Itinerary Ideas - Cayaman, Roatan, Belize, Costa Maya?

[davidwhittaker]

We just booked the Valor leaving next Sunday! We are stressing about getting everything organized so quickly so any recommendations you could make would be a big help! We are a young, adventurous couple that likes to be very active. I also prefer to book our excursions through private companies rather than through the cruise. Is that safe in all our ports? Our ports of call are Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize, and Costa Maya.

 

One general question. What is the cheapest port to buy booze?

 

Here is what I am thinking so far:

 

Cayman Islands: We've done stingray city and don't want to again (even though it was amazing.) We are thinking of just snorkeling from the beach, hanging out on 7 Mile, and doing some shopping. What are the best spots? Is it easy to find taxis?

 

I've also heard of people doing Jet Ski or Jet Boat snorkeling. Anyone have a good company that offers these, especially without stingray city?

 

Roatan: I think we are going to do a tour with Victor Bodden. We definitely want to do the zip lines and some snorkeling. Any other must do's in Roatan? Is there any good hiking?

 

Belize: We are leaning towards cave tubbing here. Will we have time to do the cave tubbing and some snorkeling? If not, is there a beach close to the port that we can hang out on after cave tubbing? What company do you recommend for tubing? Any good, cheap bars near the beach?

 

 

Costa Maya: I haven't looked into this much yet. I know they have great ruins here but I am not sure how exciting that would be for us. Any suggestions are welcome!

 

Thank you in advance for your recommendations!

 

Dave

[Zeno]

If you are at all into ruins and indigenous cultures, I suggest a tour to the ruins at Chacchoben with David and Ivan for Costa Maya - lots of info re: them on the Costa Maya board. Their tour only lasts about 3-4 hours - so you would still have time to go to the beach at Majahual (the little town near the port).

[pmcue]

if you want to snorkle and stay away from the crowds of 7 mile, I recommend taking a cab (you can even walk) to Treasure Island Condos. They have a small uncrowded beach, a pool and swim up bar. The beach is has it's own reef right off shore which is surrounded by rocks so it is very calm, you can also swim out a bit and it is some of the best snorkling in Cayman, been there three times. Then you can kick back have a drink and admire the ships as you can view them from there, or take a walk all the way down 7 mile, and laugh at all th folks croweded into the beaches there.

[davidwhittaker]

Thanks for the recommendation on the Treasure Island Condos, we may check that out!

[caribbean dreams]

There is no beaches near the pier in Belize, they are out on the Cayes but you will have fun cave tubing, we were gone nearly all day, had about 40 minutes of shopping before it was time to board the tenders and head back to the ship.

 

The cheapest booze will be in Costa Maya but not in the port village, you will have to go into town. The cheapest wine is in Belize.

[wack001]

Costa May is GREAT!. U can read my CC write up just email me @

bushwack001@yahoo.com.

I NEVER will take a ship excrusion. I am slo bbooked on the Valor in May.

[littlehead]

Hi Dave

 

We are also booked for the same cruise, but in May. Could you please send me some ideas and experiences after you get back from your cruise. It would be great to have an opinion from someone that has done the same itinerary.

Have a nice cruise!!!!

Thanks

[davidwhittaker]

Hi Dave

 

We are also booked for the same cruise, but in May. Could you please send me some ideas and experiences after you get back from your cruise. It would be great to have an opinion from someone that has done the same itinerary.

Have a nice cruise!!!!

Thanks

 

I'd be happy to. I am planning our own excursions at each port so hopefully we'll have some good experiences to report!!! Send me an email next week to remind me to email you stories and pictures. email is whittaker.dave at gmail dot com

[wack001]

Hi Dave

 

We are also booked for the same cruise, but in May. Could you please send me some ideas and experiences after you get back from your cruise. It would be great to have an opinion from someone that has done the same itinerary.

Have a nice cruise!!!!

Thanks

 

If U are sailing on the 13 May Valor, drop me an email. I am doing all 4 ports on my own excursions.

bushwack001@yahoo.com

[littlehead]

I'd be happy to. I am planning our own excursions at each port so hopefully we'll have some good experiences to report!!! Send me an email next week to remind me to email you stories and pictures. email is whittaker.dave at gmail dot com

 

 

HI Dave...

Be sure I'll remind you!!!! I'll be expecting your reports!!!

Have a good time!!!

[littlehead]

If U are sailing on the 13 May Valor, drop me an email. I am doing all 4 ports on my own excursions.

bushwack001@yahoo.com

 

We will be on the 6 May Valor... You've sent me some of your reviews, but if you have any more ideas to share, i'll be glad to hear them!!!

Thanks...

[wack001]

Cayman; Bottom line is: Stingray city(nice/worth it) and the tours, turtle farm, hell(overrated), no bargins in town, beach is fine.

 

Roatan; It is basically very nice beachs, but u have a number of new excursions, however, I hear that Scuba in Roatan is 1st class.

 

Belize; If u have not done the cave tubbing, worth it. Ziplines are far and not as good as Mexico. I also heard Roaoatn has good ziplines.

 

CM, on the 6th May, think u are stopping Cozumel??

[littlehead]

Cayman; Bottom line is: Stingray city(nice/worth it) and the tours, turtle farm, hell(overrated), no bargins in town, beach is fine.

 

Roatan; It is basically very nice beachs, but u have a number of new excursions, however, I hear that Scuba in Roatan is 1st class.

 

Belize; If u have not done the cave tubbing, worth it. Ziplines are far and not as good as Mexico. I also heard Roaoatn has good ziplines.

 

CM, on the 6th May, think u are stopping Cozumel??

 

No, we are not going to Cozumel... we are also going to Costa Maya.

Thanks for your tips... They're going to help me!!!!!:)

[littlehead]

No, we are not going to Cozumel... we are also going to Costa Maya.

Thanks for your tips... They're going to help me!!!!!:)

 

Hi Wack...

You know what?!? I got confused with the dates... We are actually going on the 13 May Valor...

[mom of four]

Is Treasure Island Condos open to the public or is it a resort and is there a fee to go on the beach there? Do you know what the cab fare was to there? Sorry..one more..is it in Belize?

[davidwhittaker]

Is Treasure Island Condos open to the public or is it a resort and is there a fee to go on the beach there? Do you know what the cab fare was to there? Sorry..one more..is it in Belize?

 

 

I have not visited there yet, but from what I understand it is free and open to the public. It is just a part of 7 Mile beach.

 

This is in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, not Belize

[wack001]

Hi Wack...

You know what?!? I got confused with the dates... We are actually going on the 13 May Valor...

 

Figured, since I did not book 6 May due to the ports.

If U want to go to the Costa May resort together, or join our group for any excursions, drop me an email. We are (6) 3 couples all in the late 40's.

Fun loving group.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We used Victor Bodden tours when we were in Roatan in Dec. and had a great time. We did the Pirates zip-line, which was challenging (on the bridges) but fun. They'll take you where you want, but we did the iguana farm, zip-line, island tour and beach. We had time afterwards for some shopping in the port area.

 

We also used cave.tubing dotcom and had a great time in Belize too. You can't do both snorkeling and cave tubing due to time.

[AtlantaRCcruiser]

Hi David,

 

We just got back from Explorer of the Seas and went to Belize, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman, so I can give you a little review of what we did so maybe that will help.

 

Belize: We went cave tubing though cavetubing.com. We was the best excursion we went on! Amazing! A++++

 

Costa Maya: We went to the Chachoben Mayan Ruins with David and Ivan (http://www.thenativechoice.com). Very good, very educational! Not really an "exciting adventure" compared to cave tubing, but definitely cool to see all the history! We also ate at a cool restaurant called the Cats Meow. Great food! Good local shopping market at the ruins (not all that touristy junk the others are selling in the terminal).

 

Cozumel: Didn't like Cozumel too much. Went to Senor Frogs which I couldn't have definitely done without. All the shops have the exact same things and they try to sell you a pair of knock-off Raybans for $47 (and then you can talk them down to $5).

 

Grand Cayman: One of our favorite stops! We decided to try snorkling on 7-mile beach on our own and it was a mistake! We just rented snorkel gear (all day was $15 each for mask, snorkle, and fins) and went in. You had to go out really far to see anything (the water near the shore wasn't clear due to the surf) and we really only saw few dozen or so fish the whole time were out there and barely any coral. The poor fish were using an old bathtub as a house! We did see two octopus, so that was the highlight! If you want to go snorkling I would definitely recommend going to Cemetary Beach or some other place that is known for snorkling. Our experience could have been a lot better if we picked the right spot! The actual beach was beautiful though!

 

Have fun with whatever you chose!

[Zbayette]

A couple questions about the cave tubing. We're going next week, in March. How is the water temperature then? Is the water clean? salt water? Also do we spend a lot of time walking around in wet clothes? Does it feel cold/cool in the caves (out of the sun) when you are all wet?

Finally, about the food...you always hear about not drinking the water in Mexico, is there any concern about eating in public restaurants there? What kind of food can they possibly serve you for lunch for all of $5?

[caribbean dreams]

A couple questions about the cave tubing. We're going next week, in March. How is the water temperature then? Is the water clean? salt water? Also do we spend a lot of time walking around in wet clothes?

Finally, about the food...you always hear about not drinking the water in Mexico, is there any concern about eating in public restaurants there? What kind of food can they possibly serve you for lunch for all of $5?

 

The water is cool but not so cold you can't stand it, it is actually refreshing after the long walk.

It is fresh water and looks nice & clean.

when leaving the river after tubing, it is about a ten minute walk back to the buses and there is a very large bathroom and changing area to put dry clothes on.

I have always eatten the food in Mexico, even in the little whole in the wall shacks (they have the best food) I have not drank the water straight out of the taps but i have had a Margarita or 2 or 3 and have never gotten ill.

[lil nemo]

Hi David,

 

We just got back from Explorer of the Seas and went to Belize, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman, so I can give you a little review of what we did so maybe that will help.

 

Belize: We went cave tubing though cavetubing.com. We was the best excursion we went on! Amazing! A++++

 

Costa Maya: We went to the Chachoben Mayan Ruins with David and Ivan (

Cozumel: Didn't like Cozumel too much. Went to Senor Frogs which I couldn't hav

 

Grand Cayman: One of our favorite stops! We decided to try snorkling on 7-mile beach on our own and it was a mistake! We just rented snorkel gear

 

Have fun with whatever you chose!

 

 

Here's our mini reveiw of the itin!

 

Belize: book a tour or stay on the ship! we did Hammerhead to Sting Ray city and Caye Caulker Excellent!

 

Costa Maya: make this your wet day! get off the ship and grab a chair at the port pool! or take the $3 bus ride downtown to the city. and grab a beach chair at 1 of 20 beach bars viaing for your business, shop downtown if your looking for cheap mexico souvenirs. The silver at the port shops is overpriced! Know yopr silver prices before you leave and make the shop salesperson weigh your silver before u buy or u will get ripped off!

*note the bus line after 12 noon gets to be unbelievable long. You return by private taxi for $2 a person.

 

Cozumel- RENT A JEEP tour the island skip downtown shopping. Shop at Costa Maya same stuff! jeep rental with insurance $25 and port tx $22 and a misc. charge plus $69 rentaL fee, they will negioate a little.

 

G. Cayman, unless you are independently wealthy this island will suck away all your Vaca $$$

stick to an excurison. going to 7 mile beach for 6 people cost us $172

$60 rt taxi ride, $80 bucks for 6 loungers, 2 umbrellas, and a water float. $42 bucks for 6 beers. not worth it!! we did see a tornado touch down at the west end tho'

[davidwhittaker]

I thought I'd post my review from our trip on the Valor.

 

We had a great time on our trip, even though the weather was not ideal.

 

 

 

Our stop in the Cayman Islands was actually canceled due to poor conditions in the port.

 

In Roatan we did the Victor Bodden tour and it was great. Our guide was awesome. We did the canopy tour which was one of the best parts of the trip. He gave us a tour of the entire island, took us to the iguana farm, stopped by Victor's house (he has a bunch of monkeys you can hold), and took us to a couple little towns for shopping. We had planned on snorkeling but the water was too rough & cloudy. They are very flexible and will do what ever you want for the day. The cost is $25 per person if you have 4 people (plus optional tip). The zip line was $45 and the iguana farm was $5. Snorkeling would have been $15.

 

In Belize we went cave tubbing through cave-tubbing.com. If you plan to go cave tubbing I highly recommend them. They are half the cost of the cruise line and twice the fun. They take you through an extra cave and you get to hike an extra 25 minutes through the jungle. Even though we had a lot of fun, I think if we had it to do over again I think we would have done something different in Belize. We are more adventurous and this was more laid back and relaxing. The scenery was beautiful though. Since we missed out on snorkeling in Grand Cayman we would have preferred to to that in Belize. The cost of the trip was $45 plus $5 for an optional lunch.

 

Costa Maya was our favorite port. We caught a van over to Majahaul, $3 per person, and just started walking down the street. We were approached by many people trying sell us a variety of things. We wound up finding a guy that took my friend and I on a 2 tank dive for $70 - amazing! Our wives stayed back at the beach. They got massages ($20 for 45 minutes) and hung out on the beach. If you are buying food & drinks there is no charge for use of any of the beach stuff - chairs, huts, kayaks, paddle boats, snorkeling gear, etc. They also offered snorkeling trips for $15 pp and jet ski rentals (don't remember the price).

We hung out at the bar owned by CHARLIE BROWN, and all I can say is AMAZING! He is awesome, provided great service and is so much fun. He was right on the beach, just after the Cat's Meow. 6 beers for $10, plus a free round of tequila shots, tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole. We also ordered food from him, the tacos and ceviche were great. We spent almost the whole day there and left with a bill of $72 for 4 people, not including tip. We started off at a different bar down the beach a little further that was very unfriendly and more expensive. I highly recommend Charlie Brown!

There are tons of great vendors and you can find a lot of great stuff. I found this to be the best place to shop, both for the choice of merchandise and prices. It is much better than shopping at the port. They start high with prices so be ready to negotiate!

 

Wishin I was cruisin.....