My Experience in Belize

[ParrotHeadFL]

I'm in the process of writing a full trip report here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=100717

 

Below is an excerpt of the part where I talk about Belize:

 

The last stop was Belize, which is further south than I had ever been in my life (it's south of Mexico and east of Guatemala). I realized, in looking at my report for Cozumel, that I made a mistake. I wrote, "This time, Carnival didn't bother giving out numbers for groups boarding the tenders. They just first took care of passengers who had booked excursions through the ship, then let the rest of us go. It wasn't a very long wait, as I recall." Well, obviously I wasn't talking about Cozumel because in the sentence right before that I had said that Cozumel has a dock and doesn't use tenders. I was in a bit of a fog when I wrote that! I was mixing up Cozumel and Belize.

 

So Belize requires tenders, and this time the ship parked a fairly long way from the mainland (as compared to Grand Cayman). The ride was somewhere around 15 minutes. I saw three tenders running at the time we got off the ship, but maybe there were others I didn't see. They were relatively big boats, with two decks for holding passengers. With that kind of distance between the ship and the mainland, you want to make as few trips as possible.

 

We got off the tender, and started looking for the folks running our excursion. We had booked a cave-tubing trip with X-Stream through Island Marketing (http://www.belizecruiseexcursions.com). In our confirmation e-mail we had received from them, they gave us directions on how to find them (they're just a few steps from where the tenders drop you off) and even told us what they'd be wearing. It turns out that they spotted us before we spotted them, though. A guy approached us and asked if we were looking for X-Stream, and led us over to the meeting place.

 

The rest of our group--around 5 people, I think--was already there. So that put our total group size at around 7, plus our guide. Not too bad. The guy who had met us wasn't actually our guide; our guide hadn't arrived yet. So this guy collected our remaining balances (Island Marketing doesn't let you pay your full balance online in advance, which is kind of a pain) and gave us an overview as to what we could expect. Our guide then arrived, and we followed him out to his van.

 

The van was kind of beat up, but considering the environment this isn't surprising. The important thing is that the seatbelts worked (use them!) and the air conditioner worked. We all loaded up, and there was plenty of room for us and our gear. Everyone in the group was wearing flip flops or sandals, but my wife and I had brought old sneakers to change into. We had read here, and the confirmation e-mail from X-Stream advised us, that we should bring some old shoes that we could wear for the 45-minute hike and then throw away. Several people had also brought changes of clothes, although I hadn't because the shorts I swim in dry pretty fast.

 

So we hit the road, and started meandering through the crowded streets of Belize City. Boy, am I glad I wasn't driving! The roads are narrow, and packed with cars and people. Our guide talked to us about the country, and encouraged us to ask questions if we had any. We had been surprised to read in our Capers that English is the official languagae of Belize; I had assumed it would be Spanish, considering the country's location south of Mexico and east of Guatemala. Most of the residents in Belize City were black, and spoke English with an "island" accent. Our guide explained that Belize had been under British rule until the 1980s. We also noticed quite a few signs using Chinese Kanji characters, and lots of Chinese names and restaurants serving Chinese food. But the further inland we went, the mose Hispanic-looking people we saw and the more Spanish was spoken.

 

On the way out of town, we had to make a quick stop. It seems that our guides wife had locked herself out of the house, and need him to give her his key to get back in. Kind of funny! After that, we made it to the open highway and drove for quite some time. A few people in the van fell asleep, but I was more interested in seeing the Belizean countryside. We passed an interesting billboard reminding folks to drive safely. At the top of it, they had attached a truck that had been in a horrible accident on that stretch of highway. The billboard mentioned how many people had died in that accident. It looked pretty bad.

 

On the way, we passed a big bus full of people. Our guide told us that the bus was the ship's tour, and it made us glad that we had booked our excursion ourselves. Our small group was much more intimate, and allowed a lot more interaction with the guide. We also passed a police "checkpoint" where the police didn't seem to be checking much of anything--just waving people through. I'm not sure what the point was.

[ParrotHeadFL]

After driving for quite some time, we turned off onto an unpaved road for the final leg of our journey. I live in a rural area, and we have lots of unpaved roads here. But our unpaved roads are dirt and are graded to be smoth, but this road was nothing like that! It was "paved" with small rocks, and let me tell you this made for a ROUGH ride. It's a wonder vehicles don't just shake apart on the way down the road! Which reminds me... The "Service Engine Soon" light stayed lit on our van's dashboard the whole length of the trip. But it didn't seem to bother our driver, so I didn't stress too much about it. I had a vague fear that we would break down in the middle of nowhere and not make it back to the ship in time, but I was somewhat comforted by the fact that everyone else in the group was from the Miracle, too (she was apparently the only ship in Belize that day). At least we would all be in the same boat, so to speak!

 

After a fair amount of time on the rocky road, we finally reached our destination. On the way, we crossed a virtual river where the road was washed out; heavy rains had caused a decent torrent across the entire road. The van was able to plow through it with no problems, thankfully. We parked, and we all got out for a stretch. We were next to a small outdoor restaurant that we were told would be our source for lunch. We needed to place our orders prior to going down the river so that the food would be ready when we got back. Only three of us ordered meals, which surprised me. I had heard good things about the food here, and was anxious to try it! If we made good time, we'd eat at the restaurant. If time was short, we'd take it on the road with us. I got a kick out of watching the cook out back. He was cooking meat out on a grill, using a machete to handle it!

 

We were issued tubes and life jackets by our guide, and given packs of water to take on the trail. We started walking, with our guide periodically stopping to point out various plants and trees. As we approached the first cave on the trail, we were given lights on headbands to put on. The walk was interesting, and mildly strenuous. My wife and I were definitely glad we had brought our sneakers, and the folks with us in flip flops and sandals were slipping fairly regularly. At the start of the walk, you cross the river. There's a rope you hold on to in order to help get you across. There was a fair current, although the water wasn't overly deep.

 

Finally, it was time to put in the river. This required a little bit of dexterity, as you had to hold on to a rope and back down a small ledge to drop into your tube. The water was a bit chilly, but not as cold as the spring water in the Ichetucknee River where we go tubing here in north Florida. Just a short distance from where we put in was the first cave system. We went in, and towards the center of it turned out all of our lights (so you claustrophobic folks may want to think twice about this excursion). I thought I had read that you weren't really in total darkness in these caves--that you could always see daylight from one end or the other. But I couldn't see a thing when we had our lights out! Unfortunately, we had a very hard time understanding our guide's instructions and information due to the echoes of the caves.

 

The trip down the river was enjoyable, but more work than tubing down the Ichetucknee. Much of our time was spent going backwards, because it's easiest to paddle this way. We spent a fair amount of time paddling versus just floating, but I suppose this speed was necessary if we were to make it back to the ship on time. There are a few "waterfalls" you go down, in which the current picks up a bit. We're not talking anything too intense, though, and again the water wasn't very deep in most places. However, you need to be in fair shape to be able to steer your tube in a few spots or you'll end up somewhere you don't want to be. And I can't stress enough how important it is to keep your butt up and avoid scraping along the rocks in the very shallow areas. The rocks are smooth, but you can still hurt yourself if you bump them hard. My wife somehow managed to cut her hand at one point as we went down a fall.

 

I don't want to create the impression that this excursion is unsafe, because I don't think that's the case. But you do need to be in decent physical shape (although it's not necessary to be an athlete), and you need to be aware of the risks. You do spend 45 minutes trekking through the jungle, and there are a few things to watch out for there. Spiders, for example; they have some nasty breeds down there. I'm not sure where the nearest hospital to the river might be, but I can't imagine it's anywhere close. When I got my tube, I was fortunate to see a spider in it before it could get on me. I knocked it off and let it go its merry way.

 

Once we made it to the end of our stretch of river, we headed back to the van. Some folks headed to the restrooms to change clothes, but not me. A quick note on the bathrooms there... They're actually decent. The facility looked new. I didn't go in, so I'm basing this on what my wife said. She mentioned that oddly enough, there was a tip jar in the restroom. There was no attendant, so we're not sure who you were supposed to be tipping. Needless to say, she didn't leave one!

 

So, I mentioned earlier having worn some old sneakers to throw away after the trip down the river. I took them off and tossed them in the trash, without even thinking. Well, a couple of minutes later I see several locals with my shoes! They had fished them out of the trash, and were passing them around to see whose feet they would fit. So my recommendation to any of you who are planning on wearing old disposable shoes is to not throw them in the trash after you get done. Sit them by the trash can so anyone who might be interested can take them. Also, note that if you're interested you can buy water shoes right there at the restaurant. What's more, you can sell your used shoes to them for a couple of bucks when you're done.

 

We were short on time, so unfortunately we couldn't dine in the restaurant (I'll have pictures posted soon). We were given our meals in styrofoam containers to eat on the road. We all loaded up in the van, and hit the road back to Belize. Remember, though, that you've got a few miles to spend on Rocky Road before reaching the highway--so don't count on being able to eat right away. Once we were finally back on a smooth surface, it was time to break out the munchies! Lunch was BBQ chicken, rice & beans, slaw, garlic bread, a bit of plantain, and a big muffin. All was quite tasty (I didn't eat the slaw, though; I don't like slaw). There was also some sort of delicious fruity drink--mango something or other, I believe.

 

After a while, we were back in Belize City. The guy who had met us when we had first got off the ship met us again, and a cooler of fresh fruit came out. I can't recall what all there was, but it was quite a variety. Pinapple, I know for sure. I didn't eat anything myself, having just had a delicious and filling lunch. We all hung out and ate for a bit, then it was time to head back to the ship.

[MN snowbird]

This was an awesome review- thank you so much! It was EXACTLY what I have been looking for- very, very specific.

 

Much appreciated! Glad your excursion went so well!

[carbon]

I am trying to decide between cave tubing and snorkling. Would you do this trip again?

[ParrotHeadFL]

Yes, I think I'd do this again--although not before trying out a few other things, if I had the chance to go to Belize again. But I enjoyed going deep into the Belizean countryside and experiencing nature. I was able to do some fine snorkeling in Grand Cayman and Cozumel, but Belize was the only place to cave-tube.

 

I've got my pictures posted here:

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/222135256YZxBCM/2

[ParrotHeadFL]

I've finally finished posting all of my pictures, including a number from Belize:

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/217758231qefkKY

http://community.webshots.com/album/222135256YZxBCM

[J&B in GA]

Thanks ParrotHeadFL,

 

Your review and photos are terriffic. We will be cruising to two of your stops next month, Cozumel and Belize. I was wondering how strenuous the 45 min. hike was through the jungle to do the cave tubing in Belize ? I have knee problems, and although I can walk on level terrain fairly well, too many hills or steep stairs may present a problem, especially on such a long hike. I assume about 2 miles, correct ? How much was the lunch you ordered prior to the hike ? We are thinking of using Wet-N-Wild who include a hot Brazialin lunch stop at a screened restraunt called Amigos on the way back to town. Both tour groups have received great reviews here on CC.

 

The photos of the Dolphins in Cozumel were just amazing !

 

Thanks again.

J&B

[CruiseDuck]

Thanks for the great review and pictures. Your cabin on the Miracle was awesome! We are just south of you in Crystal River. We'll be using Xtreme next week in Belize. Your review of the tubing was very helpful. You answered all of the questions that I was thinking. It could not have come at a better time! I'll make sure that I look in my tube for any spiders that may be lurking....I do have one question...Did you need any bug spray? After reading your review I'm really excited. Thanks!

[ParrotHeadFL]

We are just south of you in Crystal River.

 

Hey! My sister-in-law lived in Crystal River for several years, so I've been in your neck of the woods quite a few times. Got some great meals at places like Crackers and Decembers (which appears to have recently turned into a different restaurant).

[ParrotHeadFL]

Hey, J&B. Looks like you posted these questions in 2 threads, so I went ahead and answered them in the other one. If you can't find the info, give me a shout.

[hadleys9538]

Your review was terrific. I personally love Belize, and it's nice to find a positive review from someone who actually took advantage of one of the many wonderful, adventurous activities they have there. So many people complain about that port, and yet they never actually experienced it.

[CruiseDuck]

ParrotHeadFL... Crackers is a great restuarant. They built a tikihut type bar behind it right on the water. We live right behind Crackers on one of the canals that goes out to the river. The Port hotel that's by the main springs is being torn down and a Hilton chain is building a new one. The Port has been there for over 50 years. I think our paradise has been discovered. Our coast, where you are in Perry and where I am in Crystal River is 'Old Florida'. I hate to see it turn in to a place like the East coast of Florida.

 

Thanks again for the excellent review. It's nice to see people take the time to inform future cruisers of what to expect.

[ParrotHeadFL]

I think our paradise has been discovered. Our coast, where you are in Perry and where I am in Crystal River is 'Old Florida'. I hate to see it turn in to a place like the East coast of Florida.

 

 

I hear ya. The prices people are coming in from out of town and paying for land here are incredible. We have an unimpressive little beach, but folks are paying through the nose to live near it. Ditto for land near/on the Steinhatchee River. You couldn't pay me to live in Steinhatchee, but apparently it's enthralling some people. I'm guessing they just haven't been there in sand gnat season!

[carbon]

We were planning on cave tubing and now my husband doesn't think that is what he wants to do. He is very caustrophopic and the thought of a dark cave is not looking good. Now we are deciding between snorkeling or the thriller boat trip. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice?

[red32]

Is the last tender back to the miracle from Belize really at 3:30 pm which would be 2:30 pm Belize time? We were planning on going cave tubing (not a ship tour) but the excursion starts at 9 am Belize time and takes 5 and 1/2 hours to complete. Therefore we would be getting back at exactly the time of last tender. For those of you who have done cave tubing on your own, did you feel rushed back to the port or come close to missing the last tender? I am getting this last tender time from the capers that several people have recently posted from the miracle. Thanks for your input!

[scubaRN]

:D I can't resist replying to this thread. I enjoyed the cave tubing review above by ParrotheadFL. My family and friends also did this excursion in June of this year. I wrote a review in the Feb. 23rd Carnival Legend roll call link. Our experience was different. Yes is does matter when you will get back to the dock, as you will see from my post. Good luck deciding on this excursion. I don't know how to link with the other thread, sorry.

[beelane]

Carbon, I'm slightly claustrophobic myself and from what I've been reading, the caves are huge. I feel more claustrophobic snorkeling with the water closed in all around me and not being able to breath through my nose. I've booked through Wet and Wild. We are leaving for our trip Dec. 4 on the Enchantment of the Seas. Can't Wait!!

[ParrotHeadFL]

My wife is a bit claustrophobic, but she did okay. Still, she was glad when we had passed through the second cave system and were out in the open for good!

 

The caves are plenty spacious, so the issue isn't that you'd feel crowded. I think it's just the knowledge that there's tons of stones over your head, and there are some moments of pitch black and times when you can't see either end of the cave.

 

I'm not claustrophobic myself, so it didn't bother me one bit. But my wife was a tad on the nervous side.

[ParrotHeadFL]

Is the last tender back to the miracle from Belize really at 3:30 pm which would be 2:30 pm Belize time? We were planning on going cave tubing (not a ship tour) but the excursion starts at 9 am Belize time and takes 5 and 1/2 hours to complete. Therefore we would be getting back at exactly the time of last tender. For those of you who have done cave tubing on your own, did you feel rushed back to the port or come close to missing the last tender?

 

We felt a bit on the rushed side, but we got back with a bit of time to spare (which is why we had time to munch on fresh fruit for a bit back at the port). If you work with a reputable tour guide, you should be fine. They know what time the ship leaves, and they don't want you to miss the boat because that's bad business. As I said in my review, everyone on our trip was from the Miracle--so if one of us missed the boat, we'd have all missed it. Since Carnival will hold the boat for a little while when just 1-2 people are missing (they did it in Cozumel on our trip), I'm sure they'd wait a little while have half a dozen people were missing.

[Bettyboop66]

Thanks for the great pictures we are going to be stopping in Belize on our next cruise, 12/10, and I can't wait. Have you ever lived in St.Petersburg,FL? You look very familiar and that is where I am originally from. By the way, what type of cabin did you have on the ship? The bathroom and balcony looked great.

[ParrotHeadFL]

Have you ever lived in St.Petersburg,FL?

 

I've been there a few times, but never lived there. I live up near Tallahassee.

 

By the way, what type of cabin did you have on the ship? The bathroom and balcony looked great.

 

Category 11--aft with a wraparound balcony. Loved it!

[SheilaInAL]

Parrothead,

I will be on the Miracle in March, doing the same itinerary you had. Is there any way you could post or email me the Capers? It would be much appreciated! My email address is SheilaInAL@hotmail.com

Thanks!

[ParrotHeadFL]

Is there any way you could post or email me the Capers?

 

Already done!

 

http://150.176.37.180/capers/

 

 

 

John

[SheilaInAL]

Thanks a million! :D

[SheilaInAL]

Hey John,

I tried several times to access the Capers and for some reason, my Adobe Acrobat could not do so..it kept getting errors. Would it be too much trouble to scan them or something, please? Thank you again.

 

Sheila