Amitique Resort

Has anyone been there lately?? How was it? We're thinking of going there with our 2 kids (2 and 4).

Thanks!

Has anyone been there lately?? How was it? We're thinking of going there with our 2 kids (2 and 4).

 

Thanks!

This is from a review I posted earlier. I've not had good luck with linking pictures, but I will try. I have more if you are interested. The pools would probably good for the kids. The beach is nice for lounging, but not great for swimming.

In Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala we booked the Day at Amatique Bay Resort through NCL. The resort was pleasant and well landscaped with a beach and large pool area. The included lunch was good with salad, vegetables, several meat entrees, and a selection of desserts. We enjoyed this excursion, but the bay water is cloudy and the sand is not as nice and white as most Caribbean stops. Also, the facilities are adequate, but the bare concrete floors in the changing rooms and restrooms are not up to luxury resort standards that some might be expecting. There was a warehouse back at the pier with shopping, refreshments, and internet access.

Thanks for sharing the pictures. The pool looks nice and kid friendly!

What time is this excursion? Could you leave when ready or did you have to wait until a certain time? Did you feel that you got your money's worth?? This will be about $200 for my family of 4! Lunch was included, what about drinks?

I think that's all the questions I have. THANKS in advance!:D

Thanks for sharing the pictures. The pool looks nice and kid friendly!

 

What time is this excursion? Could you leave when ready or did you have to wait until a certain time? Did you feel that you got your money's worth?? This will be about $200 for my family of 4! Lunch was included, what about drinks?

 

I think that's all the questions I have. THANKS in advance!:D

We were on the first boat from the dock out to the resort. I think it left at 10:00 AM or so. There was at least on more boat after that. I think the first return boat was about 1:00 PM with hourly boats up until 3:00 or 4:00 PM or so.

Is it worth it? Tough question. That's really subjective. At other ports I'd say probably not, but in Guatemala, there's not much you can just walk or easily cab to. I'm sure you know all that from reading this board. We thought it was worth it for the 2 of us. There MIGHT be a version of this tour without the lunch, so read the documentation carefully or you will be charged for the lunch at the resort. I'm not sure about this, but do check carefully.

I can't really answer the "worth it" question for you, so here are my list of facts:

Drinks are not included. They seemed cheaper than ship drinks, but tips are not included in the price.

The pool is huge. There are deeper areas where the adults tended to hang out. There is also a swim-up bar.

There is a huge shallow area with the shipwreck and a big wading pool. All of the pools are connected, except the area where the water slides end. They have big two-storey water slides. We didn't do them, but even some adults we talked to said they were fun.

The lunch had a salad, corn on the cob, and some other veggies. The meats were sausage in onions and peppers, chicken, and steak. We didn't get seconds, but I think it was all you can eat.

The think most people who don't like this tour were upset that the beach is not clear blue water and white sugar sand. It is much more like the water I was used to on the East Coast beaches of the US. It is not "filthy" like some people said. It's just the way the bay is, and the staff were constantly grooming the beach and cleaning up.

It might vary from week to week, but it was not at all crowded when we were there.

It was breezy and cool at the beach bot hot around the pool. There are covered areas around the pool to get out of the sun.

There are two outdoor pens, one with turtles and one with two iguanas.

The kayaking and other amenities did not seem to be available... just the beach and pool.

There were some vendors outside the pool area. They were really trying to sell, but were not intimidating or rude. It was mostly similar to the items at the warehouse.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for answering all of my questions! I think we're going to book this! I wish with the engine problem NCL would do a full day in Roatan and skip Guatemala. We consider it to be a total waste of a port!

Thanks for answering all of my questions! I think we're going to book this! I wish with the engine problem NCL would do a full day in Roatan and skip Guatemala. We consider it to be a total waste of a port!

I know how you feel. If you get to Roatan by 3:00, there's still time to cab to some nice areas without much expense. We were delayed until 4:00, so there was really not much for us to do before sunset at 5:30. Even so, some people did go to West Bay Beach and other areas and say they had a great time of watching the sunset before returning to the ship by 7:30 for an 8:00 departure. TGI Freestyle.

There are others who say that Guatemala was their favorite port, and would be just as upset to cancel it in favor of Roatan. NCL is in kind of a no-win situation. I wonder if they have contractual obligations at either or both ports that are forcing them into this oddly revised itinerary. I suspect once Costay Maya reopens, they will go back there and it will be a non-issue.

I had put out a request for info and wasn't getting much. Everyone says that the Guatemala stop is not that great or that safe, so I was glad to see your post with the pictures! I was going to change the shore excursion, but after viewing, will leave it alone! It looks very much like the set-up at Costa Maya Mexico on our 1st HAL Cruise, and I thought I wouldn't like that Port but it was by far our favorite! A lazy day on the beach or in the pool..............Just what I need after this many months of winter in Vermont!:p

Just wanted to put my two cents in on Guatemala... we didn't do any excursions at this port so we got off the ship and went shopping right near the ship. They have pretty many booths there. Well, we decided to take a cab to the market, two women. Well, what a big mistake. We paid a cab driver for two hours and he stays with you. OMG we were so scared when we got there. They all stared at us like we were from another planet. They had lots of booths cooking out in the open. They had raw fish with heads on and chickens just laying there. It is very poor and dirty. We didn't stay very long, that's for sure. I think we were the only two brave americans to go there. We didn't see anyone else from the ship. If I were to ever go back there, I would not go anywhere but shopping near the ship. Ok just wanted to give my view of this port. Oh, but when your ship is ready to leave, go outside on the side of the port because it is great. They start lining up the taxi's and start horning and blinking their lights. People come out to tell you bye. That was a great to see how they appreciate you visiting their country.

Glad you're ok.I loved Guatemala,but I think the only way to do it safely is to do a tour of some kind.We went on the Go with Gus Humanitarian tour and it was the best excursion we've ever done,can't say enough great things about it.There are many different tours and tour co's. to chose from,something for everyone.

The send-off they give you is really touching isn't it? I found the people of Guatemala to be the most freindly and genuine people in the Carribean.They were not pushy at all when selling their wares and all of the people(the very young to the very old) I smiled or waved to returned the same.I think they were really happy to have us visit them.

We were there on 3/19...booked on NCL Spirit. I did NOT like the water..it was not clear, it was brown and the bottom was very slimy. And yes I did see trash in the water. Hardly any waves. The beach area was nice, shaded, and had plenty of seating. The pool and waterslides were so much fun! The lunch was pretty decent. Drinks very reasonable..got a fruity drink in a coconut for $4.00. Bottled water was $1.00. It would have been a perfect trip if the water was clear, blue!! Roatan beaches much better!! And Belize topped those!

If you find the price a little high, I would recommend the Green Bay Resort and you can add the waterfall tour to it. It is much less expensive. The beach is about the same. There are two pools at Green Bay one that is deeper for older kids and adults, the other is a meandering wading pool with a very short small slide and water sprays for the kids. You can purchase this just inside the building at the port. Turix provides the tour. I think just the resort (no food included) is somewhere around $30 a person and I understand kids under 10 are free. If you add the waterfalls and the day at the resort, it is $40. It isn't as big a resort as Amitique, but it isn't nearly as crowded either since it is not sold as a ship shore excursion. Also, you really feel like your are in the middle of a rainforest. Water taxi's take you from the port to the resort. Water taxis back to the pier run somewhere around on the hour.

The Bay has very green water (hence, Green Bay Resort), I didn't venture in, but several teenagers were out in the water with frisbees and footballs. They also have canoes and kayaks you can take out that are no charge. They have wave runners for rent for $40 for a half hour.

When you said the beaches of Amatique and Green Bay are the same, do you mean that it is not the spectacular Caribbean color?