Cruise line chooses Belize as destination
Belize has been touted as an eco-tourism destination for some time now, meaning that the tourists who come are supposed to appreciate what Belize has to offer without destroying it or over running it. For many in the tourist industry the idea of cruise ships making port in Belize may seem in opposition to this concept, but cruise ship vacations are rapidly growing in popularity and the travelers who have “been there, done that” are looking for new, adventurous ports of call. Naturally there are those in Belize who want a piece of the action. They insist that if cruise ship visits are properly managed, these one-day visitors can be as ecologically and culturally conscious as anyone else. One company in Belize is already hosting a venture and yesterday News Five was invited aboard the Sea Breeze for a look at this floating resort which is making Belize a part of her seven day tour.
The six hundred foot ship built in Italy is forty years old and has had extensive renovations to give it everything today’s traveler is looking for. The staff of four hundred and fifty, hailing from all over the world, caters to the needs of eight to nine hundred cruisers per trip. The food management department is kept busy serving three all-you-can-eat meals a day plus a midnight buffet. There’s a jacuzzi and sun deck, mini pool, karaoke bar and areas for those folks who love bingo or have a penchant for gambling on slot machines. And while there’s plenty to do aboard ship, the whole idea of cruising is to travel to different destinations.
Those who get off in Belize can go to the Maya ruins, fishing or diving or take a bus tour of Belize City.
Captain Takis Tsakos says compared to places he has been, Belize is not your average destination. And his passengers seem to agree.
Takis Tsakos, Captain, S.S. Sea Breeze
“Belize is a beautiful place. They all mentioned in the end that, one of the comment I was laughing, was that everybody feels like Indiana Jones. And, of course during this season we have elderly people on board, elderly passengers. All your excursions you recommend, of course somebody eighty-five years old cannot go for scuba diving. But, soon after Christmas I believe that they gonna attract more young people, when it starts freezing in North America, they’re all going to come south to get the sun and I believe the passengers are going to take over all the short excursions that we have.”
But despite that fact that some of the Sea Breeze visitors this week were not young newlyweds, those we spoke to said they had a wonderful time on shore.
Tourist #1
“I don’t know the name of the river where we went; it started with “s,” I think.”
Q: “Sibun?”
Tourist #1
“Yes, caught a nice snook and a couple of amberjacks and a blue crab. I’m the one that got pinched.”
Q: “Was it enough time just being here for a day?”
Tourist #1
“Oh yes, it was a very nice trip.”
Tourist #2
“We walked all around in through there. All around, had a real good time. Went to two or three places, little bars and all, talked to a lot of the people and real nice; we’re really impressed.
Q: “Did you go on the bus?”
Tourist #3
“Yes, the city tour was wonderful. They took us into areas that tourists normally don’t see how it really is. Matter of fact everybody was just super nice.”
Tourist #4
“Enjoyed it, enjoyed it; had a great time!”
Agent in Belize Stanley Longsworth of Caribbean Cruise Shipping says this is the sixth time Premier Cruises has visited Belize since October and they have several additional visits planned for the coming weeks. He says at present they are using two operators: Melmish and Discovery Tours to provide transportation and activities for the seven hundred or so visitors who choose to leave the ship when it is in port.
The vessel anchors about five miles out and tenders such as the “Triple J” and other hired operators ferry passengers ashore. Longsworth says, however, Belize needs to establish permanent moorings and buoys for ships, acquire tenders capable of transporting up to two hundred passengers each and build a modern cruise ship terminal in Belize City. The Minister of Tourism believes a policy is needed to regulate cruise ship arrivals. But he says we cannot afford to lose out on this potential business.
Mark Espat, Minister of Tourism
“The cruise ships are coming to Belize; we have Premier Cruises coming once a week. We have expressed interests from Norwegian Cruise Lines and a few other lines expressing interest in Belize.
We are right now in the process of formulating a national cruise ship policy. We intend to consult widely on that policy. In the meantime we want to work closely with the local tour operators to accommodate those ships that are already coming and go into the future with a cruise ship policy that will recognize the cruise ship as the revenue earner that it is, a multi billion dollar industry. It is one of the fastest growing sectors of tourism and it will have to be accommodated in someway.
There are many people who believe we should not accommodate that industry to the detriment of our traditional tourism sectors. And that of course is something that will be incorporated into our cruise ship policy and the national tourism policy of the destination.”
But while Belize grapples with trying to make things more comfortable for cruise visitors without making them uncomfortable for local businesses, some of the visitors who got a taste of Belize yesterday may already be planning their return trip. Karla Heusner for News Five.
Minister Espat says that government is re-examining the proposed cruise ship terminal for the Fort George area and says that they would like to create a facility that will enhance Belize City as a tourist destination for all kinds of visitors not just cruise ship arrivals. The Sea Breeze begins its cruise in Fort Lauderdale, Florida spends one day at sea, goes to Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, then down to Roatan, Honduras, stops in Belize City then has another day at sea before returning to Florida.
