Boat pick up at the ship?

What tours pick up directly at the ship vs. tendering in? Are there any that are NOT ship sponsored tours.? I've done Belize 4 times and don't want to waste time at the port. I want to be in the water this time. (We've done ruins, cave tubing, city tour, port stuff) thanks! Going on NCL in Jan!

If you have to be tendered to the dock, your itinerary should say so. If not, call the cruise co. and they can tell you. You can google the city you will be in and call them about independent excursions. Also, talk to people. My husband talked to his barber last week and found out about a place not advertised through our ship. I googled it and emailed them for more info and now we're going to that beach club with tons of water related activities.

What tours pick up directly at the ship vs. tendering in? Are there any that are NOT ship sponsored tours.? I've done Belize 4 times and don't want to waste time at the port. I want to be in the water this time. (We've done ruins, cave tubing, city tour, port stuff) thanks! Going on NCL in Jan!

No independent tours pick up from the ship. The only tours that you can board directly from the ship are ones booked through the cruise line. This is for security purposes as much as anything else, because if you think about it why would the ship want a bunch of unknown small boats approaching.

Zqvol ... Thanks that's what I assumed, but checking just in case. I'll check the recommended tour operators and go from there. I just want to maximize my time not tendering if I didn't have to. I'll even check NCL tours.

I don't know how it is now, but when we did an excursion with the ship where they took us straight from the ship to the island (this was Bannister Island, which is now called Starfish Island) and we didn't have to worry about tendering to the port. I'm not sure if they still do it this way now that it has changed names. We only did this excursion with the ship for that reason. :p

I don't know how it is now, but when we did an excursion with the ship where they took us straight from the ship to the island (this was Bannister Island, which is now called Starfish Island) and we didn't have to worry about tendering to the port. I'm not sure if they still do it this way now that it has changed names. We only did this excursion with the ship for that reason. :p

What was the name of your NCL excursion? The only beach break they have listed for our December 6 cruise is Island Beach Break (4 hours for $59pp). No beach is listed.

What was the name of your NCL excursion? The only beach break they have listed for our December 6 cruise is Island Beach Break (4 hours for $59pp). No beach is listed.

I just pulled up our invoice for that and it was called "Island Beach Break" as well. I will take a look at NCL and see if there's any pictures that indicate it's the same place still.

If you go on NCL's site and read the reviews, people on there are mentioning that they went to Starfish Island, which is the same place we went to when it was called Bannister Island. :)

Mitsugirly,

I had read your review that said it was Bannister Island back in 2012.

A review for NCL Island Beach Break in April 2014 said it was Water Caye.

A review for NCL island Beach Break With Lunch in December 2014 said it was Starfish Island.

I guess if we decide to book this next December we'll have to ask onboard and/or decide it doesn't matter. Whatever, it'll be a beach!!!

Thanks.

Mitsugirly,

 

I had read your review that said it was Bannister Island back in 2012.

 

A review for NCL Island Beach Break in April 2014 said it was Water Caye.

 

A review for NCL island Beach Break With Lunch in December 2014 said it was Starfish Island.

 

I guess if we decide to book this next December we'll have to ask onboard and/or decide it doesn't matter. Whatever, it'll be a beach!!!

 

Thanks.

I was also reading the reviews and someone mentioned "Water Kay" but I have to wonder if they were mistaken or if NCL just took them to a different place when Bannister Island was being purchased and renamed then once it was done, they went back there under the new name Starfish island. :confused: I do know for sure the old Bannister is Starfish now.

I was also reading the reviews and someone mentioned "Water Kay" but I have to wonder if they were mistaken or if NCL just took them to a different place when Bannister Island was being purchased and renamed then once it was done, they went back there under the new name Starfish island. :confused: I do know for sure the old Bannister is Starfish now.

Water Caye is a different place than Bannister/Starfish. It's a relatively large caye for the region. There used to be a resort there that I think one or two cruise lines were trying to redo or develop into a cruise line oriented caye. Water Caye is/was for sale. Perhaps it got sold and the cruise lines moved back to Starfish after that sale was completed. maybe Wade the Gringo knows.

As I recall, the Bannister Island sale was shown on HGTV on either Island Hunters or International House Hunters a couple of years ago. So the timing makes some sense.

A few years ago we took a Carnival excursion to Goff's Caye only because it picked us up directly from the ship. Saved a ton of time and left us time to shower and go into the city after.

Great option if available