Power Snorkel Review - Bermuda Snorkel Park

[tammi0916]

Hello - we just got back from the Dawn and booked the Power Snorkel excursion via the ship on our first day (it was a Sunday).

 

First of all I want to post this warning as I did not know this and had not read it in any of the reviews that read before leaving:

 

WARNING: Jelly Fish are really bad in Bermuda (not sure if it was just this time of year or if it is always that way but they were abundant – as we found out the ones you see don’t sting you it is the ones you don’t see!)

 

I wanted to give a review of it - it is so not worth the money. This is not a cheap excursion ($84pp) and the description was not clear as I did not relize that you do not go out on a boat. I have never been to Bermuda and had no idea that boats do not leave from Snorkel Park.

 

We met the person at the dock and we all walked to snorkel park. This is where I had the only issue on the trip :

When I pre-booked this excursion; I read the description and since we snorkel every year I just thought we would be on a boat like we had been on every other excursion we had been on but on this one you have to carry your power source (a very large bullet looking thing) out to the ocean and then swim with it out to the reef (a pretty good distance).

 

This was a problem for me; my daughter is on the smaller side and does get tired easily and since we had been in the water for a few hours and all the walking back and forth, she was already tired – usually she goes in the water, snorkels a bit and then when she is tired – her and I get out and hang on the boat while Dave and the others snorkel so it’s works well for us.

 

But since there was no boat – she would have to stay in the water for 1 ½ hours without a break and you have to hold this power machine. I knew immediately that she would not be able to do this and was really worried about her safety going out like this. I discussed the tour guides and they said that they would contact the ship and let them know my concerns and that I did not feel it was clear in the descriptions that you were swimming out to the reef. This was not a cheap excursion at 84 pp so I wasn’t happy – they said I needed to contact the shore excursion desk to discuss options for refund if any.

 

Also just a note for anyone taking this excursion; you really can’t take pictures since you have to hold the power device with both hands to make it move, and they do not have secure lockers on site, just open cubbies with no one watching your stuff.

 

My husband and my daughters BFF stayed and went on the excursion while Victoria and I went back to the ship. We weren't back on the ship 30 minutes and in walks Dave and Tabby - they said that both instructors and one of the participants got stung by jelly fish and that was it for Tabby - she freaked out and was so scared about getting stung that she wanted out of the water so they swam back to shore and came back to the ship.

 

This was a huge waste of money. I was able to meet with our concierge Virginia (we were staying in a suite) and she was able to help me get a refund for my daughter and I as an on board credit. I did not request any type of refund for Dave and Tabby since they did go out.

 

Again - if we had been on a boat, tabby could have gotten out and Dave could have stayed out snorkeling.

 

Virginia told me that the reason she was able to argue for a refund was that the description wasn't clear about how you get to the snorkel area and that they use that same description for a power snorkel trip in Mexico that does go out on a boat. But it should still give you the jelly fish warning in the description!

 

Anyway - that is my experience and just wanted to share...

 

Tammi

[meglet]

Thanks for the review. I saw the warning about jellyfish at the payment hut when we went to the beach on Sunday, but I never saw any of them. They must have been out further from the shore.

 

Sorry it was a disappointment for your family and hope that NCL will change its description of the excursion.