Sorry....Stingray Confusion...help, please!

[firstcruiserDB]

I know I've posted about this before.....but I still need your opinion! I'm getting ready to book this excursion from Carnival (I know, I know.....I just can't convince DH to book with an independent company this time!). I'm still confused as to which tour is the best. They are both the same price ($45), but I'm not sure if they are going to the same place! Which one is best? Here's info taken from the Carnival excursion page...

 

STINGRAY SANDBAR TOUR:

National Geographic describes this excursion as “one of the most rewarding experiences in the underwater world".

On this excursion you will:

Take a short ride to the inland lagoon in the Northern sound.

Board a boat that will make the journey out to the world famous Sand Bar.

Be led by guides into 3 – 5 feet of water.

Swim, snorkel, pet and feed the tame stingray.

Note: No snorkel experience is necessary as you are in shallow water.

-----OR-----

STINGRAY CITY TOUR:

Nothing can prepare you for the incredible experience of swimming with stingrays at Stingray City.

On this excursion you will:

Take a short ride through Grand Cayman to Stingray City.

Cruise on a yacht out to the sandbar.

Stand in 3 – 5 feet of water to feed and touch these magnificent creatures.

Snorkel with them and share their environment.

Note: Snorkel equipment, transportation and beverage included.

 

THANKS SO MUCH to all of you for your help with this! I've learned these excursions book fast and waiting until we are on board might not be a good idea. Please let me know what you think! I sure appreciate this board and all of the great, knowledgeable posters!:)

[drew sailbum]

...but I'm not sure if they are going to the same place! STINGRAY SANDBAR TOUR:

...On this excursion you will:

Take a short ride to the inland lagoon in the Northern sound.

Board a boat that will make the journey out to the world famous Sand Bar.

Be led by guides into 3 – 5 feet of water.

...

-----OR-----

STINGRAY CITY TOUR:

...On this excursion you will:

Take a short ride through Grand Cayman to Stingray City.

Cruise on a yacht out to the sandbar.

Stand in 3 – 5 feet of water to feed and touch these magnificent creatures.

 

From those descriptions, it certainly seems that both trips go to the Sandbar site. The "original" Stingray City is in water approximately 10-12 ft deep.

[bruce-r]

I think in general, all the "snorkeling" tours go to the sandbar where participants can stand in the water. Scuba divers go to the "original" Stingray City.

 

I would go with a private tour rather than a ship's tour just because I really don't care for large groups.

[sdwrdt]

Were on the Triumph 3/18 - 3/25. Watched CD's talk about Cayman Excursions - he said that the 2 trips do the same thing - just with different tour operators. This is their way of knowing which tour operator you should be with.

[Jem4life]

If you are going to the sand bar, regardless of whether you book the ship's excursion or a private one, you are going to the same place. The water is from knee to chest deep and basically all the tour boats form a circle around the sandbar area. I was just there a month ago and booked thru the cruise line and I'd say we had about 20 people on our tour boat.

 

I've done both private excursions and ship excursions and I guess if they were the same price, I'd pick the ship one "just because."

 

Whatever you choose, you are going to have a great time! I loved Grand Cayman and Stingray City!

[woohoo4ue]

I bet the excursions go to the exact same place, but since Stingray City is such a popular excursion they have to hire more than one company to take the cruisers there.

[02bthere]

From my travel agent and Royal Caribbean website-these 'appear' to be the same excursions...if you click on the trips, you'll see the times are different...there's about 5 different times so I'm guessing that because this is so popular, they rewrite the description, have multiple operators, and go at different times. I'm a newbie, so all I know is what I read..so far 100's of postings...learnin' more all the time.