Ocean World - or stay at port Amber Cove???

[reno3]

Not much on Ocean World here on the boards. We are in port from 7am-4pm. I have looked at TA and some good reviews there. They do talk about being hounded for a timeshare thing and that people hound you to tip a lot. Anyone have a recent experience with this. I am interested in the swim with sharks. Thinking of Ocean World in the morning and maybe the pool at the port for the afternoon. Any imput would be appreciated.

[peppergal]

We did the day pass last month when the Fantasy stopped there. The constant hounding for up-sells and the timeshare stuff was out of hand. Even our supposed guide for the day was turning us over to timeshare people claiming it was part of the Carnival tour. While the park had some fun shows, I'd never go back because of the unceasing harassment.

[reno3]

Thank you. Very disappointing to hear about the timeshare hounding.

Edited November 5, 2015 by reno3

[reno3]

peppergal.....did you go through the cruise line or did you just take a taxi and go on your own? I sent Ocean World a email asking quesitons and my concerns about the timeshare hounding and they told me I had to book with the Carnival!

[peppergal]

We went through Carnival. They kept trying to tell us that the timeshare stuff was in partnership with Carnival. We finally ended up giving our guide the slip to see the last show we wanted to see and then hopping the next bus back to the ship because we'd had enough.

 

Lifestyle owns (or is owned by the same company as) Ocean World. I suspect that all of their tours, including the beach days, were discounted a bit to Carnival because they figured it would open up an entire new stream of people for their timeshare business.

 

I did tell Carnival about the bad experience, so maybe it will get better for future cruisers.

[reno3]

We went through Carnival. They kept trying to tell us that the timeshare stuff was in partnership with Carnival. We finally ended up giving our guide the slip to see the last show we wanted to see and then hopping the next bus back to the ship because we'd had enough.

 

Lifestyle owns (or is owned by the same company as) Ocean World. I suspect that all of their tours, including the beach days, were discounted a bit to Carnival because they figured it would open up an entire new stream of people for their timeshare business.

 

I did tell Carnival about the bad experience, so maybe it will get better for future cruisers.

 

Thank you. I really want to swim with the sharks but this timeshare thing is really looking like a hassle that I don't want to deal with. I asked Ocean World if I could take a taxi there and just pay at the window. I was told no, I told them how would they know I was from the ship and not from a local hotel....they told me "we will know because we have ways! :eek: I guess they will ask the taxi driver where he picked us up. I was told I could take a taxi there and pay at the window but....."you just sign a ticket at ocean world and carnival make the charge for that program aboard". I assume to my sign and sail card??

[peppergal]

If you were going to go to the trouble of trying to "sneak" in, why not just do the day pass through the ship and just tell your guide you want to pay for the shark add-on once you get there? The guides seemed quite happy to try to sell us the extras once we were there.

 

Do be aware that the shark encounter is with some very tame nurse sharks in a tank. The sharks are so tame that for most of the show, the handlers are lifting the sharks out of the water so people at the show can pet them. I'm not sure there would be much more to the actual swimming activity.

 

None of the extra charges at Ocean World that we paid were charged to our Sign and Sail, but they did keep asking for hotel/ship info and room numbers for all their paperwork.

[reno3]

If you were going to go to the trouble of trying to "sneak" in, why not just do the day pass through the ship and just tell your guide you want to pay for the shark add-on once you get there? The guides seemed quite happy to try to sell us the extras once we were there.

 

Do be aware that the shark encounter is with some very tame nurse sharks in a tank. The sharks are so tame that for most of the show, the handlers are lifting the sharks out of the water so people at the show can pet them. I'm not sure there would be much more to the actual swimming activity.

 

None of the extra charges at Ocean World that we paid were charged to our Sign and Sail, but they did keep asking for hotel/ship info and room numbers for all their paperwork.

 

I wasn't trying to "sneak" in. The day pass through Carnival is only for 4 hours and I wanted to be able to stay or leave at my own time, there seems to be a lot to do or if the hounding got to be to much we would leave. Thank you for the information.

Edited November 9, 2015 by reno3

[winniesbestm8]

We were going to take the kids to Ocean world but after reading how they treat the animals and how the animals shouldn't really be touched we aren't bothering now