I read the post where someone was wondering about the Dolphin encounter , and thought I would just post this as a new thread instead of replying to theirs. Okay, I am sure I am one of the very FEW who is going to say we were not impressed with the dolphin encounter and here's why.
I guess I did know that you don't get much interaction with the dolphins when I booked it for my twin daughters aged 10. They love that kind of stuff (what kid doesn't). SO I knew they would be thrilled. So, we booked it for $113.00/per kid thru DCL. Hubby and I had to buy a $38.00 Blue lagoon beach day ticket to go along to watch. So we get off the ship and onto this slow moving ferry boat and drove 45 minutes out to the island. The island was small, but really nice. The dolphin encounter is off to the right when you get off the ferry and it is a fenced in area off the ocean. So we get over there and they are just starting the "intoduction" class. This area where they are talking is packed and kids were sreaming and hollering (babies) and parents who were sitting across the room from eachother are talking to each other.So this guy talks with little enthusiasm about what parts are on the dolphin, what you can touch and what parts you can't touch on them. So then this very unenthused girl comes and leads the whole bunch down to the piers. She is not very clear on who should go to what pier. If you can picture there is piers going all over and there is I think 3 different "U" shaped piers in the water. We just kinda go to one and my girls go in to the "U" shaped area where the instructor finally said to go. So now on each side of the u is about 6 people on each side. Observers have to stand behind the center of the U, and can't really get too good of picture shots. BUT they have this photographer that is RIGHT there and he is taking pics you can buy for a lot of money IMHO. So then the instructor tells 6 people to get in the water with her on this platform. So they crowd together on the platform. She calls the dolphin in and motions the dolphin to go for maybe 4 seconds to each person so they can touch it. Then she motions the dolphin to go to each person and "dance" with them for about 4 seconds. So everyone takes their turn at that. Now remember, you can't get a good shot of just your kid and the dolphin, your kids' back is to you and so you can hardly see the dolphin to get pics. So anyway, she tells the dolphin to go to each person and come out of the water and "hug" that person. The dolphin comes out and puts what would be his "chin" (haha) on each persons shoulder. That was about 4 seconds too. So then everone gets back onto the piers where they were sitting at and she has each "family" that is doing the encounter (in my case my daughters together) come down to the platform and choose someone to recieve a kiss from the dolphin. So she gets you all lined up for the photographer and calls the dolphin in and has the dolphin stay with his nose on you cheek for about 3 seconds to have the photographer take your picture. Okay, that's it. That is all it is. I PERSONALLY feel that 113.00 per 10 year old was definaltley NOT worth it. I am sure people will reply and say their kid loved it, and mine did like it, but it just wasn't WORTH all that money IMHO. You can't get decent pics, and you are in the water with so many people at once.
The island is really neat though. I was glad we went over there. SO after that was done we walked over to Stingray City and snorkeled with the stingrays for $15 each and had a BALL!! I thought it was for 45 minute limit, but gosh, I bet we could of stayed in there for 2 hours and the nice guy who was running it wouldn't have cared at all. He was all full of energy compared to the DUDS at the Encounter. That instructor over there, I still can't believe how sad faced she was, man, if I had that job I would try to make it as much fun for everyone as I could. Anyway, Stingray City definatley has my vote over the Dolphin Encounter.
Any questions, I would be happy to answer. The beach area is nice there too.
I guess I did know that you don't get much interaction with the dolphins when I booked it for my twin daughters aged 10. They love that kind of stuff (what kid doesn't). SO I knew they would be thrilled. So, we booked it for $113.00/per kid thru DCL. Hubby and I had to buy a $38.00 Blue lagoon beach day ticket to go along to watch. So we get off the ship and onto this slow moving ferry boat and drove 45 minutes out to the island. The island was small, but really nice. The dolphin encounter is off to the right when you get off the ferry and it is a fenced in area off the ocean. So we get over there and they are just starting the "intoduction" class. This area where they are talking is packed and kids were sreaming and hollering (babies) and parents who were sitting across the room from eachother are talking to each other.So this guy talks with little enthusiasm about what parts are on the dolphin, what you can touch and what parts you can't touch on them. So then this very unenthused girl comes and leads the whole bunch down to the piers. She is not very clear on who should go to what pier. If you can picture there is piers going all over and there is I think 3 different "U" shaped piers in the water. We just kinda go to one and my girls go in to the "U" shaped area where the instructor finally said to go. So now on each side of the u is about 6 people on each side. Observers have to stand behind the center of the U, and can't really get too good of picture shots. BUT they have this photographer that is RIGHT there and he is taking pics you can buy for a lot of money IMHO. So then the instructor tells 6 people to get in the water with her on this platform. So they crowd together on the platform. She calls the dolphin in and motions the dolphin to go for maybe 4 seconds to each person so they can touch it. Then she motions the dolphin to go to each person and "dance" with them for about 4 seconds. So everyone takes their turn at that. Now remember, you can't get a good shot of just your kid and the dolphin, your kids' back is to you and so you can hardly see the dolphin to get pics. So anyway, she tells the dolphin to go to each person and come out of the water and "hug" that person. The dolphin comes out and puts what would be his "chin" (haha) on each persons shoulder. That was about 4 seconds too. So then everone gets back onto the piers where they were sitting at and she has each "family" that is doing the encounter (in my case my daughters together) come down to the platform and choose someone to recieve a kiss from the dolphin. So she gets you all lined up for the photographer and calls the dolphin in and has the dolphin stay with his nose on you cheek for about 3 seconds to have the photographer take your picture. Okay, that's it. That is all it is. I PERSONALLY feel that 113.00 per 10 year old was definaltley NOT worth it. I am sure people will reply and say their kid loved it, and mine did like it, but it just wasn't WORTH all that money IMHO. You can't get decent pics, and you are in the water with so many people at once.
The island is really neat though. I was glad we went over there. SO after that was done we walked over to Stingray City and snorkeled with the stingrays for $15 each and had a BALL!! I thought it was for 45 minute limit, but gosh, I bet we could of stayed in there for 2 hours and the nice guy who was running it wouldn't have cared at all. He was all full of energy compared to the DUDS at the Encounter. That instructor over there, I still can't believe how sad faced she was, man, if I had that job I would try to make it as much fun for everyone as I could. Anyway, Stingray City definatley has my vote over the Dolphin Encounter.
Any questions, I would be happy to answer. The beach area is nice there too.
