For those that have been to SRC

[sh0rty470]

Honestly, how crowded is it when there are multiple ships in port? We will be there next month and there are 3 ships scheduled in port for that day. I guess I've been spoiled and have only gone out there on off cruise days, but my boyfriend has never been and really wants to go. Thanks

[Crazy4Cayman]

The last time we were there, it wasn't awful but it wasn't great either. There were about 3 large catamarans packed to the gills besides our smaller group We were there on a land based vacation and were the first group there that morning. I would recommend booking your own excursion with a smaller company than one of the larger companies. Captain Dexter is who we used and he was great.

[sh0rty470]

The last time we were there, it wasn't awful but it wasn't great either. There were about 3 large catamarans packed to the gills besides our smaller group We were there on a land based vacation and were the first group there that morning. I would recommend booking your own excursion with a smaller company than one of the larger companies. Captain Dexter is who we used and he was great.

 

Thanks.. I too normally go when we are there for land based vacations and this is my first cruise there so I really didnt know what to expect crowd wise.

[drew sailbum]

I assume you are asking about the Stingray Sandbar - the shallower site where you can stand up. The deeper Stingray City site has NEVER been overcrowded in dozens of trips I have made there.

 

At peak times on busy cruise ship days i have seen boats circling the Stingray Sandbar waiting for another boat to pull out just to get room to pull in. It is a bit like a shopping mall parking lot on the last Saturday before Christmas - cars cruising waiting for someone to pull out just to be able to find a space, any space, to park.

 

On days where it is this crowded it is a less than optimal experience. On these occasions the rays quickly get overfed and then want to slide off to deeper water to digest their bounty. Net result is a LOT more people than normal chasing after a lot fewer rays.

 

These packed shoulder-to-shoulder days are rare occurances but they do happen. I have had two or three trips like that out of perhaps 300-400 trips I have had to the Sandbar.

[bguppies]

When we went in February, there were 3 ships in port.

 

When our boat got to SRC, we had to circle around for 10 minutes, waiting for someone to pull out.

 

There were, I would guess at least 20 boats of various sizes, all piled in on the shallow sandbar.

 

It was still alot of fun.

 

Bill

[mejiace]

Hello Folks! We're going to Grand Cayman on Disney Magic, first time cruisers with a three year old. She has no fear of water and swims with a float suit, arm floaties, and a raft. I was wondering if anyone out there has seen younger kids at SRC? Also, has anyone seen a person get stung? Thank you in advance, there is such a wealth of information on this site...I've planned our whole trip via cruisecritic!

[Kailyn]

I've been there with 3 ships in port and it was pretty crowded. It was still fun, though and we still saw a lot of stingrays. The key is to find good people to go with and not go with a ship's tour! The group we went with wasn't perfect, but we had a lot less people and a lot more interaction.

[2PinaColadas]

Hello Folks! We're going to Grand Cayman on Disney Magic, first time cruisers with a three year old. She has no fear of water and swims with a float suit, arm floaties, and a raft. I was wondering if anyone out there has seen younger kids at SRC? Also, has anyone seen a person get stung? Thank you in advance, there is such a wealth of information on this site...I've planned our whole trip via cruisecritic!

 

 

There were some young kids when we went, but I think they were around 5 or 6. They had a great time. Our tour guides told us that they have never had a guest get stung by a ray. Their stingers are not on the end of their tails, like I always thought. They are at the end of their bodies, just before the tail starts. They are very gentle animals.

[luvtovaca]

We were there last week with 4 ships and didn't find it crowded at all. That being said, we were on the 2nd tender off our ship, with a ship sponsored excursion for 9. when we got to the sandbar there were a few boats there already. We had our own spot, plenty of room. You don't need much space, the stingrays come right up to you as long as there is food. We were never more than 15 -20 feet off the back of the ship. As a side note, I was worried about not having a good experience with the ship sponsored excursion, as we had heard you were rushed, they pushed photos for sale, etc. None of that happened and we thoroughly enjoyed it! We really felt like it was a private tour. Of course, maybe we got lucky and our tour wasn't as packed as other have had!

[Ron_L]

I think it depends on what time you go. When we were there last week there were three ships in port. We went on the Native Way Rays Reef and Rum Point tour and we went to Stingray City first and had plenty of room.