Dolphin Encounters?

[settingsailsoon]

Has anyone done a Dolphin Encounter with their kids? What age were they when you did it and how did they like it?

 

The ship said the youngest age to participate was 4, but I just discovered that my son is able to do one based on his height if we book directly with the site.

 

I'd appreciate any input. :)

 

Erica

[Mack2]

I've taken my kids to the Dolphin Discovery in Cozumel.... we booked directly through their website (since the cruise excursions don't allow kids under 8 to go) and we've had a very positive experience.

 

My daughter was 4 at the time. She was free (since, at the time, kids under a certain AGE were free) and she had no trouble. She enjoys water and was taking swim lessons at the YMCA, so she was comfortable in the water with us.

 

The Dolphin people provide and mandate life jackets to wear during the encounter, and you stand on a platform in waist deep water while the dolphins interact with the group and the trainer.

Behind the group is the dock, and below the dock is a fence that you can hold onto. The fence keeps the encounter enclosed within the training area.

 

During our encounter, there was one child who was 3 who didn't want to be in the water... so the kid just sat on the dock behind his parents and enjoyed the show, but every time they tried to hold him in the encounter area, he was fearful of the WATER, and refused to participate that way.

 

 

The Dolphin Discovery IS a money maker though... They have photographers and a videographer documenting the entire encounter. When the encounter concludes, they rustle you into a room to watch a video of the encounter (that you can buy)... when the video is over, they herd you into the gift shop, where they bombard you with photos of the encounter... you can buy the photos individually, but they offer "deals" if you buy all of them (they don't want them, but they won't throw them away in front of you)

 

We happily dropped a lot of money on the photos. They know how to really rope you in... and the photos ARE very good and one of those "once in a lifetime" things... and you know what? The kids still enjoy the video.

:o

[sbhdmh]

We did a Dolphin Encounter in Cozumel. DD turned 5 the previous week and is very tall so she met RCL's requirements for the Encounter but not the Swim. They offered several different versions and some of the requirements were conflicting. After about an hour trying to figure it out at the shore excurions desk it was decided that even though she met the height requirement for one Dolphin Swim RCL wouldn't let us book it do to her age. There was one encounter that allowed children her age to participate, though. Booking privately may have been cheaper and possibly allowed her to do the swim instead but we were not willing to risk her being dissappinted if it didn't work out. As far as she is concerned her Dolphin Encounter was indeed "swimming with a dolphin."

 

You stand on a platform and the water is pretty deep and moves a lot. She couldn't really stand at all because of the movement - even the adults had trouble just standing there. (This is why she is convinced that she "swam" with a dolphin - she was basically treading water the whole time.) The life jackets are provided and make you very, very boyant. DD got a kiss from the dolphin, got to pet her and shake her fin. This big difference from the swim is that she didn't get to be pulled behind the dolphin. At her age I don't think that was really necessary, though. She loved what she got to do.

 

It was definately an experience but I doubt it will be once in a lifetime. She is sure to ask to do it again (and again and again...)

 

Hope this helps.

[highbridge5]

This thread has a discussion that includes my experience as well as others with dolphin excursions with kids in the bahamas.

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1133263

 

hb5

[jam82]

I took my DS at age 2.5. The program requirement was 3, but we talked the guy into it because DS is tall and could swim. It was in Ixtapa and was a kids only program. We started off on a bad note because he was strung by a bee during the orientation. He recovered in about 2 minutes and was fine after that. There was a part where the dolphin got out on the deck for the kids to feed him. He was a little fearful of that until the other boy did it first. All in all it was worth it.

[ceilidh1]

We did the dolphin encounter in Puerto Vallarta - booked directly through the company as my 2 year old was not able to participate through the ship. We had an amazing time and my daughter loved it - we got fabulous pics of her kissing the dolphin! As others have mentioned, you are given life vests (though the one for my daughter was far too big and kept riding up) and stand on a platform. Toward the end, we were given the option of going into deeper water to interract with the dolphins - you did not have to. The encounter we did was at the water park and, as part of it was closed that day, they threw in the sealion encounter for free - so we got to do both!

[kooziesonline]

Has anyone done a Dolphin Encounter with their kids? What age were they when you did it and how did they like it?

 

The ship said the youngest age to participate was 4, but I just discovered that my son is able to do one based on his height if we book directly with the site.

 

I'd appreciate any input. :)

 

Erica

 

Really nice site , thanks for sharing cool stuff

__________________

koozies online

[settingsailsoon]

Thanks for the posts!

 

We waiver back and forth whether or not to do this. On one hand, I think my son would LOVE it, but he's really not going to have a memory of it. On the other, I think my son would just have a great time exploring the ship while it's a ghost town at the port at his pace and hanging out with the Aquatots program people.

 

We just really can't decide if it's worth the money now, or if we should wait to do something like this in a few more years when he's really old enough to participate and really retain the memory for many years.

 

Thankfully we don't leave for another month, so we have some time to decide. :)

 

Erica

[loveysbydesign]

We did it in Cozumel with our 3 kids, age 10, 6 and almost 2. My dh and I just took turns handing our almost 2 y.o. back and forth. He hated the lifejacket but once we got in the water he was fine. We loved it....and especially loved that our younger 2 kids were FREE! We bought one picture of each of the kids...they give you a cheaper price if you negotiate with them!

We also love Chankanaab ...it is a beautiful park!

[Warm Breezes]

We did it in Tortola last year. We booked directly through the web-site. While my DD was 12 at the time you can see a gentleman at the end of our line who was hanging onto a little one during our session.

 

 

 

[A&Jfamily]

We did an encounter at Chankanaab park when my DSs were almost 4 and 10. The 10 yo ate it up. DH held the 4 yo on the platform in the water - otherwise it would have been up to his head. He was a little afraid of the dolphin at first, but no tears and did agree to pet her.