anyone ever done this with Nativeway?

[jc73]

Hi,

 

We are also looking into doing the rays,reef and rumpoint tour in October. Can you tell me how appropriate the tour is for kids. Our kids are 4 and 6. How deep is the water? If the kids are scared to get off the boat, will they bring a stingray on board to get them used to it. It sounds like so much fun, but I just want to make sure the kids would have a good time. We also looked at the Pirate Encounter excursion thru RCL, but this sounds so much more fun.

 

thanks

Jacky

[bookbabe]

We are also looking into doing the rays,reef and rumpoint tour in October. Can you tell me how appropriate the tour is for kids. Our kids are 4 and 6. How deep is the water? If the kids are scared to get off the boat, will they bring a stingray on board to get them used to it. It sounds like so much fun, but I just want to make sure the kids would have a good time. We also looked at the Pirate Encounter excursion thru RCL, but this sounds so much more fun.

 

It depends on your kids. I've seen lots of kids there, with every range of reactions from thrilled to terrified. If your kids are very comfortable in the ocean (waves of varying sizes, salt water) and with non-domestic animals (loose, can move quickly at times, may bump into you or knock you over) then they'll likely be fine with Stingray City. If they are not comfortable in the water, nervous around animals or hesitant about new experiences, you should probably stick with the pirate excursion.

 

Have you ever taken your kids to a petting zoo? How did they react to being in a pen with the animals? Were they comfortable with the animals taking food out of their hands? That's a pretty good indication of how they're likely to react at Stingray City. If they've never been to a petting zoo, you might try them out at one before the trip, just to get an idea of how the kids might react with the stingrays.

 

The water ranges from waist to shoulder deep on an adult, depending on where the boat anchors, so the kids would probably want lifejackets, even if they're strong swimmers. The boat will have them.

 

Stingrays are water creatures, so they can't bring them on board the boat. However, you can still get a good view of them from the boat...the water is very, very clear.

[Howards_girl]

If the water is a little too deep for the kids you can hold them. My neice is 10 and she was a little skiddish at first. The guides with Nativeway were very encouraging and alot of fun. She had a great time. :)

[stephuney]

Hello ... I am considering the Rays Reef and Rum tour with Nativeway ... I would like to hear from someone who has taken this tour - I am specifically interested in the reef snorkeling part of the tour ... how was the snorkeling?

[Matlily]

Hello ... I am considering the Rays Reef and Rum tour with Nativeway ... I would like to hear from someone who has taken this tour - I am specifically interested in the reef snorkeling part of the tour ... how was the snorkeling?

 

Hi There,

 

We do this tour next week, leaving tomorrow, will let you know how I find it. I think now any snorkelling will be a let down after belize. I have heard only good things about this company so well see.

[hockeymom97]

I've also been looking at this tour but here's my question - according to the nativeway site, this tour is from 8:30 - 1:30 and I think we'd like to stay at the beach just a little bit longer; maybe until 2:30 or so? So I'm wondering if it's possible to just stay at rum point and then get a taxi to take us back to the ship? Or depending on where the tour leaves from, we could go back with the group and then maybe head on over to 7 mile for a little bit - does anyone know where the Rays, Reef and Rum tour departs from and if there are any nice beaches near the departure location?

[travel_mom_1]

I have a reservation with Native Way for Rays, Reef, and Rum Point Tour. My reservation confirmation states:

 

"We provide free use of all snorkeling gear and vests, food for the Rays, and complimentary punch and bottled water. At Rum Point, you will be given a nice grilled lunch. After the tour, you will have two options for drop off: back to the pier, or, at 7-mile beach (where you can taxi back to the pier at any time for $4 per person)."

So you could certainly go to 7 Mile Beach.

[hockeymom97]

I have a reservation with Native Way for Rays, Reef, and Rum Point Tour. My reservation confirmation states:

 

"We provide free use of all snorkeling gear and vests, food for the Rays, and complimentary punch and bottled water. At Rum Point, you will be given a nice grilled lunch. After the tour, you will have two options for drop off: back to the pier, or, at 7-mile beach (where you can taxi back to the pier at any time for $4 per person)."

 

So you could certainly go to 7 Mile Beach.

 

Thanks for the info!! I just submitted a reservation request online :D After thinking about it a little more, the 1:30 return time might be better since we'll still need time to tender and our ship leaves at 4. We don't want to cut it too close :eek: But if it works out that we'll have extra time for 7 mile, then that will work out too! Enjoy your excursion with them travel_mom!

[stephuney]

looking forward to hearing from matlily and travelmom when you get back ... thanks!

[robntawn]

We did this excursion last October and it was fabulous. The people of Nativeways treat you great and are very informative and hands-on during your tour. They make sure everyone gets a chance to "pet" the stingrays and have food for anyone who wants to feed them...definitely not like most of the cattle call stingray tours. The reef snorkelling lasts for about an hour and the water was VERY clear when we were there, at least 75 feet visibility. We saw lots of eels, fish, and a few turtles as well. The guides actually dove down and got a couple conch, then cleaned them onboard and let anyone who wanted to have a bite. @ lucky people got to keep the shells for a souvenir! Afterward, we all went to Rum Point for an excellent meal and relaxing beach time. Alcoholic drinks are available, and they are quite expensive, so be expecting that! I would advise using your credit card for the best exchange rate. Once done there, they will take you back to the pier or drop you off at 7 Mile Beach. We chose the beach and had about an hour there. It was very beautiful, but the food andf drinks are expensive! It was real easy catching a taxi and getting back to the pier later. We had plenty of time, and as far as I know, Nativeways has never been late. Sharon has fine tuned her operation to get people back even earlier. One final piece of advice...do your shopping for rum cakes and alcohol BEFORE your tour starts, if at all possible. That way, they will have your purchases delivered to the ship for you! Easy as pie.

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions...

[stephuney]

thanks Rob ... I appreciate all your feedback ... a few more questions ... in the reef snorkeling did you see lots of colorful and various coral? did you see any large schools of fish? how was it getting in and out of the boat - was there a ladder?

[robntawn]

thanks Rob ... I appreciate all your feedback ... a few more questions ... in the reef snorkeling did you see lots of colorful and various coral? did you see any large schools of fish? how was it getting in and out of the boat - was there a ladder?

We saw lots of multicolored wrasses, angelfish, zebrafish, and of corse anenomes and clownfish. If memory serves, there were different types of coral, including fan, brain, and fire coral. The reef was very diverse, and we were close to a sandy bottom as well...not nearly as colorful, but a good place to spot an errant stingray! There was a ladder that was used primarily for getting back into the boat. Most people simply jumped in or did a giant stride entry into the water. Enjoy!

[stephuney]

great ... just what I wanted to hear bcuz I really want to go with Nativeway ... thanks so much!

[pugmommy]

Does it take them a while to respond to e-mail requests? I have not heard from them in a few days and I was just wondering.

 

Thanks!

 

~pugmommy

[johnken]

Hello

 

I just back from GC. I did the RAYS, REEF & RUM POINT tour! I had a group of 18 and it was one of the best days of our lives!

 

Everything was flawless!

 

We got off the ship at 9 am

Got to Pier @ 9:30

 

Native Way was waiting with a sign! They took us in an aircondition nice van to get our boat - 10 minutes away. FUN Driver!

 

We got to boat and we were off! We got to Stingray City :) WOW! AMAZING! Our boat crew was too cute and too fun! They were the best!

We jumped in and swam, played, kissed and fed the rays. They brought a professional photographer and took flawless pictures with us.

 

Then off to the reef to do AMAZING snorkeling! Best Ever!

 

Then we got on boat and they gave us FULL menus - We could order whatever we wanted for lunch! They called in to the restaurant on the beach. When we docked we were greeted with the BEST Iced tea and Water ever! ALL 18 lunches were served within 2 minutes and each was perfect.

 

We got some sun for an hour then took us back to ship at 2:50 PM

 

FLAWLESS! SHARON is the owner and the BEST to work with! Email her at:

 

nativway@candw.ky

 

Let me know if you have any questions, I will respond!

[johnken]

Hello

 

I just back from GC. I did the RAYS, REEF & RUM POINT tour! I had a group of 18 and it was one of the best days of our lives!

 

Everything was flawless!

 

We got off the ship at 9 am

Got to Pier @ 9:30

 

Native Way was waiting with a sign! They took us in an aircondition nice van to get our boat - 10 minutes away. FUN Driver!

 

We got to boat and we were off! We got to Stingray City WOW! AMAZING! Our boat crew was too cute and too fun! They were the best!

We jumped in and swam, played, kissed and fed the rays. They brought a professional photographer and took flawless pictures with us.

 

Then off to the reef to do AMAZING snorkeling! Best Ever!

 

Then we got on boat and they gave us FULL menus - We could order whatever we wanted for lunch! They called in to the restaurant on the beach. When we docked we were greeted with the BEST Iced tea and Water ever! ALL 18 lunches were served within 2 minutes and each was perfect.

 

We got some sun for an hour then took us back to ship at 2:50 PM

 

FLAWLESS! SHARON is the owner and the BEST to work with! Email her at:

 

nativway@candw.ky it takes her 4-5 days to respond to emails.

 

Let me know if you have any questions, I will respond!

[bigbreeze]

Just noticed the Rum Point tour starts at 9;00 AM. The NCL Pearl will be making frequent weekly stops on Cayman next winter, but does not arrive until 10:00AM and leaves at 7. Kind of dumb of Nativeway to maintain a schedule that excludes an entire cruieline.

 

We are sailing the Pearl as well, arriving on October 17th. I emailed them after reading the great reviews and they said they will have a special NCL Pearl tour starting at 11:15 and ending at 4:30.

 

For people who have done this tour and been to Cayman, I have questions:

 

Where does the tour begin...close to the ship?

 

If the ship arrives at 10am, will we get there by 11:15 ok?

 

If it drops us off at 4:30, does that leave some time to shop around the port? Is shopping close to the boat or a cab ride away?

 

Thanks!!!!

[johnken]

Hello

 

I just back from GC. I did the RAYS, REEF & RUM POINT tour! I had a group of 18 and it was one of the best days of our lives!

 

Everything was flawless!

 

We got off the ship at 9 am

Got to Pier @ 9:30

 

Native Way was waiting with a sign! They took us in an aircondition nice van to get our boat - 10 minutes away. FUN Driver!

 

We got to boat and we were off! We got to Stingray City :) WOW! AMAZING! Our boat crew was too cute and too fun! They were the best!

We jumped in and swam, played, kissed and fed the rays. They brought a professional photographer and took flawless pictures with us.

 

Then off to the reef to do AMAZING snorkeling! Best Ever!

 

Then we got on boat and they gave us FULL menus - We could order whatever we wanted for lunch! They called in to the restaurant on the beach. When we docked we were greeted with the BEST Iced tea and Water ever! ALL 18 lunches were served within 2 minutes and each was perfect.

 

We got some sun for an hour then took us back to ship at 2:50 PM

 

FLAWLESS! SHARON is the owner and the BEST to work with! Email her at:

 

nativway@candw.ky

 

Let me know if you have any questions, I will respond!

[cruizinronnie]

Hello

 

I just back from GC. I did the RAYS, REEF & RUM POINT tour! I had a group of 18 and it was one of the best days of our lives!

 

Everything was flawless!

 

We got off the ship at 9 am

Got to Pier @ 9:30

 

Native Way was waiting with a sign! They took us in an aircondition nice van to get our boat - 10 minutes away. FUN Driver!

 

We got to boat and we were off! We got to Stingray City :) WOW! AMAZING! Our boat crew was too cute and too fun! They were the best!

We jumped in and swam, played, kissed and fed the rays. They brought a professional photographer and took flawless pictures with us.

 

Then off to the reef to do AMAZING snorkeling! Best Ever!

 

Then we got on boat and they gave us FULL menus - We could order whatever we wanted for lunch! They called in to the restaurant on the beach. When we docked we were greeted with the BEST Iced tea and Water ever! ALL 18 lunches were served within 2 minutes and each was perfect.

 

We got some sun for an hour then took us back to ship at 2:50 PM

 

FLAWLESS! SHARON is the owner and the BEST to work with! Email her at:

 

nativway@candw.ky

 

Let me know if you have any questions, I will respond!

Thanks for the great info, making late decisions.

 

Was lunch included in the $60 pp price?

[JJMM]

Thanks so much for this info. I have contacted Nativeway to book, but have a few questions that perhaps you can help with??

I thought the tour started at 8:30? Did you pay the $60 via cash when the tour started? When you are with the Rays, is it in the shallow area? Are there lifejackets available when snorkeling?

 

Also when you booked, do they ask for you to fax your credit card to hold the reservation?

 

Thanks!

[curlyd]

Thanks for the great info, making late decisions.

 

Was lunch included in the $60 pp price?

 

The research I have done indicates that lunch is included. I think we will do this tour in March 08:D

[johnken]

Tour is at 9:30 which is good, you can sleep in

 

You pay $60 Cash at the end plus tip for your Guides we gave them $7 from each of us

 

The water is 4 Ft Deep witht he rays

 

They have life jackets, but NONE of us used them

 

Yes, they ask for a Credit card to make sure you are real in confirming, If you don't show they will charge it

 

We showed, we paid cash and they never charged my card

 

Does that help?

[johnken]

Yes an amazing lunch is incldued

 

Get the BLACKENED MAHI MAHI Sandwich........It was amazing!

 

TIPS for your guides are NOT included. We gave them $7 from each person in our group

 

18 people X $7 = $126 tip for 3 guides

[JJMM]

It sure does. Thanks so much for answering my 20 questions!! :D

[luv cruzin']

Hello

 

I just back from GC. I did the RAYS, REEF & RUM POINT tour! I had a group of 18 and it was one of the best days of our lives!

 

Everything was flawless!

 

We got off the ship at 9 am

Got to Pier @ 9:30

 

Native Way was waiting with a sign! They took us in an aircondition nice van to get our boat - 10 minutes away. FUN Driver!

 

We got to boat and we were off! We got to Stingray City :) WOW! AMAZING! Our boat crew was too cute and too fun! They were the best!

We jumped in and swam, played, kissed and fed the rays. They brought a professional photographer and took flawless pictures with us.

 

Then off to the reef to do AMAZING snorkeling! Best Ever!

 

Then we got on boat and they gave us FULL menus - We could order whatever we wanted for lunch! They called in to the restaurant on the beach. When we docked we were greeted with the BEST Iced tea and Water ever! ALL 18 lunches were served within 2 minutes and each was perfect.

 

We got some sun for an hour then took us back to ship at 2:50 PM

 

FLAWLESS! SHARON is the owner and the BEST to work with! Email her at:

 

nativway@candw.ky

 

Let me know if you have any questions, I will respond!

 

What was the price of the photos on the CD? And how many photo's?

We are booking with them in Januray 2008.

Thanks