B2B on Carnival Dream Western & Carnival Victory Southern Caribbean! Review w/Pics!

[brilliantseas]

 

 

As a result of this little tour, our trip back to the port took almost 50 minutes, and we arrived at the dock at exactly 5:19pm ship's time, 34 minutes after we were due back and four minutes after the last tender was scheduled to leave Belize City to take us back to the ship.

 

Thankfully, as we were pulling up, the tender was still there and still boarding, so we jumped off of our snorkeling boat, tipped our guides for the excellent experience we had on Goff's Caye, and made a dash for the tender. Of course by the time we got there, there was no line to deal with. We showed our Sail & Sign Cards to the two Carnival Security agents standing next to the tender, and immediately boarded, grabbing a seat on the back of the boat.

 

We waited about five more minutes as another 15-20 people made their way to the tender. I think the last two to board were two of Carnival's Destination Shopping Specialists, as they were in full dress uniforms with their name tags and small suitcases, and appeared to be coming back from meetings on shore.

 

Before we knew it, we were on our way back to the beautiful Carnival Dream. Being that late coming back from an excursion certainly added some tension to the end of our visit, but we wouldn't hesitate to do the Goff's Caye Snorkeling Excursion with EcoToursBelize.com again. Next time, I think we'll do the early excursion, however, as arriving back at the pier that late is just a little too close for comfort for me.

Up Next: Dinner / Evening Entertainment and Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, Honduras!

[KrystalWaters]

Love the pictures and the review. Definitely subscribing:D

[brilliantseas]

Carnival Dream Exotic Western Caribbean - October 1-8, 2011

 

Day 4 - Belize City, Belize Continued...

 

After the adventure that we had in Belize, we were excited to meet up with our table mates at dinner to discuss the day's events. They tried the Cave Tubing excursion, and although they said they had fun, they probably would not do it again. It is a long drive through the slums of Belize City (outside the port facility gates), during which they saw, among other things, two people urinating in public. Once they got to the area where the excursion was to take place, you have to hike through the jungle to get to the river where the excursion takes place. They said that once they made it to the river, they enjoyed the excursion, but the water was very cold compared to the ocean water at the end of summer and took some getting used to. They had fun, but would probably choose an off-shore excursion next time rather than traveling through mainland Belize.

 

I was feeling a little adventurous myself at dinner, and decided to try one of the brand new items on Carnival's Didja Ever menus.

 

Shark and Langoustino Fire Cracker Roll - 2/5

Three of the four people at our table ordered this new appetizer as it sounded very interesting. We were expecting some sort of a spicy sushi roll with shark and langoustino (a crustacian that looks like a cross between a shrimp and very small lobster). What we got was a plate of three deep fried balls of what tasted like a deep fried, overcooked crab cake. Lots of filler and very dry. No spice what-so-ever. The three little drops of sauce that they use to keep them from rolling around the plate added a little tang and moisture to the dish, and they probably would have been better if they were served with an actual side of this sauce to help combat the dry texture of the filling. It was worth trying to say that I did it, but they weren't overly impressive. Certainly not what I expected when I ordered it.

 

Here is a picture of the Shark and Langoustino Fire Cracker Roll appetizer:

 

Black Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas - 5/5

Carnival wins again with this vegetarian option. I am not a vegetarian myself, but I do enjoy Mexican food, and these were excellent! Another one of my new favorites discovered on this cruise.

 

Bitter & Blanc - 4/5

Far better than the Grand Marnier Souffle, on par with Warm Chocolate Melting Cake, but not as good as the Vanilla Creme Brulee. It is a toss up whether I would order this or the Tiramisu next time. I guess the Bitter & Blank wins out because it is something that you can't get at most restaurants on land, whereas Tiramisu is easier to find and there are restaurants that do it better than Carnival.

 

For those who don't know what Bitter & Blanc is, think of a warm (hot), rich chocolate bread pudding, served in a souffle dish. They bring it to the table, ask you to break into the center of it, and then pour warm vanilla sauce inside. Very rich. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of it this time.

 

As I recall, Belize is the first night that there is no comedy offered as part of the evening entertainment (the other night being Roatan), so we had to mix things up a little bit. We got to enjoy Superstar Live Karaoke (Karaoke backed up by a four piece show band and a backup singer) and a female impressionist, whom I guess was on the ship for several months and just left for a few months of vacation. The Superstar Live Karaoke is surprisingly entertaining, as some of the passengers are VERY good, and sound even better when backed up by a full live band instead of a CD. The impressionist was just OK, nothing I'd rush back to see again.

 

We turned in fairly early on night #4 as we wanted to be up plenty early to make the most of Mahogany Bay the next morning.

 

Up Next: Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, Honduras (complete with Ziplining!)

[ruag8tr2]

Best. Review. Ever.

 

Cant wait to hear about the ziplining. I think I would be a nervous wreck about the whole Eco tours thing. That seems too close for comfort to me. Glad you made it back in time to get on the tender.

 

Keep it coming.

[brilliantseas]

Best. Review. Ever.

 

Cant wait to hear about the ziplining. I think I would be a nervous wreck about the whole Eco tours thing. That seems too close for comfort to me. Glad you made it back in time to get on the tender.

 

Keep it coming.

 

It was a little too close for comfort, but I still wouldn't hesitate to go with them again. I would just make sure to take the earlier of the two excursions. I don't know what Sergeant's Caye or Caye Caulker are like (the two places Carnival goes to snorkel), but I can't imagine it being more amazing than Goff's Caye, especially when you consider that there were only about 30 people on the entire island. Carnival excursions tend to be crowded, which makes snorkeling uncomfortable (too many people too close together = accidental bumping and kicking). I'll use Eco again in Belize, just making sure that we select the earlier of the two excursion times.

[brilliantseas]

Carnival Dream Exotic Western Caribbean - October 1-8, 2011

 

Day 5 - Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, Honduras

 

We made sure to get up extra early for Roatan as we had big plans for the day. We had room service delivery scheduled for 6:30am and they were just a few minutes early as they knocked before the phone rang with my 6:30 wake up call. Enjoying some hot coffee and a bagel on the balcony while sailing past the jungle of Roatan is a great way to arrive at this island paradise and nothing is more exciting and nerve racking than watching the captain back the ship in to such a narrow berth. Now I understand why they often miss this port in high winds. The dredged area near the dock has no more than about 50 extra feet of clearance, so they have to be very exact in their movements while backing into the dock. At one point we were so close to the corner of the pier that it actually disappeared below the promenade deck from our view while we were attempting to navigate around the corner of it. No wonder it takes them 20+ minutes to dock here!

 

Here are some pictures of us arriving in port at Roatan early on a Wednesday morning in October.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

My new favorite port!

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

We were fortunate enough to be the first ship to arrive at Mahogany Bay (Carnival Valor arrived about 90 minutes later), and since we were ready to get off the ship so early, we were able to stake out a pair of beach chairs in the front row under two palm trees for some nice late morning/early afternoon shade on Mahogany Beach before it got too busy. The beach was more or less deserted until late morning, so we had a great time on this beautiful beach for a few hours before heading off to our ziplining adventure.

 

 

Apparently the beach is slippery. Actually, it was hiding some sort of utility cover, which I'm sure would be quite painful to trip over in bare feet.

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

As the Carnival Valor arrivese in port, the life guard on the jet ski will make passes down the beach and force people to get out of the water for safety reasons until the ship is safely docked. While the ship never crosses into the swimming area, they want to make sure that no one could get near it or near anything that the thrusters might stir up in the water. You can still be in the shallow area, but swimming out near the ropes is strictly controlled while the ships are in motion. As soon as the ship passes, they let everyone back into the water.

 

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

Carnival Dream Exotic Western Caribbean - October 1-8, 2011

 

Day 5 - Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, Honduras Continued...

 

There were a few people snorkeling off the long dock at the end of the beach. I'm not sure if they saw anything, but there is access to deeper water near the long dock at the end of Mahogany Beach.

 

 

 

 

The cabana area of the beach is private, with fences restricting access to block people from spoiling your view. There is an area behind the cabanas with a long shaded pathway and access to restrooms, showers, one of the many bars, and the dock where the above pictures were taken. The cabana area is beautiful.

 

 

 

 

Up Next: More pictures from Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, Honduras and ZIPLINING!

Now it is time for me to head to work.

[brilliantseas]

I hope everyone is enjoying the review so far. If you have any questions about any of the ports, I'll try to come back late tonight after I get home from work to answer them. I'll be back tomorrow evening with more pictures from Roatan, a review of our ziplining experience with Clip N Zip Roatan, followed by all the details of our stop in Costa Maya and the rest of our Carnival Dream cruise.

 

I know some of you are leaving in about a week for the Carnival Victory, so I will try to get to the 2nd part of my back to back cruise sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday. Until then, in the words of Laura the British comedy club manager onboard the Carnival Victory, chow for now!

[Prairie_Gal]

I'm really enjoying your review. I'm especially looking forward to the Victory part.

 

I would have been a nervous wreck to arrive back that late in Belize (or any port). :eek:

[nessz79]

Oh, yay! I found your review again :). Still enjoying it immensely. You have some great pictures.

[hobbyhrs97]

Can not wait for more! Pictures are beautiful!

[gelo7]

Love your review and pics...

[lifeisgoodPat]

Great review, great pics. We will be sailing on the Dream in less then 2 weeks and can't wait. Thank you for taking the time to do this review. We appreciate all your hard work…….

[Dawg74]

Really enjoying your review as well!!! :) Love the pictures.

[cruisingcouple2008]

Excellent Review cant wait for the rest.

 

We also loved loved loved our Victory cruise.

[brilliantseas]

Carnival Dream Exotic Western Caribbean - October 1-8, 2011

 

Day 5 - Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, Honduras Continued...

 

As promised, here are some more pictures from Mahogany Bay as the day went on. By noon, the beach was very busy with the addition of the Valor passengers and those late risers from the Dream. In addition, many people seemed have morning excursions or rush to the neighboring Clip N Zip and ATV Tours facilities in the morning and return to the beach to cool off in the early afternoon. By early afternoon, the temperature in Roatan was in the mid-90's, with high humidity. It was downright HOT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

As morning led into early afternoon and we had our fill of sun, sand, heat and booze, it was time to head back to the ship to refresh, have a light lunch, and change for our afternoon of ziplining at Clip N Zip Roatan. But first, it was time to explore the nature trails along the path from Mahogany Beach to the pier area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

 

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

One thing that we noticed was that the flying chairs stop almost every time a chair reaches the platform, meaning that it took FOREVER for anyone riding to reach the other end. You could probably walk to the beach and back three times in the time it would take to ride the "flying chairs" once. We were glad we didn't spend the $12 per person for the all day pass.

 

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

Here are a few photos I took from the back of the ship while we were having lunch on Lido Deck before our ziplining adventure. Isla Roatan is such a beautiful island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch, we headed over to Clip N Zip Ziplining Adventure, which is located just across the street from the taxi area behind the two story building toward the back of the last picture. I made reservations for Clip N Zip online about a month before our trip, but when we showed up, it was clear that we didn't really need reservations and it is strictly first-come, first-served. From what we heard, they are very busy in the morning as everyone rushes off of the ship to enjoy their planned activities of the day, but we decided to hold off on zip lining until after the crowds died down, instead choosing to enjoy Mahogany Beach before it got too crowded. While this meant front row seats in the shade on the beach, it also meant that it was much hotter when it actually became time to zipline.

 

A word to the wise - make sure you are well hydrated before you head over to Clip N Zip. The actual experience, depending on what time you show up, takes an hour to an hour and a half, and consists of 11 zip lines ranging from 150 to over 900 feet. Note that this is a lot more than some of the zip line excursions which Carnival offers (I saw a 4 line tour and a 5 line tour advertised) for about half the price. During the time that you are out in the jungle, there are no restrooms and no opportunities to get a drink. There is also no easy way down once you start as most of the platforms are built 75-100 feet in the canopy and have no stairs or ladder down to the ground. The only way down is to get to the end of the course or to repel down from the platform (only done in emergencies). In some cases, there are platforms with bridges or stairs that take you higher into the trees, so it is a physical workout and in the 90+ degree heat, you can dehydrate very quickly. My friend was feeling light-headed by the time we finished the course due to dehydration, so make sure you drink plenty of water (not booze!) before you start your zipline adventure.

 

We showed up at Clip N Zip Roatan at about 1:30pm and were immediately taken up to the office window to pay our $40 (list price is $45, but Carnival and Princess passengers get $5 off) and receive our wristbands. From there, one of the several guides waiting in the staging area helped outfit us with all of the gear we would need. Once we had our helmets, harnesses, gloves, and safety gear, they offered to take our picture (with OUR camera) and after waiting for about 6 other people to gear up, we were escorted to a waiting pick up truck that would carry us up to the top of the hill where we would start our experience. Note that you ride on benches in the bed of the pick up. The ride up the hill is on a steep dirt road. They drive very slowly and the guides keep an eye on everyone, but be sure to hold on tight. Once you get to the top of the road, you hike another few hundred yards up hill through the jungle. In the heat, it can be a bit taxing, but they make sure that at least one of the guides walks in the back of the group and they pace the group according to the fitness level of the guests, so you don't have to worry about falling too far behind. Just be aware that this is a physical activity. Remember to bring your closed-toed tennis shoes for this experience. They don't check footwear, but one teenager tripped over his flip flop on the walk up the hill and we saw several flip flops in the jungle below the lines.

 

We had a fun time with Clip N Zip, and their three guides always made sure that we were safe and having a good time. There are a lot of instructions to listen to and things to think about as you are ziplining, so you don't really pay as much attention to your surroundings as you would think you would. Most of the scenery goes by so fast that you don't see much while actually zipping from platform to platform, but you have plenty of time to look at the jungle canopy while you are standing on the platforms between lines. The last three lines go across a clearing at the base of the jungle that provide you with a great view of the cruise ships in port at Mahogany Bay. They also take your picture a few times on the last lines as the platforms are closer to the ground. Unlike the photo that our guide took for us at the beginning of the tour with OUR camera, these photos are taken by a photographer with a digital SLR camera and they run the memory card down the hill and are waiting to show them to you on a laptop when you finish. If you want to purchase them, they put all of the photos (I think they had about 8 of us) on a CD for you. I think the price was around $25.

 

We had a great time, but with the heat, by the 7th or 8th line, we were kind of counting down to the end so we could get a bottle of water. It was definitely worth the $40, but after the 3rd or 4th line, the excitement level drops and it becomes almost routine. The only thing that changes is your height above the forest floor and some of the scenery around you. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I'd do it again if I was traveling with someone who had never gone before, but I won't go out of my way to go ziplining in every port I visit. It was fun, for sure, and I'm glad I got to do it once, but next time I'll save my money for a new experience, such as the ATV Jungle Tour next door (I believe it was $65, or $99 if you purchase both ziplining and ATV).

 

Unfortunately, because of the thick leather gloves and harnesses that they make you wear, I wasn't able to use my camera to take any pictures of our actual zip line experience, but I can tell you that we had a lot of fun. It is something that you'll just have to experience for yourself if you want to see the scenery up in the canopy of the jungles of Isla Roatan, Honduras.

[brilliantseas]

After finishing our zipline adventure, we headed over to Fat Tuesday for a few drinks and some fun before ending our day at Mahogany Bay. We had a lot of fun here, and although there was still a little bit of a party atmosphere, it was nothing like the Fat Tuesday at Puerta Maya in Cozumel. I suppose this has something to do about the layout, which features a large central bar that breaks up the sight lines. Although there was a small stage with a pole and some saddle stools along one side of the bar, the lack of a real dance floor means that it is less "interactive" than the Fat Tuesday in Cozumel.

 

Here are a few more photos of the end of our day in Roatan. The first photo is of the Fat Tuesday building, as seen from the ship.