Shore Excursions for Western

[snelsonbrown]

Hi everybody,
This is Shirley, you know the ol' conch from Key West?
Anyhow please know that I still have a great deal of information that is yours just for sending for them - the only cost involved is sending me a self addressed 9" manilla envelope and I will see to it that you get it back as quickly as they are mailed to me - there are no strings attached and as I have said NO you do NOT have to buy a baskets etc to receive this Key West package.
I also take every chance to express the way tee shirt shops are in Key West - to be extrememly careful and make sure you know what you are being charged and WHAT FOR before any transactions are made - they are rip-offs big time -
If you are interested in the Key West packages, you are most welcomed to write me at snelsonbrown@aol.com.
Meanwhile have a great time making plans for that special cruise.
Always
Shirley

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Hi kdmkdm7.

Nikki"s Horseback Riding?

Telephone (345) 945-5839

Cell phone (345) 916-3530

E-mail nikiride@candw.ky

 

[laurenk]

Can someone please give me the link for the speed boats in Key West?

Thanks!

 

[Disney Debbie]

I have a question for Buckaroo's Dad ---- Did you enjoy the tour of the rum factory???

 

[Verniebird]

Hi Lauren....here is the link for Key West Jungle Tour Mini-Speedboats


http://www.jungletour.com/

 

[laurenk]

Thanks!!

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Hi Disney Debbie.

Did you enjoy the tour of the rum factory???

lol!

 

[MarkRG]

Well, they must have cleaned up things some, BD.

We *just* got back from Grand Cayman. We took the Stingray City and Discover Cayman tour. It was great! I will admit that the bus ride to locations is mostly that, a bus ride, but they do drop some interesting things of note like the Governor's Residence, the oldest house on the island, the first dive shop, etc. And it is a nice air conditioned bus. Hell, is.... well, hell. Once you go there, you'll get where the name came from, it really looks like hell. And I'm not talking about the condition of the place either. Think of it as a point of interest in a Wisconsin Dells type of way. Interesting, and good for a laugh as well. Now, the other two stops are NOT TO BE MISSED, I cannot stress this enough. The Turtles are very high on the cute factor. Seeing so many of different sizes/ages and being able to interact with young ones is a priceless experience. The Stingrays is another matter entirely. I really can't put words to the effect of sharing the water with these gentle beings of the ocean. And they are very gentle, except if you're right where the feed bucket is. How much you interact with them is entirely up to you. They are not naturally pushy, or defensive. They will just 'fly' thru the water all around you, brushing you gently on occasion. Now, don't go imaginging swarms of them; that is not the case, there are very many, but I never had more than one or two around me at any time in the water. Highly comfortable of human handling. I held at least 6 on my own. They have no more aggression than any domestic housepet. I still really can't totally find words for the experience. I'd never reccommend the other look thru the stationary thing. I'd first say go on the full stingray tour and just stay on the boat if it really bothers you. I can guarantee you will probably be in the water with them before too long. It is just an incredible experience and one I am so glad to have done. They are not in the least scary. And don't worry about the depth; the sandbar is only about 3 feet deep or so for most of it. If you're on the Western, this Grand Cayman tour is not to be missed.

 

[3Dbunch]

Hey i have a question for the Captain Marvin tours is the 9 to 3 full day tour something that can fit into the ships stay ? I made reservations today for the 9 to 3 tour .

Marvins site for any who need it
http://www.captainmarvins.com/

 

[Cdolan]

When we were in Grand Cayman, the last tender was 4:30 p.m. - if the excursion gets in on time, and they will if they know people need to board the tenders, you should be OK. It's only about a 10 minute van ride to the dock of the boats. One thing to remember - when you return to the pier, you will see a mile long line for tenders for ALL THE OTHER SHIPS. DISNEY HAS IT'S OWN ROYAL BLUE AWNING AND TENDER JUST TO THE LEFT OF THE OTHER LINE WHEN YOU ARE COMING BACK INTO THE PIER AREA. So bypass the first mile long line, and look for the Disney awning. Have fun, the Stingrays are a blast.

 

[tezb]

How long does the tendering at Grand Cayman actually take? We are thinking of booking the Stingray City Snorkel Tour...not sure w/ DCL or Capt marvins. Does anyone know if the catamaran is different on the DCL tour? I think I heard some are double deck and some are flat platform. Isn't the flat platform better? Any info would be appreciated....

thanks...

 

[Cdolan]

The tendering time going from the ship to the pier could be 10 minutes, could be twenty. Depends on what other tender boats are in the water and what docks are available. So the earlier, the better. We used Captain Bryans and were not disappointed. The comments I heard about DCL were that it was more expensive, and more crowded. I would assume that is because they have to provide "entertainment/excursions" to lots of people on the ship, and have to plan accordingly. What if everyone on the ship wanted to use DCL on a particular day I guess. Better be prepared. The tenders back to the ship are in a hurry to get in and get out, and they work for Disney. No slouches there. Hope this helps.

 

[3Dbunch]

Just got a email back from Capt Bryan saying he could not tell me for sure we could do his 9 to 2 tour unless it was full . Guess i will go with Capt Marvins 9 to 3 all day as this seems to be the thing to see in The Caymans here is the link

http://216.119.68.108/secureres/index.html?loadfile=catalog1_0.html

 

[ReadyForDisney2003]

Verniebird . . .

What time did you book the speedboats in Key West. The website shows 9:00, 12:00 and 3:00. But, the ship arrives at 12:30.

I'll probably do this. How long from the dock to the rental place. Did you stop for snorkeling?

 

[Verniebird]

Hi Ready.....we took the 3pm tour. We rented an electric car and drove over the bridge (which the electric cars are not supposed to do). It is about 6 miles from the dock. The electric car only went 15mph and are meant to stay pretty close to the town proper. Better to rent a taxi and have them drive you. I have to say, the electric car was hysterical and my son Conor and I are still laughing at the ride there. We were done with the speedboats and drove back to Mallory Square by about 6:30pm just in time for the sunset street fair. I just loved Key West and the speedboats were a lot of fun. Be prepared to get a little wet. And yes, we did snorkel during the tour.

 

[ReadyForDisney2003]

Cool. So, you just had dinner in Mallory Square and missed your dining that night?

I wish I knew what rotation I had before I decide if I want to miss anything!

 

[tezb]

Verniebird,...I have teen boys...do you think they will enjoy the Speedboat excursion? It looks fine, esp since we can drive. Do you know how old you have to be to drive? My oldest is 17 w/ a drivers license.

 

[Verniebird]

Hi Ready....we actually had the late dinner seating so we did make it to dinner. We were really tired, but we made it.

Hi Tezb......I think it would depend on the tour guide. Technically, they did not want any unlicensed drivers but because no one else showed up for our tour and we had a private tour with Matt, they did let Conor (who is 12) do the gas, while I steered. After we got out to the open water, Conor did steer the boat occasionally also.

If you call Jungletours, ask them about the age limit to drive the boats. The tour guide told us that the boats were specially made by the owner and cannot tip over. The boat would only fit 2 adults so if both of your boys wanted to go, one of them would have to drive. I cant say enough about the tour. And you can download a $10 off coupon from their website. Also, the tour guide does expect a tip so keep that in mind. Our guide was really awesome so we were pretty generous with our tip