Anyone know why so many ships are being rerouted from Harvest Caye to Belize City?

[bbeauty]

I personally did not find Belize to be a "dump". Actually it is quite beautiful. We gave it more than 20 minutes and did go inland though, maybe that made a difference. I was so disappointed to see that on our next cruise we will stop at HC - maybe we'll get lucky and our itinerary will change!

 

Thank you for this, I am Belizean (my parents were born and raised there) and I have been visiting Belize City since I was a child. Belize is very beautiful and you have access to so many excursions that you can do (caves, Mayan ruins, snorkeling, scuba diving, etc) and I was disappointed when NCL changed the itinerary to HC. I also agree that Belize City is the "real Belize." Most of my family still lives there (my grandfather actually still gives tours) and I would just like to remind people that while it is a vacation to us, real people live there and their livelihood depends on tourists :)

[Vacationdreamer<><]

The last time we were in Belize, we took a local boat over to Caye Caulker and had a wonderful time on the small caye exploring, on the beach and renting jet skis.

 

This is what we want to do if we can ever get to Belize City again, though we did enjoy to the trip we took inland to a little pool club that included a scenic drive and a delicious lunch.

[Vacationdreamer<><]

If I remember correctly, in Belize City they don't use the lifeboats as tenders they use the local tenders which are double decker tenders. Plenty of room.

 

Agreed. Tendering in Belize is far more expeditious from the boat point of view. It was also quite scenic. It is an industry in itself for the local people.

[fridaythe13th]

This is accurate based on our experience as well. That tender ride seems like 30 minutes though.......

 

I was going to mention it's a long ride but I think it was closer to 45 minutes! The excursion we took was 2 hours away after we got on the bus. I think any excursion was quite a distance.

[clcjdn]

I was going to mention it's a long ride but I think it was closer to 45 minutes! The excursion we took was 2 hours away after we got on the bus. I think any excursion was quite a distance.

 

Easily could be 45, either way, just seemed like a really long time!

[Yesimapirate]

The December 17 sailing of the Jade switched the other way; it was originally scheduled to call at Belize City but was changed to Harvest Caye.

 

I'm on that sailing. I was pretty disappointed at first. Now I'm ok with it.

[Jana60]

Thank you for this, I am Belizean (my parents were born and raised there) and I have been visiting Belize City since I was a child. Belize is very beautiful and you have access to so many excursions that you can do (caves, Mayan ruins, snorkeling, scuba diving, etc) and I was disappointed when NCL changed the itinerary to HC. I also agree that Belize City is the "real Belize." Most of my family still lives there (my grandfather actually still gives tours) and I would just like to remind people that while it is a vacation to us, real people live there and their livelihood depends on tourists :)

 

 

I also find Belize to be very beautiful. The cave floating trips are really great! I can’t imagine why anyone would want to go to Harvest Caye and pay for watered down over priced drinks if they could go to Belize instead!

 

 

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[Travelling2Some]

We had a wonderful time in Belize too. We went cave tubing and took ATVs through the jungle with a local company. Our kids are grown now and still remember that day fondly. The countryside was quite beautiful. While I have enjoyed cruise ports like Harvest Caye I find a "real place" is usually more interesting. Just walking around the port area without a plan could turn many a port into a dud.

[newmexicoNita]

I've tendered before as well and never minded it until last year's trip on the Pearl. We tendered in Roatan and I don't think we were originally supposed to. The tenders were just the ships lifeboats so super small (watched one poor girl get seasick), we had to wait for hours in the morning to get tender tickets and get off and then still missed our excursion :(

 

Still had a good time of course but I would hate to do that again at two different stops this year.

We did have a similar experience and it was in Roatan as well. The original port was filled so we were diverted to the other side and tendered to where we were meeting our tours, etc. I can't remember it being bad, but I do understand some might have been a bit uncomfortable. Using a ships life raft isn't quite the same as a regular tender. I do have to say, with some mobility problems in our advancing years, tendering isn't our favorite activity, but we can do it..

[MommyRobin]

I am going in March and am REALLY hoping that we stay going to Harvest Caye. My reason is that I was really hoping to have an inexpensive day off the ship. I am totally fine with a pool/beach day. We are already going on excursions in Roatan and Cozumel and I don't want to have to book anymore for something to do off the ship.

[calmpets]

I am scheduled to be at Harvest Caye on the Pearl mid-March of 2019, but the Breakaway is slated to be there the same day. Has anyone ever been at Harvest Caye when they docked one ship and tendered the other? I am organizing a group of 8 staterooms, and am planning to have everyone select shore excursions by early October. There is heavy traffic at each of our ports, so I don't want to wait till it gets closer, but I also don't want to tell people to make choices for Harvest Caye and then have them cancelled.

[outtabux]

I am scheduled to be at Harvest Caye on the Pearl mid-March of 2019, but the Breakaway is slated to be there the same day. Has anyone ever been at Harvest Caye when they docked one ship and tendered the other? I am organizing a group of 8 staterooms, and am planning to have everyone select shore excursions by early October. There is heavy traffic at each of our ports, so I don't want to wait till it gets closer, but I also don't want to tell people to make choices for Harvest Caye and then have them cancelled.

 

I will be on the Breakaway on March 14th. I see the Pearl is supposed to be there the same day. I wonder if they will dock one boat and tender the other. The Breakaway is already stopping in Belize City so not sure how our itinerary would change if they took off HC. The Getaway is at HC the 13th so the pattern looks pretty full.

[sailandcruise]

I'm on that sailing. I was pretty disappointed at first. Now I'm ok with it.

 

Me too. Also on that sailing, also initially disappointed because I had planned to visit one of the cayes, now thinking of either a relaxing beach day or the ferry to Placencia.

[100th Meridian]

I am scheduled to be at Harvest Caye on the Pearl mid-March of 2019, but the Breakaway is slated to be there the same day. Has anyone ever been at Harvest Caye when they docked one ship and tendered the other? I am organizing a group of 8 staterooms, and am planning to have everyone select shore excursions by early October. There is heavy traffic at each of our ports, so I don't want to wait till it gets closer, but I also don't want to tell people to make choices for Harvest Caye and then have them cancelled.

 

 

 

I’d imagine the larger ship (Breakaway) would dock and the smaller Pearl would tender. I could be wrong, but think that is the most logical scenario.

 

 

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[cliffd64]

I have had some of the best excursions in Belize... from cave tubing to riding ATVs through the rainforest... they have been fantastic. It's not a huge shopping port by any means, but lots of nature to enjoy.

[Georgie562]

I have had some of the best excursions in Belize... from cave tubing to riding ATVs through the rainforest... they have been fantastic. It's not a huge shopping port by any means, but lots of nature to enjoy.

 

 

And that's what makes it so wonderful. No tourist trap shopping like Diamonds International etc, etc. d

[Seminole1975]

I would rather go the Belize City. The cave tubing excursion was one of my favorite excursions ever!