Has anyone done the banana boat ride on CC?

[disneyfool_1202]

We just booked the banana boat ride for a bunch of us in our party (all over the age limit). DH is on the list, but he can't swim. I know he'll have a life vest on, but on one web site the excursion noted that participants must be able to swim. Disney Cruise Line's site didn't say anything about having to be able to swim. None of us have ever done this before so we don't know if it's safe / okay for DH or if he shoud sit this one out. The rest of us are good swimmers.

 

[calmom]

We just booked the banana boat ride for a bunch of us in our party (all over the age limit). DH is on the list, but he can't swim. I know he'll have a life vest on, but on one web site the excursion noted that participants must be able to swim. Disney Cruise Line's site didn't say anything about having to be able to swim. None of us have ever done this before so we don't know if it's safe / okay for DH or if he shoud sit this one out. The rest of us are good swimmers.

Haven't done it there, buy my DH and sons did it at another port. Hmmm...seems to me you could fall off, it would be a little anxiety provoking. A life jacket is there to save your life, not necessarily help you swim. Does he feel comfortable hanging out in the water with a life jacket? If he does, I'd think no worries. If he doesn't, well, guess I'd pass because if he did fall off, he'd might panic and make the situation worse. Seems to me it wouldn't be relaxing if you were concerned about falling off. HOWEVER I haven't done it on CC, so maybe someone will be able to provide some insight who has done it and doesn't know how to swim. Maybe it is built so there is no way to fall off?
Lisa

 

[nenner1]

We've done it...
I think they say that in case you fall off the boat or if the boat flips over for any reason.....basically will he panic or will he be OK to remain calm and tread water or float.

**Not that it is a common or likely occurrence.**

You do have to wear life jackets, so if he will be comfortable with that, he should be fine. I found the ride- although lots of fun is not anywhere as bouncy as I had hoped. We were more "skimming" the waves than actually bouncing over them. And it is over pretty quick. You idle from the beach out past the boat and past the rocks into the deeper water, where then they accelerate the boat and the "bumpy" part of the ride begins. You go parallel to the family beach-only bout halfway, turn around and go back. Then you idle in....that's it. It's over quick.

As far as the PP said, though you can fall off if you do not hold on tight and keep your balance. It literally is two inflatable bananas. They are connected with a strip in the middle, where you can plant your foot on that side to assist you in keeping your balance. You basically straddle the banana and hang on to a handle in front of you.....that's it. No belts, no backrest or anything like that. And while you're riding it feels like you may fly off to one side or another depending on which way the boat is going and how the banana boat hits the waves, but you don't. Or..at least nobody did when we were there!

Here is a pic I took of my DH on the banana boat when we were there.... we were on the very back two seats of the banana (by choice, we felt the bumps would be more pronounced back there)...and unfortunately this photo doesn't show you much of the boat but it can give you an idea of how you are positioned on it and how there are no supports, etc.:

And one other tip, though they tell you not to wear sunglasses, be aware that the sea spray that hits your face is painful to your eyes, and I had to squint and then basically shut mine the entire ride. So bring a cheap pair of sunglasses that you would not be devastated if you lost to wear on the ride....or even goggles! It will make it much more enjoyable. And if you are concerned, definitely pick seats in the middle of the banana, not at the front or back.

Hope that info helps you!!!! We are going back on the banana boat next cruise!!

 

[PenskeSth1]

DH and I did this a couple times and he cannot swim very well. He didn't seem to worried. He always sits up front while I sit more to the back. (I'm the one that ended up in the water). Were doing it again in Dec.

 

[Capt_BJ]

I'm saying this to scare but

First, anyone who can not swim should NEVER rely on a life jacket to save them. This comes from one who first worked as a lifeguard over 35 years ago, stopped counting how many rescues they made long ago as their career was essentially the same job... If you can't swim you should not be in water deeper than your ankles....period.

Second, I'm a lover of the banana boat and it has rubbed off on my kids. And the most fun thing to us is causing the thing to bounce and tip and do we fall off YES WE DO .... might others YES. You might think us evil people but we are not alone.... The banana will be towed out into the open ocean...outside of the protected bay waters near the ship. On most days there will be at least a little ocean swell - aka waves - the boat WILL bounce unless they tow it at 2 mph, and what fun is that? All it takes is a little experience and you'll know how to make a little bounce turn into a BIG bounce....

So, one falls off and what happens? The boat stops and circles around to get you and you need to climb on. The jacket keeps you up reasonably well....but know the diferent in types of lifejackets? The type used on this ride will not turn a body from face down to face up.... And the boat may get close, but the person in the water really needs to swim to the banana....how much of a non-swimmer are we talking?

Even if there are no loonies like my family and I ... one MAY fall off and I'll return to my first point: people who can not swim should not go in water deeper than their ankles. For THEIR good....not mine.

My record is causing everyone to fall off the BB 7 times before the operator finally gave up and took us back. But that was an all adult group who knew each other well....we were ALL working to be the one who caused the spill!

 

[michiganmom1]

Our family of 4 just did the banana boat ride last week at Castaway Cay. They warn you to lean into the center of the boat to prevent falling off. They also warned us that if one person goes over, usually everyone on that side will go over. With that said, we did not have any problem staying on the boat. Just be aware that they take you out into open water past the cruise ship, and if you fall off, you will have to be able to help yourself back on. However, we felt very safe. There was one person driving the boat that was pulling the banana boat, and one person in the boat as a spotter. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Echo queen]

Our family of 4 just did the banana boat ride last week at Castaway Cay. They warn you to lean into the center of the boat to prevent falling off. They also warned us that if one person goes over, usually everyone on that side will go over. With that said, we did not have any problem staying on the boat. Just be aware that they take you out into open water past the cruise ship, and if you fall off, you will have to be able to help yourself back on. However, we felt very safe. There was one person driving the boat that was pulling the banana boat, and one person in the boat as a spotter. Good luck and have fun!

This all works fine as long as there are not people on the banana that know how to make you all fall off, we where on with those people, I wish I had a picture of us flying through the air. One minute I was screaming, the next, so deep in the ocean I thought I would never get to the surface. It was a wild ride and I loved it. My dh and ds 11 years at the time didn't like it that much(non swimmers). They rode back in the boat, I got back on the banana .

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I was dissapointed at how tame it was, I thought we would have got tipped, all very safety,safety,safety, prob do it again, but wearing goggoles is an ace tip, I would not bother but would get my kiddy to.
Must be your luck depending on how you look at it!

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

Here is a pic I took of my DH on the banana boat when we were there.... we were on the very back two seats of the banana (by choice, we felt the bumps would be more pronounced back there)...and unfortunately this photo doesn't show you much of the boat but it can give you an idea of how you are positioned on it and how there are no supports, etc.:

I was dissapointed at how tame it was, I thought we would have got tipped, all very safety,safety,safety, prob do it again, but wearing goggoles is an ace tip, I would not bother but would get my kiddy to.
Must be your luck depending on how you look at it!

Okay...you guys must have had the tame operators....my friend and I did the banana boat ride back in September 2006 (11 night southern caribbean cruise) and I know I literally kissed the ground when we finally returned. Our driver took us out past the ship and we were bouncing around so much that just about everyone ended up in the middle of the banana boat....I was told it was a tame fun ride and ours certainly was not. I for one will NEVER ride one again. As for riding the banana boat not knowing how to swim...I wouldn't recommend it....we were pretty far out from the ship when we rode it.

Jen...I have no idea how you were able to take a picture during your ride....we all had both hands firmly wrapped around the handles hanging on for dear life!!!!!!

 

[nenner1]

Jen...I have no idea how you were able to take a picture during your ride....we all had both hands firmly wrapped around the handles hanging on for dear life!!!!!!

It was actually after the *real* part of the ride...as we were coming back in!

I do admit even though I called it tame I was hangin on tight!!!

 

[Mickeyhugger]

We just booked the banana boat ride for a bunch of us in our party (all over the age limit). DH is on the list, but he can't swim. I know he'll have a life vest on, but on one web site the excursion noted that participants must be able to swim. Disney Cruise Line's site didn't say anything about having to be able to swim. None of us have ever done this before so we don't know if it's safe / okay for DH or if he shoud sit this one out. The rest of us are good swimmers.

If he can not swim he does not need to be in the water at all. What if something went terribly wrong and he drowned? That would haunt you for the rest of your life. I know life is full of risks and I am paying for that as I write this with a broken back from a moto-cross accident. Do not take unnecessary risks unless you are willing to pay the price.( I have been riding for over 27 years with only a broken knuckle till now...that one last jump got me and I will more than likely never work in my job field again)

Rob

 

[disneyfool_1202]

I totally appreciate everyone's opinions. I've decided (not giving DH a choice here) that it's just too risky and I don't want to spend the entire ride anxious over his safety. I want to enjoy it and know he's okay- safe and sound, with both feet on the sand.
Maybe this will prompt him to take swimming lessons when we enroll the kids next year!

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I've only done one bananna boat in the Bahamas. The ride was pretty tame BUT there was sooooo much spray in my family's face we couldn't see a darn thing. It felt like someone had a hose in our faces. Our faces were scrunched up tight we must have looked like we were eating lemons. It wasn't fun at all.

Is there a lot of spray on DCL's boats?

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay...you guys must have had the tame operators....my friend and I did the banana boat ride back in September 2006 (11 night southern caribbean cruise) and I know I literally kissed the ground when we finally returned. Our driver took us out past the ship and we were bouncing around so much that just about everyone ended up in the middle of the banana boat....I was told it was a tame fun ride and ours certainly was not. I for one will NEVER ride one again. As for riding the banana boat not knowing how to swim...I wouldn't recommend it....we were pretty far out from the ship when we rode it.

Jen...I have no idea how you were able to take a picture during your ride....we all had both hands firmly wrapped around the handles hanging on for dear life!!!!!!

Oh dear God!!!! We did the banana boat ride last August. I also kissed the ground when we got back. My dd had done one at a dude ranch so was familier with it. Dh and I had never done one before. So, on we get. We were seated with another couple and their dd. The other mom and my dh got the front 'seats', then the two girls (my dd in front of me, other girl in front of her dad) and then the other dad and myself..with the rest of the group behind us. Well...our driver was crazed. The other dad and I were each holding onto our dd's lifejackets because they were bouncing all over the place, and holding ourselves on with our remaining one hand!! I wish we had had someone videotaping us. This other dad and I decided that there had to be some cultures somplace that would consider us mated for life due to the contortions we ended up in together. I actually considered throwing myself off the darn thing, as did the other dad, but we were worried about what our dd's would do!!! When we stumbled to the beach, and I do mean stumbled....my dd just turned to me and said, and I quote..."If you ever, ever make me do such a thing again, I am reporting you to DSS...you should be ashamed of making your child go through that kind of thing!!!!" The other girl turned to her dad and said.."Yeah, what she said!!" Too funny. The driver just laughed at us. In hindsight, it was fun, a real memory maker. But our ride was definatly on the wild side.

 

[Tarabra]

My first time on the banana boat at CC was a BLAST!! It was pulled by a jet-ski and was really moving! I was closer to the front on that one so not sure if that made a difference. I was afraid of falling off and breaking my neck or something. The whole rest of the day, I kept saying to my husband (who is a little fearful of the water and didn't go), "That was so AWESOME!!!" On the ride after us, a plus sized woman did fall off. When their boat pulled up, the lady was sitting in the middle. Her daughters got off and ran up to their dad laughing hysterically and said, "Mom fell off!!!" and did a skimming motion w/ their hands. The mom then went over to the little booth and told them she wanted to tell them what a good job the guys did w/ getting her out of the water. She goes, "I just told them to leave me out there because I'm too heavy to lift." Needless to say, they didn't do that.

On my 2nd ride at CC, we were being pulled by a little boat and it just wasn't nearly as much fun. I actually think maybe because the waves were a little bigger and we were going slower just sort of bobbing over them. The time before, there were smaller waves and we were jumping them. Although this time, another Plus sized woman sat right in front of me, or should I say, right on top of my hands. She didn't speak English so when I kept asking her to move up, she didn't. Maybe she just couldn't hear me out there, but man, there was a permanent indentation of my rings on my fingers!! Ouch! Definitely not as much fun, but I've signed up again for our next cruise.

FYI - As I mentioned, DH isn't crazy about the water, although he can swim, and when we were snorkeling at CC, his inflatable life vest they gave us deflated. He panicked and wasn't even over his head yet, so he never came out. You def. need to be a strong swimmer to snorkle. I am, and it was a lot of work. You do have a regular life jacket when you do the Banana Boat though.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

I've only done one bananna boat in the Bahamas. The ride was pretty tame BUT there was sooooo much spray in my family's face we couldn't see a darn thing. It felt like someone had a hose in our faces. Our faces were scrunched up tight we must have looked like we were eating lemons. It wasn't fun at all.

Is there a lot of spray on DCL's boats?

yes a lot of spray and it stings

 

[sandiegosusie]

My DH, DS (15), and myself rode the bananna boat. It was soooo fun! I don't think I would take a non-swimmer though. I don't think I will take my DD(8) when we go next year. It is just a little crazyfor younger children IMO.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

We went twice last time. The first time, it was a blast and the kids (DS 11 and 9 at the time) had a great time. The sea was too smooth, so the operators kept going in circles to try to use the boat's wake to add more bounce. The second time, it was very boring as their was an older couple (late 60's or early 70's) on board and the operators seemed to take it very easy for them. I think if you indicate that you're timid, that you'll get a tamer ride.

 

[outahere]

Personally, if I could not swim, I would not do the banana boat ride. The one time we did it at CC, a couple of people fell off and had a very difficult time getting back on - deep water, nothing to stand on.

Also..... swimmer or not...... DO NOT have any sunscreen on your legs if you go on the ride. It is VERY slippery once you get wet. I would even advise trying to rinse off your seat prior to getting on, in case there is left over sunscreen from someone else.

Goggles are a great idea.... we used them and it was much better than keeping our eyes closed for most of the ride.

 

[Hypermommy]

And the most fun thing to us is causing the thing to bounce and tip and do we fall off YES WE DO .... might others YES.

You sound like my kind of person -- evil!!!!

This other dad and I decided that there had to be some cultures somplace that would consider us mated for life due to the contortions we ended up in together.

Oh, this is hilarious!!!!

Goggles are a great idea.... we used them and it was much better than keeping our eyes closed for most of the ride.

Never thought about needing them but it makes perfect sense. Will have to pick up a few pair at the dollar store.

Thanks for this thread! I'm going to make sure to read it to the kids when I get home.