Dolphin Encounter's?- Western Caribbean

[cadien]

We've started splitting up on excursions rather than making anyone give up a possible one-time opportunity. It's something new to discuss at dinner then.

 

[Bsmitty]

We did the Dolphins on Grand Cayman. No trouble tendering that day (but it was late August, not November).

They had three levels of activity you could choose from: "Extreme swim", "swin or “encounter.”

The first part was the “encounter.” We stood (a group of about 16 people) waste deep in water in a large cement tank and the dolphin came up to us 1 by one, it kissed us, we kissed it, we held hands with it, it talked to us. (They took a picture of each action with each person.)

Then we went into a larger area with a beach (still an enclosed body of water though). We did the “swim” portion, which involved us swimming out the far end of the pond (two at a time; this was good as it gave you a chance to watch your family members do it), and the dolphin came up behind us, he put his fins out to us, and we grabbed on and he swam us back to the starting line.

Then we did the “Extreme Swim” part. So we swam (again two at a time) out to the far side of the pond again, this time we were holding a boogie board. He came up behind us and put his nose on our feet and pushed us back to the start. He was able to move MUCH faster this time with us holding the boogie board under ourselves. It was amazing.

You had a life jacket on at all times, so being able to "swim" wasn't required, but you did have to be comfortable in the water, and at least doggie paddle out for the Swim and the Extreme Swim parts. For the Encounter part, you were just standing on the edge of the pool.

As for "Observers" I can't tell you. There were people in the park who could see us from where they were standing, but they weren't right up where we were. Maybe some distance shots from there would be possible. As for cameras for the participants, they FORBID it. They said it was for the sake of the Dolphins' health, but selling their own photos had something to do with it too. We paid $250 for all the photos of the four of us. VERY expensive, but we had decided ahead of time that it was worth it to us, and I must say the pictures came out great. You want to see pictures of your kids with REAL smiles, take a picture of them riding on a Dolphin.

One other thing to consider, since you mentioned that your children are 4, 10, 12. We had one boy in our group (not someone we knew) who was maybe 10 or so; he was with his parents. He did NOT want to get in the water with the Dolphins. The guide was patient and encouraging, but didn't force him. His parents were more insistent, but still didn't insist when he refused. Then, towards the end, after he saw everyone else touching and swimming with the dolphins and having fun, he changed his mind, and the guides let him do all three parts at the end.

So, I would just say, you know your own kids best, and how likely they might be to balk at it, and how upset (or not) you will be if they don't go through with it. At the very least, they will see it up close if you signed them up for it. And who knows, maybe they will warm up to the idea!

Oh, and we did the Tulim Ruins in Cozemel, not as far of a ride as Chichen Itza, but still pretty far. It was a great day too!

We did this same one in Cayman & had the same experience. It was amazing! Their photographer somehow didn't capture a picture of my daughter kissing the dolphin & they felt so bad, they brought the dolphins back out, did a private little moment with her & quickly added the photos to our package so she had some photos too. Great customer service. We also did the Mayan ruins in Cozumel & that was so amazing & worth the travel. In Jamaica we did Dunn's river falls & the bobsled. Next time around, I'd skip the bobsled & just do the falls. We loved the falls. If I had it to do over again, I'd still choose the excursions we did at the stops we did (aside from the bobsled in Jamaica).

 

[cadien]

So do all dolphin experiences have the same joke when adult women have a turn to kiss the dolphin?

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

xactly, I don't know that we will be back in Cozumel anytime soon (if at all), so really don't want him to miss out on that. Personally, I really couldn't care about the ruins. I think that's my issue with the dolphins or ruins excursion. I want more dolphins (joy of kids), he wants ruins (joy of self). I won't be taking 3 kids on an all-day expensive excursion that they are going to complain an balk at either though, you know? And that much time on transportation doesn't sound fun either!

So since my husband and FIL will almost 100% want to see some sort of historical something, that would knock out Cozumel for Dolphin Encounter for us.
If there's a chance we won't even be able to DOCK in Grand Cayman, I'm scared to book the excursion there... but then that leaves me with the 15-minute one in Jamaica, but it also in cludes the Dunn's River Falls which my FIL also would like to see, but I have a bad knee and MIL has bad ankles, so we wouldn't climb.

Ahhhh the tug-o-war is endless.

We have discussed it, and you're right. He does NOT want the kids to go either. We agree on that. I actually suggested splitting up, but I'd prefer he be with us obviously. I think he would be able to enjoy that historical stuff much more without being rushed by bored children and I'll admit, probably a cranky wife,
My FIL & MIL have already visited the Chicken Itza ruins, but FIL was willing to visit again if DH wanted to do it. I think we will just all need to sit down together and have a few discussions about it to weigh our options!

Personally, i think you are over-weighting the chance that you won't dock in GC. Sure it happens, and it could happen at ANY port, but probably you will port there, and what a shame if you don't book an excursion for that port and then you do dock there. Remember, no one activity defines your trip. The whole vacation will be great, even if one event gets canceled.

Also, I think it is fine to split up some excursions and for some, keep the family together. So maybe in Cozumel you and the kids (and maybe MIL) do a beach day in Cozumel, something laid back and fun for the kids without being too much effort for you, and you husband and FIL go see the ruins. Then on GC, you all do the Dolphins as a family.

Those are my thoughts, of course, you and your husband will have to work out what works for your family.

 

[PHamrick]

We did the Dolphin Discovery in Cozumel last year. We booked on our own and were able to get a discount. Had an amazing time! My daughter was just over five when we did the encounter. We all had a great time! The photo below was taken by photographers at the encounter. We were in the water with them the whole time. She needed me to help steady her in the water especially when she got her personal encounter with the dolphin. It was one of the highlights of our trip last year!

 

[cadien]

I have to share too.

 

[MSPeeler]

Personally, i think you are over-weighting the chance that you won't dock in GC. Sure it happens, and it could happen at ANY port, but probably you will port there, and what a shame if you don't book an excursion for that port and then you do dock there. Remember, no one activity defines your trip. The whole vacation will be great, even if one event gets canceled.

Also, I think it is fine to split up some excursions and for some, keep the family together. So maybe in Cozumel you and the kids (and maybe MIL) do a beach day in Cozumel, something laid back and fun for the kids without being too much effort for you, and you husband and FIL go see the ruins. Then on GC, you all do the Dolphins as a family.

Those are my thoughts, of course, you and your husband will have to work out what works for your family.

I think we are thinking on the same lines, I'm going to bring this up and hopefully we all agree!

So do all dolphin experiences have the same joke when adult women have a turn to kiss the dolphin?

What do you mean? (EDIT* is this something I will just have to wait and see? LOL)

 

[Dug720]

I think we are thinking on the same lines, I'm going to bring this up and hopefully we all agree!



What do you mean? (EDIT* is this something I will just have to wait and see? LOL)

Don't worry... I don't get the "joke" either.

 

[cadien]

The dolphins in Cabo were trained that when it was a grown woman (or even late teens) going for the kiss, it sticks out its tongue. Well, verbal cues I assume.

 

[MSPeeler]

The dolphins in Cabo were trained that when it was a grown woman (or even late teens) going for the kiss, it sticks out its tongue. Well, verbal cues I assume.

Oh ha! I actually think that would hurt my feelings
(but I get embarrassed easily!)

 

[lklgoodman]

The dolphins in Cabo were trained that when it was a grown woman (or even late teens) going for the kiss, it sticks out its tongue. Well, verbal cues I assume.

They didn't do that at Dolphin Discovery in Cozumel, thankfully!

 

[cadien]

Oh ha! I actually think that would hurt my feelings
(but I get embarrassed easily!)

It's a 'Let's French!" move rather than a rejection move. Although now I'm wondering which I'd prefer.

 

[MSPeeler]

It's a 'Let's French!" move rather than a rejection move. Although now I'm wondering which I'd prefer.

That makes more sense! LOL

 

[Tink5747]

I have to share too.

This picture is absolutely priceless! I saw your previous post where he was just shy of 4. I'm planning for August 2018 and my son will be 4 1/2 and I was a little hesitant at first but I think I'll go for it

 

[Tink5747]

I did a search but didn't find an answer for my particular question.
I am looking at doing one of the 3 Dolphin encounters below:

• Dolphin Encounter and Dunn's River Falls in Falmouth, Jamaica
• Dolphin Discovery in Cozumel
• Cayman Dolphin Encounter in Grand Cayman Islands

Has anyone done any of these encounters?

At the time of the cruise, my kids will be 4, 10 and 12 years old.
Some excursions limit us because of my 4 year old, age wise.
Will I be required to be in the water with the 4 year old?
Is my husband able to take pictures or video at all?

Also, I see a separate "excursion" for the Dolphin Discovery Observer in Cozumel and Cayman Dolphin Observer in Grand Cayman Islands, however I do not see an Observer excursion for the Jamaica Encounter, is this because everyone in our party would be on the Dolphin Encounter even if they did not want to participate (my in-laws)?

I noticed on the website, the Jamaica encounter is only 15-minutes, which doesn't seem long enough to me. The Cozumel encounter is 40 minutes. It would appear to be a no-brainer, but the problem is that my husband and FIL want to see the Chichen Itza Ruins in Cozumel, and they are totally ruining my plans, The Cayman Island one is 30-minutes, so that's not bad and I like that we won't be gone all day...

I know we can split up, but really, who wants to do that on a family vacation.
He doesn't want to miss his kids interacting with Dolphins either.

So I guess what I'm asking boils down to, is the Dolphin Encounter in Jamaica worth it? or will I feel "cheated"? The Dunn's River Falls is definitely something we want to do anyway.

Thanks for any info or input. I know I'm long winded so thanks for reading if you got to the end!

So which port did you end up going with? I'm leaning towards Grand Cayman but never thought about the tendering issue until now.

 

[twoprincesses12]

Noticing the age of your youngest- review the age requirement for your group. Your older children would be able to do the Push Pull and Swim, but the 4 year old would be limited to the Dolphin Encounter through DCL. We did Push Pull & Swim booked directly at a great rate at Dolphin Discovery in January - our 9&7 year old DDs are excellent swimmers, but the waters were rough that day and it took the extra strength of 2 parents to keep them in place, as they were not tall enough to stand and reach from the platform in the enclosures ( the other parties in our excursion group were helpful too) . There were plenty of other acrtivities ( we visited the manatees as well) at Chakanaab park & our lunch was included. I would do more research of the park itself if it is a factor in your planning.

We did this in Cozumel because we wanted to swim with the Stingrays and see Starfish Beach in Grand Cayman - but we were unable to tender due to a "swell" caused by a distant tropical storm.

 

[Mr. Drauer]

I did a search but didn't find an answer for my particular question.
I am looking at doing one of the 3 Dolphin encounters below:

• Dolphin Encounter and Dunn's River Falls in Falmouth, Jamaica
• Dolphin Discovery in Cozumel
• Cayman Dolphin Encounter in Grand Cayman Islands

Has anyone done any of these encounters?

At the time of the cruise, my kids will be 4, 10 and 12 years old.
Some excursions limit us because of my 4 year old, age wise.
Will I be required to be in the water with the 4 year old?
Is my husband able to take pictures or video at all?

Also, I see a separate "excursion" for the Dolphin Discovery Observer in Cozumel and Cayman Dolphin Observer in Grand Cayman Islands, however I do not see an Observer excursion for the Jamaica Encounter, is this because everyone in our party would be on the Dolphin Encounter even if they did not want to participate (my in-laws)?

I noticed on the website, the Jamaica encounter is only 15-minutes, which doesn't seem long enough to me. The Cozumel encounter is 40 minutes. It would appear to be a no-brainer, but the problem is that my husband and FIL want to see the Chichen Itza Ruins in Cozumel, and they are totally ruining my plans, The Cayman Island one is 30-minutes, so that's not bad and I like that we won't be gone all day...

I know we can split up, but really, who wants to do that on a family vacation.
He doesn't want to miss his kids interacting with Dolphins either.

So I guess what I'm asking boils down to, is the Dolphin Encounter in Jamaica worth it? or will I feel "cheated"? The Dunn's River Falls is definitely something we want to do anyway.

Thanks for any info or input. I know I'm long winded so thanks for reading if you got to the end!

The Dolphin Encounter in Jamaica is pretty short and simple - you are really only standing on a platform in the water about thigh high and each person gets to have the dolphin come over to perform a few commands and give you a kiss. This is the easiest of the three and there is no need for anyone to be an observer only. The other ones can involve being in the water on a platform with varying wave heights or swimming (the push pull swim) with them in the open water. Pretty sure that they won't let a 4-year old do that one anyhow, and the 4 year old might not be tall enough to stand in the water at Cozumel. My daughter was about that age (might have been 5) and did not want to do it at Dolphinaris in Cozumel, even though i was holding her on my hip. She loved it in Jamaica when she was 7 though.

 

[adg06]

So, this is not firsthand experience from me, but from a close friend of mine, whom I trust wholeheartedly. She said their experience at Dolphin Cove in Jamaica was horrendous.

Her words: "I would choose a dolphin adventure at another port. Dolphin cove was super ghetto. There is an upcharge for everything, the snorkel equipment that they tried to rent us was dirty, there were panhandlers that tried to trick the KIDS into giving money, it was nothing like what was portrayed on the website."

Just one person's experience, but something to consider.

 

[CM Dad]

The ones that are too young to do an encounter when booking through DCL may or may not be allowed to actually do the encounter. We just did the Eastern Caribbean with our kids an grandkids (youngest to granddaughters were only 2). So the two parents booked the Observer version. This was on Tortola. When we meet on the ship, there was someone there from the excursion operator that told my daughters that the two little ones could do the encounter for free, and that they could upgrade their excursion to encounter by paying the price difference once we arrived.

Participants were not permitted to take any pictures of their own, but the operator had a photographer and they would gladly sell you a CD. For 15 people in our group, the CD was almost $650, in addition to the price of the excursion. You are not supposed to wear any sunscreen to avoid harming the dolphins, and everyone ended up with at least some sunburn.

 

[ChicosWife]

They didn't do that at Dolphin Discovery in Cozumel, thankfully!

For those that did the Dolphin Discovery in Cozumel, what is the transportation situation? Is it a taxi or shuttle? If it is a taxi, is that included in the price of the excursion, if booked through DCL?