NCL and Tendering into Belize City

[scoutandbunji]

We went at the end of March to Belize on NCL Spirit. We booked a snorkel/bannister island tour with Hammerhead tours. Our tour was to leave at 8:30 am.

 

First of all the tender ride is 20 minutes from boat to land. Secondly, NCL will not let you tender until all of there booked tour people have been tendered. We were the first non-cruise tour group to get a shore and we arrived at 9:30 am. Needless to say, we missed our tour, but the tour company cancelled and gave us a refund.

 

If your going on NCL make sure you don't make any tours earlier then 10 am at the earliest. NCL is the last boat to arrive, and they don't care what you have going on. Getting the tendor tickets was total crazy...there is no organization, nor do they care. They start passing out the tender tickets at 8 am, and they don't care who got there first....it's really silly.....But bannister island and the snorkeling are unbelievable.

[Toyz711]

that's why i, especially for belize or any tender port, suggest doing ship excursions to avoid this problems. with over 2,000 people all wanting to be the 1st off, i don't see a solution to this problem.

we did a NCL excursions..ship was cleared by 8am, we were in a tender by 8:15 and on shore a little after 8:30. on our tender, the 1st tender, there were NCL excursions, suite passengers and some early tender tickets. very smooth..but i do see where it's a pain for private tours.

sorry you missed your original tours, glad you enjoyed your 2nd choice.

[AAA_cruiser]

Our family booked a tour outside of NCL and was instructed to get to shore as early as possible. This was SO easy! We sat in the Stardust Theater, (where all the organized tours met), and when they called the first big group, we just got up and walked out like we belonged! We were on the first tender out of NCL and no one ever questioned us or asked to see our tickets! The process was so simple! We got to Belize on time, early and skipped ahead past all the other tours!