Need Help W/Caribbean Princess Excursions

[NewCruiserMPC]

Hi Folks -

 

Was wondering if anyone had done any of the excursions with Princess Cruise Line and had any recommendations/warnings to share? This is our first trip to the Caribbean and I think we want to stick to Princess Excursions this time around. I've tried searching the forum but not quite getting the "reviews" I want. DH and I are interested in these:

 

Cozumel -

1. Passion Island Beach Break, Scenic Cruise and Lunch

2. ATV Adventure, Beach Break and Lunch

3. Palancar Reef Snorkeling, Sail and Beach

 

Roatan -

1. Tabayan Beach and Lunch Break

2. Ultimate Beach Package

3. Shipwreck Snorkel and Beach

4. Relax on the Beach

 

Belize -

1. Altun Ha Mayan Ruins, Scenic River Cruise and Lunch

2. Cave Tubing and Scenic Drive

 

Anyone have any comments on the above mentioned excursions we are interested in?

[cruzrbachoua]

Hi Folks -

 

Was wondering if anyone had done any of the excursions with Princess Cruise Line and had any recommendations/warnings to share? This is our first trip to the Caribbean and I think we want to stick to Princess Excursions this time around. I've tried searching the forum but not quite getting the "reviews" I want. DH and I are interested in these:

 

Cozumel -

1. Passion Island Beach Break, Scenic Cruise and Lunch

 

 

Roatan -

4. Relax on the Beach

 

Belize -

1. Altun Ha Mayan Ruins, Scenic River Cruise and Lunch

2. Cave Tubing and Scenic Drive

 

Anyone have any comments on the above mentioned excursions we are interested in?

 

Cozumel -

1. Passion Island Beach Break, Scenic Cruise and Lunch-Have done this one before and are doing it again. loved it.......the beach is so serene. I have heard it is supposedly where they filmed the Corona commercials where the couple throws the phone in the water.

 

Roatan -

4. Relax on the Beach-will be doing this one this March and have friends who have done it and love the beach right next to the ship.

 

Belize -

1. Altun Ha Mayan Ruins, Scenic River Cruise and Lunch-also will be doing this one this March.

 

Not sure when you are going but I could let you know how it went if you are going after I am.

[NewCruiserMPC]

We are going on the 22nd! Would love to hear from you when you get back.

[cruzrbachoua]

March 22?

[QueenofEverything]

Hi Folks -

 

Was wondering if anyone had done any of the excursions with Princess Cruise Line and had any recommendations/warnings to share? This is our first trip to the Caribbean and I think we want to stick to Princess Excursions this time around. I've tried searching the forum but not quite getting the "reviews" I want. DH and I are interested in these:

 

Cozumel -

1. Passion Island Beach Break, Scenic Cruise and Lunch

2. ATV Adventure, Beach Break and Lunch

3. Palancar Reef Snorkeling, Sail and Beach

 

Roatan -

1. Tabayan Beach and Lunch Break

2. Ultimate Beach Package

3. Shipwreck Snorkel and Beach

4. Relax on the Beach

 

Belize -

1. Altun Ha Mayan Ruins, Scenic River Cruise and Lunch

2. Cave Tubing and Scenic Drive

 

Anyone have any comments on the above mentioned excursions we are interested in?

 

We have done the Tabayana Beach break in Roatan. It is a private beach club for cruise passengers. You take a mini bus over to the west end of the island. It is a very scenic drive. The beach is absolutely beautiful. If you like to snorkel, this is the place for you! The reef comes right up to the beach, so you just walk out a few feet and are in the middle of beautiful coral and lots of fish. I would suggest bringing your own snorkel gear as it is quite expensive to rent there. The lunch is ok, nothing special, but they have very eager bar attendants that take good care of you as you relax under the coconut palms.

 

In Belize, we have done the cave tubing and scenic drive. It is a pretty long drive over some rough roads, but it is a very unique experience and sort of "what you are supposed to do" in Belize. You will get one of those big tire tubes, a life vest and a headlamp and then head as a group upstream. It is a pretty good hike and it's jungle, so hot and humid (and you are carrying a large tire tube). Depending on the trip, you may go thru one or two caves. It is really cool, they have everyone turn off their headlamps at one time and you see total blackness. It is interesting and fun.

Edited January 22, 2014 by QueenofEverything

[RickSue]

We have done the Altun Ha, river boat tour and it was really terrific. It's quite a bus ride but well worth it. We stopped for lunch at a roadside "restaurant" and had chicken, rice and beans and it was one of the most memorable meals we had - quaint and rustic (part of the tour). We will be cave tubing/zip-lining in Belize next week. Can't wait. Also in Roatan supposed to do the underwater scooter thingies. I love new a different things. Another think I would highly recommend in Cozumel is the Atlantis Submarine.

[NewCruiserMPC]

Thanks everyone. So far, exactly the advice I was looking for. And yes, we are heading out March 22nd

[cruzrbachoua]

Well we will be handing her off to you as we get off her on 3/22! I am platinum level now so I have internet minutes and I can try to post on the 2nd sea day which is Thursday to le you know quick how the excursions went...when are you heading out to Houston?

[NewCruiserMPC]

We will be arriving to Houston Friday night! 59 more days!!!

[Lyndria]

I feel silly starting a new thread about excursions, so I am going to ask here. Anyone done the Catamaran in Cozumel? Is there a big difference between Mahogany Bay and Tabayan Beach in Roatan?

 

Thanks!

[Seafoam Green]

I've visited these ports on another cruise line, but the excursions are just about identical.

 

Cozumel - Passion Island is fun. The boat ride is pleasant, the beach is gorgeous and lunch is delicious! It was a nice, relaxing day.

 

Roatan - The beach is right next to where the ship docks. The chairlift is no big deal - you can just walk over the bridge to the beach. I remember when we went there that some people thought the chairlift was the only way to get to the beach. Not so. You can book the excursions and use the kayak, clamshell, lounges, etc, or you can just wander over to the beach on your own. There are a couple of bars there and there are, I believe, 3 local beers that you can try. We enjoyed them.

 

Belize - Everybody talks about doing the ruins. If that sounds good, go with it.

[sminfiddle]

Belize -

1. Altun Ha Mayan Ruins, Scenic River Cruise and Lunch

2. Cave Tubing and Scenic Drive

 

Anyone have any comments on the above mentioned excursions we are interested in?

Hello! You're going to have fun.

We reserved (on a B2B) the Altun Ha ruins with lunch and Old River cruise the First week and Lamanai/Mangrove River/Lunch the second.

While the ruins were very interesting, the bus driver and guide and boat "driver" very good at what they do, and the lunch authentic, we decided one was enough and canceled the matching tour from our 2nd week. The bus and "topless" river boat were both filled to capacity and did get cramped, too much so for my DW who kept getting hit by others' bags and metal water bottles. Lunch, while not bad, left a yearning in my belly for a bit more substance. We eat Caribbean here at home so it wasn't as novel as for some. Still glad we gave it a try.

 

We had done Cave Tubing (privately for $45pp) last spring and like the ruins, we're glad we did it once.

 

With a good guide, the (long, not-smooth) ride to either the ruins or caves is enjoyable, interesting, scenic and "edutaining." Fortunately they are all learning from the good ones.

 

 

 

 

~sent using Cruise Critic app~

Edited January 23, 2014 by sminfiddle

[Stevesan]

We will be arriving to Houston Friday night! 59 more days!!!

 

Bring a warm coat.

 

http://houston.justweather.com/

[cruzrbachoua]

We will be arriving to Houston Friday night! 59 more days!!!

 

Ok that is good. So mother nature willing we do all the ports and nothing is canceled or changed I will log on either that wednesday night or sometime thursday to let you know how the tours went. If you think you may want to do them i would book them...you can always cancel a reservation if you book 2 in one port and choose to do the other one you can cancel the 2nd. the Patters will tell you when is the latest to cancel an excursion...this way you at least have a seat for it and then can release it instead of wanting to go and there is no room left.

[cruzrbachoua]

Hello! You're going to have fun.

We reserved (on a B2B) the Altun Ha ruins with lunch and Old River cruise the First week and Lamanai/Mangrove River/Lunch the second.

While the ruins were very interesting, the bus driver and guide and boat "driver" very good at what they do, and the lunch authentic, we decided one was enough and canceled the matching tour from our 2nd week.

 

 

 

 

~sent using Cruise Critic app~

Hey Rick did you get the envelope I sent you?

[QueenofEverything]

Bring a warm coat.

 

http://houston.justweather.com/

 

Not quite! It will be plenty warm in March!!

[coloradocruisers101]

Roatan - We did Tabyana Beach and loved it. Some of the best snorkeling and would to it again in a heart beat. As other posters mentioned, the drive was amazing and able to see more of Roatan than just the port. We liked Roatan so much, we are looking to buy there.

 

Belize - We also did the Altun Ha Ruins and river. We would not do this again. It was a very long bus ride (not fun) and was very hot in December. If you have never been to ruins, then you might like it. If you have ever been to Tulum, then not so much. We looked at the ruins, and then went over to the little bar (shade) and had a few Belikin's (Beer of Belize). That was fun! The bus ride was not worth it to us, but the river was a lot of fun. The lunch was good according to my DH, but not any choices for a vegetarian.

 

Just my thoughts, but what ever you do, I am sure you will have fun.

[cruzrbachoua]

Not quite! It will be plenty warm in March!!

 

Good to hear!

[c4ddym4n]

We just returned from the Jan. 11-18 2014 Western Caribbean cruise. The Tabayan beach was fantastic, with a Great reef within swimming distance. We loved it.

 

We went on the Lamanai Temple tour. Several temples to see, one is 10 stories high that you can climb up on. Great tour guides. River trip is a lot of fun, very fast boats!

[douglinc@msn.com]

We did the Passion Island tour with Carnival, it was really nice.

 

Doug

[sminfiddle]

Hey Rick did you get the envelope I sent you?

 

I sure did. You are very thoughtful! We will put that envelope to good use.

 

Cruise friends are the best! If we are to meet up, it'll have to be before you cruise. I am being sent to Austin for the weekend of the 22nd. But I trust that you'll enjoy Prince's, the Four Seasons and downtown, even without a personal guide. Good choices all.

 

Rick

[NewCruiserMPC]

:) Very excited for our trip now! Seems like no matter what you choose, your bound to have a good time!

 

We decided to do Passion Island, Tabayana Beach and Altun Ha!

 

We wanted to do the ATVs but I dont have my license and it seems they require it. Bummer.

[cruzrbachoua]

I sure did. You are very thoughtful! We will put that envelope to good use.

 

Cruise friends are the best! If we are to meet up, it'll have to be before you cruise. I am being sent to Austin for the weekend of the 22nd. But I trust that you'll enjoy Prince's, the Four Seasons and downtown, even without a personal guide. Good choices all.

 

Rick

Ok that is good. Oh and don't forget we have Phoencia on our list to stop by as well. Let me know on my roll call if you will be in the area Friday

afternoon or early evening on the 14th as that is the day we fly in. Saturday I wont be able to sit still waiting for the princess shuttle...lol

 

49 days til we fly out......OH I CANT WAIT!

[flyinjenny]

We just got home today from the January 18th sailing, and we did a couple of these excursions.

 

Cozumel: Passion Island was lovely. We were very lucky as the weather was great. The water was a little chilly, but I became used to it quickly (my husband, not so much). There were several inflatable items (trampoline, slide, etc) available. The beach is nice and powdery, but there is a narrow band of gravel you will have to cross when heading into the water. It won't take long to get through that. The water was lovely and clear, and not very deep at all--I was still able to touch bottom even out by the waterslide-thingy.

 

We found that by immediately heading away from the landing area to the last group of loungers, we had a really quiet and relaxing experience. Our waiter did a good job bringing us drinks. There was a food area nearby as well, but my advice is to get lunch early. We waited until noon and the food was nearly gone. We trekked back to the main kitchen area and managed to scare up some chicken. The grilled chicken tasted fine, there just wasn't much left. My only real complaint about this excursion--it was too short. I would have been glad of another hour or so at the beach.

 

Roatan: I'm afraid I can't help on this one, as we did the dolphin meet experience at Anthony Key. We enjoyed it, though.

 

Belize: We quite liked the Altun Ha/Riverboat excursion. It is a long day, and does involve the types of things common on group tours--lots of lines, hurry up and wait, bus rides, etc. But it was well worth it, we decided. Our guide was very good; she kept things lively and organized, and kept up an interesting patter. Again, we were lucky with fabulous weather. Getting organized at the tourist pier took some time, but once we were in the boat and zipping through the water, we were quite happy. The boats are uncovered, so be prepared--it was sunny and very warm, so hats and sunscreen were a must for us. And hold onto your hats, too.

 

We saw a good variety of wildlife--dolphins, a brief look at a manatee nose, several crocs including a couple of nice big ones, iquanas, monkeys, and various birds. We really enjoyed the river tour and I had a lot of fun trying to spy animals before the guides. We stopped at a riverside place for lunch, chicken with rice and beans, and some salad. Then it was onto a bus for the ride to the ruins. I actually enjoyed the bus ride, as I was able to have a a little look at life in Belize. The ruins were pretty nifty, and impressive to us as we'd never visited Mayan ruins before. The site is relatively small and compact, and the footing pretty easy, so it's not a difficult hike for folks who may have mobility issues. We had a good look at the structures, but we didn't climb any; others did. The bus ride back to the city was a quieter affair, and we made it back in time for one of the last tenders.

 

Some things I wish we had done: bring cash, as there were folks selling crafts and things at the lunch spot and at the ruins. They were very willing to bargain. We should have brought a bottle of water, too--they did give us a bag of water, but it was tricky to open and drink from, and a bottle would have been easier. Also, be aware that the road to the ruin is rough--my husband has back issues, and he was hurting the next day. My only complaint is that I would have liked a little time to shop in the tourist village/pier area before heading back to the ship, but that's about it.

 

Anyway, I hope you have a great time and are as lucky with the weather as we were. Enjoy your cruise!

[Blindhog]

We were on the 12/7 sailing and this is what we did.

 

Cozumel: We did the dolphin swim which was the highlight of the trip. We had already done Passion Island on a Carnival cruise 10 years earlier. We really enjoyed it and considered it again. Don't think you can go wrong if that's what you choose.

 

Roatan: Did the private cabana on Mahogany Bay and really enjoyed that as well. Princess has a really nice set up next to the ship. We thought about another beach but decided we didn't want to take a bus ride.

 

Belize: We did the cave tubing. We thought this was fun. It rained on us the whole time so that may have "dampened" our enthusiasm. The guides were great. Bring bug spray and $ for a locker rental.

 

 

 

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