We Caught Our Lunch Off the Belize Barrier Reef — And Then Ate It

Royal Caribbean · Western Caribbean Cruise ⏱ 9 min read

We Caught Our Lunch Off the Belize Barrier Reef — And Then Ate It

An honest look at Royal Caribbean’s Belize Reef Fishing and Cook Your Catch excursion — stingrays, jerk-seasoned snapper, and everything in between

Pulling into Belize City — a tender port, so the adventure starts before you even hit the dock.

Getting There: The Part Nobody Warns You About

Here is the thing about Belize City as a cruise port — the excursion starts way before you step onto a fishing boat. Our Royal Caribbean Western Caribbean itinerary had us cleared to go ashore at 9:15 in the morning, but Belize is a tender port. That means no gangway, no walking straight into town. You board a small boat from the ship and ride it roughly 25 minutes just to reach the cruise port area.

Then there is the time zone situation. Belize runs one hour behind ship time, and that created instant confusion on the pier. Were we meeting our excursion group on ship time or local time? It took a few minutes to sort out, but once we did, we realized we actually had close to an hour to explore before we needed to be anywhere.

The port area has its souvenir shops and T-shirt vendors — perfectly fine for a stroll, but it moves quickly.

We walked around the port for maybe 30 to 45 minutes. Souvenir shops, T-shirt stalls, the usual tourist setup. It is fine for a quick wander, but there is not a ton to explore right there. After a bit, we made our way back to wait for the boat that would carry us out to Rendezvous Island — where the actual excursion begins.

How We Ended Up on This Excursion

We booked the Belize Reef Fishing and Cook Your Catch excursion directly through Royal Caribbean. It was listed as a four-hour experience, which sounded like a full, well-rounded day out on the water. The pitch was simple: fish over the reef, catch your lunch, watch it get cooked, eat it on the island. As Belize cruise excursions go, it stood out because it was hands-on and different from the standard beach-and-snorkel format.

This was actually my second visit to Belize City, so I was specifically looking for something that felt a little more local and experiential. The Cook Your Catch angle was what sold me. I wanted to see what fishing actually looks like here — not as a sport, but as a way of life.

Left: Our official Royal Caribbean excursion ticket. Right: First glimpse of Rendezvous Island from the water.

“The Cook Your Catch angle was what sold me. I wanted to see what fishing actually looks like here — not as a sport, but as a way of life.”

The Ride Out to Rendezvous Island

The boat we boarded was carrying two separate groups — our fishing crew and another group headed out for a beach and snorkeling day. It is a 45-minute ride to Rendezvous Island, and here is the part that genuinely made me laugh — we passed directly by our Royal Caribbean ship on the way out. After all that effort to get ashore by tender, we were now cruising right back past it on the way to the actual excursion.

Worth being honest about this part: a four-hour excursion sounds generous until you do the math. Between the tender ride from ship to port, the 45-minute boat to Rendezvous Island, and the 25-to-30-minute return later — roughly an hour and a half of this day is just transit. That is not a complaint exactly, because the boat rides are pleasant. But if you are booking this expecting four full hours of fishing and island time, just know the reality going in.

Out on the Reef: Bottom Fishing Over the Belize Barrier Reef

Once we landed at Rendezvous Island, we transferred to a smaller, more intimate fishing boat — about 15 people total — and motored another 10 or 15 minutes out to fish over the reef. That moment felt like the real beginning of the day.

The action was steady. Nothing trophy-sized, but these little yellowtail snappers put up a fun fight.

The setup is bottom fishing — cut sardine bait, spinning reels, about 15 to 20 feet of water right over the reef. There is nothing complicated about it. Anybody can do this. We were sitting right on top of the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-largest barrier reef system in the world, and even while we were focused on the lines, that context was not lost on me.

We fished two different spots over about an hour and a half total. The fish were small — mostly yellowtail snapper, a few croaker, a couple of strawberry grouper — most of them in that six-to-eight-inch range. In total, our group pulled in 25 to 30 fish. Steady action, nothing dramatic, but enough to actually cook.

Caught this one at our second reef spot. Strawberry Grouper — we'll put this one back.

“We were sitting right on top of the Belize Barrier Reef — the second-largest barrier reef in the world — and even while we were focused on the lines, that context was not lost on me.”

Cook Your Catch: From the Water to the Grill

This is where the excursion shifted from a fishing trip into something that felt genuinely local. When we returned to Rendezvous Island with our catch, one of the deckhands set up on a small wooden platform just off the pier, standing waist-deep in the water. He cleaned the fish right there — descaling, gutting, tossing the scraps into the water below him.

And almost immediately, the stingrays showed up.

Two stingrays appeared almost instantly once the fish cleaning started. Calm, curious, and absolutely unbothered by us.

Two of them, circling beneath the platform, feeding on the scraps. If you stepped into the shallow water, they would glide right up to you. Not frantic, not skittish — just calmly brushing past your calves as if you were part of the reef furniture. One of those completely unplanned moments that ended up being one of the best parts of the day.

Fish-to-grill in real time. The cleaning happened right off the pier, with stingrays circling below for the scraps.

Once the fish were cleaned, they went straight to the barbecue — a simple, open-air setup with charcoal grill stations that looked like it belonged there. Nothing overbuilt for tourists, nothing staged. The chef laid each fish on aluminum foil, rubbed in a Caribbean dry spice blend, hit it with jerk seasoning, added a splash of coconut oil, and sealed everything up into a packet that went directly onto the coals.

That charcoal smell coming off the grill while the foil packets puffed up? Honestly one of the best parts of the whole day.

The chef explained the technique as he went: the foil packet puffs up like a balloon — that is when you flip it. It settles, puffs up a second time, and then it is done. Such a simple method, but one of those details that made the whole experience feel tied to the place.

Flaky, smoky, genuinely fresh. Rice, beans, coleslaw. Simple food that completely fit the moment.

Lunch was simple: the fish, rice and beans, coleslaw. But the fish was good. The kind of good that only happens when something was still in the ocean a couple of hours before you ate it. Smoky, flaky, seasoned in a way that felt distinctly Belizean. It was not a fancy meal. It was an honest one, and it worked.

🎣 Pro Tips — Belize Reef Fishing and Cook Your Catch

• Bring your own water. Rum punch and water are served on the fishing boat, but nothing was set up at the barbecue area when we arrived. After a few people asked, the crew brought the punch over — but if you are not drinking alcohol, pack a couple of extra bottles from the ship.
• Plan for transit time. A four-hour excursion sounds like a lot, but roughly 90 minutes is boat transportation. Great boat rides — just go in with accurate expectations.
• Bring snorkel gear if you have it. There is a 20-to-30-minute window after lunch before the return boat arrives. You can snorkel off Rendezvous Island, though it is a shallow beach-entry experience rather than a deep reef dive.
• Bring cash for tips. The fishing crew and barbecue staff both asked for gratuities on the return ride. Come prepared — they do a good job and it is expected.
• Zero fishing experience needed. The crew handles everything: setup, bait, technique. Genuinely beginner-friendly and great for families.
• Do not book this primarily for snorkeling. If snorkeling is your main goal, a dedicated Royal Caribbean Belize snorkeling excursion is a better fit.

The Bonus Round: Hand-Feeding Stingrays in the Shallows

The island itself is exactly what you picture when someone says “Caribbean island.” Tiny, palmy, impossibly blue water.

After lunch, while we waited for the return boat, the crew handed out the leftover sardine bait and told us we could stand in the water and feed the stingrays by hand. Same rays that had been circling the cleaning platform earlier. They would glide right up, take the bait gently from your fingers, and move on. Calm and totally unbothered about the whole thing.

Honestly? This was one of those moments I will remember longer than the fishing itself. Completely unplanned, totally free, and weirdly peaceful. Nobody was rushing anyone. The afternoon light was hitting the water just right. That is the kind of thing you cannot really put in a brochure.

⚓ Venture to See Verdict

Worth It for the Right Traveler — Not a Trophy Fish in Sight, But Genuinely Real

If you are an avid angler chasing big game or a serious snorkeler looking for deep reef action, this is probably not your excursion. The fishing is casual and small-scale, and the snorkeling off Rendezvous Island is shallow beach-entry water.

But that is not really the point of the Belize Reef Fishing and Cook Your Catch excursion. Fishing in Belize is not a hobby — it is part of how people live here. This excursion lets you take part in that in a simplified, traveler-friendly way: catch something from the reef, watch it get cleaned on a wooden pier with stingrays circling below, and eat it seasoned with Caribbean jerk spice on a tiny island in the Caribbean Sea. It is honest, unhurried, and carries a real sense of place.

For families, casual travelers, and anyone who wants more than a beach chair on their port day, there is genuine value here. And those stingrays brushing past your legs in the shallows? That alone makes it worth remembering.

Would I book it again? Probably not as my first choice on a return to Belize — there are other excursions I want to try first. But it was not a bad day. Not by a long shot.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Royal Caribbean Belize Reef Fishing and Cook Your Catch excursion?

It is a shore excursion offered through Royal Caribbean in Belize City that takes cruise passengers out to fish over the Belize Barrier Reef using simple bottom-fishing techniques, then returns to Rendezvous Island where the fresh catch is cleaned, seasoned with Caribbean jerk spices and coconut oil, and cooked over charcoal right on the beach. The experience is listed as a four-hour excursion including all transit time.

How long does the Belize Reef Fishing excursion actually take, and how much of that is travel time?

The excursion is listed as four hours, but approximately 90 minutes of that is boat transportation — a 45-minute ride from the Belize City port to Rendezvous Island and a 25-to-30-minute return. Factor in the tender boat ride from the Royal Caribbean ship to the port and travel takes up a significant portion of the day. The actual fishing lasts about 90 minutes at two reef locations.

Do you need fishing experience to enjoy the Belize Reef Fishing and Cook Your Catch excursion?

No prior experience is needed. The crew handles all setup, provides cut sardine bait, and walks everyone through the bottom-fishing technique. The spinning reel rigs are beginner-friendly and fishing is done in 15 to 20 feet of water. Great for families, first-timers, and anyone who has never held a fishing rod before.

What kind of fish do you catch on the Belize Barrier Reef fishing excursion?

Expect smaller reef fish rather than trophy catches. Yellowtail snapper is the most common, along with croaker and occasional strawberry grouper. Most fish run six to eight inches. A group of around 15 people typically catches 25 to 30 fish total — more than enough to make the Cook Your Catch meal a real payoff.

What is the food like on the Belize Cook Your Catch excursion?

The fish is seasoned with a Caribbean dry spice blend and jerk seasoning, drizzled with coconut oil, wrapped in foil packets, and cooked directly on charcoal. Served with rice and beans and coleslaw. Simple but genuinely flavorful — the freshness of fish caught just hours before makes a real difference. Honest island food, not a resort-style buffet.

Is Belize City a tender port for Royal Caribbean cruises?

Yes. Belize City does not have a deep-water pier for large cruise ships, so Royal Caribbean passengers must take a tender boat from the ship to the port area — roughly 25 minutes. Belize also runs one hour behind ship time, so confirm whether your excursion meeting time is in ship time or local Belize time before heading to the pier.

Are there stingrays at Rendezvous Island, and can you interact with them?

Yes. Stingrays are naturally drawn to the fish cleaning area, feeding on scraps tossed into the shallow water. After lunch, leftover bait is typically handed out so passengers can hand-feed the rays directly in the shallows. They are calm and accustomed to people, and will often brush gently against your legs in knee-deep water near the pier.

Is snorkeling available on the Belize Reef Fishing and Cook Your Catch excursion?

Not officially, but there is a 20-to-30-minute window after lunch before the return boat arrives. Bring your own gear and you can snorkel directly off Rendezvous Island. This is a shallow, beach-entry snorkel — not a deep reef dive. For serious snorkeling, a dedicated Royal Caribbean Belize snorkeling excursion is a better fit.

What should I bring on the Belize Reef Fishing and Cook Your Catch excursion?

Bring extra water bottles from the ship — beverages may not be available at the barbecue area. Cash for tips is strongly recommended, as both the fishing crew and barbecue staff request gratuities. Sunscreen, a hat, and water shoes for standing in the shallows with the stingrays are also worth packing.

I am always out here chasing the hands-on, local experiences worth your time. If this helped you plan your Belize City port day, follow along for more honest shore excursion reviews, Caribbean destination guides, and travel adventures from someone who just genuinely loves doing this.

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