Over 70 Participation in Excursions

[papaflamingo]

Thanks y'all. We have the Bora Bora excursion booked! Looking forward to it and the rest of a great cruise!

[papaflamingo]

Best and likely lower priced are the Bora Bora tours with Patrick. Small group, lunch on picnic benches in the water on a Motu. All the lobster, beer, pig cooked in the ground, etc. Small boats, only about 8 per boat. Just google Patrick tours in Bora Bora. So good often times fully booked and difficult to do. Can't say enough about his tours.

Thanks for the info. But the shark and stingray snorkel is included no charge. I did look at Patrick's offerings but decided to stick with the include excursions. We overnight in Bora Bora, so we are also doing an Island tour to see the land portion, then another beach break for relaxation and enjoying the water. We return to Bora Bora again and have a catamaran sail in the a.m. and plan to just wander the port and city area in the afternoon, maybe running up to Bloody Mary's just to say we did. :D

[WesW]

Speaking of Snorkel & Stingray tours, papaflamingo we are also doing the Shark, Stingray and Snorkel Safari for our first of three days in Bora Bora, that Atlanta friends Jennifer & Georges posted about on their blog. Tho, have done multiple scuba dives in French Polynesia (with giant Manta rays (Moorea) and dozens and dozens of sharks), just getting wet in Paradise is a treasure.

 

We are doing the Catamaran sail in the afternoon of the next day, and the off road adventure on the 17th. (next segment). We do have a Le Truck day tour in a.m. on day two in Bora Bora but don't know that we will do two excursions that day. Jim, happy to see we are now up to 24 folks for our meet & mingle, look forward to meeting Margaret and you then.

[lprp]

Thanks for the info. But the shark and stingray snorkel is included no charge. I did look at Patrick's offerings but decided to stick with the include excursions. We overnight in Bora Bora, so we are also doing an Island tour to see the land portion, then another beach break for relaxation and enjoying the water. We return to Bora Bora again and have a catamaran sail in the a.m. and plan to just wander the port and city area in the afternoon, maybe running up to Bloody Mary's just to say we did. :D

 

Make sure you go in BOTH the Ladies and Gents washrooms in Bloody Mary's just for the experience 😉

[papaflamingo]

Make sure you go in BOTH the Ladies and Gents washrooms in Bloody Mary's just for the experience [emoji6]

 

 

 

Hmmm.... will do [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Silver Sweethearts]

Make sure you go in BOTH the Ladies and Gents washrooms in Bloody Mary's just for the experience 😉

 

Spoiler Alert: Think "The Madonna Inn" in San Luis Obispo, CA.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Spoiler Alert: Think "The Madonna Inn" in San Luis Obispo, CA.

 

Stayed there 35 years ago. Didn’t realize it was still open. What a fun weekend!

[scuba diver]

The Inn is still the same after over 50 years. Men's is a must see in San Luis Obispo.

 

Must admit when we saw the heading we thought that this was a thread about over crowding on an excursion with 70 passengers. Had a good laugh after reading the posts.

 

Less than 70 years old so we agree with requirement of a doctor's letter. Won't be too much longer and we think it is much too young.

 

We remember reading about a number of snorkelers having problems in the last few years so that is probably just an arbitrary age for a cut off. We have seen much younger scuba divers having problems and a note from their doctor would not have prevented the problem due to the nature of the sport. However, this is snorkeling and standing in waist deep water playing with rays.

 

It is a great excursion and it can be stressful under certain conditions, but is worth the effort to make it out there and enjoy.

[forgap]

In this kind of excursion age seems to be less of an issue than weight. I have seen people (and excursion crew) really struggle to haul themselves up boat ladders.

[RachelG]

In this kind of excursion age seems to be less of an issue than weight. I have seen people (and excursion crew) really struggle to haul themselves up boat ladders.

I have a really difficult time hauling myself up a boat ladder if the sea is at all rough, and I am not overweight or elderly—and workout every day. I almost was dragged under the boat in Aruba on a Regent excursion when a big wave hit. Fortunately George rescued me.

[papaflamingo]

Spoiler Alert: Think "The Madonna Inn" in San Luis Obispo, CA.

 

 

 

AHA! That explains it. [emoji41] Spent one of our Honeymoon nights at the Madonna Inn in 1974! [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[purpleally]

One of the absolute worst things about an excursion when it shows three people activity level and passengers who can hardly do a one peon activity level sign up. It is not fair to everyone to have to wait for their sorry a**! For example, a rainforest hike and people came wearing heeled sandals and/or carrying umbrellas

[Lvwindstar007]

Kinda off topic but quite a few years ago, I was hiking up the Bright Angel trail at the Grand Canyon and a women wearing heels was coming down fairly late in the afternoon. People do crazy things.

[papaflamingo]

Speaking of Snorkel & Stingray tours, papaflamingo we are also doing the Shark, Stingray and Snorkel Safari for our first of three days in Bora Bora, that Atlanta friends Jennifer & Georges posted about on their blog. Tho, have done multiple scuba dives in French Polynesia (with giant Manta rays (Moorea) and dozens and dozens of sharks), just getting wet in Paradise is a treasure.

 

We are doing the Catamaran sail in the afternoon of the next day, and the off road adventure on the 17th. (next segment). We do have a Le Truck day tour in a.m. on day two in Bora Bora but don't know that we will do two excursions that day. Jim, happy to see we are now up to 24 folks for our meet & mingle, look forward to meeting Margaret and you then.

(y)

[commodore2010]

This is probably a tour operator requirement rather than a Regent requirement. I think it is reasonable.

 

I would agree.

 

I have done this tour. you dont really have to be in good shape. The water is shallow and you just need to climb down a ladder from the boat

[Travelcat2]

Even though it is a tour requirement and not overly difficult, I suspect that there will be people visiting there hoping to do the excursion but do not have a doctors note (if they are 70 or older).

[scuba diver]

Just received a reply from the company we had previously utilized for our Sting Ray City snorkel tours. They do not require any documentation from a physician based upon an arbitrary age limitation. They do, like most tours for snorkel or scuba experiences, require a waiver and disclosure of any medical or physical limitations that might affect your ability to participate in the activity. If a medical or physical condition is disclosed that might require a physician's approval you are asked to provide that in advance. Most of the conditions requiring a physician's approval deal with scuba rather than the snorkel tours. Your physical condition is always a factor, but age is not the determining factor.

 

They were not aware of any tour companies that imposed an arbitrary age limitation requiring a doctor’s approval.

This is a survey of one vendor and is by no means conclusive, but it is some indication that the limitation for the excursion is imposed by Regent. However, it may be a requirement imposed by the specific tour operator that Regent has selected.

[CruisetheCs]

The problem here is that we don’t have enough information. Is this Regent’s requirement or the tour operator’s? What does a doctor’s note mean? What is the doctor approving? How can a doctor OK any physical activity if the activity isn’t spelled out in detail? This is the equivalent of asking a doctor if it is okay for a 70+ year old patient to walk up stairs. How many stairs? How steep? Over what period of time? What is the stair height? Slippery stairs or dry stairs? In high heels or tennis shoes?

 

The doctor's note requirement says nothing about the risk the doctor is taking by agreeing to some ambiguous approval. This sounds more like some attempt to pass liability for any problems from the tour company or Regent to a guest’s personal physician. For example, is the doctor to approve just someone going snorkeling? For how long? Is this in the open ocean? Is access from a quiet beach or via a long ladders? In a bay with no waves or open to the ocean? How is this different from asking if a guest can climb stairs to visit a monument somewhere?

Does Regent have a form that the doctor is to fill out? If so what is the wording? Where is the form available? If not, then it certainly makes no sense to me to ask one’s personal physician for a note that says it is okay for me to take a snorkeling excursion. That is so vague that it is meaningless.

 

And how did Regent or the tour operator decide on the age of 70? Sounds like a case of arbitrary age discrimination to me. I hope Regent has a detailed explanation that answers the questions behind this requirement somewhere--like on the web site!

[Travelcat2]

Just received a reply from the company we had previously utilized for our Sting Ray City snorkel tours. They do not require any documentation from a physician based upon an arbitrary age limitation. They do, like most tours for snorkel or scuba experiences, require a waiver and disclosure of any medical or physical limitations that might affect your ability to participate in the activity. If a medical or physical condition is disclosed that might require a physician's approval you are asked to provide that in advance. Most of the conditions requiring a physician's approval deal with scuba rather than the snorkel tours. Your physical condition is always a factor, but age is not the determining factor.

 

They were not aware of any tour companies that imposed an arbitrary age limitation requiring a doctor’s approval.

This is a survey of one vendor and is by no means conclusive, but it is some indication that the limitation for the excursion is imposed by Regent. However, it may be a requirement imposed by the specific tour operator that Regent has selected.

 

This seems to be a requirement of one tour operator in the Cayman Islands that is providing two tours for them.

[scuba diver]

It would be easier to just email, call or write someone at Regent with knowledge about this subject and ask them why the arbitrary age of 70 requires a note from your Doctor, but this is more fun. We also have almost two years to figure it out for ourselves.

 

The Grand Cayman excursions that have age 70 doctor’s note requirements are:

 

1. Discover Scuba

2. Stingray Sandbar Swim

3. Two-Tank Certified Reef Dive

4. Grand Cayman Snorkeling

5. Guided Shore Dive

 

However, “Turtles, Stingrays Land and Sea Adventure” does not have an age limitation requiring a note from your doctor. It too includes the interaction with stingrays, but it does not include a snorkeling aspect. The excursion states:

• “Arriving at the Cayman Islands Yacht Club, you will board a specially outfitted snorkel boat and cruise across the waters to famous Stingray City. Enjoy the chance to interact, play with and feed one of the Caribbean's most graceful creatures, the southern stingray. These amazing creatures will have you mesmerized as you wait for one to come feed from your hand or gently brush past you in the water. Allow yourself to be introduced to members of the Southern Stingray Family as you meet "Ray Charles", "Sugar Ray", "Martha Ray" and many of the other characters that have become as playful as puppies over the years.”
  
• ".... Guests who wish to enter the water to interact with the stingrays will be on a sandbar..."
  

This does not answer the question of whether this is Regent or a local tour operator that is imposing this age limitation.

[RachelG]

Kinda off topic but quite a few years ago, I was hiking up the Bright Angel trail at the Grand Canyon and a women wearing heels was coming down fairly late in the afternoon. People do crazy things.

you and I must have been there on the same day as I saw the same thing!

 

Back on topic, I went to the Regent website and looked at a bunch of snorkeling tours on other cruises. No age restriction, so the over 70 doctor's note requirement must be specific to the tour operator. I did see one that said the participants would have to do a breathalyzer test at the tour operator's discretion. :eek:

[scuba diver]

A spot check of various islands within the Caribbean on which Regent offers diving and/or scuba excursions as well as checking each of the excursion for every other snorkel or diving excursion offered on the Splendor Panama Canal cruise indicates that either it is the tour operator or Regent knows something about the waters surrounding Grand Cayman that causes the deaths of those 70 and over and wants to keep us safe.

 

The question to ask might now be: Why would Regent pick a tour operator that required a Doctor's permission at the arbitrary age of 70?

 

RachelG:

Please give us the location and excursion where the Breathalyzer is an optional precaution. Been diving for years and not seen that. Not saying it isn't a good idea, just never seen it.

[RachelG]

Jay, I think the breathalyzer test was an excursion in the Bahamas. I looked at a whole bunch of different locations in the Caribbean, but I wasn't paying that close attention to what was where as I was only doing it for research, not for me actually wanting to take the cruise or do the excursion. I do remember it said at the tour operator's discretion, so suspect that tour operator has had issues with people turning up totally intoxicated in the past.

[scuba diver]

RachelG:

Found it. Wave Runner. Not quite the same as diving, but still funny. That is a serious problem at the local lakes here in San Luis Obispo County.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I have done this tour. you dont really have to be in good shape. The water is shallow and you just need to climb down a ladder from the boat

 

If that is true, the age restriction sounds arbitrary. And I would think any doctor asked to sign a permission note would want to know exact details about the excursion--how you get in and out of the boat, how deep is the water, how well is it supervised?

 

In fact, as someone mentioned, the biggest deal with this type of excursion is how easy it is to get in and out of the boat. I have witnessed women being dragged bodily up onto a boat, and I have witnessed a man, well below 70, break his collar bone navigating a slippery ladder into a boat.

 

I've also swum with rays many times in French Polynesia and have never worried about stingers. On the Gulf coast in Florida, we do the "shuffle" going into the water at certain times of the year.