Grand Cayman - dolphin/stingray excursion question

[pseudoswede]

We are taking the Magic to Grand Cayman this December. We are pretty sure we are going to do the Dolphin Swim/Stingray City excursion.

 

1. What time do you start this excursion? Anchoring time is 7:30am.

2. Is there time to do explore the island before or after the excursion? Was potentially hoping to go parasailing.

 

Thanks in advance.

[cb at sea]

I believe the entire thing lasts about 3-4 hours...so you should have time to do other stuff....This is something you can book on your own, if you want!

[pseudoswede]

Here's another question...

 

According to the Disney Port Adventures website, it says they're going to Dolphin Cove. When I try to contact Dolphin Discovery, they said that Disney has booked them for the day, but the chat agent was unsure. Which is right? Or are they using both places? We are the only cruise ship in port that morning (December 20); an Oceania cruise arrives at noon.

[Ex techie]

Here's another question...

 

According to the Disney Port Adventures website, it says they're going to Dolphin Cove. When I try to contact Dolphin Discovery, they said that Disney has booked them for the day, but the chat agent was unsure. Which is right? Or are they using both places? We are the only cruise ship in port that morning (December 20); an Oceania cruise arrives at noon.

 

If you read the other dolphin excursions they are using both venues.

 

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/cruises-destinations/shore-excursions/grand-cayman-cayman-islands/dolphin-encounter-and-stingray-city/

 

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/cruises-destinations/shore-excursions/grand-cayman-cayman-islands/dolphin-encounter-and-turtle-farm/

 

Most cruise lines have exclusivity agreements with some of the tour operators to stop Guest's booking their own tours.

 

ex techie

[moki'smommy]

Exactly as above. Many cruise lines "buy out" the most popular excursions or have exclusive agreements with the tour operators. The difference? If there is an exclusive agreement, it means that someone from a hotel could book that activity but someone from the cruise ship could not. A "buy out" means that the cruise line has pre-purchased all available slots and none but their people can book. Again all bookings would have to be done thru the cruise line.

[pseudoswede]

If you read the other dolphin excursions they are using both venues.

 

D'oh. Thanks for that.

 

Still looking for answers in the OP.

[Ex techie]

D'oh. Thanks for that.

 

Still looking for answers in the OP.

 

Ok, Just looked up your itinerary and it shows they drop anchor at 7:30am and all aboard is 4:15pm, so the ship is in port for 8hrs 45 mins TOTAL.

If the Magic is the only ship in port, then there will be plenty of tender boats to shuttle you ashore quickly.

The excursion is listed as 4.5-5hrs, so there should be time to explore the island a little.

 

As to the excursion start time, it would be best to call DCL and ask as it may change from ship to ship/visit to visit a little.

 

If the excursion starts at say 8/8:30/9am, you will still have plenty of time to browse the stores. Be advised that the last tenders back to the ship can be very busy, so there may be a short wait if there are a lot of Guest's on the pier.

 

HTH's

 

ex techie

Edited July 9, 2015 by Ex techie

[moki'smommy]

If you book the excursion thru DCL, you will have priority tendering. What that means is that you will meet in one of the lounges at the designated time and go as a group to the disembarkation point where you will literally cut the line ahead of all those guests who have booked privately. The time that DCL will give you is the "meet in the XYZ lounge" time, while the time a private vendor will quote is the time you are either to meet their transportation (if provided) or the time you are expected to show up at the designated location.

 

As techie noted, when the Magic is the only ship, there are usually 3 tenders serving her and the process goes quickly. However, those without DCL bookings or concierge cabins should never count on the first tender as it may well be occupied with DCL booked guests and the process of boarding the tenders does take some time. Also, we have seen the first tender used for a passenger who was being escorted off the ship. That further delays the process.

 

One final thing--Grand Cayman is one of the most frequently missed ports as the ship can't tender in rough seas. It took us 3 Westerns to get our first stop there.

[pseudoswede]

Thanks to both of you (again).

 

Yes, this will be my second attempt to visit Grand Cayman by cruise ship. I've taken three cruises, and I've never had to take a tender boat because all of those stops had to be cancelled due to rough seas.

 

Anyways, still looking for first-hand experiences asked in OP.

Edited July 9, 2015 by pseudoswede

[moki'smommy]

The length of time the ship remains at Grand Cayman varies, It looks like you have one of the long stays, which is good.

 

In my experience, the start times for this excursion also vary AND there is often more than one start time. Once you are within your booking window, you will be able to see the remaining times and make a decision based on that whether you also wish to schedule parasailing. Yes, you will have time to explore the island a bit.

 

My experience is that there is a morning and an afternoon departure on the long island stays. The morning departure meets in one of the lounges. The afternoon departure meets at the tender port (you tender on your own, not as a group). This allows people who want to do other things on the island in the morning to not need to return to the ship. On our cruise the afternoon meeting time was noon. I distinctly remember that there was not time to get lunch on the ship after the restaurants opened, allow sufficient time for tendering, and be at the meeting point at the appropriate time.

 

We've been fortunate that all of our successful Grand Cayman days were the long days. Sometimes the ship only anchors for 5-6 hours!

[Ex techie]

Thanks to both of you (again).

 

Yes, this will be my second attempt to visit Grand Cayman by cruise ship. I've taken three cruises, and I've never had to take a tender boat because all of those stops had to be cancelled due to rough seas.

 

Anyways, still looking for first-hand experiences asked in OP.

 

First hand experiences of doing both the Dolphin Swim/Stingray City excursion and then parasailing afterwards?

 

I can't find parasailing on the DCL website listed as a shore excursion for Grand Cayman? Are if you are thinking of booking the parasailing on your own after or before the Dolphin Swim/Stingray City excursion or have I missed it in the shore ex descriptions?

Is that why you would like the precise times for the Dolphin Swim/Stingray City excursion?

Be aware that it will be on you if either are delayed and one or the other are missed though!

 

Parasailing is offered on Castaway Cay though, so that is another option?

 

ex techie

[moki'smommy]

Maybe it helps if I add that every excursion I have done on GC has been listed as 1/2 day. The definition of that has ranged from 3 to 5 hours. Even with a 5 hour excursion, we've had plenty of time either before or after (depending on start time) to walk around, check out the shops, or to go to the beach "on our own." We have never tried to book another major activity in combination with a 1/2 day excursion.

 

What we have never done is to go back and forth to the ship--one tender each way, take everything we wanted for all day. Tendering back and forth will eat your time. SOMETIMES you arrive at the tender port and hop on the boat...and have it take off in 5 minutes. Other times it isn't at the dock or you sit for 20 minutes while it fills up. There is no way to predict how long it will take for you to be on a moving tender at either end, so allow plenty of time.

Edited July 10, 2015 by moki'smommy

[pseudoswede]

First hand experiences of doing both the Dolphin Swim/Stingray City excursion and then parasailing afterwards?

 

Correct. Or what I asked in the OP.

 

Are if you are thinking of booking the parasailing on your own after or before the Dolphin Swim/Stingray City excursion or have I missed it in the shore ex descriptions?

Is that why you would like the precise times for the Dolphin Swim/Stingray City excursion?

 

Correct x2. In an ideal situation, the dolphin swim/stingray DCL excursion starts at 8am, and we're back at the tender port at 1pm. I currently have a booking for a 1:30pm parasail excursion with a third-party company leaving from the tender port, who have guaranteed me to be back at the tender port by 2:30pm.

 

They state the guarantee would be to pay for flights to the next port, but I'm not sure how they'd get to Castaway Cay...

 

Parasailing is offered on Castaway Cay though, so that is another option?

 

It's a bit eye-watering at $412 for four when I can get it for $240 in the Caymans. If all else fails, we can do it in Miami for $300 before or after the cruise; which, in reality, is our first option.

[pseudoswede]

Even with a 5 hour excursion' date=' we've had plenty of time either before or after (depending on start time) to walk around, check out the shops, or to go to the beach "on our own."[/quote']

 

Thanks for this tidbit.

 

What we have never done is to go back and forth to the ship

 

We don't plan on going back to the ship between excursions.