The Xunantunich Ruins in Belize - While on a Shore Excursion with RCCL's Navigator of the Seas

HOW MUCH DOES THE SHORE EXCURSION TO THE RUINS COST?
It's approximately $85.00 per person for adults.

WHAT DOES THE XUNANTUNICH RUINS SHORE EXCURSION INCLUDE?
It includes the charter bus to and from the ruins, a water, and a lunch. Our lunch consisted of red beans and rice, grilled chicken, plantation fruit, and a warm soda. Not many people at our table ate the plantation fruit, however, the red beans and rice, and chicken were delicious.

WHAT'S THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT THE RUINS?
I would think that December - February would be the best time, due to the heat. It can get very hot in Belize, and the ruins shore excursion involves a lot of walking on a variety of terrains once you get there.

HOW DO YOU GET TO THE XUNANTUNICH RUINS?
Once you get off the ship, there will be a charter bus available to pick you up and take you to the ruins. This is a long ride (approximately 90 minutes one way). Once arrival at the area where the ruins are, your bus will stop at a place where there will be several booths set up with vendors awaiting to sell their items. Your groups will then get on a hand-cranked ferry which will take you over a small river. When you get to the other side, you will then get in a mini van. They will pack you in this van like sardines, and you will travel up hill, very fast, for about a mile to a parking area. Once you get out of the mini van, you will then walk about 1/2 mile up hill the entire way to get to the entrance of the ruins. This is not a shore excursion for the weak or elderly that have problems walking.

WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER YOU GET TO THE XUNANTUNICH RUINS?

Your tour guide will explain the Mayan culture, and all about the ruins to you. You will stand for about 20 minutes in a group in the center area of the ruins where the tour guide will answer questions that you may have. About 30 minutes before it's time to leave, your tour guide will allow you to tour on your own, which isn't a large area to tour, however, you are allowed to climb on the ruins at this site. You can climb to the top of the El Castillo where it has a view of the entire site.

ARE YOU ALLOWED TO GET CLOSE TO THE RUINS OR CLIMB ON THEM?

At this particular site of ruins, you are allowed to climb on them. They appear to be dangerous to climb on. My husband climbed to the top of the El Castillo, however, I stood down at the bottom of the ruins and watched, and took photos from the bottom, looking up.

WILL THE CHARTER BUS GET YOU BACK TO THE SHIP ON TIME?

The charter bus does not take you back to the ship. On this particular shore excursion, the charter bus will drop you at the marketplace, and it's your responsibility to get a taxi to take you back to the port. We didn't have any problems catching a cab. They are in abundance at the bus stops, because the taxi cab drivers are very much aware that the ships have passengers that have to get back to the port before the ship leaves. Our taxi was about $5.00 a couple to take us about 10 miles to the port from the place that the bus dropped us off.