Had a group of 17 and we booked with Major Tom - 1st class operation!!!! We had 4 guides with us who were amazing and they guided us everywhere never letting us out of their sight - MAJOR TOM ALL THE WAY!
RENEE - From The Beach In Ocean City, NJ!
  Just to add to the glowing reviews...we were in Belize last Tueday and it was the highlight of our cruise (even better that the dolphin swin in Cozumel). Major Tom met us at the dock and Minor Tom was our personal guide. We had the time of our life. There were 7 of us including 5 kids (7,10,12,14 &15). Minor Tom gave a tour on the way out of Belize City. We stopped by a local grocery and bought rum and cashew wine both made in Belize. The walk through the forest was very fun and educational. Then we floated down the river which was a blast. On the way back we grabbed a yummy lunch and ended the day with time to do some quick shopping. Minor Tom was very personable and you left knowing you made a friend and had the experience of a lifetime. Can't say enough good things about Major Tom, Minor Tom and the entire operation!!!
armant

  No worries at all if you've booked through Major Tom! We cave tubed with Minor Tom last Thursday with our three kids and had a great time (and always felt safe). I'm a nervous mom and I was completely comfortable during all our activities with them. Minor Tom was great and fun to hang out with - he treated us like neighbors and not strangers from the States. He even stopped at a roadside store on the way to the caves to buy us some fried plantain chips, which he really wanted us to try (they were good!). Major Tom responded to an email I sent from the ship the night before our trip within just a few hours, and his team was waiting right there on the dock for us when we got off the tender at 6 a.m. Belize time (our Royal Caribbean ship stayed on "ship time" [Fort Lauderdale time] the entire trip, so our hours in Belize were 5:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.) A warning for those on Royal Caribbean - we had a great cruise and loved everything about the ship, but getting off the ship on the earlier tenders was a bit difficult as RC takes all the people on their own excursions on the first tenders. We raised a bit of a stink (politely) with guest services because we wanted to make sure we had time for both cave tubing and zip lining and the last tender was at 3:15 boat time or 1:15 Belize time They gave us some VIP tender passes that were supposed to allow us to board any tender. However, when we got to a tender station, the activity staff initially told us there was no room for us (despite the passes) but finally let us on (there was plenty of room). My advice about RC - be persistent (but polite, of course)! The cruise line does want to make everyone happy, so most likely they will accomodate your request.
Have fun!
happycamper5
  We just went cave tubing and zip-lining on Tue with Major Tom, our guides were Mike and George. Both were great guides, very informative and entertaining. The only thing I would stress is that if you want time to shop, or you or your better half will spend all day worrying about getting to the boat on time do not book both the cave-tubing and zip-lining. We did both and got back to the port at 4:00 or last tender was at 4:15. My husband worried from the time we left the port, but I believe the entire bus was nervous when it was 3:00 and we were still an hour away!! The driver did a great job and Mike was correct when he said we had time because the line would be long to board the tenders(they were!) My family still had a wonderful day the zip lining was our favorite activity the entire cruise!!! only wish it was longer!!!! Do go with Major Tom, if anyone is worried about time only do the cave tubing and you will have lots of time for lunch and shopping. I recommend this tour, great family operation!
highcard
  We had the pleasure in January, We were on the Legend and actually had our arrival date switched with Roatan, but Major Tom was there waiting anyways. We had a great tour and he was very aware of the Time as port time was different. We arrived back at the port a good hour/hour and a half prior to the last tender. I would advise all who are going to contact the pursers desk and inform them you have a private booking. They will tell you where to meet and you will be able to go ashore with the ship excursions for that activity. Just speak up.
Colturn

  We used Major Tom on our trip in November on the Valor. Highly recommend and have done so many times. We had Major Tom, George and Keith on our own tour van. They also had a larger van with the rest of the tubers in. We kept joking that we had our own special tour. Keith was our guide through the caves, awesome. My four year old loved it and he was free - kids under 5 are free and the other two boys were only $25. With that and all the good reviews, I was happy I selected them.
  Just came back from our cruise and used Major Tom....He and his son took our group of 6 people to the caves and they were just great! He picked us up at the pier with no problem and we headed up to the caves which took about 45 minutes. The park was beautiful and we hiked through the jungle for about 40 minutes with Minor Tom sharing his knowledge about the various plant and animal life. We even got to taste termites ( for those that wanted to!) The knowledge and passion that was shared by these two guides was awesome...The caves were beautiful...We learned so much about the Mayan culture that day. Truly impressive. The lunch at the local restaturant was delicious! They also stopped at a local grocery so I could buy some vanilla. I really enjoyed this. tour. They were first class all the way. I don't think you will be disappointed.
  We just returned Jan 20 on the Legend. Major Tom was great, Meets you on the dock, we had a small group about 10. It was like a personal tour. He is very aware of the time, we arrived back at the port about an hour and a half before the last tender left. Great day. We would go again any time.
  We're from Western Oregon, where we have fast flowing rivers in the dead of summer that are less than 50 degrees water temperature; so the slightly cool river on the Belize cave tubing excursion was no problem at all. I'd agree with others and say it takes less than a minute to get used to the coolness.
Our particular excursion, on Dec. 20, 2007, was with Major Tom , (www.cave-tubing.net) and I have nothing but good things to say about him and his company. We booked our tour directly with Major Tom as we'd read good reviews about his company beforehand; and he was less expensive ($45 plus $5 for lunch if you so desired) than the cave tubing excursions offered by the cruise line. We were not disappointed in the least. Our only small problem was getting an early tender off our ship, RCI Navigator of the Seas. Though we arrived on-shore a little later than planned at a little after 9 AM, a member of Tom's company was waiting for us and several other parties at the pier; and Major Tom himself escorted us to the waiting bus.
Our guides, Manuel and Mike were superb, filling us with personal and impassioned tales about their great country as we rode out to the park reserve where the cave tubing tours take place. I was particularly impressed by Mike taking extra care and time in escorting a woman in our group who was on crutches. I'm not sure other tour groups, who seemed to be hurrying their customers along on the walk through the rain forest to the put-in site, would have taken such extra care and time with customers needing special assistance.
The trip down the river and through the cave was a memorable one for myself, my wife and our two daughters. Manuel and Mike had customer safety utmost in their minds, with fun and enjoyment a close second. I would highly recommend Major Tom's tour to anyone. Our personal valuables were locked in the tour bus until our return from the river; we never had any question about such security; and, on the return to Belize City, we were treated to a wonderful lunch of stewed chicken and beans and rice. Go with Major Tom if you have a chance.

  I rarely write reviews about my excursions because they are usually what I expect or less. My cave tubing escursion on Jan 15th with Major Tom was the highlight of our trip. We met in the am with Major Tom and then waited for his son Minor Tom . I was very impressed by Tom Jr. Here is a 20 year old that will no doubt inherit his father's business but still furthers his career by taking night classes in marine biology. He was so knowledgable about Belize, culture, politics etc. He was extremely fun and well mannered and very respectful and interested in our questions etc. We had a history lesson the moment we entered the van. There were seven of us. Major Tom had a larger group. I recommend the smaller groups. As we got to the park we started our hike. Jungle George met up with us and was a riot. He makes the sound of holler monkeys or gorillas and it was amazing. We all thought there was some huge gorillas in the mist. I'm told that Jungle George once carried a double amputee through the hike and I believe it. They are there to make sure you have a great excursion and they do.This hike was tougher than I thought but we made it. Along the way through the rain forest Tom Jr. would point out plants to eat for thirst and we all chewed on the stems. He showed us termites and my sister and another group member ate them- Good protein I guess and tastes like mint. I'll take thier word as I wasn't all that hungry. We touched the charmin leaves ( used for toilet paper in a pinch). We ate small nut like things that were like coconuts. We watched other large groups throughout the day and noticed that they didn't get near the lessons and attention that we got. The tubing was great. Jungle George was in front and led us through the water. He brought us near the falls and made it so fun. This guy is strong as he was going against current sometimes and pulling all seven of us. Tom Jr. was steering from the back. We saw natural formations that Tom explained the stories behind. It was absolutely awesome. The bats didn't even bother us. I can't say enough how unique this experience was and I have done a lot of things including zip lining and this was much better. After the cave tubing we changed in very clean bathrooms and they also have showers and changing rooms. Oh they also rent water shoes for the trip but some of our group said they felt all the small pebbles so bring suitable shoes. There was shopping there but we didn't shop. One the way out we noticed a giant tarantula crossing the road and they stopped so we could get pictures. My termite eating sister tried to get it to go into her hand?? On the way back we stopped at Amigos for lunch for an addiotional $5.00 and it was beans and rice, chicken and cole slaw. It was very good and they gave you fresh valencia OJ that wasn't processed. They also serve beer, alcohol etc. They also had souveniers there that a women made. We bought some jewelry. We returned to the pier in plenty of time to shop. These independent tour operators know that reputation is everything so they make sure they get you back to the ship on time. This excursion was half the price of what the cruise lines offer and included lunch. I would highly recommend Major Tom to anyone. It was by far the best excursion I have ever taken. Major Tom, You should be very proud of your son! He was the best. Hope this review helps with your decision about cave tubing.
Susan from Boston
  For those of you who have small children and are a little worried about cave tubing with them, I would just like to say that Major Tom has five children of his own, and his two youngest sons went with us on our trip (we went on a Saturday, so they were not in school). My wife is a parent educator in Hampton, VA, and was a social work supervisor for over thirty years before "retiring," and she was so impressed with Major Tom's interaction with his children, and with the two sons themselves--for they are certainly manly and very intelligent fellows--that she is still talking about the three of them, and what a wonderful family they make. Of course you probably know that Major Tom's eldest son works with him giving the tours and driving one of the two Toyota vans--I think he was taking a well-deserved day of rest when we went cave tubing--but I wish you could see for yourself the very evident love that Major Tom has for children, and the careful watch he keeps on each and every one of them. Tubes come in all sizes, and the first "security measure" after Major Tom ensures that everyone has a life vest securely in place is to be sure that the tube is exactly the right size for the individual. As I said before, this is an "adventure": it is thrilling and varied in experiences, but with Major Tom I do not think it could be more safe! Tom himself is only a few months younger than I; I hope we may be said to have reached maturity; but I wish I could say I had been as good and careful a father as he is and clearly always has been. I would trust Tom with my children's lives as readily as we trusted him with our own. Sometimes long-term experience is genuinely a priceless advantage you cannot deny, especially with the welfare of your loved ones.
  My wife and I have spent about a week's worth of days now in the company of Major Tom, traveling almost everywhere in the Northern half of Belize, and I assure all of you he is both indefatigable and brilliant--so he would be the perfect companion from any square inch of Belize to any other for those actually interested in learning about the country and its people. He is in fact the father of the Belize tour industry, having worked many years toward the development of organized cruise touring in Belize. You probably get back to your ship on time today as a result of the planning he put in, years before the first cruise ship nosed into the Bay of Honduras. His own story is fascinating, but of course it is his own. Anything about Belize he does not know has not yet been discovered. We did have the pleasure of a leisurely cave tubing excursion with him, and it is much, much more fun than I imagined, the water is NOT cold, the beauty of the caves inside and out is astonishing, and we did not feel the least bit endangered or even at risk at any point. Only one bat and one cave spider this time. And of course my camera's battery wore out halfway through the first cave, as the area all around the caves and the Mopan River is so scenic I couldn't pace myself--or the battery . . . . Tom's confidence is as infectious as his enthusiasm, and everyone had a wonderful time. I realize this will come as a disappointment to those of you who come reeling down the gangplank to stagger into The Wet Lizard for a quiet day in port--you know who you are--but for the rest of you, I recommend Major Tom wholeheartedly.
Doug Reynolds

  HELLO MAJOR TOM! I just wanted to take a moment to THANK YOU and TOM JR for such an exceptional and facinating tour for my family. They just couldn't stop talking about how lucky they felt to have been taken on the cave tubing tour with your son. They said that because other tour operators that they saw that day did not even talk to their group while your son gave them extra special treatment taking time to explaining and pointing out a lot of very interesting things to them along the way. They said your son was soooooooooo FUN and WONDERFUL and an ABOVE THE TOP FANTASTIC tour guide! I wanted to Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything and we can't wait to tell our friends how highly we recommend you and your son. THANKS AGAIN MAJOR TOM FOR MAKING THIS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CRUISE!!!
Sincerely,
Krista McGinn
  We just got back from a cruise (Carnival Miracle) through Central America, Belize being one of the ports. Prior to booking an excursion, we checked messages and recommendations on Cruise Critic. After reading several postings, we decided to email Major Tom. He responded in less then 24 hours with directions, prices and payment options.  It is about a 45 minute walk through the rain forest to the mouth of the cave. Absolutely amazing!!! Major Tom is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the rain forest and can answer any question you may have. I do recommend bringing bug spray! Now on to cave tubing!!

  Floating through the caves and rain forest was spectacular....breath- taking!! . This excursion is serene...calming, peaceful, and tranquil. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone! Major Tom gave a great tour with many personal touches. We spent more then an hour on the river floating and exploring the cave and rainforest. I can't say enough about how great this tour was, along with Major Tom. He is, by far, the best tour guide we have ever had!! On our way back to the cruise ship, we stopped for lunch at Pearl's. Major Tom raved about the food at this local restaurant and we couldn't wait to try it. Not only was the food spectacular, but it was nice to give to the local people and experience their culture. Try the bread pudding!!! What we could not finish, we wrapped up to take with us. After lunch, we went back to the pier in time to do plenty of shopping. Once again, let me explain how happy we were with Major Tom and his Fun Team!

  Just got back last week from a stop in Belize on RCCL jewel of the seas If you are hesitant about doing cave tubing-DONT!!!!!! We had a group of 9 and it was amazing, even a 6 year old boy who was great. Excellent service and had an hour an a half to shop before last tender. got back to the boat to find out 310 who booked on the boat were cancelled due to the heavy rains days earlier, not us!!!!! Don’t worry about booking directly online- save a few bucks to use later in the casino. Thanks so much Major Tom and George of the jungle and Major Tom’s son - you are the absolute best!!!

  My husband and I just returned from our cruise on the carnival Miracle and we used Major Tom. Our guide was Charlie Chan and we had him all to ourselves. He was absolutely the best!! He was so knowledgeable about everything in Belize and we felt so safe and comfortable with him. We took great care of us in the cave and stayed hooked on to us the whole time. While other people were stuck off to the side we glided through the cave without getting stuck or anything and Charlie knows the caves like the back of his hand! He was really the best guide possible and I would recommend him and Major Tom to everyone. If we ever go back to Belize, I would use them in a minute. It was an A++++ experience and one I will never forget. It was definitely one of the highlights of our cruise. Lori

  I just got back from a cruise on the Carnival Glory. While in Belize, my wife and I did cave tubing with Major Tom. It was a truly memorable experience, and by far the highlight of our trip.

I had initially heard about Major Tom from CruiseCritic. I figured no one had anything bad to say about his tour group, so he has to be doing something right. I booked a reservation a month in advance and then reconfirmed when we were within a week or so of the cruise.

Sure enough, though, Major Tom himself was waiting for us with a printed sign featuring my full name. We introduced ourselves and waited briefly for Major Tom to purchase the necessary permits for us to enter the national park that the cave system is located in. It was just me and wife for the tour today!

When you arrive at the cave itself, it takes your breath away. That is my one regret, that I did not have a waterproof camera to capture at least some of the natural beauty. We all jumped into the water to try it out. Then we locked our feet together, and Major Tom guided us against the current into a pitch black cave. We got out in a small beach within the cave. We turned on our lights to take a look around. There are stalagtite formations all around, some of which have fallen over millions of years.

Tom explained that this cave was used as a hideout by the Mayans (or pre-Mayans) at one point. Then we got back on the tubes and started going downstream. In the next enclosed part of the cave, Tom guided us to a waterfall area. This is known as the Crystal Cathedral. Tom dunked us under the waterfall and we drank out of the fresh waters. This water first enters the main cave area at this point, so it is entirely safe to drink.

Tom also offers multi-day packages for people who want to see more of Belize. He gave me pricing for a 7-night package called "Heart of the Mayan" that seems very educational and reasonably priced. I hope to visit Belize in the near future. I'm also inspired to learn about the Mayan culture and gods which Tom described for us. We even had an interesting conversation about the historical accuracy of Mel Gibson's 'Apocalypto.' 

One thing that Tom mentioned is that all of his associates provide the same service as he does, including his son Tom Jr. So whether you get Tom himself, or one of his associates, rest assured you're going to get a great tour.

  I spent 10/18 with Major Tom while in Belize on the Legend. Major Tom was WONDERFUL! Check out his site at cave-tubing.net and note his experience and credentials. His son joined him along with two other guides for helping and drove us to the caves in two vans. We were given lots of information about the country on the trip there and back. I like booking with independents because you get much more personal attention and insight into each country because you are with real residents that are happy to share their country with you.

The walk thru the jungle to the caves was information filled, too. Major Tom pointed out different plants and trees and their uses.

When I think of caves, I envision a small space such as a bear's den. These caves were caverns, filled with interesting shapes formed by the stalactites. The guides have hi-beam lights and point them out and the stories behind some as you drift past. Tablemates on the ship's tour just drifted through and missed some of the beauty and history of the caves.

And the ZIP was terrific! My first time and we were the only two from our group that signed up for it which made me a bit scared. I am in my mid-50's and no athlete by any means!! There were many steps cut into the slope to get to the first platform. I admit that my knees burned and had to stop a few times to let them cool down... I rarely climb more than two floors on the ship, opting for the elevator instead [Embarrassment] . But I made it and the fun part began!

Safety was a priority at the zip. We had a guide going first to each platform and one that stayed behind and followed after us. There are two steel cables that the zips were attached to and you had a glove to hold on to your harness with and another glove with a leather palm that you held on to the cable with, allowing you to 'brake' by pulling down and also kept you straight and not spinning around when you reached the platform where the first guide would 'catch' you. There were seven zips of varying length. I loved it and would do it again in a heartbeat! I also did one in Roatan- not the ships one. That one was much more difficult, about 17 platforms, only one cable, one guide, no gloves or helmets. The facility itself and the platforms weren't in top shape and I didn't feel near as safe. Had I done Roatan first instead of Belize, I wouldn't have gone on the Belize one, which would have been sad.

Enjoy Belize as it is a pretty country. Check out Major Tom and use him to have a safe, informative tour of the countryside and a GREAT tubing adventure! Rest assured you will be back in time for your ship's departure. He guarantees it or he will pick up the cost to get you to the ship. I have never heard of that happening and have read only wonderful reviews of his tours so get ready for an awesome time.
Judy

  Details on Belize:
Folks if you want to go cave-tubing, go with Major Tom!!!!! He's got to be the best guide we've seen. He is remarkably well-educated, far better than yours truly I'm sure. He's very plain spoken and good humored. He will answer your questions about Belize directly, both good and bad. Your hike through the rain forest will not just be a long walk. He takes the time to show you different plants and their uses. He shows you the ones to avoid. If you could record everything he tells you on that walk and could remember it all, you'd stand a chance of surviving being lost in the jungle. George was the narrator for while we were in Belize City. Like Tom, he is good humored and well educated. He's one of Tom's guides and lived in NYC for a time. We also met a third guide, Elvis, but we didn't get to spend much time with him. However, he seemed to be cut from the same cloth as Tom and George.


  Hi, we just got back from the 10/20 sailing on the Glory and booked with Major Tom. When we first got off the tender, didn't see him as we walked too far but once we asked, everyone knew where "major tom" was and directed us to him. He was expecting us, a group of 8. He needed to wait for 4 others off the Glory, then we'd be ready to go. 2 of the 4 were going ziplining. He sent them off with a separate guide, Linda and did not send them with us, though we wound up running into them in the caves later. It was very organized and we had Carlos/Charlie as our driver. We were the first group to get to the caves so had a relaxing walk to the river. Note a couple of tarantula's crossed our walking path, about the size of the palm of your hand. They were more frightened of us than we were of them. Continued on our way to the water. Beautiful river. We floated into the cave with Charlie never far from us. He didn't have us hooked together as we were by ourselves and he wasn't concerned about us getting lost or mixed up in another group. We floated thru the caves and paddled when he told us too and got our butts up when he told us to also. We did run into some of the cruise folks and that tour seemed to be crazy with a ton of people. We did not opt for lunch and made it back to the port in plenty of time for shopping and margarita's at a port restaurant. We would highly recommend Major Tom and his group.

  We found “free-floating” to be easy and fun; the group was easily kept together by Major Tom, Tom Jr., and the other guides, and what’s more, they shepherded us through the entire cave system, ensuring we were kept totally informed about the historical background of the caves, formations within the caves, and their deeply religious meaning to the ancient Maya civilization. But what was most impressive was their safety concerns at all times, working together, they proved to us that we did not need to “hook up” to be kept together – we merely needed the right number of guides with a great deal of expertise and experience, and those we got! The care taken, the respect for the caves and the rainforest, the constant information, personal attention, and simply put, the complete professionalism of this company was awesome. We could immediately see why this is a much sought after cave tubing company and one of the oldest in Belize, with a great deal of cruise ship background (that’s why we had zero worries about getting there and getting back in good time). Major Tom has the best show on the road, as far as we are concerned, and we are very grateful for the perfect tour. And now we see the new website ( cave-tubing.net), which affords guests the choice of pre-paying by PayPal, or paying when you get to Belize. Absolutely perfect!! We have recommended this company to all our friends and certainly endorse them to cruise critic members. Yeah and double yeah!, for Major Tom and the “Fun Team” in Belize!! BTW, their tour also includes a free city tour – we enjoyed the north side of Belize City heading out to the caves, and the south side when coming back.

  Tom came highly recommended and I am glad we booked him. While the other tours just marched right through the jungle, Tom stopped on several occasions to teach us about various vegetation, rock formation, etc. The other tour guides just walked right by us every time, never teaching or talking about anything. You do free float, but there are times when you will link up in lines of 4 or 5, side by side. This is done because of sharp rocks and heavy current, but the guides are there in the water to make sure no one gets hurt. But for the most part you do free float. It was an awesome experience. Go with them!!!

  We just did Major Tom's tour last week. My DW has significant foot problems so we were concerned about the walk in. After she emailed Major Tom, he said he would have a man stay with her so she could take her time and rest as needed. He had George do everything but carry her, and I think the man would have done that if needed. Major Tome bragged that George once towed a man who could not finish the walk to the normal cave entrance from the point on the river where you get out of the cave, upstream from the exit to the entrance and thus enable the man to float back down through the caves with his family. George is a young and powerful man who not only towed the man upstream through the caved to the entrance, but beat the rest of the group that walked to the entrance! As others have said Major Tom is a fountain of information and shares it freely. We would book again with him in a heartbeat! He is not only fun, but he is an honorable man. When a multiple fatality bus and truck wreak closed the highway for nearly an hour on the way back to the ship, it became impossible to stop for lunch. He made sure that everyone got their money back in cash from his pocket as soon as the decision was made to skip lunch. He also assured us that he would get us back to the ship before it sailed even if he had to put us on a special tender. That did not prove to be necessary, but knowing the lengths he was willing to go really helped to turn a bad situation into a tolerable one. The Major gets 4.9 out of 5 stars from me. ;-)

  My family and I (8 of us) were in Belize last week - 7/26/07. I had scheduled a trip with Major Tom. He was absolutely fantastic!!! He met us at the port displaying a sign with my name on it. We walked to his van and drove to the caves. On the way he let us s top at a little store for soda and water. As we drove to the cave he told us a lot about the country of Belize, pointed out things of interest as we were passing them, answered the millions of questions we asked him, and even stopped to show us individual trees and nuts native to the country. Major Tom is extremely knowledgeable about the country, ancestory of the Mayan people, and the caves. He shared with us information about the caves and what the various rock formations symbolized to the Mayans. He was very interesting to listen to, in fact, people from other groups slowed down to listen to what he was saying. The other guides were letting the people float through the caves on their own. They didn't tell them any information at all. Also Major Tom was concerned with our safety. He had us wear our life vests instead of just fastening it to the tube. If anything were to happen to someone without a life vest it would be difficult for a guide to get to them quickly. As you can tell I can't say enough good things about Major Tom. It was definately the best excursion of the whole trip.

  Major Tom at cave-tubing.net is your best choice. He and his close assistant, his son, Tom Jr., and the other highly trained and experienced guides will give you the safest and most informative cave tubing tour in Belize. Our groups have been consistently satisfied with his services. We also like the fact that you are met inside the tourism village where your tender docks, and you do not have to go searching for your independent operator, as Tom and his team are there with very visible signboards, besides the fact that this man is known by everyone at the dock and is easily pointed out. The caves in February are easy going, the water is cool, and just abour right.

Daniel Bierman
www.danielbierman.com        (The "Click here for information on Maya Gods" link features a facinating story Major Tom shared with Daniel.)

  Major Tom took my family of four and two other couples. Then after the tubing the other lucky couples went off for the zip lining. We have a 7 yr. old so I thought it would be a little intense for him. Next time for sure!! With a group of eight everyone was able to get plenty of attention from Major Tom. He was with us the whole time in the caves, interacting with us all. He also hooked us up with a great lunch from amigos - try the spicy chicken! Some younger guides with another company stopped to listen while Tom was explaining the significance of the opening of the cave - then they rushed their group down the first shoot while we were still learning about that special place. It was by far the funnest part of our trip. And its nice to have a guide who the locals respect.

  If you are looking for a tour to remember try Major Tom. He was wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable. Modern day Belize, Mayan history and Naturopathic remedies, rainforest flora and fauna, the myths and significance of the caves - it was all too cool. And he has the serious respect of the locals. A couple other guides with another group stopped to listen to him speak about the Mayan shaman's ritual at the mouth of the caves. Major Tom is the real deal!

  We went this past week with Major Tom and they were perfect, especially for a family. They will work with you to give you whatever you need. We were going to take cavetubing. com since they had more reviews, but it just worked out that we ended up with Major Tom, and we couldn't have been happier. As far as the hike goes, it wasn't rough at all. Anyone who finds it rough I'd think would have to be WAY out of shape. Kids can do it easily. They did take you on foot into a cave that had bats (not flying around...just asleep in their holes), but all you have to do is tell Tom (the guide) if your little one is afraid, and he'll totally take care of you. You wouldn't even have to walk into the cave if you didn't want to. For the cave tubing part, they formed two rows of 6 people each row. The people in each row were hooked together feet to underarms, and then the rows were hooked together by crossing arms and grabbing onto the person's tube across from you. They were wonderful. As we were floating past one spot, there were a few people from a different tour gathered around a snake - turns out it's one of the deadliest snakes there. My stepdaughter started freaking out, and thereafter, the guide wouldn't leave her side. He was wonderful. Even once we got to where they'll finally let you go by yourself down the river (this is after you're through the caves, and there are NO rapids), he continued to stay with us, holding onto our tubes, because he saw how afraid she had been. They were wonderful. Our guide actually reprimanded the people standing around the snake and as we continued on down the river, warned everyone we passed that was headed that way on foot. I really got the feeling that had the snake came towards us (not that it would - there were plenty of other unguided, not so bright people in between us and the snake that would have been targets first), our guides would have protected us at all costs. Great tour, wonderful guides, and we felt soooo much safer than the other people just floating by willy nilly. Oh, our guide also stops in the middle of one of the caves and gets everyone out onto a spot that's above water. Not a single other tour stopped there, which was too bad for them. It was breathtaking. And don't think this tour won't work for the daredevils in the family as well. If you're so inclined, they'll let you jump off a small cliff before taking off, and then after our little excursion onto the dry part, they'll let you back flop onto your tube from above - but only if you want to. You can even try tasting a termite (which my husband did after the guide ate a few....eewwwww!) I'd say they're they perfect outfit for families. 

  Ditto! You definitely want to go with Major Tom and the Fun Team. Major Tom is a great guy who has highly experienced, professional guides. They'll make sure you and your son have a wonderful time. Happy tubing! .(I'm sooo envious)

  We just got back from a Carnival Glory cruise (Western Carribean) and I can't say enough about Major Tom and his crew. We booked in advance on their website and he was waiting for us as we got off the tender with our names on a sign like an airport limo driver. The whole trip was professionally run, resonably priced, and Major Tom is obviously well informed and proud of his country. We were in a fairly small group (about 16 total) and he made the van ride out to the caves fun with running commentary. We all agreed it was the highlight of the seven days.

  Hi. My husband and I took Major Tom Greenwood's Cave Tubing Tour  last year when we were in Belize, and thoroughly enjoyed it! Major Tom's tour has no minimum age requirement, even taking children on their parent's laps with their own little life vests and lights. He has a smooth running operation ensuring that more than enough guides and safety staff are present to avoid any mishaps. Additionally, Major Tom has a consistent practice of keeping his tour groups small and manageable as to ensure safety and enhance the tour experience. Our group only had six in it, and we received a much more informative tour than the cruise lines tour group which had about 40. Let's face it, with a group that size, you are bound to miss quite a bit of the guide's narration. Unfortunately, the majority of the people in the cruise line group just rode on a tube through the cave and did not get to hear the rich Mayan history of which Major Tom is so knowledgeable. I recommend this tour to everyone I talk to whom is going to Belize. After all, Major Tom started it all in 1992, so he is the expert. He consistently gets good reviews, as we booked our tour with him because our niece and nephew recommended him highly. It's obvious that he is doing something right. Have a great time on your cruise! .