Soto's Stingray sandbar tours adjust afternoon trip to 12noon - 2pm

[Middleager]

I've been searching for early afternoon Stingray sandbar snorkeling tours because my ship Carnival Miracle (in port 6M-3pm local time) has last tender at 2:30pm. In fact, on the day we're there Tue. Aug. 29, the other ship Disney Magic has last tender 3pm. So originally all the afternoon Stingray sandbar trips won't make it back in time.

 

Well when I contacted Soto's http://sotoscruises.com/info/trips.shtml , they indicated they'll adjust the time to 12noon - 2pm, and will go if 10 people sign up. They pick up at Georgetown 11:40am and can drop cruisers at the cruise terminal on return. This will allow passengers from both ships to be back in time for last tenders.

 

If people on other Tuesdays, and I think many Tuesdays will have the same issue, they can contact Soto's to see if they can also adjust the time on other dates.

 

 

I'm curious though. There's no ship to Cayman on Mon Aug. 28 (and most other Mondays). So the stingrays may be hungry by Tue. But the morning SR sandbar tours will have fed many stingrays. Has anyone taken the afternoon SR sandbar trips, and do you find the stingrays still hungry enough to come to your squid feeding?

[sandylevitt]

We did the afternoon tour from soto's and they still did eat. Soto's did a great job getting stingrays for you. My son said that it felt like his thumb was sucked ...

 

sandy

[PattiPB]

Soto's is changing the morning tour time for us in August. We have a private charter, and they had no problems changing the time to accommodate this nervous cruiser.

 

Last August we used a different company, and were extremely close to missing the boat. Didn't want to get any more grey hairs this year, so we're going with Soto's.

[Middleager]

Hi. Sadly, after communicating with Soto's, we confirmed that there will not be the 12noon - 2pm trip on Tue. Aug. 29.

 

I must apologize. Before contacting Soto's on whether they will adjust their after trip from 1-3pm to 12noon - 2pm so that we from Miracle can take it, I did contact Carnival a coupleof times. I kept asking the Carnival "vacation specialists" what is the last tender time (we're in port 7am-4pm ship time/EDT, or 6am-3pm local time), they kept telling me the onboard time is 3:30pm shiptime/EDT (or 2:30pm local time) and therefore the last tender time is 3:30pm EDT.

 

Later on some CCers pointed out on their recent Miracle sailing the capers said last tender is 3pm not 3:30pm. It then downed on my the previous Carnival "vacation specialists" were using the term onboard time and last tender time interchangeably, but I was also at fault for not realizing that. I should have known, because one even did not know Cozumel had the piers detroyed by Wilma and said the ship docks in Belize until I explained. Some CCers also pointed out sometimes the Carnival "vacation specialists" have never taken a cruise and we have to be careful with their answers. When I called Carnival again, this time with a lady who was knowledgeable and had been to Cayman 3 times herself, she pointed out onboard time is 3:30pm EST and last tender time is 3pm but they continue tendering as long as the line from 3pm still has people and can go to 3:30pm or beyond.

 

Anyway, Soto's could get us back to the cruise terminal in time if the last tender was 3:30pm ship time (2:30pm local time), but not 3pm (2pm). Regretably we had to cancel the 12noon-2pm trip. However, the morning trip is still available. I'll thank Soto's for being flexible and considerate.