Has anyone done the Dolphin Swim at Blue Lagoon booked with RCCL?

[eeyore81]

Does anyone know (or know who to call to find out) what time the dolphin swim is if you book through RCCL.  The website says the excursion is from 8:30-1:30 and says you will do the dolphin swim and have time at the beach.  I would like to book the dolphin swim through RCCL and then add the Sea Lion Encounter directly from Blue Lagoon.  There isn’t a option to book the Sea Lion Encounter other than being charged for the full excursion with transportation, etc which we will have already paid for with the Dolphin swim.  I know the Dolphin swim itself lasts about hour.  The Sea Lion Encounter is available at 11 and 12:30.  Does anyone know if either of these times will work with the Dolphin Swim and getting back to the boat with the excursion?  I was hoping someone might remember roughly what time the Dolphin Swim actually happened.  

 

 

[CILCIANRQTS]

Dolphin Swim is offered at 11, 12:30 and 2. 🐬

[eeyore81]

2 hours ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Dolphin Swim is offered at 11, 12:30 and 2. 🐬

 

 

Are we given the choice once we get there?  I have it booked directly through RCCL.  It doesn't list a time for the swim.  It just says excursion is from 8:30 to 1:30.  

[CILCIANRQTS]

1 hour ago, eeyore81 said:

 

 

Are we given the choice once we get there?  I have it booked directly through RCCL.  It doesn't list a time for the swim.  It just says excursion is from 8:30 to 1:30.  

 

Depends on the arrangements RCCL made with BL.

[not-enough-cruising]

Cancel your booking with RCCL and book the entire thing independently 

[maryred]

I agree with not-enough-cruising. If the as described excursion through the cruise line is not to your liking, confusing, or lacking features you want then you should book direct with the venue. In the case with BLI there are a minimum of 4 ferries daily going from the check-in terminal on Paradise Island usually at 8am, 10am, 1pm, and 3 pm local time. During high season, basically any week or longer school break period, additional ferries are scheduled.  

When you book direct you do need to grab a taxi about 1 hour prior to your ticketed ferry time, so you can do your in person check-in at least 30 minutes prior to the start of boarding for your ride over to BLI. When you book generally you are picking your inbound ferry time not always your mammal experience time. (When we did this a second check-in at the animal compound was where we were assigned our swim group time and number. Multiple "lagoons" are available to be used for all of their various levels of animal encounters at any given time frame.) Return ferries are at 9am, 11am, 2pm and 4:30pm local time and unless the ferry is also dropping off at the cruise docks you will need transport back to the terminal in Nassau.Transport from the cruise terminal to ferry terminal water taxi fare should not exceed $7  per person each way, but a land taxi option is also available at $5pp each way (and that includes a tip).

The convenience you pay for by going through the cruise line is to have a semi private (with other passengers from other ships) outgoing ferry from the cruise dock area bypassing the need to go to the ferry terminal. But the return ferries tend to be mixed doing drop offs at both the cruise terminal and the ferry terminal. The other thing to note is if your ship does not share or adjust to local time your excursion times are listed based on ship's time. In return you get a guaranteed return on time or hold the ship clause but only if you remain with your ship's tour group during the loosely planned schedule of activities or places on the island they will visit. The other trade off for the convenience is the ship's excursion groups tend to be bigger sometimes diluting the individual time spent interacting with the animals. 

Edited June 13, 2019 by maryred
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