Stingray excursion via...

[SlmGT]

Carnival's contracted company(ies). Who runs the Carnival excursions, because we are interested in multiple different ones on the Cayman islands, but it must include Stingray interactions. We do NOT just want to watch our 'tour guides' play with the stingrays - we want to enjoy those lovely creates too.

 

So what private companies do this? We'll be on Valor 5/16-5/23, arriving at Cayman Islands on 5/18. We may book through Carnival but would prefer to just piggyback on the same tour guide as Carnival uses so we can be "guaranteed" to get back on the ship & save money concurrently.

 

We're also still looking for exciting experiences in Belize, Isla Roatan and maybe Cozumel [but I'm pretty set on Cooking in Cozumel so you'd have to sell really well to get me out of that].

[las52]

Nativeway and Moby Dick seem to have great reviews. We will be there next week and booked w/Nativeway. I have been in e-mail contact with both and they have been very responsive. Check them both out on their websites:

 

http://www.nativewaywatersports.com/

 

http://www.mobydicktours.com/

[W5KAP]

Carnival's contracted company(ies). Who runs the Carnival excursions, because we are interested in multiple different ones on the Cayman islands, but it must include Stingray interactions. We do NOT just want to watch our 'tour guides' play with the stingrays - we want to enjoy those lovely creates too.

 

So what private companies do this? We'll be on Valor 5/16-5/23, arriving at Cayman Islands on 5/18. We may book through Carnival but would prefer to just piggyback on the same tour guide as Carnival uses so we can be "guaranteed" to get back on the ship & save money concurrently.

 

We're also still looking for exciting experiences in Belize, Isla Roatan and maybe Cozumel [but I'm pretty set on Cooking in Cozumel so you'd have to sell really well to get me out of that].

 

Try Capt Marvin's!! We used them in 2006 and the trip was terrific. Stopped at three sites to snorkel, the las ot which is Sting Ray City. The crew showed off the fish but we touched them and they touched us too. Wonderful experience to say the least.

 

Cheers, Kenn

[jilly08]

We used Fat Fish in GC. We did their waverunner tour. There were 6 of us and two guides. It was AWESOME. Our group made even the other private tours pale in comparison.

 

We were in our own little area of Stingray City and although the guides picked them up for us, we all got a chance to hold several of them. In addition, you could swim under the water and look at them as they were all around us.

 

The excursion was a bit pricey but the experience was priceless. I will never forget it. It was one of the best excursions I've ever done.

 

Check them out on trip advisor.

 

Jill

[ladyd11933]

We used Fat Fish in GC. We did their waverunner tour. There were 6 of us and two guides. It was AWESOME. Our group made even the other private tours pale in comparison.

 

We were in our own little area of Stingray City and although the guides picked them up for us, we all got a chance to hold several of them. In addition, you could swim under the water and look at them as they were all around us.

 

The excursion was a bit pricey but the experience was priceless. I will never forget it. It was one of the best excursions I've ever done.

 

Check them out on trip advisor.

 

Jill

 

I am glad to hear that, we have them booked in June. All the reviews have been great and their customer service so far has been excellent.

[SlmGT]

Thank you for all the information, I have now reserved Moby Dick's tour. The website was informational, slightly humorous and respectable.

 

That Fat Fish sure looked awesome, but DGF really doesn't care much about waverunners - I'd love to do that, but an extra $95 total is a steep price for us.

[evergladesgator]

This is the only way to go.

StingraySailing.com

Chip has a catamaran (double hull) which is much more STABLE riding and laying at anchor. When y'all get out to the reef , notice how the single hull boats are rockin and rollin. The Far Tortuga just lies there nice and quiet. PLUS Chip and his wife are the best. Born and raised on the Island. He comes lookin for ya on the morning of the event. NO need to look all over for him. Michelle has faster than lightning email responses. We have sailed with them twice in the past when we went to Stingray City. HIGHLY recommend them.:):) Also he does NOT overload the boat. Not crawling over one another. GO for it !!!!!

[SlmGT]

This is the only way to go.

StingraySailing.com

Chip has a catamaran (double hull) which is much more STABLE riding and laying at anchor. When y'all get out to the reef , notice how the single hull boats are rockin and rollin. The Far Tortuga just lies there nice and quiet. PLUS Chip and his wife are the best. Born and raised on the Island. He comes lookin for ya on the morning of the event. NO need to look all over for him. Michelle has faster than lightning email responses. We have sailed with them twice in the past when we went to Stingray City. HIGHLY recommend them.:):) Also he does NOT overload the boat. Not crawling over one another. GO for it !!!!!

 

This has been a tricky decision because I believe both companies are good choices. Truly the main reason I 'reserved' with Moby Dick is due to the professionalism portrayed in and around their website/operations. I'm still thinking about it - another $5 for ~30 minutes. I care about 1) making it to/from the ship without frustration/stress and 2) an enjoyable, intimate experience (aka not huge amounts of people) and great guides to make it more fun.

 

So whichever company can do that gets my business.

[evergladesgator]

SlmGT ,

Have y'all TRIED using the website for Stingray Sailings ??????? I have found them (michelle) to be very quick to respond to my emails in the past. NOT posting ANYTHING negative bout Moby in fact have not tried using them or their web. Stingray was the first i tried and found them to be responsible and professional in every aspect of the tour. Chip came lookin for us, escorted us to a nice ac'd bus. Nice trip to the boat. Cannot say enough about the entire tour First class from beginning to end. Give em a try. EVERYTHING y'all are asking for is supplied by Stingray Sailings. Read my last post.

[SlmGT]

I am leaning toward Moby Dick for one reason - I do not want to be pestered with photographs/sales pitches on Stingray Sailing. I know Moby Dick does not have photographers to take many pictures then sell them while Stingray sailing does that. It's not a huge thing, but it is a nuisance - it's still a tossup since both do seem quite solid.

[boricua2007]

This is the only way to go.

StingraySailing.com

Chip has a catamaran (double hull) which is much more STABLE riding and laying at anchor. When y'all get out to the reef , notice how the single hull boats are rockin and rollin. The Far Tortuga just lies there nice and quiet. PLUS Chip and his wife are the best. Born and raised on the Island. He comes lookin for ya on the morning of the event. NO need to look all over for him. Michelle has faster than lightning email responses. We have sailed with them twice in the past when we went to Stingray City. HIGHLY recommend them.:):) Also he does NOT overload the boat. Not crawling over one another. GO for it !!!!!

 

Hi. We're booked with them and I'm really looking forward to it! I'm glad to hear about the stable riding, cause I don't get sea sick but DB is another story. When I told him how many tenders, ferries, boats, catamaran, etc. we'll be taking on this trip he almost died instantly :eek: :D

 

And you're right, Michelle is super fast answering my e-mails, I even asked her if she sleeps, cause one of my e-mail was send around midnight and she answered me almost instantly!!!! ;)

[alicam]

Go with MobyDick....we went with them a month ago and had a wonderful time...you will get premium time with stingrays...feed them, hold them, kiss them, enjoy them

[evergladesgator]

The "ONLY" pictures i can attest to on Stingray Sailings is when the CREW holds 6 or 8 cameras from the people on the tour to take THEIR picture in the water with the rays. Don't know where y'all got this idea about them trying to sell pictures. Sound like your spreading VICIOUS rumors. Haveing never been there yourself. M y does have a nice web site BUT i'm not goin on a website i'm goin on a boat. I have fished in the north atlantic for years and there is NO way in hell that you're going to convince me that a single hull is as stable as a twin(catamaran) hull. Anyway, enjoy your web trip. I enjoyed our trips on the CAT.:)

[evergladesgator]

Hey Alicam. Sounds just like what happened to us on the Far Tortuga with Stingray Sailings.

[SlmGT]

The "ONLY" pictures i can attest to on Stingray Sailings is when the CREW holds 6 or 8 cameras from the people on the tour to take THEIR picture in the water with the rays. Don't know where y'all got this idea about them trying to sell pictures. Sound like your spreading VICIOUS rumors. Haveing never been there yourself. M y does have a nice web site BUT i'm not goin on a website i'm goin on a boat. I have fished in the north atlantic for years and there is NO way in hell that you're going to convince me that a single hull is as stable as a twin(catamaran) hull. Anyway, enjoy your web trip. I enjoyed our trips on the CAT.:)

 

I read on Tripadvisor that they do sell cds with the pictures they take during the trip. I am not spreading a 'vicious rumor,' just passing along my personal disposition from what I have heard.

 

I think both trips are fantastic from what I have heard, but I decided on Moby's due to exquisite details and what sounds like a stellar experience. Catamarans are not my favorite type of boat, but neither are single hulled touristy boats, so in the end it was partly based on price/comfort/looks/etc...

 

I don't think either choice is bad so I'm going to stick with my reservation, though I do still have my option to switch since I am able to cancel moby's easily.

[coasterjan]

I read on Tripadvisor that they do sell cds with the pictures they take during the trip. I am not spreading a 'vicious rumor,' just passing along my personal disposition from what I have heard.

 

I think both trips are fantastic from what I have heard, but I decided on Moby's due to exquisite details and what sounds like a stellar experience. Catamarans are not my favorite type of boat, but neither are single hulled touristy boats, so in the end it was partly based on price/comfort/looks/etc...

 

I don't think either choice is bad so I'm going to stick with my reservation, though I do still have my option to switch since I am able to cancel moby's easily.

 

My husband and I went with Moby Dicks Stingray and snorkle excursion in November 2007 and I *definitely* remember them doing a fairly hard sell for their underwater pictures and video on CD. We were asked to watch the footage on a little monitor before ponying up our money (can't remember the price, but think it was $40), and then they had to mail us the CD after we got home. If you have your heart set on Moby Dicks because they *don't* take pictures, you might be disappointed (unless they've changed policies since then...). It was a great excursion and I loved it, but I just wanted to add that they at least used to take pictures they want to sell you.

coasterjan

[SlmGT]

My husband and I went with Moby Dicks Stingray and snorkle excursion in November 2007 and I *definitely* remember them doing a fairly hard sell for their underwater pictures and video on CD. We were asked to watch the footage on a little monitor before ponying up our money (can't remember the price, but think it was $40), and then they had to mail us the CD after we got home. If you have your heart set on Moby Dicks because they *don't* take pictures, you might be disappointed (unless they've changed policies since then...). It was a great excursion and I loved it, but I just wanted to add that they at least used to take pictures they want to sell you.

coasterjan

 

Wow thank you for the information. If that is true, I will most certainly cancel that excursion. I do not want to be pestered at all with sales pitches by anyone I am already paying for a service.

 

Now I'm really on the fence definitely - so I'll have to figure out the truth of each one or find another one...

[coasterjan]

Wow thank you for the information. If that is true, I will most certainly cancel that excursion. I do not want to be pestered at all with sales pitches by anyone I am already paying for a service.

 

Now I'm really on the fence definitely - so I'll have to figure out the truth of each one or find another one...

 

I shouldn't be posting when I'm not entirely awake. We went with CAPT MARVIN, *not* Moby Dick!! I don't know if Moby Dick takes pictures or not, but *Captain Marvin's* excursion did! Ack!

I am so sorry for spouting off with incorrect info!

 

(coasterjan is slinking back into *lurk* mode again!)

[SlmGT]

I shouldn't be posting when I'm not entirely awake. We went with CAPT MARVIN, *not* Moby Dick!! I don't know if Moby Dick takes pictures or not, but *Captain Marvin's* excursion did! Ack!

I am so sorry for spouting off with incorrect info!

 

(coasterjan is slinking back into *lurk* mode again!)

 

Ok now I believe I will keep Moby Dick's then... But that is of course provided everything will pan out well

[Colorado Guy]

Just got back on Saturday. We did the Stingray Sailing with Chip. Trip was great. Only 28 passengers and plenty of time with the rays. Only disappointment was paying $30 for a CD with 4 pictures on it. The trip would receive a 5 star rating if not for this. Chip needs to set some parameters for his photographer’s fees.