Shore Excurions Not Provided By NCL

[Kldecker16]

Can anyone recommend companies for shore excursions outside of NCL. We are traveling May15 to Roatan, Honduras, Belize City, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

 

Also if you have traveled here, what was your best excursions. We definitely want to swim with dolphins but hear mixed reviews on time vs cost....

 

Thanks!!!

[HokiePoq]

Can anyone recommend companies for shore excursions outside of NCL. We are traveling May15 to Roatan, Honduras, Belize City, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

 

Also if you have traveled here, what was your best excursions. We definitely want to swim with dolphins but hear mixed reviews on time vs cost....

 

Thanks!!!

 

I'd check out the Ports of Call boards on CC and Trip Advisor.

[mmbcater]

If you are on the Getaway-I would take a look at the Roll Call-there are several discussions about shore excursions. Here is the link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2188753

[Jasalth]

While we were on the same-ish cruise threw Carnival (Cayman not Costa Maya) I will say we did have the best time ever in Rotan and Belize

 

Like was said, REALLY hit the port of call boards on here, that is where I found all my info!

 

For Honduras, look into Victor Bodden for their private tour info. This.. this is the reason I want to go on this itinerary again JUST for another day with this company!

 

For Belize it depends what you want to do. We went threw http://cavetubing.bz/ instead of the ship. As a warning... outside of the port area was the MOST uncomfortable we have ever been on a cruise. And this was just walking 25 feet from our drop off, a person followed us INTO the security area to get back in, while trying to sell us Rx drugs...

 

Either way, we went threw .bz because they were the only ones outside of Carnival who offered a Tubing/Zoo tour. It was amazing but it was because we got an amazing guide who didn't actually work for their company. They over booked, so they got the son of a gentleman who runs the hard core eco tours in Belize (the ones where.. you go down into the caves, and sleep in them type eco tours), we couldn't have survived the excursion w/o him (silly me did this with needing back surgery...) The place they included lunch was truly amazing also!

 

My son's did the Dolphin's in Cozumel our first time there. If I was paying for it... they wouldn't have gone but my mother was so... yeah :p I have a hard time with the $$ amount for it.. and well none of us were impressed really with the place it was at.

 

If you want a beach day in Coz, check out Mr. Sanchos (more party type place) or right next door to it is Nachi Cocom. Next time we go back if our kids are still with us we will do Mr Sanchos, last time we went to Nachi which is a private beach with limited access. Well well well worth the $$ and I would go back in an instant. Both are a pretty reasonably priced cab ride away.

[LostAgain]

In Roatan, I would highly recommend Victor Boden's tour company. We have used them twice, and both times were excellent as well as fairly inexpensive. They are discussed quite often on the Roatan port of call forum on CC. Both times, we simply told the guide what we were interested in seeing (tour of the island, monkey zoo, a little shopping and a beach). Your day will be spent exactly as YOU wish.

In Cozumel, you might just take a taxi from the pier. We have been once to Mr Sanchez Beach Club, and once to Chankanaab. Both were very enjoyable.

[drneal]

We just got off the Getaway.

We did a private boat tour to El Cielo in Cozumel through deluxe Boat tours.

This was everyones favorite.

In Costa Maya we went to Maya Chan.

[mabones]

For Roatan you should check out Little French Key or Daniel Johnsons Sloth Sanctuary.

[Donna_In_India]

We did the Chacchoben Ruins Tour with Natice Choice in Costa Maya - superb! https://www.thenativechoice.com/tours/chacchoben-ruins-tour

 

In Cozumel we've done Paradise Beach - great pool and food, very nice beach. We also did the Baby Sea Turtle Release - which was amazing - http://cozumelcruiseexcursions.net/baby-sea-turtle-hatching-cozumel.html. (We did book that through RCI.)

[seguetocaribe]

I second Little French Key in Roatan. We spent the day there and had a wonderful time.

[spidybabe]

Costa Maya -Chaccoben ruins with Native Choice

Roatan - Fun &Sun with Victor Bodden

Both excellent companies, wonderful tours,great prices. Highly recommend them

Safe sailing

[Carolina Girl 99]

We will be sailing that same itinerary in October and I have found lots of great info on the Ports of Call section as suggested by other users. Also found another website with some good info at: westerncaribbeancruises dot org

[Mistizoom]

Agree with Native Choice to see Chaccoben in Costa Maya. Also enjoyed cave tubing in Belize. We went with Viv tours, small group, nice tubes, had a great time.

[CP Tech]

Count me in as another vote for both Native Choice (we did the Dzibanche tour. Well worth the extra time and cost) as well as VIV for the cave tubing and zip lines in Beliez.

 

Both top notch companies.

[H&J]

When in Costa Maya we catch a cab down to Mahahual and hang out at the 'Tropicante. We tried a couple of the well known "resorts" but dollar for dollar the Tropicante doesn't have that overly commercial feel to it. You can get that at a Senor Frog.

 

Belize is SAFE. We regularly go outside the tourist port area both by car and on foot. If you dress and carry yourself like a local you will have many times lower chance of problem than most major and mid sized U.S. cities. Act like "victim" and you up your chances of being a victim. I say these things as I have spent a lot of time in the less "sanitized" areas of Detroit and Flint. An added plus, they speak English in Belize with less "accent' than in the two afforementioned U.S. cities.

[Kldecker16]

Thanks guys! These are great. We definitely are feeling the mr. Sanchos

[helpmecruise16]

We did the dolphin swim in Cozumel through dolphin discovery at chakanaab, I loved it there - the dolphin swim includes entry to chakanaab which had a to to do. We just took a cab there. Very easy! We got 50% off dolphin swim booking early and directly.