Anyone ever had a bad experience with a ray?

[NthernLgts]

We booked independent, through Nativeway. I do not have any past experience with them, but the reviews here seem to be perfect. So far, their communication has been good & all has gone well.

[Jesterscourt]

Is it more comfortable to take a catamaran or a motor boat to Stingray City? Also, is it better to go in the morning or the afternoon. I would think there would be less of a line getting a tender later in the day, but the ship leaves at 4 PM which might cut it close.

[ChrissyUK]

We went to Stingray City in 2004 and it is still the experience I think of on dull British days (had a lot of those recently!!). We decided on this trip over the Dolphins because the Dolphins were in an enclosure and the Rays in the open water. If they have had enough of humans they can just swim away.

 

It was a beautiful calm day but even so we were all issued with floatation vests that could be inflated to personal preference. We took the trip through the cruiseline as it also included a tour of the island.

 

There was one small child, about 4 or 5 I would guess, who was a bit nervous at first so her Dad just carried her so start with, but after a while she was in the water petting the rays with an enormous smile on her face.

 

Not to be missed!

[AlwaysPlanning]

CruiseFamily2: Did you book on-line or phone in your reservation and card number? By any chance did you add on their Island Tour? How far of a walk is their office from the pier?

[mother of twins]

I need to read ALL of this one....:confused:

[cruzn buckeye]

No, I don't think so. We did snorkeling first at a different site, then they took us over to Stingray City. Actually there was only one other boat there at the time....a catamaran. The crowding was just from the people on our boat all being in the same area.

 

We did a tour with Nativeways. Only 10 people on our boat Not crowded at all.

[lov2cruise707]

There are two popular sites they take you to to see the rays. The location they refer to as the Sandbar is near the Rum Point Channel, the water there is waist deep. The location they refer to as Sting Ray City is in the Northwest corner of Grand Cayman's North Sound, the water there is deeper. The site they take you to probably depends on how many ships are in port and the water conditions.

[DALSAL]

After reading this thread,you guys had convinced me to try this on my upcoming feb cruise..I just watched Fox news..now I need to think about it some more. I know you will say,those sting rays off Fla were not use to be fed,but...these are wild creatures..not meant to be fed and played with by humans..now,Im leary all over again! It sounds like such fun and maybe between now and feb I will work my courage back up! Could these be two different types of sting rays??? Dot

[Javalava]

After reading this thread,you guys had convinced me to try this on my upcoming feb cruise..I just watched Fox news..now I need to think about it some more. I know you will say,those sting rays off Fla were not use to be fed,but...these are wild creatures..not meant to be fed and played with by humans..now,Im leary all over again! It sounds like such fun and maybe between now and feb I will work my courage back up! Could these be two different types of sting rays??? Dot

 

Dalsal, what did the Fox news story say?

[DALSAL]

Hi..sorry,I just got home from work,so maybe you have seen the report by now...but it said maybe 12-16 ppl were stung by sting rays some where off Florida. I didnt hear if they were on a swimming with sting rays tour or if the rays just came up to them...one man was saying he thought he had stepped on glass at first...this was an intro to the news,so I didnt get the full report since I had to leave for work...Dot