CC Stingray City?

[otoole]

I read somewhere a list of things that will be new to the Magic after dry dock. It included a large screen by the pool for dive in movies (Yah!!), a navigator's area in the Oceaneer Club and I thought a Stingray C ity at Castaway Cay - can anyone confirm this? If it is true I don't know that I would book the Stingray City snorkeling in Grand Cayman on the Western cruise when we go in March and may decide to do something else.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

I have read several places the changes on the Magic, but I have not heard anything about Stingrays at CC. If I do, I'll post it.
You might be able to either call or e-mail DCL and find out for sure. I know you can e-mail them from their official web site. Just use the "Contact Us" icon at the bottom of the page. I have done this and always got a quick response from them. First is an automated respones, then about a week later I received the answer to my question.
Good luck, I think it would be a great thing to have at CC.
mom x4,grandma x4

 

[Big MacK]

Yes, I have seen this also on official Disney website(s). They state it will be coming in the Fall of 2005, however, it is not yey listed as an excursion yet.
We are sailing in July 2006, and as of now, we are planning to Caymen Stingray City Excursion. If Disney lists there's by then, I'll probably stay with the Caymen excursion, there are other things we want to do at CC.

 

[stampinshauna]

I read about these changes on mousesavers. I wonder what Disney means by Fall 2005. I'm going Oct 29, and I'd sure like to swim with the stingrays because Hurricane Jean messed up my chance to do it last year at Grand Cayman. I wonder when they'll let you book this excursion. Maybe just on the ship?

 

[Pacha]

Well. SueEllen posted this on our cruise meet thread, and AllEars said it would be opening in Sept. also.

Still haven't figured out what we are going to do for excursions, but I did find out that the Stingray area at Castaway Cay will be opening in September. It will be between the bar and the teen beach and the stingrays will be "groomed" so that they don't hurt you. Disney will also be donating a portion of the cost of the excursion to the Wildlife Conservation fund they have, and you will get one of the buttons for it.
Sue Ellen

 

[goofyinpa]

If anyone knows that it is a definite that there will be a stingray area going in at CC, please let me know. That is the only reason why I would want to go to Grand Cayman. There are 11 of us going next year...dont know when yet, but would rather take a 3 or 4 day cruise first for my1st cruise. I am afraid of kids getting seasick and dont want to "waste" money if 1 or 2 might be sick. I have been putting of cruising because DCL seems to cost $1200 or more than other cruise lines. I have 6 in my family and would need 2 rooms. But I do want my kids to swim with the rays, so if they add that to CC, that would be a great starter cruise. My husband and I swam with rays while at Theatre of the Sea in Islamorada. So if anyone knows that it is for sure, please let me know. Also,will 4 teens ages 13,15,15,17 get bored on the cruise. They dont seem to excited about going with a group. I have talked to some teens and they werent thrilled with it. If anyone out there has teens, please tell me how they liked it!

 

[WeLuvDCL]

We were on the May repo cruise and Tom McAlpin (president of DCL) stated they were adding a Stingray encounter at CC. He told us this when he was talking about the changes to the Magic that's going into dry dock next month. So, if the president said it's gonna happen, I think thats a definite. I don't recall him saying when it was going to be added but I'd think it would be ready by next year.

 

[10yrann]

Any word on this???

 

[fltink]

Good news, folks! I just read a posting form someone onboard the Repo Cruise right now. She won a trivia contest and guess what she won????? She gets to be one of the irst people to experience the StingRay Encounter at Castaway Cay in just a few days when the Magic gets there!!! That's right! Sounds liek it is opening THIS WEEK!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Just to let y'all know...I called DCL yesterday and asked them about the possiblilty of the Stringray excursion at CC. The lady told me that they were offering it for the repo cruise as a trial thing to see how it went. She said that if it turned out to be a popular thing, that they may make it permanent, but she didn't say when. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it will become something permanent for the rest of us cruisers!!

 

[Hockeychic]

I would love to do this and I am going on the Oct 29th Magic. Checked our excusion options and it is not there

I will keep checking..

Kim

 

[mrsfuzzmo]

Does anyone know how this will work? Are they going to be in a tank, pool or kind of netted in area in the ocean? In Grand Cayman they are just free stingrays that flock for the food and visitors to a sandbar where they've been fed by fishermen for years. Are they feeding the stingrays regularly to keep them close by, or is this in an enclosed type of environment? Like an aquarium of sorts?

 

[kshabare]

If you are thinking of passing up Stingray City in Grand Cayman please reconsider. I don't go for the Stingrays - I also go for the snorkeling experience that you do before you get to S.C. You drop anchor in about 8-10 feet of water and see the most incredible colored fish. You won't see that at Castaway Cay. If you do the 1/2 day trip with Captain Marvins you even get an extra snorkel near the barrier reef.

I will definately consider the Stingray encounter at Castaway Cay though - they are beautifully odd creatures. So soft. Beware of children though - they have a tendency of jumping and they can be 'stung' if they step on them. DS10 had to get out of the water because he was jumping/creeped out by them brushing by his legs. What an experience for all!

Kim