Boo's Mom Posted January 2, 2005 #1 Share Posted January 2, 2005 Stingray Tours..... Booking with the ship v. booking an independent.....what's the scoop. Are the ship's tours really a large group? Tell me all....... Thanks ~ :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinqt Posted January 2, 2005 #2 Share Posted January 2, 2005 We have done the ships tours and we've also booked our own private tours. Personally, I prefer the private tour operators hands down. All the ship does is book a group thru a private tour operator and charge you twice the price and pocket the difference. A perfect example would be our experience with Soto's tours, which we booked privately for $24. After talking to others on the boat, many of them booked this same tour thru their ship ( Holland America ) and paid $48. Same tour, same boat, same everything, except we paid 50% less.;) The one good thing about booking thru the cruise lines is that they guarantee you that if your tour runs late, they will hold the ship for you and it won't leave without you. Many people book ships tours for that specific reason, which is understandable. Though I do have to say that I've been on TONS of private excursions and have never been left behind. These local tour operators know exactly how long their tour takes and when you need to be back to the ship, they do this every day. They would NEVER take the chance of making you miss your boat, it would hurt business too much. Just to be on the safe side, I always inform our tour guide of when we have to be back to the boat.:) Another thing I like about local tour operators is that they tend to have much smaller groups and give more personalized one on one attention to the customers.:D The ships tours that I've been on tend to be quite large and you just don't get the individualized attention that you do on a private tour with a local tour operator. Though, I still book thru the ship occasionally when they offer a really neat tour that no one else can offer. Many cruise lines have an agreement with certain islands that only they can do business with them, so you have to use them or do something else. All in all, both types of tours are good, it's just what you're looking for. The local tour operators are about 50% cheaper with more individualized attention, and they're quite safe. The ships tours are more expensive but you have peace of mind that you won't be left behind, which is very comforting to some people, especially new cruisers that don't know what to expect. I hope this helps, happy cruising!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glcruiser Posted January 2, 2005 #3 Share Posted January 2, 2005 We agree with all the great info, cruisinqt. We have been on both types of tours, and we did book on Soto's this December. Excellent time, we beat the larger boats, so it wasn't crowded at all. We have been to Cayman on another cruise, but were turned off at all the screaming people and the crowds. This time with Soto's there was only around 12 on us on the boat. We've booked other snorkeling tours from the cruise lines, and they usually have 25 people and up on the boats. The worst tours and the shopping/city tours. The buses hold a lot of people, and every stop is a chore to make sure everybody is on the bus again. If you book a morning tour, you shouldn't have to worry about getting back to the ship on time... Just out 2 cents...we've been on 10 cruises.... George & Jeanie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo's Mom Posted January 3, 2005 Author #4 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Thanks for all the info ..... everyone. Does anyone have any experience with a private charter called Red Baron? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zydecocruiser Posted January 3, 2005 #5 Share Posted January 3, 2005 I've been to GC several times and to stingray city on both ship and "private" tours. But yes, the same and usually better tours can be had for less money than what the ship offers. There is the risk the cruise ships love to scare you with - that you might miss the ship. The odds of this happening in my experience (or anyone I know) is 0. However, it is always wise to know who the ship's representative in port is. The ship has no idea where you are if you are not on one of their tours. But if are late and you make prior contact with the local contact, the ship may wait a while and/or alternative arrangements may have already been made. Hint - I have never bothered with this - but it is possible. I've never been on a private tour that was late, and if it was close, the ship tours were later! On the two ship stingray tours I was on, neither one was one of the cattle boats and one I actually can recommend. It was on the Cockatoo catamaran through Carnival. It costs more than a catamaran you could arrange on your own, and it only went to the stingray sandbar and back. Not sure if available from HAL, but since they are owned by Carnival? I guess there might have been 40 people on board - it was full (from at least two Carnival ships) but not that unpleasant. I thought the level of service was very high on the boat and in the water. I guess the only thing missing from the boat was a bar. Some die hards swan to one of the double deckers where they could purchace some beers for the return trip. BUT... this was a few years ago, and I know the captain and crew have changed since. BUT... someone posted somewhere, that the former captain of the Safir (RIP - the boat not the captain) is now associated with Cockatoo. On a "private" tour, you may need to be more flexible - there are usually passengers from multiple ships, so times can be flexible. When bad seas/weather/etc, ship tours will be the first to cancel. When it is really unsafe, all will cancel. The stingrays are amazing creatures and the sandbar experience is one you will enjoy forever. It sounds like you want to see the stingrays - Good Choice! The next step is to try to prioritize other factors. Power boat or sailboat. Just stingrays or additional snorkel stops. Which tours best match my ship time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo's Mom Posted January 3, 2005 Author #6 Share Posted January 3, 2005 zydecocruiser ~ Thanks for the info. There are five in my family. Two more friends traveling with us. We may do a charter. I'm not sure if a whole day (6 hr) will be too long for us. Any thoughts? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zydecocruiser Posted January 3, 2005 #7 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Any thoughts? :confused: Is this a trick question? :) Kidding. Anywho, your next cruise is in March? Looks like you will beat me by a week. I'll be on March 20 Valor sailing. I have no experience with chartering a boat in GC, so can't address that. Is this your first (and the others) trip to GC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo's Mom Posted January 3, 2005 Author #8 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Yes, this is our first time in GC...all of us. I have learned from experience that I do not want to waste any time shopping around in stores in port....at least any significant time. How about Key West? Have you been there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zydecocruiser Posted January 3, 2005 #9 Share Posted January 3, 2005 I need some time to think about your original question; mostly to try to come up with additional questions to try to help you decide. I am somewhat distracted because... After two weeks off I have to go back to work tomorrow - yuck - well not that bad considering the alternative. Yes I have been to Key West several times as well. Not for years, however. bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zydecocruiser Posted January 3, 2005 #10 Share Posted January 3, 2005 A wealth of information and operators can be found here: http://www.divecayman.ky/ It's not just about diving. On the dive planner (Rred bar near the top) you can search: Island - Grand Cayman Region - All Service - Watersports Type - Snorkeling and 44 operators pop up. You might check out the services offered to see what is available and what sounds interesting. It's hard for me to go to GC and pass up on playing with the stingrays, but there is lots of other stuff. There is lots of great shore snorkeling. Eden Rock and Cemetery Beach are popular. Eden Rock is easy walking distance from where the tenders dump you off. Here is a list of some you can do on your own: http://caymanislandsdiscounts.com/OffshoreSnorkeling.htm They include locations a number of tour operators would bring you to. Perhaps you might want to take a stingray sandbar tour and then do some snorkeling on your own? There is a dive shop or two at Eden Rock here you can rent equipment and get instruction, advice, etc. I think this is going to be my schedule next time. Don't forget GC is a tender port and allowing an hour to tender to shore and back is a reasonable thing to do, even though it may not take that long. Does make it expensive in terms of time if you chose to go back to the ship for lunch. So maybe research possible restaurants on the island for lunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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