by Gilberts » Wed May 25, 2011 3:03 am
We were just on the Valor this past week and we took the Major om/inor Tom Cave Tubing and Ziplining tour with them. We went this past tuesday. Tendering from the Valor went pretty smooth...we were in the Eagles Lounge very early to get the ticket needed to get off first....We meet up with Major Tom in Terminal 1 and I asked if we would have time to do both tours before our last tender left (it left at 415P) and I was assured by Major Tom himself the tou would have us back 45 minutes before the last tender left the dock. (we had heard all kinds of horror stories and we were uneasy about this so we asked a couple of times to avoid being late)
That being said......the tour guides, Stephanie, who was very nice and very knowledgeable about Belize and Arlene and Kim, which were both very nice as well....I liked them and I LOVED the ziplining...However they didn't split the group up *had both zipline/Cave tube and just cave tube tours on same bus* and it went to hell in a hand basket from there. We ziplined first and when we finshed none of the tour guides were around to tell us where to go from there. We wondered back down the path to the bus where we finally ran into them. No hurry from anyone. (that should have been our first clue).....we finally got the group together and got the tubes/life jackets.
We then made the 25/30 minute hike up to start of the cave tubing area. Again the time was running a little short and the guides kept stopping on the path and showing things (which was nice but we were on borrowed time) and then Kim was not really familiar with the cave tubing tour for he was just helping out that day b/c of the large group. Our tour group ended up split up, all over the place, none of us near anyone. Then it was so crowded on the river that there was an accident in the cave that pushed a few of our group into the cave walls and this is where we all got split up. The chain was broken (they make you hang on to your group so ya'll stay together) Didn't work!
The guides are suppose to keep you moving for the current isn't really that strong this time of year and you just don't move fast down the river and it is VERY SHALLOW in parts so we ended up walking some as well. Our guide disappeared and we hooked up with another guide and finally made our way to the end. (there was no hurry on their part) Everyone finally made it back to the bus (which no tour guide was there to tell us to hurry, get lunch, eat on the bus, etc... we all just wondered around a bit and finally found a guide to ask what to do next).
Now it is an hour ride to the place and an hour back to the port. Our bus left the park at 345PM...our last tender was 415PM.....yes as you can see we missed that time bye a landslide. However lady luck was on our side and the carnival cave tubing tour was also late. My biggest beef was that Stephanie and Arlene kept coping an attitude with us when everyone on the bus kept asking will we make it back....The whole bus was extremely stressed on the way back. She basically relied on Carnival's tour to be late. We literally ran from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4 to the very last tender and my group was the last ppl to get on that last tender. They were fixing to send the tender off but held it as they seen us running for it. (Thank you Carnival for that)
I wouldnt do that again in Belize if my life depended on it. I would do one or the other but with Major Tom/Minor Tom they didn't break of the tours and both tours were together and that made both tours late for the tender.
Gil
