Capt. Marvin or Buccaneer

[newbie280106]

We've decided to do a three stop snorkelling trip in grand cayman and the two providers that give three stops seem to be captain Marvin and Buccaneer and we're having a hard time deciding between them.

They both seem to have a lot of good reviews (and I've seen a few -ve for Buccaneer, non for CM).

I have a few specific questions for those who have been that will hopefully help us decide.

1) how far is the drive to the boat (Buc says 15 min, CM says where it is but not how long)

2) how long do we get at each stop?

3) I see CM gives free water and punch and B says that you have to BYOB and that water and punch are available. Anyone know if they're included?

4) any advantage/disadvantage to being on a catamaran vs motorized boat.

5) # of people on board.

 

Also does anyone have an email for Buccaneer?

[berniemom]

We've decided to do a three stop snorkelling trip in grand cayman and the two providers that give three stops seem to be captain Marvin and Buccaneer and we're having a hard time deciding between them.

They both seem to have a lot of good reviews (and I've seen a few -ve for Buccaneer, non for CM).

I have a few specific questions for those who have been that will hopefully help us decide.

1) how far is the drive to the boat (Buc says 15 min, CM says where it is but not how long)

2) how long do we get at each stop?

3) I see CM gives free water and punch and B says that you have to BYOB and that water and punch are available. Anyone know if they're included?

4) any advantage/disadvantage to being on a catamaran vs motorized boat.

5) # of people on board.

 

Also does anyone have an email for Buccaneer?

 

 

My group of 4 took Capt. bryans (buccaneer)

The boat was not over crowed at all like the cruiseship excursions r.

There was probaby about 15-20 people on the boat, plenty of room and everyone was helpful and friendly.

The catameran is very easy 2 get on and off of.

When we got 2 the sandbar where the rays were, there were 3-4 other boats there, so our cpt. took us 2 another spot until it cleared up a bit.

We went back and had an awsome time with the rays, they took us 2 , 3 differant stops , all were good.

They had a cash bar, not sure about the punch or what drinks may be included, we had bottled water with us.

The bus ride 2 the boat wasn't bad at all, the ride back was not so great, ALOT of traffic made us almost miss our ship, double check the return time.

We did make it back in time as they said we would, but riding back 2 the ship with the booze and food bought on the island was a little un nerving and 2 close 4 our comfort.

here's the webpage,

www.grandcaymencruiseexcursions.com/stingraycityCaptbryans

 

I think it was about 35.00 pp, they supply u with equipment, however, if u have snorkeled b4, u know how much bodily fluids r involved and i would take my own.

They looked clean, but who knows.

I can't help with the other boat info.

Have a great trip and enjoy.

[golfer1966]

We have used Capt Marvins twice now and would use them agian in the future. Their office is within walking distance from the ship, then its about a 10 min van ride to his dock. I think we had about 30 - 40 mins at each stop. The guides were very friendly and helpful with the gear and if you needed help in and out of the water. They offered free water and punch too. I think the boat is better than a cat, becuase Stingray City isnt just a few minutes off shore, its miles out and a Catamaran is slow, where a boat is faster in my opinion. The number of people on the excursion vaires pending on the pre bookings. When we went the 1st time, there were about 20 - 25 people and plenty of room left and I think we paid about 40 bux, but well worth it. The second time, we had 12 people and did a charter for just our gang. That was pretty cool.

 

Check out his site...captainmarvins.com

 

Good Luck..I wish I was going with you !!

[CVL105]

I went with Captain Marvin's when my family cruised last summer. Quick easy walk to their shop. There was a jewelry store and a knick knack kinda store right next to their shop, so we could browse while waiting for the rest of the people to show up. There was probably about 30 people I would say on our boat. We had a group of 15, so it may be less when big groups don't book. It was a quick and beautiful ride to their dock. You will pass 7 mile beach, which looked lovely from the van. The boat was fast and clean. I believe we only stopped at 2 snorkeling sites, but I may be mistaken. The guide found neat things for us to see while snorkeling, a shark and an eel. And they were very helpful when feeding and petting the stingrays at Stingray City. We had a great time and would definately recommend them. It's easy to make your reservation online with them. If I do recall, you don't need to make any sort of deposit either. Once you show up, you pay.

 

Either company you choose you will have a great time! Vacation is what you make out of it. And you've already started out with the right idea by booking through an outside company. After seeing the boats going out from the cruise ships, boy am I glad I found this board before our cruise!

[cruiserssandr]

We did an excursion with Captain Marvins in Feb 05. There were only 8 of us on the boat. Our guides were fantastic.

[sea-jay]

Use Capt. Marvin. They don't charge for the liquid refreshment and use a boat sized for the size group you have. It's about 15-20 min boat ride to the snorkle/dive sites. I went with a group of about 12 and we all had a blast because there was plenty of room on the boat and no one got ill.:D

[madisonswims]

You may want to check the times of the excursions. We did a lot of research and would have gone with either Cptn Marvin or the Bucaneer. We ended up with the Bucaneer due to the times we were in port and the fact that we wanted a three stop excursion.