Blackbird Caye resort vs Turneff Island resort

[Capekev]

I'm looking to expend my previous trips to Ambergris in 2010 and 2011, I started diving in 2008... So we loved that for then. And now we want more (my brother and I). He is averse to a Liveaboard. Which bums me out. He has trouble sleeping so he has all these special sleeping needs blah blah blah but thats the deal. I'm a weekly diver in New England with 763 dives and my brother is a few times a year advanced diver with excellent scuba skills and something like 170 dives or so.

TIR is 6990 each for 15 dives , meals included , standard room which I realize from the website is very nice.
BCR is 4200 each for 17 dives , meals included, nicer room for them.

This is because my brother needs his own room if you are reading this - so these are solo occupancy costs... I don't want to misrepresent.

I do read that TIR is much nicer, but - they only offer:
Our dive schedule is Monday 2 dives, Tuesday 2 dives, Wednesday 3 dives, Thursdays 3 dives (including the night dive), Friday 2 dives. Nitrox is included.

Versus BCR :
3 per day (8am, 11am, and 2:30pm) except for Friday when there are 2 to allow surface interval time before flying out on saturday. 17 dives altogether.
You can add on night dives at 10 bucks each but - with one say that gets you to 18 dives for the week. Nitrox is 15 bucks per so add 270 bucks to the cost.

So diving at BCR gets 3 more dives - which does matter to me a bit I think right ?


thanks for the input I apreciate it

Kevin

 

[Damselfish]

Not sure what the question is here?

Is there a reason you are looking specifically at Belize again? You may get better diving from Turneffe over Ambergris. But if your goal is more dives and maybe less money there are certainly other destinations with good diving and nice accommodations that would fit that. Curacao and Roatan are the first places that come to mind you might want to try, but probably others depending what it is you are really looking for.

Dunno what the sleeping needs are so hard to make suggestions based on that. And I imagine you wouldn’t get anywhere with this argument - but if he goes on a liveaboard and does all the dives he may sleep very well.

 

[drrich2]

This is because my brother needs his own room if you are reading this - so these are solo occupancy costs... I don't want to misrepresent.

Wow. It's one thing to try to travel and dive with someone you care about when it's reasonably convenient, but it sounds like you act as though you're tied to him. If that means you're stuck paying solo rates and can't do liveaboards, recreational scuba diving may be a very expensive pastime!

First off, I suggest you plan to book with a group trip. You book separately, and indicate you're willing to be roomed with a same sex person in the group, and your brother needs a private room. So he can pay the solo rate if it's worth it to him, but you don't have to.

Liveaboards are nice like that; you don't need to ask for a roommate, they give you one (unless you get lucky, or pay the solo rate). If your brother's averse to a liveaboard, fine, he doesn't need to go on one. But that doesn't mean you can't.

I haven't stayed at either of those resorts; my Belize trip was aboard the Belize Aggressor IV. It was really good diving.

I, too, don't quite get what the question is. Are you trying to figure out if Blackbird Caye Resort is awful, and even at a lower price, you'll regret it? Or what quality of vacation you might gain with Turneffe Island Resort?

Some extra info. might help others advise you. How much topside entertainment/pampering do you guys need?

It's hard to get a handle on your situation because it's not clear what's going on with your brother. I don't want to be insensitive if he's got sleep apnea and uses a CPAP machine, or PTSD from a trauma history and has exaggerated startle response. But some people are just picky and high maintenance, which could carry over to his expectations of other aspects of the resort.

 

[Capekev]

OK sorry ,
I must have just wrote that all to fast.

We have flights booked to BZE, my brother wanted to go back, I agreed. then after thinking about it I kind of think / thought that we have grown up enough that we would be bored in Ambergris. Life is short and I want to see more kind of thing.

So I am limited to Belize (a luxury problem).

There is nothing wrong with my brother aside he is a delicate flower when it comes to his sleeping needs. It's okay - I travel with my local dive shop for a group trip once a year and I take solo trips. But I love diving with him when I can. He's a wonderful dude just a funny guy about his needs...

So I was just looking at places we could stay is all, seemed like Turneff was a great spot diving wise. Isla Marisol on Glovers looked reasonable too.

So I guess the question really is :
Locked into BZE as my launch point. Is TIR that much better than Blackbird. I'm thinking return to TIR when I have a roommate and not face the solo fees. Blackbird just charges 15% more for solo which is not terrible.

Marisol on Glovers has a 2 BR house that is cost effective. I'm sure ANY of these spots I will love the diving. Just seeing what might be the best in people's opinions and put the costs on there in case that factors in.

Topside we just need a cold beer and a place to sit and relax nothing crazy.

Thanks for the replies sorry for the confusion.

Kevin

 

[tridacna]

I’m like your brother - like my own quarters. Do some research on the board. There is a lot of info about both resorts. Whichever one you choose, ensure that you take a lot of DEET with you!

 

[salth2owannabe]

We've stayed at TIR a number of times and have really enjoyed it. We have usually stayed in December, before Christmas week when they have offered a price discount. If the price isn't an issue I know you will really enjoy it. The accommodations, staff, and food are all great. The diving is very good in my opinion also. I'm not sure where you got your dive schedule for TIR. They typically do 15 dives/wk:
Sunday- 2 dives
Monday- 3 dives
Tuesday - Blue hole trip day - 3 dives (Blue hole, Half moon, light house)
Wednesday - 3 dives
Thursday - 3 dives
Friday - 1 morning dive (depending on personal preference and flight departure)
We have normally been given the option of a night dive or an afternoon dive depending on boat preference.
We've done 4 trips to Glovers in the last 10 years, but have never stayed at Isla Marisol.
As far as the diving goes I would give the edge to Turneffe, but that's just my opinion. I personally like the option of the more varied dive sites and underwater terrain that Turneffe can offer. On Glovers we haven't dove as far south as Isla Marisol but the dive sites are more wall on your left, wall on your right kind of thing.
I don't think you'll be disappointed where ever you end up. Those are some pretty good options.

 

[mcohen1021]

IDK about y'all but for 7K pp, I'd be in the south Pacific!!

 

[Downing]

If you would be bored in Ambergris, you'd probably be really bored at one of the resorts out on the atoll. Not much to do there besides eat, sleep and dive. Not even television. Just hanging in paradise.

If your or your brother are looking for other things to do besides dive, consider Placencia Village. It's at the tip end of the Placencia Peninsula, so you're connected to the mainland. Right up the road is also sorts of stuff to do, like hike in a jaguar preserve, cave tubing, touring Mayan ruins, visiting the Zoo and zip lining, to name a few.