Traveling with Disney Cruise Line (DCL) is not just about enjoying the high seas; it’s also about the incredible experiences you can have at each port of call. These Disney Cruise excursions, or optional tours, known as Port Adventures, are not included in the cruise fare, allowing you to add on activities and sightseeing tours. Each Port Adventure is unique to its locations, offering a variety of experiences.
On our Caribbean cruise, we stopped at George Town in Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands), where we participated in a dolphin swimming excursion. In this blog post, I’ll dive deep into what booking a Port Adventure through Disney Cruise to swim with dolphins entails. I’ll share all about the day’s activities, giving you a detailed rundown of what to expect from such an unforgettable experience.
Disney Cruise Excursion Check-In
Port Adventures often start early in the morning. What doesn’t seem too early in everyday life can feel quite the opposite on a cruise, where the days and nights blend into a whirlwind of dining and entertainment. Before you know it, it’s late, and you’ve stayed up past your bedtime. That’s why, to fully enjoy your Port Adventure experiences at Disney Cruise stops, I highly recommend checking the meet-up time the night before and adjusting your schedule accordingly, ensuring you get enough rest. For our Dolphin Swim Port Adventure, the meeting time was set for 8:45 AM, which meant we had to have breakfast and be ready to go by then.
First, we all gathered inside the ship for a brief overview and to check that we had all our belongings. Anyone 18 and older must bring an ID, and for those living in the US, a driver’s license can be used instead of a passport (though it’s always best to double-check the necessary documents on the Disney Cruise Navigation app the day before). After check-in, we received a sticker and were divided into groups based on the sticker we got.
In the check-in area, you can buy water cans and cooler bags. And yes I caved again to the allure of cruise-exclusive merchandise.
Since you’ll need to source your drinks locally, it’s a good idea to purchase water here if you don’t have a water bottle. However, since it’s in cans, carrying it around can be a hassle. Bringing a water bottle is definitely the way to go. With a water bottle, you can fill up on water or soft drinks from the ship’s deck, which is not only convenient but also eco-friendly.
Boat Ride To Gorge Town, Cayman
After checking in, we headed down to the bottom of the ship and transferred to a smaller boat to head to the port. I was worried about getting seasick, but thankfully, it was smooth sailing all the way to the port. The weather was clear, so I got to enjoy the stunning view of the ocean’s hues and the Disney Cruise Line Dream looking smaller in the distance. It was a sight to behold!
Look how beautiful the ship is anchored out. This photo was taken from the port of George Town. When you get to the port, please look back and see the Disney Cruise ship before heading into town.
Arriving in the Cayman Islands: What to Expect
Upon entering the country, you’ll find that it’s remarkably straightforward, with none of the immigration inspections typically encountered at airports. The staff guided us, so from there, we just hung out in our groups waiting for the bus to arrive.
We got on the bus and set off, and I have to say, it felt like a journey back in time as I traveled in an old-school Japanese style bus – nostalgic nod to my childhood in Japan. The town itself is smack dab in the middle of resort development; there’s a mix of bustling hotels lining the streets, yet there are still plenty of peaceful, quaint areas left. We drove along the coastline, taking in the views.
Dolphin Discovery in Cayman Islands
In about 20 minutes, we arrived at Dolphin Discovery, our destination where we could swim with dolphins! We were grouped and led to the pools where the dolphins were.
I went in without doing much research, so I kind of imagined swimming with dolphins out in the open sea (which, now that I think about it, was a bit naive.) Seeing how commercialized it was with the dolphins kind of made me feel a little sad at that point.
While we waited for our group number to be called, we hung out outside the pool. The wait wasn’t too long, and since the changing rooms seemed a bit crowded and not the cleanest, it seemed like a good idea to wear your swimsuit from the cruise.
Alright, once we were called, it was go time. You can’t bring cell phones in with you, so we stashed them in lockers. Wearing sunglasses is at your own risk. Also, you can’t wear water shoes or sandals in the pool, so we had to leave those in a shoe box.
The facility had several pools, and we were divided into groups for the dolphin activities. Each group had about 8-10 people. The activities included:
1. Touching the Dolphins and taking photos.
2. Getting a kiss from a dolphin and snapping a picture.
3. Holding onto a boogie board while a dolphin pushes you.
4. Finally, grab onto a dolphin’s dorsal fin, ride on top, and swim together.
I felt like everything happened in seconds.
This dolphin swimming activity, to be honest, mostly consisted of waiting around. There was a long wait before getting into the pool and even once you were in, you had to wait your turn. The actual interaction with the dolphins was over in a flash, but it was still a novel and fun experience for us.
On the other hand, seeing the dolphins confined to such small pools made me feel pretty sad, leaving me with mixed feelings. It felt more like the main event was taking pictures rather than swimming with the dolphins. And if you wanted those pictures, you had to pay extra.
Photo with dolphins
As soon as you get out of the pool, you will be directed to the gift shop where you can also purchase your photos with a dolphin. It was a hot day, so my swimsuit dried pretty quickly and I didn’t even have to change clothes.
*Sorry for the blurred picture above.
At Dolphin Discovery, the camera crew was busy capturing every moment, and I was all set to sift through and pick out my favorites. But, the computers were super old, the screens were low-res and hard to see, and downloading was painfully slow. At one point, something I picked out glitched and I had to start over, and before I knew it, it was almost time for the bus back to the cruise.
Now, onto the cost – let’s just say it wasn’t what I’d call budget-friendly. I ended up spending about $200 for a photo package. If you are thinking of purchasing photos, your credit card is a must. This is not DCL, so you can’t charge it to your room key. Make sure you have your credit card on hand for this one. It’s a small detail but definitely good to know in advance!
This part took a lot longer than I expected. Plan for some extra time here.
The restaurant at Dolphin Discovery
They’ve got snack spots on-site at Dolphin Discovery, and we had initially thought about grabbing a bite there before heading out. However, after all the time spent wrestling with that computer to select our photos, there was hardly any time left. So, if you’re planning to nibble on something there, maybe keep a closer eye on the clock than we did!
I managed to quiet my rumbling stomach with some KitKats from the gift shop, but let me tell you, the snack options were pretty limited. So, an advice for anyone heading that way: packing some extra snacks might just save the day. Trust me, it’s a lifesaver, especially when you’ve got little ones in tow or just need that quick energy boost!
Returning to the port
Once the bus returns to the port, we will disperse here. Everyone still has free time until the ship departs, so you can explore the area.
Final Thoughts
The Disney Cruise excursion went well. The interaction with dolphins was contracted out to a local tour operator, not directly run by Disney Cruise Line. A significant advantage of booking through Disney Cruise is the reliable transportation. Even if the return bus is delayed due to traffic or something, the ship will wait for you.
Although I was really looking forward to the dolphin swimming experience, seeing them in such small pools made me feel sad. The activity seemed more focused on photo opportunities than the actual experience. Nonetheless, seeing how much the kids enjoyed it made me feel it was worthwhile as a parent.
Dolphin swim excursion
$134.00 (ages 10 and up)
$109.00 (ages 6 to 9)
$200 (photo fee)
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I am using myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. The following links below may be affiliated with programs such as Amazon where I may earn a small commission for clicks on the links, at no additional cost to you.
