Hi,

Could someone please tell me if it is better to do a snorkle tour in belize or roatan?

I love the beach and to swim but i only want to do one organized snorkle trip.

Thanks

I did not snorkel in Belize as we did the Private Island Beach Break excursion through Carnival.  However, you could go snorkeling on this excursion, but it was extra.  We snorkeled in Roatan and it was fantastic (probably the best of the cruise).  We took a cab to Tabayana beach where there was snorkeling off the beach.  I know this doesn't specifically answer your question, but hope it helps a little.

Snorkeling in Roatan is my utmost favorite. The sea life is abundant and the coral reefs are exquisite. There are parts where you are literally floating 5 feet above the coral and the smaller fishes, talk about bringing it up close, you don't have to dive down to see the beauty. I went on the Jolly Roger Catamaran and Gumbalina Park. We snorkeled for almost an hour and then went to play with the monkeys and macaws in the park. It is an awesome time.

I am with Ladywolf. The snorkeling in Honduras is amazing. Best I've ever done. We did the Jolly Roger tour also. I haven't done it in Belize though, so I can't compare.

I snorkeled in Belize, but I booked an excursion through www.coralbreezetours.com and not through the ship.

It was the most amazing adventure!  I did the Stingray Alley and Caye Caulker tour, and it was by far the most fun I had on my cruise.  The tour guides are amazing, the experience awesome, and the food wonderful.  It was a 30 minute speedboat ride to Caye Caulker (that alone was so much fun!), then snorkeling at the world's second largest coral reef (from the boat), then snorkeling with stingrays in their NATURAL ENVIRONMENT (and not some tank).  The crew is prepared to handle weak swimmers, people who can't climb back into the boat, and people who are afraid of their own shadows.

You can snorkel in Roatan at Tabayana Beach...you can bring your own equipment or rent, and you really don't need a tour there because the water is clear and calm, and there are fish, corals, and eels aplenty.  I wouldn't spend the money to do a snorkeling tour in Roatan because it's so easy to handle it yourself.

If I ever get the chance, my next visit to the tropics will include a stop at Caye Caulker...or if I'm really, really lucky, a week-long stay and scuba certification.

And FYI...algae from the ocean makes the BEST mask de-fogger.  It's a little tip I picked up in Belize...

Hi..........just wondered which ship you were on? My husband really wants to go to Caye Caulker because he heard there is a place called SharkRay Alley. Is that where you were and if so how much time did you have once you got there? I don't want to miss the ship especially since this is not a Carnival tour. Did you see any nurse sharks like they say you do? Thanks for any info.

I was on the Legend.  I haven't heard about SharkRay Alley...we went to Stingray Alley.

As far as time goes...I had about an hour before the excursion to do some shopping in port (and not all that much to see there, really).  We spent about an hour in transit to and from Caye Caulker, we had about an hour on the island, and the rest of the time was spent snorkeling.

According to Heni (our guide), cruise ship passengers are the life-blood of Belize...they do absolutely everything in the power to be certain that you will have a wonderful time, including making sure that you are back at the pier in plenty of time for departure.  I suppose it's always possible that something could go wrong (like mechanical problems with the boat), but my guess is that there are plenty of boats on standby that can be radioed in for help.

Thanks for the info

HI.  I SAW YOUR MESSAGE REGARDING CORAL BREEZE TOURS.  WE ARE ON THE VALOR IN OCTOBER AND ARE STOPPING IN BELIZE.  THE SNORKELING EXCURSION LOOKS WONDERFUL AND WE ARE SCHEDULED FOR IT.   WHAT TIME WERE YOU SCHEDULED FOR THERE AS THEY DO NOT DOCK BUT USE TENDERS TO GET INTO PORT.  DO THEY ALLOW YOU ENOUGH TIME TO GET FROM THE SHIP TO THE EXCURSION?  ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.  THANKS  LAURIE W.

I believe your tour is scheduled for 8am Belize time, right?  That would be 10am ship time (assuming that we haven't gone "fall back" because then it would 9am). 

In the morning, the staff will let you know when you have arrived in port and will direct you to the area where they are handing out the "tender tickets" which are really just stickers.  Most likely, this will be the Follies lounge.  Because your tour is NOT through the ship, you will have to get your sticker from the person handing out "non-tour" stickers.  Get to the Follies early enough, and you'll still be one of the first tenders out because they send people out based on excursion times, then add in the non-tour people to fill the boat.

Once you are in port, you will go left along the pier.  In front of the Wet Lizard bar, there will be a little stand that says "Hammerhead Tours," which is also for Coral Breeze Tours.  You should have plenty of time to do a little shopping before you need to check in.  When you do check in, they'll ask for your lunch choice (if you chose to have lunch...and I HIGHLY recommend the chicken burrito...it was AWESOME) and you'll wait for everyone else to arrive.

Assuming that you don't completely blow off your check-in time, the excursion will wait for you a reasonable amount of time.  As Heny says, tourists are the lifeblood of Belize...they very much want to make certain that no one misses their tour, that no one misses out on an experience because of a physical disability or fear, and that no one misses debarkation.  Trust me, they know what they're doing and you will have absolutely no trouble.

A few more important words:  make sure you wear plenty of sunscreen, especially while you're riding the boat to Caye Caulker.  I was burned so badly that the skin on my face peeled in thick layers.  I think that sweat, the water, the wind, the lack of shade, and the abrasive action of the sea salt erased my sunblock.  Heny will tell you that sunblock on your face will cause your mask to leak...but don't listen unless you're absolutely certain that you don't mind feeling like leather!  Also, I recommend taking your own snorkel and mask (I bought Body Glove, and it was terrific!) because you can ensure a good fit...one of the people on our tour had trouble with his mask (a novice and didn't quite know how to fix it when it came apart while in the middle of the sea).

Okay, I hope this answers your (and anyone else's) questions.  Have a great time on your trip and tell Caye Caulker I said I can't wait to visit again!

You can check out the Carnival site for more about ship time, because I think that there ARE a couple of ships that actually go with whatever the port's zone is...that could be the case with Splendor.  Otherwise, I know that Legend stayed on Eastern (it would really mess with people's sleeping a meal schedules if they didn't), and I think Valor arrived in Belize about an hour before we did (we docked late).  There were people from both ships on the excursion and no one was left behind.

(Assuming Valor uses Eastern time for ship time)...If you dock in Belize at 8am SHIP time, it's only 6am BELIZE time.  Your excursion does not start until 1030 am SHIP time because your tour is scheduled for 830 BELIZE time (check the tour's website, it explains this). 

Ultimately, the tour guides know who they're expecting and what ship they are from.  If your boat does not dock until a few minutes before the tour starts, they know exactly who will be late and will give plenty of time for the tenders to get you to the pier.  They closely monitor ship schedules, and as long as you don't lose track of time because you've gone shopping, you're not going to be left behind.

Really, you have nothing to worry about! 

thank you soooo much..... it is just confusing and we really want to do this excursion as everyone says its really nice.....great input,  thanks again!!!

Just so you know...you're not allowed to stress out in Belize, particularly when you go to Caye Caulker.  Their motto is "Go Slow," and also "No shoes, no shirt, no problem."  They really will take care of you there!

Hi we booked the snorkeling excursion through coral breeze tours.  since we dock at 8:00 a.m. and our shore excursion is at 8:30 a.m.... will we have enough time to get the tender and get to our excursion?  I have had so many different responses...some say, you will get their two hours earlier, some say hour later and some say ship time. We are on the carnival valor in Oct.  thanks  Hope you can help.