do you have any more tips? Was it difficult getting to and from Belize Municipal airport/Tourism Village?

We were able to get off the ship fast (we had purchased Faster to the Fun). On the Breeze there was a one hour time difference so we actually emailed happy and Grumpy early that morning and were able to get an earlier flight there and back so we flew back at 1:30 Belize time and last tender was 3pm Belize time.

Any taxi there should be fine. Just specify MUNICIPAL airport. The taxi there was $20

On the way back taxi from the airport was only $10 and there was a taxi there already waiting. The airport wanted us to change into dry clothing to fly back...

For us, we prefer private trips where we can have a lot of time in the water.

Jolene emailed us multiple times the morning of our arrival and was able to push ahead the flight times. So her communication was excellent. We only had email service so her prompt responses ensured a great day. Her taking care of all the flight arrangements really helped us relax and just enjoy the day.

On the boat, Johnny was great. He was in the water with us, pointing out so many things we would have missed. We saw nurse sharks, rays, eagle rays, lion fish, lobster, eel, barracuda, conch shells, various coral formations, sergeant majors, and many more. We also did the feeding nurse sharks - where Jonny and the other guide (Bergelio?) feed them while we were in the water snorkeling. Then we did a drift snorkel with Bergelio to see more of the reef.

The whole time we were snorkeling we avoided any crowds. It felt very personable and private.

They had water and pineapple on the boat. Next time, I’d bring a snack for flight back (I’m gluten free and there weren’t any places to buy food).

It was a bit pricey for sure but we really wanted the time in the water. One group on our ship booked the excursion taking boats there not the flight. On the way back, the boat ran out of gas. They were lucky to get into another boat that came to help that was nearby. Then THAT boat ran out of gas!!! A third boat came along, but smaller. Not everyone fit into the third boat. Some were left behind. I guess the people on the third boat made the “last” official tender. Luckily the people left behind made the “unofficial” last tender. With a lot of stress and a good story to tell!

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We booked our flight so we are definitely traveling back to Belize. We will spend three days in the “rainforest” to do ruins and cave tubing and seven days in Placencia for snorkeling and ocean time.

If anyone wants to add any favorite experiences or guides or any recommendations for us while we are in Belize please comment.

Thank you!

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My husband and I recently cruised with a stop in Belize, we snorkeled Hol Chan Marine and Shark Alley. Lots of fun.

We plan to return to Belize for a week with our family of five - our thirteen year old twin girls and our four year old boy.

Our family is pretty adventurous. Wondering any recommendations in general of “must do” activities or even guides/companies/excursions.

Also specifically wondering what adventures anyone with a four year old enjoyed.

We haven’t made any final plans but typically we use VRBO and stay inland a few days with another VRBO stay on the beach for a longer time to explore the ocean and to snorkel. We love snorkeling!

Last year in Costa Rica our son, who was three years old did a fish & snorkel day (we were “out” about four hours on a private boat, when snorkeling, we stayed where I could touch bottom if need and towed him along in a small clear bottom raft with his puddle jumper on). He also did an animal interaction at a rescue center, feeding monkeys, birds and other rescued animals from Costa Rican rainforest which he really enjoyed.

Our girls on our travel adventures over the years have enjoyed swimming with dolphins, surfing, horseback riding, animal interaction encounters, snorkeling and zip lining.

Any cave tours appropriate for 4 year old?

We’d love to see one of the ruins too. Any recommendations which one is the best?

The picture is a collage of a few of my son’s favorite adventures in Costa Rica last summer.

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Have you tried Herbert from ROA - Roatan Ocean Adventures?

We were in Roatan in October to snorkel and had a great experience with him ...

We ended up snorkeling three spots and stopping at Daniel Johnson’s to hold a sloth before heading back to the ship and checking out Mahogany Bay beach - Carnival’s port area.

http://roatanoceanadventures.com/

He is on trip advisor too.

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We were just there. It was a flat $20 price for any snorkel gear and a locker. Hubby and I just needed fins and a life vest. They had one “normal” vest and the rest were the kind you inflate yourself. I hadn’t used that kind before but after I asked how it worked it was fine :-)

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Just wanted to update we went with Happy and Grumpy. We arrived in port and took a taxi to the municipal airport. We took a plane to Ambergris Caye and snorkeled. We had a great time. In our day we did snorkel shark alley and Hol Chan. At the end we flew back and got back in time to shop the shops by the port terminal. The guys in the boat were very friendly and personable.

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We just spent the day in Roatan doing snorkeling and then going to Daniel Johnson’s Sloth hangout. We snorkeled through Roatan Ocean Adventures with Herbert and his team. Then since the Daniel Johnson’s Monkey and Sloth hangout is literally a few houses down the beach, we went there. Herbert then drove us back to port. We had a wonderful experience.

I’m not sure all the offerings through Herbert and ROA but if you plan to snorkel, consider reaching out. We were so impressed with him on our visit!

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Adding, the Sloth hangout tour is not an all day event. You definitively have time to add more to your day. I think admission was only $10 per person and I’m pretty sure you can book it directly. Herbert from ROA just took us there because I had mentioned I wanted to go (I didn’t know it was so close to him) and rain caused us to miss our last snorkel spot so he just took care our admission for us to go.

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We just spent the day in Roatan doing snorkeling and then going to Daniel Johnson’s Sloth hangout. We snorkeled through Roatan Ocean Adventures with Herbert and his team. Then since the Daniel Johnson’s Monkey and Sloth hangout is literally a few houses down the beach, we went there. Herbert then drove us back to port. We had a wonderful experience. You can find ROA on Facebook and trip advisor.

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Just coming back from our cruise and Roatan. We spent the morning snorkeling with Herbert from Roatan Ocean Adventures. It was so great! He picked us up just outside the port & took us snorkel hopping. We snorkeled two spots then did a drift snorkel. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. We had hoped to go to one more spot when a rainstorm started. We headed back and he took us to Daniel Johnson Monkey and Sloth hangout since we missed the last snorkel spot. Then he drove us back to port. I hope someday we can visit Roatan and stay the week to explore the area. We would definitely use Herbert and Roatan Ocean Adventures to help us plan our fun adventures.

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Thanks for replies. Glad to hear everything is good.

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How did the recent storms impact this port?

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Just wondering the latest.

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I can’t speak specifically to that port. When my youngest was 18 months we cruised & stopped in Cabo. We rented a boat for our family of 5 so we could adapt if needed. Worked great. Scenic ride, feeding the fish, hubby & older kids snorkeled while little one and I had a snack on the boat. Pulled up to beach & “swam” a bit. Brought his puddle jumper and a float toy he liked.

 

Last summer in Costa Rica he was three. He came for most our our adventures over the two weeks we were there. Including snorkeling. Rented a boat for us. Did fishing & snorkel. For snorkeling we brought a clear bottom raft from Amazon & he wore his puddle jumper. We clipped a few toys to raft. He looked at fish and played in the raft as I towed him along while I snorkeled. If course we had calm and clear waters and guide with us so that made it easier.

 

 

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All my kids love adventure. We’ve always just brought them along (planning for their age but also letting them experience the excitement of the vacation)

Edit- he also “surfed” with us ... mostly beach time while me & kids had surfing lesson and hubby watched him on beach. He got a surfboard ride at the end.

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I can’t speak specifically to that port. When my youngest was 18 months we cruised & stopped in Cabo. We rented a boat for our family of 5 so we could adapt if needed. Worked great. Scenic ride, feeding the fish, hubby & older kids snorkeled while little one and I had a snack on the boat. Pulled up to beach & “swam” a bit. Brought his puddle jumper and a float toy he liked.

Last summer in Costa Rica he was three. He came for most our our adventures over the two weeks we were there. Including snorkeling. Rented a boat for us. Did fishing & snorkel. For snorkeling we brought a clear bottom raft from Amazon & he wore his puddle jumper. We clipped a few toys to raft. He looked at fish and played in the raft as I towed him along while I snorkeled. If course we had calm and clear waters and guide with us so that made it easier.

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Thanks for all the responses. It seems like the area might be extra busy post hurricane since a few ships changed itineraries... we had thought Chakanaab but dislike snorkeling when it is crowded. We opted to try the pearl farm excursion.

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