Castaway Cay - Seahorse Snorkel Excursion vs. Snorkeling on your own ?

[Ocruise]

Hi all. My husband & I are big snorkel fans. My husband wants to save $$ & says we should not do the snorkeling excursion on castaway caye, we should just snorkel on our own. Is the snorkeling much better on the seahorse boat excursion when compared to just snorkeling on the beach?

It is just the two of us & we will be able to snorkel on both the adults and families beach.

 

I appreciate any advice!

~ Marina

 

6/03 - Celebrity Horizon ~ Bermuda

7/03 - Carnival Paradise ~ West. Carrib.

7/04 - Disney Wonder ~ Bahamas

7/04 - RCCL Explorer of the Seas ~ West. Carrib.

8/04 - NCL Pride of Aloha ~ Hawaii

2/05 - Golden Princess ~ Southern. Carrib.

[TheWog]

Not sure about the excursion, but I know that you can rent (or bring your own) equipment and follow the bouys right at the family beach and it is supposed to be very nice. I don't believe there is any snorkeling on the Adult Beach side.

 

try disboards.com, they will be able to tell you.

 

Disney Magic 01/10/04

Enchantment of the Seas 01/22/05

[texaskitty]

Hubby and I just got back from the May 23rd Wonder cruise and opted to rent snorkels via the Castaway Cay package. Upside: we heard the excursion is not for beginning snorkelers. Downside: the water at the adult beach is only hip high for about 100 yards or so. The snorkel masks kept leaking for both of us (I thought mine was tight enough). The snorkels were cheap with no splash guards, so water kept falling in. There is nothing to see at the adult beach except wildlife. Seating is not packed at all at the adult beach. If you snorkel on your own, bring your own gear and head to the kids beach where there is stuff Disney has put in the water to see. Then head off to the adult beach later. And be sure to bring an underwater disposable camera! The water is crystal clear. Smiles!

[Tinker Belle]

My husband and I sailed on the Wonder in March of this year. We had registered for the morning Seahorse Snorkel but it was canceled due to wind and rough seas (the weather cleared up soon after) so we decided to snorkel from the shore of Castaway Cay. They offered to bring us on the afternoon trip, but we knew ourselves too well -- after laying on the beach drinking Conch Coolers for a couple hours, we knew we wouldn't have the motivation to walk all the way back to the main dock for an organized trip! So we opted to snorkel from the shore.

The water right off the shore of the island is very clear but there isn't a whole lot to see. At the main beach there is a snorkel trail where they have put down some sort of round structures like fish condos to attract sea life. We did see some colorful fish, but no larger creatures and no coral. It is definitely "beginner snorkeling," so if you are big into snorkeling you may be disappointed. If you do go snorkeling at the main beach, go immediately, first thing in the morning when you get to the island. The bottom is soft and silty, and will get stirred up by others and affect visibility pretty quickly.

We didn't snorkel at the adult beach, but we did swim there. The water is very shallow initially and there is a rough bottom, but there are giant colorful starfish, and I imagine there is more of the same in the deeper water. You may want to bring water shoes to walk out far enough to slip on your fins and snorkel.

We brought our own equipment, which I would highly recommend, if you have it. That way you avoid the extra expense and the hassle of waiting on line to rent equipment, and you'll know your equipment fits.

Have a wonderful time!