Has anyone had experience w/the dolphins in the wild eco-tours?

[vossjemi]

They did respond to my email after I used the email address Astrid mentioned above...the prodigy one. I haven't booked yet, but am strongly thinking about it. I'd love to hear more responses. I'm glad to hear Lynn did this excursion and enjoyed it.

[THERAPYCRUISE]

Thanks for all the info. I am also trying to find a tour for wild dolphins with the chance I may get in with them. I found one that leaves at 9:00 am but our ship ports at 8 and I have read posts that you are an hour different. What do you suggest? Also what would you reccomend for the rest of the day? I was looking at the restaraunt week specials and we want to do a nice dinner with a view if possible. What do you recomend?

[THERAPYCRUISE]

12b@c, thank you, yes, I am the same Astrid ;).it is really nice to hear that you had a good time with us, I hope you will be back to PV soon, as there is soo much to do! Too bad a ship leaves after just one day right?

 

Anyway, about the ocean, september is good, actually, any month is good, usually in the morning the water is really smooth, but after 1pm the wind comes out and then it gets a bit more choppy. >All dolphintours leave in the morning.

 

Vossjemi, it is not usual that Open Air does not reply to your email, if somehow you can give yours I can make sure they will reply. Or google mine and I will forward it to Isabel.

 

If anyone has more questions about the most beautiful port of all just ask!

Hi Astrid,

I really want to do a wild dolphin swim and then maybe tour the city, get a nice dinner, and whatever you would reccomend. Is the rythm of the night tour good? Can you be our tour guide while we are there? We are 2 single women and a little nervous about being off totally by ourselves even though my best friend speaks fluent spanish. Please help.

[12B@C]

Can you be our tour guide while we are there? We are 2 single women and a little nervous about being off totally by ourselves even though my best friend speaks fluent spanish. Please help.

 

I happen to know that Astrid cannot answer your question directly. You see, the Cruise Critic forum does not allow her to solicit her services using this web site. I suggest you contact her direct via email.

 

superiortoursvallarta@hotmail.com

 

 

She has provided us with a marvelous tour in the past and I can assure you that she knows PV and surrounding areas very well.

[AstridVallarta]

According to the rules of the forum I am not allowed to answer this, which I will resprect of course. Anyway, as you can see, other cruisecritics members have found me in the past.

 

Don't be nervous, Vallarta is a safe, wonderful city to visit, for sure you will like it and enjoy!

[THERAPYCRUISE]

Hi Astrid,

I have e-mailed you for more info. Thanks for your help.

[vossjemi]

Bump for more reviews since the DCL Magic is now doing this run.:D

[vossjemi]

FYI--Open Air Expeditions Dolphins in the Wild price has increased from $50pp to $68pp and there is no discount or lower price for children.

 

I also found that vallarta adventures does a similar tour but takes you to the marietas to snorkel instead of los arcos. The price there is $70 adult/ $35 child and 10% discount for booking online. For our family of 4, that is $189 versus Open Air's current price of $272. Has anyone done this tour w/vallarta adventures? Likes/dislikes? How many people go on this tour...is it crowded? Is the boat covered to protect from too much sun? I also read on tripadvisor that snorkeling is better at las marietas than los arcos...true? Also, I think VA must be the vendor with the disney magic because tour descriptions are very similar...just higher prices booking through disney. Does anyone know if this is an exclusive contract? Meaning do I HAVE to book through Disney if I want to do this? Or can I book w/VA direct?

 

TIA!

[Smeecanada]

FYI--Open Air Expeditions Dolphins in the Wild price has increased from $50pp to $68pp and there is no discount or lower price for children.

 

I also found that vallarta adventures does a similar tour but takes you to the marietas to snorkel instead of los arcos. The price there is $70 adult/ $35 child and 10% discount for booking online. For our family of 4, that is $189 versus Open Air's current price of $272. Has anyone done this tour w/vallarta adventures? Likes/dislikes? How many people go on this tour...is it crowded? Is the boat covered to protect from too much sun? I also read on tripadvisor that snorkeling is better at las marietas than los arcos...true? Also, I think VA must be the vendor with the disney magic because tour descriptions are very similar...just higher prices booking through disney. Does anyone know if this is an exclusive contract? Meaning do I HAVE to book through Disney if I want to do this? Or can I book w/VA direct?

 

TIA!

 

Which Disney excursion are you referring to? I don't know of one that is doing Dolphin watching in the wild. That is why I went for a non-DCL excursion. We're going more for the Dolphin Watching - the snorkelling part is just a bonus for us, so I'm not too concerned where we go. Open Air is meeting our group right at the dock. Not sure how many a boat holds but there are 8 people in our group.

[Joy2theWorld]

I also have no idea which Disney excursion could be considered the same as this one. There is a Los Arcos snorkel, but I didn't see anything about dolphins in their natural environment. Personally, from what I've read about jelly fish in late summer in the water off the coast of Mexico, I'm not even considering snorkeling....

[vossjemi]

Sorry for the confusion. From the emails I've rec'd from Open Air, Vallarta Adventures & others, apparently there are pods of dolphins in Banderas Bay year round. My understanding is Open Air's excursion finds the dolphins in the Bay and takes you snorkeling to Los Arcos. Although DCL doesn't advertise their snorkel treasure hunt in banderas bay/los arcos as a dolphins in the wild excursion, maybe I just assumed it was similar because its in the same location as Open Air...I could be wrong, but I would just think if the dolphins are in that bay, you'd see them whether you are with Open Air or DCL if both excursions are basically in that bay.

 

But, I was mainly referring to the Marietas excursion when I was asking if you could book direct instead of with DCL because the descriptions of where they are going sounded so similar and pricing sooo close that I wondered if Vallarta Adventures was the vendor for DCL for that excursion and was curious if I decided to do that, could I just book with VA instead of DCL. Example: DCL pricing is $75 adult/$40 child; lunch included & takes 7 hours. VA pricing is $70 adult/$35 child + 10% online discount; lunch included & takes 7 hours.

 

True Open Air and VA advertise their 2 excursions as "dolphins in the wild", and DCL doesn't advertise theirs that way, but the respective excursions go to the same places so one would think you'd see the same "dolphins in the wild" while getting there, no?