Port Adventures Questions

[devoy1701]

So we're coming up on the week to start booking our shore excursions and have narrowed it down to a few options but wanted some advice. We know we want to do a Dolphin Encounter somewhere, we would like to see some ruins, and we want to plan some time in there to relax. Our Ports are Costa Maya, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Castaway Cay.

So questions are:

-Who has done a dolphin encounter while on a Disney Cruise and what port of call do you recommend doing it at? (right now I'm leaning towards the Grand Cayman Dolphin and Turtle Farm)

-What Port is better for touring Ruins and which ruins do you all prefer (Cozumel or Costa Maya)?

-Has anyone been to the Xplor Park and is it worth the $195/person price tag that it has?

-Any preferences on snorkeling locations?

-Are there any beaches at any of those port of calls that we can relax on (chairs/hammocks/bar) that don't require a purchase of a shore excursion (we've been thinking about doing one of the beach parties but thought I would ask this as well)?

-Any other ideas/favorite shore excursions that you would recommend?

Thanks for your help, as always!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I can give you a few opinions!

We did dolphins at Tortola, so that won't help you much.

I have friends who loved xcaret. They said it was by far their favorite thing they did on their cruise. They liked it more than Castaway Cay!!

Also, I've never heard a bad review of Stingray City. Everyone seems to really enjoy it. If you want to swim with stingrays, here or Castaway Cay should be your choice.

We love snorkeling at Castaway Cay. Shipwreck and Reef Snorkeling is also supposed to be really good.

I'm sure you'll get some more help!

 

[StageFrenzy]

So we're coming up on the week to start booking our shore excursions and have narrowed it down to a few options but wanted some advice. We know we want to do a Dolphin Encounter somewhere, we would like to see some ruins, and we want to plan some time in there to relax. Our Ports are Costa Maya, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Castaway Cay.

So questions are:

-Who has done a dolphin encounter while on a Disney Cruise and what port of call do you recommend doing it at? (right now I'm leaning towards the Grand Cayman Dolphin and Turtle Farm)

-What Port is better for touring Ruins and which ruins do you all prefer (Cozumel or Costa Maya)?

-Has anyone been to the Xplor Park and is it worth the $195/person price tag that it has?

-Any preferences on snorkeling locations?

-Are there any beaches at any of those port of calls that we can relax on (chairs/hammocks/bar) that don't require a purchase of a shore excursion (we've been thinking about doing one of the beach parties but thought I would ask this as well)?

-Any other ideas/favorite shore excursions that you would recommend?

Thanks for your help, as always!

Welcome to the DCL Section :wave:

 

[devoy1701]

I can give you a few opinions!

We did dolphins at Tortola, so that won't help you much.

I have friends who loved xcaret. They said it was by far their favorite thing they did on their cruise. They liked it more than Castaway Cay!!

Also, I've never heard a bad review of Stingray City. Everyone seems to really enjoy it. If you want to swim with stingrays, here or Castaway Cay should be your choice.

We love snorkeling at Castaway Cay. Shipwreck and Reef Snorkeling is also supposed to be really good.

I'm sure you'll get some more help!

We looked at Xcaret too, which is about half the price of Xplor...but it looks a little more family oriented, and when I saw the types of activities available at Xplor...between driving the amphibious vehicles, 13 ziplines, kayaking and swimming in underground caverns...we figured if we're going to do anything like that on the cruise that we'll go to Xplor. It does help that your friends gave Xcaret a raving review...makes me think that Xplor also might be worth it...like I said, that $195/pp price tag is quite a bit to swallow!


On another note, has anyone done Discover Cove here in Orlando? We were thinking possibly instead of doing the dolphin encounter while on the ship, we could do it the week after the honeymoon and spend a night in Orlando hitting both Discovery Cove and Sea World...it's a bit more expensive, but FL Residents get a day at Discovery Cove with unlimited food/beverage, plus a day at Sea World, BG, or Aquatica for $199/person. If you had to choose between a dolphin experience in the Caribbean and Discovery Cove, which one do you think is more worthwhile?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

We looked at Xcaret too, which is about half the price of Xplor...but it looks a little more family oriented, and when I saw the types of activities available at Xplor...between driving the amphibious vehicles, 13 ziplines, kayaking and swimming in underground caverns...we figured if we're going to do anything like that on the cruise that we'll go to Xplor. It does help that your friends gave Xcaret a raving review...makes me think that Xplor also might be worth it...like I said, that $195/pp price tag is quite a bit to swallow!


On another note, has anyone done Discover Cove here in Orlando? We were thinking possibly instead of doing the dolphin encounter while on the ship, we could do it the week after the honeymoon and spend a night in Orlando hitting both Discovery Cove and Sea World...it's a bit more expensive, but FL Residents get a day at Discovery Cove with unlimited food/beverage, plus a day at Sea World, BG, or Aquatica for $199/person. If you had to choose between a dolphin experience in the Caribbean and Discovery Cove, which one do you think is more worthwhile?

Thanks for your help!

Xplor is pretty new, but I agree it looks awesome. So much to do!

That's a great price for Discovery Cove! If you get all that I think I'd lean towards Discovery Cove.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

On another note, has anyone done Discover Cove here in Orlando? We were thinking possibly instead of doing the dolphin encounter while on the ship, we could do it the week after the honeymoon and spend a night in Orlando hitting both Discovery Cove and Sea World...it's a bit more expensive, but FL Residents get a day at Discovery Cove with unlimited food/beverage, plus a day at Sea World, BG, or Aquatica for $199/person. If you had to choose between a dolphin experience in the Caribbean and Discovery Cove, which one do you think is more worthwhile?

Thanks for your help!

I'd go with Discovery Cove. Definitely. My sis-in-law took her family there because their oldest son is Aspie. She said it was amaaaaazing. She raved about how luxurious it was, that in the showers they provided Crabtree & Evelyn products (it's a girl thing :animwink. I've always wanted to do it. :wave:

 

[ChuckElias]

-Are there any beaches at any of those port of calls that we can relax on (chairs/hammocks/bar) that don't require a purchase of a shore excursion (we've been thinking about doing one of the beach parties but thought I would ask this as well)?

Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman was a very nice beach that didn't require an entrance fee when we were there (although it's been several years now). It's a pretty short cab ride from the ship.

 

[Phonedave]

We did the Dolphin Encounter in Nassau. It was pricey, but I was happy with it - my kids loved it.

I have been to the Turtle Farm and Stingray City on Grand Cayman, but not from a cruise - just while on vacation. I found them to be no great thrill. Stingray city is CROWDED because everyone goes there. SMB does have a nice public beach with showers and changing rooms. The public beach is about a mile from where the cruises tender into.

I like Rum Point on the Caymans. I know then run excursions there, but it is a bit out of the way from where the cruises tender into (Georgetown).

I know Red Sail sports does trips between the SMB area (the back side of the beach - the bay) to Rum Point but I don't know how they coordinate with the cruises. The kayaking trips in the mangroves are good. The bioluminescent kayaking trips are awesome, but they only do them at night when there is no moon, so you are not going to be able to do one of those from a cruise.


-dave

 

[devoy1701]

I'd go with Discovery Cove. Definitely. My sis-in-law took her family there because their oldest son is Aspie. She said it was amaaaaazing. She raved about how luxurious it was, that in the showers they provided Crabtree & Evelyn products (it's a girl thing :animwink. I've always wanted to do it. :wave:

Xplor is pretty new, but I agree it looks awesome. So much to do!

That's a great price for Discovery Cove! If you get all that I think I'd lean towards Discovery Cove.

Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman was a very nice beach that didn't require an entrance fee when we were there (although it's been several years now). It's a pretty short cab ride from the ship.

We did the Dolphin Encounter in Nassau. It was pricey, but I was happy with it - my kids loved it.

I have been to the Turtle Farm and Stingray City on Grand Cayman, but not from a cruise - just while on vacation. I found them to be no great thrill. Stingray city is CROWDED because everyone goes there. SMB does have a nice public beach with showers and changing rooms. The public beach is about a mile from where the cruises tender into.

I like Rum Point on the Caymans. I know then run excursions there, but it is a bit out of the way from where the cruises tender into (Georgetown).

I know Red Sail sports does trips between the SMB area (the back side of the beach - the bay) to Rum Point but I don't know how they coordinate with the cruises. The kayaking trips in the mangroves are good. The bioluminescent kayaking trips are awesome, but they only do them at night when there is no moon, so you are not going to be able to do one of those from a cruise.


-dave

Great feedback from everyone so far! I'm getting a lot of good ideas and information. It looks like we might be deciding to do the Discovery Cove instead of a dolphin experience at one of the ports. It might be more money, but it sounds like we'll be getting a much better experience for the price...plus we'll be getting admission to SeaWorld for a day included in that DC price. We've been meaning to get back over to SeaWorld for 5 years now. Also the Theme Park pass we get with our admission to DC is good for unlimited admission for up to 14 days from when we go to Discovery Cove, so we could go back to SeaWorld multiple times if we wanted to.

So that would leave us open on our Grand Cayman visit (which isn't a bad thing). Maybe we'll just walk over to Seven Mile Beach as a few of you are suggesting.

It looks like they're are MANY good excursions to take, we just are trying to balance the value we're getting for the price along with not having to travel to far (we don't want to spend 4 hours of an 8 hour excursion traveling back and forth by motorcoach, etc). We are also trying to balance with planned activities versus free days...this is my first Caribbean Cruise afterall and I know we don't have to do EVERYTHING the first time around.

We're also considering some ship-board add ons as well, but the idea of a massage (let alone a couples massage) still freaks me out...lol.

 

[mickey2008.1]

We just booked a cruise, what is included at Castaway Key? Food, snorkeling, waterpark? or do you have to pay for everything?

 

[devoy1701]

We just booked a cruise, what is included at Castaway Key? Food, snorkeling, waterpark? or do you have to pay for everything?

From what I've seen, on your list the only thing you have to pay for is snorkeling...but it was a $25pp fee for all day use of the snorkeling equipment.

Of course, all of the other excursion add ons cost money as well such as the sting ray experience, renting a bike, parasailing, massages, etc.

 

[ChuckElias]

what is included at Castaway Key? Food, snorkeling, waterpark? or do you have to pay for everything?

All the food is included. There are at least 3 different locations to get your lunch on the island. There's Cookie's BBQ and Cookie's 2 (I think that's what it's called) near the family beach. Then there is another cookout station (for some reason, the DCL website doesn't list its name) at Serenity Bay, which is reserved for guests 18+ years old. You don't pay for anything at any of these eating locations.

Soft drinks and ice cream, which are located at the eating locations, are also included. But other drinks -- bottled water, alcoholic beverages, etc. -- are not included. You can purchase those with your Key Card. There are several bars to order these drinks, but there are also cast members who wander the beach taking drink orders if you just don't want to get out of your hammock.

There are several gift shops on the island and you will, of course, have to pay for anything you want to get from these shops. Again, you can simply charge your purchases to your Key Card.

There are also LOTS of activities for guests of all ages on the island. Some of these are free; for example, the youth activities at the designated areas for each age group. There are table tennis and foosball tables. The new Pelican Plunge (it's more of a water slide than a water "park") is free to guests of all ages, as well.

Other shore "excursions" carry a charge. Some are quite low; floats are under $10 for the day, bikes are $6/hr. Some can be quite expensive; parasailing is $80 per person and jet-skiing is $95 (for one person, there's a different rate if you want to have a passenger). The stingray adventure is more reasonable, it's $35 per person. There used to be a glass-bottomed boat trip, but I don't see it on the website anymore.

Hope that is helpful to your planning!

 

[Phonedave]

So that would leave us open on our Grand Cayman visit (which isn't a bad thing). Maybe we'll just walk over to Seven Mile Beach as a few of you are suggesting.

Well, you can't really walk over to SMB. SMB starts just outside of Gerogetown, which is where you will tender into. But the beach will be lined with resort hotels for about a mile or so before you get to a public beach. So it is a bit of a walk.

Me, on a "free day" in the Cayman's - I would either head over to Rum Point - which is an excursion unless you want to take a rather long taxi ride.

or

Get off the tender in Georegtown. Catch a taxi to the public beach on SMB. Hang at the beach for a bit - it will be fairly empty unless it is Saturday, then all the free pavillions will be filled with locals having MASSIVE cook-outs. Very friendly though. There is a bar with food right next to the public beach if that interests you.

Then take a cab back to Gerogetown. There are some historical sites in Georgetown and also some shopping. OF course there are the toursit traps like Hard Rock Cafe and Jimmy Buffet's and gift shops galore, but there is also some pretty good jewerly shops, and some that have a nice selection of shipwreck treasure (if that floats, or sinks, your boat)

It is a friendly and relaxed island. You will be dropped off right in the middle of it's one busy city. Gettting a cab should not be a problem. Cayman dollars are tied to the US dollar. $1.25 US = $1.00 Cayman

-dave

 

[devoy1701]

So much good advice here (and elsewhere!) so far.

So it looks like we won't be doing the Dolphin Experience and Turtle Farm in Grand Cayman based on reviews. We'll be saving that for Discovery Cove the following week when we come home from the honeymoon. Which means we'll have a free day at Grand Cayman to hang out at Seven Mile Beach, explore the ship a bit, or do some browsing around the touristy areas of town.

I think we're still going to do some Excursion for the ruins when we get to Costa Maya...unless any of you recommend a way to just do this on our own for less than booking an excursion for it. I really don't care which Mayan Ruins we go to...just feel like we should see atleast one!

In Cozumel I think we'll be going to Xplor Park...I know it's bloody expensive, but it looks like a real hoot between the 13 Zip Lines, riding amphibious vehicles, rafting in an underground river, etc... I think we might be taking a chance with this one!

I don't know if we're going to book anything for Castaway Cay except maybe a massage (if I can get over my weirdness factor of it). Yoda recommended that we bring our own snorkeling equipment as the stuff at the Cay is pretty cheap, so we're going to look into doing that!

May 12th is going to be here before we know it!

 

[Master Yoda]

So much good advice here (and elsewhere!) so far.

So it looks like we won't be doing the Dolphin Experience and Turtle Farm in Grand Cayman based on reviews. We'll be saving that for Discovery Cove the following week when we come home from the honeymoon. Which means we'll have a free day at Grand Cayman to hang out at Seven Mile Beach, explore the ship a bit, or do some browsing around the touristy areas of town.

I think we're still going to do some Excursion for the ruins when we get to Costa Maya...unless any of you recommend a way to just do this on our own for less than booking an excursion for it. I really don't care which Mayan Ruins we go to...just feel like we should see atleast one!

In Cozumel I think we'll be going to Xplor Park...I know it's bloody expensive, but it looks like a real hoot between the 13 Zip Lines, riding amphibious vehicles, rafting in an underground river, etc... I think we might be taking a chance with this one!

I don't know if we're going to book anything for Castaway Cay except maybe a massage (if I can get over my weirdness factor of it). Yoda recommended that we bring our own snorkeling equipment as the stuff at the Cay is pretty cheap, so we're going to look into doing that!

May 12th is going to be here before we know it!

Since it looks like you will be going the own equipment route I'll post my suggestions here so that others looking do do the same will have a head start. I am by no means a pro caliber diver but the advice I got was from several people who are and it has served me well.

Snorkeling equipment is at its heart incredibly simple. You need a mask to see through, a tube to breath through and fins to swim with. As long as you have met those three criteria, you will be fine. However, inside of those things you will you will find many options, some necessary and some suggested.

1. Mask: A good, well fitting, and comfortable mask is essential. Silicone seems to be the current material of choice and you will find that even inexpensive masks are made of it. To see if a mask fits hold the mask up to your face, do not put the strap over your head, and inhale gently through your nose. The mask should stick to your face and you should not have any air leaks. If it falls off your face or leaks, select another mask. A few options you will want to have on a mask are....

A:A one way purge valve. This will let you expel any water that gets into the mask by exhaling through your nose.
B:Thermal lenses. These are not essential and can be pricey but they will not fog as easily as a standard lens.
C: Panoramic Lens: This is a lens configuration that wraps around the side. Again this is not essential but is does improve your peripheral vision.
D: Neoprene strap or strap cover: Again not essential, but they will make the mask more comfortable to wear.

2. Fins. Fins come in a myriad of shapes, sizes and configurations. I have no idea how much the weird shapes actually help but there are a few things you will want to look at when selecting a pair. The way they fit on your feet will be one of the most important factors. Fins either attach via a full foot or a strap on the back.

Full foot

Strap

Both have their pros and cons. The full foot design will protect the bottom of your foot much like a shoe but the are a pain to get on and off and fit can be a bit inconsistent. Strap fins are easier to get on and off and they tend to fit better. Many people I know will get neoprene booties to go along with these fins to protect the bottom of their feet.

For occasional snorkeling I would avoid a super stiff fin. A stiff fin will transfer more of your energy into the water but it can feel like having boat oars tied to your feet and an be quite fatiguing.

If you plan on flying with your dive gear in the future look for a travel fin. These are a bit shorter and will sit into most carry on luggage.

3: Snorkel: These are pretty simple. You want a dry (not semi-dry) snorkel with a one way purge valve on the bottom. These snorkels close off when you submerge so you do not get a mouth full of sea water every time you dive down.

 

[Ralphlaw]

Two weeks ago we did the Dolphin Experience and Turtle Farm at Grand Cayman. My family and I loved it! My wife says it was the highlight of the trip. The guide was very professional, and we had some very good contact with the dolphin. If you're a good swimmer, you might want to get the enhanced experience, where a dolphin actually pulls you along in the water. Another point is that you may not have to do it through Disney. You might be able to simply grad a cab, go there, and pay right there for whatever you want to do. It's an English speaking country, so it's not "scary" to get around. Just bring a towel.

We also went to Tulum during our Cozumel stay for the Mayan ruins. They were amazing, but the trip is a bit long: a 30 minute boat ride to the mainland, a 15 minute walk through town, an hour + bus ride, etc . . . Tulum is a very neat area, with a marketplace, guys swinging from one of those tall poles on ropes, etc . . . There's also a dramatic beachfront down the cliffs from the ruins. The official excursion is great, but a bit herdish if you know what I mean. Yet taking the ferry on your own, and taking a cab on your own, might be a bit hit or miss. My daughter is from Guatemala, and is of Mayan descent, so this was a very meaningful "must do" for us.

As far as beaches are concerned, it's hard to beat Castaway Cay. We loved it, but one day at the beach was plenty for me.

Check youtube for the dolphins and Tulum to get an idea what it's like. Good luck.

 

[devoy1701]

Two weeks ago we did the Dolphin Experience and Turtle Farm at Grand Cayman. My family and I loved it! My wife says it was the highlight of the trip. The guide was very professional, and we had some very good contact with the dolphin. If you're a good swimmer, you might want to get the enhanced experience, where a dolphin actually pulls you along in the water. Another point is that you may not have to do it through Disney. You might be able to simply grad a cab, go there, and pay right there for whatever you want to do. It's an English speaking country, so it's not "scary" to get around. Just bring a towel.

We also went to Tulum during our Cozumel stay for the Mayan ruins. They were amazing, but the trip is a bit long: a 30 minute boat ride to the mainland, a 15 minute walk through town, an hour + bus ride, etc . . . Tulum is a very neat area, with a marketplace, guys swinging from one of those tall poles on ropes, etc . . . There's also a dramatic beachfront down the cliffs from the ruins. The official excursion is great, but a bit herdish if you know what I mean. Yet taking the ferry on your own, and taking a cab on your own, might be a bit hit or miss. My daughter is from Guatemala, and is of Mayan descent, so this was a very meaningful "must do" for us.

As far as beaches are concerned, it's hard to beat Castaway Cay. We loved it, but one day at the beach was plenty for me.

Check youtube for the dolphins and Tulum to get an idea what it's like. Good luck.

ahhhh. I will look into the dolphin experience as "not an excursion" and see if there is a substantial savings there (might look into the xplor park as well). That is a good idea. I don't think that the dolphin experience @ Grand Cayman would be bad at all...I just think that we might get a better value at Discovery Cove in Orlando. For instance we get to spend all day at Discovery Cove instead of just 4 hours and it includes all of our meals and snacks, snorkeling, swimming with the dolphins, and an admission to BG or SeaWorld for as much as we want over the next 2 weeks.

I was looking at Tulum as well, but I think that was the one that I saw how long the bus ride was going to be and I quickly moved my mind over to choosing to see ruins in Costa Maya instead. Tulum looks amazing...but spending 2 hrs traveling each way to get there doesn't. And I don't like the whole "herding" feeling. That's almost as bad as the "Everyone hold hands as we walk up this waterfall" thing they do in Jamaica.

I think I'm going to end up agreeing with you on the beach thing, though I haven't been to Castaway Cay yet so I can't compare. But my fiance and I have a tendency to "overbook" our vacations with activities...so she wants to make sure we have some down days in the 8 day trip (I thought the 2 days at sea was enough but I won't argue!)

Thanks for the feedback! Please add anything else you might remember.

 

[Phonedave]

3: Snorkel: These are pretty simple. You want a dry (not semi-dry) snorkel with a one way purge valve on the bottom. These snorkels close off when you submerge so you do not get a mouth full of sea water every time you dive down.

Be aware that float vests are now mandatory at Castaway Cay.

You do not have to bring your own. If you have your own equipment, they will give you a float vest to use for free. My kids and I have our own equipment, but when we tried to enter the water the lifeguard made us go get float vests (and wear them)

How much you choose to inflate them is up to you, but even deflated they are still bouyant and make surface diving a pain in the rear.


-dave

 

[Master Yoda]

Be aware that float vests are now mandatory at Castaway Cay.

You do not have to bring your own. If you have your own equipment, they will give you a float vest to use for free. My kids and I have our own equipment, but when we tried to enter the water the lifeguard made us go get float vests (and wear them)

How much you choose to inflate them is up to you, but even deflated they are still bouyant and make surface diving a pain in the rear.


-dave

That they do. The closest thing to a solution I have found is to keep the valve open as I dive down. After the first dive to the bottom the vest is about as deflated as you can get.

 

[muteki]

This sounds very similar to a cruise we are going on in a couple months, and we are still deciding on what to do as well.

We have Castaway figured out as we have been there before but the rest is up in the air, need to do more research. I have actually been to Tulum before (about 12 years ago, via Carnival) and while it was very scenic the bus ride was very long. Not too long, but still quite. Not sure yet if I will go back. Will probably go to one or the other as the wife hasn't seen any but still trying to decide.

All I remember about Cozumel was a shopping mall you had to go through off the boat and a taxi ride into a typical island town. Shops and restaurants, etc. Not sure what we are doing there either.