By
Rebecca Gibson |
Norwegian Cruise Line has revealed details about its new Western Caribbean destination experience, Harvest Caye, which will open in Belize this November.
Harvest Caye will be the only port in Belize to feature a cruise pier and will also have a large marina, a shopping village with outlets for well-known brands and local Belizean craftsmen, and a 15,000sqft pool with a swim-up bar, poolside tables and 15 canopied cabanas with a beverage service. There will also be a seven-acre, white sand beach with 11 beach villas that can accommodate up to ten guests and offer air conditioning, dedicated lounge and dining areas, a private restroom, indoor and outdoor showers, hammocks and exclusive dining and beverage options with dedicated concierge service.
Bar and dining options will include the beachside Laughing Bird Bar & Grill, the Manatee Marina Bar & Grill in the marina, the Horse-Eye Jack Bar & Grill, which will service the island’s cabanas and deliver food and beverages to the pool area. Another dining highlight will be the two-storey indoor and outdoor Landshark Bar & Grill, an expansion of Norwegian’s partnership with Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. This venue will feature a swim-up pool bar.
Other island highlights will include the 130ft-high Flighthouse, which serves as a central area for various aerial activities including 3,000ft zipline course with three platforms, suspension bridges, free fall jumps, a tandem ‘superman-style’ zipline and a ropes course on a platform in the saltwater lagoon. The shallow lagoon will also offer watersports such as kayaking, paddle boarding and canoeing.
“Belize is one of the most ecologically and culturally rich gems in the Caribbean, and Harvest Caye will be the perfect destination for guests to experience all that the country has to offer in authentic, unique ways,” said Andy Stuart, president and COO at Norwegian.
Norwegian has also worked in collaboration with award-winning author and wildlife expert Tony Garel to develop Harvest Caye’s conservation programmes and educational tours. These will enable guests to see manatees at the lagoon, insects in the Butterfly Garden, indigenous reptiles at the educational centre, and endangered Scarlet Macaws and Toucans (Belize’s national bird) in the island’s aviary.
The aviary will also house a breed-and-release programme for Scarlet Macaws to increase the population of the native birds. To help further the island’s conservation efforts, more than 10,000 new mangroves have been planted across the island.
“There is so much to do on the island from the spectacular seven-acre beach and watersports, to interactive wildlife programmes,” said Stuart. “Beyond Harvest Caye, we will strongly encourage our guests to explore Belize through the spectacular eco-adventure and cultural tours this incredible destination has to offer visitors.”
Guests will be able to visit Harvest Caye on any of Norwegian’s Western Caribbean itineraries, while Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ sister brands Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises will also offer calls at the island on select Caribbean sailings.