AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Buying Food/Getting Food to Belize

Hi Everyone!

Forgive me if I missed a post addressing this; I did a search but didn't find my particular issue.

I am part of a group of about 9-10 people coming down to AC in a few months. We are staying at a house, and are going to need to buy groceries.

The owner of the house has told us about a new service where you are picked up at the Belize City airport, then taken to a grocery store in Belize City, then take a ferry over to the house.

My questions are:

Has anyone used this service before, and is it the huge cost saver I have been told (30% less than AC)? Are grocery prices in Belize City (relatively) comparable to the states?

Besides the normal prohibited foods like meats, dairy, vegetables/fruits, can I fill my luggage with items like English muffins, cereals, vegetable oil, etc. to try to save money?

Is there a shipping service that can deliver boxes of items to the island or the house? A friend has told me that UPS offers real great rates for boxes shipped to some places (i.e. no rush to Paris = $30).

And most importantly, do I buy Belikin at the distribution center in AC?

Thanks very much!

-Crash

Is the saving of a couple of hundred dollars split between the ten of you in the group worth the extra time and hassle. If yes do it. If not don't.

If it's not contact Lagniappe Provisioning if staying South or around Town or Mata Grande if staying North and let them provision your house and enjoy your holiday to the max.

Thanks for the response Phil. Personally, I've been of that mindset for a while (just trying to convince others). Even though a can of corn is like $3.00, I think it's worthwhile to just have everything there and ready to go at the house so we don't have to worry about it. And even a provisioner's bill of $1000 is only $100 per person versus $70 per person doing it ourselves. It's a vacation after all!

Sounds like you are talking about Tropic Ferry and it is a great service. They pick you up and can/will stop to shop and then the ferry takes you right to your place. Groceries are cheaper on the mainland and for beer yes buy it at the distributor on AC.

I had guests use Tropic Ferry last month off their own back. They missed a connecting flight in US due to bad weather and caught the later Dallas flight to Belize. They emailed Tropic Ferry to tell them but they weren't there to meet them at Intl. They had to make their own way to the Water Taxi, which they made the last one by the skin of their teeth. Problems happens I guess, the measure is how it's dealt with. They had had no response to emails or phone messages from Tropic Ferry four days into the trip and the office had moved that week with no notice or forwarding details. Don't know how it ended or if they had prepaid as I forgot to ask about it later in the trip, but they weren't impressed and I wouldn't use it for my guests now.

Distributor will cost you about Bz$50 per case IF you take the empty bottles and case back there. Saving ~US$5. Is it worth the hour schlepping back and forth and effort for 20 cents per beer? I know when I'm on holiday that isn't happening.

We used Tropic Ferry in November, January and March with no problems. Perhaps calling their cell phone number would be better than email.