Disney Cruise Line- Snorkeling on Castaway Cay

[Dini926]

Good day,

We are going to be going on our FIRST ever Disney cruise next month. SUPER EXCITED ! For snorkeling on castaway cay, I heard you can bring your own gear? Can anyone confirm please?
And what about safety jackets? Thanks in advance.

 

[iivye]

You can bring your own gear. You have to wear the safety vest but Disney provides those for free.

 

[Calantha]

Good day,

We are going to be going on our FIRST ever Disney cruise next month. SUPER EXCITED ! For snorkeling on castaway cay, I heard you can bring your own gear? Can anyone confirm please?
And what about safety jackets? Thanks in advance.

You definitely want to wear the provided safety jackets - the current can be strong and you go out a good way from shore.

 

[DWillowBay]

We've brought our own gear...no problem. They have PLENTY of vests. There's no need to cart those along from home.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

We are avid snorkelers and love CC's lagoon. They've seeded the bottom with various fun stuff and cultured the coral growth over the years. So much fun. We always bring our own gear. It's easy to wash off in the tubs they've got setup next to the rental stations.

 

[Flcruising]

Yes we take our own. But you are required to pick up their safety vest at the rental stand. The safety vest is free .

 

[sadiecatie]

Question - is the safety vest just for visibility for lifeguards? Or are there flotation vests? (My daughter *really* wants to snorkel at Castaway in May, but I question if she has the endurance for it without assistance. She’s a good swimmer, but she’ll only be 9, and unless I’m mistaken it can be a bit of a swim out to the sunken stuff, and then you also have to get back in).

 

[Akck]

Question - is the safety vest just for visibility for lifeguards? Or are there flotation vests? (My daughter *really* wants to snorkel at Castaway in May, but I question if she has the endurance for it without assistance. She’s a good swimmer, but she’ll only be 9, and unless I’m mistaken it can be a bit of a swim out to the sunken stuff, and then you also have to get back in).

The vests are floatation devices that you can inflate and I’m certain they utilize the color to determine who is snorkeling.

 

[buzzrelly]

Question - is the safety vest just for visibility for lifeguards? Or are there flotation vests? (My daughter *really* wants to snorkel at Castaway in May, but I question if she has the endurance for it without assistance. She’s a good swimmer, but she’ll only be 9, and unless I’m mistaken it can be a bit of a swim out to the sunken stuff, and then you also have to get back in).

Just a word of caution from someone who was traumatized out there once...unless your daughter is a STRONG swimmer, I would skip this at 9-years old. I am NOT a strong swimmer but I can swim okay. I had the easiest time getting out to the shipwreck stuff, but couldn't get back to shore because the current kept pushing me back. After a bit of a struggle, I got myself over to the ropes and pulled myself in but I was really starting to panic out there.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

I bring my own gear as I have a prescription mask so I can see! I do, however, rent the fins as they are heavy and take up too much space in my luggage. I am pretty sure they didn't charge me. You do need to wear their vest. The vest does inflate-you need to blow into the valve to inflate it. It provides some buoyancy. It is not a PFD-life jacket. The "good" stuff is a ways out there-on a windy day or depending on the current it can be a bit of a challenge. I am a strong swimmer, I swim several miles a week at the pool. Indoor pool/backyard pool is different from the ocean, so be mindful-current, waves etc.. I had my young kids out there one year-reasonable swimmers, but they got tired and I had to tow them back. I got tired. No fun. Best to try the snorkel and the mask on your child before you get out there. Face in the water, salt water, mouthful of salt water if they have never snorkeled, can be very uncomfortable if you are not used to it/expecting it, and as a previous post mentioned, you don't want to be panicking or have your child panic out there. Before you get tired is the time to head back, not when you are tired. Know your limits.

That being said, it is fun, especially if you go first thing in the morning before the crowds go and scare the fish and churn up the water. I have seen some great varieties of fish and if you are quiet and float they swim all around you. So much fun. I hope you enjoy!

 

[Bmlors]

I do, however, rent the fins as they are heavy and take up too much space in my luggage. I am pretty sure they didn't charge me.

Can anyone confirm if they do just rent fins? Or even better, if fins are free? We’re debating bringing our own gear, but really would prefer to leave the bulky fins at home.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

They only rent the whole package (mask, snorkel & fins together), but you're not obligated to take all 3. IIRC, it's not too expensive. $38 for age 10+& $22 for ages 5-9 (I had to go look it up). I suppose you're flying in? I love my Atomic split fins, but we also have sets of travel fins that fit quite nicely in our suitcases. It's a thought.

ETA: it's Castaway Cay Port Adventure: Snorkel Lagoon Equipment Rentals (C01)
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/port-adventures/castaway-cay-snorkel-lagoon-equipment-rental/

Of note, the ebb tide can be a bear when returning from the far side of the lagoon. There's lots of apps to check the tide schedule. I like to be aware of what I'm going to be facing. Best of all worlds: ebb going out, flood coming in !

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Can anyone confirm if they do just rent fins? Or even better, if fins are free? We’re debating bringing our own gear, but really would prefer to leave the bulky fins at home.

I was able to get them-fins. I was looking for my receipt to see if I was charged, but I can't find it right now. it wasn't an issue-both my husband and I brought our masks and snorkel. This was October 2023

 

[Calantha]

Just a word of caution from someone who was traumatized out there once...unless your daughter is a STRONG swimmer, I would skip this at 9-years old. I am NOT a strong swimmer but I can swim okay. I had the easiest time getting out to the shipwreck stuff, but couldn't get back to shore because the current kept pushing me back. After a bit of a struggle, I got myself over to the ropes and pulled myself in but I was really starting to panic out there.

100% this was our experience - but it was me and DS, who was 8 - and we didn't even make it that far. The current is strong. I'd like to do it again with real life vests (realizing we won't be able to go down as far. Or with DH, BIL or FIL. I'm not strong enough to move DS and myself against the current.

 

[Bmlors]

Yes, we're flying in and with a large family, so it would require a significant amount of space to pack all of the gear. But, it's also a significant amount of $$ to rent for the whole crew, so trying to determine if it's worth it. If there was a happy medium where it's a lower cost to just rent fins and I can pack just the masks/snorkel, that seemed like the thing to do.

 

[firstwdw]

100% this was our experience - but it was me and DS, who was 8 - and we didn't even make it that far. The current is strong. I'd like to do it again with real life vests (realizing we won't be able to go down as far. Or with DH, BIL or FIL. I'm not strong enough to move DS and myself against the current.

Just a word of caution from someone who was traumatized out there once...unless your daughter is a STRONG swimmer, I would skip this at 9-years old. I am NOT a strong swimmer but I can swim okay. I had the easiest time getting out to the shipwreck stuff, but couldn't get back to shore because the current kept pushing me back. After a bit of a struggle, I got myself over to the ropes and pulled myself in but I was really starting to panic out there.

You can use the Disney provided life-vests (actual life-vests). They are free for all ages. We are not strong swimmers and we all used the life-vests for snorkeling at Castaway

 

[buzzrelly]

You can use the Disney provided life-vests (actual life-vests). They are free for all ages. We are not strong swimmers and we all used the life-vests for snorkeling at Castaway

I had one on...it doesn't help you swim back against the current. That was a one and done for me!

 

[onesam319]

I have rented the Disney equipment, brought our own equipment (snorkel/mask and full-face mask. All of them leak and detract from my enjoyment. My biggest challenge was finding anything. I wear glasses, so without them I can't see the markers once I'm out in the lagoon. Next time I'm going to just wear prescription swim goggles take a simple snorkel with me.

I also found that their blow-up vests lose air, so I use the foam vests instead. If you can learn the tide times, you can try to swim out before the tide comes in, so it can assist you when you are returning. In either case, when I got tired, I learned to trust my foam vest and just rested a bit before continuing.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

I have rented the Disney equipment, brought our own equipment (snorkel/mask and full-face mask. All of them leak and detract from my enjoyment. My biggest challenge was finding anything. I wear glasses, so without them I can't see the markers once I'm out in the lagoon. Next time I'm going to just wear prescription swim goggles take a simple snorkel with me.

I also found that their blow-up vests lose air, so I use the foam vests instead. If you can learn the tide times, you can try to swim out before the tide comes in, so it can assist you when you are returning. In either case, when I got tired, I learned to trust my foam vest and just rested a bit before continuing.

I have prescription swim googles as well. I ordered a prescription mask on line. It is a great mask, doesn't leak-like the Disney ones and I can see. Game changer. And not all that pricey.

 

[Erica1016]

I have my own mask/snorkel and prefer not to wear fins due to some foot/lower leg issues. I know that I can get the vest to use in the snorkel area.

Can you take the vest to the regular swimming area to check out that area or is snorkeling only allowed in the snorkel area?