Carnival Glory Western Caribbean tips??

[connyo]

Any favorite excursions or tips on special things to do either with Carnival or on your own? Thinking of going on our own for some of the stops, have done both Carnival & on our own in the past.

Thanks for any and all help!!!!!!!

PS~we are a group of 6 adult family members next feb 10

[RenoNanaOz]

Any favorite excursions or tips on special things to do either with Carnival or on your own? Thinking of going on our own for some of the stops, have done both Carnival & on our own in the past.

Thanks for any and all help!!!!!!!

PS~we are a group of 6 adult family members next feb 10

 

What are the ports you are stopping at?

[mrsfuzzmo]

While we haven't done this cruise (yet! - going in June), we have been to all of these ports a number of times and I'll give you a rundown of what we liked, and then what we are planning on doing in June.

 

Grand Cayman - Been here MANY times. Stingray City is the #1 thing to do. If you can bundle it with a Rum Point stop, that's a great day. Many people go to Seven Mile Beach, but that's not our favorite thing to do. We love to snorkel and another awesome day is walking to Sunset House Resort, and spending the day shore snorkeling, having awesome local food and drinking some ice cold beer and cocktails.

 

This trip, our family of 15 has booked Stingray Sailing Catamaran Far Tortuga for a trip to see the Rays. Then we will just hang out in town for some food and beverages before we have to get back on the tender.

 

Roatan, Honduras - Have been to Coxen Hole a couple of times but not Mahogany Bay. We've done a cat sailing/snorkel adventure which was awesome, and our last trip it rained so we just stayed around the port and did a fish pedicure, shopped outside of the port area and wandered around in the rain. It's an awesome island for a beach day (West Bay Beach), Zip-lining, and snorkeling/diving.

 

This trip, some of the crew are staying at Mahogany Bay Beach, some are going to the Sloth Sanctuary, then back to the beach for Zip-lining and beach, and we (four of us) have rented a private tour guide for the day with Rony's Tours to visit West End village and eat/drink our way around the island.

 

Belize City, Belize - On our last trip we booked through Coralbreeze tours and went to Caye Caulker for the day. It was AMAZING! We rented golf carts and drove around, eating and drinking our way to The Split (do you see a theme here yet?). Really enjoyed this day.

 

This trip - Most of the family are doing a private cave tubing tour with cave-tubing.bz. There will be 13 of them going and the tour company said they would drive my 78 yr old parents to the beginning of the tubing adventure so they didn't have to hike through the jungle. My husband and I will explore Belize City.....eating and drinking our way through local establishments in town. (My husband has ZERO desire to walk through a jungle in mid June!!)

 

Cozumel, Mexico - We have been here at least 10 or 12 times. We've done it all. One of our favorite excursions is the Cozumel Bar Hop tour. We've also done Dune buggies, Nachi cocum, Underwater scooters, sea trekking, snorkeling, Chankanaab Park, etc., etc.

 

This trip - Most of the family will be going to Paradise Beach. It's the last stop on a fun filled week or ports, so they think they will be ready to just hang out and relax. My husband and I (and possibly 3 more) will be doing the Trikes-Cozumel tour. We did this type of tour in Aruba in February, and they said they were going to start doing them in Cozumel. That's the plan right now.

 

If you have any specific questions, let me know!

[RL_Bynum]

We're going on a Glory cruise to the above Western Carribean ports and I had a question. I don't know that we want to spend a lot on excursions at every stop. For which one of these ports is there a good bit to do if you don't pay for an excursion?

 

This is our second cruise. On the first, the only ports were Nassau and Freeport. At Freeport, there really isn't anything to do (short of staying on the ship) if you don't go on an excursion.

 

I would appreciate any feedback about which Western Carribean ports offer decent non-excursion options.

[mrsfuzzmo]

We're going on a Glory cruise to the above Western Carribean ports and I had a question. I don't know that we want to spend a lot on excursions at every stop. For which one of these ports is there a good bit to do if you don't pay for an excursion?

 

This is our second cruise. On the first, the only ports were Nassau and Freeport. At Freeport, there really isn't anything to do (short of staying on the ship) if you don't go on an excursion.

 

I would appreciate any feedback about which Western Carribean ports offer decent non-excursion options.

 

ROATAN - no need for an excursion. Shops at the pier, a nice beach with all the goodies, zip lining and everything is there. There are some great excursions on Roatan, but you definitely do not need to do one.

 

CAYMAN - no need for an excursion unless you want to do Stingray City or Rum Point. Tenders drop you right in town (very nice, clean, safe.....expensive town) and you can wander around. Lots of restaurants nearby. Easy close shore snorkeling, or hop on the bus for a short ride to Seven Mile Beach.

 

 

BELIZE - Definitely do an excursion. Not much to see right at the port. There are a few shops, and you can walk into the town of Belize City, but it's a working city and not too touristy. Really cool excursions here so I would invest.

 

COZUMEL - No need for an excursion, but you will probably need a taxi. Lots of beach clubs - pay as you go, or all inclusive in easy reach, fun little town to explore, great island to hire a driver and take you to the wild side for the beauty and the beach bars. TONS of watersports type of activities here as well that you can hire from the pier, or just walk or taxi to town and wander around. Easy.

[RL_Bynum]

Thanks for the information. Very helpful!

[lisagro]

In Cozumel, you can take a short taxi ride to Chankanaab Park and snorkel. They also have a dolphin swim, at least they did when we went there. Very inexpensive (if you don't do the dolphins.)

[RL_Bynum]

Are there good ruins excursion options for Belize other than the ones that Carnival lists that are less expensive?

[lisamarieh]

We just booked an excursion with Lamanai Belize Tours to go to the Lamanai ruins when we are in Belize in January. I found out about them from a review I read here. They are highly rated on Trip Advisor also. The cost is about $40 less per person than going through the cruiseline. Their website is lamanaibelizetours.com. I contacted them and they responded within a few hours. You pay for the tour when you arrive in the port. Hope this helps!!

[OCruisers]

Belize is the port stop where you really need to do a tour/shore excursion! ;)

[WiddyTwo]

 

This trip, some of the crew are staying at Mahogany Bay Beach, some are going to the Sloth Sanctuary!

 

OMG I had no idea there was a sloth sanctuary at this port! I'm now very upset that my next cruise does not go to this port... the one after that will tho!

 

Just so I'm somewhat helpful, I just did cavetubing in Belize back in February. I booked with cavetubing.bz. It was so fun! Our guide was great. The guide was showing us the tarantula holes and him and my boyfriend were trying to get them to come out. Luckily they failed because I would've died. We also saw a 6ish foot boa hanging out in a tree. He also told us a lot about the plants and island history. I really recommend them.

[A&Jfamily]

The best port on this stop is Roatan. Hands down. This island is beautiful and staying in the manmade port is just such a waste. Book a private island tour. See the sloths., monkeys etc. The iguana sanctuary. Have some local food. Go to west bay for some of the best snorkeling from a true beach I have found. So so much to do here....

 

 

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[RL_Bynum]

We just booked an excursion with Lamanai Belize Tours to go to the Lamanai ruins when we are in Belize in January. I found out about them from a review I read here. They are highly rated on Trip Advisor also. The cost is about $40 less per person than going through the cruiseline. Their website is lamanaibelizetours.com. I contacted them and they responded within a few hours. You pay for the tour when you arrive in the port. Hope this helps!!

 

Thanks! I thought I saw somebody post about that company but I couldn't find the post.

[Bkchero]

We just booked an excursion with Lamanai Belize Tours to go to the Lamanai ruins when we are in Belize in January. I found out about them from a review I read here. They are highly rated on Trip Advisor also. The cost is about $40 less per person than going through the cruiseline. Their website is lamanaibelizetours.com. I contacted them and they responded within a few hours. You pay for the tour when you arrive in the port. Hope this helps!!

 

I know they are a lot cheaper, but were you pressed for time? There is a recent Glory review where the poster said another boat (not his group) hit a log on the river and lost their prop, so they had to wait for another boat to tow them back. He did not know if it was a group from a ship, but if it was me and was a private tour I'd be freaking out. The Carnival tour gets decent reviews, and for something that far away I'd be willing to shell out the extra $ to make sure I wasn't stuck in Belize . . .

[thephillykid]

If you want to experience the best tour in Roatan, then this is for you. Victor Boddan.

 

[mrsfuzzmo]

OMG I had no idea there was a sloth sanctuary at this port! I'm now very upset that my next cruise does not go to this port... the one after that will tho!

 

Just so I'm somewhat helpful, I just did cavetubing in Belize back in February. I booked with cavetubing.bz. It was so fun! Our guide was great. The guide was showing us the tarantula holes and him and my boyfriend were trying to get them to come out. Luckily they failed because I would've died. We also saw a 6ish foot boa hanging out in a tree. He also told us a lot about the plants and island history. I really recommend them.

 

Thanks for the reveiw of cavetubing.bz. My family booked a private excursion through them and they've been nothing but helpful. Even my 77 yr old parents will be going tubing, as the company said they would take my Mom (who walks very slowly) up to the beginning of the tubing in a vehicle so she doesn't have to make the jungle trek. We will let you know how it goes after our June cruise!!

[RL_Bynum]

What time do I have to be there in Belize to catch the first tender?

[evandbob]

The best port on this stop is Roatan. Hands down. This island is beautiful and staying in the manmade port is just such a waste. Book a private island tour. See the sloths., monkeys etc. The iguana sanctuary. Have some local food. Go to west bay for some of the best snorkeling from a true beach I have found. So so much to do here....

 

 

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I fully second everything said by A&JFamily! Stay away from the slimy limestone "sand" of Mahogany Bay. I would just add that the snorkeling at Little French Key is even better than at Tabyana, but you need to go out on a boat there to reach the reef. At Tabyana you can snorkel right from the beach. I've spent 2 weeks at Infinity Bay, the hotel adjacent to Tabyana and got to navigate most of the channels there. It's funny, when I am on a land vacation, I can't wait for those pesky cruisers to leave and give me back my beach, LOL!

[SS Exeter]

Where exactly are the Sloths. Two locations have been mentioned.

I just got really excited about this cruise.:D

[A&Jfamily]

Are there good ruins excursion options for Belize other than the ones that Carnival lists that are less expensive?

 

I would book through the cruise line for this type of excursion; in Belize you are headed an hour away toward Mexico I believe. That said, Altun Ha and River Wallace made for a great day.

[A&Jfamily]

Where exactly are the Sloths. Two locations have been mentioned.

I just got really excited about this cruise.:D

 

Book an island tour with Island Marketing and tell them you want to hold a sloth. "Sid" was just adorable! They also have monkeys and birds to interact with and other animals to see. If you like animals, the iguana sanctuary is wonderful. These guys are like dogs; if you pet their sides they will lean into you and not move. They are awesome as well.

[mrsfuzzmo]

Where exactly are the Sloths. Two locations have been mentioned.

I just got really excited about this cruise.:D

 

There is a Sloth Sanctuary (Daniel Johnson's) in Roatan.

[RL_Bynum]

I would book through the cruise line for this type of excursion; in Belize you are headed an hour away toward Mexico I believe. That said, Altun Ha and River Wallace made for a great day.

 

I've actually already been on my cruise and had a good experience with a non-Carnival excursion to see ruins.

http://www.lamanaibelizetours.com/home.htmlhttp://www.lamanaibelizetours.com/home.html

[Bkchero]

I've actually already been on my cruise and had a good experience with a non-Carnival excursion to see ruins.

http://www.lamanaibelizetours.com/home.htmlhttp://www.lamanaibelizetours.com/home.html

 

 

Were you pressed for time? I posted above about a non-ship tour whose boat broke down on the river. Would be a little nerve racking.

[RL_Bynum]

Were you pressed for time? I posted above about a non-ship tour whose boat broke down on the river. Would be a little nerve racking.

 

We got back in plenty of time to get on the ship.