Tabyana Vs. Mahogany

[Captain Carnival]

I’m sailing next month and will be visiting Roatan once again. I have already visited (and enjoyed) Tabyana Beach and am contemplating going to Mahogany this time, essentially to save the long bus ride and excursion fee too.

 

I am looking for some pros and cons for either beach from any of you that have actually visited both.

 

Thanks!

[golfadj]

We have only been to mahogany beach.

 

Thought it was one of the nicest ones we have been to and rather close to the ship which made it very easy.

[shipty2]

The water at Mahogany is not as clear as at Tabyana. At least it was not when we were there.

Mahogony is free and within waling distance while you have to take a cab to Tabyana.

[Stevesan]

The shore snorkeling at Tabyana is first rate.

Is that true for Mahagony?

[MamaParrotHead]

We didn't go to Mahogany, but as we were about moored right off of it, I got a good glimpse. To me, it looked like a beach somewhere like Disney...rather fake and the main view you have is of the ship, with ski-lift chairs running overhead and a backdrop of the mall type kiosks and stores of the pier area. Not my style, personally. Tabayana was one of the most gorgeous places I've been to, the other maybe being Rum Point in GC. I don't know that I could go back to Roatan and go anywhere else.

[Captain Carnival]

The shore snorkeling at Tabyana is first rate.

Is that true for Mahagony?

 

That's what I'm wondering too????

[heymonkey89]

Tabyana is one of the prettier beaches I've seen. I've heard Mahongany gets really crowded and kind of rowdy.

 

I'm thinking about doing a tour apart from carnival which takes you to West Bay beach which is were Tabyana beach is.

[kujobie]

That's what I'm wondering too????

 

I've never been to Mahogany, so I can't compare, but I've snorled at every port I have ever been to as well as many places in the Keys and elsewhere in Florida, and Tabyana Beach is easily in the top 3, if not the best snorkelling I have ever experienced. Don't miss it.

[janie315]

I was at Mahognay Beach in January. We took the "flying chairs" over to the beach for only $5. round trip, or you could walk...... there was no charge for beach chairs, they sold food & drinks. Beach for fine. One suggestion.... bring some Deet....there were sand fleas. There were some shops at the port too! This is a brand new beach. I believed it just opened in November!

[firefly333]

The chairs to Mahogany were $10 and they gave you a bracelet, for any many trips on the chair lift as you wanted. I was there last month ...

 

go back and forth to the ship for lunch or whatever and take the chair lift back to the beach

[PollyNJ]

Does anyone know if you can buy lunch at Tabyana?

[kujobie]

Does anyone know if you can buy lunch at Tabyana?

 

Yes. Food, bar, gift shop, live music, etc. It is a full on resort, but no lodging I don't think.. Just for day trippers.. And lemonade, punch, and water are provided free with the Carnival tour. Also, there are busses going back and forth to the ship every 1/2 hour, so you're not tied to a schedule, you can come and go as you please..

[golfadj]

The chairs to Mahogany were $10 and they gave you a bracelet, for any many trips on the chair lift as you wanted. I was there last month ...

 

go back and forth to the ship for lunch or whatever and take the chair lift back to the beach

 

We were there two weeks ago and there was no charge for chairs.

 

Nice reasonably flat walkway saw no point to take the chairlifts.

[rjm1cc]

I am not a beach person but have been to Mahogany. It was fine as far as I am concerned. However it is not good for snorkeling. The water may not be as clear as other beaches because the ships propellers can stir up sand which takes some time to settle. You can walk back and forth to the ship which can be nice. You can also get to the beach using a wheelchair.

[firefly333]

We were there two weeks ago and there was no charge for chairs.

 

Nice reasonably flat walkway saw no point to take the chairlifts.

 

There is a charge however for the chair lifts to get there...I wasnt talking about the chairs on the beach...it was 90 degrees the day I was there in May ....and very humid..the chair lifts were pretty popular in the heat.

 

I said the chairs TO Mahagany... ok chair lifts TO Mahagancy. the chairs on the beach would not get you TO Mahagany.

[Rockymountain]

I've gone to both beaches last week.

 

I paid for the $37.00 excursion to Tabayana Beach from the Carnival cruise. As you know, the ride is about 40 minutes long. I thought the beach itself was beautiful and the water gorgeous, clear, and calm but I didn't like the fact that there were people trying to sell stuff, have to get a massage, braid your hair, and constantly around you. When I got into the water, I always had to keep an eye on my bag on the lounge chair because I didn't want it to be stolen. Maybe I was a little more aware of my surroundings because I was by myself that day while my husband was on another excursion scuba diving.

 

When I got back to the ship, I walked the 7 -8 minute walk to Mohagany Beach. It was a pleasant walk and only the people from Carnival could be there. I can see why one of the posters said that it was too commercialized and Disney-like...but I wasn't haggled by one person trying to sell me something and I loved that. The beach was pretty, the water clear and calm...maybe not as clear as Tabayana but still pretty. Lounge chairs were lined up just like Tabayana area in rows of rows and you could rent a shade canopy/shell if you got too hot.

 

For me Mohagany Beach was better suited for me....still a pretty beach, free, no long bus ride there, no one constantly asking you to buy something or have a massage done, or feel like you needed to constantly watch your bags if you went in the water (although you should still keep an eye on it).

But I didn't go snorkeling at either spot so if you do snorkel, it sounds like Tabayana may be your beach to do it at.

 

I have pictures of both beaches but I can't figure out to post them on here.

[crewsweeper]

This topic has been discussed ad infinitum on the Roatan board in the Ports of Call Boards here. Opinions vary, but mirror comments made here. don't want to spent $ on excursion, stay at Mahogany Bay. Want to see Roatan and have a better snorkeling opportunity, go to Tabayana or any of the other West End/West Bay beaches.

[golfadj]

There is a charge however for the chair lifts to get there...I wasnt talking about the chairs on the beach...it was 90 degrees the day I was there in May ....and very humid..the chair lifts were pretty popular in the heat.

 

I said the chairs TO Mahagany... ok chair lifts TO Mahagancy. the chairs on the beach would not get you TO Mahagany.

 

oops, my bad.

maybe i need remedial course in reading.

[Captain Carnival]

Thanks all for the great information!

 

In essence, what I'm looking to do this cruise is try to minimize some of my costs by creating my own type of "self-excursions" dealing with the beach and/or snorkeling on my own.

 

As you all know, many of the CCL "sponsored" excursions can cost an arm and a leg (or other body parts) and I thought that perhaps I could curtail some unnecessary spending and redirect somewhere else i.e.: the upgrade fairy.

 

So as for Tabyana or Mahogany the jury is still out. I still have to figure out cost saving alternatives for Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Belize.

 

Any suggestions??

 

Thanks Again All!!

[A&Jfamily]

Thanks all for the great information!

 

In essence, what I'm looking to do this cruise is try to minimize some of my costs by creating my own type of "self-excursions" dealing with the beach and/or snorkeling on my own.

 

As you all know, many of the CCL "sponsored" excursions can cost an arm and a leg (or other body parts) and I thought that perhaps I could curtail some unnecessary spending and redirect somewhere else i.e.: the upgrade fairy.

 

So as for Tabyana or Mahogany the jury is still out. I still have to figure out cost saving alternatives for Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Belize.

 

Any suggestions??

 

Thanks Again All!!

 

Belize you really, really need a shore excursion. GC, you can just grab a cab for a quick ride to 7 mile beach, though the sting ray encouter is great. There are tons of beaches recommended on the Cozumel board.

 

But I will say I love Tabayana. We went early, and got loungers far to the right, up under a palm tree. If we walked back to the left we saw a few tables with vendors, where I bought cheap pendant and a couple of souveniers. The snorkeling from the shore is the best I have found - along with Goff's Caye in Belize. The other thing about Tabayana is you have that BEAUTIFUL ride up through the rainforests - the views are breathtaking. Have your camera ready should you chose to go there.

[MamaParrotHead]

Thanks all for the great information!

 

In essence, what I'm looking to do this cruise is try to minimize some of my costs by creating my own type of "self-excursions" dealing with the beach and/or snorkeling on my own.

 

As you all know, many of the CCL "sponsored" excursions can cost an arm and a leg (or other body parts) and I thought that perhaps I could curtail some unnecessary spending and redirect somewhere else i.e.: the upgrade fairy.

 

So as for Tabyana or Mahogany the jury is still out. I still have to figure out cost saving alternatives for Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Belize.

 

Any suggestions??

 

Thanks Again All!!

 

I'm normally NOT a "ship excursion" kind of gal, but honestly, the Tabayana deal isn't that bad. It's like $30 and includes your transportation, beach admission and lemonade/iced tea/water while you're there. I didn't have one person approach me to buy a single thing the whole day we were there. I think we really only bought one drink per person the time we were there (the "Monkey La La's" are fabulous!).

 

Grand Cayman you could either cab it to 7 Mile Beach, rent a car to hit Rum Point or do a private excursion for snorkeling. IMO the best Cayman has to offer is underwater.

 

Cozumel I'd cab it to Chankanaab or Paradise Beach.

 

Belize I'd honestly just stay on the ship. To me there wasn't much to see and you can really save money that way, LOL.

[Leilani8]

For roatan we took a cab and told him to take us to Tabyana. He took us to the Bananarama area and it was beautiful. It wasn't crowded at all, and there was shade to lay under or you could rent chairs and umbrellas. Never felt like I had to watch my stuff and was only asked once if I wanted a massage. A quick no thank you and they were on their way. If I remember correctly, we paid $20 each to have the cab take us to picture spots, the beach and return us to the ship.

 

GC, also took a cab to the beach. It was a van and we paid like $5 each. Stayed for a bit and then went to Senor Frogs ;) before walking back to the ship.

 

Cozumel, did the Tulum ruins excursion so I can't help you there. I think its worth it though.

 

Belize, we went cave tubing. Had a great time. It was $45 each. I wouldn't recommend it if you dont want to walk for at least 45 mins while carrying one of those huge tubes. Also, we got bit by ants so wear repellant. If we got the chance to do this cruise again, would stay on the ship for this port.

[libaid]

We just returned from our cruise and did Mahogany Beach in Roatan after having done Tabyana a couple years ago. Mahogany was nice but not for snorkeling. We really loved Tabyana but our entire group was looking to save some money. Also, if you want a raft/float you will want to reserve a clamshell as we couldn't get them any other way when we were there.

Knowing that we could go either way next time.

[TheSailinSOB]

Tabyana for sure! Still my favorite beach as of yet. Mahogany Bay seems so commercial.

[Go-Bucks!]

In essence, what I'm looking to do this cruise is try to minimize some of my costs by creating my own type of "self-excursions" dealing with the beach and/or snorkeling on my own.

 

I still have to figure out cost saving alternatives for Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Belize.

 

Any suggestions??

 

 

I'll share how I've had nice times in these places while keeping costs down. I've never taken their ship excursions, but you just have to be sure you get back in time!

 

I visited Roatan in 2003, which was when it was pristine and undeveloped. We walked into Coxen Hole and looked around, talked with locals, and sent some emails from an Internet cafe. Then we walked back to the pier (not sure if they still use the same pier now) and I bargained with a taxi driver to take us to the West Bay Beach for $20 round trip for 2 of us. And he stayed at the beach for the entire 4 hours we were there waiting to take us back! That was one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to. The water was light green-blue and warm as bath water and there couldn't have been more than 10 of us there. Our taxi driver found a couple of lounge chairs for us and we just swam and sunbathed. A couple "salesmen" approached us, but a smile and "no, gracias" worked.

 

In Cozumel, we hailed a taxi and for $10 we rode to Chankkanaab Park. It cost $10pp to get in. We enjoyed wandering around the ruins and jungle area, then plopped down on their chairs and vegged at the beach. My daughter went snorkeling and loved it.

 

In Grand Cayman, I also grabbed a $10 taxi that took us up to the far end of 7 Mile Beach to the free public beach! Again, the taxi driver waited for about 3 hours while we swam and sunned, then took us back. This beach also had very few people, but no chairs. I'm OK with just sitting on a towel so I didn't mind. During previous cruises I've been to the hotel beaches there, but all you're paying for is a chair and they're not cheap. The public beach was just as nice.

 

Can't help you much with Belize 'cuz when we were there we visited some friends who are missionaries and they took us to their home for a delicious homecooked Belizean meal (stewed chicken, fried plaintains, slaw, and more), then we ran errands with them to a local market, a hardware store, a bank, and to the airport to pick up some other missionaries. Frankly, I don't recommend taking a tour of the city - it's very dirty and depressing. Our friends live in a slum which was sort of scary to be in. The shops at the port were pretty nice, though. Do not venture past the port area unless you are with a tour - it's dangerous.

 

Hope that helps. I spent very little money but had a great time. Plan to go cheap again on my visit next year too. :D