Do you recommend booking and excursion in port?

I will be visiting Belize for the very first time on my upcoming cruise next week and was wondering will there be booths/vendors that I can book an excursion with at the port? If so, are they usually cheaper than an independent online retailer?

I personally would not. From what I've seen in Belize, there's not vendor kiosks open. There are vendors waiting for pre-reserved cruisers. And some of these now have to wait outside the cruise terminal. Outside the cruise terminal there are a number of hawkers looking to get you to take excursions, usually a city tour, a tour to Altun Ha and maybe cave tubing/zip lining. Reputations of these people are unknown. Quality of guides at sites are unknown. Modes of transportation may or may not be safe. "Taxis" may or may not be official Belize licensed taxis. It takes time to get to many of these places and then to return. Delays could be a problem on the return.

I usually support getting out of the cruise terminal and exploring the city, which can be done safely via walking. But I'm not a supporter of these vendors. They can be aggressive in trying to get you to take their tours. This scares a lot of cruisers. But the hawkers usually leave you alone after you say "No Thanks". And once you're a block away from the cruise terminal they are not around. A horse drawn wagon tour of the city might be the exception, if you don't want to walk.

port area is lacking

We prefer booking excursions through whichever cruise line we are on at the time. Belize is beautiful but there's not much to see or do unless you book an excursion.

In Belize I would book an excursion through the ship!

LuLu

We have booked with the locals every time we have visited Belize.

Major Tom is president of a group of tour guides who have banded together to support each other in case of breakdowns or problems. I feel comfortable booking with any member of his group because of our experience.

We were on the way to Altun Ha when we saw a van pulled off the side of the road and our driver stopped to check. The driver had stopped to pick some berries for his passengers, so our driver brought some to us. That incident prompted me to ask if they were friends, and our driver explained the organization and how they operated.

We met Major Tom at Altun Ha and enjoyed his wonderful narration about Mayan history.

I would not hesitate to tour again with him or his associates.

I never book cruise ship excursions unless time is a factor getting back to the ship.

you can always get almost 2 for 1 pricing if you book thru a local group.

I have done the cave tubing trip twice with locals for half the price of ship tour and everything was great

We have booked with the locals every time we have visited Belize.

 

Major Tom is president of a group of tour guides who have banded together to support each other in case of breakdowns or problems. I feel comfortable booking with any member of his group because of our experience.

 

We were on the way to Altun Ha when we saw a van pulled off the side of the road and our driver stopped to check. The driver had stopped to pick some berries for his passengers, so our driver brought some to us. That incident prompted me to ask if they were friends, and our driver explained the organization and how they operated.

 

We met Major Tom at Altun Ha and enjoyed his wonderful narration about Mayan history.

 

I would not hesitate to tour again with him or his associates.

What organizations are a part of this group?

We have booked with the locals every time we have visited Belize.

 

Major Tom is president of a group of tour guides who have banded together to support each other in case of breakdowns or problems. I feel comfortable booking with any member of his group because of our experience.

 

We were on the way to Altun Ha when we saw a van pulled off the side of the road and our driver stopped to check. The driver had stopped to pick some berries for his passengers, so our driver brought some to us. That incident prompted me to ask if they were friends, and our driver explained the organization and how they operated.

 

We met Major Tom at Altun Ha and enjoyed his wonderful narration about Mayan history.

 

I would not hesitate to tour again with him or his associates.

I'm glad you've had good experiences with Major Tom. But booking with a local in advance of arrival is NOT the same as hiring a local once you reach port. And I believe the organization he and others belong to is NOT a tour booking organization. Nor a consumer-affairs groups that monitors quality of guide services. It's a common, loose knit group that reaches out and helps others in emergency situations.

I would not try this in Belize.

#1 it is shaddier than most other ports. I would want something i have read a review about

#2 you have to tender in so that eats up a lot of port time, you don't want to waste any of it trying to figure out your excursion or worrying about making it back to the ship.

I know this is anecdotal but in 2005 on christmas day I was in Belize with my dad and sister. First cruise port ever for my dad and first time in 10 years for sister in I(we went on the big red boat with our mom) I was 15 at the time and we knew no better. Sure enough this guy hawks us and we get in his car for a tour of Belize City and about an hour of just seeing the most disgusting city I've ever been in(I live in the strip club capital of the world mind you) the driver reaches in to his glove box to grab a gun and turns down a dirt road asking for our money or he's not bringing us back to the port and will leave us for dead. I shouted out Policia he turned his head and lost grip on the gun which I took from him and we were brought right back to the port. Needless to say he didn't get a tip for that tour. Having said that though, I'm still comfortable going back to Belize and booking with a private vendor. I will just do it before I leave from someone who I find reputable. Central America is far different then the Islands you visit on a cruise. It's a dog eat dog mentality in those countries and I love that. It really shows you different cultures and how people live. Again I know this is anecdotal and for every story like mine there's 5 amazing experiences but you really just never know.