What cave tubing company uses the tubes with handles?

[conniejb]

Whe are bringing and 8 year old and I think I would feel better with those.

[shellgoodman]

I'm nervous about my 10 yr old as she is small and would love to know the answer. Is it completely dark the whole time in the cave. She might have a problem with that too.

[CocoaMom]

Whe are bringing and 8 year old and I think I would feel better with those.

 

 

I've seen a detailed review right here (sorry, can't remember which one) where the poster was very specific in pointing out that the big yellow tubes with handles were for people that had booked directly with carnival cruise ... if I remember correctly, the poster had not booked with carnival and didn't like the tubes he was using. It make take some time reading back, but eventually you'll find the post / see the pictures he posted.

[Deemuch]

We just came back from our Cruise in April. We did the Cave Tubing Excursion through Carnival and it was great. We were unsure if we wanted to go private tour, even though I have heard all the great reviews. We wanted to stick with the ship just because it would be their responsibility if anything happened as far as being late back to the ship etc...

 

We were happy with our choice. We were a group of 11 ( 6 kids, 5 adults ages 11 - 15yrs for kids ) and we were all linked together - 2 rows of 6, and we never had to do anything the whole time, just sit back in our tube while our guide pushed us. Each tube had handles & we just held each other handles to stay together. I actually didnt have to hold anyone, they held mine, and I held my camera, and we were fine. We did 2 caves. Second one was longer, and more to see. It`s dark BUT not completely dark unless you shut off your headlamps. I was under impression it was going to be pitch dark and worried my 11 yr old may not like that...but with all the people in the caves, our groups & all the other groups...there was lots of lights from the headlamps flickering around...so its not completely dark in that sense. The kids loved the excursion.

 

Our guide on the bus was Patrick & he was also our guide in the caves...he was great. My only disappointment if I had one, was that there was NO rapids, and I was expecting some flowing waters, and rushing along through the caves & outside the caves. Maybe we didnt have the chance to experience them because he was pushing us the whole time.....but I didn`t even get wet. Other than my butt, but thats it.

 

I actually took a risk and took my good digital camera with me, even though they stressed not to take anything with you, except maybe water camera. They have lockers there. I brought along a clear water protective bag for my camera with a string that I put around me neck. I didnt want to miss the advantage of taking some great pics. I kept taking the camera in & out of the bag....waiting for when I was going to get wet from the rapids. Never happened. I basically had the camera out the whole time, not even a splash. With not having to paddle around with our hands...I had them free to take all the pictures I wanted.

 

So good thing...I have some fantastic pictures!! but on the other hand I would have liked to have been able to move around a bit more on our own.

Maybe we hit a slow time on the river...so it wasnt as adventurous as I was thinking it was going to be...

 

by the way, they do take pictures of you along your way to the caves...but mine turned out way better, plus I took pics inside the caves of our group and the caves themselves which they did not.

 

 

Hope that helps.

[nomoredyess]

We just came back from our Cruise in April. We did the Cave Tubing Excursion through Carnival and it was great. We were unsure if we wanted to go private tour, even though I have heard all the great reviews. We wanted to stick with the ship just because it would be their responsibility if anything happened as far as being late back to the ship etc...

 

We were happy with our choice. We were a group of 11 ( 6 kids, 5 adults ages 11 - 15yrs for kids ) and we were all linked together - 2 rows of 6, and we never had to do anything the whole time, just sit back in our tube while our guide pushed us. Each tube had handles & we just held each other handles to stay together. I actually didnt have to hold anyone, they held mine, and I held my camera, and we were fine. We did 2 caves. Second one was longer, and more to see. It`s dark BUT not completely dark unless you shut off your headlamps. I was under impression it was going to be pitch dark and worried my 11 yr old may not like that...but with all the people in the caves, our groups & all the other groups...there was lots of lights from the headlamps flickering around...so its not completely dark in that sense. The kids loved the excursion.

 

Our guide on the bus was Patrick & he was also our guide in the caves...he was great. My only disappointment if I had one, was that there was NO rapids, and I was expecting some flowing waters, and rushing along through the caves & outside the caves. Maybe we didnt have the chance to experience them because he was pushing us the whole time.....but I didn`t even get wet. Other than my butt, but thats it.

 

I actually took a risk and took my good digital camera with me, even though they stressed not to take anything with you, except maybe water camera. They have lockers there. I brought along a clear water protective bag for my camera with a string that I put around me neck. I didnt want to miss the advantage of taking some great pics. I kept taking the camera in & out of the bag....waiting for when I was going to get wet from the rapids. Never happened. I basically had the camera out the whole time, not even a splash. With not having to paddle around with our hands...I had them free to take all the pictures I wanted.

 

So good thing...I have some fantastic pictures!! but on the other hand I would have liked to have been able to move around a bit more on our own.

Maybe we hit a slow time on the river...so it wasnt as adventurous as I was thinking it was going to be...

 

by the way, they do take pictures of you along your way to the caves...but mine turned out way better, plus I took pics inside the caves of our group and the caves themselves which they did not.

 

 

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks for the re-assurance, my wife and I are going to be doing this in Feb for sure now!!!

 

P.S. Thats gutsy with the digital camera, I think I will do the waterproof camera just in case!

[azkcruizers]

I spoke with Nacho of ncq adventure tours and he told me that he uses the yellow tubes with the handles as well.

 

Another company told me that new rules in November could possibly make all companies use these tubes but I don't think that is a definite yet.

[conniejb]

Thanks everyone. Really wanted to go with Major and Minor Tom but I really want those tubes with the handles. So if we book on our own with Jag Paw will we have them or only with Carnival?

[Lovestotravel07]

Just back from Belize on the Carnival Legend at the beginning of May. We did zip-lining and cave tubing with Nacho of NCQ Adventures, we had the big yellow tubes with handles, while everyone else had flimsy black tubes and they were all in lines with their feet tucked under each others armpits. Our guided allowed us to go on our own but we were feeling a bit nervous so we just grabbed a hold of each others handles to stay together, there were only 6 people in our group and it included a fabulous lunch. I highly recommend NCQ, will be booking the ruins tour with them next time im there.

[Brazengrrl]

NCQ. uses tubes with handles plus they use the real life vests like the ones for water sports.

[shagdancer]

Has anyone heard anything about x-treme cave tube and zip line or Island marketing? Anyone done the 2 as a combo? Have heard that ship time and belize times are different by 1 or 2 hours - any info? S.