Pearl Island stingray and snorkel

[chicklily41]

I was wondering if anyone had been on this excursion recently?? We will be on the Carnival Valor and it leaves at 2 PM so I am worried about trying a non-Carnival excursion. How is the snorkeling at Pearl Island? If you are more interested in snorkeling than the beach, can you snorkel as long as you want? Or is it so much time with the stingrays, so much snorkeling and so on? Thanks!:)

[scubagirrl]

I was wondering if anyone had been on this excursion recently?? We will be on the Carnival Valor and it leaves at 2 PM so I am worried about trying a non-Carnival excursion. How is the snorkeling at Pearl Island? If you are more interested in snorkeling than the beach, can you snorkel as long as you want? Or is it so much time with the stingrays, so much snorkeling and so on? Thanks!:)

 

If your ship leaves at 2pm.. I wouldn't go on a non-carnival tour. The timeing is just too close. If there's rough seas or even a few minutes delay.. you'll miss the boat. Pearl Island is about 30 minutes from port and the boat is rather slow.

 

There may be a similar tour to pearl island. snorkeling from the beach is poor. You have to join a group and snorkel off that back of the coral island. (A big jagged getting in and out). If you're trip includes the stingrays.. you can stay in the pen as long as you want. It's shallow.. and the only thing you'll see snorkeling there is the rays. It's fun. . but again. not for snorkeling.

[chicklily41]

Thanks scubagirl! So if you are interested in snorkeling, would you go on the catamaran snorkeling tour thru Carnival or to Pearl Island? Thanks for your help. :)

[scubagirrl]

Thanks scubagirl! So if you are interested in snorkeling, would you go on the catamaran snorkeling tour thru Carnival or to Pearl Island? Thanks for your help. :)

 

 

Yes. in the limited time you have .. this would be the way to go. Be sure your Pearl Island tour includes snorkeling.. You can only snorkel off the back end with a group.

[LadyLisa]

My husband and i just recently went on the Carnival Pearl Island snorkle last month. It is a small little Island owned by Carnival. It was a our first time being there and to snorkle. We enjoyed it very much, but being our first time we had to get used to it and figure it out! The Snorkle side in on one end of the Island and the sting ray area is on the other end. No one allowed to enter usless you have the sting ray excursion. Same goes for the snorkle side... maybe if you bring your own gear you can get away with jumping in with the group! :p You can't just snorkle by yourself without the group. Or you can try at the little beach area but nothing really to look at! Unless you like to snorkle for the fun of snorkle! We didn't do the Stingy Ray excursion, but it would have been neat if we knew that they cut the barbs down! On the other end, if you have the snorkle excursion, you can snorkle for 45 minutes. It wasn't too crowded in the water. It was at first but half the people jumped out in the first 10 minutes (guessing they were new to it and couldn't take it!). Saw lots of neat fish and such. Cute little ones that swim with you! For food, i would say pack your own granola bars or soemthing and buy the bottle of water in your cabin. Much cheaper than buying a hamburger and little bag of chips on the Island which costed $8 for one person and does not include a drink. Hope this helps! First pic is the stinky ray area at far end. Second pic is the snorkle area.

 

[LadyLisa]

opps guess the pictures came out rather big! I do have them all up on a web page but they also include a bunch of me and my husband.... :p didn't really want to include the web address for everyone to see us! lol

[scubagirrl]

opps guess the pictures came out rather big! I do have them all up on a web page but they also include a bunch of me and my husband.... :p didn't really want to include the web address for everyone to see us! lol

 

Nice pics. Just to let you know.. the island is not owned by Carnival.. all the cruise ship and local tours go there. its' actually owned by Eddie Murphy and a local business partner, and is managed seperately.

 

Just a little fun fact!

[LadyLisa]

Nice pics. Just to let you know.. the island is not owned by Carnival.. all the cruise ship and local tours go there. its' actually owned by Eddie Murphy and a local business partner, and is managed seperately.

 

Just a little fun fact!

 

 

Well i was just saying what i heard on the boat while getting the excursion info... slip of toung from cruise director i guess!

[scubagirrl]

Well i was just saying what i heard on the boat while getting the excursion info... slip of toung from cruise director i guess!

 

Yeah.. sometimes these guys don't know what they are talking about.. but I just thought it's a fun fact to know. Didn't mean it as a downer.