Carnival ships not stopping at Belize News release

[yachtspecco]

Just wondering if anyone has specific experience with this particular excursion vendor in Belize? We'll be there in April and hopefully the Carnival / tender dispute will be over by then.

John

[AWCHIEF]

Update from John Heald on his facebook page today:

"news on Belize. we have now signed a new contract with the tender operators which includes some new big catamaran tenders. This will take a while to come into play but for the most part the ships should be back to normal calls. The Carnival Legend is there on the ports busiest day and there still will be a few calls ahead that will involve that ship calling elsewhere. Good news."

[Lady Patriot]

I'm glad I found this thread.

 

The issue wasn't with cost, but with safety, imo. I went on the Belize beach break off the Norwegian Sun in 2007. The tender operator scared the blank out of us!

 

It was a small boat in some choppy seas. Most of us got drenched in the rain and sea spray. The operator tossed out wet, muddy life jackets only after someone asked about them. He was taking turns so fast and hard the boat started to fill up with water, scaring even the most seasoned boaters. I don't think this guy was as concerned about our safety as he was his paycheck. I probably should have said something to the desk or the cruise line about it. Lord willing, we're cruising on the Pearl this year, and I'm going to talk to Norwegian about that. I just want to know if I need to update my will before going with them again. :eek:

[Belize Tourism Board]

To Belize Tourism Board:

 

Are you aware of any issues with NCL ships arriving in Belize. From what I have read this is limited to Carnival only.

 

Thanks!

 

Hi Cruzin Fool,

 

Carnival is the only cruise line that has canceled ship calls to date. Other lines have not indicated they plan to cancel any future calls.

 

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

 

Thanks,

BTB

[pitterpattershoppe]

Well, here's my response...

 

"At this time, there is no dispute with the tendor officials in Belize. Your cruise is scheduled to stop in Belize on Thursday."

 

I guessed they've been told not to say ANYTHING. :rolleyes:

 

-pitterpattershoppe

 

 

pitterpattershoppe,

I have been thinking about doing that now for the last week and 1/2. Part of me thought I would get a legitimate maybe somewhat intelligent

answer and the other part of me said exactly what you got!!!! Let me know if you hear anymore. I booked through a TA and not through Carnival, so i don't get emails or phone calls from them about anything. Our itinerary changed after we booked and if it wasn't for the roll call here on CC I would have never known. Geez:eek:

[Moononthebay]

The carnival ship The Valor was in Belize the same day the Ryndam was.

[jiffer72]

My sister is on the Carnival Legend right now and she was told that they will not be going to Belize. They are going to Costa Maya instead. She wish she was told that before hand. Carnival even let her book a excursions for the trip a few days before departing and still did not say anything. She was not happy about it. That was one location she really wanted to visit.

[heels_fan]

I wonder where the alternate port would be if the ship is already going to Costa Maya? Probably another Sea Day? UGH!!!

[ccbmom]

I wonder where the alternate port would be if the ship is already going to Costa Maya? Probably another Sea Day? UGH!!!

 

The ships that already were going to Costa Maya did go to another port -- I have not heard of an extra sea day.

 

This disturbs me that the Legend didn't go to Belize this week, and without warning! I thought they had everything worked out. :(

[heels_fan]

Any idea where those ships went? We are scheduled to go to Belize on the day between Costa Maya and Cozumel. Hmmmm... Thanks in adavnce for any info...

[ccbmom]

Any idea where those ships went? We are scheduled to go to Belize on the day between Costa Maya and Cozumel. Hmmmm... Thanks in adavnce for any info...

 

I believe they went to Roatan Honduras - Mahogany Bay.

[jsternberg1]

Cruzin Fool – I just read your review of your Spirit cruise. Great review. Thanks for sharing. We're goingon the same cruise in July staying in cabin 9051 which is just like the one you stayed in. Did you by any chance take any cabin photos. My wife wants to see the layout. We have two young children (8 & 11) and she wanted to see how crammed or not we might be.

 

Thanks for the wonderful review.

Jason

[miel0630]

Update from 7 News Belize on March 2, 2011:

 

Carnival Cruise And Eurocaribe Reach Compromise, Tender-ly

 

 

The boat tender crisis dominated the headlines weeks ago, but now it has receded into the background - the victim - most likely - of too much hype and too little progress.

 

But now, according to an industry website called cruise critic.com - there's been a significant development. Cruise Critic reports that there has been an agreement on the tenders, but warns that it won't put an end to port cancellations by Carnival.

 

Carnival spokesman Tim Gallagher told Cruise Critic that the cruise line had signed a contract with its previous tender provider - which is Eurocaribe, and its tendering subsidiary, Maritime Estates.

 

As we understand it, Eurocaribe will continue to subcontract the small tender operators - which means that after all these weeks of back and forth, we end as we began on January third.

 

According to carnival, their ships will now be serviced by larger, more comfortable tenders, and (Eurocaribe) is in the process of acquiring some additional large tenders.

 

And that's where the cancellations come in: Until those extra tenders are in service, Belize will have a shortage of Carnival-approved tenders on days when Carnival Valor and Carnival Legend are in port alongside Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas.

 

Carnival Legend has cancelled its Belize call scheduled for March 10, and the next possible cancellation would be Legend's March 24 visit. Carnival says that the new tenders will be in place by the end of March. Eurocaribe could not give us any comment.

 

 

Well, this sounds promising! I sure hope the Valor stops there on 4/7/11. However, I have confirmed that RCCL is supposed to be there that day, too.

[ccbmom]

 

Well, this sounds promising! I sure hope the Valor stops there on 4/7/11. However, I have confirmed that RCCL is supposed to be there that day, too.

 

It seemed to me that the last few weeks it was always the Legend that was diverted to Costa Maya when the RCCL was in Belize on the same day.

 

The next few weeks it appears the RCCL is not in Belize, so the Legend is supposed to dock there.

[miel0630]

Hmm.. interesting. I confirmed here the Valor, Legend, and RCCL's Voyager of the Seas are all 3 supposed to dock there on April 7. I really hope everything's worked out by then.

 

Until I read this article, I thought the "disagreement" was strictly regarding money. I never thought about there not being enough tenders to efficiently get cruisers to shore when multiple ships call on the port on the same day.

[ponboy13]

Just got back from the Carnival Dream cruise that stopped there on March 8, 2011. Long tender ride for not much going on in port. Treat that port as a sea day IMHO.

[Cruzin Fool]

Not much to do??? Are you for real? I guess if you just get off at a port and look around, yeah there isn't much to do. If you take the time to read about the excursions in Belize you will find that this is one of the best ports of call in the area.

 

You can go to see the ruins, cave-tube, snorkel, zip-line, go to the Belize zoo, soak up the sun on a beach or a small island, dive, snuba or snorkel at the barrier reef or rent a boat to go fishing. That's just to name a few.

 

I can't think of many ports of call where I would be very excited if I just hung out at the pier and the immediate surroundings.

 

Treat Belize like a sea day? Hope you're on a really big ship with lot's to do considering most ships are a ghost town on port days...

[Cruzin Fool]

Cruzin Fool – I just read your review of your Spirit cruise. Great review. Thanks for sharing. We're goingon the same cruise in July staying in cabin 9051 which is just like the one you stayed in. Did you by any chance take any cabin photos. My wife wants to see the layout. We have two young children (8 & 11) and she wanted to see how crammed or not we might be.

 

Thanks for the wonderful review.

Jason

 

 

If you are in the same size cabin as I was then you will have PLENTY of room. It was twice the size of a standard inside cabin. There were 4 of us - My wife, My 17 year old 6'+ tall son and my 14 year old nearly 6' tall son and myself. We had more than enough room...

 

If you do a search in this forum for your stateroom number or 6035 / 6535 you will find threads with plenty of pics. Enjoy the cruise!

[miel0630]

Not much to do??? Are you for real? I guess if you just get off at a port and look around, yeah there isn't much to do. If you take the time to read about the excursions in Belize you will find that this is one of the best ports of call in the area.

 

QFT (quoted for truth).

 

I really hope we stop in Belize City. My husband and I would really like to visit Caye Caulker for the day.

[miel0630]

Hmm.. interesting. I confirmed here the Valor, Legend, and RCCL's Voyager of the Seas are all 3 supposed to dock there on April 7. I really hope everything's worked out by then.

 

Until I read this article, I thought the "disagreement" was strictly regarding money. I never thought about there not being enough tenders to efficiently get cruisers to shore when multiple ships call on the port on the same day.

 

Has anyone read or heard anything regarding the tender situation in Belize City? I just read a review over on the Carnival board that the Valor stopped there during its March 6-13, 2011 cruise. The poster mentioned that the only other ship in port that day was RCCL's Voyager of the Seas.

[brnsnbrws]

Has anyone read or heard anything regarding the tender situation in Belize City? I just read a review over on the Carnival board that the Valor stopped there during its March 6-13, 2011 cruise. The poster mentioned that the only other ship in port that day was RCCL's Voyager of the Seas.

 

I read quite awhile ago that the tender situation was resolved. Haven't heard of any ship missing that port in awhile due to tenders.

[ccbmom]

Carnival Legend stopped there March 31. We went cave tubing with .com and had a great time.

[Artisticgirl]

O.K. so now I'm totally freaked out! I am pre-booking my excursions and if we start porting on different dates than what is on the itinerary or not going to ports at all it completely blows my preparation and possibly my whole trip.

 

How do you pre-confirm you will be porting where they say and when?

[mitsugirly]

Anyone know if NCL is effected by this as well?

[OCruisers]

We are very interested in this thread because we have a port stop scheduled there in January ... and have been and totally enjoyed Belize!