Lamanai Excursion Questions

[Lard Greystoke]

Will be in Belize on Carnival Glory on 2/27/07. Couple of questions about the Lamanai/river cruise option:

1) it is not being offered through the cruiseline, so one concern is getting back to the ship on time. Any experience positive/negative on private operators and the turnaround time?

2) Any other general opinions on private operators for this excursion?

Thanks.

[chamima]

None of the tour operators people advised on this thread seem to offer tours there. Taking a boat to the ruins sounds so much nicer than a bus or car ride.
What private operator did you find that offers this?
Thanks

[mylove]

we did this tour this past nov,with the cruise co.,ncl,i must say it was awesome long drive though but worth it,italso included your lunch. when we got back to the pier we only had 30 minutes to look around we were the last tender. i would be very hesitant to do this tour privately considering our time frame we didn't laly gag anywhere and it was cutting it real close,but of course the ship would have waited for ,it being there excursion,good luck i do hope you get to see lamanai.

[Lard Greystoke]

Mylove: Thanks for the info. It sounds like a tough call.

Chamima: I found the trip offered at www.belizecruiseexcursions.com (http://www.belizecruiseexcursions.com) and www.ecotoursbelize.com (http://www.ecotoursbelize.com). Haven't contacted either one for their input as yet.

[chamima]

Lard Greystoke
Thanks for the info. Keep in mind that if you do a ship's tour you include time for "meeting in the lounge" then "meeting at the bus" then waiting to all walk together, etc.
Both of these companies look very professional. If you look at your watch (ALWAYS keep your watch on ship's time not island time) and time how long it takes to get to the site, then you'll know when you have to leave to return.
I may yet regret these words, but we've never even been close to missing the ship.
I find all of the hurry-up-and-wait of ship excursions to be really frustrating.
We are also going in Feb. (7th) so I'll let you know what we decided to do.
Anyways thanks again for the info !

[mylove]

You must remember Belize is a tendering port those that book the ships tours are the first to be tendered those that book privately have to wait and get a tendering ticket first come first served, sometimes it can be quite a wait depending on how many the ships tours are sold.I'm sure the tour companies will be just fine heck they know what time the ship leaves they know they have to get you back,i'm just saying we took the ships tour and believe me there was no waiting any where,our tour was the longest so we were first off the ship first on the buses and on our way.On the tour the river part of the tour is probably 1 and a half hours just beautiful and so much to see,we saw a baby croc, monkeys, bats it was really great and then the ruins are just marvelous they are actually ruins not just pieces of falling rock if you know what i mean.We'll be back in Belize this march this country is so beautiful.

[JoeTx]

Mylove: Thanks for the info. It sounds like a tough call.

Chamima: I found the trip offered at www.belizecruiseexcursions.com (http://www.belizecruiseexcursions.com) and www.ecotoursbelize.com (http://www.ecotoursbelize.com). Haven't contacted either one for their input as yet.

I've had good success in the past with Island Marketing, which is the company behind belizecruiseexcursions.com. I'll be there early March on the Grand and because we tender and its such a long excursion, I've booked through Princess. Its $30 more per person through Princess compared to Island Marketing, but I should be assured of getting off the ship first and guaranteed of making it back in time.... I normal book through independants, but with these factors, thought better to take it safe....

[EricaLovesCats]

Hello,

I booked a Lamani trip through Philip at **************. They seem friendly and had a good price.

However, as time gets closer to my cruise (March/Carnival Valor), I am getting super nervous about missing the boat. Carnival didn't offer Lamani as a exursion, or I would have booked through them just for the "relief feeling" of knowing the boat won't leave.

Be sure and let the board know how the timing went; I know I will definatly want to know!!!:)

[EricaLovesCats]

Why did it cut mine out and noth the websites you posted??? Oh well, here it is again. SeaBelize dot com.

[Lard Greystoke]

Another site which offers this trip is www.thompsontours.bz (http://www.thompsontours.bz).

It sounds as if the major difficulties are 1) getting off the ship on time, and 2) imponderables such as vehicle breakdowns etc. Barring such problems the time-frame looks tight but doable.

[JoeTx]

Another site which offers this trip is www.thompsontours.bz (http://www.thompsontours.bz).

It sounds as if the major difficulties are 1) getting off the ship on time, and 2) imponderables such as vehicle breakdowns etc. Barring such problems the time-frame looks tight but doable.

The last thing I want on a VACATION is a tight timeframe. Last year I had one and spent most of the private tour worrying about getting back to the boat on time. Turns out worry was justified and we almost missed it. This year, NOT going to do that to myself and booked the one long shore tour we are taking through the cruiseline, the other shorter ones I am booking through independants....

If you are booking a long tour through an independent, you better bring your drivers license, several credit cards, plenty of money and your passports. Without your passports you won't be able to fly back into the US with the new rules in place.

[CaribbeanBound]

We almost never book through the cruiseline. One exception was Lamanai and we were glad we did because we were late returning to the ship.

Here is the full review...

Belize City, Belize
This will be one of your favorite ports IF you book an excursion. You'll hate the place if you do not. This fact has been chronicled time and again. Do yourself a favor and book an excursion! The two most popular excursions are the Cave Tubing and the Lamanai Ruins / Jungle River Cruise. Both get rave reviews. Our selection of the Lamanai tour was no exception.

Once at the Belize pier we were greeted with a nice Welcome sign. There are only a handful of shops at the pier. I am guessing there were about 90 folks on this tour. We were herded onto 1 of 3 air conditioned buses. Whatever bus you get becomes your tour group, and included a guide that not only narrated the bus tour and answered our questions but also drove our boat on the jungle cruise and lead our excursion of the ruins. Our experienced guide was Vel, and he was breaking in a very pretty young guide-in-training that joined us for the duration of the tour. Our guides were very friendly, knowledgeable, and proud of their country.

Belize is a poor country with great natural and historical assets. One idiot on the bus asked "Why are there bars on the windows of houses?" during an otherwise interesting Q&A about the country. (Answer: they have a crime problem related to a "crack" problem). The housing and habitat reminded us a lot of Waimanalo on Oahu (sans the bars). We learned a lot about the city and country on our 1.25 hour bus tour over a paved 2-lane road to the boat dock. [Side note: from visible signage along the road it appears Pepsi "controls" the less populated part of the country while Coca-Cola "owns" Belize City itself]. Each bus unloaded their groups into a large thatched roof building sporting restrooms and a couple of artisans. Within a few minutes we were loaded onto covered boats with comfortable seats and two powerful outboard motors.

We snaked South down the river to the Lamanai Ruin site. Our guide plying us with information and pointing out numerous birds (including King Fisher, Blue Herrin, Vultures, and Snow Egrets), baby crocodiles, and a huge green iguana, as well as various flora and fauna. We also found the huge termite nests in the trees to be of interest to all. One of the 3 boats experienced engine trouble which slowed us down a bit, but that boat was never abandoned. Our boat held back each time to make sure they were not stranded.

Once we arrived at Lamanai, we ate a hearty lunch of Mayan chicken, rice, coleslaw, coconut tarts, and bottled Pepsi and water. We started our tour in a small museum with interesting Mayan artifacts and continued on by foot through an impressive jungle featuring vines, "Jurassic Park"-sized palm fronds, medicinal trees, and Howler Monkeys. We spent about 1.5 hours exploring 3 large Mayan temples and the remains of a small Mayan town. Our guides provided an enormous amount of insight and kept us moving at a reasonable clip.

We returned to the boats, sped back up the river, and returned to the buses just before nightfall. We arrived back at the docks about an hour after the final tender was suppose to leave for the ship. Our guides, to their credit, had made the decision to give us the full tour --- not an abridged tour --- even though we had arrived late. After all, we were paying the full price of the tour and they weren't going to let us get anything less. It was clear, back in Lamanai, that we were not going to make the tender cutoff time. This began to cause great distress among some tour passengers. Just remember, that if you are on a cruise-sponsored tour, there are "no worries!" They were not going to strand any of their passengers in Belize if they are on a cruise-sponsored excursion. Sure enough, we were met at the pier with a nice large boat that easily and comfortably sped all of us back to the ship, which was beautifully illuminated out on the sea. Bottom line: take this tour.

More: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

[RC_BC]

Another tip: if there is rain in the forecast, wear a rain coat. We did this tour last week on the NCL Dawn. We got soaked 3 times on this tour - once on the boat ride to the ruins, once at the ruins, and again on the boat ride back. We did get some sun in between showers (more like downpours), but we never could get completely dried off between them. You are not protected from the rain on the boat trip to and from the ruins.

[Birdnutty]

We did this tour last week off the Pearl (ship excursion) and loved it. It had rained heavily prior to our arrival in Lamanai, and the paths, though wide enough for easy passage, were quite muddy and therefore somewhat slippery in places. One woman needed a walking stick for stability, and those in flip flops were challenged as the mud kept threatening to suck them off their feet. I would recommend a pair of very sturdy hiking sandals as opposed to flip flops, as they are dunkable in the water to get mud off. Our sneakers were caked with it, and our room steward was very sweet in getting them cleaned for us. But had I known, I would've worn Tevas or the like.

One thing I was surprised at was that a vast majority of the boat ride was high speed. I was hoping for much more of a nature tour, but I understand that since they need to travel 24 miles in about an hour, they can't dawdle much. I don't know that initially.

[Lorabelle]

We did this tour privately last week through Belizecruiseexcursions.com. We were very satisfied with the tour. There were 6 of us in our group, so we saved over $150 by booking it independently. Another plus was that there were only 8 people total on our tour which was much nicer than the larger ship's groups we saw walking into the jungle as we were walking out.

We were on the Grand Princess. They began giving out tender tickets at 7:00 AM. We had heard that tendering can be a bear in Belize, so we were up and waiting at the tender ticket distribution area by 6:45 AM. We were given our numbers and around 7:30, we were on the first tender to Belize City. The tenders are very large. Most of the tender was filled with passengers on ship sponsored tours, but there were about 30 of us who were the early birds at the ticket station.

It's about an hour drive to the New Belize River. We had JR who was a wonderful tour leader. He pointed out things along the way. He shared a lot of information about his country, it's customs, and daily living. He invited us to ask him any questions we wanted.

Once we arrived at the river, we boarded a boat. The only disappointment was the speed at which we traveled the river. I knew it was going to take an hour to get there. However, I assumed that it took that long because it was a leisurely ride looking for wildlife. The ride is not leisurely. It's quite fast. Javier joined our group as the boat driver and he would also be our tour guide through the ruins. He was very good at pointing out wildlife and would slow or stop the boat when necessary so that we could see it. But, overall, the boat ride was a fast paced ride. We saw crocodiles, bats, termite nests, and many different types of birds on the river.

Javier was very knowledgable about the ruins as he led us through. He gave us plenty of time to look around, take pictures etc.

Our lunch consisted of rice and beans, chicken, cole slaw, potato salad and fried plantain. Sodas and bottled water to drink.

We had a little time to look in the gift shops at Lamanai, then it was time to board the boat for the ride back. Our trip back was even faster than the one getting there, but we did stop to observe a decent sized crocodile sunning on a tree overhanging the river.

We were returned to the ship at about 3:30. The last tender was 4:30. They are aware of the times that you need to be back and make sure to keep you on pace to do that with time to spare.

Their business relies on word of mouth and happy customers. The last thing they would want to do would be to have people miss their ship.

And the advice about bringing your passport, credit cards, cash etc is good advice. I always have that with me. One never knows what can happen, even on a ship's tour. You may get separated. I wouldn't go into a foreign country without the resources to get myself home if necessary.

Anyway, if someone is thinking of trying to book this on their own, I just wanted to share my experience. Not once was I ever concerned that we wouldn't make the ship on time. I felt like we were in good hands for the day.

Lori

[Birdnutty]

We did this tour last week off the Pearl (ship excursion) and loved it. It had rained heavily prior to our arrival in Lamanai, and the paths, though wide enough for easy passage, were quite muddy and therefore somewhat slippery in places. One woman needed a walking stick for stability, and those in flip flops were challenged as the mud kept threatening to suck them off their feet. I would recommend a pair of very sturdy hiking sandals as opposed to flip flops, as they are dunkable in the water to get mud off. Our sneakers were caked with it, and our room steward was very sweet in getting them cleaned for us. But had I known, I would've worn Tevas or the like.

One thing I was surprised at was that a vast majority of the boat ride was high speed. I was hoping for much more of a nature tour, but I understand that since they need to travel 24 miles in about an hour, they can't dawdle much. I don't know that initially.

[Alwaysonvacation]

We are considering this tour for March also. The timing looks to be tight so it was nice to hear that you had a good experience. You said that there were 8 in your group, did you all fit in one boat? How long were you actually at the ruins? Adding up the time it looks like it is two hours to get to the ruins and two hours to get back. I contacted Royal Caribbean as to why they don't offer this excursion anymore. They stated that it was because of lack of interest. It seems like one of the best ways to see some very remote ruins. Would love to hear of others who have taken this excursion.

Alwaysonvacation

[EricaLovesCats]

Sadly, Carnival is not offering Lamanai, or ANY Mayan Ruins excursions while we are in Belize (March). Boo to them. Like I said before I did book a Lamani tour through a local company, but I just can't get over my "missing the boat" feelings. Sigh. :(

[Lorabelle]

We are considering this tour for March also. The timing looks to be tight so it was nice to hear that you had a good experience. You said that there were 8 in your group, did you all fit in one boat? How long were you actually at the ruins? Adding up the time it looks like it is two hours to get to the ruins and two hours to get back. I contacted Royal Caribbean as to why they don't offer this excursion anymore. They stated that it was because of lack of interest. It seems like one of the best ways to see some very remote ruins. Would love to hear of others who have taken this excursion.

Alwaysonvacation

Yes, we easily fit in one boat. There are 4 benches in the boat. Each bench could comfortably fit 3 people, 4 snugly. Plenty of room.

I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to time because the guides were doing that for us, but I would say that we were at the ruins about 2 1/2 hours, including the time we ate lunch etc. There are only a few structures there, and only one to climb, so it doesn't really take long to see it all. But, again, we didn't feel rushed and the people who climbed to the top of the one temple had plenty of time to do that and spend a little time at the top. We even stopped in one section of the jungle for about 5 minutes to watch the howler monkeys in the treetops.

I can't remember the distance of the loop we walked, but it was a mile or less.

It was a great experience and I'm glad we did the tour. I do agree with the other poster who said to wear good shoes. It had rained earlier in the day when we were there and the path was extremely muddy and slippery in places. Wear something with a good tread.

Lori

[Lorabelle]

Sorry, duplicate post...

[Lard Greystoke]

This information has been very helpful. I think I will go ahead and book the tour. Will let everyone know how it goes...IF i return.

[Casey2]

We were in Belize in December. RCCL originally offered the tour then for some reason stopped offereing it. We were faced with the same decision of whether to book privately or not. (We useually book privately) We decided that based on the length of the excursion, we would be cutting it too close and were afraid to take the chance. We did the ruins at Xunantunich thru the ship instead and really enjoyed the day. Xunantunich was also a long day and believe it or not we hit traffic as we approached the pier. We were late getting back and they had to put on an extra tender. Had we done this privately we would have missed the ship.

[jcjky]

We did this excursion in December. One of the best excursions you can do.



We usually like to go it alone, but this one is best done through the cruise line because of it's length,chance of breakdowns, etc. The ship will leave you if you get back late unless your on one of their tours.

[nspm_1956]

Sadly, Carnival is not offering Lamanai, or ANY Mayan Ruins excursions while we are in Belize (March). Boo to them. Like I said before I did book a Lamani tour through a local company, but I just can't get over my "missing the boat" feelings. Sigh. :(

Thinking of booking this tour as well. We'll be in Belize March 22,2007. When will you be there? Also worried about missing the ship.

[A Sixth?]

I rarely book ship tours, but on the NCL Sun I booked the ship tour for Lamanai, because it did seem like a long tour, and FWIW, it was only $ 15.00 more than the "Belize Excursions .Com" price I have to admit that independent tours are ALWAYS better than ship tours.... I really had to think about this one....

[NBStwo]

Heading here in April........ and would like to hear more on the timing issue before we book....... Please keep "those cards and letters" coming in......

[Lard Greystoke]

Heading here in April........ and would like to hear more on the timing issue before we book....... Please keep "those cards and letters" coming in......

I am definitely booking this trip independently on 27th Feb. I will post timing results IF I get back...if not I plan to become the "wild man of Belize" and you can visit me on future excursions.

[A Sixth?]

I am definitely booking this trip independently on 27th Feb. I will post timing results IF I get back...if not I plan to become the "wild man of Belize" and you can visit me on future excursions.

Who have you booked through?

[A Sixth?]

I am definitely booking this trip independently on 27th Feb. I will post timing results IF I get back...if not I plan to become the "wild man of Belize" and you can visit me on future excursions.

Who have you booked through?

[Lard Greystoke]

Booked through BelizeCruiseExcursions.

[javamama]

Because Carnival didn't offer the Lamanai excursion, we decided to tempt fate and book through Belize Cruise Excursions. :o We leave on the Valor in two days and will report back when (or if!) we return.

Javamama

[Alwaysonvacation]

Please give a report when you get back! We too have tempted fate and booked this excursion through belizeexcursions for March 13th! Can't wait to hear how your trip went.

Have a great time!

Alwaysonvacation

[DonMar]

Mylove: Thanks for the info. It sounds like a tough call.

Chamima: I found the trip offered at www.belizecruiseexcursions.com (http://www.belizecruiseexcursions.com) and www.ecotoursbelize.com (http://www.ecotoursbelize.com). Haven't contacted either one for their input as yet.

Lard,

We just returned from a cruise which took us to Belize. I was set on exploring Lamanai. First let me say that we DID go to Lamanai and it was the very best thing I did on the entire 8 day cruise. It was also one of if not the most beautiful place I have ever been to.

Secondly, be warned, it is not a quick trip. There is a very high risk of not making it back to the ship. Because this was our last port of call we took the risk - bringing all of our travel documents just in case. We DID make it back thanks to our two tour guides - Richard for his Indy driving and Jr. for his expert boat handling skills on the New River.

A few things to know about if you want to go to Lamanai:

1. Belize is a tender port. You must get out on the first or second tender. I found that cruise ships like to get their excursion passengers off first so make sure to speak to the Purser's Desk and confirm the tendering procedure. On the morning of arrival, make sure to be in the gathering location early and be politely firm about getting off the ship.

2. You will need a print out of your confirmation with tour time - make it as early as possible! The cruise ship will ask for this as proof of an early tour.

3. Have your travel documents with you just in case you miss the tender. The ship leaves ON TIME.

4. The drive from the pier to Orange Walk is at least 1 1/4 hours. The you take a boat ride 24 miles down the New River. We traveled at about 22 knots the entire time so it took us about another hour or so. Then you have to do it all over again to get back!

5. Traffic in Belize City can be tough mid day.

6. If you go bring bug replant and wear good hiking boots/sneakers and pants. There is a lot of mud in areas and if you climb any of the temples you need to have really good footwear and pants.

That being said, I wish we had more time to explore this beautiful place. Because we left so early we were the only ones at Lamanai and it was WONDERFUL. This is a site that does not get a lot of cruise traffic - just what I like. I can not wait to go back to Belize and spend a number of days at Lamanai.

I contacted the Belize excursion company and they booked the trip for me. Even though they had all of our cruise info - they were not as cognizant of our time constraint as I thought they would have. Because we were nervous out the excursion, we e-mailed the company from the ship and moved the start time up one hour. (E-mailing from the ship is expensive so get your ducks in a row before you go.)

Richard our land based guide drove us to Orange Walk with the speed of a Puma. What a great job.

Jr. took us down the New River with a few stops along the way to see wildlife - including crocodiles. He was fantastic. Jr. also took us around Lamanai and was very knowledgeable. He encouraged us to climb the largest temple - so we did. Know that I am home I can say that I was glad that I did it. What a thrill!

This is not a fancy cruise tour. This is a real experience to be enjoyed.

Tip: Leave your backpacks on the ground but take a camera.

Hope this helps.

[Alwaysonvacation]

DonMar!

Thanks so much for your review!

Questions for you... What ship were you on? What was your ships scheduled time in port? What time did you leave your ship that morning and what time did you get on the tender back to the ship?

Thanks so much!
Alwaysonvacation

[DonMar]

DonMar!

Thanks so much for your review!

Questions for you... What ship were you on? What was your ships scheduled time in port? What time did you leave your ship that morning and what time did you get on the tender back to the ship?

Thanks so much!
Alwaysonvacation

Always on Vacation,

We were on the Carnival Legend and the first tender was at 7:15am ship time/6:15 Belize time. We got the second tender out - thanks to some gentle pushing. It is a good 20 - 30 minute boat ride to the pier - depending upon weather conditions. Another note about the tender - some boats come to the ship to take excursions to islands directly. Do not just jump on any tender if you are brave enough to skip the tendering procedure.

The last tender was at 3:15 ship time/2:15 Belize time. The ship was leaving at 4:00/3:00 and they did!

Thanks to Richard we got back to Belize City by 2:30 ship time and had a few moments shop at the handicraft tents outside the port.

I will say that Cruise Critic friends which we met on the cruise (they cruise a number of times of year) were very skeptical that we would make it back. We had a great time on the aft deck that evening surprising them!

Lamanai was the best thing we did. I can not wait to go back.

Hope this helps. If you are willing to take the risk - do not forget to bring you travel documents!

[Alwaysonvacation]

Thanks again for your input. We have booked this excursion and we are to be there from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm ship time. We will have priority tendering and should be on the first tender. We are to meet them at the dock at 8:20 am Belize time. It looks like we will have the same amount of time that you did while in Belize. I know that I will be a nervous wreck the whole day, but we really want to go on this trip. I have contacted belizeexcursions and they have tried to reassure me that missing the ship is not an option. They e-mailed me back saying they had back up busses and boats. I doubt that, but at least they know the right things to say. :)

Looking forward to more reviews!

[2+3Cruisers]

We are doing this excursion through NCL the first week of March. For those who have returned, a few questions. Once you actually get to Lamanai, how difficult is the hike/walk to get to the ruins or around the ruins? Did you want pants just for the hiking part? I've read in other places how hot it can be... Has anyone done this through NCL? I assume they transport us on buses. I appreciate all the info!

[Lard Greystoke]

Always on Vacation,



Lamanai was the best thing we did. I can not wait to go back.

Hope this helps. If you are willing to take the risk - do not forget to bring you travel documents!

Thanks for the great advice. I will go forewarned. The worst that can happen is some expense and inconvenience. What's life without risk?

[JoeTx]

Thanks for the great advice. I will go forewarned. The worst that can happen is some expense and inconvenience. What's life without risk?

Vacations are all about relaxing and no worries. Last thing I want is to worry about getting off the boat on time, getting to the ruins on time, worrying about getting back to the boat on time. I have booked excursions on my own plenty of times in the past, but for a trip this long, its not worth it when the cruise ship offers the excursion and guaranties you'll make it back.

90% of the time I recommend private excursions, but this one just didn't sound like one of those times...

[Alwaysonvacation]

I totally agree about booking through the ship, but RCCL doesn't offer this excursion. We would gladly pay more to do this through the ship. We have a group of 15 and we even tried to get them to set one up for us, but it must not have been enough to be worth their while. We will be on the first tender and be very aware of our timing. That is why I so appreciate positive reviews.

[DonMar]

We are doing this excursion through NCL the first week of March. For those who have returned, a few questions. Once you actually get to Lamanai, how difficult is the hike/walk to get to the ruins or around the ruins? Did you want pants just for the hiking part? I've read in other places how hot it can be... Has anyone done this through NCL? I assume they transport us on buses. I appreciate all the info!

Great to hear so many people willing to go to Lamanai!

2+3cruisers - Walking around Lamanai is not that hard. There is mud in locations along the path making it slippery. The paths are fairly well laid out, but can be rocky is some areas. The real thrill and difficult part is climbing the sun temple! I have tried to attach some images so you can see.

This is not a handicap friendly excursion.

JoeTx - I would agree with you about relaxing on vacations. I thought I would be a nervous mess, but I let myself go and be in the experience and put my trust in the tour guide. It was really the best thing I could have done on this trip - worries or no worries.

Enjoy the photos.

By the way there is video form others on YouTube of Lamanai.

[DonMar]

[FONT=&quot]Having trouble with the list today. I hope I am not double posting - apologies in advance.

[sharecruises]

Carnival seems to not offer this anymore...at least not for Glory..

I have heard good reviews about these ruins but many said how tight the time was or they had to wait for the ship

Since we all know that the ship's excursions get off first, why do people tell others to "get on the first tender" when they have a private tour booked?? IF I book a private tour I would not expect to be on the first tender...if you try to do that and others try it will really end up in a mess

I think it is important to remember that the tender is much longer in Belize than in other places...they are pretty far out from shore.

I don't know why Carnival stopped this tour...maybe they had to keep the ship there late too many times>? That costs the cruiseline in extra fees to the port..?? Maybe it was just too "nerve racking" to assure that the tour would get back in time?

Altho some here say it is negative, I have read over lots of recent reviews of ships in Belize...and I still feel this is NOT a port to cut time short or to be too "independent"

The "short tours" like the caves and the altun ha ruins or the zoo are probably fine thru a tour company...but if you want a more complicated tour it would be best thru your ship...or maybe just skip it?? Also, the snorkel or beach party tours are best thru the ship....otherwise you spend an extra hour or more riding on ferries and tenders.
Look at a map...remember this is a huge reef, a tender port.

Apparently some cruiselines still offer Lamanai ...maybe they are in port longer than Carnival??

Also...we don't know all the details, but maybe Carnival had trouble with the tour company they used for Lamanai...ie, vehicle breakdowns, being late...being irresponsible...

Better safe than sorry...better on the ship on time than trying to catch up with it in the next port IMHO

[DonMar]

Since we all know that the ship's excursions get off first, why do people tell others to "get on the first tender" when they have a private tour booked?? IF I book a private tour I would not expect to be on the first tender...if you try to do that and others try it will really end up in a mess.

I think cruise lines want you to believe that their excursions are the only ones to get the first tenders. We spoke with the Purser (Carnival Legend) as did other Cruise Critic members on our cruise with independent excursions, and he confirmed that we could get out on the early tenders with the ships excursions as long as we had documentation of an independent tour that started early and could not wait until general tendering.

We got to the meeting place for cruise ship excursions tendering at 7:00am and we were out shortly there after - you have to tell the staff that you need to get out on an early tender. At least this is the way it was on the Carnival Legend.

We all got off the ship with no problem and early. They seemed to have an armada of tenders. Again - this is what WE experienced. Can not say that the same would be true for all.

I can understand the fears and advice about not making the tour meeting time, the last tender and the ship. We decided to take the risk (and their is a very real risk!!!) and we made it. Can not say everyone will do the same, but we were very luck.

[BobbieSu]

I'm so sorry to hear that the cruiselines are not sponsoring this tour anymore. We were able to book it through RCCL and as so many have said it was the best day and excursion of the cruise. It took the entire day (on the first tender [15min ride with the new tenders] and back with 15 minutes to last tender.

We had an acquaintance on our ship who went with an independent tour. They arrived to the boat ramp on the river after we did and left before us. In other words they had less time at the ruins. They didn't know what they missed and said it was a great day. It's possible they didn't get the lunch/tour of the museum and had one or two less stops at the ruins. Nevertheless they were still able to experience the site and enjoyed it.

I'm not sure I would have booked this without the assurance of the ship waiting for us. However, if you are an experienced traveler it might not be too bad,,(just expensive). If you book it independently just go prepared. Take a back pack with all your info/ money and a change of clothing, know how you would get to your next stop if that becomes necessary (the airport is a quick taxi ride and I can't believe they don't have a puddle jumper to Cancun or Cozumel), and then go and enjoy this special place.

Su

[bohemiaczech]

Hi I am doing research on Lamanai already for few days,I am going there on 3/13/07. I like to go see baboons there. Island Marketing Ltd at http://www.belizecruiseexcursions.com/
promising to be back on time...

[PACURN]

I used belizecruiseexcursions for my Cave tubing tour. We had no problem getting back on time. Ricard was our guide (not sure if it's the same Richard as Donmar had) and he was great. I think we caught the second to the last tender back. I hate ship tours. It seems the Laminai tour is really cutting it close. Could be a little scary. We'll hopefully more CC'rs will do it and keep us advised.

[bohemiaczech]

Hi I am leaving on 3/13/07 and I am waiting for your return to see if you made it on time.
I love to do Lamanai but I am really scare to do it...I don't want to miss ship.

[bohemiaczech]

Hello I want to ask if you did Lamanai trip with Philip from **************?
Please let me know, I am leaving on 03/10/07 and I booked Lamanai with Philip also.

[javamama]

We just returned from our cruise and, as promised in an earlier posting, wanted to let you know about the Lamanai tour. The abbreviated version: It was great and we had no problem making it back to the ship on time!

Because the Carnival Valor didn't offer this tour, we booked through Belize Cruise Excursions. Richard, the local manager, met us at the pier and drove us to a dock on the New River, where Eric, our guide, took us by motorboat to the ruins. For my husband, two kids (boys, ages 14 & 10), and me, it was worth the price of admission just for the one-hour boat ride! At the ruins, we ate a delicious homemade lunch provided by our guide and then he gave us a tour of the ruins. He was very knowledgeable and personable. It was an incredible experience! Once we arrived back at the dock, Richard was there waiting to take us back to ship.

Both Richard and Eric were very mindful of our time issues and although we never felt rushed, we also had great confidence that we would be delivered back in time which helped us enjoy our little adventure.

I highly recommend this tour to anyone thinking about doing it!

Happy cruising!

[Alwaysonvacation]

JAVAMAMA!

Thanks so much for the review. We are signed up to do this with the same company in a couple of weeks. It was great to hear that you made it back to the ship on time!!

Question... How many people were in your group?

Alwaysonvacation

[javamama]

Alwaysonvacation:

Because ours was the only ship "docked" (we tendered) in Belize that day, and no one else signed up for this excursion, we had a private tour!

Javamama

[Alwaysonvacation]

Javamama,

We have a group of 14 going. Having been on this trip, do you think that we will all be together or will they split us up? I read somewhere that their boat and bus hold 10.

Thanks again for your input.

Alwaysonvacation

[javamama]

Based on what I saw, you'd probably be split up into two vans because I didn't see any buses in the parking area for Belize Cruise Excursions. As for the boat, we saw several that held at least 15 people; however, I don't know if the company that Belize Cruise Excursions uses operates any of them.

It might be worth an e-mail to the company to find out how they plan to transport your group both on land and by river.

Good luck!

Javamama

[Tigergenesis]

We just returned from our cruise and, as promised in an earlier posting, wanted to let you know about the Lamanai tour. The abbreviated version: It was great and we had no problem making it back to the ship on time!

Because the Carnival Valor didn't offer this tour, we booked through Belize Cruise Excursions. Richard, the local manager, met us at the pier and drove us to a dock on the New River, where Eric, our guide, took us by motorboat to the ruins. For my husband, two kids (boys, ages 14 & 10), and me, it was worth the price of admission just for the one-hour boat ride! At the ruins, we ate a delicious homemade lunch provided by our guide and then he gave us a tour of the ruins. He was very knowledgeable and personable. It was an incredible experience! Once we arrived back at the dock, Richard was there waiting to take us back to ship.

Both Richard and Eric were very mindful of our time issues and although we never felt rushed, we also had great confidence that we would be delivered back in time which helped us enjoy our little adventure.

I highly recommend this tour to anyone thinking about doing it!

Happy cruising!

So how long was your total tour? Did you have much time left before the ship disembarked (just curious how close you were in getting back on time)? Thanks for the review!

[Lard Greystoke]

Just got off the Glory today. As promised, I did the Lamanai tour with the following results:

The company e-mailed me with detailed instructions.

Inquired at the purser's desk the night before regarding tender policy. They told me to take proof of my early excursion to a social host the next morning. I did so bright and early, the social host gave me a strange look as if she had no idea what I was talking about, and after dispatching 2 groups of early Carnival tours she called "private tours" and we were let down to the tenders.

I arrived at the terminal almost an hour early. As promised in the e-mail, some people were waiting with t-shirts and signs identifying themselves. They were expecting me and sent me back to the office. We completed arrangements and I sat down in a pleasant courtyard to await the other members of the tour. It was a perfect mild day, sunny and about 80. Of course it was before 9 in the morning....

The other members of the party also arrived early, which was helpful because of the time constraint. Our driver and guide, Flava-Flav, started us off on a brief tour of the city with highlights of history, economics, and anything else you could name. He kept it up for virtually the entire ride to the river. The A/C in the van worked perfectly.

We pulled in at the landing and transferred to a fast boat piloted by Emir, who also acted as guide to the ruins. We saw a few crocodiles, lizards, and numerous birds including egrets and herons. The boat moved at a pretty good clip and was canopied, both of which kept us cool.

After a bit more than 2 hours the river broadened into a lagoon and the top of the highest pyramid loomed along the west side above the vegetation. We trekked through palms and strangler figs to a recently excavated residence facing the great Jaguar temple across a low courtyard. Then a trek through the forest to a ball-court flanked by unexcavated temples on two sides and the well-named High Temple on the north. The climb was arduous, requiring a rope on the steeper steps, but the view from the top was spectacular; you are the highest thing for twenty miles in any direction looking over the tops of lofty trees and the lagoon and a long way down to the guides waiting sensibly in the ball-court.

At this moment a troop of howler monkeys started their grunting calls which carried through the treetops up to the pyramid.

We made another jaunt to the Mask temple which, though small, holds a well-preserved relief of a king's face.

Because of time constraints we could not linger much longer and had our lunch (chicken & rice) in the boat on the way back. No ill effects from the food.

We arrived at the pier with an hour to spare.

If you take the tour, be aware of the time the ship spends in port, communicate clearly with your tour company and the ship's purser, get there as early as you can, and then enjoy. The fluorishing of the Maya culture, its monuments, and its precipitous demise, are all fascinating. Standing atop a 100-foot temple built at the time of Christ, looking over the tropical landscape, listening to the monkeys grunting, is as good a way as any to kill time on a cruise.

[Zeno]

Glad to hear that you enjoyed Lamanai. Our only regret when we took the tour was the lack of time at Lamanai (through the cruiseline in our case - so at least we did not need to worry about getting back on time).

[bohemiaczech]

Hi I am leaving this Saturday 3/10 on Carnival GLORY..
I booked trip to Lamanai ruins with Philip from sea belize ( dot) com
If you are interested about Lamanai ruins, also about nature and monkeys, contact Phil at:
www. seabelize dot com

[bohemiaczech]

I have no idea, why is not showing website.
Ok , I will try this way...
seabelize (dot) com

[mwsrccl]

I would greatly appreciate a review of Phil's tours from the people that had him booked. Thanks a lot!

[tiyana4]

We will be the Norwegian Sun next month and have just booked this excursion thru NCL. I generally don't book thru the cruiseline but given the length of this trip and after hearing some of the close calls, we felt it was safer to book with NCL.

In checking the prices, NCL is $90 pp but they consider my 12 year-old a child so she gets a discounted price of $69. This is a $47 savings over Viator, $31 over seabelize and $9 more than belizecruiseexcursions or islandmarketing. For peace of mind, it is definitely worth the extra $9 plus we are assured of getting off the ship at a reasonable time.

Would love to see some pics if anyone has any.

[Toyz711]

hope you get "jewell" as you guide, we loved her...she is a blast. tells about growing up in belize city and what a trouble maker she was at school. made the long bus ride fun...
the boat ride was a hoot...zoom-zoom-zoom. comfortable boat..
loved the tour. we were glad we did it through NCL, we were 1st off the ship and second to last tender getting back.
photos on in my webshot link in signature.

[kenito799]

Just back from the Veendam where we went with Javier and Carlos to Lamanai--a fantastic trip!

We booked through belizecruiseexcursions.com although I probably would have used HAL if Lamanai had been offered, because I was worried about the whole tender thing. I am so glad HAL did not offer it, because we had a perfect experience.

People with HAL excursions were given tender times and various places to meet; those on independent trips met in the theater and since we were all anxious about not getting on early tenders we all showed up very early--and wound up being on the first tender, before any of the HAL excursion passengers! So that worked well.

Javier was on the dock with a sign and brought the 6 of us to their office, then we all got into a comfortable A/c van and drove away. He is very friendly and funny and told us lots about Belize on the 1 hour drive to the New River in Orange Walk.

There we met Carlos, who said that he was a little disappointed when he got the call that we were coming because the fish were really biting. He lives in a village in the area. He also happens to be a world-class naturalist and we really lucked into an experience that we did not anticipate.

Carlos knows the scientific names of every plant and animal on the river and believe me, there are some amazing birds. Yes, i am a birdwatcher, but i did not expect a world-class birding experience on a shore excursion on a cruise. Carlos keeps track of the changing locations of the daytime roosts of the nocturnal Boat-billed Heron--a very elusive and amazing, unusual bird with a huge wide bill. He had seen a Black-collared Hawk and brought us to it, right next to the river, very close...I once spent an entire morning unsuccessfully searching for this bird with an expert guide in the swamps of Veracruz, Mexico. We caught a fleeting glimpse of a Pale-billed Woodpecker, the largest American woodpecker, closely related to the probably extinct Ivory-billed. The most spectacular were two huge Jabiru storks on a nest--they are the heaviest flying bird in the Americas, and are found only in a small swatch from Southern Mexico to Belize. All in all we saw 49 species of birds, absolutely magnificent for a short mid-day trip...I can only imagine what a few sunrise-sunset days with Carlos would be like.

OK, if you are not bird-crazy anyone would enjoy the 4 crocodiles we saw, the two types of iguanas and the noisy troops of howler monkeys at the ruins. We also passed the Mennonite community of Shipyard where we learned that these Amish-like German immigants who arrived from Mexico in 1958 now produce 75% of the food eaten in Belize!

The lunch we were served was home-cooked and delicious (especially Belizean hot sauce, which was onions marinated in lime juice with habanero peppers!).

Lamanai's ruins were excellent, escpecially the steep climb to the top of the highest temple for views of the river and surrounding countryside. Huge trees and palms with 20-foot long fronds cover everything. The amll museum was very informative. These Mayans were actually producing liquid mercury!

The boat ride was often fast, keeping things breezy, and there were no bugs (maybe one mosquito at the ruins).

There was never a danger of returning late to the ship, and we had time to shop in Belize City or at the port shops before tendering back.

I can't recommend this operator highly enough, and would use them for cave tubing or other activities because the groups are always small, which may not be the case with a large cruise-line tour.

Bring binoculars!!!!

[driftwood]

Anyone who has a high-speed Internet connection and is able to receive files about 3 Megs in size via email is welcome to write me at dreynolds@aol.com, and I will be happy to send him photographs of anything from birds and bats on the way to Lamanai, to a detail of the mask at the Mask Temple, all taken January 18th, 2008, by my wife and myself.

Please mention CC so I pick up on it right away! :rolleyes:

[DonMar]

Just back from the Veendam where we went with Javier and Carlos to Lamanai--a fantastic trip!

We booked through belizecruiseexcursions.com although I probably would have used HAL if Lamanai had been offered, because I was worried about the whole tender thing. I am so glad HAL did not offer it, because we had a perfect experience.

People with HAL excursions were given tender times and various places to meet; those on independent trips met in the theater and since we were all anxious about not getting on early tenders we all showed up very early--and wound up being on the first tender, before any of the HAL excursion passengers! So that worked well.

Javier was on the dock with a sign and brought the 6 of us to their office, then we all got into a comfortable A/c van and drove away. He is very friendly and funny and told us lots about Belize on the 1 hour drive to the New River in Orange Walk.

There we met Carlos, who said that he was a little disappointed when he got the call that we were coming because the fish were really biting. He lives in a village in the area. He also happens to be a world-class naturalist and we really lucked into an experience that we did not anticipate.

Carlos knows the scientific names of every plant and animal on the river and believe me, there are some amazing birds. Yes, i am a birdwatcher, but i did not expect a world-class birding experience on a shore excursion on a cruise. Carlos keeps track of the changing locations of the daytime roosts of the nocturnal Boat-billed Heron--a very elusive and amazing, unusual bird with a huge wide bill. He had seen a Black-collared Hawk and brought us to it, right next to the river, very close...I once spent an entire morning unsuccessfully searching for this bird with an expert guide in the swamps of Veracruz, Mexico. We caught a fleeting glimpse of a Pale-billed Woodpecker, the largest American woodpecker, closely related to the probably extinct Ivory-billed. The most spectacular were two huge Jabiru storks on a nest--they are the heaviest flying bird in the Americas, and are found only in a small swatch from Southern Mexico to Belize. All in all we saw 49 species of birds, absolutely magnificent for a short mid-day trip...I can only imagine what a few sunrise-sunset days with Carlos would be like.

OK, if you are not bird-crazy anyone would enjoy the 4 crocodiles we saw, the two types of iguanas and the noisy troops of howler monkeys at the ruins. We also passed the Mennonite community of Shipyard where we learned that these Amish-like German immigants who arrived from Mexico in 1958 now produce 75% of the food eaten in Belize!

The lunch we were served was home-cooked and delicious (especially Belizean hot sauce, which was onions marinated in lime juice with habanero peppers!).

Lamanai's ruins were excellent, escpecially the steep climb to the top of the highest temple for views of the river and surrounding countryside. Huge trees and palms with 20-foot long fronds cover everything. The amll museum was very informative. These Mayans were actually producing liquid mercury!

The boat ride was often fast, keeping things breezy, and there were no bugs (maybe one mosquito at the ruins).

There was never a danger of returning late to the ship, and we had time to shop in Belize City or at the port shops before tendering back.

I can't recommend this operator highly enough, and would use them for cave tubing or other activities because the groups are always small, which may not be the case with a large cruise-line tour.

Bring binoculars!!!!


We had the same experience with Belize Cruise Excursions last Feb. We found the indi tour to be very personal (there were only two of us) and rewarding as we were the ONLY ones at Lamanai!

You are right about the climb to the top of the temple. I will not forget that experience - ever.

[jhaymes]

I have booked the cruiseship excursion to Lamanai via boat ride on the New River. If you have experienced this excursion, what clothing and footwear do you recommend? Is there walking over rough terrain? Is a jacket needed for boat ride?
Thank you!

[Tigergenesis]

I have booked the cruiseship excursion to Lamanai via boat ride on the New River. If you have experienced this excursion, what clothing and footwear do you recommend? Is there walking over rough terrain? Is a jacket needed for boat ride?
Thank you!

My mom and I did this excursion this past October. Wear comfortable walking shoes/clothes, bring bug repellent and carry some water. If you want to climb the ruin (there's a spectacular view up top) dress for the climb (it's very easy). We didn't need a jacket for the boat ride. Most people wore shorts or loose, lightweight pants.

It's a great excursion and you'll love it!

[driftwood]

YES to insect repellent! YES to sun block and probably a cap or hat of some kind. Wear shorts and a polo shirt and tennis shoes or lightweight hiking boots or whatever you feel comfortable walking in--NOT flipflops . . . .

[Tigergenesis]

YES to insect repellent! YES to sun block and probably a cap or hat of some kind. Wear shorts and a polo shirt and tennis shoes or lightweight hiking boots or whatever you feel comfortable walking in--NOT flipflops . . . .

Thanks - I forgot to mention sunblock.

[Toyz711]

i did this tour in december, even then the temps were in the low 80s. in the direct sun, it felt hotter. the boat had a cover, only direct sun was on your arms. lamanai has a lot of tree cover, but in the open spots you will want a hat. yes, the walking can be rough...over loose stones, maybe in mud, stepping over roots...it's all worth it, but you do need good walking shoes. maybe with non-slip soles.
we got water on the excrusion. they handed us bottles of water at the rest stop before getting on the boats. plus i (always) have bottle water in my bag.

[Froufie]

I am very interested in this tour as well - so far don't see it listed under the Carnival excursions so guess I might have to take the 'risk' and book it independently - but it sure sounds like the tour guides do try to ensure that everyone makes it back in time!

Froufie