Coral Breeze Tour Was the BEST EVER !!

[Sandlamb]

Five of us from the Carnival Miracle booked this tour online from Coral Breeze due to all the POSITIVE things I heard and read about them. First of all, their web site is excellent. Go to http://www.coralbreezelimited.com, when you get there click on cruise ship tours. We booked the Shark/Ray Snorkeling and Caye Caulker Exploration. Check out all their photos...click on "more photos" and you can even enlarge them to see exactly what you'll be doing on the tour. (they even have the menu online that you'll be ordering from on the boat). They explain in detail exactly what you'll be doing, how long it takes, with all the prices posted. If you book 30 days in advance, you get 10% discount - or if you have 6 booked, five pay and the sixth person is free...what a deal! I was so worried about the "ship time verses Belize time", and they reassured me they would get us back in time, which they did and we even had 1 hr shopping time in Belize. Just sit back and let them take care of everything, which they do quite well, don't worry about a thing. The meeting place is the "Wet Lizard" which you can see as soon as you get off the tender by taking a left and walking down to the end of the pier. They had a guide there waiting for us. There is also a bathroom just a few steps from the meeting place. We had a good time waiting there at some tables in the shade on the pier until our whole group got there. Our ship announced that only the Ship-Booked Excursions could leave on the first tender. I talked with the Purser's Desk night before and she told me to go to the Gangway for first tender off the ship. Make sure you print a copy of your reservations for this tour off your computer and take it with you to show the guys guarding the Gangway, as they wanted to see my reservations, so I showed it to them and we got on the first tender to Belize. Monique came to the meeting place and collected the money due from everyone and then we boarded their boat for our great adventure. The 45 min boat ride to Caye Caulker was great. That's where they dropped off our menu orders and had a bathroom break. Then we went to the Coral Gardens, where Henni guided us through the most amazing corals and pointed out everything, so we wouldn't miss a thing. Then we went on to Shark/Ray alley and swam with the huge stingrays and sharks...great experience! We had 2 elderly ladies (70's) in our group of 5, who just wanted to ride and watch and not get in the water. They had a wonderful time and were so impressed with the crew by their kindness, knowledge and eagerness to help them snorkel should they change their minds, they're still talking about it. They took pictures from the boat of the sharks and rays, while the rest of us took underwater pictures...real close-ups and they all turned out great. Wait till you get back home and tell everyone you swam with sharks....they say, Ya, Right...then whip out the pictures to show them...ha...the look on their faces is worth it!The lunch on Caye Caulker was very good and ready when we got there. My coke was nice and cold and my Grilled Chicken sandwich was delicious! Then three of us rented a golf cart for $10 and drove it around the island...it was so much fun. We shopped at the stores and stands there, people were so friendly and the island is so beautiful. I wish we could have driven that cart around the island more...it was just a blast! Then they took us back to Belize in plenty of time. It was one of the Greatest Tours I'd even been on. I have a disability, due to polio and have trouble walking and climbing ladders, so by viewing the pictures they had on the internet, it looked do-able. I shouldn't have worried so much about it, because all the guys on the crew were right there to help me in the water and out of the water, on the boat and off the boat. The ride on the boat was very enjoyable and you can lean back and enjoy the ride. We only had about 15 in our group, as only two ships were in port that day, but it was just right....it was like we had the whole boat to ourselves, and it's a big boat. My only regret is that my husband got sick on the ship and wasn't able to go on the tour - and it was the one he had picked...so guess what that means....WE'LL BE BACK... and the first tour I will book will be this one through Coral Breeze. I hope I can bring more people with us like I did this time...as I like all my friends and relatives to enjoy and see all the neatest adventures and places I see, which this one ranks #1 in my book! Take my word for it, book it online, take a copy of your reservations with you, tell Coral Breeze Crew what time your ship leaves and then just RELAX and leave the rest to Coral Breeze. This tour is a great price compared to ship prices and you don't have the 50-75+ people on your excursion. We were the only boat out there, it was like we had the whole ocean to ourselves.....not like the ship excursions, where all the boats are next to each other and you hardly have room to swim without bumping into someone. My Thanks to Paul of Coral Breeze, and his wonderful staff, Carptain Mark, Henni, James, Ivor and Monique. What a memorable experience!!!

 

Sandlamb@aol.com (if any one has any questions, feel free to email me)

Carnival Miracle 2/13/05

Coral Breeze Tour 2/18/05

[Andrea1970]

I'm ditto'ing Sandlamb again. We are just back from being in Belize on 2/24.

 

We booked on-line through Coral Breeze tours with Paul. I sent dh on a cave tubing tour for like $60 or something including lunch and kidlet (age 3.5yr old) and I went on the ray/shark/snorkeling tour for like $90 for both including lunch. We were on the Carnival Elation. I went to the lounge at like 8am-ish to pick up a tender ticket. It was a bit confusing, but not horrible. Carnival needs to organize this better though. We got on tender 2 (instead of 1). It seemed like it was taking a long time to get the ship tours off the boat so we didn’t get called until about 9:45. The tender ride was about 20min in. We got off and asked for directions to Coral Breeze. They were just a few steps away, but didn’t have a sign which “could” have made it harder to find them. We settled up (cash only) and dh went on his tour and kidlet and I got on their boat and off we went- there were about 8 folks in dh’s tour and about 12 in ours. It was about 25min to Caye Caulker (pronounced Key Caulker). They picked up masks for us and bait for the sharks/rays. Then about 8min to the snorkeling site. Most everyone got off (kidlet and I stayed on board) and snorkeled around the reef area for about 40min or so. I jumped in the water and it was cool, but not uncomfortable. Then we went like 3min in the other direction once everyone was back on board and then they started throwing bits of fish overboard. The nurse sharks were about 4’ in size and would come right up and “pop” the surface as they sucked in the bits of fish. Kidlet was delighted with this. Coaxed him onto me in the water and we watched the rays. The tour guides brought up several rays so we could easily pet them. The tour guides/helpers etc were very pleasant, friendly and really did their best to reassure my son, help him on/off the boat and watched him for a few minutes so I could get my head in the water and see the rays swimming around. We then went to lunch on Caye Caulker (tasty) and enjoyed about 1hr15min on this little island. Perfect little “carribbean” fishing village- just like you imagine you’ll find. A few trucks etc but most people drive golf carts, bikes or just walk. It’s that small. Then 25min back on the boat to Belize City. Kidlet and I walked around a bit (had about 1hr25min before we HAD to get back to the ship), I got him a shark tee shirt, me a tee shirt ($26 total) and a nice polo ($20) for dh. Then we stood in line for the tender back to the ship- that took about 20min. Dh got back to the ship right about 4:10 (departing at 4:30 supposedly- he too stood in line for about 20min to get back on board). He totally enjoyed his tour too. He recommended using old beat up shoes vs the water shoes since it is quite a hike to the river. He said his lunch was really good and AYCE, too. We highly recommend Coral Breeze and we saved like $60 booking through them vs on the ship- oh, and the ship tours that dh saw? Had like 40+ people in a group where there was only 8 in his.

[slineberry528]

I enjoyed reading both of your posts. I have booked with Coral Breeze for July. Looking forward to it. I have pre paid and printed my reservation form.

Susan

[sea-n-ski]

thank you for your review. we have booked them for the shark/ray/ caye caulker excursion when we arrive there in a few weeks!!

 

Laura

 

'til the glory!

[Sheffie]

Thanks for the 2 great reviews. We are booked on the Shark/Ray/Caye Caulker tour on our cruise, too. You 2 have made me even more excited! I can hardly wait!

 

Michelle

[lilmsonry]

WooooHoooo! Glad you had a wonderful/great/fantastic time! We also are booked on Shark/ray and Caye Caulker!! I am way excited! Thanks for posting!:D

[Carnival Queen]

Ditto again! I was on this same tour on 2/18 from the Carnival Miracle - posted a separate review a while back and a testimonial on their website - you'll enjoy every minute of it - great choice!!;)

[sndgirl22]

I just returned from the Carnival Elation cruise 2/27/05 and I just wanted to ditto all the great things Sandlamb and Andrea1970 had to say about Coral Breeze. This was my husband's and I first cruise and we had a great time. We did the Shark/Ray Snorkel tour while were in Belize. They exceeded all of our expectations. We didn't have any problem making it to the tour on time, and it was very easy to find them right where the tenders dropped us off. They were aware of the ships departure times and reminded us serveral times during the tour that they were always thinking about it. We really didn't worry about getting back on time as they were in control of the day the entire time.

 

You need to know this is not just a snorkel tour. We thought we were signing up for a boat ride and snorkel return. This was an unbeliveable experience of education, culture sightseeing and above all, FUN. I would not hesitate recommending Coral Breeze to anyone going to Belize.

[cruzn buckeye]

I wanted to add something about Coral Breeze. We were on a cruise in September. Yes, during the wonderful hurricane season that we had last year. We had booked The Caye Caulker excursion with them and payed in advance...credit card for the deposit only. Unfortunately, we had to go east instead of west and missed Belize. Paul at Coral Breeze was very quick at refunding our deposit. We will definetly use them again... or try to!

[kaliente]

Hi,

 

I just got back from the Carnival Miracle and we used Coral Breeze for the Shark Ray Alley Tour and had a great time. They were easy to find, we didn't have any problems getting back to the ship on time. This was my husband and I's first time snorkeling and it was fantastic. I would definitely reccommend them!:)