Anything new on Harvest Caye?

[Vacationdreamer<><]

I take it you have never had dealing with trying to build or have products made outside of the US. Sometimes its not that easy. How many people here have ever had a house built in the US? Builder tells you 6-7 months, turns into 12-14 months. Weather, materials, cost overruns......always add to delays. You can keep crying about it but nothing is going to change, its done when its done

 

I hear what you are saying, and I don't disagree about delays happening. But if it is so common, they shouldn't have put it out there as a port prematurely.

 

In SO MANY WAYS my May 2016 GA cruise isn't what I booked. This is just one of them. But we were really looking forward to "private island."

[olesiabr]

I agree!

I KNOW we will have a great time (yay UBP!), but I picked this cruise out of several other options for a family reunion cruise, and now the logistics have become terrible with two ports out of three involving unexpected tendering. Anybody that still thinks we are going to Harvest Caye this season has their head in the sand.

I am not blaming NCL for the delay on construction, just for the delay in communication.

 

My family isn't very happy about the room service charge either, and all these changes occurred after we put our deposits down

 

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[Susie51]

Here's a slightly later news article:

 

http://7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=33913

 

Thanks for the link.

[xriva]

I take it you have never had dealing with trying to build or have products made outside of the US. Sometimes its not that easy. How many people here have ever had a house built in the US? Builder tells you 6-7 months, turns into 12-14 months. Weather, materials, cost overruns......always add to delays. You can keep crying about it but nothing is going to change, its done when its done

 

 

I'm not crying about it.

 

I'll just go to Belize City - although we're sailing in February and haven't been told Harvest Caye is not open yet, and we can book excursions for it.

 

We booked this Jade cruise after just doing the same cruise for Christmas and one of the factors was Harvest Caye.

 

Yes, there are all sorts of overruns. However, eventually you have to stop promising something you can't deliver anywhere near on time, and only schedule calls there when it's done.

 

Six months is late. A year is late. A year with "we hope" is somebody clueless at the head of the project.

Edited December 30, 2015 by xriva

[Laszlo]

I hear what you are saying' date=' and I don't disagree about delays happening. But if it is so common, they shouldn't have put it out there as a port prematurely.

 

In SO MANY WAYS my May 2016 GA cruise isn't what I booked. This is just one of them. But we were really looking forward to "private island."[/quote']

 

I hear you, I've learned never to bank or book anything until that project is done. The private island part is over rated, I would personally would rather spend my time and money IN Belize instead of a Disney inspired island

[FreestyleNovice]

 

 

Edited December 30, 2015 by FreestyleNovice

[twinsmom310]

I just found something that was saying will be done in February.

[Linda the Book Lover]

FreestyleNovice..

 

Are these pictures on Belize or construction site on Harvest Caye?

[FreestyleNovice]

FreestyleNovice..

 

Are these pictures on Belize or construction site on Harvest Caye?

 

Instagram hashtags said Harvest Cay and some even NCL. I recognized the oval boat dock from an 2014 environmental protester's post on FB about HC. The other two seem to have that GSC atmosphere, the surfboards are decoration to be.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Instagram hashtags said Harvest Cay and some even NCL. I recognized the oval boat dock from an 2014 environmental protester's post on FB about HC. The other two seem to have that GSC atmosphere, the surfboards are decoration to be.

 

Thanks

[FreestyleNovice]

2014:

 

I believe the pic from Instagram was taken on the left side that same dock.

[FreestyleNovice]

Here's 2015 Google Map link.

 

And this is what NCL purchased?

 

[FreestyleNovice]

And here's the page where you can regconize the palm trees with the green bags;http://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/497138/all/destruction-of-harvest-caye-by-ncl.html (posted in a December 2015 post)

 

 

The same post also quotes about the delay and "Andrade hopes that it will be completed by November"

 

Interesting thread.

[Moby0215]

I hear you, I've learned never to bank or book anything until that project is done. The private island part is over rated, I would personally would rather spend my time and money IN Belize instead of a Disney inspired island

 

 

My question from last time still stands. What do you mean by Disney inspired island?

 

 

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[Cruise-mom]

And here's the page where you can regconize the palm trees with the green bags;http://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/497138/all/destruction-of-harvest-caye-by-ncl.html (posted in a December 2015 post)

 

 

The same post also quotes about the delay and "Andrade hopes that it will be completed by November"

 

Interesting thread.

 

FreestyleNovice, thanks for the photos and the info :)

[rose102798]

I subscribed to a google news alert about Harvest Caye earlier this year for my recent. We were scheduled to go there but went to Belize city instead. The news alert went off a few days ago and here is the link it sent.

 

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=34696

 

Did anyone notice this in the dialogue provided at the link above?:

 

"Andrade hopes that it will be completed by November- which is the start of the tourism season."

[TNCruzer56]

 

 

 

I don`t see Mickey Mouse or Goofy in any of the pics...

[hawk1972]

I've never been to any of the private islands so I don't have any first hand experience. When we booked our cruise on the Jade last February for January 2016, Harvest Caye was on the itinerary and I was looking forward to the experience.

 

I pictured an island with a beach or beaches where we could just get off the ship and enjoy a day at the beach and take advantage of the UBP while we were there. No hassles with tendering. I didn't plan on taking any excursions from there on this initial visit, unless maybe it was a snorkeling trip.

 

HC was removed from our itinerary some time ago and it doesn't look like anyone has a clear idea of when it will be ready. We will enjoy our day in Belize City, I'm sure.

 

I'm disappointed that we won't get to visit HC this time. Maybe we will in the future.

[Laszlo]

My question from last time still stands. What do you mean by Disney inspired island?

 

 

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Exactly what I said. I realize its just me and a personal thing, but I don't get why someone would want to travel all the way to Belize to end up on an island owned by NCL. I want to get out and visit the country itself, not some Disney inspired image of it. To each his own:)

[MandyMommyof2]

I think what others are referring to as "Disney Inspired" is the concept that Disney has done to Castaway Cay. We have visited it three times. They have done a great job with having activities for families and couples. There are separate beaches for each. Rope courses, jet ski adventures, snorkel, hammocks, small beach shop etc.....of course all Disney related. Oh, and they dock, so no tendering. It's nice to just be able to walk off the ship to the beach and park yourself down in a lounger. :) While I have never visited any other cruise lines private island, I did imagine them to do just as well with their set ups. Hoping that Harvest Caye will be ready by July when we sail again with NCL. I hope I have helped some with the "Disney Inspired".....:) Was it the best day ever on all of our cruises....no...but did we enjoy it, yes!!

[Moby0215]

Exactly what I said. I realize its just me and a personal thing, but I don't get why someone would want to travel all the way to Belize to end up on an island owned by NCL. I want to get out and visit the country itself, not some Disney inspired image of it. To each his own:)

 

 

It's just another private island just like Great Stirrup Cay. What does Disney have anything to do with it? I will admit when I first read "Disney inspired" I was thinking Disney world not Disney cruise line. However Disney is not the only cruise line with their own island. NCL already has GSC and many others have their own. It makes perfect sense. They keep all the money to themselves. Yes you are probably in the minority. That's OK. For most the idea of a private island I think is a bonus. Less crowds etc. Plus the UBP would most likely be accepted. A huge money saver for many. In addition to possibly a free buffet lunch like they do at GSC.

 

 

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[Lisalk12]

Will Harvest Caye have cabanas? We loved ours at GSC and we're hoping to get one when we sail on the Jade but can not find anything about renting one for the day.

 

 

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[Vacationdreamer<><]

It's just another private island just like Great Stirrup Cay. What does Disney have anything to do with it? I will admit when I first read "Disney inspired" I was thinking Disney world not Disney cruise line. However Disney is not the only cruise line with their own island. NCL already has GSC and many others have their own. It makes perfect sense. They keep all the money to themselves. Yes you are probably in the minority. That's OK. For most the idea of a private island I think is a bonus. Less crowds etc. Plus the UBP would most likely be accepted. A huge money saver for many. In addition to possibly a free buffet lunch like they do at GSC.

 

 

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This is absolutely what I was hoping for.

When we booked the cruise, I selected one that went to Cozumel because we want to go to Playa Mia. I was excited to see one of the four ports was a private island. I see private islands as a day to be at a beach, but to not spend more money. I'm sorry we may not be getting that, but think we have found an option if we have to go to Belize City.

[Linda the Book Lover]

I like the idea of a private island to sit and enjoy UBP. I looked at a quiet boat tour for 90 minutes than meet back to the cabana with DH on the beach and enjoying UBP. Even if the island is open for us in April it will most likely not be completely finished as there will be tweaks here and there. I just want to be on a cruise so anything else is just extra fun.

[xriva]

Here's why I wanted to go to a private island: I don't scuba dive and I'm not really that interested in going back to Altun Ha, so Belize City doesn't really entice me as a port. The one city tour excursion was short and expensive. My wife will snorkel, but she has a bad shoulder, so she wants to go off the beach, not off a boat. So, that means most of the snorkeling in Belize is out, and there is one beach excursion which says snorkeling is forbidden ( I'm still trying to figure that one out.)

 

Harvest Caye has a snorkel excursion, from the beach. So, that was a good excursion for us.

 

She loved GSC, and I figured this would be similar. I'm not sure that's true, and it may not be ready by our February cruise, anyway.

 

While I'm in favor of going out and meeting the locals, I've heard a lot about safety (or lack thereof) in Belize City, and my wife has a much lower adventure threshold than I do, so we probably wouldn't venture out in our own. So, it's a wasted stop for us, and we've been there twice already.

 

A private island is a private beach, food and drink without cash, and a controlled environment. While that seems "Disney" to some, it may be preferable to wandering into the wrong neighborhood and meeting the wrong locals.

 

I'm sure Belize City is a lovely place if you do your research, have a local trusted guide and a plan, but that's a lot of work just for a vacation. I'd rather just have a beach, some snorkel gear, and a drink or two.

Edited December 31, 2015 by xriva