Coral Breeze - Cave Tubing! Great Experience!

[jaycee200]

Hi there!

 

I finally figured out how to get the "online photo album" thing to work and wanted to write a little something about what a great time we had on our Coral Breeze Cave Tubing Trip! The following is an email I sent directly to Coral Breeze, letting them know of our trip! Carlos really was great and we all had such a blast! At the end is my "online photo album" if anyone wants to sneak a peak at some of the pics!

 

It was a great deal (I believe it was $59 per person WITH lunch included at AMIGOS, which was a very cool experience). Carlos took great care of us, and the registration in advance was very easy

 

Anyway, here is the exact email I sent to them, which I am going to re-use as my review here! :)

 

-------------------

Dear Coral Breeze Limited,

 

We have returned from a great cruise last week on the NCL Sea. I heard about Coral Breeze through a community cruise website (Cruisecritic), and decided to book myself, my mom and my sister on your Cave Tubing Adventure.

 

It was an amazing trip! The directions/information/payment/meeting place were all easy to follow, and I was glad it was so easy to meet up with the tour at the dock. Our tour guide was Carlos Speedy Gonzales. Can I just say he was awesome and amazing?! We had the best time. I believe there were about 10 others in our group, and he took great care of each and every one of us!

 

The ride out to the river was very informative and interesting and I loved all the tid bits and stories that Carlos told along the way! They made the drive seem MUCH shorter!

 

Now, I have to be honest, being a "Plus-Plus sized woman", I was VERY concerned about a) if I physically would be able to complete the trip and b) if my size would hinder my ability to "float" and keep up with the rest of the group. Though during the walk, it did take me a little longer to catch up with the rest of the group every now and then, Carlos always would allow for me to catch up by telling a story or sharing some information, so that I didnt feel like I was dragging behind the rest of the group. Much appreciated! :)

 

I loved the tubing adventure! It honestly was the best excursion we did on the entire cruise! The water was a little low, and being plus sized, I think I had more "butts up" points than some of the others, but when it got really shallow, Carlos was always there to give me a hand and help me get over the shallow rocks until it got deeper!

 

Anyway, I'm rambling here. I loved the tour, we were all taken care of, had a blast and I sincerely think Coral Breeze has one of the best values out there... Great Tour, Friendly Guides, great meal to try at Amigos... and all for about 1/2 the price of the more crowded Cruiseline excursion!

 

I met some new friends during our cave tubing adventure, and definitely have stories to share with the people back home, and I loved both the service, food and excursion!

 

Thanks so much!

-Jill

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And last but not least, some hilarious photos of our Cave Tubing adventure!:p

http://community.webshots.com/album/339568513wRecFV

[Super89]

Jill, it looks like you had a great time tubing. We are going on our first cruise in August and are going to Belize. Cave tubing is our first choice for a shore excursion so I was glad to get some info and see some pictures. We are going on Carnival so I am hoping I can use this outfit too. I really have no clue how these things work but am sure happy to learn! Sue

[momnfrisco]

Thanks for much for sharing! Looks like you guys had a great time.

 

What were the hours that NCL was in port? Did your ship time adjust to port time? How much time did you have when you returned to the pier area before your last tender?

 

Thanks,

Momnfrisco

[jaycee200]

HI MomnFrisco!

 

Thanks for replying! Good to see my time typing and rambling away was helpful!

 

We went on the NCL Sea (Departing from Houston), and we docked in Belize at 7:00 and were off the boat by about 8:15 or so. The ship doesn't adjust to the port times, it sticks to the "departure port" time, in our case, Houston, TX. So, the time difference between Belize and Houston was an hour. Check out this link, they explain it better! :)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=163459

 

After our tour, we had about an hour to walk around the shops there before the last tender went back (I'm not sure which tender we were on, but there were several before the 4pm last tender out), so there is plenty of time to do a lil' shopping (lots of shopping to be done, and the shops are all very "condensed" together, so you can cover alot of them in a short amount of time) :)

 

[excitedcruiser]

We have booked with the same company and look forward to it in August. A couple questions for ya. Did you change before the tubing or just wear your swimsuit? What do you do with all your stuff while you are cave tubing? Do they offer water before the tubing and after the hike there? What were you served for lunch?

[jaycee200]

Hi there!

 

We wore our swim stuff on the van ride and then carried a backpack with us on the van, that had a change of clothes for us, and slipped off anything that couldnt go with us in the water.

 

But, once you arrive at the location, that is where the changing rooms are. Some people did not have their swim clothes on, some did, so we took about 10 minutes for restroom break prior and for people to change their clothes and get situated. For the actual walk/tubing, we were asked not to bring anything that could fall off, even sunglasses, unless you had one of those "floating, hold them on your head things" (What the heck are those called??! : ) ). After changed, we put all of our bags, etc. BACK into the van and they locked it up. There were a number of other vans on the same tour, doing the same thing, and I was not at all worried about my stuff being stolen.

 

On the ride in, there was a cooler with water bottles available for us (free), and I had my water bottle with me on the walk/tubing because it was one of those holder things that floats, but I didnt drink out of it at all while tubing, so not at all necessary :)

 

I would recommend some bug spray though. I didnt get bit, but hey, an easy enough precaution to spray some on while doing the clothes changing/restroom break.

 

Afterward, we ended up at the same place we started and everyone went off to change their clothes (I believe there were 10 men and 10 women changing rooms, in addition to a number of restroom stalls, so plenty of room!) and were given bottled water on the ride over to AMIGOS.

 

AMIGOS was fantastic. Very nice people and very cool atmosphere. We were served a chicken dish and a rice dish on the side with a soda. I honestly can't describe either the chicken or the rice, it was a unique taste that I hadnt tasted before, but it was fabulous! Unique spices that had tons of flavor but wasnt SPICY per se (I don't do spicy... Medium Salsa is too much for me! :) ), and there was a sauce that we were given to pour over the rice, which definitely had a kick! There were a few in the group who refused to try the meal, which I can respect their desire to not want to "eat in a foreign country", but it was an amazing meal, and very delicious and no one got sick or anything like that, so please give it a try :)

 

So, may I suggest the night before your excursion, pack a water camera, some bug spray, and a change of clothes and have a great time! :) Water is provided on the way there and back and soda and water provided at lunch. As far as the sunglasses, either get one of those "floaty" things, or they really arent needed, esp. during the cave parts :)

[excitedcruiser]

Thanks so much for all the info. You gave me so much information. Looking forward to it very much. One more quick question. Do you tip you guide?

[jaycee200]

Oh my gosh! How funny is this?? I saw your post yesterday, but couldnt for the life of me remember!! So, I waited until this afternoon to ask my Mom and Sister and neither of them could remember either!

 

It was either $5 or $10 per person that we did... whichever it was, I threw in an extra $5 for having to deal with me :) I hate to put a price out there and people read it and either feel obligated to give that much if it is high or if it is low, set a precedent that would have the guides making less than they should!

 

But the honest answer is, I have I no recollection of which amount we gave per person :) So, I'll have to give the "ol' standby answer" of, give whatever you are comfortable with and how pleased you are with the service you receive ;)

[keystonegirl]

Thanks so much for the review.................we have this same excursion booked on the Sea next week with Coral Breeze. We know of 1 other couple who booked with CB on our ship. Do you think they take all of us together, or different guides for each reservation?

[cruzn buckeye]

Thanks for the review! We are considering this excursion also with Coral Breeze. I will say that last year we had a tour to Caye Caulker booked with Coral Breeze in September. Due to a hurricane, our itinerary was changed from western to eastern and we missed Belize. Coral Breeze was very quick at crediting back our charge card and we will probably try to use them again as they seem to be very trustworthy and many people talk so highly of them!

I have two questions:

How many minutes is the walk and how rough is the ride to the starting point?

One more:

Do you have to jump into the river from a high spot or do you walk in? I have read that you have to jump on some tours from 15 feet. This is not for me! If it is a walk-in starting point, I would love to do this!!!

 

Thanks

[keystonegirl]

I just went and read the website info again, it doesn't say anything about jumping in. I think there is a tour that offers a jump but it is optional. Here is what the CB website says about the physical part of the tour..................

 

Level of Physical Exertion:

You must be 8 years or older to participate.

To fully participate may require extended periods of walking over even and uneven surfaces, steep terrain and/or water activity in a slight current. There may be steps, inclines, cobblestone surfaces, and extended periods of standing. Participants with physical limitations should take this into account.

[jaycee200]

Let's see! I love all these questions, get to feel important and knowledgeable :)

 

I do think that they keep the tours based on "per ship", because each ship gets in and leaves at different times, so I BELIEVE that you will be with other people on your ship. I think I've read that some tours have only had a few people (say 5), while others up to 15 and I'd assume thats based on how many from each ship sign up, but don't quote me on that :)

 

The walk in is about 30-35 minutes long... Carlos (our tour guide) stopped every now and again and gave tidbits about plants and other info. The walk itself is on a "trail path", meaning it is pretty much a clear (dirt) path, but there is some stairs to go down at the beginning and crossing the water was the hardest part for me (but that's just cuz I'm so out of shape and the water tricked my brain into thinking I was slipping. But, I just grabbed my sister's hand and walked, and had no problems!). Being a pretty large girl, my prior concern had been about how rough the trail would be and if we had to like climb UP stretches or anything, but I made it just fine, with just a little extra sweat than I had expected!

 

The ride there was absolutely fine. I cant remember exactly how long it took us to get there. The bulk of the van ride is on a normal rode, but there is about a 6 mile stretch of "dirty road", which is pretty rough, on the van anyway :) There are some large "gouges" (can't spell!) in the dirt road the driver has to avoid, but they go slow, and warn you ahead of time that its gonna get a little bumpy. My mom has a back that goes out often, and she had no problems. Just be aware for a few miles it WILL be a little "rocky" and enjoy it, cuz with the right attitude, it is truly hilarious! :)

 

I have also read about the 15 ft jumps into the river. I don't understand this at all, as we must've gone in at a different spot on the river. Our guide took us along a small "sandy beach" area, and had those who were brave enough to jump into the river, but the rocks were not at ALL high up, no more than 5 feet or something. Most people DID jump in here, but it wasnt necessary at all. The others just stayed at the "sandy beach level" and literally walked into the water. Check out the "Group photo" of my Coral Breeze trip (link is somewhere below there!). Just to the left is the rock we jumped off (not shown unfortunately in the picture), but where we are all standing, that is the "walk right in part" which after we all jumped, we swam to the edge here and re-met the "walk ins" and took this photo, so you can at least see that you really can just walk right on in! But, honestly, its pretty darn hot and when you get to the river, you will definitely be more than willing to get right in the water, whether jumping or just running in. Its sooooo lovely (the water temp!).

 

Ahh sorry, as always, with my ramblings, this has gotten to be a rather long post :) Hope I answered the questions!

[keystonegirl]

Wow, thanks for the post. I am looking forward to it even more now. We tried to book tours that you can't do everyday here in the states and this sounds like a good choice. I can hardly wait!!

[CruiseMelody]

Thanks for the informative post. What kind of shoes must you wear on the walk? Are tennis shoes fine, or are hiking boots necessary? What do you do with your shoes when you go into the river? Do you leave them on or is there a place to leave & retrieve them? Thanks.

[dotshub]

Did you get back to the port marketplace early enough to do some shopping there before returning to the ship?

[jaycee200]

Hi CruiseMelody and Dotshub!

 

I would NOT recommend hiking boots. My sister and I wore Tevas (sports sandals) and my Mom wore a pair of old, very basic tennis shoes (you know, the kind we all used to get at Kmart for like $4? Like generic Keds from back in the day :) ) Basically, anything that you can get wet, as we kept our shoes on both in and out of the water (since there was no where to put them!). Some people had on "water shoes", the rubbery type shoes. Tevas and basic Tennis Shoes worked great (I would probably not recommend Aerobic/Running type shoes, since those will easily get waterlogged).

 

We did have a good hour plus I believe before the last ferry went out. All the shopping is pretty "compacted" right there at the dock, so we covered a good bulk of it in probably 40 minutes, and had plenty of time. We even caught an earlier ferry than we had intended, so there is plenty of time to look around and do a lil' shopping afterward. If there hadn't been time, I assure you, my sister would've had a hissy, so please let you wife know there IS indeed time to do it all :)

 

Edit: Oops! I was just looking through our photos online, looks like my Mom ALSO had Tevas on :)

[jaycee200]

Hi CruiseMelody and Dotshub!

 

I would NOT recommend hiking boots. My sister and I wore Tevas (sports sandals) and my Mom wore a pair of old, very basic tennis shoes (you know, the kind we all used to get at Kmart for like $4? Like generic Keds from back in the day :) ) Basically, anything that you can get wet, as we kept our shoes on both in and out of the water (since there was no where to put them!). Some people had on "water shoes", the rubbery type shoes. Tevas and basic Tennis Shoes worked great (I would probably not recommend Aerobic/Running type shoes, since those will easily get waterlogged).

 

We did have a good hour plus I believe before the last ferry went out. All the shopping is pretty "compacted" right there at the dock, so we covered a good bulk of it in probably 40 minutes, and had plenty of time. We even caught an earlier ferry than we had intended, so there is plenty of time to look around and do a lil' shopping afterward. If there hadn't been time, I assure you, my sister would've had a hissy, so please let you wife know there IS indeed time to do it all :)

 

Edit: Oops! I was just looking through our photos online, looks like my Mom ALSO had Tevas on :)

bump

[acwillie]

I might have missed it but I was wondering if you had the contact info? Do the have a website or a number to be reached? Thanks

April

[dotshub]

I might have missed it but I was wondering if you had the contact info? Do the have a website or a number to be reached? Thanks

April

 

For who?

:)

[jaycee200]

I believe that is what one of the moderators edited from my original post... But, if you do a search by their name in Yahoo!, Coral Breeze Limited, you should be able to find a site that has their webpage, email, etc! :)

 

 

-Jill

[acwillie]

Thanks.... I guess I forgot to mention I was looking for the coral breeze info. I did do a search and found the info.:)

[aimeenron]

Well Jaycee, you rock sister!! I am having some bottom draggin paranoia right now. We are planning this excursion June 23 and some posts have me worried about water levels and my big caboose not meshing well (big girl in the house!! woohoo) You pics really helped give me perspective as well. A very fine job you have done ma'am!!

 

Pat yourself on the back for me!

[jaycee200]

Glad I could help Aimee! :)

 

Have a blast, my sista! :)

 

P.S.

It's gonna be HOT in June! You all be careful to stay hydrated! (I live in Arizona, I'm very paranoid about people's hydration :) )

[myquest23]

Jaycee, thanks for all the great info. Looking forward to getting home tonight to view your pix.

We are booked with Coral Breezes from the Valor 7/24 and as I explained it to friends they kept asking - is the water deep enough? What do you do with your stuff? How tough is the walk? Everything you have already answered. Now you have made this wait to go seem like it will be even longer. Wonderful thread.

[jaycee200]

Thanks Myquest! :) Glad I could help!