48 Belizeans among passengers on cruise ship

The Carnival Spirit may carry over two thousand passengers, but for forty-eight of them the visit to Belize was more than just another port of call. That’s how many Belize-Americans came ashore to visit relatives, see the sights or just chill out with a few cold ones in the place they once called home. News 5’s Janelle Chanona caught up with a few of the Belcruisers as they were about to return to sea.

Emerson Smith

“I’m a collector of alcohol and I’ve got to have some panty rippers and stuff when I get back to Chicago, because I’m from Chicago.”

Janelle Chanona

“Why come to your own country as part of a cruise?”

Juanita Tillett

“Well, we always take a cruise and when we heard that the boat was coming to Belize, we just hopped on. Plus, we want to go on to Costa Rica, which we’ve never been and the Panama Canal.”

Albert Arnold

“Being home is everything. You live abroad, but you’re not home. Even when you go back there, you say you’re going home, but your not home. When you come here, you’re home. Belize is home, so every time we get a chance to come home we come home.”

Janelle Chanona

“What do you miss the most?”

Albert Arnold

“Food.”

Janelle Chanona

“What did you eat today?”

Albert Arnold

“I had some panades from Cayo, split beans and pig tail, beef. Of course we had to have our favourite drink, the coconut rum, you know what they call it”

Judith Arnold

“Don’t forget the okra.”

Albert Arnold

“Yeah and of course we had to have our favourite drink, the coconut rum, you know what they call it”

Judith Arnold

“The panty ripper.”

Albert Arnold

“This is my wife Judith. We went to visit her relatives in Roaring Creek. She’s from the Garbutt’s in Roaring Creek, so we had to get up there. Now it’s time to go back and head down to Panama.”

Belizeans were not only represented on the passenger manifest, as a number of crew on the Carnival Spirit also call Belize home.