Captains Marvin/Bryan tours rushed?

[BBG]

I have read a lot of other posts on these boards and am still trying to make a decision about which 3-hour snorkel trip to book. It seems like CM and CB both get some really good reviews but both seem to have a few negative comments too. Here is a question for anyone who has been on either trip...did you feel like you were rushed through the snorkel stops with Captain Marvin? Some other posters did. Also, was it crowded on the boats used for Captain Marvin's tours? I will be there in 2 weeks and there are 4 ships in Grand C. on that day! For the Captain Bryan tour...was time an issue? Getting back to the pier with PLENTY of time to spare? Their tour says it will get you back to the pier by 1:45 but I don't know if that will be 2:45 ship time :confused: I am confused about ship time VS Grand Cayman time in August. Our ship (Rhapsody) is sailing from Galveston.

 

Thanks for any replies!

[stargate fan]

Though it has been a few years since we were in Grand Cayman, it is great to know that Capt Marvins is still in business.

We booked a snorkel trip with them and absolutely loved it! There were only 10 people on the boat (we were four), so it definitely was not crowded. We also did not feel rushed at any of the snorkel sights. It was one of the best trips of that cruise.

Hope this helps.

[BBG]

Good to know-thanks! I am looking forward to it.

[lawoman]

We took a snorkeling, stingray tour with Captain Marvins, was awesome, had fun and no in anyway were we rushed. They took their time explained everything and we had a great time. We probably had about 30 on the boat and we each had our time. It was fun. I highly recommend them.

[rosebud1g]

capt marvins is NOT crowded at all. we had

approx. 20 people on ours.. bright and early.

book with the ship and you will pay double

and have 10x the amt of passengers on with you.

we were not rushed.

I believe the ship time is ONE hour earlier

than Grand Cayman time provided the ship

stays on central time. I read that on a shore tours

web site excursion. so you have plenty of time

to get back. if you do capt marvin his first

excursion is 8:30am.. this leaves you all

afternoon to shop, have lunch or go to the beach.

[thelogtoo]

When we arrived in Grand Cayman Islands we walked about 1 block to Captain Marvins. He had a nice air conditioned van and we went to his boat. We went snorkling a 2 different locations and then to Stingray City. Our captain was Chester and he was really great. He watched out for everyone getting on and off the boat and swimming with the Stingrays. It was really different than any thing we have ever done before.Lots of fun and we arrived back at our ship with plenty of time. Ask for Chester for a great tour at Captain Marvins.com.

[sajeffc]

We used Captain Bryan last week and were very pleased. There was plenty of room on the boat and the staff was very nice. Had plenty of time with the Rays and snorkeling. Equipment was in great shape. We got back to the ship in plenty of time to have lunch at Hard Rock Cafe....

[twinkletoes4445]

We always use Captain Marvin's and don't feel rushed. The first time we did the shorter snorkel, and just because of the time frame, you do spend less time in the water, but we didn't feel rushed. We now do a longer trip.

 

We've never had more than 15-20 people on the boat.

[Matomatic]

We've gone with Capt. Bryan's twice. They were excellent on both occasions. In fact, we were just there on July 26th. For $39 per person, you can't beat it. Capt. Bryan's does a great job and we were back in plenty of time to catch the ship.

[DWIN1050]

Both Captain Bryan and Captain Marvin tours require credit card information to reserve a tour. Captain Bryan wants you to send this info by e-mail and Captain Marvin requests on his web site which is not encrypted. This is very dangerous. You should never provide that type of information via email or an unsecured website. There is the potential of someone stealing your identity.

[Stressfree Cruiser]

We used Captain Marvin's last September and enjoyed our trip. Captain Marvin actually drove our boat, which was quite fun. We had around 15 people which was just enough to not overcrowd the snorkling or stingray area. Also, after the excursion, you can walk by the Tortuga Rum Cake store and purchase their famous cakes right from the bakery. These are the same cakes offered on most cruise ships, but at a much lower price.

[suziqz007]

After reading TONS of reviews, here and on other sites, we chose Moby Dick's tour to Stingray City and snorkeling. We were gone about 3-1/2 hours and had a fantastic time! There were about 25 on the boat with us, including four guides. This part is important because once we got to the reef and to Stingray City, there were 3-4 guides in the water with us at any given time. Since about five passengers stayed on the boat, we had a ratio of 3 or 4 passengers to one guide...very helpful for allowing you touching, kissing, holding and/or feeding the stingrays.

 

When we got to Stingray City, it was fairly crowded with boats, so our guides took us to do snorkeling first...very close. You can see the stingray sandbar from the snorkeling area. During snorkeling, the guides get into the water with you and help you find cool underwater things. One of our guides pulled an eel out of his hiding place near the reef and we were able to get a close up look. :) We also saw a 5-foot nurse shark. Kids & I got close enough to touch the shark and took pics. I was surprised that I was not scared...it was awesome!

 

After about 45 minutes, the stingray sandbar had cleared out a good bit and the ship tours had gone, leaving us a very uncrowded experience! We all kissed a stingray, some of us fed them, and DD held one and got it to lay on her.

 

On the boat they have water and fruit punch, an on-board bathroom, plenty of snorkeling equipment & life vests, a fresh-water shower, music, very fun and "hands-on" guides...a SUPER experience. Since this IS a frequently canceled port, you may be interested to know that no down payment is required...they do not ask for any credit card information. You give the date, your last name and number of people. They send you an e-mail as confirmation. You pay in full when you show up for the tour...we didn't even need the paper and they had our name down. I had reserved several months in advance.

 

We got back to the dock in time to pick up a few very quick souvenirs. Although the tendering line looks long, keep checking it as it moves fast. My DH & DS thought they had plenty of time to pick up a few things and they were the last ones on the last tender boat. They had to jump on. :rolleyes: But that was their fault...not the vendor.