Cruising on Miracle - difference between 2 different ship's stingray city excursions

[Stew Pickles]

We are sailing on the Miracle on June 11th, and want to know, what exactly is the difference between these two ship sponsored excursions:

 

Stingray City Tour - 2.5 hours - $45.00

 

and

 

Stingray Sandbar Tour - 2.5 hours - $45.00?

 

They are at different times, so they are not just different names for the same tour. The description on the Carnival website doesn't give a clue as to what is different about them. Any help or insight is greatly appreciated!

 

:p Stewie:p

[Middleager]

You might want to pose this question to the Cayman port forum.

 

The Stingray City is 12' deep. It is touted as one of the best (very) shallow dive site in the world. Scuba divers get weighted down and kneel on the sand and interact with stingrays. People can also snorkel on top, but won't enjoy the interaction as much as divers. Many dive shops in Grand Cayman offer a 1-tank dive trip to SRC.

 

Stingray sandbar is nearby. "Snorklers" will stand in waist to chest deep water. The tour operators usually will give you squid to feed the stingrays. Guides often also bring stingrays to people to pet or kiss, and take pictures. You are not supposed to wear fins there, thus not really snorkeling.

 

Some people don't know and call Stingray sandbar as Stingray City. Carnival is making that exact mistake in the first tour description. The two tours look the same, just with different boat, at different times.

 

Several non-Carnival tour ops will bring smaller group of people to snorkel (yes, really snorkeling) at one reef site, and then to Stingray sandbar, for $30-35. That's right, to two places, for cheaper, with less people. But many people would rather go thru Carnival tours to have the comfort feeling.

[Stew Pickles]

Thanks, Middleager, for the info. It is just what I needed.:)

 

I posted this on the Carnival board because it was only answerable by someone who knows Carnival's excursion, & I didn't want the other cruisers to answer what they THOUGHT was right. Also, not very many people actually respond outside of the main cruiseline groups.

 

:p Stewie:p

[HRKC]

Hey Stewie,

 

Your cruising with us! Why haven't you joined us on Roll Call?

 

Anyhow, I will be going to the sandbar. Better for families.

 

I'll meet you onboard for a drink...;)

[Stew Pickles]

Hey Stewie,

 

Your cruising with us! Why haven't you joined us on Roll Call?

 

Anyhow, I will be going to the sandbar. Better for families.

 

I'll meet you onboard for a drink...

 

 

Roll Call, heck, I'll join you on the :D funnel deck:D , or at least in the aft hot tub!:rolleyes:

 

(I'm sure your husband will be happy either way! :) :)

 

Your Dearest Stewie