Age restrictions on tours

[PrincessBelle39]

How strict are they with the age limits on the tours? Our family wanted to do the stingray feeding on CC but the age restriction is 5 and up. My youngest dd will be 10 days off 5. Are they really strict about the age or like the kids clubs, do they make an exception if they are within a month of 5?

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I would imagine that the age restriction is more for a liability issue. And unfortunately you can't fudge the age because they have it listed on your reservation.

It never hurts to call DCL and ask. The worst they can say is "no". Good luck.

 

[lbgraves]

They will not budge with the excursion age restrictions at all. People have reported having to go through quite an ordeal to book a child when their birthday is actually during the cruise and they want to book an excursion after the child has turned the required age. This is due to insurance requirements.

 

[Cloud9]

On my cruise I overheard another passenger asking the same thing and the CM said that they will not make any exceptions on age requirements.

 

[poohs4me]

We know this first hand as well. DD was 1 month shy of 12 and we wanted to book her on an excursion - They flatly refused. They said even if we wanted to make an exception the computer would not let them.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

Thanks guys. I'm glad I asked. I think I am better off telling her now that she can't do it than as we get closer. She's going to be disapointed though. And so is my older one. But I can't book it for one and not the other. Especially when they are both asking to do it.

 

[kcashner]

You cannot book on line unless the person is fully the appropriate age at the time of embarkation. If they have a birthday during the cruise and will be the appropriate age by the day of the excursion, you can phone DCL and the supervisor can over-ride the computer system. We had to do this when DD turned 13 during the cruise and wanted to do the Wild Side excursion.

Note--the participant MUST be the appropriate age by the day of the excursion--no exceptions. 10 days too young won't cut it.

In some locations, you can book an excursion privately with different age requirements than DCL has.

 

[3mmm]

Look at booking privately. We had to do that because Disney uses 10 as a cutoff for snuba even though the vendors they use set a cutoff at 8. It's the same vendor, same excursion - go figure. My 9 year old is a state level competitive swimmer, but Disney can't make individual exceptions - I understand that. Contact the vendor directly. I just did a google search - it wasn't hard.

 

[atinkerbellmom]

Look at booking privately. We had to do that because Disney uses 10 as a cutoff for snuba even though the vendors they use set a cutoff at 8. It's the same vendor, same excursion - go figure. My 9 year old is a state level competitive swimmer, but Disney can't make individual exceptions - I understand that. Contact the vendor directly. I just did a google search - it wasn't hard.

The one she wants to do is on Castaway. That is DCL sponsored isn't it? She would have to do it in another port of call if she wanted to look into booking it through a private business.

 

[disney minnie]

If one of your stops is Grand Cayman we booked a tour through Captain Marvins to go to Stingray City. My daughter is 3 so we would not have been able to do this with Disney.

 

[MouseLovinMom]

I didn't see which ship you are sailing on--if it's the Wonder, Blackbeard's Cay has stingrays. There were little, little kids on this excursion. We had a great day there last summer.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

If one of your stops is Grand Cayman we booked a tour through Captain Marvins to go to Stingray City. My daughter is 3 so we would not have been able to do this with Disney.

I have looked at the Grand Cayman one with Captain Marvin. It just didn't seem as suitable as the CC one. Especially for this age group. She liked the idea that they came up onto the platform thing at CC. Also the water seems much deeper with Captain Marvins. I did see that if I booked with DCL for that one, she couldn't do it but if I went direct she could. Maybe I should have another look at it.

Unfortunately going direct is not an option with the CC stingrays.

 

[lbgraves]

The CC excursion water depth varies according to the tide. Unfortunately when we did it in 12/06 we had to go out in water above my elbows and I am 5'5". We had seen all the pictures of the people standing in shallow water and thought it would be perfect for the kids because we wouldn't have to hold them. NOT! It was disappointing due to this and the fact that the water was extremely cold so do not base your decision purely on the depth of the water.

 

[cats mom]

I have looked at the Grand Cayman one with Captain Marvin. It just didn't seem as suitable as the CC one. Especially for this age group. She liked the idea that they came up onto the platform thing at CC. Also the water seems much deeper with Captain Marvins. I did see that if I booked with DCL for that one, she couldn't do it but if I went direct she could. Maybe I should have another look at it.

Unfortunately going direct is not an option with the CC stingrays.

Stingray city is on a big sandbar. There are shallow areas where the water is only about 3 ft deep. It can be a little disconcerting for some folks to have the rays brush up against them, but that happens at Castaway Rays too.

Good Luck with your decision.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Look at booking privately. We had to do that because Disney uses 10 as a cutoff for snuba even though the vendors they use set a cutoff at 8. It's the same vendor, same excursion - go figure. My 9 year old is a state level competitive swimmer, but Disney can't make individual exceptions - I understand that. Contact the vendor directly. I just did a google search - it wasn't hard.

ditto this
Can't do that at CC obviously- but maybe at another port if they are wanting to do the stingrays and didn't specifically ask to do that AT CC? Usually the only excursions we do that aren't DCL ones are because of the age restrictions- because very often (maybe always?) DCL is more strict with the age requirements even with the same excursion/same vendor. But if you book it straight with the vendor they allow a younger age! Silly- you'd think DCL would want the money but I guess it's an insurance thing. Easy solution is just book it yourself and cut the middle man out (DCL) LOL

On your cruise- (OP)- check at other ports for the stingray excursion and see what the age requirements are- you may be able to book directly based on THEIR age requirements instead of DCL.

 

[Weedy]

Even if you could book it, your kids may not like it. My friend sent me a picture of her and her son (he was about 5 or 6) and if he could he would have been sitting on her head! The stingrays are quite big.
When we went to Castaway Cay we were able to walk down to the stingray area and see them from the shore and that was enough for my kids.