Stingray Snorkeling Excursions Question

[eeyoredisneynurse]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows what the difference is between DCL's Stingray City Snorkel Tour and the Stingray City Reef Sail & Snorkel Tour in Grand Cayman on the Western cruise? There is a $5 price difference between the 2 tours, but I can't really tell if there are any other differences. If anyone can help, I would appreciate it. Our tour is a little over 60 days away now (yea!), and I'm trying to decide on our excursions. Thanks!

 

[xnascar2x]

BUMP

 

[tracejmc]

Just got back from the Western Magic Cruise on Saturday and we are sporting some serious Caribbean tans. It was an incredible vacation and was even better than we could have imagined. We did the Stingray City Snorkel Tour booked through DCL. It was excellent. And I would highly recommend it to anyone. The difference in the two is that the one we did is in waist high water but the Reef Sail & Snorkel Tour I have heard is in much deeper water and more like actual snorkeling. On the one we went on we didn't even need the mask and snorkel even though my boys wanted to use them and did. The Stingrays were everywhere. It was a pleasant boat ride too on a nice double-decker. We had beautiful weather the entire cruise!

Hope that helped!

Tracy

 

[mickeymo]

We were also on the 3/13 Magic but, we did the reef sail and snorkel. It was a really nice catamaran ride out to a reef. The water is about 16-20 deep, so there isn't really any interaction with the stingrays unless you dive down to feed them. It was a perfect excursion for my dd6, because she was able to watch the sting rays and check out the reef without them getting up close and personal.

 

[Captain Jim]

We just returned from the 3/13 too and did the tour. Hell first, then the Turtle Farm, then the stingrays. Hell was a total tourist trap and a waste of time, but the Turtle Farm made it worth the stop, as long as you don't stop and think why they are really raising these turtles. That place was great. The kids loved it. Snorkeling was so much fun. The only problem was that it didn't last long enough. We would have loved to have stayed in the water another hour.

 

[din]

captain jim. thanks for the trip info. We will be doing that in about three weeks. I have heard about Hell being a tourist trap but I have a question, did you send your self a post card from Hell? I was told you could do that.

Also, was the whole trip really 2.5 hours as posted?

 

[mickeymo]

Captain Jim, you were probably on the island tour and snorkel with my in-laws. They too, felt Hell was a waste of time but, they thought the turtle farm was o.k. - not much to see in their opinion.

Suprisingly, my fil enjoyed the stingray experience. Married to their son for 15 years, I've never seen him in a swimsuit let alone in the water. He left on that tour saying he would just watch my mil. My mil talked over and over how one of the guides put a sting ray on her back while she was swimming - that was the highlight of her experience.

 

[mickeymo]

sorry, forgot to add my fil did get in the water with the sting rays...

 

[eeyoredisneynurse]

Thanks everyone -- especially tracejmc-- the information about the waist-high water vs. the deeper water is just the information that I needed!

 

[Tera]

Very good information on the difference, especially if your traveling with kids. My DD10 & DD12 will probably prefer the waist deep water versus having to dive down to see the stingrays.

 

[din]

Bumping up for Captain Jim:

One additional question poped in my mind while I am at work.... shows you where my thoughts are...

The stingray portion of the excursion, is it the waist deep water or it is deep. I have two DS who would feel more comfortable with waist high water.

 

[traycie2201]

Hi, If you do the Stingray City Snorkel Tour you will be in water about 3 - 6 ft deep so suitable for all, the other excursion which is called stingray city reef and snorkel , used to be called 7 mile sail and snorkel and doesn't have a stop at the sandbar it is a different experience, i'll be going for the stingray interaction, did it at discovery cove and it's fab. I'll even be able to get my non swimming DH in water that shallow