?s about Red Sail's Stingray boat from Rum Pointe

[emd1]

Has anyone gone on Red Sail's glass bottom boat from Rum Pointe to Stingray City?

 

1) How long did it take to do this?

 

2) How many people were on the boat?

 

3) Did you reserve ahead of time?

 

Thanks in advance.

[mjeffv]

Has anyone gone on Red Sail's glass bottom boat from Rum Pointe to Stingray City?

 

1) How long did it take to do this?

 

2) How many people were on the boat?

 

3) Did you reserve ahead of time?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

We are looking at this too for the Legend in November but we're not sure if it's better than the Nativeway tour after you figure the cost (in time and money) to get there. If the car rental was close to the pier, we wouldn't hesitate but to/from the airport or 7 mile beach might eat up more time than we'd like with our last tender at 3:30.

 

They said in an email that the boat trip is 1 1/2 hours and you are in the water about a total of 45 minutes to 1 hour.

 

Excerpts from the email....

 

...offer four snorkel trips daily to Stingray Sandbar, which is a convenient 15 minutes away. Play with the Southern Stingrays or stay dry if you choose to pass on the snorkeling. This trip includes a second snorkel stop at a shallow reef. Families love this adventure!

 

Without snorkeling equipment…$30.00

With snorkeling equipment…$40.00

Early Bird Special @ 9:30am w/ equip…$30.00

Children under 3…FREE

 

Times: 9:30am, 11:15am, 1:30pm and 3:30 pm

 

We do recommend advanced reservations and we do require a credit card at the time of booking and cancellation is required at least 24 hours in advance.

 

Hope that helps and do let us know how it is if you do it.

[emd1]

Thank you for that info!

 

I have reservations w/Nativeway for the RRR tour at end of June. But I am still considering renting a car and driving to Rum Pointe, then going straight to Rum Pointe and doing the stingray/snorkel tour through Red Sail. But the day seems like it might be chopped up that way. We are in port 8-4. So we get off the tender by 9 hopefully, get to the car rental point and get shuttled to the airport rental. Hopefully be on the way to Rum Pointe by 9:30 and get there by 10:15. Then take the Red Sail ray and snorkel trip at 11:15, arrive back at Rum Pointe at 11:45, and have to leave Rum Pointe to take car back by 2 pm at the latest (to get to airport rental counter by 2:45, get shuttled back to pier, and get on tender). I think I'd be nervous and want to leave Rum Pointe by 1:30 to be sure there are no hang ups in getting back to the ship on time for last tender.

 

It kind of sounds like a hassle to do all that instead of getting off the tender and just getting on the Nativeway boat and leaving the "driving" to them.

 

Cost-wise, it is $240 for 4 of us to do Nativeway; if we rent car and do Red Sail trip from RUm Pointe it is $160 for Red Sail plus $89 all inclusive for a Jeep Liberty from Avis. PLus we don't get lunch included like we would on the Nativeway tour. Now that I look at this breakdown, the idea of renting a car and doing it that way is a loser.

[mjeffv]

Thank you for that info!

 

I have reservations w/Nativeway for the RRR tour at end of June. But I am still considering renting a car and driving to Rum Pointe, then going straight to Rum Pointe and doing the stingray/snorkel tour through Red Sail. But the day seems like it might be chopped up that way. We are in port 8-4. So we get off the tender by 9 hopefully, get to the car rental point and get shuttled to the airport rental. Hopefully be on the way to Rum Pointe by 9:30 and get there by 10:15. Then take the Red Sail ray and snorkel trip at 11:15, arrive back at Rum Pointe at 11:45, and have to leave Rum Pointe to take car back by 2 pm at the latest (to get to airport rental counter by 2:45, get shuttled back to pier, and get on tender). I think I'd be nervous and want to leave Rum Pointe by 1:30 to be sure there are no hang ups in getting back to the ship on time for last tender.

 

It kind of sounds like a hassle to do all that instead of getting off the tender and just getting on the Nativeway boat and leaving the "driving" to them.

 

Cost-wise, it is $240 for 4 of us to do Nativeway; if we rent car and do Red Sail trip from RUm Pointe it is $160 for Red Sail plus $89 all inclusive for a Jeep Liberty from Avis. PLus we don't get lunch included like we would on the Nativeway tour. Now that I look at this breakdown, the idea of renting a car and doing it that way is a loser.

 

Just for anyone else reading, I think you meant 12:45 (instead of 11:45) since the tour is 1 1/2 hours. Also, I'd be concerned allowing 45 minutes transit time to/from Rum Pointe because Red Sail told us it's an hour each way. Maybe they were being safe. We are leaning toward Nativeway because the cost and the time at Rum Pointe seems to be about the same. As tempting as the glass bottom is, our kids will still see the stingrays over the side as the water is not very deep. Plus, I wouldn't be able to have a drink at lunch if I were driving ;)

[emd1]

YEs, I meant 12:45, thank you for pointing that out.

 

An also, if one rents a car and wants to do the Red Sail trip fro Rum Pointe, you'd have to pack up your stuff and take it w/you on the Red sail boat, then get it all back out again and get settled again at Rum Pointe when you get back at 12:45. I think it sounds more relaxing to just have the last two hrs at Rum Pointe w/Nativeway instead of splitting the Rum Pointe time up.

[drew sailbum]

A point of note...

 

The regular captian of the Red Sail boat is an islander old timer affectionately known as Captain Jimmy.

 

Captain Jimmy runs on "Captain Jimmy Non-Standard Time." Getting back from an 11:15am departure as late as 1:30 is a fairly regular occurrence.

[emd1]

That is great insider info, thanks VERY MUCH Drew.

 

I think a full day at Rum Pointe is needed then in order to do the Captain Jimmy "island-time" trip thru Red Sail.

 

I am going to stay w/my booked Nativeway tour.

Eileen