We read our schedule and had to be up at 7:00 am for a 9:00 pm departure for the great Belize Living Reef, the second largest in the world. But first, we had a small breakfast delivered to our room. Mary got ready for our adventure while I worked on the daily diary.
We went to our meeting area and then to the transport, which departed for the island at 10:15 am. After an hour’s ride on the little boat, we arrived at Rendezvous Cay, Belize.
It is small but perfectly positioned.
The cruise ship anchors off the coast when in Belize, meaning we have to take a tender to shore. However, with the Rendezvous Caye excursion, the boat that transfers us to the island picks us up directly from the ship, saving quite a bit of time.
It is about a 40-minute ride to the island, past other larger islands and mangroves. As we approached Rendezvous Caye, we immediately realized how small this tropical paradise is. It is completely covered in sand and surrounded by incredibly clear water. As soon as we docked, we headed for a thatched-roof cabana so we could drop our stuff off. The organizers then signaled that it was time for snorkeling.
We had a perfect location adjacent to the pier and the “bar”.
On the Cay
A cay also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, including in the Caribbean and on the Great Barrier Reef and Belize Barrier Reef.
Mary located the beer bar and then headed for our location under a nice roof adjacent to the water.
Beer run!
Mary found a live conch shell with its live animal inside.
Mary finds dinner for tonight.
Conchs live in shallow seagrass beds and sand flats in warm waters 3–60 ft deep. They are native to the coasts of the Caribbean, the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Bermuda.Conchs have many predators, including loggerhead turtles, nurse sharks, blue crabs, eagle rays, spiny lobsters, and other crustaceans.
Conchs have a hardened tip at the end of their foot called the operculum, which they use to propel themselves forward in a hopping motion called a strombid leap. This movement may help them break up their scent trail to avoid predators.
Conch shells are made of about 95% calcium carbonate and 5% organic matter, and they get their pink color from calcium and carbonate ions in seawater. As conchs grow, they add calcium carbonate to the front edge of their shell, making it longer and wider.
Conch shells are strong and can be used as musical instruments or decorations. Conch meat is edible, and 80% of internationally traded conch is consumed in the United States.
Queen conchs can live for 25–30 years, but their lifespan can vary depending on environmental conditions. For example, queen conchs in the Caribbean can live for 40 years or more, while those in Florida only live for 7–15 years.
Queen conchs reach sexual maturity around 3.5–4 years old and mate during the warm summer months of April–September. They have a long spawning season of 4–9 months, with peak spawning during warmer months.
Mary asked me to come over in my swimsuit to frighten the poor little conches away. (It could have been worse; I could have been in my birthday suit!) Sure enough, the water was boiling, and the conches were heading out to sea, waving white flags.
Speaking fluent Conch, I heard them say, “Look out, there is an ugly whale in our area. Head for the open sea!”
That she blows!
As we got into the water, our taxi stayed moored at the pier; that was a good sign that we would not become a repeat of Gilligan’s Island.
This could be us in a few years.
Oh my, the name on the boat was SS Minow! Should we worry?
Our boat takes a rest.
We paddled and watched the wildlife for 45 minutes. Everything was going swimmingly until I decided to glance to the left and got the shock of my life!
Oh my!!
While paddling around the island and seeing the fishies and coral, the kids were at the Aztec ruins deep in the jungle of Belize.
Meanwhile, the kids are seeing the ruins.
After an hour of swimming, we returned to our little grass shack and had BBQ chicken with rice. Of course, to wash it all down, we tried the local beer, Belieze—it was so good that it made us forget we were sunburnt lobsters.
BBQ is served
On the way back, the tour boat suddenly made an unscheduled stop, much to everyone’s confusion. The captain dramatically declared, ‘We have engine problems!’
It turns out that a tiny hose was doing its best impression of Niagara Falls, but the guys worked their magic and fixed the issue. We were back on track 15 minutes later, much to the relief of everyone who hadn’t packed enough snacks for an extended cruise adventure.
On the way home.
We hopped onto the mothership – also known as the fancy mobile resort – and set course for the Retreat Pool. After claiming seats for four, Mark declared it nap time. Mary and I sneaked into the serene waters (no kids allowed, jackpot!), and Colleen eventually joined us. We sipped on our drinks and then reluctantly abandoned our pool paradise to prep for dinner indoors. It was dinner time.
Time for a swim in the Adults Only Pool!
No fancy shmancy meal for us tonight. We needed some serious comfort food therapy, so we hit up the Salty Dog Cafe for some good ol’ fashioned hamburgers. They’ve got these fancy Handmade Gourmet Burgers, like the Princess Burger or the Triple Smoked Burger. Who needs a tiara when you’ve got a Princess Burger? Am I right?
The Salty Dog Grill also offers new Street Tacos featuring a choice of grilled chipotle-lime chicken or roasted sweet potato-green chile. Classic Hot Dogs, plus loaded fries in tempting varieties including chili cheese and bacon & cheese.
Tomorrow, we have to go back to gourmet food, oh darn!
We checked our chronometers, and it was time for fun. We went to the Vista Lounge for a 45-minute laughing spell with the resident comedian. He was hilarious! I nearly laughed my chronometer off!
Pre-dinner comedy show.
After the comedy, it was time for a snack and a few drinks at O’Malley’s Pub. We hooted and hollered for the next 45 minutes!
We tapped our toes and joined in the singing.
We shared some onion rings, muscles (not the kind you flex, the kind you eat), and a couple of drinks. My taste buds threw a party, and everyone was invited!
Ladies!
We had an unexpected visit from a pirate. Mark is a huge fan of pirates, so I guess we should start preparing for “Talk Like a Pirate Day” in advance! Arrrrr!
Mark like the pirate.
I don’t want to forget this hilarious moment: At the end of the Irish entertainment, the country Western music unexpectedly kicked in, and suddenly, Colleen and Mary found themselves line dancing in the piazza! Colleen managed to capture a video of Mary doing her thing, but let’s say it might be best kept for our eyes only!
We heard some danceable music, headed to the dance floor, and whirled and twirled for a while.
Dancing the night away.
We danced until that band stopped, and it was a lot of fun.
After showcasing our moves on the dance floor, we returned to the Vista Lounge for another round of comic relief. This comedian had us in splits! By the end of his second show, it was almost 10:00 pm, so we begrudgingly called it a night. The kids hit the sack first, and then we aimlessly wandered around deck seven before retiring to our room.
