Cave Tubing - Expensive?

[dkbryan]

No offense, but $65 seems pretty high to ride in an old intertube down a river--especially considering that I was able to go scuba diving in Cozumel for $50 all inclusive. So, would someone explain why the cost is so great? Thanks. We'll be heading down to Belize in Jan 2005.


May 2003 - Explorer of the Seas

[NeptunesGoddess]

I will try to answer why I think it costs what it does because I haven't been yet (I will be going in a little over 3 weeks). We are paying $60 per person through Wet n Wild with Marvin. This is what you get:

Pick up at pier into A/C vans for an hour drive. Gas does cost some money, so that is a 2 hour round trip situation.

Once we get to the rain forest, there is a 45 minute walk to the actual river. Now I am guessing this is pretty cool. Walking through the rain forest and seeing sights you don't see everyday.

Then you get to the spot where you get in the river and you go through two caves and some little rapids all while going through some beautiful scenery.

Afterwards, you get lunch. It is included in the price.

It is a 5 to 6 hour excursion. So, I guess you are paying also for your all your guides' time, not just expenses and upkeep of the van, equipment...etc.

Someone who has actually been on the tour could chime in and tell us whether it is worth the 60 bucks or not. I have seen some great reviews about it here and on other boards. Apparently the ship charges 90 bucks for the same tour and that is without lunch, one less cave, and there are more people.

This is a tour we are really excited about. I will let you know what we think of it when we return.

Happy Sailing!

[mathgal]

We did the tour with Xstream last month. On the way to the caves (which took an hour or more) we stopped for gas. The price of gas was $4 (US) per gallon!! And to think how we complain about our prices!

Also the final 6 miles to the caves is over a horrible, bumpy road. I was surprised that they would even drive on it! To me it looked like something only an SUV or off-road vehicle would try and do! I'm sure driving that route day after day would really cause a lot of wear and tear on a vehicle. In fact we passed one of the busses carrying Carnival folks and it was sitting on the side of the road with a flat tire.

Yes...$65 is a lot to pay when you are the one doing all of the work. You have to walk the 45 minutes through the hot and steamy rainforest and then paddle all the way down the river through the caves (you are not carried by the current as I had imagined.) Would I do it again? You bet!! :)

[dkbryan]

Thanks for your input!

[spfar]

OK, I'll chime in!
We did the cave tubing with Marvin in April. The trip was well worth the price. It was indeed a once in a lifetime experience. The price was much cheaper than the excursion through the cruise line (RCI). and for the price we had transportation, a much smaller group, a narrated tour of the country, an extra cave, and a fantastic lunch. By all means do it, and use Marvin as your guide!!!

[ArkansasFish]

We forgot to check on an excursion to visit the sting rays that was NO-smoking for the whole trip. I can understand having certain areas not to smoke, but the whole trip?!!!!

[rioranchomama]

I also would like to know if smoking is allowed.....anone know?

[isabellmybell]

[i][size=4][color=royalblue]No offense smokers, but, for those of us who don't smoke and can't stand the smell, inside or out, I certainly hope there is No Smoking at all!:( [/color][/size][/i]
[i][size=4][color=#4169e1][/color][/size][/i]
[i][size=4][color=#4169e1]Gayle[/color][/size][/i]
[i][size=4][color=#4169e1]Grand Princess[/color][/size][/i]
[i][size=4][color=#4169e1]7 days 4 Dec 2004[/color][/size][/i]

[Jen&Greg]

We did Cave Tubing with Coral Breeze 2 weeks ago. We went with them because we used them for snorkeling last time. They charged $59 which included everything (tax, lunch, everything). We checked into the other companies and found everything from $60 to $65 but some didn't include lunch or tax so it ended up being closer to $70. No matter what, it was less than the ship's price of $92.
So to answer the question, why so expensive?...my guess is supply and demand. This is a very popular tour in Belize. A LOT of people want to do it. The ship seems to sell out at $92 and the private operators fill up quickly too. We did notice it is all the same tour. The private people seem to get a little more as far as extra caves and attention...not to mention getting away from the crowds. So if it is all the same and the service is good, try to find the lowest price. I know Coral Breeze was booked and they worked with us because we were repeat customers. I'm sure they were booked because of their lower price and good service. We would recommend them to anyone who asks.
Cave Tubing is really a great tour and worth every penny.

[kitty_brewster]

We did cave tubing with Marvin at Wet N Wild. Was it worth $60? YES... it was a lot of fun for our family ages 8,12,15 and 17. Lunch was superb and Marvin was excellent. Highly recommended

[url="http://www.ecotoursbelize.com/"]http://www.ecotoursbelize.com/[/url]

[ccletzgo]

[quote name='ArkansasFish']We forgot to check on an excursion to visit the sting rays that was NO-smoking for the whole trip. I can understand having certain areas not to smoke, but the whole trip?!!!![/QUOTE]

:confused: I think the concern is, where the butts end up. they are not ecologically friendly.:confused:

[wild1apache]

I would check with Reggie's cave tubing. He is at [url]www.regtour.com[/url] . I have not gone cave tubing with any of these other outfits but I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Reggie's. We had a total of 12 people in our group and two of them were kids about 9-10 years old I would say and he was GREAT with them. Check with Reggie before you make any decision. Hope this helps.

[Al_Frescoe]

[quote name='wild1apache']I would check with Reggie's cave tubing. He is at [url]www.regtour.com[/url] . I have not gone cave tubing with any of these other outfits but I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Reggie's. We had a total of 12 people in our group and two of them were kids about 9-10 years old I would say and he was GREAT with them. Check with Reggie before you make any decision. Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]
hmmmm, no lunch with Reggie's tour?

[Crusty the Crab]

[quote name='spfar']OK, I'll chime in!
We did the cave tubing with Marvin in April. The trip was well worth the price. It was indeed a once in a lifetime experience. The price was much cheaper than the excursion through the cruise line (RCI). and for the price we had transportation, a much smaller group, a narrated tour of the country, an extra cave, and a fantastic lunch. By all means do it, and use Marvin as your guide!!![/QUOTE]


So how do you find 'Marvin"? quick, I'm leaving this Sat 7-31!

[julie aka social director]

Are you traveling on the Glory? Marvin is affiliated with Wet N' Wild. When I e-mailed him he did have 7 spots available. We are traveling on the Glory, and since this is the only excursion we are doing, we opted to go with the ships tour. Every post I read gave Wet n' Wild a good rating as long as Marvin was the tour guide and not Thomas. See you in the caves!

[JDK01269]

[quote name='dkbryan']No offense, but $65 seems pretty high to ride in an old intertube down a river--especially considering that I was able to go scuba diving in Cozumel for $50 all inclusive. So, would someone explain why the cost is so great? Thanks. We'll be heading down to Belize in Jan 2005.


May 2003 - Explorer of the Seas[/QUOTE]DKBRYAN - You dove for $50 (all inclusive) in Cozumel??? With whom? Do you have a website or contact information??? HELP...

[gengen]

I booked with Action Belize for $49/person because I had a family of 8 and qualified for the group discount. This did not include food, however we had time for lunch afterwords and Roberto, our guide, stopped by an authentic restaurant and we were able to get chicken and rice for about $ 5. This was still cheaper than other tours. Roberto was fantastic. He was very sensitive about our time and took care of our family. Our family were the only people on the trip and he gave us very personalized attention. hope this helps.

[Patinthehat]

The cave tubing tour is worth the money!!! It incudes the long bus ride, then when you arrive, you get the equipment, and walk through a rainforest, complete with a tour of the trees and plants. Then, you float down a cool river. It also includes a great lunch at cheers restaurant.

Believe me, it's worth the money.