Rays, Reef and Rum with kids

[kangaand2roos]

Has anyone done this Nativeway tour in Grand Cayman with kids. I'd like to bring mine. They will be almost 6 and almost 4 at the time. Do they provide flotation devices? In Hawaii, we took a snokle trip with my niece and they had these little "glass bottom" floaty thingy that she could it on and see under the water. Do they have anything like this?

 

Any advice/info would be appreciated!

 

Stacey

[I&MsMom]

We did that with our then 3 and 7 year olds. I don't recall anything like what you described. The 3 year old stayed on the boat with me for the snorkeling at the reef portion, but the 7 year old did snorkel and they saw a moray eel! :eek:

 

At the sting ray stop, DH held the 3 year old. The 7 year old stood, but he had a hard time keeping his feet planted (the biggest risk of getting stung is if you accidentally step on a ray) - so I was nervous, and if we had to do it again, I wouldn't let him stand on his own.

 

Rum Beach is absolutely gorgeous! Perfect beach for young children. :D

 

Overall, we loved this excursion. We hit a traffic jam on the way back to the ship. As soon as the driver saw it looming, he darted off the main road into a subdivision - zig here, zag there - and presto, we popped out on a side street exactly across the main drag from the tenders! :p

 

We bought the DVD of the excursion, and it was worth every penny - what an absolutely perfect day in paradise!

[CeleBrat]

I can't remember what the tour was called, but we took a tour w/NativeWay that involved a city tour/Hell, Turtle Farm, and Stingray sandbar. Our kids were 4 and 6 at the time, and LOVED it. Especially the Turtle Farm.

 

CeleBrat

[Julienatul]

We took this tour a few years ago before we had kids. The stingray city part is fairly deep water, up to my chest and the stingray's are very large and they swim all around you, under your legs etc., so it might scare the 3 year-old. If they are good swimmers it would be fine and they may love it. They do provide life jackets. You can get your picture taken with stingray which would be a neat keepsake.

 

The snorkeling was a deep reef also but you could always stay on the boat as my husband did. The boat is like a regular tender boat, open air but no glass bottom. The beach is beautiful and of course kids would love it.

[I&MsMom]

The water was not as deep when we were there as the previous poster found - maybe it is affected by the tide? :confused:

 

Also, as for life jackets, I always brought our own for our youngest - mostly because I knew it fit her really well and it had a loop at the back at the neck that was perfect to grab in a pinch.

[CeleBrat]

The water wasn't deep for us either. DS was only 5 at the time and the water only came up to his hips. We were not-at-all worried about him falling over or being swept away in a wave.

 

CeleBrat

[wentworth]

We did this tour with our grandchildren who were 7, 8 and 16 months.

The older chldren loved the stingrays and my husband held our littlest

one in the water so she could pet the fish. Water was only thigh high

on my husband. They do provide life jackets.

 

I stayed in boat with youngest while everyone was snorkeling. The guides

offered to hold baby while I went in, but I passed.

 

This is a great tour and the guides were fantastic. They were VERY

helpful with the children.

 

I think you family would have a great time on this tour.