Should I book an excursion in Belize with NCL or an

[thomthom]

Just wanted to ask the fellow ccruisers if I should book a shore excursion with the cruiseline or an outside source? also does anyone have any good excursions for Belize? :D

[Travel Angel]

Just wanted to ask the fellow ccruisers if I should book a shore excursion with the cruiseline or an outside source? also does anyone have any good excursions for Belize? :D

 

You will get a variety of answers regarding booking on your own or thru the cruiseline.... IMHO, if a new cruiser and unless you have done alot of homework and gotten reliable suggestions of tour operators to use, I would stick with the cruiseline tours.... you will pay a little more, but for the unexperienced or 1st time cruiser w/out a clue.... it is the best way to go.

 

That being said, cave tubing is one of the most popular tours to experience while in Belize..... a wonderful ride to Jaguar Paw while learning about the history of Belize and seeing what the REAL BELIZE is all about regarding its mountain ranges and rain forests..... Then a great walk thru a rain forest and if the tour guide is good, a learning experience of what the various plants were used for in the Mayan Culture along with other info... then on to the caves for yet another interesting and wet review of their cave system and the limestone formations.....You will carry innertubes during your walk thru the rain forest and just have a cool, refreshing tube ride down a lazy river after experiencing the caves. Many tour operators will offer lunch and possibly a trip to the Zoo as well.

 

My recent experience was thru Major Tom at *****.....not only did he offer a great tour, but he also is always concerned of passenger safety throughout the entire tour and a great price too ! His knowledge of Belize assited me in a recent condo purchase as well.

 

When hurricane Felix was approaching, he gave weather updates to me to provide on CC boards too....

 

Hope that this will help you make some decisions regarding what to do while in Belize.... Happy Cruising !

[nyc1234]

You will get a variety of answers regarding booking on your own or thru the cruiseline.... IMHO, if a new cruiser and unless you have done alot of homework and gotten reliable suggestions of tour operators to use, I would stick with the cruiseline tours.... you will pay a little more, but for the unexperienced or 1st time cruiser w/out a clue.... it is the best way to go.

 

That being said, cave tubing is one of the most popular tours to experience while in Belize..... a wonderful ride to Jaguar Paw while learning about the history of Belize and seeing what the REAL BELIZE is all about regarding its mountain ranges and rain forests..... Then a great walk thru a rain forest and if the tour guide is good, a learning experience of what the various plants were used for in the Mayan Culture along with other info... then on to the caves for yet another interesting and wet review of their cave system and the limestone formations.....You will carry innertubes during your walk thru the rain forest and just have a cool, refreshing tube ride down a lazy river after experiencing the caves. Many tour operators will offer lunch and possibly a trip to the Zoo as well.

 

My recent experience was thru Major Tom at *****.....not only did he offer a great tour, but he also is always concerned of passenger safety throughout the entire tour and a great price too ! His knowledge of Belize assited me in a recent condo purchase as well.

 

When hurricane Felix was approaching, he gave weather updates to me to provide on CC boards too....

 

Hope that this will help you make some decisions regarding what to do while in Belize.... Happy Cruising !

 

I have to agree that if this is the first time that you are on a cruise or if you don't have time to do a lot of research, then it's better to book through the cruise line. The price is definitely higher and the quality is probably not as good as a very good tour operator.

 

I also recommend Major Tom, not because I have gone on his tour, but because he is a really nice gentleman. I have been trying to contact another tour operator in Belize and had no success. Major Tom helped me and informed the other tour operator about my attempts. Major Tom is not benefited in any way in helping me contacting this other guide, so I think that says a lot about his character.

 

You might also want to consider horseback riding or captain your own rigid inflatable boat.

[driftwood]

Belize is in the heart of the Mayan world, and if you are inclined to see some of it, you might well enjoy the "Lamanai and New River" tour--even booking people have fallen in love with this one--, or the "Altun Ha" site. It is possible that Norwegian CL offers other Mayan site tours as well: all of these locations could be researched in advance online and in your public library, if you wanted to go deeper into it.

 

"Nothing is for free!" Almost every shore excursion has some cost involved; I am inclined to get as much for my money as I can, both in exercise and in intellectual stimulation. All cruise lines are very anxious to ensure that their shore excursions are "crowd pleasers," as they depend on repeat business for their own continued operation: and their efforts to control the quality, safety, and dependability of the shore excursions are I think worth any minor premium they may charge.

 

Belize is a remarkable country in very many ways, and I suspect you will be very happy with any shore excursion you choose.