HELP! I have to book excursions on Tuesday!

[tchrmom]

OK......I need someone who has been to Key West/Grand Cayman/Cozumel to help me.....fast! Here is the situation. We are first time cruisers. We are a family of 4. Kids' ages are 10 and 6. We can book our excursions this Tuesday. Is it suggested that we book one of thses excursions? Or, can we get off the tender, and find a taxi, and ask them to take us to a place we can rent a jetski.....etc. Our 6 year old is a little "leary" of snorkeling. I'd hate to have to commit to an excursion and have her back out. What we'd really enjoy doing is snorkling and jet sking. Can anyone offer some advice? I'd also LOVE to do the Sting-ray city thing.....but again, I'm afraid my daughter will chicken out. ANY tips/suggestions would be appreciated!!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[vacationqueen]

Hey. We are kind of in the same boat and looks like we will be on the same cruise as I book Tuesday as well. I have two more days to change my mind but as of now we have done the trolley tours several times in other cities and it is a fun way to see all the "major" highlights of a city quickly. I will book that and then go to the aquarium on my own to get tickets. I am not sure it that is something dh and dd will do without me while I shop` or if I will get three tickets. Then its shop and watch the sunset.

We too are very interested in Stingray City. I now have my nine year old happy with this. My problem now is do we do the Stingray City only or combine it with the turtle farm

No doubt that I am doing Xcaret. My whole family is looking forward to that.

Lastly, at CC, there is not a whole lot to do there. We went in 98. That will be our true "Beach Day".

This is the best I could come up with until our new best friends return from the 11th cruise. Maybe one of them will realize how anxious we are and just post from the ship

 

[tchrmom]

Vacationqueen......
I'm wondering how possible it is to
walk off the ship" and do my own tour. Do you know if this a possibility?
61 days to go!

 

[momdoc]

We took a NCL cruise over Christmas, which stopped at Grand Caymen. We, too, wanted to go to Stingray City. After posting on the NCL boards we learned about an operation called Captain Marvins which is not affliiated with any cruise line. It was absolutely fabulous!! They have a web site so you can reserve tickets on-line. It is very reasonable ($36pp, I think). They are located right by the port where the tenders take you. You walk to their shop and they drive you to the boat. They have 2 guides that go with you. The group is only about 30 (max), I think--MUCH smaller than the other groups we saw visiting Stingray City. They first take you to a reef to snorkel and then on to Stingray City. It is a WONDERFUL excursion. Everyone is so nice and helpful and they provide all the equipment. They are VERY established and have a wonderful reputation. We would do it again in a New York minute!! PS They also have someone videoing (sp?) the excursion with an underwater camera. We bought it and it has been a lot of fun for our son to watch again and again.

 

[momdoc]

by the way--my son is only 3 1/2--Obviously he didn't snorkel but had a lot of fun being held by Dad at Stingray City and watching the Stingrays swim by him!! There was also a developmentally delayed boy who was about 11yo. He did wonderfully as well.

 

[tchrmom]

Thanks momdoc!
That's the exactly the type of info I was looking for!!!! Do you remember the website that you ordered tickets from????