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roatan island cruise

I’m a travel agent, highly-experienced itinerary planner, Virgin Voyages aficionado, and Caribbean expert. I’ve been to the Caribbean countless times and have visited Roatan twice in 2023. When visiting, I completed two different itineraries, taking me all around this incredible island.

MSC Seashore Live Blog - Day 5 - Roatan Cruise.Blog - Cruise Blog

MSC Seashore Live Blog - Day 5 - Roatan Cruise.Blog.

Posted: Thu, 22 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Your Ship Just Came In

The 40-mile-long island borders the second-longest barrier reef on the globe, which attracts many divers each year. Go horseback riding at Little French Cay or unwind in paradise at West Bay. Don’t forget to try conch fritters and rum cake during your visit.

Is Roatán safe for cruise passengers?

You can choose from one of our pre-designed tour packages, add an activity to a sightseeing tour, or create your own customized Roatan excursion package. You can experience the tranquility of lush tropical rainforests in the Carambola Botanical Gardens. The rainy season begins in October and lasts until January or February, with November and December seeing the most precipitation.

Mahogany Bay, Roatan

This interesting and exciting tour option is a unique way to explore the underwater creatures and plant life of the island. These tours will take you out into the Caribbean Sea and along the coast of the island to see the creatures that live there, and the coral reefs along the bottom of the ocean. For those travelers who want to get to see all of the islands in a short time, you can book a trip for a full Roatan Island Tour. The cruise ports are well-secured and patrolled by security guards and police officers.

Is Mahogany Bay, Roatán free?

Experiencing the beauty and tranquility of mangroves in Roatán is a fantastic way to spend a relaxing day away from the commotion of busy tourist beaches. Mangrove boat tours take you through naturally occurring mangrove tunnels and lush tropical rainforests. Along the way, you can stop off to snorkel, swim, and relax on an isolated beach.

Top Food and Drink Spots Near the Roatan Cruise Port

You will get to see all kinds of things along the way, like the noncommercial French Harbor, French Cay, and the Iguana Farm with large green iguanas. Located in French Cay, Daniel Johnson’s Monkey and Sloth Hangout is a family-run animal sanctuary. At the Hangout you will get to interact with the sloths and monkeys and learn all about these fascinating creators. There are restrooms and showers right there at the beach just near the restaurants, so you can rinse all the sand off before heading back to the ship. If two ships are in port it might be more difficult to find an open lounger if you get there too late.

Rental equipment is available at the West End of the island where you can pay vendors cash to take out their equipment for a few hours of underwater exploration. Yes, there is a free beach at Mahogany Bay cruise port, which is Mahogany Beach, a private beach that is exclusive for cruise passengers who dock at Mahogany Bay. You can access the beach by walking for about 5 minutes, or by taking the Magical Flying Beach Chair. The island is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-largest coral reef system in the world.

It’s also good to note that many eco-parks, like Gumbalimba Park, also have populations of free-roaming iguanas and other exotic animals. Therefore, you have many options to incorporate iguanas and other tropical wildlife into your shore excursion while spending the day in Roatán. Fancy getting up close to gentle, adorable sloths and monkeys on your cruise day? Several animal sanctuaries on Roatán allow you to interact with these super-friendly animals.

Experienced guides also provide fascinating insights into the island’s past. Visiting the Roatán Butterfly Garden is well worth it on an extended island tour or if you are spending the day in the West End. The butterfly park provides an oasis for tropical plants, parrots, and over 700 varieties of beautiful butterflies.

roatan island cruise

No, Mahogany Bay is not a private island, but simply the cruise port for Carnival Corp. owned ships. It is located in the Caribbean Sea and is part of Roatan, an island in Honduras. If it’s my first time to an island on a cruise I often like to get an island tour to really understand all the port of call has to offer.

With BOSS Excursion, you can take a private or group tour and enjoy the amazing views of the Caribbean Sea. During your tour, you can experience snorkeling while exploring the underwater world. Once at Little French Key, you can relax on the white sand beach or lounge on one of the many hammocks strewn around the property. There are several restaurants and bars that serve international cuisine and drinks for visitors to enjoy.

Mahogany Bay is just a small part of the island and acts as the entryway into the gorgeous isle. Also known as the Port of Roatan, this is the smaller of the two terminals and was named after the pirate John Coxen. This terminal serves Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Virgin Voyages cruise ships. Head to the Sandy Bay-West End Marine Reserve for some of the best diving in the world during your Roatan cruise. Encompassing 8 miles of coastline, the reserve is home to 38 unique dive sites, all within a 15-minute boat ride from the coast. So we switched to ship tours, the included in the AM and punting on the Avon in PM.

The locals were friendly and eager to have us visit as travelers. The Garifuna people have a vibrant and deep history in Honduras and the Caribbean. Punta Gorda is the oldest settlement on Roatan and the first Garifuna settlement in the Americas. Today, the community works to preserve its culture, heritage, language, and history. Design your perfect day in Roatan with the activities that interest you. Our original sightseeing tours which can be customized with add-ons.

During this excursion, you’ll be able to observe dolphins up close in their natural habitats. You’ll also have the chance to see other fish, turtles and even stingrays while you snorkel. Then the tour will take you to an authentic Cayuco canoe where the guide will take you through the mangrove tunnel. With so much wildlife to see along the way this is definitely a tour for nature lovers. An excursion to tour the Garifuna Mangrove Tunnel will take you to the east side of Roatan to experience some local culture away from blatant tourism.

The land in mangrove forests provides shelter for migratory birds and monkeys, so there is a good chance to see (and hear) unique Roatán wildlife. In Oakridge, you’ll board an authentic cayuco (a small motorized canoe), and travel with a guide through a canal dug out in the mangroves many years ago to connect the harbors and bays. Parts of the tunnel are barely wide enough for the boats to get through. If you are looking for an out-of-the-ordinary water sports experience, hydrobiking is an exciting choice. Hydrobikes have pedals like a traditional bicycle, but are on floats so you glide on top of the ocean. If you are a chocolate lover, this is a “must” for treats and souvenir shopping in Roatán.

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