Tell me about Sting Ray City...

[chicagojayhawk]

So this sucker is everywhere on the excursion list...so it must be pretty cool, right?

 

But what exactly is this? Is it worth checking out? Or should I save my snorkling for another island in the Western Caribbean...? What would I be missing? Or is this a big ole do not miss excursion?

 

Thoughts?

[Sheffie]

Swimming with the stingrays is on my top 10 life list! It is amazing to be standing on the sandbar and have them swim between your legs, rub against you like a cat, and watch fly through the water. They feel like a very soft satin bedspread. I have some pictures in my signature.

 

The first time there we went on a ship's excursion and it was very crowded, and a one stop excursion. Last time we went on Captain Bryan's Buccaneer for a 3 stop excursion. It was cheaper than the ship's excursion, less crowded and SOOOOOOO much better!

 

Yes, I tell people it is on the must-do list.

[PSCruiser]

Stingray City sandbar is not really snorkelling. You will get out of the boat onto a waist-deep sandbar, and be surrounded by stingrays with 2-4 ft wingspread, wanting fed. You will be able to swim with them, touch them, hold them and feed them. A truly unique experience that is not to be missed. Many of the boats going there will also stop to snorkel a reef at a nearby location. I would put it up there as a top excursion, the only one I can think of that might equal it in my mind is in Hawaii - the Molokini / Turtle Town snorkel, when there are a lot of turtles around.

[TennisLover]

Swimming with the stingrays is an amazing experience. I can't think of anything else like it.

 

We are doing it again in February -- this time combining it with snorkling on a separate reef then a visit to Rum Point (beach) through NativeWay Watersports. I can tell you about it upon my return.

[Merion_Mom]

So this sucker is everywhere on the excursion list...so it must be pretty cool, right?

 

But what exactly is this? Is it worth checking out? Or should I save my snorkling for another island in the Western Caribbean...? What would I be missing? Or is this a big ole do not miss excursion?

 

Thoughts?

 

You CAN combine snorkeling and stingray city, but it won't be the same activity. At the sandbar where the stingrays congregate, you are standing in roughly waist to chest deep water, and the experience is exactly as Sheffie described. Then your excursion boat (or before you go to the sandbar) will take you to a great snorkeling spot.

 

GO WITH AN OUTSIDE COMPANY, not the ship's excursion. There are SO MANY excellent companies on Grand Cayman. Go to the Ports of Call board and you will find great recommendations.

[serene56]

go to www.webshots.com and do a search for Cayman stingrays and you can see hundreds of photos of what you could expect.

I think everyone should do the stingrays at least once.

[CoronaCpl]

GO WITH AN OUTSIDE COMPANY, not the ship's excursion. There are SO MANY excellent companies on Grand Cayman. Go to the Ports of Call board and you will find great recommendations.

 

Absolutely agree with Merion; go with a company not associated with the ship.

 

Stingray City is perhaps one of the funnest things I've done in my life. There's something special about the experience of having these graceful animals swim around you. Being able to touch and hold them is an added bonus! Worth doing and probably a "must do" if you're anywhere near Stingray City.

[barbarah33]

I have to agree: Stingray City is not to be missed! I have done it several times - each time I am cruising with somebody who has never done it before I make them go because I know they will really enjoy it. It is not, however, a day of snorkeling. If you want to spend the day snorkeling then you should pick a different tour because it isn't going to be this one. (Or get off the ship early, get an early tour of Stingray City then snorkel at a different location for the afternoon.)

 

I also say 'don't bother to pay for the ships tour.' You can arrange something ahead of time over the Internet or you can simply book yourself something right there - there are companies and signs all over on the dock for SC tours. You'll go to the same place the ship's tour takes you for 1/2 the price.

[perkyblue]

There's not really much else to say--just wanted to agree with the others that this is definitely a must-do excursion. It's a wonderful one-of-a-kind experience.

[ken_nyc]

Michelle, thank you for the link to Captain Bryan's Buccaneer. It sounds really exciting. Will try and talk the wife into this excursion.

 

Ken

[justkidding]

Swimming with the stingrays is an amazing experience. I can't think of anything else like it.

 

We are doing it again in February -- this time combining it with snorkling on a separate reef then a visit to Rum Point (beach) through NativeWay Watersports. I can tell you about it upon my return.

 

I can - swimming with dolphins is even better.

 

If you have the opportunity to do the stingray thing, go and do it - you can snorkel at almost any island, but there aren't a lot of stingray swims.

 

And it is pretty funny when you see people that are grossed out by the rays swimming around them. We actually have video or a woman jumping on a strangers back because she got scared - the poor guys face is priceless.

[SheilaSailAway]

Hello there!

We have done Stingray City a few times and it is not to be missed. Even if you do not get into the water and actually swim with them, it is a great experience. Bring an underwater camera!!!

Have fun and happy cruising to you!

[teajak]

It is really awe inspiring,we go every chance we get. Don't go with the ship excursion. There are several vendors at the dock all run by the same person so it doesn't matter which one you choose.They only take about 20 people on each boat instead of a buss load from the ship, Last Sept. the cost was $40.00 per person. It is a don't miss.

[kazooie11]

I have to echo the recommendation of Captain Bryan's. We did the SC/2 stop snorkle tour in GC in January. SC is not to be missed, but you also can't beat the feeling of skimming across the bay in a 50' catamaran. Many of the other excursions use what I call "bench boats"

 

Jim

[robtulipe]

This is a must do activity and like others have suggested you will get a better and less expensive tour with the vendors on the docks rather than doing a ship's tour.

Have you hugged a stingray today? Click on photo to enlarge.

[IamCdn]

I recommend the Reef, Rays, and Rum Point tour with Nativeway. It combines snorkeling at a reef, wading with the Rays, and lunch at Rum Point. Sheldon is your captain is a great tour guide. We have been on this same tour several times.

 

This is a full day so it won't allow time to shop around the port or other activites.

 

If you go to Google, enter Cayman Islands and hit maps. Then select satellite image. You can zoom in on cruise ships in the harbor, the reef, Stingray City (a circle of boats near the top) and Rum Point (to the right of Stingray City.

[rwillis9]

I loved it when we went, but it was way too busy. Check out www.cruisecal.com and see how many ships will be there with you. We did a private tour that included the Turtle Farm (great place,) Tortuga Rum Factory (FREE SAMPLES,) Hell, and then Stingray City. By the time we did Sting Ray city, it was so crowded and the Sting Ray's were already fat and happy. They wanted nothing to do with us and would not eat. There were 8 ships in all there the day we went including our Carnival Victory, and non of them were smaller ships. At the sandbar with the Ray's we could 28 boats out there with people. We finally were able to pet a Ray and get a great pick of him spitting water all over us when they lifting him up. It was a great experience, I just would love to do it when there are a few less cruise ships in port. It is one of those you have to do things!:D

[scher]

Just have to tell my story about sting ray city. Sorry if it's long and boring. Here it is. About 20 years ago for our Honey moon we went on the SS Norway. We stopped at the private island and they were giving free group snorkeling. My husband asked me if I wanted to go, and since swimming with fish is not to my liking (I prefer eating them) I said no you go. So he did, when he came back he said "good thing you did not go" the guy threw bread in the water and the fished swarmed all over, even he was a little freaked out. 18 years later and 2 kids We went on the Voyager, here we stopped in Grand Cayman and thanks to the message boards decided I would sign my family up for the swimming with the sting rays. I already knew I was pretty much just a passenger in the boat, and not sure about my 2 kids. I asked them and they said no problem, but knew when the time got there they might get a little freaked out. My daughter then 9, made it half way down the ladder of the boat and then that was it. My son 13 took about 15 minutes out of the 20 min we were supposed to be there, to get in the water, and then wrapped himself around my husband like a boa constrictor. It was actually a riot because he was a big 13 year old and it looked funny. But it really was a great adventure even though I stayed in the boat. Next they took us to another area to snorkle. Now all I remembered about snorkleing was 18 years back, a man threw bread in the water and there were fish swimming all over and around you. I was very reluctant to get in the water and made the person in the boat swear up and down he was not going to throw anything in the water to call any fish anywhere near me. I finally went in and it was amazing, beautiful, serene, colorful, words just could not decribe. There are very few things in this world that awe me, but beautiful crystal clear water, fish, scenery in the carribbean is just like no other awe. Needless to say I stayed very close to the ladder of the boat, but I am so looking foward to the experience once again.

[robtulipe]

DW lasted about two minutes in the water at the Stingray City sandbar before one large ray swam between her legs and with that she was out of there. She then took the above photo of me hugging my ray from the boat where of course she stayed for the rest of the time there.

[sms30519]

DH and I did Stingray City the first time about 4 years ago and booked it though the Carnival. Needless to say we were on a barge with about 100+ people. No personalized service but still an interesting experience. The second time about 3 years ago the whole family went and I booked ahead of time through www.sotoscruises.com for the early tour. Two hours of snorkeling fun and Stingray petting! They provided great personalized service by getting in the water with you and pointing out some very interesting sea life during the snorkeling and then at Stingray City they made sure to catch a Stingray and explain about them and let each person see it up cloase and touch it. Then they gave you squid to feed them and let you have free time with them. DD (8) was a little clingy and did not want to put her feet down but she is just that way about everything that is new and a little unusual. She ended up having a blast though and even kissed a Stingray. DS (11) never wanted to leave the place! :D We also came home with a very nice DVD with footage of all of the family snorkeling and petting Stingrays...some say it is pricey (I think it was $40 at the time) but in my opinion well worth it. The quality was excellent and I recall we dug out the DVD last summer and watched it from start to finish and had a great time all over again! Good luck with whatever you decide. Pam

[rwillis9]

DH and I did Stingray City the first time about 4 years ago and booked it though the Carnival. Needless to say we were on a barge with about 100+ people.

 

We were remarking when we were on our boat about the Carnival barge that was next to us. It was pretty windy that day and it looked like they had overloaded the boat. They were rocking bad and it seemed like any minute they were going to capsize. We were so thankful we did not do that trip that day with Carnival. We went through Nativeway and ended up only have around 12 -14 people on our boat.

[Springdale]

We did the Stingray tour when we visited the Cayman Islands several years ago. It was amazing, as other people have reported here. We went out to the sandbar via a boat ride, which took 30-45 minutes. Then we went down a ladder off the side of the boat to the sandbar. Before we arrived at the sandbar, the excursion staff explained to us how to shuffle our feet as we walked across the sandbar, instead of picking up our feet and then stepping back down, to avoid stepping on the sting rays. The staff also sold conch and demonstrated how to make a fist and hold the conch to feed the stingrays as they swam on top of our hand. The sting rays just sucked it right up from our fists. As soon as the stingrays heard the boat's motor, they began to swim quickly towards the boat, so they were already right there at the side of the boat when we disembarked. The water was quite shallow. We did use our snorkeling gear to look at them swimming underwater. I couldn't believe how large some of them were. Great experience!

[tocanada]

I used Moby Dick Tours - http://www.mobydicktours.com/ and they were fantastic. $40 for the 10 minute bus ride from the pier, 20 minute boat ride, then we went snorkeling at the reef close to Stingray City and lastly we went to Stingray City.

 

Certainly an experience of a lifetime.

 

There are a few photos in the Grandeur link below.

 

andrew

[ken_nyc]

Well I talked my wife into doing this excursion with all of the ammo that you guys gave me...THANK YOU! So far I am going with Captain Bryan's Buccaneer. Can someone give me the link for Nativeway? Thanks in advance.

[CoronaCpl]

Well I talked my wife into doing this excursion with all of the ammo that you guys gave me...THANK YOU! So far I am going with Captain Bryan's Buccaneer. Can someone give me the link for Nativeway? Thanks in advance.

 

Congratulations Ken! You'll have a great time. Here is the link you requested.