Stingray City or Reef & Wreck Snorkel

[10th Anniversary]

This is our first cruise and first time to Grand Cayman. We are trying to decide between SRC and R&W Snorkel. Do you do anything else at SRC beside stand on a sand bar and feed the stingrays? The R&W Snorkel sounds more interesting. Also we want to see Hell and 7-mile beach. Can you take the same taxi to both places? How much would it cost? What part of 7-mile beach is the best to visit? Thanks for any information you can give me.

[djacobson]

This is our first cruise and first time to Grand Cayman. We are trying to decide between SRC and R&W Snorkel. Do you do anything else at SRC beside stand on a sand bar and feed the stingrays? The R&W Snorkel sounds more interesting. Also we want to see Hell and 7-mile beach. Can you take the same taxi to both places? How much would it cost? What part of 7-mile beach is the best to visit? Thanks for any information you can give me.

 

The Stingray City tours often add an additional stop at where you can go snorkeling. There are several tour operators which will take to the sandbar. One of the better one's is Captain Marvin's (www.captainmarvins.com) . They charge $35 for a 2 hour trip to Stingray City. For an extra $25 you can add Hell and the Turtle Farm. Hell is interesting and probably should be seen once, but I thought the Turtle Farm was more interesting.

 

You would do better to book the tour independently than from the cruise line. Captain Marvin's and the other tour operators use smaller boats than the tour operators used by the cruise lines and are less subject to cancellation if the water is choppy.

 

I would recommend Stingray City if you have never done something like this, because it is pretty remarkable to be with the stingrays and to feed them.

[Chad_G]

Our first cruise invloved the same decision you are having to make. We did the snorkel expedition. The wreck was absolutely beautiful to see, by far one of the best snorkeling expeditions we've done.

 

I don't think you'll go wrong with either choice. If you are already planning on snorkeling at another island, then you may want to consider the Stingray's instead. As much fun as snorkeling is, you probably won't regret changing it up a bit and doing something different (like the Stingrays).

 

As for going thru the cruise ship or booking a private excursion, the choice is yours and theres not a wrong one. On our first cruise, we were so overwhelmed by everything, that booking thry the cruise line just made things a little less hectic. Its not as cheap, but you have no worries about getting back.

[momofzeke]

I'm also interested in the Reef & Wreck snorkel, through Carnival. Right now I'm booked to go to Stingray City, but I'm thinking I might want to change so we get more snorkel time.

 

The Reef & Wreck is listed as a 2 hour tour. Anyone know how much ACTUAL snorkel time that gives you? With the stingray/snorkel tours, it seems like you only get about 30 - 45 minutes of snorkel time.