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#83749 04/05/04 06:44 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
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An interesting story from a prominent fishing tour guide friend of mine. When asked how's business...he said GREAT!!! He told me that besides a nice busy tourist season, although late starting, many tourist on Cruise Ships fall in love with San Pedro on their side trips. It is said that maybe a handful or so tourist don't continue on with the Cruise Ship...but instead return back to San Pedro for a continued stay. My friend tells me that not a few stay and buy property here on Ambergris Caye.


Gone fishing!!
#83750 04/05/04 07:01 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,054
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Good story, but I don't believe it. You have to arrange in advance with the cruise ship to get off, go through customs and so forth. I've done it myself, getting off in Cozumel, and it took a lot of pre-planning and special arrangements. The cruise ships don't like to do it.

I do think the cruise ship passengers that come over to San Pedro for the day (one of my recommendations in the chapter I did for Fodor's for its cruise ship guide) get a good impression of Belize. Unfortunately, thousands of passengers only see Belize City, and many get a BAD impression of Belize.

--Lan Sluder


Lan Sluder/Belize First
http://www.belizefirst.com
#83751 04/05/04 07:08 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,062
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But how in the heck would they know if you got off & never bothered to get back on? Unless things have changed dramatically, there is NO check-out/check-in procedure for people disembarking/embarking. Immigration & customs issues aside, the dang boat could very easily leave you behind & I guarantee no one in authority on the boat would even know.

Sometime I'll tell ya story of Cuban soldiers in Grenada!


_ _ _ _ _ _ _________________ _ _ _ _ _ _
But then what do I know, I am but a mere caveman
#83752 04/05/04 09:28 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,054
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Sure, you can get off the ship anywhere and just never come back. Just as you can swim across a river and go into Mexico and disappear. Or use a fake passport. If you don't care about legal niceties, you can do anything ... until you're caught. Perhaps you won't be caught, though the cruise ships do keep track of their passengers in about the same way airlines do, but if you are caught, in this age of terrorism you may end up in a rather unpleasant situation.

--Lan Sluder


Lan Sluder/Belize First
http://www.belizefirst.com
#83753 04/05/04 09:42 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,062
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I agree Lan, it would not be wise, nor recommended.

All I was saying is - unless things have changed dramatically, and please correct me if they have -the cruise lines have no way to know who leaves when. I'm not convinced that if I board a ship in Miami, head to Nassau, then Grand Cayman, perhaps Cancun before arriving in BZE,and decide(or have it decided for me)to stay on Grand Cayman that unless my wife decided to report me missing, no one on that freaking ship would have a clue I'm gone.


_ _ _ _ _ _ _________________ _ _ _ _ _ _
But then what do I know, I am but a mere caveman
#83754 04/05/04 10:13 PM
A
Anonymous
Anonymous
A
Lan,
I was just recently talking to some cruisers at the Tourist Village. They told us that they actually were required to "check-out" and "in" when leaving the ship in Belize. Since passports are not required, it's a stipulation that they do this.
I did want to take a cruise with some friends, and I was going to just stay in Belize, as it would have been the last stop (and was cheaper than flying). RC told me absolutely NOT!
I did that several years ago in St. Lucia, and it was no problem, but I guess things have changed.
Cheerz!

#83755 04/06/04 08:37 AM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 31
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Yep, now you have a photo id card that you are required to scan into the computer when you leave the ship and scan back in when you return. So they do have a record of who has not come back.

#83756 04/06/04 04:05 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 4,262
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I really hate when factuality disturbs a nice story. My friend told me the story and he really has no vested interest one way or the other except for guiding these left at the dock tourist. I would assume that anyone with the where with all to take Carribean Cruises...would bring along a passport. I would doubt that a Cruise Ship would handcuff passengers to the yardarm, if they wish not to go on.


Gone fishing!!
#83757 04/06/04 06:26 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,062
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Good to know that they now have tracking mechanisms.......there was a time, long ago...... wink

Bill, sorry, we didn't mean to de-rail your story, it was nice one too! My apologies!!


_ _ _ _ _ _ _________________ _ _ _ _ _ _
But then what do I know, I am but a mere caveman
#83758 04/06/04 06:54 PM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,850
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Bill has been spending way too much time on that stupid crock.

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