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Anything new on Harvest Caye?

TNCruzer56

By TNCruzer56,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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KarimaJ

KarimaJ

Posted
Posted
It seems that most of the shore excursions offered by NCL are gone for our cruise on the Pearl Dec 28. We happened to get one electric boat reserved but there are six of us. Do they have additional shore excursions available while on the cruise we can book?

 

 

 

C

 

 

We were going to book the boat but waited too long, it was sold out when we checked with the excursion desk. I'm really not sure if they have "walk ins". We didn't stay long.

 

 

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timf2001

timf2001

Posted
Posted

I visited Harvest Caye (pronounced key, which I didn't realize until on the ship) this past week and found it mostly enjoyable. I had hoped to try the zip line but could not find it listed to book on the ship and they were not accepting any walk-ups on the island despite it not seeming to be very busy, so book in advance if you want to try it (or do the cheaper zip line in the port of Roatan). There was a ropes course that is very similar to the one on the ship that seemed to be open but I didn't see any passengers using it.

 

The lagoon rentals on the other hand were much more accessible. We booked kayaks the night before just to be safe but they were also accepting walk-ups and were happy to take you before your appointed time as there were always some available. The biggest negative was the distinct sewage smell that was present in certain areas of the island.

 

It was hot (supposedly 100+) and sunny on the day of our visit so the pool and beaches were very full. We ended up spending much of the time in the shade at one of the bars. It was comfortable and there seemed to be plenty of seating. The shops and animal attractions were small but a nice distraction. It appears there's still a large part of the island they have yet to develop, but I'm not sure what their plans are. I wouldn't mind stopping again once the island is more complete.

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carribbeanmic

carribbeanmic

Posted
Posted
I visited Harvest Caye (pronounced key, which I didn't realize until on the ship) this past week and found it mostly enjoyable. I had hoped to try the zip line but could not find it listed to book on the ship and they were not accepting any walk-ups on the island despite it not seeming to be very busy, so book in advance if you want to try it (or do the cheaper zip line in the port of Roatan). There was a ropes course that is very similar to the one on the ship that seemed to be open but I didn't see any passengers using it.

 

The lagoon rentals on the other hand were much more accessible. We booked kayaks the night before just to be safe but they were also accepting walk-ups and were happy to take you before your appointed time as there were always some available. The biggest negative was the distinct sewage smell that was present in certain areas of the island.

 

It was hot (supposedly 100+) and sunny on the day of our visit so the pool and beaches were very full. We ended up spending much of the time in the shade at one of the bars. It was comfortable and there seemed to be plenty of seating. The shops and animal attractions were small but a nice distraction. It appears there's still a large part of the island they have yet to develop, but I'm not sure what their plans are. I wouldn't mind stopping again once the island is more complete.

Thanks for your responce

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kell2150

kell2150

Posted
Posted

We were at HC this week on Getaway, and thought it was awesome. The food wasn't that overpriced and the portion sizes were large. The weather was very sunny and beautiful. We had a beach cabana, which was incredible. It's really nice. Our kids (ages 6-8) loved playing in the sand and water right in front of the cabana. They spotted a lot of jellyfish and other small fish in the water. The loungers were comfy and nice. You get six bottles of water and fruit/cheese plates with the cabana. The service was outstanding. We also which went to the pool, which was crowded but not crazy crowded. My daughter got her hair braided for cheap ($30 for full corn rows and beads). We bought some trinkets too.

 

I think if you search hard enough, you can find the negatives in everything, but we had a perfect day there.

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ravensbad

ravensbad

Posted
Posted

I saw a review posted on another site that included some pictures, figured I would share it here:

 

Hey all! So my wife and I just got back from our NCL Getaway cruise which stopped at Harvest Caye, Belize. We were the second group there - which was quite exciting! As promised, here's a brief review haha

 

Overall, it was a lot of fun. Getting off the boat was a breeze and its about a 1/2 mile walk on the covered dock to the actual island (they do have shuttles for those that need assistance).

 

Walking in - it was quite beautiful. Great landscaping and the little shops were built well. Their are signs with directions towards the different facilities such as: Beach, kid's water park, sea attractions area, zip line, pool, restaurant.

 

My wife and I just walked around - their was a little exotic animal display... One was a walk through butterfly garden which was nice. They had a display w snakes. 2 did not have animals yet - I believe one was macaw and the other monkeys (don't quote me on the monkeys).

 

We walked over to the beach which was quite beautiful. Lots of beach chairs, some private cabanas. We didn't go in the actual beach but it was still pretty nice.

 

We then headed over to the pool which is definitely the feature of the island, I think. Absolutely huge pool. A lot of beach chairs but they were all taken - we just put all our stuff in my backpack and left it at the edge of the pool where we were hanging out. We were there for about 2 hours just relaxing. Went to the walk up bar for drinks (btw, unlimited drink package NOT included on Harvest Caye). The line at the actual walk up was long so I got out and walked around to the same bar, just not in the pool and Waited about 10 minutes to order 2 long Islands.

 

We decided to grab a snack at the restaurant.. We sat upstairs which overlooked the pool and beach.. Beautiful view. The service was quite slow but the server said they're still working out some kinks as we're just the 2nd group - I'm sure it'll get better.

 

We were quite tired so we headed back after spending about 3 hours there. I'm sure their was a lot more to explore - we just didn't get to it... We wanted the free drinks and open pool/jacuzzi on the boat lol.

 

Here are a few pics https:// imgur .com/a/uevxx

 

Overall - we really enjoyed it. Much better than some run of the mill private islands. The pool is, by far, the best feature and a great way to laze around all day.

 

You will have to take the spaces out of the URL since for some reason CC doesn't like imgur links. Here is the link to the original review:

 

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Eileen G

Eileen G

Posted
Posted

We were also in Harvest Caye last week. We got off the ship about 10 to just walk around and see the place. The Belizean people were so excited to see everyone. We were amazed at the enthusiasm they still had since we were so late getting off. It was a hot day so we were glad the stores were air conditioned. The pool and grounds are lovely with flowers blooming every where.

By the time we got to the beach there were no more loungers with shade. There were still plenty in the sun. We walked all the way down the beach going behind the cabanas to a much less crowded beach. We passed the zip line and ropes course. It didn't look like anyone was using the ropes course but that may be because we had a great ropes course on the ship. There was one part of the zip line that you had to climb up some netting and it looked very hot.

I asked two separate people if there was any way to get off the island without a tour and they both said no. It is a half hour ride on the NCL ferry to the mainland when you take a tour.

I took some pictures of the pool cabanas since people were asking about them.

 

p><p><img src=[/img]

 

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anonmom

anonmom

Posted
Posted
Ok... I have read through a lot of this post (not quite all of it), I am putting in my two cents...

 

There are a lot of positive posts, and for those, I am grateful. I am really surprised by the negative responses, and I supposed it has to be a matter of people's expectations not being met. But let's put a couple of things into perspective...

 

The island and activities need some additional work - understandable - This has been a long time in the making, and I honestly am glad they opened it instead of postponing it even further. We were supposed to stop here last February, so I am excited we will finally be able to go next month.

 

You cannot use your UBP and the food prices are high - Let's keep in mind... while this is an NCL island, it is supported by Belizians, who need to earn a living. How would they get paid if no one bought anything. We always load up on locally made toys and trinkets to help support the beautiful countries/ports we visit. So why should this be any different? I will gladly pay for a slightly overpriced meal and/or drink if it means someone can help support their family. Everyone has the option of going back to the boat to eat if you do not want to pay.

 

From what I have seen of the pictures and videos, this place is beautiful, and I cannot wait. Thank you all to those of you who recognized the beauty and posted about it!

I haven't been to HC yet, going in January. But for me, the disappointing part is that when I booked the cruise I was assured that the UBP covered HC.

 

Of course I don't expect anyone to work for free! I would expect NCL to run HC like a private island normally runs. I know that we have now known for months that this is a port partnership with a Belizean company. But when I booked this cruise, that information was not available. I was told it was a private island and that drinks/food were included. So I calculated the cost bases on this being a free beach day.

 

I am not one of those who complains about NCL "nickel and diming" their customers. I like that I can get an NCL cruise cheaper than other lines because I don't need any extra perks. Give me an ocean and unlimited food and drinks and I'm good. But they shouldn't lie about what is included in the price. Just tell us what is included and let us decide if it is worth buying or not.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Forums mobile app

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QuickieGlenn

QuickieGlenn

Posted
Posted
I haven't been to HC yet, going in January. But for me, the disappointing part is that when I booked the cruise I was assured that the UBP covered HC.

 

Of course I don't expect anyone to work for free! I would expect NCL to run HC like a private island normally runs. I know that we have now known for months that this is a port partnership with a Belizean company. But when I booked this cruise, that information was not available. I was told it was a private island and that drinks/food were included. So I calculated the cost bases on this being a free beach day.

 

I am not one of those who complains about NCL "nickel and diming" their customers. I like that I can get an NCL cruise cheaper than other lines because I don't need any extra perks. Give me an ocean and unlimited food and drinks and I'm good. But they shouldn't lie about what is included in the price. Just tell us what is included and let us decide if it is worth buying or not.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Forums mobile app

 

I guess you will have to go back to the ship to eat & drink

the discussion of free food & booze has been going on in this forum for months

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LAFFNVEGAS "Live from...." Rare

LAFFNVEGAS

Posted
Posted
Just curious, the recent cruises there still have abbreviated port times? Or have they extended to full day visits now?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

We will be there on the Dawn in March and we are there from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm which to me is a nice long day.

I also have booked one of the Beach Cabanas and paid for it, then remembered I had the ShHore Excursion credit when i booked very early this year. I called NCL Shore Excursions today and they told me I did not need to cancel and rebook that they will give me the credit on board as ship board credit and if not used would be refundable in cash.

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Eileen G

Eileen G

Posted
Posted
Just curious, the recent cruises there still have abbreviated port times? Or have they extended to full day visits now/QUOTE]

 

 

It really depends on which ship you are sailing on.` We were there last week on the Getaway and were there 8-5. The Jade is only there from 7-1.

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newistcruiseaddict

newistcruiseaddict

Posted
Posted

So hopefully I'm not a jerk for asking this...

 

When our plan entails "exploring the port" and just walking around, we prefer stopping in a convenient store and getting a few cold beers to go vs going to a bar. Does anyone know if there is a convenience type store that sells beers (individual or packs) and bottled water? Not necessarily trying to be cheap, but we would prefer to bring a soft sided cooler and tote our own stuff vs waiting in line for another drink for half the day.

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ryarger

ryarger

Posted
Posted
Does anyone know if there is a convenience type store that sells beers (individual or packs) and bottled water?

 

I don't know, but if there is it would still have "captive audience" prices. Your best bet might be a Bucket-of-Beer special from a bar.

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luddite

luddite

Posted
Posted
So hopefully I'm not a jerk for asking this...

 

When our plan entails "exploring the port" and just walking around, we prefer stopping in a convenient store and getting a few cold beers to go vs going to a bar. Does anyone know if there is a convenience type store that sells beers (individual or packs) and bottled water? Not necessarily trying to be cheap, but we would prefer to bring a soft sided cooler and tote our own stuff vs waiting in line for another drink for half the day.

 

It is a 'Made for NCL' port.

It's gonna be a lot like Six Flags Over NCL Belize would be.

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