Turtle farm help!

[satchelkatz]

Has anyone here been to the Turtle Farm recently and is it true that you now need to pay $60 for admission to Boatswain Beach to get in?

 

Please help. Leaving soon.

 

Thanks!

[excalwop]

For info on the turtle farm check below for Boatswain beach park. The web site is listed there

[zydecocruiser]

There are still some tours that include admission to the Turtle Farm and are a lot less than $60. Like Captain Marvin's. On your own, you might have to pay a lot.

[gailc]

I didn't know that the Turtle Farm had moved. I did go to that website & saw it there. We've been to the Turtle Farm every time we go to Grand Cayman. Looks like the cheapest way to go there is by taking a ship's tour. I would assume it will still cost $60 if you go on an independent tour. We did that last time & had to pay our admission, but it was at the old location.

 

Gail

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

WOW! If that's true, then I am getting a great deal!

 

For $60, we are getting to go not only to the Turtle Farm, but also to Hell, and to swim with the Stingrays!

 

Sounds like it's better to just book a full tour than to pay just for the turtle farm, unless you wanted to spend the day there.

[zydecocruiser]

Captain Marvin's still advertises $25 for island tour including admission to Turtle Farm.

http://www.captainmarvins.com/

http://www.captainmarvins.com/hellturtle.htm

[CruisinDawn]

Just did it on 9/27 with Captain Marvin's. To clear up the confusion the Turtle Farm is turning into Boatswain Beach. Some of it was built from what we could see but from what we could see it was NO WAY worth $60 yet. We had a girl investigating and it seems the price is actually less right now since they are not 100% but it's only a matter of time. The turtle farm had NO guides walking around telling you about the history but our guild told us all kinds of things and others visiting clinched on to our tour group. It was VERY interesting but don't pay the full price at this time. As I was leaving I told my husband I should have taken pictures of the new areas but since we didn't go into them I didn't, sorry. Captain Marvin's is well worth the $25ish bucks. We did have a bit of confusion as they were trying to add us to a tour that had got off the stingray city tour late due to someone not understanding island/ship time from April to Oct but once we got going it was great. Third time with them and would not hesitate booking again. Sure with the change in the park the price will go up soon with this tour.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[gailc]

Is the Turtle Farm still in the same location? I thought they had moved it to a new area.

 

Gail

[CruisinDawn]

Is the Turtle Farm still in the same location? I thought they had moved it to a new area.

 

Gail

It hasn't moved in a LONG time but they are adding on to it which is making it the new Boatswain Beach attraction. Once it is 100% they intend on charging $60 for adults to get in.

 

http://www.boatswainsbeach.ky/

 

http://www.boatswainsbeach.ky/park-history.html

This link explains the transformation from the old Turtle Farm to Boatswains.

 

We saw that the lagoon appears to be finished but from the turtle tank area that was about all we noticed. There was no one in the lagoon area when we were there so not sure if it was even open yet.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[gailc]

Dawna - Thanks for the information & links. Do you know what they are charging now to see the turtles. Trying to figure out whether to do a ship's tour or an independent one once we get on shore.

 

Gail

[39august]

When you open the above mentioned Captain Marvin's web site and click on Turtle Farm/Hell the window does open. BUT, when you click on the link to book this tour, the only booking form that comes up is to book snorkel tours. There are no ship tours offered by RCI to turtle farm for out Nov. 26 cruise either. I would really like to see the new facility, but as others have noted, I'm not interested in spending $60!!

[gailc]

39august - I remember you, but I don't know why. It could just be that I've seen you on the boards many times before. Are you going on the Freedom on Nov. 26, 2006? There are 2 tours that go to the Turtle Farm. I made copies of them to show to a friends of our that are going with us on this cruise. I made the copies on Sept. 29. I'll have to look again to see if they took the tours off. One is the Grand Cayman Highlights & Turtle Farm for $30 each. We've gone on it 2 times before. The other one is the Island Tour & Turtle Farm for $36 each. Our friends have neve been there so we plan to go with them.

 

We don't want to pay the $60 either. We'd like to do an indepedent one from the pier if it's not going to cost that much.

 

Gail

[39august]

We are on the Jewel Nov. 26. Today I did see the 2 ship excursions that include the turtle farm. I question whether they are really going to the new one? There may be some residual pens and turtles at the old location. I wish someone who has gone in the past 30 days would enlighten us!

[mayrashke]

I am interested in just the Turtle Farm also. I emailed and received the reply about the Boatswain thing. What a shame! A lot of families are only interested in the turtles and $60 per adult is way too much money!

Guess we should have gone there 2 years ago(if they were even open as it was after the hurricane).

Too bad they did not have just a Turtle Farm entrance fee. Maybe they should think about that in their business planning!

[gailc]

39august - From what I read, they are building the park where the Turtle Farm is right now.

 

mayrashke - I also wrote to the Turtle Farm asking what the price will be on Nov. 26. Still waiting to hear from them. I was also thinking it would be a good idea if they would have an admission fee just for the Turtle Farm. We have been there 4 times, but we like to go every chance we get to go. If the cruiseline does charge $30 each for the tour, then we would go on that one.

 

Gail

[lallybrock]

Is there any update on Boatswain Beach/Turtle Farm? Is it fully open yet? I am leaving on a cruise 11/26 and was thinking about doing this but haven't heard anything new.

 

Lallybrock

[Venturer]

My wife and I just returned from our cruise last night:(

Back to the real world Mon. As far as the turtle farm question. A friend of ours had reccommended that in Grand Cayman we could ride the bus for about $2.00 pp to any where. It was $2.50 from downtown to the turtle farm. The admission price was $25.00 pp to just see the farm or $35.00pp to also go into the freshwater lagoon and swim with the turtles.After the farm we stood across the street and soon a bus came along back to town foer another $2.50 pp. We then went back to town and wandered around shopping for a cuppla hrs.

If and when we go back to Grand Cayman we will do the same thing as far as the sight seeing. The drivers on both buses were nice and we got to talk also to some locals who were nice.

Good luck and happy cruising!

[gailc]

Lallybrock - What cruise are you on? We're going on the Freedom of the Seas on Nov. 26. We decided to sign up for the tour through the cruiseline since I never did find out the entrance price if we went on our own.

 

Boatswain's Beach/Turtle Farm

 

Gail

[lallybrock]

I'm on the Carnival Miracle & they don't offer a tour for Boatswain Beach/Turtles. They have the turtles and other things so I was wondering if the Boatswain Beach & everything else that is supposed to be there is actually open yet. Their website doesn't say anything about $25. Now I'm really confused.

 

Venturer - How was the turtle farm? Did you swim in the lagoon? I am looking for a place to spend most of the day & thought that this would be it but if everything is not open (aviary, nature trails, predator tank, snorkel lagoon) then I'm not sure I can entertain kids for an entire day of looking at turtles. I was also thinking of taking the bus. Was the bus full? Did you have to wait in a long line? About how many people fit on the bus at one time?

 

Lallybrock

[gailc]

Venturer - Thanks for the information. We did make the right decision to book the tour through RCI. Ours is $30.00 each for a 2 hour tour. We go to the Turtle Farm, Hell, stop at 7 Mile Beach for pictures, & go to the Rum Factory. It's a short tour so we'll have time to shop afterwards.

 

Lallybrook - Do the tours to the Turtle Farm also include other stops? You would not want to spend the whole day looking at the turtles. What day are you in Grand Cayman? We're there on Wed., Nov. 29.

 

Gail

[lallybrock]

I will actually be there on Tues, Nov 28. Carnival has a tour for $74 that is the the stingrays, Hell and turtles. I have already done the stingrays and loved it but since there's going to be 7 ships in port, I'm sure that it will be packed so I'm really not interested in including stingrays.

 

No I wouldn't want to be there all day if only the turtles portion is open. If you check out their website they are supposed t have a lagoon, aviary, predator tank, etc. If all of that was there, then I think you can easiliy spend an entire day. Guess I'll keep searching for someone who's been to Boatswain to see if the whole package is complete yet.

 

Lallybrock