Belize City is dirty and I didn't feel safe there, the several times that I have visited Belize.  Don't judge Belize by Belize City.  Trust me, Belize is SO MUCH MORE than Belize City.  Look to the North of the city, the West, and the South.  

I have been there on several occasions over the years.   It was the most amazing experience I've had to date. If you're an adventurer or if you just appreciate a non-commercialized nature then this is definitely a must see and do for you.  45 percent of Belize is Government Protected Reserve!

Snorkeling in the Ho Chan Reserve, Scuba Diving, Cave Exploring, the Mayan Ruins, Hiking in the Jungle, Jaguar reserves, Baboon Reserves, Jacque Cousteau's  Blue Hole...Rio On Pools, the 1000 foot waterfall in Mountain Pine Ridge...the people, the cultures, the history...It's all AMAZING!

If you are looking for something touristy---sandy beaches, hotels on the beach...Check out San Pedro Island just off the Barrier Reef.  The Barrier Reef is the second largest in the world. Or try Francis Coppela's Blanca Neux Resort in the Mayan Mountains by the 5 Sisters Waterfalls---all I can say is WOW ( and it should be at over $400 USD a night!) And of course there's the Maruba Resort with it's spa treatments and the free-roaming "domesticated" monkeys that you can actually sit with and feed hibiscus flowers to.

I don't know that I would recommend Belize to those looking for the monetary, no fuss, silver spoon, "finer" things in life. Even Maruba has its "faults" compared to let's say The Hilton or Westin Resorts, and Blanca Neux is in the middle of NOWHERE---you need to take a small 5 seater plane to get there because by car it is an absolute 3 hour nightmare!---even to stay at these places you should arrive with a sense of adventure.

For me, and to any other adventurer or environmentalist, Belize is the utopia of NATURE's finer things. Please make the journey. It will be the trip of a lifetime.  This may not be the best trip to take on a cruise as you have a limited time to visit on a cruise.  You will not have the time to explore Belize and find the places and things that I have described.

Belize is like Beauty and the Beast.  You will find both when you visit Belize.