Cabo San Lucas - Dolphins

[Tinks86]

Hi Folks

 

Just wondering if anyone can compare the Carnival Dolphin excursion with the cabosanlucastours.net one?

 

We don't know which one to use for the dolphins and also can't decide if we want to swim with them or just do the encounter.

 

Can anyone help us out, cabosanlucastours.net have been great with initial email questions but i would like your opinions as your aren't trying to sell me something ;)

 

Thanks in advance,

 

James & Claire.

[MSN-Travelers]

cabosanlucastours is a third-party tour broker and sells dolphin excursions at both the Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo dolphin centers. The actual facility operator in CSL is Cabo Adventures and I believe that Carnival contracts with Cabo Adventures for the dolphin excursions they sell aboard ship.

 

Under the terms of the contract with the cruise lines, Cabo Adventures cannot sell direct to cruise passengers if the ship sells the same excursion.

 

Most cruisers report very little success booking any CSL dolphin excursions independently. If a dolphin excursion is important to you, book it through the ship.

 

The dolphin "encounter" is designed for small children and adults who can't swim. The dolphin "swim" will be the better of the two for most people.

[Tinks86]

Most cruisers report very little success booking any CSL dolphin excursions independently. If a dolphin excursion is important to you, book it through the ship.

 

Care to elaborate?

[CWcruisers]

It's been reported that the cruise line received a list from the Dolphin excursion vendor and if a cruise passenger has booked through an independent agency, they are cancelled. Most don't find this out until they show up for their excursion. This is becoming quite common with not only Carnival but other cruise lines that are contracting directly with vendors so they can make the most profit. The vendor cooperates because they are being supported by the cruise line.

 

As MSN said, if you really want to do it, book through the ship, otherwise, you could be disappointed.

[downsized]

I agree with all of the above posters.

You stand a significant chance of being turned away if you book locally and you are from a cruise ship.

Although the cruise ship booking might be a bit more, one of the perks of booking through the ship is that since Cabo is a tendered port, and there are 2000 people standing in line to board the tenders and it might take you up to 2 hours in line to get aboard a tender...you will be afforded VIP boarding (at least through NCL). You will be escorted to the front of the tender line, ahead of any others.

Even if you do decide to book through the cruise line, book early, as the Dolphin swim often sells out months in advance!

[Rosefloater]

you will be afforded VIP boarding (at least through NCL). You will be escorted to the front of the tender line, ahead of any others.

 

Same with Carnival.

[Tinks86]

Thanks guys. Will do dolphins with ship and use the tour guys for the atv and jet ski safaris :-)

[Tinks86]

Dolphins now booked and even found a 10% discount on CC to use :-)

[travellingnurse]

Tinks86 - I am doing a carnival cruise end of September to Cabo. Where did you find the 10% discount for the dolphin tour? Thanks in advance. :)

[Tinks86]

Tinks86 - I am doing a carnival cruise end of September to Cabo. Where did you find the 10% discount for the dolphin tour? Thanks in advance. :)

 

We found it here

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/carnival.com

BGD001 was the code we used as the code for 20% doesnt work.

[cabo helper]

We found it here

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/carnival.com

BGD001 was the code we used as the code for 20% doesnt work.

 

I am afraid to tell you but you did not book the tour through the cruiseline but rather this is a website of a 3rd party vendor. They make their website look like Carnival offical but it is not. You will not receive a ticket from the cruiseship for your tour and the dolphin facility will not honor your reservation. I work directly with all the cruiselines as a consultant of sorts and see this happen alot these days.

[Tinks86]

We booked through the cruiseline but found the 10% off voucher code through the above site.

 

It is in our managed booking when we log onto our cruise with our reference number, we also had confirmation from Carnival of the booking so i think we will be ok - thanks for the advice though

[lbosarge]

Retailmenot is just a good coupon code site. They don't sell anything.

[cohnhed]

We did Cabo last December and booked a Dolphin swim in Los Cabos. I don't remember who it was through but they picked us up at a hotel right by the dock. I liked the Los Cabos facility a lot since it was actually in the water, outside, as opposed to a dolphinarium (I've never been inside the CSL one, only seen it from the outside so my comparison may not be accurate). I spoke to the tour operator ahead of time and was assured that they could book cruise passengers at that facility. We also never worried about getting back to the ship on time. The tour was half the price of Carnival's and I'd highly reccommend it.

[cohnhed]

We did Cabo last December and booked a Dolphin swim in Los Cabos. I don't remember who it was through but they picked us up at a hotel right by the dock. I liked the Los Cabos facility a lot since it was actually in the water, outside, as opposed to a dolphinarium (I've never been inside the CSL one, only seen it from the outside so my comparison may not be accurate). I spoke to the tour operator ahead of time and was assured that they could book cruise passengers at that facility. We also never worried about getting back to the ship on time. The tour was half the price of Carnival's and I'd highly reccommend it.

Sorry, I meant San Jose Del Cabo, I think.