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We've narrowed it down to these 2 cruises in APRIL:

 

Carnival Breeze to Cozumel, Belize and Roatan OR

 

RC Liberty of the Seas to Roatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel

 

Any suggestions/advice of ship choice or destination choice? (The only difference being Belize and Costa Maya)

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Costa Maya is my least favourite port of all that I've been to. Loved Belize - gotta try cave tubing (Charlie's Cave Tubing). I remember tendering in Belize, but don't remember it being a problem. (You'll have a great time no matter which one you choose ).

Edited by SpaceCowboy9
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Liberty of the Seas. Better ship, better cruise line, better entertainment, and less crowded.

 

 

I've heard before that RC has a more "mature" crowd. (Less party oriented/older)

 

If you don't mind me asking, how is it better? Is it geared more towards families?

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I'd go with Liberty to avoid the tender port of Belize. It's a 7particularly long tender ride, like 20 minutes.

 

So this tender ride....you have to get on another boat to "get off the boat"? Lol. How does that work? How many people can tender at one time? Does it mean you have to wait for them to take 1 group of people at a time? Is there more than 1 boat at a time??

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Costa Maya is my least favourite port of all that I've been to. Loved Belize - gotta try cave tubing (Charlie's Cave Tubing). I remember tendering in Belize, but don't remember it being a problem. (You'll have a great time no matter which one you choose ).

 

Do you mind if I ask why you didn't enjoy Costa Maya?

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Another vote for Liberty. I've been on that ship several times and I think they have some of the best entertainment at sea. Saturday Night Fever is their main show and they do an excellent job with it. Also, the ice show is a must-see, and is something Carnival can't compete with. Both ships have waterslides, but Liberty also has a Flowrider. One more thing...both ships carry about the same # of people, but Liberty is 25,000 gross tons larger. That means Libert is the less crowded ship.

 

You also asked about Costa Maya. It's a manufactured port with a few restaurants, a large pool and several small shops. It's cool to walk around for a little bit but to really enjoy the port, you need to get away from he port area. There's a shuttle that runs to Mahajual, which has great beaches and local restaurants. Also, there are several great excursions out of Costa Maya, including some Mayan ruins sites.

 

Like Bob said, Belize is a very long tender ride and once ashore, it's only a small, run down mall. You pretty much have to do an excursion there.

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Another vote for Liberty. I've been on that ship several times and I think they have some of the best entertainment at sea. Saturday Night Fever is their main show and they do an excellent job with it. Also, the ice show is a must-see, and is something Carnival can't compete with. Both ships have waterslides, but Liberty also has a Flowrider. One more thing...both ships carry about the same # of people, but Liberty is 25,000 gross tons larger. That means Libert is the less crowded ship.

 

You also asked about Costa Maya. It's a manufactured port with a few restaurants, a large pool and several small shops. It's cool to walk around for a little bit but to really enjoy the port, you need to get away from he port area. There's a shuttle that runs to Mahajual, which has great beaches and local restaurants. Also, there are several great excursions out of Costa Maya, including some Mayan ruins sites.

 

Like Bob said, Belize is a very long tender ride and once ashore, it's only a small, run down mall. You pretty much have to do an excursion there.

 

Thank you for the information! Do you have suggestions for restaurants in Mahajual?

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Thank you for the information! Do you have suggestions for restaurants in Mahajual?

 

Wow, I had to look this one up. ;) Last time I was there, we ate at Tropicante. We ate right on the beach. They had great guacamole and fish tacos. It's one of those places you wish you never have to leave.

 

Here's their website:

http://www.sandalsandskis.com/tropicante.html

 

But if not this restaurant, there are several more just like it along that strip. Just know that most of these places only take cash. I just recommend avoiding the tourist trap Señor Frogs they recently built there.

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We've narrowed it down to these 2 cruises in APRIL:

 

Carnival Breeze to Cozumel, Belize and Roatan OR

 

RC Liberty of the Seas to Roatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel

Any suggestions/advice of ship choice or destination choice? (The only difference being Belize and Costa Maya)

========================================= Reply ....

RCCL Liberty would be our choice.

Nice itinerary and we like RCCL better than Carnival. ;)

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I would research Costa Maya and Belize and see if there are excursions that appeal to you more in one of them. We enjoy both ports.

 

Belize offers good snorkeling, cave Tubing and visits to Mayan ruins. The downside is it is s tender port, as mentioned above.

 

Costa Maya offers Mayan Ruins (check Native Choice Tours), some nice beach clubs (check Maya Chan), swimming with dolphins or just hang out at the pool at the port.

 

One other consideration is what you are doing in Roatan. If you are planning an excursion that leaves the port, it’s not a big issue. Otherwise, RCI docks at Coxen Hole, which doesn’t have a lot to do at the port. Carnival docks at Mahogany Bay, which has Zip Lines, shops, restaurants and a nice free beach with loungers.

 

 

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I would research Costa Maya and Belize and see if there are excursions that appeal to you more in one of them. We enjoy both ports.

 

Belize offers good snorkeling, cave Tubing and visits to Mayan ruins. The downside is it is s tender port, as mentioned above.

 

Costa Maya offers Mayan Ruins (check Native Choice Tours), some nice beach clubs (check Maya Chan), swimming with dolphins or just hang out at the pool at the port.

 

One other consideration is what you are doing in Roatan. If you are planning an excursion that leaves the port, it’s not a big issue. Otherwise, RCI docks at Coxen Hole, which doesn’t have a lot to do at the port. Carnival docks at Mahogany Bay, which has Zip Lines, shops, restaurants and a nice free beach with loungers.

 

 

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Thanks for the info!

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I would avoid Belize at all costs!;)

 

 

 

I’m curious as to why you would avoid Belize? We have been 3 times and loved it. We have toured the Lamanai Mayan Ruins and gone snorkeling twice, once to Caye Caulker. The only downside to me is the tendering.

 

 

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I’m curious as to why you would avoid Belize? We have been 3 times and loved it. We have toured the Lamanai Mayan Ruins and gone snorkeling twice, once to Caye Caulker. The only downside to me is the tendering.

 

 

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I was curious about Caye Caulker. What did you do there? Is it a place you could spend the whole day?

 

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We used Coral Breezes and did the Shark / Ray Alley Snorkeling and Caye Caulker exploration. It is about a 45 min boat ride each way from the port. We had lunch on Caye Caulker at a local restaurant.

 

I believe they offer a tour for those that don’t want to snorkel. They can spend about 3 hours on the island.

 

Similar tours are usually offered through the ship also. They may be more expensive, but may pick you up and drop you off directly at the ship, saving the tender ride to / from the port.

 

 

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