BZ vs. Cave-tubing.com (aka Butts up)

hey all, I am looking at the .bz site and I see it says $45 (minimum 8 people.) Does that mean my husband and I need to make 6 friends to make a reservation with, or will they just put us in a group with 6 other ppl who have also signed up?

They will just put you with others but it doesn't necessarily mean there will be 8 of you in the group. It just means they won't take any more than 8 total per guide. We have done this twice with .bz and loved it both times (I have reviews in my signature line of both times with pictures). The first time we went it was just me and the hubby and our 3 year old (at the time) and they just had us together with the guide. The second time it was me, the hubby, our 5 year old (she grew up :p), my 5 year old grandson, my 25 year old daughter and her bf. So, they put just all us in a group. So, it just depends on the bookings. :)

I haven't been able to access the .bz site at all. Anybody else have any issues? I've been to .com and would be happy to book with them, just felt like I needed to see both companies before committing!

I haven't been able to access the .bz site at all. Anybody else have any issues? I've been to .com and would be happy to book with them, just felt like I needed to see both companies before committing!

I just tried too and it won't load. :(

We're going to book with .bz. I have another question for you all. We are only going to do the cave tubing, is there time to plan to do something else after this or should we just plan to do this and get back to the port. Are there tings to do around the port? i.e. snorkeling if we have time?

Cheers!

We're going to book with .bz. I have another question for you all. We are only going to do the cave tubing, is there time to plan to do something else after this or should we just plan to do this and get back to the port. Are there tings to do around the port? i.e. snorkeling if we have time?

 

Cheers!

There is no snorkeling or anything to do around the port other than shopping right outside the gates or inside the gates. Usually we get back with about an hour to space to look around and pick up a few things. Doing the cavetubing, it takes up most of the day. :)

mitsugirly thank you for all the information. We will be doing the cavetubing in August of this year with .BZ. I'll post after our return any updates to the information posted here. (I loved your photos.)

mitsugirly thank you for all the information. We will be doing the cavetubing in August of this year with .BZ. I'll post after our return any updates to the information posted here. (I loved your photos.)

You are welcome. I hope you have a wonderful time and let us know your thoughts when you return. :)

Did any of you all add the zip line to the .BZ tubing tour? I only ask that we were looking at doing that tour but had heard the tubing wasn't as long if you added the zip line.

Just trying to verify.

Thanks,

I just found this. I'm excited that we get to save about $100 and get a better overall experience. How far ahead should I book for cave tubing if our cruise is in Nov? Where do the shuttles pick you up? Is there any reason to choose one over the other?

Thanks!

We added the zip line, and the only difference I can see is they take a short cut on the walk. Still get to walk through the jungle, but you will notice a fork in the trail and you just cut out some walking. You still enter the water at the same place.

The port in Belize stretches along the water. There are different port nbrs. They will tell you which termimal, go through it and they will meet you and deliver you to their vans. Very short walk.

We added the zip line, and the only difference I can see is they take a short cut on the walk. Still get to walk through the jungle, but you will notice a fork in the trail and you just cut out some walking. You still enter the water at the same place.

If you are walking along the trail, as everyone does, to get to the area you get in the water to tube...when you come to the "fork" in the pathway, if you go to the right to enter the water you are NOT getting in at the same place everyone else does. If you continue on down the path to the left, you will enter the water at a different location and includes more caves. ;) It's not a shortcut, just a shorter tubing distance.

Some of the private companies (like .bz) give you the choice of entering there or going on down to the other entrance area, which is still a little ways up.

Most of the people reporting back (and usually confirmed by the private companies) that have booked with the cruise line say they enter here at the right and do the shorter tour (of course for double the price you pay with a private vendor).

Of course if you are adding on the zip lining, they may MAKE you enter at the shorter route in order to have time to do both but I'm not sure since I haven't done the zip lining portion of the tour.

I can tell you that .bz has their own private zip lining on the owners land, which is right down the street from the cave entrance. So, it doesn't take long to get to and might also be a factor how many caves you do. :)

Thank you for the correction mitsugirly. We did the combo tube and zip with Cavetubing.bz and we're told we would not miss any of the cave tubing but we were led right at a fork, oh well. It was still plenty long enough.

Trying to include pic of the place we entered the water on the combo tour. Does anyone recognize this place?

I booked cavetunbng.bz and wonder if anyone would mind sharing what they tipped their leader.

I just found out about the accident a few years ago where someone drowned :( Are these companies more careful now? I read that is was Carnival's fault, but cave-tubing.com was there and helped out (meaning they also went out that day). Anyone else concerned?

Trying to include pic of the place we entered the water on the combo tour. Does anyone recognize this place?

While your picture is very small and really hard to tell, it doesn't look like where you get on at the furthest entrance.

Here's some pictures of the end of the trail and where you go into the water if you head to the left at the fork:

When you are on the trail and come to the end, you are way up high and looking down at the river and the entrance area below. In this picture you can see the deck with people standing on it:

You head down some steps and under a huge rock:

Then out onto the deck where they put you into the tube:

Not far from that you head into the first cave.

I just found out about the accident a few years ago where someone drowned :( Are these companies more careful now? I read that is was Carnival's fault, but cave-tubing.com was there and helped out (meaning they also went out that day). Anyone else concerned?

Yes, the accident happened and from what our tour guide had told us was that they had too many people with their guide and he was fairly new at it (from what I could remember) and the lady got caught in an area inside the cave with other tubers pushing against her and the rock (he showed us the area and made sure he kept us far away from it but it was like a little cut in where the water flows to and around). Our guide was there the day it happened and was one of the guides that tried to help save her. It was a very emotional day for him and something he said should have never happened.

They only allow a certain amount of people per guide with the private companies to assure safety. Usually if you have a family with any children, they make it even smaller. The first time we went, our guide took just my husband, myself and our then 3 year old with him and said he wouldn't take any more. The second time we went, we were able to keep our family together with us 3 again, my oldest daughter and her boyfriend and my grandson. So, they had 6 people, but only 4 tubes since the little ones sat on our laps.

Wow! That water looks amazing!

I made a reservation for early December with cave-tubing.com. Is this the same one mentioned on here as simply .com? It is $55 for the tubing and zip line combo.

I will have my 18 month old while my husband goes with the others. Do you know what the area is like where we will wait? Any water to play in? Thank you!