Stingray City / Island Tour ?

[elvisrocks]

I know there have been alot of information concerning Sting Ray City so I appreciate any information any one can provide. We are going to Grand Cayman next year and my DH really wants to go to Sting Ray City and try a little snorkeling (first time). I unfortunately wont be able to go into the water due to an ear problem, so what tour would be the best for us so that I will be able to have fun too ? Do any local tour companies stop by Hell ? :confused:

[eelyak]

I'm looking into finding tours for stingray city as well. Looks like Nativeway has a stingray city/island tour for $40 per person for 4 hours.Discover the often overlooked land-based treasures of the island and experience the thrill of swimming with the ‘rays at Stingray City Sandbar, all in one excursion.

 

Our favorite land and sea option combines Native Way’s Grand Island Tour with a trip to Stingray Sandbar, the only place in the world where you can not only see, but swim among, some 40 Southern Atlantic stingrays.

 

Our modern, air-conditioned buses, and friendly local guides, will take you to the world-famous Turtle Farm, Tortuga Rum Factory, 7-Mile Beach, the Conch House, and the Governor’s House. And you’ll go to Hell … and back … but only after cooling off in the crystal-clear, calm waters at Stingray Sandbar. You can swim under, over, and among the rays. And Native Way instructors will show you how to pet, hand-feed and snorkel alongside these friendly creatures.

[Diane c]

Just back from the nativeways stingray and island tour. Was a wonderful experience. they board you on a bus hat holds about 15 to 20 people. we stop at the tortaga rum factory. than stop at 7 mile beach. than off to the turtle farm. got to hold some turtles. than off to hell, short vist long enough to send some psot cards or buy a t shirt. Oh the guy at the counter is dressed like the devil.. than, you go off to stingray city aboard one there boats. This is a very small group compaired to groups that was there. we got to hold then feed the stingrays. I notice that bigger tours didnt even do that. than, on the way back they let some of the children drive the boat. Throughout the tour very knowlegeble tour guides, about the turtles, island and stingrays etc....oh, your husband can sit on the edge of the boat and the instructers will bring up a stingray for him to touch but your husband can go into the water its not that deep. 3 feet.. just so much to tell everything.

[TidePrideGA]

I emailed Nativeways over the weekend about doing the Island/Stingray City tour on December 15 and surprisingly, this was the response:

 

Pleasant Greetings from Grand Cayman…and thanks for contacting us!

 

 

Sorry, we will not be offering the Stingray & Island Tour (or any version of it), on December 15. While our other tours continue to receive a great deal of activity, this tour has very little demand. Consequently, we are offering it on a limited basis, and may eliminate it totally.

 

 

We do have availability on our snorkeling tours. Or, you can call Captain Marvins. I think they have an island Tour and they also offer a Stingray only tour. (345) 945-6975.

[Sarapdot]

I just got the same email! Makes me so mad!:mad:

[TidePrideGA]

I just got the same email! Makes me so mad!:mad:

After looking into all of the others, I'm seriously considering Capt. Bryan's. The time works best (10:30-1:30) and they have the added benefit of being the only one to offer a cash bar!

[eelyak]

I emailed Nativeways over the weekend about doing the Island/Stingray City tour on December 15 and surprisingly, this was the response:

 

Pleasant Greetings from Grand Cayman…and thanks for contacting us!

 

 

Sorry, we will not be offering the Stingray & Island Tour (or any version of it), on December 15. While our other tours continue to receive a great deal of activity, this tour has very little demand. Consequently, we are offering it on a limited basis, and may eliminate it totally.

 

 

We do have availability on our snorkeling tours. Or, you can call Captain Marvins. I think they have an island Tour and they also offer a Stingray only tour. (345) 945-6975.

 

That absolutely stinks! They had the best price that I could find. If they are going to be eliminating it, they should take it off their website!

[Sarapdot]

I agree. I was totally bummed when I got this email. This was the only tour that I have found that included all the things we wanted to do in GC. I have been searching all night and all morning and have come to the conclusion that either me or my husand are gonna have to give up something we want to do!:(

[TidePrideGA]

I agree. I was totally bummed when I got this email. This was the only tour that I have found that included all the things we wanted to do in GC. I have been searching all night and all morning and have come to the conclusion that either me or my husand are gonna have to give up something we want to do!:(

For what it's worth, here are the two alternatives I'm trying to get DH and DS to decide between:

 

Option No. 1: Captain Bryan’s Buccaneer - Stingray City, Barrier Reef, Coral Gardens, 3 hours, $39 each, cash bar on boat

 

Option No. 2: Nativeway's 'Rays, Reef and Rum Point - comes highly recommended and includes 2 hours at Rum Point beach, $55 each

 

 

[eelyak]

Hey long did it take you guys to hear back from them through email? I sent an email a couple of days ago and still haven't heard back from them.

[TidePrideGA]

My responses from Sharon of Nativeway have all come within a few hours. Try emailing Sharon at nativway@candw.ky

[Sarapdot]

I got my first response the next day. But, I sent them another email telling them how disappointed I was and that they should take this tour off the website if they aren't going to offer it. I sent that on Monday and haven't heard anything back. I just booked with Cpt. Marvin today.:D

[eelyak]

You know I got an email back today after I posted this, but can I say how strange this all is.

 

I get this email:

 

Pleasant Greetings from Grand Cayman…and thanks for contacting us!

 

We are considering eliminating this tour. It really has not received much interest at all. Often, there are only 4-5 people booked for the tour. We honestly cannot afford to operate at this capacity.

 

Right now, we are not planning to conduct the tour on December 1. So, in an effort to be fair to you, I am recommending that you contact Captain Marvins about this tour. I know that they offer something similar. We honestly cannot afford to book you on this tour, then go out with 4-5 people.

 

Good Luck!

Ok, well, I can't find anything on Captain Marvins website that was a stingray city and island tour excrusion, can anyone help? Not to mention, it doesn't even look like they are interested in trying to get people to stay with Nativeway by doing a different excursion. Am I the only person that finds that odd.

And, if they are doing this on limited availability then I feel they should at least put that on their website, letting people know if they're a party of 2, that more than likely don't even bother inquiring. I guess if we had a party of 20, it would be a different story, and I totally understand about operating under cost.

[TidePrideGA]

You know I got an email back today after I posted this, but can I say how strange this all is.

 

I get this email:

 

Pleasant Greetings from Grand Cayman…and thanks for contacting us!

 

We are considering eliminating this tour. It really has not received much interest at all. Often, there are only 4-5 people booked for the tour. We honestly cannot afford to operate at this capacity.

 

Right now, we are not planning to conduct the tour on December 1. So, in an effort to be fair to you, I am recommending that you contact Captain Marvins about this tour. I know that they offer something similar. We honestly cannot afford to book you on this tour, then go out with 4-5 people.

 

Good Luck!

Ok, well, I can't find anything on Captain Marvins website that was a stingray city and island tour excrusion, can anyone help? Not to mention, it doesn't even look like they are interested in trying to get people to stay with Nativeway by doing a different excursion. Am I the only person that finds that odd.

And, if they are doing this on limited availability then I feel they should at least put that on their website, letting people know if they're a party of 2, that more than likely don't even bother inquiring. I guess if we had a party of 20, it would be a different story, and I totally understand about operating under cost.

I had the same thought process when I received my similar response, but in a way I was kind of impressed. It reminded me of Kris Kringle sending people to Gimble's from Macy's rather than trying to sell them some other Macy's toy in "Miracle on 34th Street". I have found Sharon extremely helpful.

 

I would have like to stay with Nativeway for several reasons:

 

1. Sharon

2. My TA highly recommends them from personal experience

3. They are highly recommended on this board

4. I want to go to Rum Point

 

However, mainly because the RRR excursion is @5 hours, and we're only in town 8 on a day when 10 ships are in port, we wound up booking the Buccaneer with Capt Bryan.

[Sarapdot]

I sent Nativeway an email telling them how disappointed I was about this and that they should remove the tour from their website if they do not intend to offer it. This is the response I got...

Hi Sara,

I am really sorry for your disappointment. I will add on our web site that the tour will be offered on a very limited basis.

 

Goode luck.

Sharon Ebanks

We have now booked with Cpt. Marvin. You can take the early morning Short Stingray tour and then book the Hell/Turtle Farm tour for immediately after. They pick you up as soon as you get back from SRC and take you to Hell/Turtle farm at their office I believe. It's two seperate tours but if you book them together then they just shuffle you from one to the other. I read a review that someone had posted where they did this and loved it. I'm going with Cpt.Marvin, because noone else offers all these attractions in a timely schedule. I believe they said that both of these tours would be over by about 12:15. That gives you time to shop around at the pier before bording the ship. I say go for it! I have heard alot of good things about Cpt. Marvin on these boards as well as Nativeway, but again, Nativeway doesn't have what I want.

[eelyak]

Here's something that I find odd. I just checked how many ships will be in Grand Cayman on 12/1, there are ELEVEN ships! My husband said, it seems odd that they don't think they'll be able to operate above cost that day. I have to agree. Looks like they'd be booming. The Rays Reef and Rum thing just didn't appeal to me because I didn't want to be in the water/beach all day. We're planning on doing a beach break on one of our other excursions.

 

I can say that I'm glad they said this up front. Because, I'd have been hacked to have gotten an email a week before sailing saying "Sorry, we're cancelling this".

[elvisrocks]

Thanks to everyone that has written. I will narrow down my option when we get closer. I just had my ear operation on Tuesday so I do know for sure that I wont be getting in the water with the StingRays but will hopefully get to enjoy them from the edge of the boat. I hope everyone has a great time and will keep me and eveyone else up to date on your experiance with your different tours.:)

[Gator83]

I'm not sure what ship everyone is on but I will be on the Coral Princess and they have the exact same excursion as Nativeway but it is $69. I would prefer to pay less but I guess I will just book with Princess. Check your cruise line to see if they have the trip.

[AnnaTP8]

Booking on the ships for the Stingray Tours in NOT the same. You will be with 50+ people and there is a chance that you will go to Stingray City instead of Stingray Sandbar.

 

Soto's Cruises, Capt. Marvin's, Capt. Bryan's, and Stingray City Trips are all better choices! :p

 

By the by, it is very cheap to take a bus to the hell/turtle area or take a taxi up there and back. Yeah, $40 sounded too good to be true...

[momofzeke]

there is a chance that you will go to Stingray City instead of Stingray Sandbar.

 

What's the difference? I thought they all went to Stingray City? :confused:

[Gator83]

What's the difference? I thought they all went to Stingray City? :confused:

 

Sue,

You are correct. There is no difference because it is the same thing.

[Gator83]

Sue,

You are correct. There is no difference because it is the same thing.

 

oops...i'm wrong I think. Stingray City is more for snorkeling and deeper than Stingray Sandbar which is only 4' of water and more for wading with the stingrays.

[Trainacomin]

I emailed Nativeway and they said that the island/stingray tour was full for next week.

 

I like the idea of taking a taxi up to the turtle farm. Do the taxi's wait on you or are there taxi's up there to bring you back when you are done?

[kod1963]

Thanks to everyone that has written. I will narrow down my option when we get closer. I just had my ear operation on Tuesday so I do know for sure that I wont be getting in the water with the StingRays but will hopefully get to enjoy them from the edge of the boat. I hope everyone has a great time and will keep me and eveyone else up to date on your experiance with your different tours.:)

 

Elvisrocks,

We just got back last week and booked the Stingray City/Snorkeling tour with Captain Marvin's. Their prices were reasonable, and we got a minitour of the island on the ride from their office to their boat dock. The water is so shallow at Stingray City that I never even got my hair wet there. You may be safe doing this from closer than the side of the boat. I'm 5'3" and the water came only slightly higher than my waist.

[Lady Anna & Sir Troy]

Differences:

 

Stingray City is 12 - 15 feet deep and NOT for beginning snorkelers.

Stingray Sandbar (within the greater Stingray City Area) is 3 - 4 feet deep and great for everyone.

 

Some boats hold 20 - 30 people, others hold 40 - 50.

 

The cruise excursion boat we saw was three floating barges connected to one boat and had almost 150 people on it! Because these "barges" are so shallow they cannot go out in moderate windy weather, and sometimes will go to the Stingray City instead of the Sandbar if there are too many boats by the Sandbar. :(

 

My in-laws were on the ship excursion and went to Stingray City , and thought it was just "okay", certainly not the highlight of their trip. Too bad for them!

 

Hope this helps.

 

L.A.S.T ...formerly AnnaTP8 for a day:)