Anyone Back from the Dawn - Excursion Question

[Cate M.]

I have booked an excursion for Belze with ShoreExcursioneer. The tour is for a sight seeing tour that they state leaves at 7 a.m.

 

I contacted them and they said it is local time and that the ship does arrive at 7 local time but on the new dailies that have been posted from the Thanksgiving Dawn trip state that the ship arrives at 8 a.m. and you can't get off for another hour.

 

Should I cancel this excursion or do they wait for passengers to arrive off the ship?

[elektrawmn]

We did have to turn our clocks back on the ship. Ship time becomes shore time. NCL was the first cruise I've taken that has done that. The private companies should know when the ships arrive, depart, etc. The only time I would question departure time is if you prepaid for the tour. You can always email them too.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[Cate M.]

Thanks for reply.

 

My question is did the Dawn get in at 8 a.m. shore time and was it 9 a.m. shore time by the time that everyone got off?

 

Thanks!

[elektrawmn]

I think we got off about 8:30 even though we weren't on an NCL sponsored excursion. You have to get a tender ticket. We were in group two but someone managed to go with group 1 ;)

 

I wouldn't worry so much about the time. The private operators are aware of what is going on. We still had to wait for other people to show up before we left for the tour. Stay in email contact with your tour company prior to your trip. :)

[ocntscha]

Carnival is the only cruise line I know that doesn't change the time on the ship to match local time.

 

Carnival never adjusts the clocks and there is endless confusion because of it to the point where now the locals don't know even what time the ships arrive and depart as evidenced by this thread.

 

As the previous posters stated the clocks on the ship are reset to match local time. If your Norwegian itinerary says you'll arrive at 8AM they mean 8AM local time and yes, odds are you won't be able to get to shore until 9ish.

 

However, I'd bet that even if your tour is booked for 7 they will wait for you.

[Cate M.]

Thanks for both replies. My DH said they would probably wait. I am just the type to worry. Only put deposits down and I would ask for them back if they had left without us.

 

I am wishing the winter away as I am excited to be going on Norwegian for the first time. Have been on HAL, Carnival, Disney and RCCL. Except for Cozumel, we have not been to the other stops. We have a BA state room on the 10th deck.

[ocntscha]

If for some reason they don't wait for you, don't worry, there will be plenty of hawkers right there at the tourism village when you get off the tender ready to sell you all types of excursions. We bought a tour to go the zoo right there in the tourism village and it was excellent, tour guide was awesome walking us all through the zoo and telling us all sorts of things about the animals.

 

As I understand it, you can feel pretty confident buying a tour from any of the folks inside the tourism village because they've had to a pay fee / get a license and be officially accepted by the government as being worthy of selling from inside the tourism village. Outside the tourism village it's a free for all.

 

Tom

[tao1]

If for some reason they don't wait for you, don't worry, there will be plenty of hawkers right there at the tourism village when you get off the tender ready to sell you all types of excursions. We bought a tour to go the zoo right there in the tourism village and it was excellent, tour guide was awesome walking us all through the zoo and telling us all sorts of things about the animals.

 

As I understand it, you can feel pretty confident buying a tour from any of the folks inside the tourism village because they've had to a pay fee / get a license and be officially accepted by the government as being worthy of selling from inside the tourism village. Outside the tourism village it's a free for all.

 

Tom

Would you please share the cost of your zoo tour? We have been wanting to do something similar on our December visit to either the zoo or Altun Ha but did not know if you could book tours at the port, or a general cost...

 

thanks!!!

[first2flight]

Hi, We're in port in about a week and want suggestions on things to do. We've done the ruins privously and SCUBA diving. What's interesting downtown? What about interesting tours? I remember being soooo hot. Would you recommend a walking tour?

[ocntscha]

Would you please share the cost of your zoo tour? We have been wanting to do something similar on our December visit to either the zoo or Altun Ha but did not know if you could book tours at the port, or a general cost...

 

thanks!!!

Sorry, I don't really remember, but I'm thinking $40 - $50 per person, something in that neighborhood, it was well over a year ago.

 

I've been there three times now. First time we did the zoo. The kids loved it. Second time we did the Lamanai ruins through the Norwegian cruise ship we were on. That was cool. Awesome ruins, riverboat ride to get there is fun, and a group of local women had worked all day preparing a lunch for us that was included in the tour too and the food was completely awesome. Most recently we went to Caye Caulker. Very cool place, we had a great seafood lunch at an open air restaurant and then spent the rest of our time putzing around the island on a golf court. Only problem about Caye Caulker is by the time you include tendering to shore, waiting for the water taxi, taking the water taxi and then all again on the return trip.. you spend a lot more time commuting back and for to Caye Caulker than you actually do on the island itself.