Dophin Encounter Question

[JRoglitz]

We are interested in taking our DD (5) on the Dolphine Encounter in October. Since we are only on a 3 day cruise we wanted to do the encounter and then head back to the ship and relax. What time can you expect to be back to the ship after this excursion and would it be better to book through a different company or go directly through Disney? Thanks!

 

[jel0511]

I believe the first Dolphin Encounter one can make from the ship is around 11AM, which is the one DCL books their excursions on. You leave the ship around 9AM to catch the ferry to Blue Lagoon. The first ferry back is 1:30 from Blue Lagoon, to come back to the ship. The ferry ride is 45 minutes long, and it's about a 15 minute walk from the ship to the ferry pick up in Nassau. So, you'll be back on board around 2:30 or so. If you book this excursion privately, you'll have to taxi over to Pleasure Island to catch the ferry there, and have to taxi back. You'll probably be on the same ferry, since I think they run every 30 minutes or so. It's a long trek for the 5 or so minutes you get with the Dolphins on the Encounter.

 

[tawasdave]

We were on the 04/04/04 Wonder...and did the dolphin encounter...the first boat back was at 2 pm...the boat first stops at Paradise Island..so if you wanted to get off there and look around you can...but then we were back to downtown Nassau at 3 pm....Have a great time...also..a couple tips...One..they do have lockers at the encounter for your personal stuff...but they are very small...two..the place that you do the encouter is covered..so was kinda cool when we did it..but they do have wet suits for you...three..if you plan on taking pictures it is almost impossible to get good pics if you all do the encounter together (they take you in groups of 8 or 9 at a time)...you may want to have part of the family do the encounter with one group and another part with another group..so you can get good pics..otherwise if you all do it together you are to close to each other to get much for pics...or you could just do what we did and spring for the video...Four..if you you do buy the video...tell them you want it then go eat lunch..and come back and get it...we waited around for the video and then did not have time for lunch before the boat left...the line for lunch moves soooooooooooooooo slow...that part was very disorganized and frustrating...you would think doing it every day they would have it down to a science...but they kept running out of things...Other wise..great experiance...

 

[JRoglitz]

Thanks for the info. How much was your video and was it worth getting? Did you get any of the the pictures that they take of you? Did you book your excursion with Disney?

 

[S. C.]

If you book on your own you do have to take a taxi over to paradise island, between the 2 bridges is where you catch the ferry to blue lagoon.
After Just tell them you are from the ship, the ferry makes a quick stop at paradise island and then will take you back to the ship dock. We did this last year. Have a great time.

 

[tawasdave]

when we went..it was just me and my ds 15 and dd 12...I never intended to buy the video, but I could not get any good pictures..then the dolphin decided my ds was going to be his victim to pick on..it was way to funny..so then I had to buy the video...I did not buy any of the pics they offered..they were nice...but to expensive..We did book through Disney..and actually about 3 weeks before we left Disney called and said our excursion was cancelled..then a week later called and said it was back on..not real sure why. Yes I feel since I could not get any really good pics that the video was worth it. I believe it cost $28 but don't hold me to that...course we had to buy souvenier T-shirts too...