Dolphins or Sting Rays for 5yo?

[Travelingmice]

We are sailing on the 11/5/05 western Magic. DS will be 6 in December. Has anyone done either a Dolphin or Sting Ray excursion on the Western and have any input as to which would be better? Thanks!

 

[RKB]

I would say that it depends on how daring he is. For his age I would think the Dolphin Encounter (where the dolphin comes up and kisses you on the cheek). The Dolphin also jumps, etc.. and does tricks. As for the stingrays - many adults are freaked out by them. There is no way my DS at 5 would have went near them. My DS at age 10 was clinging to me the whole time... our family friend (adult) said she would never do it again! The stingrays come right up to you and brush against you. They are very large and feel like wet rubber. I thought they were very cool.... so hard to tell what each individual will think.

 

[got2gp]

Another vote for dolphins. Those rays, while quite cool, can freak some people out. They tend to swarm around the food and it can be very chaotic. The dolphin encounters are much more controlled, and who doesn't love Flipper?!

 

[spotdog]

I vote for the dolphins, too. Unless your child is a confident swimmer, the water on the stingray excursion swells to well over the head of a short adult. Stingrays also remain underwater, so unless your child is comfortable with swim goggles or can seal a snorkel mask (really difficult for a 5yo), I would stick with the dolphins.

Dolphins are cute, friendly and scare almost no one.

 

[TumFamily]

I just got back from the Wonder and we did the dolphin encounter. It was absolutely the highlight of our trip. Although, my 9 year old was afraid. She got in the water but would not kiss or hug the dolphin. It is an amazing experience!!!!!!!!!!

 

[daisymae]

My family did both the stingrays and the dolphin swim. Both trips are fantastic, but on the stingray excursion, my boys (10) were a little nervous - loved it but stayed on our backs when we were in the water. The stingrays swim up against you much like a cat rubs against you when it's hungry. My 10 year old daughter loved it and was right in the water. I'd say a 6 year old might get nervous, but you know your child best. Even if he doesn't get into the water, it is still awesome to see these creatures from the boat. There was a young boy (5?) in our boat - never entered the water - but still seemed excited to see the stingrays from his seat. The dolphin encounter was incredible but we did the dolphin swim (not able to book through DCL and I think you need to be at least 8). For $99 we spent a lot more time in the water with the dolphins than the cruises' excursions - and with a much smaller group of people. Have fun!

 

[twinglez]

My al,ost 5 y/o twins did a stingray event while at another location. It was very low key and the LOVED it!! Still are talking about it today, 1 month later. With ours tho, my kids got inthe water with the sting rays, petted them., fed them etc along with being able to touch eels, sea cucmbers, starfish, sponges etc. We haven't done a dolphin one with them yet, but if they can get IN the water with them, they will have fun. OUr stingray acted like a puppy and came up to their ankles and flapped at them wanting to be petted!!

While going thru pix, my kids also tell me all the names of the fish.

Good luck choosing.

 

[StuartMI]

Yes, I would recommend the mahi mahi -- err Dolphin for your kids

 

[Evans Family]

We were on the 4/9 Western and did Captain Marvin's 2 hr tour of Stingray City. We have 4-1/2 and 7-1/2 year old boys. Both of them LOVED it. It was a fabulous experience. They loved being able to stand up on the sandbar and were not AT ALL scared of the rays. Both of them got "up close and personal" with them and fed them. Neither of them had done anything like this before. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I would vote for Stringray City. We will ABSOLUTELY go back if we ever have the fortunate opportunity to visit Grand Caymen again.

 

[Colonial traveler]

We were on the April 23rd Western with our 6 year old - will be 7 in December. Let me throw another option to you. On Grand Cayman we did the Stingray Observatory and Island Tour. They drive you to a boat, you boat to a moored "semi-submersible" - looks like a large catamaran where you go down into the hulls and sit on a bench with a window on either side. You can observe the stingrays (and "Chili" the baracuda who hangs around under the boat) while a diver goes in to feed them and attracts them by the windows for a close view. We didn't think our daughter would be able to do the encounter in the water with the stingrays. After this they take you to Hell (even the driver said it wasn't much) then to the Grand Cayman Turtle Farm - my daughter (and my wife - a teacher) enjoyed this also. Then back to the dock. Then on Cozumel, we did the Dophin encounter (not the swim with the dophins - but the encounter) and our daughter enjoyed that very much. She wouldn't kiss the dolphin but got in the water and touched/petted it - I had to basically hold her down as she is so small she kept floating away in her lifejacket. So, you can do a stingray view where you don't get wet and then you can do the dolphin encounter in the water.

 

[UGAFan0829]

I have to also throw in my vote for the Dolphins. We did the Encounter in Nassau and LOVED it. I do want to do the stringrays on our next cruise, but for a little one I would think the dolphins would be better.