Choosing between Cozumel Dolphin Excursions

[celina14]

Hello! We cruise next month (YAY!) and one of our stops is Cozumel. We currently have the Dolphin Swim in Chankanaab (CZ50) booked. It is myself, my husband and our 2 kids who are 5 and 8. I was looking today and there is another Dolphin Swim Encounter at Dolphinaris (CZ38) available. Does anyone have any thoughts on which one would be the better one to do or have experiences with either? The prices are very comparable so we're open to either we just want this to be super memorable for our kids.

Thanks!

 

[lklgoodman]

We went to the same place that you have booked in 2017. We chose it because there is a lot to do there afterwards. They have a pool, beach, sealion show, Mayan ruins replica, a tequila hut(we were given free samples), a restaurant, and more. All is included in the price you pay for the dolphins. The other place only has a restaurant and I think a pool, I haven't been to it. We really enjoyed our time when we were at Chankanaab.

 

[KashasMom]

We loved our experiences at Chankanaab. We've been twice. We booked independently though so hope you're getting enough time there with DCL - so much more to do than just the dolphin encounter/swim.

 

[Meeko28]

Chankanaab is FANTASTIC!!! we did the manatee swim and it was so nice!! the grounds are beautiful with a really nice pool and beach. There so much to do there! There's no real need to go through the boat on this. There are cabs that will take you to Chankanaab for a flat fee at the port, you can book the swim directly, and there is always a line of cabs waiting to take people back to the port.

We loved it because we weren't being harassed by people the entire time!! i twas very peaceful and a lot of fun!

 

[Peaseblossom36]

We went to Dolphinaris and it was PACKED. We did the VIP tour (which was great) but walked through the main area at one point and based on the volume of people there I think we would have been disappointed had we been in that area. The people who worked there as a whole were great and the area is nice but way too crowded.

They did also have a snorkeling area but it was small, cloudy and there weren’t many fish.

 

[celina14]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think we will keep the one we have. I did look into booking it through the site on my own but it's not available. I wonder if it's because we are in Cozumel on a Sunday and they aren't typically open on Sundays.

 

[NCTechGuy]

You already decided, but agreed 100% with Chankanaab, it is fantastic!

 

[otten]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think we will keep the one we have. I did look into booking it through the site on my own but it's not available. I wonder if it's because we are in Cozumel on a Sunday and they aren't typically open on Sundays.

yea when it’s a Sunday you can only book through Disney. We have the same situation on our Panama cruise