Tips/snorkeling

[mickeyfan0705]

Hello, everyone!

My family and I are going on our first cruise in April and this message board has been great! Thanks to all!

I know one of the tips I picked up on was to bring your own snorkeling gear. We plan on snorkeling in Castaway Cay. I know there is a Shore Excursion to use the Snorkeling Lagoon (which includes equipment) for $25. In the list of excursions, they also offer a separate listing offering snorkeling equipment for $25 (doesn't say anything about the lagoon). My question is if you bring your own snorkeling equipment are you allowed to use the Snorkeling Lagoon for free or do you have to go elsewhere. That's kind of confusing....it doesn't really say.

Now, I have a tip that I can offer.......we booked our trip through AAA and this year they are giving all of passengers that book through them one of the sourveign drink mugs that you can use to get unlimited drinks (soda) in on board. That will save us the $80 (4 of us) we would have used purchasing them on board!

And here I go with another question......are the drinks in these mugs limited to just soda or can you get water in them as well? If not, I'll plan on bringing along some bottled water.

Thanks again for all the great advice and tips!

 

[Potbelly]

Hi Mickeyfan,
My family and I just got back from the 1/26 Magic cruise so I hope I can be of some help.
First off the snorkling package that they offer at Castaway Cay includes mask,fins,snorkle and floatation vest. I saw many people using their own snokleing equipment in the lagoon.They have life guards posted on elivated platforms in the lagoon should anyone get into trouble but, they weren't stopping anyone from using the snorkling "trails". As a matter of fact I purschasted the $25 snokling package and then went to the family beach and swam over to the ropes that they have marking the "trails" and just swam under them.Two things that you get in the Disney snorkling that you don't allways see in store bought packagesa are the fins and floatation vest. At first I didn't see the need for the floatation vest but it does help if you have to stop in deep water to clear you mask,and let me tell you I had to clear my mask of fog a lot. The fins just make swiming more efficiant, If you are a REAL good swimmer then you may not need the, However I am not and I was glad I had them.(esspecially after meeting up with what I think was a grouper as big as me).
As for the drink mugs you can get just about anything you want put in them, but for mixed adult beverages you will still have to pay for them(....oh, by the way you save $140 dollars by getting your mugs through AAA...they are $35ea. times 4)
You may want to bring bottled water with you if you don't like the taste of the water aboard ship.Personally I didn't think the water on board was all that bad.

Hope this helps