RCCL EXCURSION...Sting ray City

[mchlhaystead]

Can someone that been on the excursion recently, tell

who is the company RCCL uses for the trip?

 

what are the boats like? bathroom (head?)

covered?

 

thank you in advance

michele

[Merion_Mom]

Don't use the ship's excursion. Far inferior to the dozens of private operators out there.

 

My favorite:

 

http://www.stingraysailing.com

 

You will find other recommendations here: http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=147

[southnam]

I used the nativeway last time. Great price and company to work with. Our group numbers kept changing and they were good about it.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Texasopa]

We went on Royal's excursion September 2014, not sure if they are using the same company now. Then they were using Marineland Tours. One reason we used them is the boat they have actually has steps in the rear that go into the water. Not a ladder, but steps with handrails. It is covered and has a restroom and a shower. 1 person in our group couldn't of used a ladder.

 

http://www.marinelandtours.com/cayman_explorer_vessel.php

[jimmyzwei]

We went on Royal's excursion September 2014, not sure if they are using the same company now. Then they were using Marineland Tours. One reason we used them is the boat they have actually has steps in the rear that go into the water. Not a ladder, but steps with handrails. It is covered and has a restroom and a shower. 1 person in our group couldn't of used a ladder.

 

http://www.marinelandtours.com/cayman_explorer_vessel.php

 

was just on RCI tour to the sand bar this past Feb 2016 - actual had booked the stingray and reef snorkel but the reef part was canceled. in Jan the whole stingray tour was cancelled due to rough chop in the sound (appears the government decides when it to rough - make sense that they are trying to protect their reef)

 

Anyway it was not the business that the link above is for. not a fancy provider, but the people were good at making sure you got to touch and hold the stingrays - there were heads on the boat - ours was a fairly small group < 20. there was a photographer for the business on board and they took photos ($20 for one 8x10 quality or $60 for all 6-8 photos, they said they would email them - glad i only had $50 in cash and no credit card so wife couldn't convince me we need them)

 

Sorry can't remember the name and not home so i cant look at picture wife took on her i phone.

 

overall for the I think $54 pp charges I was ok with it

[Toddcan]

The stingray city in GC is one of those places where you have a TON of options. LOTS of boats bring tourists to the sandbar.

 

We just cruise last week, and booked through Royal. They used Marineland tours (linked in one of the earlier posts), and we thought it was very well run. The boat is great - like has been mentioned - when you get to the sandbar, they actually lower a huge non-slip wide staircase with railing right into the water. It's like walking down your front steps into the water. The guides were great, and very helpful.

 

The big plus for booking through Royal is that you are on one of the first tenders to go ashore. If you have a private excursion- you had to go a line up to get a tender ticket, which would have been a pain, IMO. We just met in the Studio B, walked right to the tender with a Royal rep, and off we went. VERY easy.

 

I used to book all my excursions on my own - but this time, I did everything through Royal- it was peace of mind (and priority tendering at GC)

Edited March 24, 2016 by Toddcan