Coral Breeze Snorkeling Review 6/16/05

[baylorbear87]

My family and I just got off the Carnival Elation today and I thought I would post while things are fresh on my mind. Due to all that I read on this board before we left for our trip I was better prepared to make decisions both before and during our trip. There is a lot to be said for "word of mouth".

We were in Belize last Thursday and booked the snorkel trip with Coral Breeze. We booked a month early and received the 10% discount for booking early you will see on their website. They have a wonderful website that is both informative and easy to book on. I actually sent a personal check to hold our reservation and paid the difference when we got down there. If you use them, be sure to have the difference in cash at the pier as they are not set up to handle credit cards.

Since Belize doesn't use daylight savings time, we had to set our clocks back an hour the night before. We also knew that we wouldn't be the first off the boat since we didn't book with Carnival. So my husband went down to where they were handing out tender tickest at about 7:15 to ensure we were on the first tender off the ship after the Carnival excursion people got off.

We were to meet at 10:00 at the Wet Lizard which is a restaurant immediately as you get off the tender and to your right in Belize City. We made it there by 9:30. The boat Coral Breeze uses is docked right there. I paid Monique our difference and then we all went upstairs and had a coke.

We boarded our boat on time and was with a group of about 20-25. It took about 35 minutes to get out to Caye Caulker. Along the way they took our order so that when we got there they could go turn it in. Along they way you will see all different shades of blue in the water. We passed mangrove islands and fishing huts. It was really neat. Once at Caye Caulker, you had a chance to use the restroom while they were turning in our lunch order. From there is was about a 5 minutes boat ride out to the reef. We snorkeled the coral area first. We were all given life jackets and had to use them while at this location. This was to help keep everyone from bumping into the coral and damaging it. You paired up and followed the guided in 2 by 2 line formation. We saw huge brain coral, a huge school of blue tang, and all different types of coral and many other colorful fish as well! We spent about 45 minutes at each location. The second stop was at the shark/sting ray area. You are able to stand in about 4 feet of water. Be sure to sit at the back of the boat (two reasons: this is where the breeze is and is also the quickest way out of the boat). Since the sharks don't hang around very long, be sure to get in the water quickly. However, the stingrays swim up to you and around you and sometimes brush up against your legs like a cat. I can say we were in the water with 5 sharks at once. However, they kept their distance because they are very timid.

Once we were done snorkeling we headed back for lunch. Within minutes of arriving, they served us our lunch. You had several choices like chicken sandwiches/grilled cheese sandwich/and their local favorite-stewed chicken with beans and rice and cole slaw. My son had the grilled cheese sandwich and it was not melted and toasted like we make at home. We got the stewed chicken which was very flavorful but just not large pieces of chicken. With the rice and beans and slaw we had plenty to eat however! If you add on lunch it is only $5 more. We even tried their hot sauce on the red beans and rice and if you like Tabasco sauce from the stataes you will love this stuff. After lunch, people were going to the local grocery store to buy it. If this doesn't sound good to you there were many good looking restaurants serving fresh fish and lobster. We just wanted to try the local flavor. By the way, lobster season had just opened up the day before and all out in the water where sticks sticking up. Our guide told us everywhere we saw one of these sticks, there was a lobster trap underneath.

I highly recommend after lunch renting a golf cart to see the rest of the island. The island is small and very laid back. No hurries! It has a wonderful charm to it. Go all the way to the end where the "split" is and that is a favorite spot the locals go for swimming. Just looking down while filming my son in the water, I saw a starfish. Also, while you are riding around, stop about mid way down the road and on the right hand side is an ice cream shop. They serve pretty good ice cream.

The staff at Coral Breeze were fun and helpful. The trip was well worth the money and after talking to a few Carnival passengers who booked with Carnival for a snorkeling excursion, I knew we had made the right decision!

Hopefully you will find this review helpful as so many others helped me.

[Green4me]

Thanks for the review, we will be on this excursion on the Glory sailing 7/2.

 

How much time did you have after you got back to the dock before last tender? Do you know if they take amex travelers checks? or just cash.

Did you bring fish food? Thanks again :)

[charyoung]

How much were the golf carts? Were they readily available? Thanks!

[baylorbear87]

We were back to the dock about 45 minutes before we were to get on the tenders.

 

Regarding payment we went with cash. We had envelopes already set up for what we would need in each port depending on what we were doing. You might want to email them your question to see if they take Traveler's checks. From where you step off the tender boat to where you meet the Coral Breeze people is maybe about 15 yards if that. They are right there. You don't have to walk through a bunch of people to get to them or get of the "beaten path".

 

We actually brought along little packets of ketchup and would feed the fish with that.

 

The golf carts cost about $15 to rent and we were there for about 2 hours or so. You will love Caye Caulker!

[Green4me]

Thanks, appreciate the input!

[RebelTX]

My grandson and I were on the same excursion with Coral Breezes and it was the highlight of our trip. We had never snorkled before so we hung out at the back of the pack at the first location and one of the guides stayed back with us to help us along.

 

My grandson got a huge kick out of the stringrays. He swims like a fish so he didn't use the life jacket there even though he couldn't touch the bottom. I'm not an good swimmer so when I got a little too far from the boat and had to swim against the current, one of the guides towed me back like my own personal motor boat! :D

 

We rented the golf cart for an hour for $10 (and that's as long as you need it, the island is SMALL), and toured the entire island. Caye Caulker is exactly what I've always imagined a tropical island to be.

 

We watched the local fishermen clean their catch of lobster and the grandson had to have his picture taken with one of the lobsters. Evidently, the tail is the only edible part of the lobsters and by the time they were finished, they had half a five gallon bucket of just lobster tails. Made me hungry even though I had eaten just an hour before.

 

The guides were fabulous, spoke flawless English, and by the end of the trip, they where like old friends. Even though I have discovered that cruising is not exactly my "cup of tea" I would love to visit Belize again for a long vacation.

 

Baylorbear87, where were sitting on the boat? I'm trying to figure out who you are.

[baylorbear87]

Rebel TX-

 

We were the family of four (two boys). We sat on the back seat next to the engines both going out and coming in. My youngest son was a little afraid of swimming with the sharks and stayed on the boat until he got his courage up. During lunch we ate in the other room due to not having enough seats in the area closest to the bar. We had a great time! We even though how fun it would be to just visit Caye Caulker for an extended period of time. I am glad you had a good experience as well.

[RebelTX]

I have a picture of you and the boys on the way back. You're all zonked out! We sat right beside the window on the right side of the boat. My grandson was the blonde 10 year old with glasses who passed out with his head in my lap on the way back.

[slineberry528]

Waht a great review. We are booked with coral breeze on the July10 Valor sailing.

[Green4me]

RebelTx, FYI if you are considering a stay in belieze and want a nice quite place check out whitesandscove.com

 

All the best

[RebelTX]

Green4me

 

It will be quite a while before I get back to Belize, but I'll definitely keep it in mind. Have to do a Hawaiian cruise with grandson first.

[opgirl]

RebelTX

 

We have booked the snorkel trip as well...I am not a great swimmer... am wondering whether you thought this excursion is alright for someone who is not a strong swimmer? Are the life jackets enough to hold you up?

[slineberry528]

I think you will be fine. the water is very salty and that helps to keep you up.

[RebelTX]

RebelTX

 

We have booked the snorkel trip as well...I am not a great swimmer... am wondering whether you thought this excursion is alright for someone who is not a strong swimmer? Are the life jackets enough to hold you up?

 

opgirl, i'm definitely not a strong swimmer, i'm a fluffy 50-year old grandma that can barely keep my head above water:). If you get too tired, just wave your hand above your head and you can get your own personal tow:D. Coral Breeze has you put the life jacket around your waist, it lets you swim parallel with no problems.

[opgirl]

RebelTX thanks for the info.