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Harvest Caye

travlin

By travlin,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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www3traveler Holiday Sharing Rare

www3traveler

Posted
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I have searched the forum and still don't understand what we do at Harvest Caye. Do you just walk off the ship and go hang out on the beach? Do you pay to use it?

 

Yes, walk the ship to use the beach or the pool- no charge

 

There will be a charge to your room key for food, drinks, souvenirs, cabanas and shore excursion.

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ggTexasGal

ggTexasGal

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I have searched the forum and still don't understand what we do at Harvest Caye. Do you just walk off the ship and go hang out on the beach? Do you pay to use it?

 

  • Expansive pool area with swim-up pool bar, cascading waterfall and private canopy cabanas available for rent.
  • Luxurious beachside cabanas that accommodate up to 6 guests and feature concierge food and beverage service, lounge chairs, private bathrooms and air conditioning, with access to golf carts for easy transportation around the island.
  • The Flighthouse, a thrilling 136-foot high venue for aerial activities featuring 3,000 feet of zip lining across the island, quick jumps and an observation deck with mainland views.
  • Salt water lagoon for watersports such as kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and electric float boats.
  • Large marina with food and bar area, offering guests a variety of exciting shore excursions.
  • Expansive shopping village featuring popular name-brand retailers as well as local Belizean crafts.

Most of the above will incur some fee, but not the loungers at the beach, nor near swimming pool

(as long as you do not try to enter a pool cabana without the proper wristband (which signifies you have paid for it). Clamshells for shade may be rented on the island!

SUPs and Kayaks $29/hr

Electric Float Boat $49/hr for 2 people

Ropes Course $19

Check the NCl site for more info and prices!

Be sure to take off the ship with you:

1) your room card (to scan through security ONLY!)

2) beach towels from your room

3) cash or credit card (Room cards are NOT used on the island!!!)

4) sunscreen and bugspray

5) hats if you wear them

*** NOTE: You may NOT take off food and/or beverages.

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razor7_us

razor7_us

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Yes, walk the ship to use the beach or the pool- no charge

 

There will be a charge to your room key for food, drinks, souvenirs, cabanas and shore excursion.

 

Not quite true. Your ship's card is not valid on the island. Cash or credit for all purchases and food and drink is expensive.

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phillyguy31

phillyguy31

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Not quite true. Your ship's card is not valid on the island. Cash or credit for all purchases and food and drink is expensive.
Unless they changed it since February your room key works everywhere for charging food,drinks or souvenirs

 

Sent from my SM-G530T using Tapatalk

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morrisretired

morrisretired

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Are you 100% sure on restriction of taking beverages off ship? Maybe this is a change...

We docked at Harvest Caye the last part of February on the NCL Dawn. Both of us walked off with our drinks in Yetis, and no one said anything. Just walk off the pier and can catch a ride on one of the trolleys. You can go back and forth from ship onto the island. It might have changed since then, though.

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ggTexasGal

ggTexasGal

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We docked at Harvest Caye the last part of February on the NCL Dawn. Both of us walked off with our drinks in Yetis, and no one said anything. Just walk off the pier and can catch a ride on one of the trolleys. You can go back and forth from ship onto the island. It might have changed since then, though.

 

Based on reports from others who have been to Harvest Caye since June, restrictions have increased (reportedly) regarding food and beverages being carried off the ship.

Do people still carry off drinks/food? I'm sure it happens, but the posts are to provide best, recent, available information that I have found.

The room key being used for payments on the island was eliminated months ago (reportedly June), as it seems there were too many problems connected with that method of payment overall for.

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johnrich

johnrich

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Are the golf carts intended for elderly and handicapped people, or can anyone use them? If we want to jump on for a quick ride back to the ship to eat lunch and come back, will we get dirty looks?

 

 

 

We were just at Harvest Caye last week. You will not get dirty looks but they are golf carts so don’t hold too many people so you may have to wait. DW and I preferred walking. It is a covered walkway and there was a nice breeze.

As someone stated above drinks were expensive. A couple bucks more than on the ship maybe, but they were not as good. At the bar we went to, my DW ordered a Malibu Rum and Diet but they don’t have any diet! And it wasn’t that they ran out. Diet wasn’t on the menu either. She ended up getting a piña colada which was the worse either of us ever tasted. So beware. 7ca810b31a17e2b49c6424087d1ef693.jpg

 

 

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sanger727

sanger727

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Harvest caye is confusing. It's like the 'private island' areas some cruise lines have - except it's not. On the private islands you get off and the basic beach/pool/beach chairs are free and they usually provide food and charge drinks at the same rate as the ship. On harvest caye, it's the same basic idea that when you walk off the beach is right there and free. The difference is that the port area hosts independent businesses so the food and drink are priced out by them. So no free food and can't use a beverage package for drinks.

 

 

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mousy56

mousy56

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Just got off phone to ask why some shore excursions prices have doubled. A cabana listed on the web site was listed at 175 now it's 399. Villa was 349 now 699. The rep explained that prices change for example during high season. In October it's high season? And there wouldn't have been a ship there if it hadn't been for the hurricane. Escape is the only ship there. Really makes me not want to book an excursion if we are just getting gouged because of the hurricane.

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barbarossa_hoosier

barbarossa_hoosier

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I think Harvest Caye is going to work perfectly for our needs - but that is only because our needs are likely different from most. We just want a morning beach/pool experience, and plan to be back on the ship before the afternoon heat. We can do without drinks until lunch, and will simply return to the ship at lunch time.

 

Otherwise, Harvest Caye seems like a combination of all of the sanitization of a private island, with all of the disadvantages of a port of call. Our drinks package doesn't work, even though it is a private island. NCL provides no food (or even water, apparently?), even though it is a private island. Instead, there is overpriced food and drinks, for a cost. There is (presumably?) no bombardment for shopping, excursions, and transportation - but that seems to come at the expense of higher prices for the available shopping and excursions. And regarding excursions: it's a captive audience, being a private island, so there isn't even the option of exploring third-party/independent excursion operators.

 

So, again: we're going to enjoy our morning at the beach/pool, and then go back to the ship for included food, drinks, and activities. But I don't at all consider it to be a "private island" experience.

 

I'll be more than happy to be proven wrong, though.

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NLH Arizona

NLH Arizona

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Just got off phone to ask why some shore excursions prices have doubled. A cabana listed on the web site was listed at 175 now it's 399. Villa was 349 now 699. The rep explained that prices change for example during high season. In October it's high season? And there wouldn't have been a ship there if it hadn't been for the hurricane. Escape is the only ship there. Really makes me not want to book an excursion if we are just getting gouged because of the hurricane.
Not unusual for companies to change prices in high season, Disney does it as well.
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OrlandoSingleCruiser

OrlandoSingleCruiser

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Not unusual for companies to change prices in high season, Disney does it as well.

 

Except...it's not high season. It's just NCL being greedy again.

 

Harvest Caye is a huge money maker for NCL. Think about it. It's like the other private islands but NCL doesn't have food & beverage costs and it gets a good amount of money from the sales on the island.

 

I'm surprised NCL hasn't started charging $2 every time you get on/off the ship. Oh wait...let's not give them ideas.

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Cruisingfor40

Cruisingfor40

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I loved Harvest Caye in January and can't wait to go back again in October. Maybe because we are doing sooooooooooo many excursions/activities at our other ports, I don't mind the chill day. It doesn't bother me at all that you pay for things and can't use your room card, because I did know that in advance. I can see being peeved if you didn't know. I did get an overpriced, weak, drink at the swim-up bar, but then we found the shop with the frozen drinks from the machines that ALREADY have alcohol in them, and you can add a floater if you want. They were not marked as high as the pool bar, and actually served a purpose!!! I will be greatly disappointed if this place is gone in October. Last time, we just chilled and did the motorized boats (started the day with these), and if was fabulous. This time, my DD and DH will be parasailing, so that is fun to look forward to. Is it overpriced, yup, but it's vacation, so I don't mind. We walked back to the ship, not a bad walk at all, ate at the buffet, and walked back for the rest of the day. We got there when it opened and hated to leave when it closed.

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NLH Arizona

NLH Arizona

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Except...it's not high season. It's just NCL being greedy again.

 

Harvest Caye is a huge money maker for NCL. Think about it. It's like the other private islands but NCL doesn't have food & beverage costs and it gets a good amount of money from the sales on the island.

 

I'm surprised NCL hasn't started charging $2 every time you get on/off the ship. Oh wait...let's not give them ideas.

Since food and beverages are supplied and served by local citizens, how much money is NCL getting from the sales? Also, many have reported that they go on the ship for lunch and then go back to Harvest Caye, so NCL still has costs on the ship.
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OrlandoSingleCruiser

OrlandoSingleCruiser

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Since food and beverages are supplied and served by local citizens, how much money is NCL getting from the sales? Also, many have reported that they go on the ship for lunch and then go back to Harvest Caye, so NCL still has costs on the ship.

 

NCL gets a percentage of all F&B sales on the island. And the prices aren't local Belize prices...they're tourist resort prices.

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OrlandoSingleCruiser

OrlandoSingleCruiser

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A company can determine what they feel is their high season. If we think the prices are too high, which I do, don't purchase the services.

 

Yes they can but what does it say about a corporation that nearly doubles prices for a service after the ship itineraries are changed due to a natural disaster?

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