Hi gang,
Our stop aboard RCCL Majesty of the Seas weeklong cruise to Havana we made a stop in Key West, Fla. we scheduled a dolphin watch / snorkel cruise with Fury.
Captain Jim gave us a great “welcome aboard” speech stressing safety and a memorable outing.
Soft drinks, water and beer were provided onboard. After about 45 mins of searching we spotted several dolphins in various locations and then proceeded to a shallow area near one of the cays for snorkeling. After a short indoctrination on snorkeling we hit the water. Water was only 4-5 ft deep and we were instructed NOT stand up or disturb the sea floor. Asked to stay within 75 yds of the boat we found it very hard to continue snorkeling without taking a breather. We were directed to a specific area to view the most sea life. Not having used my swimming muscles in quite a spell I started getting tired but made it all the way.
Two women started to drift away wearing the flotation vests supplied.. A 2-3 knot current made tough to get back. The first mate, Rachel, herself a trained lifeguard had to swim out 75-80 yds to retrieve the snorkelers. Masks and snorkels were made avail but no mention of swim fins. Only when Rachel donned fins did they say “Oh, they’re available, you just have to ask for them”..........
If they’d done their job and made mention of swim fin availability, everyone would have had a better experience !!
Overall a great crew, experienced, friendly and knowledgeable. I recommend everyone look into this, it’s a fun day.
Rich