Puerto Vallarta sea lion excursion info and doing it on your own?

[Gingee]

We are debating about the sea lion experience in Puerto Vallarta. Debating about doing it with the cruise line ($86) or $73 on our own but then we have to get transportation there also. Does anyone know how far it is?

[MSN-Travelers]

We are debating about the sea lion experience in Puerto Vallarta. Debating about doing it with the cruise line ($86) or $73 on our own but then we have to get transportation there also. Does anyone know how far it is?

 

This sea lion encounter takes place at the dolphin center located in Nuevo Vallarta. Transportation costs + lower ticket price will be pretty close to what you will pay through the ship with trans included. Net savings really depends on how many are in your party.

 

Enjoy!

[Gingee]

There will be four of us.

[Gingee]

Oh of the four of us, one will be a observer.

[MSN-Travelers]

We don't do dolphins or sea lions. I can't give you any first hand, specific information about the Dolphin Adventures Center in Nuevo Vallarta. I don't know their rules for observers and I don't know the ship's rules for observers.

 

1) There are two different companies that offer dolphin and sea lion excursions. I assume you are looking to book the same excursion offered by the ship through an independent source. I will also assume you are not looking at the sea lion excursion at the water park.

 

2) The excursion operator, under the terms of the contract they have with the ship, is not allowed to sell excursions direct to ship's passengers if that same excursion is being sold by the ship. A growing number of third-party excursion brokers are starting to follow this policy too.

 

3) The yellow city taxis, located outside the port, charge per taxi ride (with up to 4 passengers) vs the port taxis who charge per person. The yellow taxi rate between the port and the Dolphin Adventures Center should be roughly 80 to 120 pesos each way (about $7 - $10 USD at today's exchange rate). It will be $8 - $12 USD if you pay in USD's. Your total transportation cost shouldn't be more than $24 USD for 4 people round trip if you pay with USD's.

 

Nuevo Vallarta is in a different Mexican state and you will use the taxi firm based there for the return trip. They use white cars and also charge per taxi ride with up to 4 passengers.

 

4) I don't want this to sound complicated but it is. You arrive on a cruise ship and the tourist industry has some restrictive policies in place that are designed to make it complicated. They don't want you to independently buy the same excursions sold by the ship for a lessor rate.

 

I couldn't identify a tour broker selling the Sea Lion Encounter for $73. Make sure you can actually buy this excursion independently before you put tons of thought into it.

[bzy1]

I just took a taxi from the Marina/Plaza Neptuno to the Mayan, which is a couple of blocks from Vallarta Adventures and he charged us 140 Pesos and we negotiated that price and one of us is Mexican :)

[Gingee]

I guess it was not a independent excursion. It is through this group.

 

http://www.puertovallartatours.net/sea-lion-encounter.htm

[MSN-Travelers]

I guess it was not a independent excursion. It is through this group.

 

http://www.puertovallartatours.net/sea-lion-encounter.htm

 

Those fine folks are third party tour brokers, they don't actually run any excursions. They advertize on this board and have a good reputation with cruise ship passengers.

 

They "may" be willing to sell you this excursion but I wouldn't count on it. Contact them and see if they will. The worst that can happen is they will say no.

 

Enjoy!