Belize ship excursions?

[39august]

In the past has Carnival offered either a zoo tour or a Caye Caulker tour in Belize, please? Have friends going there, maybe, in Jan. who have never been there before.and need tour advise. 

[stellarose]

we did a mayan ruin and Belize lunch tour.  best best best best ever. 

[dezertcruzer]

56 minutes ago, stellarose said:

we did a mayan ruin and Belize lunch tour.  best best best best ever. 

Stella Rose, is that the one that includes a river boat ride, lunch, and the ruins at Altun Ha?  We did that one years ago and would love to do it again.  It was one of our favorite excursions of all times!

[crewsweeper]

1 hour ago, 39august said:

In the past has Carnival offered either a zoo tour or a Caye Caulker tour in Belize, please? Have friends going there, maybe, in Jan. who have never been there before.and need tour advise. 

Not sure about the zoo.  You could do that DIY.  Caye Caulker as far as I've ever seen has been a DIY Ferry ride.  Some ship snorkeling could stop there for lunch though.  Your friends should check the Carnival excursions site for their cruise.

[Saint Greg]

7 minutes ago, dezertcruzer said:

Stella Rose, is that the one that includes a river boat ride, lunch, and the ruins at Altun Ha?  We did that one years ago and would love to do it again.  It was one of our favorite excursions of all times!

 

Sounds like the one I did at Lamanai. I haven't done Altun Ha yet maybe it includes the riverboat as well.

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/belize-lamanai-mayan-ruins/

[evandbob]

3 hours ago, 39august said:

In the past has Carnival offered either a zoo tour or a Caye Caulker tour in Belize, please? Have friends going there, maybe, in Jan. who have never been there before.and need tour advise. 

Yes and yes.  Depending on the ship, there may also be an excursion to San Pedro Isle (Isla Bonita of the Madonna song) to the original Shark Ray Alley that leaves directly from the ship which leaves out the unnecessary tender to the port.

 

I did that on my very 1st cruise back in 2003 on the smoke free Paradise, and was so pleased with that isle we went back for a week's long land vacay when flights opened up from NY.  This tour was then dropped from the rotation but had resurfaced sporadically again in the last 5 years before COVID.

[evandbob]

2 hours ago, dezertcruzer said:

Stella Rose, is that the one that includes a river boat ride, lunch, and the ruins at Altun Ha?  We did that one years ago and would love to do it again.  It was one of our favorite excursions of all times!

IMO, and no offense, Altun Ha is one of the least significant, most badly patched up and possibly the smallest Mayan ruin I've been to.  I do agree that the river cruise was pretty neat.  I have a nice photo of a croc laying on the little rock island just as the river meets the ocean.

 

Lamanai and Xanantunich are much more expansive and significant, although not as close as Altun Ha. A simple google search can show you the vast differences in structures and layout.

 

One can return via river cruise on the Lamanai excursion.  When I did Xanantunich it was a bus ride both ways, with a narrow hand drawn raft crossing to enter and leave that ruin.  Both tours offered lunch and were all day affairs, which is why I chose to go via Carnival rather than an independent.

Edited March 30, 2021 by evandbob

[Out of Iowa]

Altun Ha....we took this riverboat tour, lunch and a visit to the ruins.  We were so thoroughly impressed by the entire day.  The ruins were spectacular!   I've never been to Egypt but these were at least as interesting to me as Stonehenge or Chichen Itza.  It was even worth the jerk chicken juices which deliciously spilled on a great travel skirt (which I am still trying to replace)!  Two kayakers overturned in the River and our boat crew were intensely watching the water, on their behalf, for danger while they got back in and paddled away.

[stobe1]

The cave river tubing excursion never disappoints in Belize. We have done it twice now and love it.

[mondello]

I found a Carnival listing, $94.99 and $74.99/under 12. This is a 5 1/2hr tour so yes, you'd probably be safer doing it through Carnival. Boat ride to island, barrier reef snorkeling, stop in Shark Ray Alley, back to island. Lunch  and drinks can be purchased and free rum punch on the ride back.

[stellarose]

4 hours ago, dezertcruzer said:

Stella Rose, is that the one that includes a river boat ride, lunch, and the ruins at Altun Ha?  We did that one years ago and would love to do it again.  It was one of our favorite excursions of all times!

yes yes yes. the tour guide was amazing.  

[mexicobob]

3 hours ago, stobe1 said:

The cave river tubing excursion never disappoints in Belize. We have done it twice now and love it.

We did the same. Good excursion plus you get to see a good cross section of the country getting to the the river. Floating down a river in a cave is a different experience. 

[scpirate]

9 hours ago, dezertcruzer said:

Stella Rose, is that the one that includes a river boat ride, lunch, and the ruins at Altun Ha?  We did that one years ago and would love to do it again.  It was one of our favorite excursions of all times!

I wish we did that one .we had the straight through bus ride on the one we did.