Need a replacement suggestion for Dolphin Cove

[cmoglesby]

We have been to the Caymans a few times. We are taking our kids (5 and 7) this time. Found a program that looked fantastic with Dolphin Cove. A visit to the stingrays then back to their facility to the nature program (touch tank, birds, relax, and so on). This is only 45 bucks, but they wont let me do it. Apparently, from the emails I received, Carnival contracts their excursions through Dolphin Cove. If I want to go there I was told I had to book through Carnival or another 3rd party whose name escapes me right now. The problem is that the only tours they offer with Dolphin Cove include actual Dolphin interactions. We don't want that. We just want the rays and the nature part, which is advertised on their website. After explaining, the response was simply,

"Thank you for contacting us. For further assistance please speak with your shore excursion manager."

Well, I can't do that until I am on the boat. I guess that is the polite way of saying, we aren't going to help you as Carnival has told us not to and they put the food on the table.

 

Whatever, thats business, and my family is not a big deal. No hard feelings, just frustrated I cant do what anybody else can do simply because I am coming with Carnival.

 

So after the looooooonnnnggggg explanation. I have looked at Fatfish, Native, Moby, and the others and don't see anything else similar. Is there any provider you know of that will take us to the rays and then somewhere to either relax on a beach all day or a facility similar to Dolphin Cove to interact and learn a little about wildlife?

[MississippiMom]

We have been to the Caymans a few times. We are taking our kids (5 and 7) this time. Found a program that looked fantastic with Dolphin Cove. A visit to the stingrays then back to their facility to the nature program (touch tank, birds, relax, and so on). This is only 45 bucks, but they wont let me do it. Apparently, from the emails I received, Carnival contracts their excursions through Dolphin Cove. If I want to go there I was told I had to book through Carnival or another 3rd party whose name escapes me right now. The problem is that the only tours they offer with Dolphin Cove include actual Dolphin interactions. We don't want that. We just want the rays and the nature part, which is advertised on their website. After explaining, the response was simply,

"Thank you for contacting us. For further assistance please speak with your shore excursion manager."

Well, I can't do that until I am on the boat. I guess that is the polite way of saying, we aren't going to help you as Carnival has told us not to and they put the food on the table.

 

Whatever, thats business, and my family is not a big deal. No hard feelings, just frustrated I cant do what anybody else can do simply because I am coming with Carnival.

 

So after the looooooonnnnggggg explanation. I have looked at Fatfish, Native, Moby, and the others and don't see anything else similar. Is there any provider you know of that will take us to the rays and then somewhere to either relax on a beach all day or a facility similar to Dolphin Cove to interact and learn a little about wildlife?

 

I must not be reading the detail, right, because I thought Carnival's excursion was to Dolphin Discovery, not Dolphin Cove.

 

Can someone who has been on a Carnival excursion advise, please?

[jlajla]

I hate to suggest the sneaky way.... but is there any reason that Dolphin Cove has to know you came on a Carnival ship? I am assuming you could go freely if you were staying on the island. I'm not sure about transportation to that excursion, but if you could get yourself there, maybe they don't need to know you are with Carnival???