Blue Lagoon Dolphin Encounter

[EOD K9]

Hey Gang,
We are in our booking window and we are taking our three year old twins on the encounter. We know it isn't a swim. We already booked just so we'd have something on the agenda. We also don't really feel like buying food on the island as we have a perfectly good ship waiting for us. That being said, our daughters are creatures of habit and eat more or less on a schedule. Would there be an issue of bringing bananas and small snacks to tide them over until we get back? Also, has anyone done it and what do you think of it? Lastly, does anyone know how far out you can cancel? Thanks in advance.

 

[ChuckElias]

Would there be an issue of bringing bananas and small snacks to tide them over until we get back?

I'm pretty sure that the official policy is that you're not supposed to take ship food off the ship. Also, there might be an issue with taking non-native fruit onto the island.

Having said that, we have have heard of people sneaking food off the ship. We did an excursion in Alaska and our guides were young men in their 20s. During the excursion, they mentioned that they live off pre-packaged food. No one cooks meals for them. So after the excursion, one of the people went back to the ship, got an order of chicken fingers and fries and brought it off the ship to the guides. (At least, they *said* they did this.)

Also, has anyone done it and what do you think of it?

I haven't done it, so can't comment. Sorry.

Lastly, does anyone know how far out you can cancel? Thanks in advance.

From the DCL site:

"Pre-paid Port Adventures paid in full at the time of booking are non-refundable and cannot be canceled. All other Port Adventure cancellations can be made up to 3 days prior to the cruise departure date; after that time, all reservations are final and non-refundable."

Hope that's helpful!

 

[Phonedave]

Some points about blue lagoon - I least when I did it.

1) They have launches that return to the ship every hour. So when you are done, you are not forced to hang around the island. So you can go back to the ship to eat

2) They do have an ice cream and snack bar. Yes it is a bit pricey, but it is not a total price gouger. If you are used to WDW food prices, it's not going to shock you.

3) While we did not bring anything with us to eat, there was nobody checking bags or anything ilke that. The place is also huge, if you did bring a snack, there are plenty of places where you could sit and eat soemthing.

As the other person said, I don't know about taking fruit off of the ship. Maybe you could pack a few zip-loc bags, and put some other snacks in them to take with you.

-dave

 

[EOD K9]

Does anyone know if this is an excursion that needs to be paid for now or if it is one that can be cancelled before sailing?

 

[pilka214]

Hey regarding snacks, I can give you the 100% official answer. You may not take any fruits, vegetables or meats off the ship. USDA regulations apply to the ship in all ports, and technically it can carry a hefty fine, however it's not heavily enforced. BUT, this does not apply to wrapped and sealed snacks and beverages like juice boxes, snack bars, bottled beverages etc.

As far as booking the excursion, it's recommended to book in advance just because if it's busy and fills up, you may miss out, and dolphins are popular. I'm not positive on the cancellation policy, but an advantage of booking an official excursion through the ship is they will refund you if the tour is canceled due to weather or other conditions.

Source: I worked on ships and used to yell at guests leaving the ship not to take fruits, vegetables, meat, seeds, soil or any other animal products off the ship.

 

[MotherofaPrincessLover]

I did the dolphin swim in September. I did not pay for it until I was actually on the cruise so the 3 day cancellation window would apply. When I went, there were I believe only 3 return times to the ship so the ferries don't run super often (and it is a bit of a ways back to the ship).

 

[Donald Razorduck]

Sailing out of Canaveral? Do Discovery Cove at Seaworld before or after the cruise. That's what we a doing, it's all inclusive (including adult beverages and it gets you in SeaWorld and Aquatica as well.