Has anyone taken these excursions?

[Jaymee287]

We are looking forward to Snuba (without the scuba hassle) we have never done either so we are excited.....The Pirates Birds and Monkeys of the Caribbean we chose because we had a nature walk picked for Brazil but for an AWESOME Mayan excursion. So we figure it will be the next best thing to the nature walk and we get to hold animals . This is our first cruise, and our first vacation without parents and the boyfriends. So please lend us your knowledge. If you know of a great private vendor or website let me know. Also if you have a personal favorite excursions please feel free to share. Thanks

***SNUBA***

Experience the wonders beneath the sea without having to be a certified scuba diver.

On this excursion you will:

Enjoy a fun combination of snorkeling and scuba diving that allows you to explore without the cumbersome scuba equipment and without the surface limitations of snorkeling.
Take an island bus from the pier to Gumbalimba Nature Park. Have an orientation and practice session in shallow water.
Walk into the water and snuba at a depth comfortable to you -- a maximum of 20 feet.
Walk among the starfish, rays, octopi and juvenile fish hiding in the sea grass.
Move on to a coral reef teeming with a spectrum of tropical fish.
Return to the ship after approximately 45-60 minutes of snuba.
NOTE: Minimum age is 8 years old to participate. Pregnant women and guests with heart or respiratory conditions are not permitted on this excursion.

Consult the Diving policy at the beginning of your Shore Excursion booklet prior to booking. Snuba equipment is included.

Duration: 3 Hours
Pricing From:
Adult: $80
Child: $80

***PIRATES, BIRDS, & MONKEYS OF THE CARIBBEAN***

Fuel your fascination with nature and its creatures on this tour of Gumbalimba Park.

On this excursion you will:

Drive along the north road of the island to the park.
Discover many things that will spark your curiosity and appreciation for the outdoors.
Listen to the tranquil sounds of the waterfall as you stroll through the nature trails with your guide.
Cross the rope bridge over the pond. Watch the colors of the Caribbean come alive as you interact with the parrots and macaws in the bird sanctuary.
Hold and play with spider monkeys, white face monkeys, and a howler monkey in the Monkey Refuge.
Explore the history of the pirates at Coxen’s Cave. Roam through the botanical gardens where you will discover the indigenous plants of this region.
Plunge into the pristine waters of the Caribbean or relax under the canopy of the trees.
Head back to the pier along the coastal road.
NOTE: Drinks and snacks are available throughout the park at your expense.

Comfortable walking shoes, a swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen are recommended.

The minimum amount of time spent in the park is approximately 2.5 to 3 hours depending on the group and size of the group.

Duration: 1 hours
Pricing from:
Adult:$56
Child: $56

[tmitchell82]

Are these 2 tours offered though Carnival or are they private tours? I am wondering since we are going to be at Roatan on Princess and they have not listed any shore excursions yet. Figured they would be similar to Carnival since Carnical is the parent company. I think DD might be interested in the second one.

[Jaymee287]

They are offered through Carnival. We were suppose to take a nature walk type thing in Brazil but we have to rearrange our excursions. So we figured it would be the next best thing!

[tmitchell82]

That's good that they are offered through Carnival. Hopefully Princess will have the same. The PIRATES, BIRDS, & MONKEYS OF THE CARIBBEAN would be fun for DD. I'll let you know what we find out and if we go.

[Brdlvrs]

***PIRATES, BIRDS, & MONKEYS OF THE CARIBBEAN*** This one looks interesting, but I'm wondering, says the duration is 1 hour, but you can stay about 3 hrs? I'm thinking most of the day would be nice! ;-)
Christy

[Jaymee287]

The time spent there has me a little confused as well....... oh well we are first time cruisers so we will be ecstatic with anything lol! Have either of you spent time in Chanakaab Park in Cozumel?? We are thinking of spending the day there on our stop in Mexico. Maybe swim with the dolphins do some snorkeling or snuba diving. Let me know!

[marshhawk]

Regarding the one hour. On Carnival it is usually posted if 1) there are other excursions to the same location (you can get a ride back if you are done and don't want to do anything else at the location) or they are continuously running transportation to the location(when a tour might limit the amount of people for each excursion, so they do more than one tour) I read all the excursion write ups regarding my cruise and this seems to be the norm. You will get lots more info once you are on the ship, and the director shows film and info about the excursions. Happy Sailing!

[booboo4031]

We went on the Snuba excursion. All the excursions that day had been cancelled except ours due to rough waters. The 'platform' the speak of is an inflatable raft about the size of a boogie board that you hold on to. They are very lucky that no one got seriously hurt the day we went. There were people in our group that could barely swim and there were very strong undertows and rip tides.... people had to be towed back in hanging on to jet skis. The water was so black you couldn't see anything anyhow. The should have cancelled all the excursions that day.


Just an FYI, a few months later at that same park, a cruise passenger was killed on their zipline when the line failed. I would not do anything in Roatan that goes to that park based on personal experience and then the zipline accident shortly after our cruise.

Diane

[watchdiva]

The death at Gumbalimba occured in March 2008 - more than 17 months ago. I'm willing to bet that in the interim all safety/security measures have been re-evaluated by not only the authorities but by those in charge of contracts for ship-sponsored shore excursions. I seriously doubt that the cruiselines would continue to have contracts with a facility that has been deemed unsafe - it would leave all parties open to ligitation in the event of a tragic accident again.

Roatan has more than enough to keep you busy if you decide not to zipline. Take a private island tour, snorkel right off the beach (the reef is about 30' from the beach), go to the butterfly farm, taxi out to Jonesville and grab the boat to Hole in the Wall for lunch. The list goes on and on. It's a beautiful island that captured our hearts - we're heading back there 3 weeks from now, spending 8 days in a house right on the beach at West Bay........

[minnesotalady]

Originally Posted by Jaymee287

The time spent there has me a little confused as well....... oh well we are first time cruisers so we will be ecstatic with anything lol! Have either of you spent time in Chanakaab Park in Cozumel?? We are thinking of spending the day there on our stop in Mexico. Maybe swim with the dolphins do some snorkeling or snuba diving. Let me know!

We did the Chanakaab Park two years ago and had a wonderful day. Our 8 year old daughter, than 6 and husband swam with the dolphins while I took wonderful pictures. Can't go wrong with this park. We booked directly with Chanakaab Park and got a great price, better than Carnival. We took a cab, little cost there and back. We will be on the Carnival Dream over New Year's and this excursion is a must do for us again. Hope this helps.

[plgmom]

Originally Posted by minnesotalady

We did the Chanakaab Park two years ago and had a wonderful day. Our 8 year old daughter, than 6 and husband swam with the dolphins while I took wonderful pictures. Can't go wrong with this park. We booked directly with Chanakaab Park and got a great price, better than Carnival. We took a cab, little cost there and back. We will be on the Carnival Dream over New Year's and this excursion is a must do for us again. Hope this helps.

Hi-- I'll have an 8 yo DD on the Carnival Dream over New Year's too.

I was looking at the Pirates, Birds, and Monkeys but I don't see where it says anything about a zip-line.

Maybe we'll see you there

Jennifer