"What are some things to do in Belize?"
I asked "when are you going?" He said, "next year on a cruise." I told him....read cruise literature.
Nuff said.

I would have launched into a Belize soliloquy of unparalleled proportion.

To be honest I began then haulted because of a look on his face.
Something inside me let me know his time was limited=cruise.
Then I asked.

I look at the cruise line passengers in a different light. I think some of them may be cruising around to get a taste of spots... a day here, day there... then maybe come back next year for a weeks stay if they like it. The country needs to put its' best foot forward to these visitors... in order to make them want to come back sans cruise ships and stay longer.

I don't deny that would be a perfect opportunity but this guy won't ever do that and I know that for a fact. He is fearing it.(it's a wife thing)

If he wants more info he will ask. I gave him plenty before the 'stunned minnow' look on his face.
My quarter's worth.

um - i may be wrong, but dont the cruisers only get to see bz city? my friend did, and that was all. she didnt canoe the macal, she didnt climb xunantunich, she never heard the howlers at dawn, she didnt snorkel hol chan, she didnt have a belikin at bc's, nor talk to a single local. didnt even have marie sharp's anything. she never felt one thing i experienced in bz.

tho it is a huge generalization, as bobber said in the why why thread, most cruisers i have met are not the "colorful" or "different breed" of people who love AC or bz. they might get their cruise-wear messy or get their high heels stuck in the sand. ie - i can't see my mom or my neighbors with their jags feeling belize.

that's my two cents worth.

I have a few "cruiser" stories, but mostly of the folk that stick in your mind, specifically the ugly Americans. Only takes a few to reinforce a bad stereotype. the majority of folks on that big boat are just normal average vanilla folk, who need the added security of a planned trip with as much shallow exposure to travel destinations as possible in the time alloted. On the other end of the spectrum are the people who jump out of perfectly good airplanes. The kind of folk who say "get me there and I'll find my own way back." Takes all kinds. Us in the middle, round trip ticket and then we'll take care of the time we have by ourselves.

We had the same experiencs with some folks we know. After some thought, I told them to find Coconuts and have a drink with Margie. Funny thing is when we talked to them after their trip we were told that that was one of the best things they did on their Cruise. Even watching this board, I think most people over plan their trips. Spend some time making friends with the locals. It's the people you meet that make a trip special, not how many spots you can visit in a few days.

Jane....a friend of the family went on the Zip Line. He got outta the city and had a ball.
The cruise leaflets put that tour on their list.

You should hear some of the funnies....though some do not like Belize and that's a good thing too.

yesterday, thoughtful boyfriend gave me an issue of "outside traveller" magazine he swiped from his kid's dentist's office bcuz it had a write up on belize. (he knows my love of it). here are some cruise facts:

in 2001, passenger arrivals in Bz city was at 48,000. in 2004, 850,000.

in 2001, less than 27,000 visitors climbed altun ha. in 2004, over 112,000 did.

2 years ago there were almost no cruise tours in bz, now there are 33 to choose from.

carnival has signed an agreement to build a $50 million port terminal, which even the magazine called "cancunization".

then he asked if i thought it was worth us going someday. (he's never been).crock hunter: i personally agree with your last comment. i told him there was so much of the mainland i have yet to see, but i mostly told him i would only go back if the people and reef remained unchanged. (or if there was a board reunion party!!)