Cruise ships calling on Belize do not come all the way to shore. To do so would require them to cross the Barrier Reef and cause immense damage to the coral ecosystem. Instead, they anchor just beyond the reef and offload their passengers onto high-speed "tender" boats. The operation is very efficient and the boat trip takes only about 15 minutes. The tender boats dock at the Tourism Village, which serves as the meeting location for our tours.
