Saturday, April 18, 2020

How We "Cruise Like a Davis"- Roatan, Honduras

A Typical Day on the Island of Roatan

Roatan is a beautiful mountainous island off the coast of Honduras in Central America. This is quickly becoming one of our favorite destinations in the Western Caribbean. We have been to 2 different ports in Roatan and been a total of 5 times over 18 cruises. The locals are friendly (and not at all pushy) and the beaches are gorgeous! What more could you ask for?

Morning
Like most of our port day experiences, we like to wake up before the arrival of the ship into port and watch the approach to the island. This island is so pretty and the mountains are so gorgeous. We just love it!


The kids watching us pull into Roatan- Carnival Breeze 2017

Then we grab a quick bite at the Lido Buffet or the MDR, depending on our plans for the day. Don't forget to plan your day according to your excursions but keep in mind EVERYONE will be at the Lido Buffet about 1 hour prior to the disembarkation of the passengers.

The island of Roatan has 2 main ports for cruise ships: Mahogany Bay (exclusive to CCL) and Coxen Hole. These 2 are both great but Mahogany Bay is unbelievably easy to access and is only open for Carnival Cruise Line's cruise ships.

Mahogany Bay, Roatan
(Carnival Conquest 2013, Caribbean Princess 2016 and Carnival Breeze 2017)

This bay area on the island of Roatan is exclusive for Carnival Cruise Line's cruise ships (Carnival, Princess or Holland America) and has anything and everything you could need in a port right at your finger tips and within walking distance to the ship. This bay offers a huge beach area with FREE access for cruise passengers, a ski-lift type of thing to get you to the beach (or you can walk), a nature trail, over 2 dozen shops and restaurants, and a snorkeling pier. Most of these amenities are free and easily accessible from the ship.


The entrance to the island right off the ship- Caribbean Princess 2016


The kids were SO EXCITED- Carnival Breeze 2017


A view of the beach area taken from the ship- 2017


Another view of the FREE beach area (Chairs and Clam-shells cost) 


A view of the Sky-lift (ski-lift) that takes you from the port area to the beach. 


There is also a Nature Trail through the nearby jungle area close to the port.
Caribbean Princess 2016


Entrance to the beach area- Carnival Breeze 2017


Natalie and I got back off the ship and did more exploring while the boys took a nap!
 Carnival Breeze 2017




The end of the Ski-Lift area near the beach- Carnival Breeze 2017

We have snorkeled from the pier near the beach every time we have visited and it remains to have some of the best snorkeling we have experienced in the Western Caribbean. There is a sunken ship near this area if you are an experienced snorkeler and are hoping for an adventure. We have always brought our own snorkeling gear but you can rent snorkel equipment for less than $15 on site.


Snorkel near the beach- Caribbean Princess 2016

The beach area at Mahogany Bay is great and offers amenities like locker rental, mat rentals and even kayaks available for use. This beach is very kid friendly and only goes to about 6-7 feet deep before it is roped off. Carnival offers an actual excursion for this beach that includes 2 beach mats, a clam shell, locker rental, kayak rental and 2 chairs for $50 and is a GREAT deal. We have purchased this each time we have visited as it is a lot and can be shared between us and the kids! There is also a cabana rental via CCL for $200 for the day.


The clam-shell included in the $50 beach for a day package via CCL- Carnival Conquest 2013


We LOVE this beach so much!
Caribbean Princess 2016


Luke and Chris on the beach- Carnival Breeze 2017


The use of the mats really helps with kids! But even then, Chris is still touching the bottom of the ocean at this point! It is PICTURE perfect!
Carnival Breeze 2017


We love you Mahogany Bay! We CANNOT wait to get back!
Carnival Breeze 2017                    Caribbean Princess 2016


Sloth and Monkey Sanctuary and City Tour- Coxen Hole
Our first visit to Coxen Hole brought us to the port area and we found a local who took us on a tour of Roatan city of Coxen Hole and then took us to the Sloth and Monkey sanctuary. This was really neat as the tour took us to the highest point of the island and we were able to see the cruise ships and all the surrounding areas. 

This view was worth the cost of the trip alone- NCL Pearl 2018


2018 with NCL Pearl and Liberty of the Seas in the background. 

Then we went to the sloth house to hold and pet sloths and monkeys! It was so awesome. We loved it and knew the kids would love it too! Our April 2020 Liberty of the Seas cruise got cancelled thanks to COVID-19 but we hope to get the kids there in the near future. We found this tour at the port entrance of Coxen Hole through a local tour guide and it was $35 per person but included the tour and the entrance to the Sloth and Monkey Sanctuary.


NCL Pearl 2018
  

Chris LOVED this experience!
NCL Pearl 2018

Afternoon
As per typical for our port days, we like to eat a later lunch or mid-afternoon snack once we get back on board from our day ashore. When we have ported at Mahogany Bay, we have even gotten back on the ship to eat lunch and then got back off for more beach time. It is very convenient.

We like to take any left over afternoon time to explore the ship or just spend the afternoon at the pools and whirlpools when it is less crowded as well! Of course, we make an effort to go to an open deck or our balcony to watch sail away! It is one of our favorite things to do on port days! 


Watching sail away from our balcony- Liberty of the Seas 2018

Evening
This is an evening spent at the Main Dining Room and Main Theater as we try to squeeze anything and everything else we can out of this cruise and cruise ship. This includes the main show, comedy shows or fun activities like "The Quest- Adult Scavenger Hunt" or "Battle of the Sexes". These are great activities and fun ways to meet new cruising friends.


Time for a Deck Party- Carnival Breeze 2017


We love to catch a sunset on the open deck- Carnival Conquest 2013

Roatan is the farthest port from Galveston or New Orleans on this itinerary so it takes a while to get to this port or back to Galveston. This usually means after Roatan you have 2 sea days and that means it is time to completely relax! We love Roatan, its beaches and locals especially! We will be back!

Stay tuned for more Western Caribbean Port Days and tips and tricks for Western Caribbean favorites like Grand Cayman and Jamaica! Thanks for following along! 

GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME! 

Want to see what the 7 trips to Belize looks like for Cruise Like a Davis?
Click on any cruise link below to check it out:





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Friday, April 17, 2020

How We "Cruise Like a Davis"- Belize

A Typical Day in Belize

In 18 cruises, we have been to Belize 7 times and it is part of the itinerary that we frequent most when sailing out of Galveston or New Orleans. Belize is a great spot for snorkeling but not necessarily diving. Most cruise ships travel to Belize City but some cruise lines, like Norwegian, have their own private Belize port. Because of the shallow waters near the shores of Belize, ALL cruise ships must anchor off shore (about 5 miles) and then tender into the shore.

Morning 
As per typical with port days, we like to wake up prior to arrival time so we can watch the approach to the port. This is so cool because we get to see the port workers tie our MASSIVE ship off to the pier with just a few ropes!


Watching the approach to Harvest Caye- NCL Pearl 2018

This also means that while we are watching the approach, the rest of the passengers are getting breakfast! This is VERY helpful if we plan on eating at the Lido Buffet as it will be VERY crowded with everyone getting off the ship to explore the destination. As mentioned in previous blogs, if the cruise ship offers breakfast in the Main Dining Room, we try to eat there as it is not near as crowded and the service is MUCH better than the buffet. 

After breakfast we work our way towards getting off the ship. Since the waters are so shallow at the shores of Belize, all passenger must tender into shore. If you have a tour through the cruise line, you will be given a tender ticket automatically and will have to meet at a designated location on the ship. However, if you do not have an excursion through the cruise line and are doing the day "on your own", you will need a tender ticket. Most cruise lines pass these out the morning of arrival and there is typically a long line. Then you will be called to board a tender boat according to your tender ticket number, which is usually 1-20 or so. This whole process can take a VERY LONG time so be prepared if you choose to see Belize on your own. 

The tender ride to Belize City- Carnival Breeze 2017


Tender Ride to StarFish Island- Carnival Valor 2016

Tender Rider to the Western Barrier Reef- Carnival Conquest 2013

In recent cruises, we have toured Belize on our own and since there is a wait to get tender tickets, we take the morning as slow as possible to avoid the crowds. Belize is not our favorite port, so the past 2 times to Belize, we have actually not even gotten off the ship and spent the day enjoying the activities and amenities on the ship when it is much less crowded. This is a GREAT tip if you are on a MEGA ship that has a LOT to offer. Be sure to look at the Cruise Daily Newsletter (FunTimes or Cruise Compass) to check for times the Water-park or other activities are open! In some cases of bad weather during sailing, this may be the only time to enjoy such perks as the trampoline park or SkyRide. 

We stayed on the ship and enjoyed EVERYTHING it had to offer- NCL Breakaway 2018

There are still a few activities we would like to try the next time we go to Belize such as, Cave Tubing and Blue Hole snorkeling. However; these are the activities we have enjoyed over the years: 

Our Belize Excursion Experiences: 

Western Barrier Reef Snorkeling Tour
We did this tour through Carnival Cruises Lines when we sailed on the Carnival Conquest in 2013. This was our very first trip to Belize and we were BLOWN away with the beauty of the blue waters. The tour picked us up from the ship via our own Tender Boat and took us to the Great Western Barrier Reef. This is the largest reef outside of the actual Great Barrier Reef near Australia. The coral formations were absolutely incredible and we had a GREAT experience of snorkeling. In fact, through this experience is when we fell in love with snorkeling! We got about 1.5 hours of snorkeling and then we were taken to a local smaller island called Banister Bay for some beach time. We stayed on this island for over an hour before boarding the small tender boat again and sailed in the open ocean with drinks and snacks on our way back to the ship.
It was a GREAT excursion and I highly recommend it! 

This was some of the BEST snorkeling we have ever experienced- Carnival Conquest 2013


Starfish and Conch at Banister Bay- Carnival Conquest 2013


Banister Bay, Belize- Carnival Conquest 2013


Belize City Tour
Chris and I found this tour when we went into Belize City in 2016 when sailing on the Caribbean Princess. This was a private tour via car of the town of Belize City. The tour guide took us to local schools, markets and showed us the actual sights of Belize City. It IS a Third World country and this tour confirmed that. It was humbling to see and tears were shed as I thought about everything these people DON'T have and I DO have. We saw chickens roaming the streets and dogs running all over the place. It was dirty and gross but eye opening for sure. Towards the end of the tour the driver took us to a "locals beach" that was off the beat path and it was gorgeous! I now pray a LOT more for the country of Belize after taking this tour but I am glad I did! I am blessed beyond measure! Thank you Jesus! 

Welcome to Belize- Caribbean Princess 2016


Marion Jones Sport Facility, the only one of it's kind in Belize. Are you kidding me? We have one of these every 2 miles here in the US.- Caribbean Princess 2016


I swear ALL Caribbean tour guides are CRAY CRAY- Caribbean Princess 2016

Star Fish Island, Belize Small Group Day Tour
This is a tour offered through Carnival Cruise Lines we took with the kids in 2016 while sailing on the Carnival Valor. This was a day long beach break to Starfish Island on the outskirts of Belize City. This was the exact same island we went to in 2013 on the Carnival Conquest but it had been built up for tourists and excursions via Carnival Cruise Lines. Since 2013 this island added more beach seating, a small starfish pond, a playground, restaurant and even a gift shop. This was a GREAT way to spend the day with your family. The starfish pond was awesome and the kids LOVED being able to pick up starfish! The playground was also really nice since, at the time, Luke was not a water baby and did not want to swim in the ocean! We spent over 5 hours here and it was PERFECT! This excursion was $60 for adults and $50 for kids and it was WELL worth that! We loved it!

This playground is so cool to be right on the beach. Natalie would swim and Luke would swing!
It was perfect- Carnival Valor 2016


The kids LOVED the Starfish pond! To tell the truth... SO DID I!
Carnival Valor 2016

Its a PERFECT day for Natalie! She loved these hammocks- Carnival Valor 2016


We loved Starfish Island!- Carnival Valor 2016

Belize City Harbor Tour
This was a tour we found on our own as we were meandering around the port entrance to Belize City while sailing on the Carnival Breeze in 2017. Since we had the kids with us on this cruise, we were not able to snorkel so we just went into port to "look around". It was during this time we found a nice local who offered a great deal on a private boat tour of the city. This was a $20 per person excursion that took us all over the shore of Belize City and into the nearby Caribbean open waters. This was a very informative tour but the tiny boat meant it was not for those who suffer from sea sickness. Luckily, none of us do suffer from this but the trip back to Belize City was very rough! Poor Luke was scared to death! But we made it back to dry land and had memories to boast! It is a good way to spend an afternoon but I would not do it again!


Luke was all smiles before the choppy waters arrived- Carnival Breeze 2017


Welcome to Belize- Carnival Breeze 2017

Harvest Caye, Belize (NCL Private Island)
Harvest Caye is Norwegian's private island on the east side of the country of Belize. We've been lucky enough to have been to this small island twice; NCL Pearl 2018 and NCL Breakaway 2018. 

It was bought and build up by NCL nearly a decade ago solely for Norwegian cruise passengers. This island includes a large beach area with chairs and sunbathers, a HUGE pool, Splash pad area for kids, Zip-lining and so much more. Norwegian has done an OUTSTANDING job with this island and we were VERY impressed with it. The beach area is not as crystal clear as other beaches in the Caribbean but it is smooth (due to it being man made) and not rocky at all. The pool is MASSIVE and even has a water fall area and a swim up bar. The splash pad is great and our kids LOVED it. TIP- This Splash pad is made for kids 2-10 and not necessarily pre-teen or teenage friendly. BUT we still LOVED it! 

A map of Harvest Caye. There is a LOT to offer! 


The pool was MASSIVE! We loved it! 


The Splash Pad was a GREAT option for families! 


The beach area was VERY LARGE! It offered free lounge chairs and the clam-shells were only $20 for ALL day! 


Harvest Caye beach- NCL Pearl 2018


The entrance to Harvest Caye- NCL Breakaway 2018


We LOVE the pool! I swear we spent at least 50% of our day here- NCL Breakaway 2018


NCL Breakaway 2018

In 2018, Natalie and I did the Zip-lining over the island and it was INCREDIBLE! It was a little pricey at $99 for adults and $89 for kids but it was worth it and I would do it again in a heart beat. We were able to zip line OVER the ocean! It was so exhilarating!


Part of the Zip Line that went over the beach- NCL Breakaway 2018

Unlike other cruise line private islands, food and drinks are NOT included at Harvest Caye but the ship is a very short walking distance away so that was not an issue for us! We did the beach, walked to the ship to get lunch and drinks, and then walked right back off to the beach! It is GREAT!


We LOVE you Harvest Caye! We will be back! 
NCL Breakaway 2018


Afternoon 
After we have a day of fun in Belize, we get back on the ship fairly quickly and grab a bite to eat. As mentioned previous, the food lines are longer in the afternoon on port days. We also take this time to do lots of the activities the ship has to offer with fewer crowds and people. TIP- Do not forget that this is a tender port and the last tender leaves Belize City approximately 30 minutes PRIOR to the all-aboard time. Do not miss this tender... Or you'll miss the ship! 

It hot tub time after a day ashore- Carnival Valor 2016

Evening 
After a long day ashore and busy afternoon on board with activities, we get showered and cleaned up for an evening on the ship. This is an evening we usually try out a specialty restaurant, such as Chop's Grille on Royal Caribbean or Fahrenheit 555 on Carnival ships, or have dinner in the Main Dining Room. This is also an evening that the cruise ship has better entertainment so we plan our evening around this. Be sure to check the daily newsletter for entertainment details and times.

Luke chows down on his Mac and Cheese dinner in the MDR- Carnival Valor 2016


Rock of Ages (NCL's BEST show)- NCL Breakaway 2018

Ice Cream... There is ALWAYS time for Ice Cream- Carnival Breeze 2017


We were even able to catch the CD Vincent this night- NCL Pearl 2018

Belize is usually the 2nd stop in a 3-stop seven day cruise so we do not stay up too late on this night as we know there is still one more port to see and do so we get plenty of rest. After an evening of entertainment and drinks, we call it a night to prepare for the next day! 

Despite Belize not being our favorite port in the Western Caribbean, we have had some GREAT memories and fun times on Belize Day! 
Stay tuned for more Western Caribbean Port Days and tips and tricks for Western Caribbean favorites like Grand Cayman and Jamaica! Thanks for following along! 

GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME! 

Want to see what the 7 trips to Belize looks like for Cruise Like a Davis?
Click on any cruise link below to check it out:














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