Harvest Caye, Belize: Don’t Stay on the Ship
Harvest Caye, Belize, is one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s private islands in Southern Belize. If your cruise is docking in Harvest Caye and it’s your first time, don’t stay on the ship.
As we explored the resort-style delights of Harvest Caye, Belize, we couldn’t help but wonder—who doesn’t love a good resort? Despite mixed reviews about this “man-made” island during our cruise planning, we remained undeterred.
Our day at Harvest Caye was about relaxation, enjoying the beach, pool, exploration, and delicious food—a perfect vacation blend, wouldn’t you agree? While a stop at mainland Belize would have been nice (we went cave tubing last time), we were curious about Harvest Caye, ready for a sun-soaked day of fun.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we earn a commission at no extra cost. Please refer to our full disclosure for details.
This Harvest Caye is NOT Little Harvest Caye, another private island (not owned by NCL) available for separate bookings.
Things to Do in Harvest Caye, Belize
What is included at Harvest Caye?
- Dive into the resort experience on Harvest Caye with complimentary access to a pool and beach, complete with beach chairs for cruise guests.
- Immerse yourself in a wildlife adventure featuring a butterfly garden and aviaries.
- Let children play and have fun in the splash park—an entertaining water attraction for the little ones.
Explore Harvest Caye—there’s no excuse to stay onboard unless you despise big, beautiful pools and beaches. Take a few hours to immerse yourself in what this island offers, supporting local businesses and contributing to the economy.
Harvest Caye is a safe and easily enjoyable destination.
From the moment we left the ship, we appreciated the covered walkway with fans with misters, providing a refreshing touch on hot days. Transportation is available for those who prefer not to walk or cannot.
Activities & Excursions at Harvest Caye
The Pool
We hit up the pool immediately. This resort-style pool on Norwegian’s private island is large and spacious. The area around it was clean and surrounded by lounge chairs that were taken up quickly.
Luckily, we found two seats close to the pool. After settling in, we ordered drinks from one of the servers nearby. There are plenty of servers to take your orders. A swim-up bar at the pool appeared to be very popular and busy all day.
Large misting fans were set up in two corners around the pool area. There are pool cabanas available for an extra cost, but note you have to book in advance.
Read more: Best Beach Drinks That Never Fail
The Beach at Harvest Caye
The sand at Harvest Caye’s beach isn’t the softest. It was rough on our feet but not enough to keep us from heading into the salty warm water.
The beach was clean, and the water was clear enough to see my red-colored toenails. There is no need to worry about rough waves as they are calm and perfect for children to play in.
You can snorkel if you have your snorkeling gear, but we didn’t see anything besides sand and broken seashells. You have to swim farther out to see any fish or coral.
There is plenty of seating available for everyone at the beach.
You can also inquire about the ferry from Harvest Caye to the mainland at the excursion desk. There is one available but at an extra cost.
You can book an independent excursion if you make appropriate meetup arrangements on the mainland.
To be safe and guarantee you’re back on the ship on time, see what sponsored shore excursions the ship has available.
Cabanas and villas are also available -for a cost- throughout the island. Some even come with butlers.
Read more: Beach Packing List
Kayaking in Harvest Caye
This was the only excursion we booked for the day, and we had a great time. We only kayaked around the mangroves; it was fun and relaxing. Of course, hubby did all the paddling. ?I am not much of a kayaker.
Personally, for someone like me with little experience, I appreciated the peaceful waters and the safe perimeter the mangroves provided. You get to see the lighthouse, watch cruisers zip line across it, you’ll paddle past the rope course, and sometimes you’ll get to see a few starfish.
Watch our kayaking video below!
Other Activities
Besides hanging out at the pool or beach, you can also participate in one of their many activities:
- Ziplining
- Paddleboarding
- Kayaking
- Nature Center
- Splash Zone for kids
- Rope Course
- Butterfly Exhibit
Next time, we’d like to try zip-lining. It looked like so much fun.
NCL as well offers other excursions. For more info, visit the ship’s shore excursion desk.
Tasty Itinerary: The Food at Harvest Caye
Unlike other private islands owned by the cruise lines, food and drinks are not included. You must pay out of pocket, so bring cash or a credit card when you leave the ship. The cabin’s key card will not work as payment.
Tip: If you're on a budget and want to save money, return to the ship for lunch.
There are a few bars and restaurants available. We ate at LandShark Bar & Grill by the pool, which was pretty good. We shared fried plantains topped with pico de gallo, cotija cheese, and a basket of fried shrimp.
While it was good, we would have loved some local fare. We had the best Belizean tamales last year in Belize City and were hoping to find some local cuisine. Everything was geared toward what they probably think tourists -the average American- like to eat.
Still, though, we enjoyed our lunch and drinks.
On the day we were there, they had a 2-for-1 margarita. I have a feeling that’s always the special of the day.
Note: Do not forget to close out your check with your server. Someone near us at the pool ditched their check and left the server high and dry. Not cool! Unfortunately, the check total had to come out of the server’s pocket.
– Don’t Miss: Top Cruise Essentials List to Pack –
Harvest Caye is a Port of Call for All Ages
We enjoyed Harvest Caye. Sure… it is geared toward tourists, but nothing is wrong with that.
There is something wonderful about getting off the ship without worries and walking right into paradise. I appreciated the small luxuries available, like big clean bathrooms.
Lockers are placed throughout to store personal belongings and were a huge help at one point. Sometimes it’s those details that make a difference.
Everyone you’re traveling with will be able to find something to do on the island. Some activities are extra, but what excursion isn’t at other ports?
This is a great port-of-call for all ages. It offers something for everyone.
Have you been to Harvest Caye, Belize? Is a port-of-call on your cruise itinerary? Are you planning to leave the ship?
Kathy Ava
Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and main writer of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time job and for herself, she's become a pro at crafting unforgettable tasty itineraries. She's always on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise itineraries. She firmly believes that life is short and we must make the most of it, so always say yes to dessert.
You transported me again!!! You’re kind of making me want to go on a cruise now even though I have an irrational fear of cruises. ??
That tropical paradise looked lovely! I really liked the video too!
– Lauren Elena
Your comment means the world to me. I’m always wondered if sharing my experience is enough and if my writing is doing it justice. I also try to be honest with my posts, so it makes me happy to see comments like yours. Also, what do you fear about cruises? They are fun and relaxing. You should at least try it once. Plus, there are always some great deals to cruise and it includes a ton of yummy food! lol
You always transport me with your posts! I love them. And they are always so informative. If I ever travel to any of your spots, I will definitely be reading your posts again for trip research.
Cruise fears- hitting an iceberg or something else that will drown us, a stomach bug or food poisoning that affects a lot of passengers, forced fun with strangers (I’m antisocial (or I think I am but maybe I’m not that bad).
Awww thank you! Made my day.
You’re anti-social. I’m finding that hard to believe. Perhaps we click because we are both anti-social and we somehow found each other on the world wide web. hehe.
This was great! Thanks for that! Question about kayaking though: from your video it looks like you’re only able to kayak in that small pond-like area. Is that true, or can you choose to go out further if you want? Thanks!
Hi Kay – The lagoon has a pretty big loop around and it was
slightly challenging for us as kayaking beginners. You are kept within the confines of the lagoon and you can’t take the kayak outside of it to the bay. It was honestly a nice activity that lasted an hour and then you had time to go do other tings. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you for stopping by and reading! -Kathy
Haha!! I can’t believe you are antisocial! No way!
You could be right! Maybe I’m more social on the web? ?
I’m introverted, so I don’t well socializing half the time. I do try. Usually extroverts adopt me OR I find another introvert just like me that understands me. I want to say it’s easier to be social on the web, to a point it is, but I find it so overwhelming sometimes.
I am the exact same way! No joke. I’ve never thought of it that way, but now that you mention that, I think I have probably been adopted throughout my life by more extroverted friends. That definitely helps!
Is your husband an extrovert? I often think that I should find someone more extroverted but then I also think maybe I shouldn’t close the door on introverts. Idk?
My husband and I are celebrating milestone birthdays on NCL Escape in a couple of weeks. I was excited to find your blog specifically about Harvest Caye! The NCL website is not very informative so I had no idea it was an NCL island. We have booked the Mayan Spice and Ruins Tour excursion. I’ll let you know how it goes!
That sounds like fun! I believe you’ll be leaving the island for that excursion. Have a great time and report back! The NCL Escape is supposed to be amazing. My BFF was on it last year to Bermuda and loved it.
P.S. Happy Birthday to you and hubby!