Sting Ray City! A Super Experience

One adventure not to be missed while visiting the Caribbean is a trip to Sting Ray City.  Maybe you are spending a week or two on the island or just enjoying a quick shore excursion while on board a cruise ship, either way, swimming with the rays is a lot of fun.  I  visited Stingy Ray City in Antigua while on vacation with my husband and once again while on the Enchantment of the Seas tendered outside Grand Cayman

with a group of women.  Let me tell you about the trip to Antigua with hubby, we had a blast!

We chose the excursion from a menu provided by the ship which rates excursions by time, activity level, and in this case swimming skill involved.  Carnival uses the "little walking man" to rate their excursions, the more little men, the more difficult and the more fit you have to be.  The stingray adventure was rated a 2, which was perfect for me.  We both swim well, but according to the rating, little swimming would be required.  The price of $50 per person was great as well.  Snorkle gear and refreshments were provided.  We booked from our stateroom through the tv and the cost of the trip was added to our sail card.  Voila!

Having never snorkeled before much less touched a stingray, I was pretty excited the next morning as we got ready to board the bus.  We had slathered on sunscreen, wore our bathing suites, and of course sunglasses and hats.  Our bus was almost full with a mix of young and old, couples, and families with kids.  Our ride to our boat took us through "town" and highlights were pointed out by our very funny and very pregnant tour guide.  When I asked her when she was due to have her baby, she said 3 days ago.  That's a pretty strong work ethic in any country, but I digress from the story!

We arrived at our destination which from the front appeared to be a private home.  We were escorted to the back where four open motor boats stood ready.  We boarded the boats and were off!  Approximately 20-30 minutes later (who wears a watch, it's island time) we arrived at a sandbar with a floating dock which we tied up to. After scrambling out of the boats we were given a few directions by the handlers who would be in the water with us.  My husband practically raced in, and I eased in and in no time the water seemed full of black shadows under the water. (See them in the picture above) With a closer look, I could make out the rays--eerie and beautiful at the same time.  The water was about 4 feet deep with some areas less--parents with older children seeming to have no problems.  The rays would bump you and then wait as if they wanted to be petted.  One of the handlers told us this was a retirement home for old rays, but them seemed pretty lively to me.  We were given the opportunity to feed the rays and then look through them with a snorkel mask.  Since I can be a scaredy cat about new things, my husband held my hand while I tried my first snorkeling.   Even though it was in shallow water and in a controlled situation--I felt pretty proud of myself! If you haven't seen the blue of the waters of the Caribbean, you haven't seen blue--the color was amazing! 

After an hour or so, we loaded the boats and headed back to shore.  Refreshments had been set out with cold "koolaide" punch being handed to all the adults.  Honestly it was punch pink, but it carried quite a "punch" of a different sort.  I switched to water to be sure I didn't miss the nice dinner awaiting me on board by having a hangover headache.

The trip took about 2-3 hours from start to finish and did not require a lot of heavy activity.  The adventure was not appropriate for small children and would not be advisable for persons having problems climbing into or out of the boat or going up or down the small ladder going into the water.  For us it was a wonderful trip, an adventure with nature that I can recommend wholeheartedly.

Until we cruise again,

Sandy, the diva cruiser

 Sandy, thedivacruiser, is in reality Sandy Wheeler, an independent travel consultant for Connie George Travel Associates.  Follow Sandy on her adventures on Twitter @thedivacruiser or on her website www.SandyWheelerTravel.com.  Email Sandy for more information on this or any of her other blog posts.  

The Best Cruise Line for YOU!

I am often asked the question "which cruise line is BEST?"  I always have to laugh, because this is a tough question to answer--I always answer back--define BEST.  Best price? itinerary? entertainment? food? accessibility? casinos? what is BEST?


Accessing your cruise needs are similar to writing a good news article.  There's the who, what, when, and how of it all.  Let's take them one at a time.  


WHO is sailing?  You and your hubby? You and your family? Family reunion? Gaggle of gal pals? WHO is sailing makes a lot of difference.  The who involves your interests, hobbies, and activity levels.  Will you be happy swimming with the dolphins, ice skating at sea, or just lounging by the pool?  Are you an experienced cruiser or a first timer?

WHAT do you want to, see, visit, and explore?  Do you have a special place or climate in mind?  On one cruise, I knew without a doubt I wanted to see a particular beach in St. Thomas as a shore excursion.  What do you want to do on board?  If you have your heart set on a surfing simulator or rock climbing at sea, you  are limited to the number of ships you can choose.  You need to think about WHAT you want to experience.


WHERE are you willing to go to board your ship?  Depending on your location, you may have to drive a long distance or fly to make your cruise happen.  If you choose not to travel, you could be limited by where you live.  Ships are traditionally stationed in certain ports and stay their until the season changes or larger/smaller ships are brought in.

WHEN do you want to sail?  The time of the year, season, or even holiday makes a big difference.  Going during spring break season?  Expect to see a lot of college students on board.  Think it would be cool to spend Thanksgiving on board?  Yes, it would, but you can expect to pay more.  Remember too, that certain itineraries like Alaska and New England are only available during certain seasons and fill up quickly.

Lastly, after deciding on all of the above--HOW much is your budget?  Do you have a realistic idea of what a cruise will cost?  With prices averaging $100-300 a night for accommodations, gourmet food, and entertainment galore--cruise prices are great vacation values. How much are you willing and able to spend?


When you talk with me, I will ask you all of these questions.  I try to match the client with the best fit of all of the above criteria.  By thinking on these questions and making a list of anything else that might be important to you--we can find the perfect fit just for you!


Call me and let's talk about your who, when, where, and how.  I will do my best  to match you as much as possible with the best cruise line and sailing to fit your needs.


Happy sailing!


Sandy


Sandy, thedivacruiser, is actually Sandy Wheeler, independent contractor for Connie George Travel Associates.  Follow her adventures on Twitter @thedivacruiser and on her web site www.SandyWheelerTravel.com.  Questions are always welcome click here to contact Sandy.


Photos are #1 Me onboard Celebrity. #2 Clients swimming with the dolphins onboard Royal Caribbean; #3 Line dancing on board Princess; #4 Hubby and I on pink sand beaches onboard NCL; #5 Hubby and I swimming with the stingrays onboard Carnival.