Help! Need shore excursion advice!

[suziq14]

We're taking the Western cruise 7/15 and I was wondering if anyone can help us choose shore excursions. We definitely want to do the swimming with the stingrays but there are several listed. Are any better than the others? Also, should we book anything for Key West and Castaway Cay or just play it by ear when we're there? Any help would be greatly appreciated. This is our first Disney cruise and we have 2 boys, 11 and 8. Thanks!

[borntoswim]

We are going on the May 6 western. It will be our first cruise also. After alot of thought and debate this is what we have choosen to do and I will be happy to let you know how it goes. It will be me, DH and DS almost 11.

 

Key West - we will just explore on our own.

Grand Cayman - we are doing the two hour island tour, later in the morning so as not to rush and then we will explore on our own or go back aboard to swim.

Cozumel - we are doing the tropical jeep safari, since we couldn't do the dolphin encounter DS really wanted to do this and it was alittle pricey, so this is our "big" excursion.

Castaway Cay- we are set to do the stringray excursion and a banana boat ride. We decided to do the stringrays here because it was cheaper and because I am not sure how DS would do with his first experience with snorkeling. Some of the other stringray excursions seemed to involve alot of snorkeling. Once I know how he handles it we can move on to move involved excursions.

 

Hope that helps alittle.:o

[suziq14]

Thank you borntoswim. Yes, I would love to know how those excursions are and also your opinion on the cruise and itinerary itself. Especially since you are a first time Disney cruiser also. Have fun; it's right around the corner!

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Hi, we just did the western last december, in grand caymens our adult kids and grandkids did captain marvins sting ray excursion where you swim and feed them. It was the absolute highlight of their entire trip!! I heard a few others on board say the same thing.

We did the 2 hour island tour which was so -so.

We did Key West on our own.Almost everything was within walking distance for us, of course we didnt have young kids with us. Once you clear the port it is only about 2 blocks down and one block back towards the ship to find the aquarium. There are signs allover and a tourist information place right near the aquarium with maps and pamphlets of lots of fun things to do. If you dont see it, ask someone in a gift shop, they will point you to it. It is kind of hard to see at first. About 4 or 5 blocks from there is a cool pirate museum the kids might like with a great gift shop for any last minute items you might need for the pirate party!!

We loved the ship wreck museum, but kids would probably be bored with it. There is a scavenger hunt place there too, but didnt do it. some say it was fun and took about 2 hours to do. It is listed under attractions around Key West on line at their tourism web site. search engine will get you to it, I dont remember the exact site.

We didnt go to cozumel, too much damage then, we went to Costa Maya instead. We are going again in september 2006 and should do cozumel this time. I will post a trip report.

At CC we always wait until we get there to book for most things. we like to make sure the weather is ok for what we want to do that day. Only things we book ahead are parasailing, glass bottom boat and the banana boats. But even those usually have openings right up to the day you are there. There is a shore excursion desk on board you can ask question at or book at too.

They always have tons of tube, bikes and water toys available, so no worries there.

mom x4,grandma x4

[suziq14]

Thanks for responding mom x4, grandma x4. Since you are somewhat of a "board celebrity", I must say, I am honored. I don't see any stingray excursions that say Captain Marvins but a couple mention the seven mile beach and a turtle farm, which sound fun. I don't want to overload us with planned excursions too much because I'm afraid we might miss some other fun by just exploring around. My DH and 11 year old DS definitely want to parasail on Castaway Cay so I'll book that ahead. Stingrays are the only other absolute must-see for us. Thanks again and anything else you can think of, I'd love to hear!

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Hi,

I just looked and your right, no captain marvins listed. I dont know why. I did write my Daughter an e-mail to ask her in case I had the wrong name. I will let you know what I find out. Perhaps they dont offer it anymore. They do make changes sometimes.

We saw the turtle farm when we went, it is very small. They were just buidling it, and they have a long way to go. There were 2 small pools and one big pool and the gift shop and snack bar. 10 minutes to see it all. What was done, was very nice.

As for being a board celebrity, I am more like an old grandma who has way too much time on her hands!!! Ha! Ha!

I just love crusing and sharing my experiences with others.It really makes me feel so good to help answer someones questions, and I learn so much from others on this site and others. Plus I get to meet nice people like yourself!

I'll let you know what I find out about the sting rays excursion.

mom x4,grandma x4

[SJCSuzy]

Hi Suziq,

 

Captain Marvin's is the best stingray excursion in Grand Cayman. You have to book it directly with them, Disney doesn't offer it as an excursion. Have a great cruise, we're boarding the day you get off :D.

 

Suzy

[metrowon]

Thanks for responding mom x4, grandma x4. Since you are somewhat of a "board celebrity", I must say, I am honored. I don't see any stingray excursions that say Captain Marvins but a couple mention the seven mile beach and a turtle farm, which sound fun. I don't want to overload us with planned excursions too much because I'm afraid we might miss some other fun by just exploring around. My DH and 11 year old DS definitely want to parasail on Castaway Cay so I'll book that ahead. Stingrays are the only other absolute must-see for us. Thanks again and anything else you can think of, I'd love to hear!

It's really an awesome experiance. I personally felt very safe, with the ride. Once they start bringing you back down, you'll only wish you could have 3 more minutes up there. It's so quiet and cool! Metrowon

[suziq14]

Thanks for everyone's help. I really appreciate it; keep it coming!

Honestly, I'd be a little nervous booking an excursion that wasn't sponsored by the cruise line. Suzy, just curious, why is Captain Marvins better that the rest?

Parasailing-my husband's and adventurous 11 yr old's thing. I figured it must be pretty safe if the minimum age is only 8. I'm sure they'll love it and come down wanting more!

[Ginamarie]

Key West- This is a small port, and I'd recommend just going in and seeing it yourself. We walked around the town area for awhile and then came back onboard for some swimming. I think Key West is geared more towards adults (lots of bars!).

 

Grand Cayman- don't miss the stingrays! We missed them the first time we were there because of hurricane damage, but went to Stingray Ciry with Moby Dick Tours the second time we were there. There are a lot of independant tour operators who give tours of Stingray City that are more personalized and less expensive than the tours offered through the ship. The boat we were on had only 20 or so passengers (rather than some of the other boats, which were overloaded), and the crew made sure that everyone had an opportunity to hold, kiss, and feed the rays. You have to book with whoever you feel comfortable with though. Either way, they are amazing creatures, and I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

 

Cozumel is a great port. They have some extensive all-day tours of Mayan ruins. The shopping center is large and has some good deals, and there are a lot of beaches. We took a taxi to Mr. Sanchos, which is a free beach with a restaurant, bar, bathrooms, and activities you can pay for individually. We were happy just swimming in the clear water and having our umbrella covered table a few feet from the water's edge. The food was excellent there (we had some nachos and fajitas).

 

I've never prebooked excursions at Castaway Cay. I'm pretty sure that they'll still have openings for things if you want to use the services when you get there. We were quite satisfied just hanging out on the beach and eating at the BBQ :)

[pppiglet]

Key West - we will just explore on our own.

Grand Cayman - we are doing the two hour island tour, later in the morning so as not to rush and then we will explore on our own or go back aboard to swim.

Cozumel - we are doing the tropical jeep safari, since we couldn't do the dolphin encounter DS really wanted to do this and it was alittle pricey, so this is our "big" excursion.

 

This is the exact same thing we are going to do on our first Western next year!

[CLQ]

We just got back from the Disney Wonder, and have done the Western route on Royal Caribbean previously. Folks who say that Grand Cayman was best for Sting Rays aren't kidding. We did find that the Snorkeling was better at Nassau through Caribbean Queen. All that said, though--you can do all the above at Castaway Cay. There is somewhat of a Sting Ray encounter there. We also had about 4 stingrays swim right through our group inside the snorkeling area at the Family Beach on Castaway. The best value we found for Castaway Cay was the deal where for $32 you could have snorkel, bike and float. It allowed us to do what we wanted to but to enjoy hours of lounging also. If you get out early, you can stake out a convenient place in front of Cookies that is close to restrooms, equipment rentals, food, info and beachfront. Bad news for kids might be that the best snorkeling is over at the adults only Quiet Cove. Our best stop yet!

[mom x4,grandma x4]

CLQ,

Thanks for the cruise report. It helped answer some of the questions on this post.

It sounds like you had an awesome time!!!!

Thanks again,

mom x4,grandma x4

[gatour]

Grand Cayman has the original "stingray city". It has evolved from the stingrays learning to hang out at a certain location for the free food when the fisherman got rid of stuff from their boats to now where tourists can feed them and handle them. This has been going on for so many years that the local stingrays are accustomed to being handled as long as you do it correctly. From my undestanding the experiences at the newer locations is not the same as the stingrays are wilder.

 

Stingray city in Grand Cay is IMHO one of the best experience one can do.

 

When we did Stingray city, we booked through the cruise line and had a good experience. On a later cruise we booked through line while some cruise mates we met here on CC booked Capt Marvins. Ours was cancelled due to heavy seas while our cruise mates were able to take theirs. They said they had a great experience with Capt Marvin's

[No_Such_User]

It is safer to pre-book since there is a limited space availability. The stingray swim has high marks and is well worth the money. Don't forget that booking thru shore excursions via the vessel not only guarantees participation, you will also have a hassle free schedule for the days onshore. Playing it by ear may lead to the programs being full to capacity before you make the decision to join before the vessel arrives at the port of call of the activity.

[borntoswim]

Key West - we will just explore on our own.

Grand Cayman - we are doing the two hour island tour, later in the morning so as not to rush and then we will explore on our own or go back aboard to swim.

Cozumel - we are doing the tropical jeep safari, since we couldn't do the dolphin encounter DS really wanted to do this and it was alittle pricey, so this is our "big" excursion.

 

This is the exact same thing we are going to do on our first Western next year!

 

Great minds think alike !:D

[suziq14]

I really appreciate everyone responding to my Help! request.

Since FP was due Monday and now we can actually book excursions, this is what we've decided and I'll let you know how it all went. Can't wait!

Key West: just going to explore on our own since it sounds like everything is pretty much in walking distance.

Grand Cayman: Stingray City snorkeling booked through the cruise line. Honestly, for our first time there, I'd feel safer sticking with a cruise run thing rather than going it alone. Overly adventurous, I am not.

Cozumel: Cozumel ruins and beach tour. We figured, best of both worlds there.

Castaway Cay: Parasailing for hubby and 11 year old DS. Rest of day, bummin' around and enjoying it all!

Thank you all so much!

[gizzmo2]

We have done one eastern and two western cruises with Disney. We have been snorkeling in Grand Cayman and it was the best. Now we have also done the Dolphins and they were great, pricey but to us they were worth it... When we were in the Keys we rented an electric car and there are 4 in our family.. This was perfect because for the first few blocks it's all bars, and with the car we got away from that and took the kids to some really cool beaches... On Cast away Cay we have done the the package deal with the snorkeling and not this was great but my kids who last time we cruised were 14 and 12 wanted to try parasailing which we never got the chance to do because of weather conditions but if we go again they want to try it... But only on Cast away Cay not on one of the other islands. Also one time we tried the sub thing where you go under water, that was not worth it... I hope this helps

[metrowon]

We are going on the May 6 western. It will be our first cruise also. After alot of thought and debate this is what we have choosen to do and I will be happy to let you know how it goes. It will be me, DH and DS almost 11.

 

Key West - we will just explore on our own.

Grand Cayman - we are doing the two hour island tour, later in the morning so as not to rush and then we will explore on our own or go back aboard to swim.

Cozumel - we are doing the tropical jeep safari, since we couldn't do the dolphin encounter DS really wanted to do this and it was alittle pricey, so this is our "big" excursion.

Castaway Cay- we are set to do the stringray excursion and a banana boat ride. We decided to do the stringrays here because it was cheaper and because I am not sure how DS would do with his first experience with snorkeling. Some of the other stringray excursions seemed to involve alot of snorkeling. Once I know how he handles it we can move on to move involved excursions.

 

Hope that helps alittle.:o

For the jeep safari tour take some type of shoes that can go in the water, lots of coral to get through, and its tough on your feet. The jeep part is very educational, you'll realize then why we have an immagration problem. The excursion was an adventure needless to say. The tour guides we had were two great guys. Metrowon