Dolphin Swim with Royal Caribbean

[TechKnowBabble]

Has anyone done this excursion? I have wanted to swim with the dolphins for a very long time and wanted feedback on whether Tortola was a good place to do it. I know a lot of people do the excursion in Cozumel. Thanks for any input! :D

[CruisingLover]

We are doing the dolphin swim with RCCL also and would like to know the same thing :)

[cannockfrodo]

It's cheaper to book direct before the cruise, taxi fare is $5 pp but it is walkable about 10/15 mins.

 

Just make sure you book the right experience there are 3 including the King experience which Thomsons don't offer.

It offers the chance to swim with 2 dolphins and attempt a handstand...our m8s loved it.

[stefanny28]

We just did the Royal Swim in Torotla (Jan 6th) and we booked directly on their website and got a better price than with Carnival (up to $60 US less)

The facilities are 5 minutes away from the pier. It is $5/person one way trip. There are plenty of taxis at the pier to take you there.

 

There are 3 programs offered. The Royal Swim is the most expensive but you get to actually swim with the dolphins (dorsal tow and foot push). You spend almost 45 -60 minutes in the water.

 

Bring some money with you if you want ot buy the pictures and the video. The pictures are very good and remember to bargain if you buy more than one. The package they offered varies according to how many pictures or video that you buy. The price per picture was $20 and the video $50 but we got 7 pictures and the video for $115 ( and $10 /extra pictures).

 

They are a little bit disorganised when you you check in. Nobody tell you where to go or what to do.

It seems that you hang around doing nothing until someone get you into the information "tent". But finallly when you get in the water, it goes very well.

 

We were a group of 6 who did the Royal swim and 2 who did the lesser price excursion and the 2 people who did not do the Swim regretted it.

 

Compared to other dolphin swim (eg Blue Laggoon or Atlantis) it is cheaper that other places and very easy to get to .

You'll have tons of fun and will not regret it.

[acogs]

When you just went to the dolphin swim, were there people that were there just to watch and not do the dolpin swim? I want to go there in April with my daughter and her grandmother won't get in the water with the dolphins, but wanted to know if she can just come and watch us swim with the dolphins?

[ds0907]

According to their website there is a free of charge viewing area

[TechKnowBabble]

I know that there were a lot of people watching in wheelchairs / scooters so I can't imagine they would charge much if anything

[Cgarnet]

We are docking in St thomas and this excursion is also listed through our carnival cruise also. Is this able to be done through the site of the facility instead of the cruiseline? Is the distance too far to be able to get to by taxi? Any info I am totally lost?

[Manpot]

I would encourage anyone considering swimming with captive dolphins to do their research about how they are captured and treated..then decide if you want to help promote this kind of business that has been banned in many places. BTW..you can swim with free dolphins in the ocean, for free, in the BVI's if you are lucky!!

[Cgarnet]

I would encourage anyone considering swimming with captive dolphins to do their research about how they are captured and treated..then decide if you want to help promote this kind of business that has been banned in many places. BTW..you can swim with free dolphins in the ocean, for free, in the BVI's if you are lucky!!

 

 

You know what... you just answered my question... the beach it is in St thomas... :)

[Happy2cruise12345]

I went to book the Royal Swim for six of us while we are in Tortola. The website said we can't book online if we are with Carnival cruises. Do I book anyway giving other information? I realize the cruise lines want the extra cash, but that is alot of dough for six of us!

[acogs]

I would like to know how to book this excursion without booking it through Carnival, the websites asks for which ship or hotel you are staying. If you put in Carnival it won't let you purchase it and I called also and they ask what ship you are on. It is way cheaper to book it myself instead of through Carnival. Thanks for any help:)

[cosytoes]

I want to know the same question. It's a bit of a cheek. Can you just put a hotel will they check. They have a 20% promotion at presnt so we can both go for same price princess charges for one person.

[cosytoes]

Just checked th web site again if you are with celebrity, RC or NCL you can book direct:mad:

[Theakston]

I would encourage anyone considering swimming with captive dolphins to do their research about how they are captured and treated..then decide if you want to help promote this kind of business that has been banned in many places. BTW..you can swim with free dolphins in the ocean, for free, in the BVI's if you are lucky!!

 

Absolutely...this operation saddens me. The poor dolphins are just in a small fencec in area on the beach no bigger than a swimming pool. I can't believe people want to do this...if they actually cared about dolphins they wouldn't!

[nirmd01]

We want to swim with dolphins more than anything else in the world, but we won't do it with captured ones. Captive dolphins have a very short life compared to wild ones- you wouldn't treat a dog like this. They shouldn't be kept in a resticted area as they need the open ocean to roam & thrive in. They are a glorious sight in the wild.

[cass040105]

We are sailing on Princess and it says we can not book direct. Can we just say that we are sailing Royal Caribbean instead? If we are getting a taxi there and back why does it matter?

[jlf1984]

I did the dolphin swim in Tortola 5 years ago. The experience was very demeaning, to both the people and the dolphins, and I left very disappointed. I was very bothered by the small pens where they kept the dolphins.

 

When I got home I started doing a lot of research and was absolutely shocked by what I learned. Captivity is highly stressful for them and their lifespans are significantly reduced. The ones that are wild captured are brutally taken from their families (they live their entire lives in these family groups). Dolphin captures are very violent. The ones that are captive bred are often separated from their mothers and sold to other facilities.

 

I'm in no way telling people what to do. This is a decision everyone needs to make on their own. But you should research dolphin captivity issues before you do this so you can make an educated decision.

 

As an alternative, I have gone on dolphin watching trips to see them in the wild. It is by far, in my opinion, a much more amazing experience. It is much more beautiful to see them in their environment doing what they do on their terms than to have them perform tricks for my entertainment so they can be rewarded with food.

[SeanShaylee]

I plan on doing this excursion with my two kids- 8 and 6. It's ALL they talk about- if anyone has any experience with cruising RCI, docking at St. Thomas and taking a ferry to Tortola, I am interested in how smooth it was going through customs. Thanks.

[uirie]

The dolphins are captured from there pods and only the beautiful ones are sent to live a short life in captivity. Please it's torture for these highly social creatures. Let's end swimming with the dolphins.

[tutzig]

Thank you to the people that actually responded to the original post with your experience.. Some people will search out threads to add their own personal opinion and not add to the question.