Caymen Is. Stingray city Soto's Cruises??

[REDWITCH13]

Has anyone gone on this tour with Soto's Cruises to Stingray Island?

 

I would like any information on this tour.

 

Thank you

 

darlene

[TEXASMUNK]

But multiple times with Captain Marvin's.

 

Smaller boats, no crowds, multiple options, and heck, Captain Marvin is the guy who started the whole thing! Very solid reputation.

[highcard]

My family went with Soto tours last spring break! They were wonderful!! I highly recommend them. They picked us up and dropped us off. They had 2 guys that took us out and there were only about 15 of us on the boat.(compared to the double decker boats from the cruiseline, and a lot less expensive!!) They were wonderful, when I go back to the Caymen Islands I will be using Soto tours again, This was one of my kids and our favorite excursions ever!!:)

[REDWITCH13]

But multiple times with Captain Marvin's.

 

Smaller boats, no crowds, multiple options, and heck, Captain Marvin is the guy who started the whole thing! Very solid reputation.

 

We already check them out...they can't take 26 people.

thanks anyway

Darlene

[REDWITCH13]

My family went with Soto tours last spring break! They were wonderful!! I highly recommend them. They picked us up and dropped us off. They had 2 guys that took us out and there were only about 15 of us on the boat.(compared to the double decker boats from the cruiseline, and a lot less expensive!!) They were wonderful, when I go back to the Caymen Islands I will be using Soto tours again, This was one of my kids and our favorite excursions ever!!:)

 

Thank you so much....

We are inquiring about bad weather policy and if we can secure with a credit card and then everyone pay cash when they get there?

 

Darlene

[Travel Angel]

And was not thrilled....

 

Then used Native Way Watersports and were happy and used them on 3 other occassions due to satisfaction and personal attention to their limited passengers on their boats.

[REDWITCH13]

And was not thrilled....

 

Then used Native Way Watersports and were happy and used them on 3 other occassions due to satisfaction and personal attention to their limited passengers on their boats.

 

Okay that's one good and one bad :D

 

Darlene

[KenMo]

Thank you so much....

We are inquiring about bad weather policy and if we can secure with a credit card and then everyone pay cash when they get there?

 

Darlene

 

I used Soto's once. I believe we secured with a credit card and then paid the balance in cash. Or....didn't have to secure with cc and paid the whole thing in cash. I don't recall for sure.

 

Also, I think there was no charge if the ship didn't dock....otherwise I wouldn't have booked with them.

 

I was happy with Soto's until I tried Nativeways.....much nicer trip! Nativeways has a snorkel stop, then stingrays, then off to Rum Point Beach where you have your meal provided. The lunch was great and the beach wonderful!

 

Either way I'm sure you'll have a good time!

[REDWITCH13]

I used Soto's once. I believe we secured with a credit card and then paid the balance in cash. Or....didn't have to secure with cc and paid the whole thing in cash. I don't recall for sure.

 

Also, I think there was no charge if the ship didn't dock....otherwise I wouldn't have booked with them.

 

I was happy with Soto's until I tried Nativeways.....much nicer trip! Nativeways has a snorkel stop, then stingrays, then off to Rum Point Beach where you have your meal provided. The lunch was great and the beach wonderful!

 

Either way I'm sure you'll have a good time!

 

Do you know the price and do that take a goup of 26?

 

Darlene

[runamuc]

Maybe you might have stated that Soto's is going to let the group of 26 have the boat to themselves. And would that make this a nicer trip?:confused:

We are not interested in anything but Stingray City, so would that make a difference , also?

[KenMo]

Do you know the price and do that take a goup of 26?

 

Darlene

 

 

Here's the website: http://www.nativewaywatersports.com/tours.htm

 

Not sure if they can take 26. I'd contact them and find out.

 

ETA: Just did a little figuring for you.....you can charter a boat through them. It's $500 for the first 12 people plus $30 for each additional. That would be $920 for 26 people or about $35 pp.

 

If you don't charter, adults are $60 and children are $45. I don't know if you have children with you and if they would consider a lesser price if you chartered.

[Nuttycruisegirl]

Went with Soto's and loved it, Guide Billy was wonderful. The only thing that I do prefer about Nativeway is that you can do the stingrays and a city tour all together....See the turtles, hell, 7 mile beach AND the rays. Sounds perfect to me!

[Travel Angel]

We did Sting Ray City/Rum Point a year ago and then when returned to GC later that year, went to Rum Point for the day...... Great Food a great beach and total tranquility !

[nana&poppy2526]

Our reservations were confirmed by e-mail with instructions on where to wait for a gold van. When we got there, the instructions weren't as clear to me as they seemed on paper and I was a bit confused as to where to go. I was relieved to see a lady holding a sign that said "Soto Cruises" on it. She told us to wait right there and took our $70 (2 of us), stating that we would be going to Stingray City, and snorkeling. That's what we had planned on, so we waited.

 

We were put on a van (it wasn't gold) with a lot of other people and taken to a marina where it seemed like they initially didn't have a boat for us, but within 10 minutes, we were on a boat and leaving the marina. After we'd left the dock, we were told by the photographer on the boat that we would not be going to Stingray City that day; it was closed due to the wind. He agreed that someone from Soto Cruises should've told us this; we would've chosen something else to do, since my husband does not snorkel, and I had just snorkeled the day before in Jamaica.

 

Imagine my surprise when I got back home and read on cruisecritic that some of my fellow passengers went to Stingray City and got to swim with the stingrays that very day!!!

 

I sent an e-mail to Soto Cruises telling them how disappointed I was and, after several e-mails, I learned that we were not even on the Soto Cruise boat, that they don't leave out of a marina, but by the Hyatt, they don't have a photographer onboard, and that they did go to Stingray City that day!!! The lady who took our money does work for Soto, the receipt said Soto, her sign said Soto, but we weren't on a Soto Cruises boat????

 

I think I learned a valuable lesson. You get what you pay for. Choose an excursion through the ship and that way if you are dissatisfied in any way, you'll get your money back.

 

I do NOT recomment Soto Cruises.

[tixin]

Went with Soto's on 4/14/09. There was less than 20 pp on board including our party of 11. Missed the first tender and was confused by the small white church right off the dock, but a kind police officer pointed us in the right direction. We were 15 minutes late, but the gold (more like very light tan) van was waiting there with the AC on! Went out to the coral garden first, which was pretty, but not too many fish. At the sandbar, our guide just dove in and grabbed various rays as they glided by for us to pet, and there was plenty of squid available for everyone to feed the rays. We spent around 30 minutes at each site, taking a lot of pictures and was never felt rushed. Water, Koolaid, bathroom, and fresh water rinse are available on board. What I liked about Soto's is that there is no photographer, videographer, and no selling. There was a no-pressure tip jar hanging by the side as you exit the boat. All in all a fun and relaxing excursion. Soto's will drop you off at the beach club along 7-mile beach or back at the port.