Belize

[gkrnjlr]

I really don't want to post this on the port of call boards because to me it's a totally CHILD oriented question....so with that said, I hope that they don't move my post!

 

We are really torn about what to do in Belize. I've heard that Belize is a place that you don't want to venture off on your own - at least not beyond the fence.

 

We have been looking at excursions and just don't know what we want to do. Our daughter is going to be 9 months old and we were pretty much sold on the Bacab Eco Park and Butterfly House. I posted asking about that previously and learned that there are serious mosquito issues - to the point where it ruined your entire excursion.

 

There's the Baboon Sanctuary....but a howler monkey doesn't sound very "kid friendly" does it?

 

SO with that in mind......what do you suggest for us to do in Belize that is child friendly for a 9 month old?

 

Thanks!

[crusinmama06]

I am in the same "boat as you" so to speak ;) We are going to Belize in February and this will be the first time.

 

I asked the same question not too long ago so I a can post the link to that thread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=799934

 

But since you have an infant, the response may be different. I don't know if you want to take a jungle boat ride and ruins tour with an infant. ;)

 

When my children were that young. We looked for cruise tours with the words "air conditioned bus"...lol. Now this wasn't in Belize...but the thought behind it is still the same. If you are on a bus tour that just makes quick stops at each location, then you can choose to get off the bus and explore or stay on the bus and let the baby relax.

[gkrnjlr]

Great thread. Thanks! The riverboat tour sounds nice but I am not sure if it would be suitable for a 9 mo. old.

 

Cucumber Beach wouldn't be bad but we're really not beach people as a first choice.

 

Also.....when getting off the ship, going from the ship to wherever our excursion is....aren't we going to need a car seat? Or what do you do with a small child?

 

Thanks again!

[OnTheBrink]

We were in Belize when our son was 8 months. We didn't do an excursion there, so I can't help with that. But I will say that we have no desire to return to Belize at all. We had our son as well as our 4 year old daughter. I was so nervous walking around with them! We headed back to the ship and had a fun port day onboard.

[gkrnjlr]

Did you stay inside the fenced area and still felt that way? Or did you venture beyond the fenced area and that's when you started feeling a little uncomfortable?

 

I've never done a fun day on the ship while in port. What do you do with little ones while staying on the ship? Will my 9 mo. old be allowed in the kids pool with a pull up on?

 

Thanks!

[OnTheBrink]

Yes, we did venture a bit. Not far - but it was far enough to feel uncomfy. Honestly, though, even within the fence I didn't love it. The vendors and such were very pushy, it wasn't clean, and it just didn't appeal to us.

 

We love port days on the ship. It's basically empty, but all the same things are available - pools, restaurants, etc. We love to play in the kid area with our kids on days that aren't busy. It's fun!

 

I don't think you'd be able to go in the pool with a swim diaper. Perhaps there are pools that are specified for that, but I'm not familiar with them. What ship are you on?

 

Traveling with my 8 month old on a cruise was hard, honestly. He was an avid crawler at that point and wanted to crawl everywhere we went. Ick! That time we were on Carnival. This last time (he was 3.5) we were on Princess. I think that Princess would have been better for a baby. It was much more low key, which we like. This next time, though, we are trying Royal Caribbean. We'll see!

[gkrnjlr]

Sounds like Belize won't be at the top of our list of places we'll want to go back to. Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

If it weren't for these boards we'd be walking into the unknown and in this case that's not the smart thing to do!

 

Thanks again!

[Warmer Climes]

We loved being in Belize and would definitely go back. However, we were travelling with kids age 16 (two of them) and an 8 y.o. so I am not much help with babies. We booked cave tubing which was really fun and we never felt nervous about being there. I would not walk around Belize City on my own, but then again it didn't look as bad as lots of places I have been to in the U.S.

 

I have heard the zoo is incredible- mayb that would be something you would want to look into.

 

Have fun,

Barb

[CanadianTwosome]

We also loved Belize, and we're looking forward to being back there in January. This time we're all going to do the beginner scuba offered by our ship - the minimum age is 10, so our daughter can do it!! I'm very excited as I've always wanted to do it, and my husband is as well since he used to be certified but hasn't been able to go for over ten years. The lst time we were in Belize we went snorkelling, and I can't imagine a more beautiful place to do my first scuba dive!

 

Back to YOUR issue, though!! ha ha ha On our last cruise, we did a yacht charter in Acapulco that was the favourite port for me and many of the people on our roll call who went with us. For our upcoming cruise, I have done a little research on day sails and charters because I'd like to do another one with the group of friends coming with us. It occurred to me that it might be something you could do with a baby - during swim stops you could take turns... in any case, we've undergone a computer change and I don't have access to my favourites list at the moment, but I'm certain that the name of the day sail I found in Belize was 'La Gaviota'. I emailed them and they were willing to pick us up at the dock as long as they knew what ship we were going to be coming in on. I can't say enough about how beautiful the ocean and reef are. :)

 

I have also heard good things about the zoo. We just tend to focus on more water-oriented excursions because we live on the land-locked prairie!

[crusinmama06]

Sorry GKR, Carnival doesn't have any children's pools that allow swim diapers. They have children's pools, but non-potty trained children aren't allowed.

 

You can bring an inflatable pool. The blog link in my signature has the info about the children's pools if you'd like to read it. And it also covers the issues about car seats.

 

http://www.cruisingwithchildren.blogspot.com/

[turs]

Last summer our ship stopped in Belize. We did cave tubing, but talked to several people who hired a driver once we got off of the boat. There will be drivers at the port with a badge on. They are "certified" apparently and you want to make sure they have the badge. One couple split it with another family and did a little sight seeing and the zoo. They said the driver was fantastic. Some families went to the beach. One guy we talked to was a cop and hired a driver to take him into the seedier parts of town. He loved it! I don't know about car seats though. The zoo is a good ride from the port (45 min. maybe??). I would see if any of the ships excursions would accommodate an infant. If not, it might not be worth tendering into port. The cruise port is very typical of all of the others. There are some shops, a few locals dressed up, and not much else. There is no pool and it is quite small.

[rphx2nc]

I am a mother of 3. We were group of 14 all adults in Belize. I would not take a 9 month old to Belize. It was not clean and I did not feel safe. Speaking English does not make this a great place. We did cave tubing and the ride in the bus was the worst part. It was a long bumpy ride and the bus seemed as if it was going to fall apart, it was very loud. The road was dirt and rock. There was no ac and it was hot. I know the Baboon entrance was on the same road as the cave tubing, not sure about the zoo, but maybe. A baby on any excursion that required a long ride I would avoid in Belize. Did anyone see the billboard on the highway about the car accident where all the people died? I'm thinking safety and I would avoid Belize. We were all dissapointed. To me Belize is my least favorite port/island. I will not return.

[gagirl789]

I think Belize is great for snorkling. I have been three times. I think it would be really hard with an infant. Even inside the gated area it made me feel uncomfortable. Last time I did a museum tour through the ship. It was a great museum with transportation on an AC bus. However, people really crowded around the bus. I have traveled a lot but having so many ppl around the bus made me uncomfortable. The museum is right next to the US embassy or consulte. I cannot remember which.

[rphx2nc]

I don't remember a gated area. Is this new? We were there in 2005.

[crusinmama06]

Yeah what is with this "gated area"

 

I've been to Labadee which is gated, but Belize? :confused: :eek:

 

How much is gated? Just the port area?

[CanadianTwosome]

I think by 'gated area' people must mean the port area. It's kind of like a big strip mall, then to leave it you have to go past a guarded area. We didn't leave, so I can't tell you if there was an actual 'gate' or not, but there was definitely a difference between the port area and the rest of the city.

 

I think how much you enjoy a stop in Belize depends on what you do there. It has one of the most beautiful reefs in the world, so snorkelling and scuba are fantastic. If you are prepared to endure the ride, I've also heard great things about the cave tubing, ziplining, river rides and other nature-oriented tours. The city itself I think is just very different from what we're used to as people from cultures that are DOING the cruising, not being visited by the cruise... we're definitely not in Kansas anymore!! :)

 

I went back and found the day sail info I was talking about earlier. Here's the description:

 

 

Caye Caulker Day Trip

Join us aboard for a day of sailing, snorkeling, and swimming. Imagine being caresses by the gentle breeze as we sail along the world's 2nd largest barrier reef. Our first stop is at the Hol Chan Reserve, where you will swim among tropical fishes. Snorkelers are delighted with the array of bright color corals. We then continue south to the popular underwater playground of Shark Ray Alley. Here you will have a great time swimming among sharks and stingrays. From here we sail to the small but quaint island of Caye Caulker for lunch. After lunch you will have enough time to stroll along the sandy streets. Gingerbread houses with hibiscus and periwinkle gardens makes the place a must for pictures to take back home. At 2:30 p.m., its time to get back onboard and start our sailing back home. Our final snorkeling stop will be at the Coral Garden Reef, where coral is abundant. By now, you will be tired, so find your place on the deck and enjoy the last rays of the sun for the day and once again let the gentle breeze of the Caribbean Sea caress you as we set sail for San Pedro. Tour Price: $65 USD Per Person

Included: Sodas, Rum Punch

Not Included: Sales tax, Park Fees & Lunch

Tour leaves at 9:00am from Texaco dock.

Bring your snorkeling gear, suntan lotion, sandals, camera & film.

The website is: http://ambergriscaye.com/lagaviota/

 

As I said, when I emailed, they let me know that they would pick us up. If you think it might be something you'd enjoy, email them and I'm sure they can tell you more about it. Obviously I can only tell you what I've read on this website, but on the day charter we took in Acapulco, there were two small children with us - one a toddler who joined us in the water for a while on a float, and the other smaller one (18 months maybe? I can't remember) stayed on the boat with one of her parents.

 

The company we went with supplied snorkelling gear, but most of us didn't use it, we just had fun in the water. The most enjoyable part of it for us (we're from landlocked Canadian prairie) was just being on the water and enjoying the ocean air, the sunshine, and the beauty. It was relaxing and fun and just completely enjoyable - which is why we're planning to find another one on our next trip! It's definitely something I would have been able to enjoy just as much if I'd had our daughter with us as a baby. I would have taken a carrier for her and kept her in a shaded area (as the smaller kids on our charter were), and taken turns with my husband enjoying the sun and water. :)

[gkrnjlr]

I am a mother of 3. We were group of 14 all adults in Belize. I would not take a 9 month old to Belize. It was not clean and I did not feel safe. Speaking English does not make this a great place. We did cave tubing and the ride in the bus was the worst part. It was a long bumpy ride and the bus seemed as if it was going to fall apart, it was very loud. The road was dirt and rock. There was no ac and it was hot. I know the Baboon entrance was on the same road as the cave tubing, not sure about the zoo, but maybe. A baby on any excursion that required a long ride I would avoid in Belize. Did anyone see the billboard on the highway about the car accident where all the people died? I'm thinking safety and I would avoid Belize. We were all dissapointed. To me Belize is my least favorite port/island. I will not return.

 

Hubby and I have been talking about Belize a lot since this thread started and we're starting to think we won't do an excursion in Belize.

 

Was the general "shopping area" right off of the ship pretty comfortable and safe feeling?

[rphx2nc]

The only shop in the port area we went into was a pharmacy. We bought water and sunscreen. Other than that we followed our guide onto the bus. I don't remember any others but wasn't looking.

[crusinmama06]

I think by 'gated area' people must mean the port area. It's kind of like a big strip mall, then to leave it you have to go past a guarded area. We didn't leave, so I can't tell you if there was an actual 'gate' or not, but there was definitely a difference between the port area and the rest of the city.

 

OK, then it's like Mo Bay Jamaica where you can shop in the market while the locals are yelling at you through the slots in the windows. :eek:

 

I am not ready to call it a ship day yet. We did that with Mo Bay the last time. I had no desire to do anything there. But this is Belize. I think I do want to at least step off the ship. Guess I have 6 months to think about it.

[purplephenom]

Maybe there are different sections of the port area, but where we were, there was no way anyone could yell through the gates. We stepped off the ship, walked maybe 100 feet, and into a "terminal." The terminal seemed pretty small- just a row of stores- but then we realized if you walked through the stores, you could go out the other side, and there were more stores (still part of the terminal). We were on a ruins tour, and on the way back, the guides swore we could buy exactly the same stuff outside the gates, as in the terminal, and it would be at least 50% cheaper. But because the tour was long, we didn't have much time for shopping, we figured we'd just wander through the terminal so we could look in stores on the way back to the tender line.

 

Btw, while waiting in the tender line we were chatting with a couple other people who said they went to the zoo and it was the most amazing thing ever. They were semi-dissapointed because they'd wanted to go to the zoo and then go cave tubing, but they spent too much time at the zoo and didn't have time for cave tubing. But overall, they said the zoo was a good experience

 

The problem with the Belize is there are 4 highways that are in use. But the, to get to a lot of places, you have to go on the "Old Western Highway." Or maybe it's Northern...sorry can't remember. But because there is now a Western Highway (or again maybe Northern), the old one is pretty much ignored, and not in the best condition. And its pretty narrow, so when 2 buses are coming towards each other, one better pull over, and is then driving accross gravel and the ride gets worse

[gkrnjlr]

You know....the more I read about Belize the less I am wanting to go there. We won't be snorkeling or cave tubing because we'll have our daughter with us. I don't feel like we're really "missing anything" because I wouldn't want to go off without my daughter anyway! BUT......it's just sounding more and more like this place is going to be the armpit of the earth.

 

Is it really that bad? Are we going to get off the ship and feel totally UNsafe?

[purplephenom]

You know....the more I read about Belize the less I am wanting to go there. We won't be snorkeling or cave tubing because we'll have our daughter with us. I don't feel like we're really "missing anything" because I wouldn't want to go off without my daughter anyway! BUT......it's just sounding more and more like this place is going to be the armpit of the earth.

 

Is it really that bad? Are we going to get off the ship and feel totally UNsafe?

 

In 2 cruises, it was my least favorite port- but that was because the ruins weren't really my thing. You really need an excursion, there isn't much right around the port. It's a long tender ride in (about 30 minutes). But that said, I don't think its unsafe to do a bit of shopping at the port area, or take an excursion on an air-conditioned bus.

[dolphinwyo]

We took a city tour excursion when we were in Belize in 2003. The tour advertised "air conditioned" bus ride with "cold water" provided. Neither was true - the bus was miserably hot, without any drinking water provided. We did have our 2 year old with us at that time, but decided to leave her on the ship. (My first experience cruising....) We had to tender, then get on this bus, not much of a tour - chickens, dogs, cemetery....people were literally begging for the bus driver to get back to the dock - not kidding! I was also having panic attacks that I had actually left my DD on the ship, it looked very small and far away out there.....I couldn't get back on the ship fast enough! But to be fair- other people we traveled with that didn't have kids with them went on jungle type tours and had a great time. You have to get out of the city to really enjoy Belize, and this is hard to do (IMO) with small children. My advice is to double check any bus tours, as I have had two bad experiences so far (the other in PV). Not to be a downer, but just our experiences....

[Drew B]

You know....the more I read about Belize the less I am wanting to go there. We won't be snorkeling or cave tubing because we'll have our daughter with us. I don't feel like we're really "missing anything" because I wouldn't want to go off without my daughter anyway! BUT......it's just sounding more and more like this place is going to be the armpit of the earth.

 

Is it really that bad? Are we going to get off the ship and feel totally UNsafe?

 

 

And I wish that my next cruise had at least three days there. This port has so many more excursions that interest me than any other we'll be seeing. Of course, I always want to do active outdoor activities rather than just wander through a town...

[MamaParrotHead]

Sorry GKR, Carnival doesn't have any children's pools that allow swim diapers. They have children's pools, but non-potty trained children aren't allowed.

 

You can bring an inflatable pool. The blog link in my signature has the info about the children's pools if you'd like to read it. And it also covers the issues about car seats.

 

http://www.cruisingwithchildren.blogspot.com/

 

LOVE the blog info. I really think you should post suggestions for doing ports with kids on there as well. ;)