How a stay at Casa Al Mar actually works
Frequently Asked Questions
Decision Basics
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Casa Al Mar is a 6-bedroom family-built island home on St. George's Caye in Belize. It is rented only as a full-house buyout, one group at a time, for 8 to 14 guests. The McNab family built it in 1991 and in 2020 opened it as a vacation rental to share their home with other families and friends. Private chef prepared meals, a private boat with captain and guided tours, transfers to/from the airport, daily housekeeping, Wi-Fi, and island activities are all included.
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No. St. George's Caye is a residential island shared with neighboring family houses. Casa Al Mar is a private full-house buyout for one group at a time. The house is private; the caye is not.
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Eight to fourteen guests. Six bedrooms across three floors. Children under 4 are not counted toward the 8-guest base.
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Five nights. Most of our groups stay seven nights in order to take advantage of the full experience.
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No. Casa Al Mar is rented only as a full-house buyout. Guests do not have to use all the rooms in the house. If you have less than 8 guests, we are still happy to host you, but the nightly rate is not able to be adjusted.
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Multi-generational families and extended families, adult friend groups, and small wedding stays of 8 to 14. Groups who prioritize togetherness that also want food, the tours, and logistics handled.
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Groups who require air conditioning, full-menu-on-demand dining, a swimming pool, a spa or total-island seclusion. Honeymooners traveling alone. Corporate retreats. Anyone looking for a resort-suite experience.
Getting Here
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The Casa Al Mar team will meet your group at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE), drive you about 20 minutes to the dock in Belize City. Once everyone and luggage is loaded, you are taken to St. George's Caye in our private boat, about 8 miles and roughly 20 minutes. Total time, including loading is about 1 hours from you leave Belize’s International Airport.
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No. There is no domestic flight required. The full transit from the BZE airport is by van and private boat.
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Yes. The boat is operated by a licensed Belize captain with life jackets in adult and child sizes. The water between Belize City and St. George's Caye is generally calm. Shaded seating for older guests. The size of the boat is determined by the size of your group ensuring there is ample space.
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Casa Al Mar will accommodate late arrivals if your flight is delayed. We recommend booking flights that arrive at BZE no later than 3:00 PM.
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Check-out time is 10:00 am. Plan to leave the house roughly 3 hours before your international departure from BZE. If you need to depart earlier than 10:00 am, this can be arranged.
The House and Rooming
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No. The house was built for the Caribbean breeze, has ceiling and standing fans in every bedroom, and runs nearly off-grid on solar. Most guests sleep with the windows open.
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Yes. Three floors. The first floor is closest to the docks and has the fewest stairs. Older guests typically choose the second floor as that is where the dining room, balcony with best views and living room are. Confirm mobility needs with us at booking.
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Yes. It was built with families in mind. Crib, high chair and baby bath are included if needed. There is also a sandbox in the front yard that littles can enjoy.
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Wi-Fi is complimentary provided by Starlink. It works throughout the main spaces of the house. Signal can be weaker on the docks.
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Service animals are permitted. Contact us to get more details.
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Standard 110V U.S.-style plugs throughout — no adapters needed.
Food
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Yes. A private chef cooks three daily meals plus snacks for all guests, included in every stay.
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There is no fixed restaurant menu. The chef plans the week prior to arrival after our reservations coordinator collects all your dietary information. Meals are a fusion of local cultures and flavors of Belize. The chef adjusts to dietary needs of those in the group.
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Yes. Vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, and common allergies are handled when noted at booking. We must be notified at least 3 weeks in advance of your arrival to plan. Strict medical allergies must be confirmed in advance because some specialty ingredients are limited on the caye.
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No. Non-alcoholic beverages are included. Alcohol can be pre-stocked at cost or brought by the group. Purchasing duty free alcohol in Belize’s International Airport is encouraged. Our bartender will serve your drinks at no additional cost.
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The kitchen is the chef's. Guests who want a snack at off hours are welcome, and the chef can leave items out. Casa Al Mar is not a self-catering rental.
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Non-alcoholic beverages are included such as: purified water, coffee, tea, fruit punch, and soft drinks.
Tours and Activities
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Snorkeling on the reef, drop fishing or reef trolling, sandbar trips, island hopping and kayaking and included. Private boat, dedicated captain, and licensed guide are at your service for these activities for the entire duration of your stay.
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No. Scuba is booked separately with licensed dive operators. You can request a custom quote for this add-on at any time.
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Yes, this is an optional inland day trip booked separately. Our team can make all the arrangements for you and lunch is included.
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Yes. With a host of marine activities as well as on-property amenities such as volleyball or other sports, there is plenty for all ages to enjoy.
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This is no problem. The boat can go out with half the group while the other half stays at the house enjoying the docks, the hammocks, and the kayaks. Both halves meet on the balcony for happy hour.
Weather
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The dry season runs roughly November through April and is the best time to visit Belize. May through October is Belize’s rainy season, but can still provide a beautiful landscape for a visit.
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Some months bring sargassum onto Belize beaches. St. George’s Caye is not a beach and is rarely affected. The reef snorkel sites the captain runs to are typically clear. Public images of sargassum can be alarming; the reality on the island and the boat is usually fine.
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The Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November. Casa monitors conditions and discusses contingencies with the group if a storm is forming.
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The captain reschedules to the next workable window. The chef adjusts the meal plan. Most weeks have enough boat-day capacity that a rainout shifts the schedule without losing the day on the water.
Cost
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A 5-night high-season stay for 8 guests is roughly $19,160 before taxes. Whole-house nightly rates run from $3,192 in low season to $4,072 in peak season for up to 8 guests. Additional guests over 8 are $479 per person per night.
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No. Belize government and any applicable hotel taxes are confirmed at booking and equals to additional 11% of your stay.
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A 50% deposit is required to confirm your booking. The remaining 50% is due 30 days before arrival. If you book less than 30 days ahead of your arrival 100% of the booking amount is required.
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Yes, you certainly can divide up the total cost among your group. Let us know who’s responsible for each amount and we will process those transactions separately to make payment collection seamless for the organizer,
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We accept credit card: Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Any payments via credit card will incur an additional 3% to the total.
You can also pay by direct bank transfer to the Casa Al Mar, U.S. Bank Account.
For payments $3,500 and under, you can utilize $Zelle
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Yes. If you chose to pay by credit card, there is an additional 3% added to the total amount to process the credit card. To avoid this you can pay by a direct transfer from a U.S. bank account to Casa Al Mar’s U.S. bank
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Cancellations made 90 days or more from your arrival date may be refunded less a 7.5% administrative fee on the amount already paid towards the reservation only.
Cancellations made 45 days from your arrival date may be rebooked for a future date less a US $60.00 per person administrative fee.
Cancellations made less than 30 days will only be refunded 50% of the total cost of your trip that may be used towards a new booking.
Cancellations made less than 14 days will not be refunded in any portion and only 50% of the total booking can be used towards a new booking. -
Yes. Travel insurance is always highly recommended for groups.
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No. Gratuities are at the guest's discretion upon check out. It is usually 10% of the booking total.
Booking & Inquiry
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Send an inquiry through the contact form with dates, group size, age range, and occasion. Tanya or the booking agent will reply with availability, a rate estimate, and the next questions.
You can also access our booking engine to review rates by clicking here.
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Most inquiries get a reply within one business day. Inquiries that come in on Saturday and Sunday will be answered on Monday.
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We are only able to hold dates for 72 hours.
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In-person tours are not standard. Most groups book based on the gallery, the video page, and an inquiry conversation. We are happy to answer specific questions or share more images.
Weddings and Special Events
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Casa Al Mar can host an 8-to-14-guest wedding stay for couples who want a house-centered, family-style week. Send a note and we'll talk through whether the house fits the wedding you have in mind.
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We work with Belize-based small-wedding planners and can refer one once we understand the kind of wedding you want.
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Most groups at Casa are celebrating something. Send a note about the occasion and we'll plan a celebratory dinner and the rest of the week around it.
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In-person tours are not standard. Most groups book based on the gallery, the video page, and an inquiry conversation. We are happy to answer specific questions or share more images.