Dolphin Encounters in Cozumel

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mel47

Guest
I see under the shore excursions listed for Cozumel a couple of different Dolphin Encounters.

The Dolphin Swim and Snorkel which has you interact with the dolphins and then go snorkel and watch the trainer and dolphins perform "breathtaking behaviors".

Dolphin Encounter says it does pretty much everything but the snorkel.


I was wondering which one would be better overall for my fiance and I - we are in our mid-twenties. We are getting married the day before in Grand Cayman and our parents will be on the cruise as well.

My mom is in her sixties and concerned about the snorkel portion being too athletically demanding. Can anyone provide some insight about this? It's one of her life dreams to swim with the dolphins and I want her to book the excursion that she'll get the most out of.

Thanks all!
 
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wdblake

Guest
My wife and I did the swim with the dolphins in chaccknaab(sp) park in cozumel. I would recommend not booking the cruise ships shore excursion and do the booking yourself.
the park has its own website at
http://www.dolphindiscovery.com/cozumel.htm
They let us do our own booking.
Our boat's excursion only let you pet the dolphins. We however got to ride them by holding their fins, got pushed out of the water by our feet, held up a bar for them to jump over, and free swam. It was incredible. They do groups of six so everyone gets plenty of interaction time. Well worth the money.
 
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mel47

Guest
What ship/cruise line did you sail on? We are going on Royal Caribbean.

Will Royal Caribbean's excursion be limited to just petting them?
 
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PassthePeas

Guest
Did the same excursion that wdblake mentioned... I think it was called the Royal Swim. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one. Also did the swim with the Sea Lion. Try to do both if you can fit it in.. you will love the sea lion. My suggestion is to book online, or call and talk to Abigail Espadas. She arranged a package deal for me that included admission. Enjoy your "Experience Of A Lifetime" !! Dona
 
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wdblake

Guest
We sailed Holland America. Passthepeas is right. We went on the royal swim, no snorkel was required. All we had to do was wear a life vest.
 
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hkolln

Guest
I read on the site for dolphin discovery that the price does not include admission the park. That is another 10.00 PP...and the ships tour I have a price on is cheaper if you add taxi ride, admission and swim. How can that be?
 
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obe1

Guest
Hi,
My sister and I swam with the dolphins in Chankanaab in Cozumel. We booked this excursion through the ship the Grand Princess, cost was $149 pp which included
taxi ride to and from the ship but did not include the $10 pp admission to the Park.

We booked the Dolphin Swim, not the Dolphin Encounter, we had free play time in the water with the dolphins as well as, being taken for a ride by hanging on their dorsal fins, getting pushed up and out of the water by the soles of your feet, by both dolphins' noses, holding a long bar so they can jump over it . It was an experience of a lifetime! I would highly recommend this excursion. It books up very quickly and they limit the number of people for each swim.

The Dolphin Encounter is much less involved. More of standing on the platform so you can get up close and personal with the dolphins, but not doing the foot push, doral fin pull etc. I hope you enjoy your cruise, congrats on your upcoming marriage.


Rose :grin
 
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mel47

Guest
We booked the Royal Swim through Dolphin Discovery. What is the video like? How much does it cost? Do you get to leave with the video or do they send it to you?
 
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PassthePeas

Guest
Congratulations on the booking! You will have an amazing time! After your swim, after a few minutes, you go as a group into a room where they show you the video they took of your group. They add music, do some great editing, slow motion, etc... One lady in my group had tears rolling down her face... The videos are THAT incredible. I cannot recall what I paid.. I bought one from the Sea Lion swim, and one from the Dolphin swim. I think they were around $30 or $40. I would have paid more.. Best thing to do, is just relax and have a wonderful time with those amazing creatures, and your video will show you grinning from ear to ear!! :grin The videos are ready within a short time, so you can take it home with you. Hope this helps! Dona
 
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mel47

Guest
Thanks, that does help. We are going to have to purchase our video before we even view it. Our excursion is at 3:30 and we are told that the ship may or may not be on Cozumel time depending on the captain. If they aren't it will already be 4:30 ship time! We sail at 7, so we are going to have to book it outta there, video/pictures in tow. Oh well, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get to do this excursion!
 
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wdblake

Guest
You shouldn't have to book out too bad. The whole things runs just a little over an hour. About a 10-15 minute briefing followed by about 45min to Hour dolphin time. The videos and pictures they take of you are done by the time you get done. Taxis to and from the port run non stop so getting a taxi back to the port should not be difficult. Hope you enjoy the experience...my wife and i loved it.
 
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pnorth

Guest
What was the sea lion swim like? I am booked to swim with the dolphins already, but am interested in the sea lions also. Thank you
 
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PassthePeas

Guest
The Sea Lion swim was as much if not more fun than the Dolphin swim. I recommend this one as well. The Sea Lion we swam with, Karla, was so sweet. You got to interract with her quite a bit more than the dolphins. I guess because she is small, and the theater is smaller. The video and photos from this program turned out great.... Mel147,
Our dolphin program was scheduled for 3:30 I think, but ran late because the group in front of us ran late.. We swam at like 4.. Still got to view the video, buy our photos, and ride our scooters back to catch our 6:00 ship departure. The park is pretty close to the ship docks. You will have an incredible time! Dona
 
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DonnaD

Guest
Hey, we are going on the Royal Swim too - in July. Can't wait. Tell me about the scooters. That sounds more fun than a taxi. Also, is there a lot to do in the park to keep the rest of my family busy while I play with the dolphins? Thanks
DonnaD
 
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