Swimming With Dolphins On Vacation

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Both of my kids love dolphins!

dolphin

Awesome Dolphins

So this year my wife found a package were the family can “swim with dolphins” and the go to Sea World the next day during our Florida vacation.  Needless to say, this package is expensive.

Since both of my kids are still relatively young, a requirement in the deal was that at least 1 adult had to also swim with the dolphins too.  After a talk, my wife said she would like to do it, so we agreed that she was definitely going to be the one to swim with the dolphins too.

Because of the high cost, I chose not to do the “swim with the dolphins” activity.  While I like dolphins too, but by not going I will shave an additional $150 off of the price for the experience.  Obviously, the decision was purely financial in nature, but I have to wonder, is this one of those missed opportunities in life that I will regret later because I’m being too frugal?

After a few weeks of thinking about it, I hate to say it but I’m sure that this is one of those experience that I will miss in life because I’m trying to save a buck.  I would now like to reconsider and update the experience so that I too could swim with the dolphins, but the event needs to be scheduled because they only have so many people swim with the dolphins per day.  So even though I changed my mind, I doubt that I will be able to upgrade my time there to include the “swimming with dolphins” element too (I still get to snorkel though).

I don’t see us doing this again in the future, so I’m afraid that I just lost out on a wonderful experience for $150 extra…

What would have you have done?  I’m sure I’ll still have a great time either way…  Later, after my vacation, I will have a follow up post on this experience from my wife and kid’s perspective.

Bests,

MR

 

 

10 thoughts on “Swimming With Dolphins On Vacation”

  1. Count me in to go swimming! We had a similar experience zip lining in Tennessee. My youngest was nervous about it, so my husband took the other 2 kids. The 3 of them came home saying it really wasn’t scary and how great it was to go zipping over ravines, treetops and streams and my youngest really wanted to go. So, instead of just he and I going the next morning, the 5 of us went. Cost us an additional $275 bucks, but oh well. Life is to be experienced, and if you can afford it, don’t miss out (as long as you are being reasonable).

  2. I would go swim with the dolphins. It would be so cool! That’s one experience that I’m willing to pay for. Maybe you can do it next time.

    • Yeah, if we ever go again. It’s kind of price where we are going, so I don’t know if we’ll go again.

      It would have been cool though 🙁

  3. I with you on that. I probably would have saved the money and regretted the decision later. Swimming with dolphins would be a once in a lifetime experience for sure.

    • Yeah, I think I’m going to call or try to see if there is someway that I can go with my kids too. I don’t know if it will fly and it will cost me… but I don’t have much to lose other than 150 extra…

  4. If you honestly believe that you will not be able to go back to swim with the dolphins then you should make the most of the experience, even if there is an additional cost. I’ve known a few people who have gone to Italy, particularly Venice, Italy but did not go on a Gondola ride because of the cost. I feel this is silly, how can anyone go all the way to Venice, Italy and not partake of a tradition that truly defines the city and the country. Taking a big trip to a foreign country is already a costly endeavor so what is the big deal in spending a couple of extra hundred dollars after spending thousands on a vacation. I believe many people take a big trip, such as going to Italy, only once in a lifetime, therefore do as much as you can while you’re there.

  5. We went swimming with dolphins in Mexico as part of a cruise we took for Christmas. We decided not to give out any presents but decided to take a family trip instead. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

    I figure that it is worth spending a few extra dollars while the kids are with me. Soon enough, they will be gone. If I have to work an extra year or two to get retirement funds put away, so be it. And if I die tomorrow, I have plenty of insurance.

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