Lamanai with Carnival: Is it worth it??

It's $115.99 per person to do Lamanai with Carnival. This was the Mayan ruin we HAD settled on for our cruise next Feb/march - but I'm looking for a bit more advice.

Is it really worth it? With Carnival, how long do you actually get at the ruins? OK I understand about the bus ride, followed by the boat ride.....no need to explain that to me. I am just subtracting all the travel times, plus the HOUR for lunch/whatever (that we don't really care about) at the new oasis-style facility that you catch the boat from......six hours minus time for all of that sure doesn't seem to leave you with much time AT THE ACTUAL RUIN SITE.

My husband and I really want to be able to go to Lamanai, and also to get to see the well-known British sugar mill ruins that are on-site there also. But - will we have time? I've heard (I think - need confirmation) that the sugar mill is about a 12 minute brisk walk away from the Mayan ruins.....so factor in heat and humidity and you could conceivably take 20-30 mins just walking to and from the sugar mill, let along seeing the Mayan temples as well. Is any of this even remotely doable with a Carnival tour or would we be better of looking for a private company (which we really don't want to do due to it being a tender port etc.)?? Any advice on private tour companies?

Thanks,

Trin

Have NOT been to Lamanai. A ruins too far, IMO. But folks going there rave about it. I hear there's been some additional excavation and it's not so much "Indiana Jones" type of site anymore. But reports I've read say that the ship sponsored excursions don't get as much time at the ruins as some of the private excursions. So, I'll leave that to those who've actually used private excursions.

While, as in any port, private vendors will work diligently to get you back to the ship or tender pier in time, there's always the risk of a delay. For longer excursions, it does make sense to use a ship sponsored excursion just as insurance against missing the boat, even though you may have more time at a ruins site with a private vendor.

Adding: Why is this your only ruins choice? You can do Altun Ha in a half day or less. And Xunantunich is just a bus ride--long but plenty of time to see the site and climb the temples.

Have NOT been to Lamanai. A ruins too far, IMO. But folks going there rave about it. I hear there's been some additional excavation and it's not so much "Indiana Jones" type of site anymore. But reports I've read say that the ship sponsored excursions don't get as much time at the ruins as some of the private excursions. So, I'll leave that to those who've actually used private excursions.

 

While, as in any port, private vendors will work diligently to get you back to the ship or tender pier in time, there's always the risk of a delay. For longer excursions, it does make sense to use a ship sponsored excursion just as insurance against missing the boat, even though you may have more time at a ruins site with a private vendor.

 

Adding: Why is this your only ruins choice? You can do Altun Ha in a half day or less. And Xunantunich is just a bus ride--long but plenty of time to see the site and climb the temples.

Thanks for the input Crewsweeper! :)

We have looked at all three - Lamanai, Altun Ha and Xunantunich. Lamanai is the one that seems the most worthwhile to visit. My dh is a photographer and we are really looking to see some of the best-bang-for-the-buck Mayan ruins on our cruise next Feb/March. Altun Ha doesn't have any of the really nice taller structures or anything that's too visually impactful - so that is ruled out. Xunantunich is a very small site and the majority of your day is spent on a bus ride - although its Castillo is very impressive admittedly. Lamanai seemed to be the one that had the most going for it - the High Temple, the British sugar mill being reclaimed by the strangler fig, plus the boat ride which seems neat.

As you can imagine, from a photography point of view there's not much else worthwhile doing in Belize - everything else is beach breaks or snorkeling (my dh doesn't swim).....so Mayan ruins are about the only thing that stands out as worth doing.

I sure wish I felt confident enough to take a non-Carnival excursion to Lamanai and perhaps get more time there - but with it being a tender port and the ruins being so far out, I just don't. :o

Trin

We were there 10 years ago on a Norwegian excursion, no way would I take an independent company to Lamanai. It was too far, and too much room for error. But it was a really cool day and I felt like we had plenty of time at the ruins, even with all the travel. The boat ride there was beautiful also, you can get some nice shots of nature along the way.

IMHO.....all the ruin tours are worth the money. The tour guides are fun and informative, and the long bus rides seem short because of them. They give so much information and love sharing about their homeland.

We did Xunantunich and thought it was fabulous. We'll do Lamanai next time. I wouldn't hesitate to do either more than once.

If your DH is a photographer and hooked on Mayan ruins...the best one for photography is Uxmal ruins, from the port of Progreso Mexico. (You have to do a different cruise for that - either from Galveston or New Orleans 5-day). Chichen Itza (see it from same port) is great, and huge, but it is so crowded. We've done both....Uxmal is our favorite of ALL the mayan sites we've seen over the years.

robin

We were there 10 years ago on a Norwegian excursion, no way would I take an independent company to Lamanai. It was too far, and too much room for error. But it was a really cool day and I felt like we had plenty of time at the ruins, even with all the travel. The boat ride there was beautiful also, you can get some nice shots of nature along the way.

Thanks Michigan - yeah, if we do a Mayan ruin in Belize we would definitely go with our cruise line. I've done other research since posting this thread originally and I for sure understand that now.

Still undecided about what to do in Belize. The significant Mayan sites are so far away (Lamanai and Xunantunich) and with such long coach rides that I just don't know if it'll be worth it for us. We may end up doing a more "fun" type thing in Belize. Plus I don't know if I feel all that secure venturing out towards Guatemala..... :-/

IMHO.....all the ruin tours are worth the money. The tour guides are fun and informative, and the long bus rides seem short because of them. They give so much information and love sharing about their homeland.

We did Xunantunich and thought it was fabulous. We'll do Lamanai next time. I wouldn't hesitate to do either more than once.

 

If your DH is a photographer and hooked on Mayan ruins...the best one for photography is Uxmal ruins, from the port of Progreso Mexico. (You have to do a different cruise for that - either from Galveston or New Orleans 5-day). Chichen Itza (see it from same port) is great, and huge, but it is so crowded. We've done both....Uxmal is our favorite of ALL the mayan sites we've seen over the years.

 

robin

Thanks Robin for your input! Yeah......Uxmal has always been my ultimate dream. I've looked extensively at all Mayan ruin tours and the #1 for me to see would be Uxmal. But - not on this upcoming trip. We are doing Tulum out of Cozumel though so that'll be awesome.

So you did Xunantunich. How long did you have at the ruins do you remember? Carnival's itineraries to both Xunantunich and Lamanai sort of put us off because they include lunch stops etc. etc. Not interested in lunch........just the ruins. If we're only going to get 60 minutes at them, it might not be worth it.

Trin

Thanks Robin for your input! Yeah......Uxmal has always been my ultimate dream. I've looked extensively at all Mayan ruin tours and the #1 for me to see would be Uxmal. But - not on this upcoming trip. We are doing Tulum out of Cozumel though so that'll be awesome.

 

So you did Xunantunich. How long did you have at the ruins do you remember? Carnival's itineraries to both Xunantunich and Lamanai sort of put us off because they include lunch stops etc. etc. Not interested in lunch........just the ruins. If we're only going to get 60 minutes at them, it might not be worth it.

 

Trin

I think actual time at the ruins was 90 minutes, maybe a little more. You do a lot of walking, and the guide led us up and down the pyramids. Some people didn't climb them and stood under trees at bottom. We had about 10 minutes for restroom break and shopping at little store there afterwards.

Lunch was really great at a small restaurant, just walked in and sat down, served food (had to purchase drinks, beer, etc.). Only lasted about 30 minutes and was delicious and needed as we were all hungry by then. The bus ride was really fun as the tour guides each talked about history of country, local information about their country, etc. It didn't seem like 90+ minutes. The ride home, no talking as everyone slept for the most part. When we got back to the port, we only had about 15-20 minutes to shop before getting in line for the tender boat. They won't leave you at shore since it was a cruise ship tour, but we just didn't want to be stuck there until the last minutes.

robin

I am not on the Carnival cruise but will be visiting Belize on another cruise in February. We are doing a snorkeling thing since I have been lucky enough to visit many ruins on extended land trips. I have been to Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Labna, Ek Balam, Tulum, Coba, and have also visited Machu Picchu in Peru twice. I am an amateur but very passionate photographer and I would highly recommend taking the chance to take one of the ruin excursions Carnival offers, especially considering your husbands interest in photography. You will get plenty of sea and beach vistas but no where else will you have the unique and rare sites like these very substantial Mayan Ruins. I am sure the bus trip there out includes lots of good information about the area and the Maya also so that time wouldn't be wasted. I am personally fine always booking independent tours but considering the distance you might be best with the ship's tour for your peace of mind. I would go for it knowing that you are seeing something very special that you may never get to do again. Go for it!