Stingray City Grand Cayman

[rdcmadden]

Hello... We want to visit Stingray City in Grand Cayman. There are several Celebrity excursion options. We are looking for a tour that has stairs instead of a ladder to enter the water. Any suggestions? 

[PinkSandGirl]

I took one in 2017 through Celebrity.  It was a catamaran, the Cockatoo.  It had stairs.   Do you see that listed under the excursions?   The name was definitely listed when we booked.  

 

Great experience!  The crew, stingrays, water etc...  🥰

 

🍹

Edited September 7, 2022 by PinkSandGirl

[UKCatFan]

Marineland Tours has a boat called the Cayman Explorer that has stairs. My mom and I went on their tour back in 2013. Check out their website to see pictures of the boat. The stairs were great for her. Not sure if one of the Celebrity Excursions uses this company. When we used them, we booked through Royal Caribbean, so it is possible Celebrity also uses them.

[volk904]

Check the Mobs Dick Tours website. 

[calicakes]

I hated this tour.  I felt so sorry for the sting rays AND, the tour operators were so pushy with selling you photos.* it seemed shady that if you paid cash, you'd get all the pics at that very moment, but if you paid by card, they would have to send them to you later.   To each their own.  

[horseymike]

Is there somewhere on the boat to secure your valuables when in the water with the stingrays ?

[calicakes]

Just now, horseymike said:

Is there somewhere on the boat to secure your valuables when in the water with the stingrays ?

Not on the excursion we were on. 

[Reel Love]

When we went to Stingray City on our Feb 2020 sailing on the Silhouette we booked a Celebrity excursion on a boat that had stairs and this feature was clearly noted in the excursion description (we were specifically looking for this due to mobility issues with someone in our group).  I'm sorry .... cannot recall the name of the boat/tour company offhand but if I do happen to remember it I will report back.

Edited September 10, 2022 by Reel Love

[Homosassa]

18 hours ago, calicakes said:

I hated this tour.  I felt so sorry for the sting rays AND, the tour operators were so pushy with selling you photos.* it seemed shady that if you paid cash, you'd get all the pics at that very moment, but if you paid by card, they would have to send them to you later.   To each their own.  

Why did you feel sorry for the stingrays?

 

They are not held captive on the sand bar and are there because they know there will be food.

 

Wen the stingray is done with the food and handling, it will leave.

[calicakes]

1 hour ago, Homosassa said:

Why did you feel sorry for the stingrays?

 

They are not held captive on the sand bar and are there because they know there will be food.

 

Wen the stingray is done with the food and handling, it will leave.

 The stingrays were being passed around to give a kiss to. I don't think that's natural.

[noddoyll]

We liked Captain Marvin and thought they had a good Combo excursion with snorkeling included.

[Homosassa]

2 hours ago, calicakes said:

 The stingrays were being passed around to give a kiss to. I don't think that's natural.

Maybe the kissing is not natural, but again, the stingrays can and will leave when done with the handling and feeding.

[calicakes]

37 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Maybe the kissing is not natural, but again, the stingrays can and will leave when done with the handling and feeding.

Of course they can leave.  I don't agree with the kissing and passing around.  PS:  How would you feel if a manatee calf( I've been to Homosassa State Park) was picked up and passed around to cuddle/kiss?  

[Homosassa]

3 hours ago, calicakes said:

Of course they can leave.  I don't agree with the kissing and passing around.  PS:  How would you feel if a manatee calf( I've been to Homosassa State Park) was picked up and passed around to cuddle/kiss?  

LOL - I volunteer at that Park.

 

How do you pick up a seventy pound baby (weight at birth about 66 pounds) while there is a two thousand pound mother separating you from her baby?

 

I have watched adult manatees charge people (they can put on a burst of speed of twenty mph) and knock them away from a threatened calf.

 

If the person survived the irate  mother  defending her calf, the immediate arrest of the breaker of the laws protecting manatees would solve the problem.

Edited September 10, 2022 by Homosassa

[Steve H]

Stingray Sailings is a great tour operator he takes you out on a catamaran, with snorkeling after.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

If you do an excursion that is sailing, snorkeling, and sea flap flaps, are you allowed to stay on the boat during the flap flap part? I have ZERO desire to intentionally jump in the water with them, but I love being on the water.

[calicakes]

2 hours ago, Homosassa said:

How do you pick up a seventy pound baby (weight at birth about 66 pounds) while there is a two thousand pound mother separating you from her baby?

Obviously, I was being facetious.  I think its better to observe the wildlife rather than disturb them. 

[Homosassa]

12 hours ago, calicakes said:

Obviously, I was being facetious.  I think its better to observe the wildlife rather than disturb them. 

It wasn't obvious.

 

We get all types of fools in the Park and swimming out in the river harassing the wild manatees.

 

That is why there is Manatee Watch people out on the river to protect the manatees from the people.

 

 

[calicakes]

1 hour ago, Homosassa said:

We get all types of fools in the Park and swimming out in the river harassing the wild manatees.

We've observed that, we've been to Crystal River a few times to observe the manatees. 

[aml3679]

My husband and I did this excursion and absolutely love this. Of course they want to sell photographs, but, that being said, I do not think they were pushy at all and it was a fun experience.

[volk904]

On 9/10/2022 at 6:57 PM, Steve H said:

Stingray Sailings is a great tour operator he takes you out on a catamaran, with snorkeling after.

We did a similar excursion on Moby Dick Tours years ago. The Rays were fun but actually I liked the snorkel afterwards.   It was a little deeper area and the rays were swimming below with fish.  Water was crystal clear.  

[DWhit]

On 9/10/2022 at 10:45 AM, calicakes said:

 The stingrays were being passed around to give a kiss to. I don't think that's natural.

I am not certain, but I am pretty sure the sting rays could zap you with their stinger if they had any objections.   

[zitsky]

On 9/10/2022 at 9:23 PM, calicakes said:

Obviously, I was being facetious.  I think its better to observe the wildlife rather than disturb them. 

Hey I get your point.  You can choose not to participate.  I did kiss one after I was pushed into it, but I wouldn’t do it again.

 

When we saw penguins in South America we totally left them alone.