Making the most of Belize, Tours Necessary?

[Chev_350]

We are going in August and are a little unsure of tours as they are a little on the expensive side and seem to take 4-7 hours per tour. Is there enough to do in Belize with out going on a tour? I am interested in the ruins listed on the Carnival site but at 7 hours I can't see that leaving much time for anything else.

[crewsweeper]

Honestly, not a lot to do without taking a tour, especially to the ruins. There are independent/private vendors out there who can do things a tad cheaper than cruise ship excursion.

 

But Belize City is a working city not geared for tourism and thus while there are some interesting historical sites within a reasonable walking distance as well as several local restaurants outside the Tourism Village, visiting these places isn't everyone's cup of tea. Maya ruins, cave-tubing, and snorkeling out on the reefs are the prime attractions here. All of these require an excursion to reach.

[TXSAIL]

We were there in March, our third time to Belize.We just had a late breakfast, took our time , and hung out at the tourism village and had some food and drinks, and my wife shopped a bit..I guess since we have been on a lot of cruises it was fine with us. We took a tender back before the last minute mob scene also.

[OCruisers]

There really is very little to do without taking a tour of some sort.

If you get back in time, there is some shopping around the tender dock area.

The Wet Lizard is a good place to get a drink before returning to the ship. :D

LuLu

[swedish weave]

If you go outside the terminal, there are vendors out there selling tours at good prices. Many of them are affiliated with Major Tom who is (or was) president of a tour association. They work together and agree to help each other out in case of emergencies.

 

When I learned this, it made booking with them much more comfortable.

 

We were lucky enough to sit in on a talk at Altun Ha ruins by Major Tom and he was a captivating speaker. Very informative about Mayan history.

[erby2283]

We did Carnival's Altun Ha & City Tour when we were there in Nov. The bus ride was about an hour to the site but seemed to take much longer. I enjoyed my time at the Ruins and it didn't really feel as rushed as I thought it would feel. We also got back with enough time for me to do a little shopping there in port. I definitely would not try and "wing it" at this port. Either book an excursion or stay on the ship - there is nothing to see in the immediate vicinity.

 

I have been lazy and have yet to finish my review from Nov but I do have pictures from my day in Belize in my signature if you'd like to see them.

[JimAOk1945]

We took a ship sponsored excursion to the Mayan ruins called Lamanai. Does Carnival offer it? Fantastic experience! Here is a link to the slide show my wife made with pictures she took for her website.

 

Lamanai Shore Excursion

 

Happy cruising!

Edited May 20, 2014 by JimAOk1945