Starfish Island - Carnival's private island in Belize?

We are taking the Dream in October and I am looking for shore excursions. I was looking at the Carnival sponsored ones to hopefully get the tender right from the ship. There is one called Starfish Island Getaway with Lunch. It says it is an island created exclusively for Carnival guests. I can't find any reviews for it on any of the websites. There is still an "Island Beach Break with Lunch" that has a lot of reviews (but is listed as New) so I think they must be different. Has anyone done this excursion or heard of Starfish Island?

We are taking the Dream in October and I am looking for shore excursions. I was looking at the Carnival sponsored ones to hopefully get the tender right from the ship. There is one called Starfish Island Getaway with Lunch. It says it is an island created exclusively for Carnival guests. I can't find any reviews for it on any of the websites. There is still an "Island Beach Break with Lunch" that has a lot of reviews (but is listed as New) so I think they must be different. Has anyone done this excursion or heard of Starfish Island?

Do you have a link to this excursion? We are on the Dream in November and I do not see this one. Curious as to when Carnival created this island. I know Norwegian is working on one.

Yeah, I'd like to know too.... Going in November on Conquest.

Carnival used to book day trips to Goffs Caye but cant see this being a private island. A great trip though. Book it in port.

There was also a day trip to Caye Caulker but I think that closed a couple of years ago. Perhaps that's the new "private island"

What I saw just said private island

Carnival used to book day trips to Goffs Caye but cant see this being a private island. A great trip though. Book it in port.

 

There was also a day trip to Caye Caulker but I think that closed a couple of years ago. Perhaps that's the new "private island"

Yeah, I really liked Goff's Cay.

https://secure.carnival.com/Activities/Excursion/509073/Booking/376961356244506C576637504E4A32322F666A5572513D3D

Description says "private island" but doesn't mention Starfish. From Conquest excursions 10/19.

If the private islands are in addition to the ports, that's nice but I hope they are not eliminating ports and leaving the vendors there high and dry.

Heh, that's wierd. I noticed this morning that the Starfish Private Island excursion was available for my upcoming Dream cruise in January, and it hadn't been there previously. Pictures didn't make it look all that appealing so I skipped past it.

However, since your post I went back to copy/paste the info about it in this thread, and now that excursion isn't showing up anymore.

From memory, it was $60pp, I think it included lunch, 4 or 5 hours on a private island, bar near by. Water looked okay, but nothing like Goff's Caye from the pictures.

The pictures look like it could possibly be Bannister Island.

Oh here we go. Maybe I'm internet challenged.

https://secure.carnival.com/Activities/Excursion/509082/Booking/3541617039707371396B68346D4A3133582B553862513D3D

If that link doesn't work, here's the details:

EXCURSION OVERVIEW

Enjoy the family friendly Starfish Island created exclusively for Carnival guests. A short boat transfer will bring you to your own private retreat for the day. Lunch included.

EXCURSION DESCRIPTION

Enjoy the family friendly Starfish Island created exclusively for Carnival guests. A short boat transfer will bring you to your own private retreat for the day. Swim, relax or stretch out your towel and sunbathe. Enjoy great music, kayaking or volleyball. Sit in the shade beneath the main thatched bar or at the terrace restaurant and enjoy your Belize buffet style lunch, the local rice 'n' beans together with a complimentary water and fruit punch. There is a full bar where you can purchase the drink of your choice. The island souvenir store will ensure you take away a memory of your relaxing day in Belize!

NOTES

- Lunch is Included.

- Please bring suntan lotion, bug repellent, a beach towel and water shoes to walk around the island.

- Children under 5 years are free.

$59.99 per adult

$49.99 per child

Duration: 4 hours

0 reviews so far

Just looking at pictures it looks like it could be Bannister Island. There is a small open air restaurant, palapas and lounge chairs on the beach, and a place for kayaks. Someone on another thread thought it had been sold recently.

Hmm.. tempting... Great alternative to Cave tubing / zip lining

edit: Nevermind.. Looks like carnival renamed the Private Island Beach Break which had really bad reviews. Ugh!

http://reviews.carnival.com/3513-en_us/509062/private-island-beach-break-reviews/reviews.htm

There is another for Belize that is 'Island Beach Break with Lunch' for the same price. It is also mentioned as a 'private' beach. I still cannot find the one that mentions starfish. :( Even using the links posted.

The terrible reviews for the one posted are all a year old or more. And it has a disclaimer saying no longer available. With reviews like that I am not surprised.

There is another for Belize that is 'Island Beach Break with Lunch' for the same price. It is also mentioned as a 'private' beach. I still cannot find the one that mentions starfish. :( Even using the links posted.

 

The terrible reviews for the one posted are all a year old or more. And it has a disclaimer saying no longer available. With reviews like that I am not surprised.

I wondered if maybe it wouldn't be open yet when you are there if it is new but your cruise is after mine so that doesn't make sense. Are there other Carnival ships in port the same day? Maybe they only open it up to one ship at a time, although that doesn't seem like something they would do.

I wondered if maybe it wouldn't be open yet when you are there if it is new but your cruise is after mine so that doesn't make sense. Are there other Carnival ships in port the same day? Maybe they only open it up to one ship at a time, although that doesn't seem like something they would do.

I will have to keep checking. We have been to Belize before and had considered just staying on the ship this time. Maybe if some good reviews show up before we board we can check it out. If it is available it should be listed on board at least. :)

Hmm.. tempting... Great alternative to Cave tubing / zip lining

 

edit: Nevermind.. Looks like carnival renamed the Private Island Beach Break which had really bad reviews. Ugh!

 

http://reviews.carnival.com/3513-en_us/509062/private-island-beach-break-reviews/reviews.htm

That is disconcerting - do you think they just renamed the excursion with bad reviews so that people would think it was better? It clearly says Bannister Island for the former bad excursion: "Private Island Beach Break

Departing directly from the ship, a 25 minute boat transfer will bring you to beautiful Bannister Island, your own private retreat for the day.

Overall rating:

1.4 / 5 1.4 / 5 (10 reviews)

Open Ratings Snapshot

1 out of 10(10%)guests recommend this excursion."

A lot of the bad reviews were about the facilities not the actual island. So I guess it is possible Carnival has actually purchased Bannister Island and improved it. Can't decide if it is worth our $120 to try it out.

Just looking at pictures it looks like it could be Bannister Island. There is a small open air restaurant, palapas and lounge chairs on the beach, and a place for kayaks. Someone on another thread thought it had been sold recently.

I think you could be right about it being Bannister Island. I just looked it up and it sure looks like Bannister Island to me. We did the "Beach Break" thought Carnival on our Miracle cruise in 2006 and that's where we were.

I think you could be right about it being Bannister Island. I just looked it up and it sure looks like Bannister Island to me. We did the "Beach Break" thought Carnival on our Miracle cruise in 2006 and that's where we were.

I know that was a while ago but what did you think of Bannister Island when you went? Was there much to see snorkeling? I have heard the beach is not great as far as sharp shells and rocks and then it is silty and muddy in the water.

I know that was a while ago but what did you think of Bannister Island when you went? Was there much to see snorkeling? I have heard the beach is not great as far as sharp shells and rocks and then it is silty and muddy in the water.

When we were there, Bannister Island was basically the "Beach Break" that we booked through Carnival. There was an area where kayaks and snorkeling gear could be rented but I think those snorkeling also went somewhere else, by boat, then were brought back. I don't know where or how long.

Bannister Island appeared to be a man made island among the mangroves. Sand was brought in and with it were shells and coral, but the main part of the island is mostly sand. There are borders with the water on the non swimming side that have shells and coral as "fill". It's not really a walking area though. The actual swimming area was roped off and we did spend a lot of time just hanging out in the water. There were water mats, but we didn't get them. I can't remember if they were free or if there was a charge for them. We were barefoot and although there were shells and coral, it didn't seem that bad. The area where you entered the water may have had a little mud mixed in with the sand, but it didn't seem like much. The water in that immediate area was kind of cloudy but still blue, a milky blue. There was a bar where you could purchase drinks after the complimentary one. There was also food for purchase. We got the drinks but skipped the food. The island itself is on the smaller side, but it never seemed crowded and there were definitely plenty of loungers for everyone. There were areas of shade for those who wanted it. I'll attach some pictures to give you a better idea.

View of the island from the boat:

The beach:

In this picture you can see the border with the non-swimming area. Shells and coral are used as "fill" right along those edges. We did see starfish in the water here from up on the beach.

Close-up picture of the shells and coral used for "fill" along the borders of the non-swimming area. This could be sharp, but this area really isn't for walking.

Plenty of loungers, palapas with tables/chairs, and the thatched building is where the bar area is.

Hope this helps to give you and idea. Again, since it was eight years ago, there may be changes and possibly even some beach erosion resulting in more mud, sharp shells and rocks.

Carnival used to book day trips to Goffs Caye but cant see this being a private island. A great trip though. Book it in port.

 

There was also a day trip to Caye Caulker but I think that closed a couple of years ago. Perhaps that's the new "private island"

The trip there may be discontinued, but I was just on Caye Caulker in January. It's not a private island, though I wish I had a house there!

Thanks pghsteelerfan, that was very helpful. It's good to see real pictures and not just the ones they put on the website.

 

Hope this helps to give you and idea. Again, since it was eight years ago, there may be changes and possibly even some beach erosion resulting in more mud, sharp shells and rocks.

Okay, so I still don't know if Bannister Island is "Starfish Island Getaway with Lunch" or the "Island Beach Break with Lunch". I'm showing both excursions for our cruise and they are both $59.99. The beach in these pictures looks good to me but I want to book the right one. :confused::confused::confused:

Okay, so I still don't know if Bannister Island is "Starfish Island Getaway with Lunch" or the "Island Beach Break with Lunch". I'm showing both excursions for our cruise and they are both $59.99. The beach in these pictures looks good to me but I want to book the right one. :confused::confused::confused:

I just looked both excursions up on Carnival's website and compared pictures posted under each excursion. The "Starfish Island Getaway with Lunch" has 15 pictures posted and it definitely looks a lot like Bannister Island, but I'm not 100% positive that it is Bannister Island. From the pictures posted, it sure looks like Bannister Island to me though. We were there in March 2006 and it was called "Private Island Beach Break" at the time and we were definitely on Bannister Island. We took a smaller boat (water taxi) from the ship directly to the island and when it was time to return, from the island right back to the ship.

The "Island Beach Break with Lunch" under Carnival's excursion page looks like a totally different beach than Bannister Island from the 11 pictures they have posted.

The descriptions are pretty much the same though, except where "Thatched bar" is mentioned in the "Starfish Island Getaway". There was definitely a large, thatched bar/restaurant (???) that I remember. We only stopped at the bar to get drinks and didn't hang out in there. This is no mention of a "Thatched bar" for the "Island Beach Beach Break with Lunch". Comparing the two, the "Starfish Island Getaway" looks more like Bannister Island than the other. I just did an internet search on Bannister/Starshish Island and couldn't find much. I was hoping to see if maybe Carnival bought Bannister Island since I thought it was a privately owned island, but wasn't able to find anything.

Attaching a couple links for a better idea of what Bannister Island looks like. The last link has "Sold", so it appears that it had been for sale and sold. The date on that is 2007 though.

http://www.privateislandsblog.com/2013/05/13/bannister-caye-a-lucrative-investment/

http://bannisterisland.net/

http://www.emeraldfutures.com/bannister_island/bannister_island.html

I hope this helps some.

I just looked both excursions up on Carnival's website and compared pictures posted under each excursion. The "Starfish Island Getaway with Lunch" has 15 pictures posted and it definitely looks a lot like Bannister Island, but I'm not 100% positive that it is Bannister Island. From the pictures posted, it sure looks like Bannister Island to me though. We were there in March 2006 and it was called "Private Island Beach Break" at the time and we were definitely on Bannister Island. We took a smaller boat (water taxi) from the ship directly to the island and when it was time to return, from the island right back to the ship.

 

The "Island Beach Break with Lunch" under Carnival's excursion page looks like a totally different beach than Bannister Island from the 11 pictures they have posted.

 

The descriptions are pretty much the same though, except where "Thatched bar" is mentioned in the "Starfish Island Getaway". There was definitely a large, thatched bar/restaurant (???) that I remember. We only stopped at the bar to get drinks and didn't hang out in there. This is no mention of a "Thatched bar" for the "Island Beach Beach Break with Lunch". Comparing the two, the "Starfish Island Getaway" looks more like Bannister Island than the other. I just did an internet search on Bannister/Starshish Island and couldn't find much. I was hoping to see if maybe Carnival bought Bannister Island since I thought it was a privately owned island, but wasn't able to find anything.

 

Attaching a couple links for a better idea of what Bannister Island looks like. The last link has "Sold", so it appears that it had been for sale and sold. The date on that is 2007 though.

 

http://www.privateislandsblog.com/2013/05/13/bannister-caye-a-lucrative-investment/

 

http://bannisterisland.net/

 

http://www.emeraldfutures.com/bannister_island/bannister_island.html

 

I hope this helps some.

Yes, that helps a lot. Thank you! I think we will go with the Starfish Island excursion. It does say on the Starfish Island description that it was designed especially for Carnival customers. :)