Castaway Cay Stingray Excursion

[Shanti]

Is it worthwhile? Anyone done it in the winter and enjoyed it? Are the stingrays happy? Okay, that last question's a bit tongue in cheek, but do they seem well-treated?

 

[lklgoodman]

We did it last January. We were suppose to do the stingray excursion in Grand Cayman, but it was cancelled due to rough seas. We were able to sign up for the cc excursion on the ship the day before we arrived at cc. We did it at 2pm, the water was clear and the stingrays were still hungry. You will put your hands on a table that they swim onto and they will suck the food from your hand, feels like a vacuum. My dd was 8 yrs old and she enjoyed it. After you feed the stingrays you can swim/snorkel in the area. The stingrays will swim around, but don't come to you, I guess they know you don't have anymore food for them. There's nothing worthwhile in the area to see for snorkeling, just a sandy bottom. The air temp was in the mid/high 70s. Not sure what the water temps was, but it was pretty cool, was ok once you got used to it. I haven't done any excursions with stingrays anywhere else, the cc is ok to do, but doesn't seem as exciting as the Grand Cayman one is. I'm glad we did it since our other one was cancelled, but I wouldn't do it every time we go to cc, once is enough.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

We did Stingray City Reef Sail & Snorkel (G09) on our W. Carib cruise in 2016 and it was fantastic. It wasn't the sandbar where they're all over you, this was the deeper water snorkel with the fully mature stingrays right on the reef. The rays were huge and the whole event amazing. Our guide (Red Sail Excursions) was very respectful of the rays, gently guiding them up for us shell-shocked-amazed amateurs to interact with them. I can't recommend G09 highly enough for the snorkeling and the ray experience.

We were on the same cruise as lklgoodman (got back yesterday) and were in the Buena Vista Theater when they cancelled the excursion due to the weather. We'd booked the reef and sunken ship snorkel (another *amazing* event). I felt bad for them (one girl was crying, apparently her hopes were dashed), but it is nearly open sea by the time you get out there and the way the wind was blowing and the seas were running, it would've been not fun out there.

 

[kiford]

We did it quite a few years ago and enjoyed it. DH fed them (I couldn't - allergic to seafood so I can't touch the shrimp they were feeding them). They kept coming up to me and rubbing their undersides against my leg like a cat. Probably thought I had food. They seemed quite comfortable around people and were fine with having you pet their backs (tops?).

 

[Sytrace]

Is it worthwhile? Anyone done it in the winter and enjoyed it? Are the stingrays happy? Okay, that last question's a bit tongue in cheek, but do they seem well-treated?

We have done it a couple of times...once in December (water was colder than I like) and once in September. The stingrays are well taken care of and if seem to enjoy the people with food interaction. Some of them are quite friendly but none are aggressive. It is my son's favorite excursion.

 

[gary in florida]

Just did it last week, water was fine. We live in Florida so it still was nice. The staff was real helpful. I'm "old" and had a hard time standing, they, the staff, went and got a chair helped me out to the feeding platform helped me in the chair so I could feed the rays. Then helped me back to shore