Cave tubing with CARNIVAL

[cat26]

I just wanted to make a quick post about my cave tubing trip. We ending up booking with Carnival (DH didn't wan't to take any chances).Many OP bash the Carnival (and other cruise ships) excursions, but I wanted to let everyone know how wrong they are. We had 2 tour guides per bus load of people. One was always at the front of the tour and one was at the rear of the tour. If someone was stuck Javiar was there quick! Peter lead the tour, he is VERY knowledgeable and proud of his country. Our tour allowed a popuar .com company to pass us on the hike, unless they had guides waiting in the caves for them that tour only had 2 guides as well. We had a great day tubing and really enjoyed our guides.

[RizzoLee]

Thanks for sharing - we usually book with the cruiseline (I know, I know), but were hesitant for this excursion!

[LHP]

I have seen people register legitimate complaints...but nothing as far as "bashing".

 

There are destinct differences in a Carnival cave-tubing and an independent like Yhony at cave-tubing (dot) com.

 

BOTH will get you there and back fine.

 

With Carnival you get to go through ONE cave, with Yhony, you get to go through TWO.

 

With Carnival, you are on your own once you get in the water. This as caused several problems in the past. A) if the water is to low...you have to drag or paddle yourself which can be exhausting and not a "relaxing float".

B) if the water is to high...you can feel out of control can get separated from the group...especially younger children and this has caused some anxiety.

 

With Yhony, you are attached. So, if the water is to low...the guide pulls you. If the water is to high, the guide keeps you together.

 

And of course, cost. With Yhony, it is $45.00 a person. Not sure what Carnival charges.

 

I am glad you had a good time but that does not diminish legitimate concerns expressed by others.

 

It is not bashing to show the definate differences, so a person can make an informed decision.

[Chigirlcruzin]

I have seen people register legitimate complaints...but nothing as far as "bashing".

 

There are destinct differences in a Carnival cave-tubing and an independent like Yhony at cave-tubing (dot) com.

 

BOTH will get you there and back fine.

 

With Carnival you get to go through ONE cave, with Yhony, you get to go through TWO.

 

With Carnival, you are on your own once you get in the water. This as caused several problems in the past. A) if the water is to low...you have to drag or paddle yourself which can be exhausting and not a "relaxing float".

B) if the water is to high...you can feel out of control can get separated from the group...especially younger children and this has caused some anxiety.

 

With Yhony, you are attached. So, if the water is to low...the guide pulls you. If the water is to high, the guide keeps you together.

 

And of course, cost. With Yhony, it is $45.00 a person. Not sure what Carnival charges.

 

I am glad you had a good time but that does not diminish legitimate concerns expressed by others.

 

It is not bashing to show the definate differences, so a person can make an informed decision.

 

I agree with everything just stated. Also, we had 5 guides in each bus. Yhony's group divided us into groups of 10-12 and attached us. We all had one guide. Towards the end when the water was low, we had tubers from the Carnival group hang onto us so they could get pulled too. We paid $45, the Carnival excursion was $95.

[RizzoLee]

Thanks LHP for the differences - I appreciate that. Perhaps we'll actually book with Yhonny - it looks like he gets you back sooner as well, rather than CCL's 7 hour trip.

[travelntreats]

LHP is pretty much right on the target with the comparisons... we booked with Major Tom and we got to go thru 2 caves too and were back in plenty of time to do a little shopping.

 

Cave Tubing is an experience everyone should try cuz you get to see what the real Belize is like outisde of the dirty downtown area.

[cat26]

I have seen people register legitimate complaints...but nothing as far as "bashing".

 

There are destinct differences in a Carnival cave-tubing and an independent like Yhony at cave-tubing (dot) com.

 

BOTH will get you there and back fine.

 

With Carnival you get to go through ONE cave, with Yhony, you get to go through TWO.

 

With Carnival, you are on your own once you get in the water. This as caused several problems in the past. A) if the water is to low...you have to drag or paddle yourself which can be exhausting and not a "relaxing float".

B) if the water is to high...you can feel out of control can get separated from the group...especially younger children and this has caused some anxiety.

 

With Yhony, you are attached. So, if the water is to low...the guide pulls you. If the water is to high, the guide keeps you together.

 

And of course, cost. With Yhony, it is $45.00 a person. Not sure what Carnival charges.

 

I am glad you had a good time but that does not diminish legitimate concerns expressed by others.

 

It is not bashing to show the definate differences, so a person can make an informed decision.

LHP- I was just trying to say something positive about this excursion. This excursion gets a bad rep. Most posters here suggest a tour company. This is something my husband did not want to due. I'm sure others here may feel the same way (there were hundreds of people meeting for this tour thru Carnival). Cave tubing is something everyone should try. I was just wanting to make a quick, positive post because someone else may be in my shoes, wanting to cave tube and going back and forth between Carnival and a tour company.

The water levels were high so we were able to have a 'relaxing float'. Our guide did give us the option to be chained together. Most famlies did link together. I personally did not want someones (other than my husband's)foot up my armpit. LOL

I have also read the OP reviews about booking with the cruise ship and just wanted to express mine as well. I;'m not sure what happened on other tours (booked with Carnival) the only people we saw were the people on our bus and the .com company we let pass us. Our tour guides really made this a great tour.

[piratesparrow]

I don't know if I can "bash" the ship's tour but our guides were extremely knowledgeable and they too worked for the cruise ship before and I assume they also did a great job with them too.

 

But taking a less crowded tour is more personnal and more enjoyable, the guides at belizecavetubing dot com deserve the thumbs up!!

[Carnival Game]

I'm surprised so many people want to do this.

 

Long bus ride

Long hike to the caves

People's feet clinging to you

You end up muddy and exhausted

 

Yuck!

[alfngf]

I'm surprised so many people want to do this.

 

Long bus ride

Long hike to the caves

People's feet clinging to you

You end up muddy and exhausted

 

Yuck!

 

Muddy and exhausted?

 

We never got muddy, our water shoes had some dirt on them from being wet and then walking back to the changing area but no mud on me anywhere. I never was exhausted either, the "hike" to the caves isn't bad either. We didn't walk fast at all and then you had a long relaxing float in the river.

 

I highly recommend the excursion, ship or not. We went with Major Tom and had a fantastic time.

[Carnival Game]

OK, maybe I'm speaking for myself...I would be exhausted walking 30-45 minutes over bumpy terrain while carrying a big tube!

[cat26]

OK, maybe I'm speaking for myself...I would be exhausted walking 30-45 minutes over bumpy terrain while carrying a big tube!

We were over the walk by the time we got to the cave.

[Darkwolfe]

Just don't let the cave-tubing dot com guys make you yell in the caves.

 

When I was planning to cave tube last year, Major Tom won out over the cave-tubing guys simply because his website didn't bad-mouth his competition. At that time, cave-tubing was doing that. I find that to be in bad taste.

 

We had all of 7 people with Tom and George as our guides when we went. But, I understand that Tom has had a pretty good uptick in his business so there may be more than that on some tours now.

 

In the end, choose who you will. Lots of folks like Yhoni, lots of folks like Tom. Both will get you back to your ship on time.

[cat26]

Just don't let the cave-tubing dot com guys make you yell in the caves.

 

When I was planning to cave tube last year, Major Tom won out over the cave-tubing guys simply because his website didn't bad-mouth his competition. At that time, cave-tubing was doing that. I find that to be in bad taste.

 

We had all of 7 people with Tom and George as our guides when we went. But, I understand that Tom has had a pretty good uptick in his business so there may be more than that on some tours now.

 

In the end, choose who you will. Lots of folks like Yhoni, lots of folks like Tom. Both will get you back to your ship on time.

Yeah they did that as they hiked thru the rainforest to the caves. I thought that was odd.

[nodumblond]

I just wanted to make a quick post about my cave tubing trip. We ending up booking with Carnival (DH didn't wan't to take any chances).Many OP bash the Carnival (and other cruise ships) excursions, but I wanted to let everyone know how wrong they are. We had 2 tour guides per bus load of people. One was always at the front of the tour and one was at the rear of the tour. If someone was stuck Javiar was there quick! Peter lead the tour, he is VERY knowledgeable and proud of his country. Our tour allowed a popuar .com company to pass us on the hike, unless they had guides waiting in the caves for them that tour only had 2 guides as well. We had a great day tubing and really enjoyed our guides.

 

Do you know Peter's last name? We had a Peter when we went cave tubing with a different company (private tour of four, so we could do that and the Zoo), and we're trying to find him so we can book him again. He was Fabulouso!

[paracelsus]

Did anyone do the lunch with Major Tom? Was it worth it, or is it better to wait and eat in town?

[cat26]

Do you know Peter's last name? We had a Peter when we went cave tubing with a different company (private tour of four, so we could do that and the Zoo), and we're trying to find him so we can book him again. He was Fabulouso!

I'm sorry we do not remember his last name. I remember him saying that he lives over an hour away from the port. Maybe you remember him saying that to you as well? If I go back to Belize I hope to have, Peter as a guide again.

Good luck!

[Modernnycruiser]

I appreciate your review. We (DH & I) are also booking with Carnival due to our own paranoia. It makes me feel good to hear that you enjoyed yourself on this excursion.

[LHP]

LHP- I was just trying to say something positive about this excursion. This excursion gets a bad rep. Most posters here suggest a tour company. This is something my husband did not want to due. I'm sure others here may feel the same way (there were hundreds of people meeting for this tour thru Carnival). Cave tubing is something everyone should try. I was just wanting to make a quick, positive post because someone else may be in my shoes, wanting to cave tube and going back and forth between Carnival and a tour company.

The water levels were high so we were able to have a 'relaxing float'. Our guide did give us the option to be chained together. Most famlies did link together. I personally did not want someones (other than my husband's)foot up my armpit. LOL

I have also read the OP reviews about booking with the cruise ship and just wanted to express mine as well. I;'m not sure what happened on other tours (booked with Carnival) the only people we saw were the people on our bus and the .com company we let pass us. Our tour guides really made this a great tour.

 

People expressing what actually happened to them is not giving a "bad rap"... it is telling WHAT HAPPENED. The last time I checked, that is what these boards are for.

 

And people should know that there are definate differences so that THEY can make an INFORMED decision.

 

These caves are not Disneyland. They can get swift during the rainy season and personally I think it is irresponsible for Carnival not to link their floaters to prevent CHILDREN from being bumped up against the walls and frightened. I have read way to many of these complaints for this to be overlooked.

 

If parents do not want this kind of experience for their children, then they have every right to be warned.

 

This is not to promote Yhoney or Major Tom or the Belize Boys are anyone else. It is so let people know the FACTS about cave tubing in Belize.

 

Linking together as a family is ridiculous and accomplishes nothing, because you do not have a GUIDE to keep you where you need to be. The individual GUIDE to pull you if waters are low or direct you if waters are high...is the key and Carnival simply does not provide that.