NCL Beach break now at Water Caye

I was finally able to talk to someone at NCL who confirmed the location of the beach break excursion for our upcoming cruise will be Water Caye.

Has anyone been there? Can you give me some idea or better yet, post pictures of what I might expect.

I understand that there is a Water Caye and a South Water Caye. There is plenty of information available on South Water Caye but nothing on Water Caye other than a reality listing from 2008-2009.

TIA!:)

Maybe it got sold.

All I know is that it's about 20 miles SE of Belize City and sits at the end of a small chain of cayes called the "Drowned Cayes". It is very near the dredged channel ships use to get through the reefs to Belize City. The picture make it seem a little bit like Bannister with buildings in place.

So go and take pictures and come back and let us know.:D

Subscribing because we will be looking for a new place for this November to go. :)

If you go, please come back and let us know how things are and take lots of pictures.

About Water Caye

Water Caye is a 511 acre island located near the deep water channel in Belize. The cruise ships pass this island every time they are in port. The island was once the site of a day resort operation serving the cruise lines. A significant amount of improvements have been made to the island including 10 acres of filling and a fully functioning resort facility on site.

The island is ideally located only 10 miles from Belize City and one mile from the Belize Barrier Reef. The island is surrounded by pristine Caribbean waters with a fantastic array of sea life just off shore. Snorkeling from the beach is terrific and several noted dive sites are only a few miles from the island.

[YOUTUBE]

It doesn't look too bad and I might have to check it out...especially if there's awesome snorkeling from the beach.

I guess it kinda makes me wonder since there has been a lot of talk about NCL purchasing their own island and tendering us there (instead of Belize City) if they would just go here until that place is done? OR is this the place they actually purchased?

Just wanted to say I don't think NCL has purchased this island because Royal Caribbean has the same excursion to water caye. I am thinking of doing it. That's what made me check out this post about water caye. Looks good though,I might have to book it! :cool:

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Just wanted to say I don't think NCL has purchased this island because Royal Caribbean has the same excursion to water caye. I am thinking of doing it. That's what made me check out this post about water caye. Looks good though,I might have to book it! :cool:

 

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Yea, you're right. They purchased an island called Harvest Caye.

Please report back if anyone is going soon.. Think we will check it out but won't be until March 2015. :(

Also booking thru Royal Caribbean..

I'm taking the snorkel and beach break excursion offered by NCL in 2 weeks. I will report back with photos and reviews after I return. Hopefully it'll be nice!!

We'll be booking an excursion through Royal Caribbean on our July cruise. I will absolutely

describe our beach break. Can't wait to read others.

Let us know!

Thanks.

Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

I'm taking the snorkel and beach break excursion offered by NCL in 2 weeks. I will report back with photos and reviews after I return. Hopefully it'll be nice!!

I am interested in this tour provided by Celebrity. I tried to book, but they have an age restriction of 60. We are 62, so can't book it, but can book the beach break to the same island. My question is, couldn't we just book the beach break, take our own snorkel gear and snorkel on our own when we get there? Seems like a solution to a ridiculous age restriction.

I am very interested to find out if snorkeling from the beach would be acceptable.

I took this excursion to Water Caye with NCL. The positive aspects are:

-tender directly from the ship to the island saving you from having to go into Belize city first.

-rum punch welcome drink

- nice facilities (bathrooms, bar etc)

- pretty beach/water

Negatives:

-everything is an extra charge ( swim noodle $2, float $5, beer $5 etc.)

-two types of loungers but the pretty wood ones lining the beach are very awkward and uncomfortable. Plastic chairs further back are a bit better.

-sand on the island is large crushed shell requiring shoes but is better entering the water. Good sand for 10-15 feet turns into mushy slimy bottom.

-swimming is limited to a very small area and enforced by lifeguards who will also let you know that no snorkeling is allowed

-there are interesting looking mangroves next to the beach which you are not allowed to explore without taking a kayak tour with a guide.

-loud announcements for drinking competitions were frequent and not family friendly. Loud music permeates the beach.

Thank you eargal.

May I ask what ship you were on?

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

I took this excursion to Water Caye with NCL. The positive aspects are:

 

-tender directly from the ship to the island saving you from having to go into Belize city first.

-rum punch welcome drink

- nice facilities (bathrooms, bar etc)

- pretty beach/water

 

Negatives:

-everything is an extra charge ( swim noodle $2, float $5, beer $5 etc.)

-two types of loungers but the pretty wood ones lining the beach are very awkward and uncomfortable. Plastic chairs further back are a bit better.

-sand on the island is large crushed shell requiring shoes but is better entering the water. Good sand for 10-15 feet turns into mushy slimy bottom.

-swimming is limited to a very small area and enforced by lifeguards who will also let you know that no snorkeling is allowed

-there are interesting looking mangroves next to the beach which you are not allowed to explore without taking a kayak tour with a guide.

-loud announcements for drinking competitions were frequent and not family friendly. Loud music permeates the beach.

Thanks for the update. It doesn't sound like a great place to visit. I guess we'll have to focus on one of the other Cayes to go to when we return.

I took this excursion to Water Caye with NCL. The positive aspects are:

 

-tender directly from the ship to the island saving you from having to go into Belize city first.

-rum punch welcome drink

- nice facilities (bathrooms, bar etc)

- pretty beach/water

 

Negatives:

-everything is an extra charge ( swim noodle $2, float $5, beer $5 etc.)

-two types of loungers but the pretty wood ones lining the beach are very awkward and uncomfortable. Plastic chairs further back are a bit better.

-sand on the island is large crushed shell requiring shoes but is better entering the water. Good sand for 10-15 feet turns into mushy slimy bottom.

-swimming is limited to a very small area and enforced by lifeguards who will also let you know that no snorkeling is allowed

-there are interesting looking mangroves next to the beach which you are not allowed to explore without taking a kayak tour with a guide.

-loud announcements for drinking competitions were frequent and not family friendly. Loud music permeates the beach.

We took this excursion in December thru NCL, and I agree with everything said here. I also would not go back.

Thank you eargal.

May I ask what ship you were on?

 

 

 

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

I was on the NCL Dawn.

We just returned from our cruise on the Pearl. We took the Snorkel and Break Break excursion, which I assumed would stop at the same place as the Beach Break excursion. But no, it does not. There was no one else at the beach when we got there, our tour had the whole place to just us. And we stopped at Bannister Island. And it was WONDERFUL! It was quite windy but that didn't bother us. The hour we stayed there was not long enough.

It was prettier than the pictures show. Those are straight out of my camera, completely uncorrected, blah blah blah. The water and sky were clear and blue, and the sand was a few shades closer to white.

The hour we had wasn't even close to enough. I'd love to spend the day there.

It looks like they have updated the chairs and got new ones. Were you able to snorkel and see some starfish there? They were amazing when we went there. I know there has been a lot of speculation that this place was maybe bought out (and we weren't able to go there anymore), but it looks like maybe someone bought them out and is fixing the place up more. :) Thanks for the pictures.

Thanks for the pictures. I think the beach looks very nice!

Think we may have to go!

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

It looks like they have updated the chairs and got new ones. Were you able to snorkel and see some starfish there? They were amazing when we went there. I know there has been a lot of speculation that this place was maybe bought out (and we weren't able to go there anymore), but it looks like maybe someone bought them out and is fixing the place up more. :) Thanks for the pictures.

No, we didn't snorkel while there. We had just snorkeled over the reef for an hour and came here after. That snorkeling was amazing. However, it was very wavey so the water wasn't as clear as we would have liked. At the beach, I actually didn't even go into the water. I just found a beach chair and relaxed. My friend went into the water and said the bottom was very rocky and sharp so I would recommend swim shoes if you have them.

Overall, the place looked like it had been kept up pretty well. There were wooden beach chairs and a few plastic ones and they all were clean. This was my first time here so I can't comment on improvements but I was very impressed and happy.