Alcoholic beverages on Snorkel Boats?

[cruisin*tigger]

Hello, new poster here.

DH and I love to snorkel on our trips and usually end up booking a snorkel trip at some point. Usually pick the ones that offer lunch and drinks. It used to be that the adult beverages were offered after all water activity was over and we were on the trip home.

We've booked another cruise in November and over the past months, have been looking at other snorkel trips to take, as we are visiting 5 or 6 islands. I notice the boats are now offering alcohol as soon as you step on board. In fact, that is one of their selling points. I am hesitant to book a trip that allows that. However, all the ones I have looked at that do allow drinking seem to have good reviews.

What does everyone think of that? It just seems that if you have a (usually) newbie snorkeler to begin with, and add hot sun and alcohol, seems like a recipe for disaster. I then tend to wonder how the tour operator holds up in other safety issues - enough life vests, etc.?

I know I can just refrain from the drinks until I am comfortable with them, but just wonder if its okay to board a boat that does allow them.

Any thoughts or opinions would be great.

 

[supergaijin]

Your first impression sounds about right- alcohol usually increases the chances of idiots doing something idiotic.

 

[Sampsonshr]

I agree wit you drinking before snorkeling not a good idea. But if the ops all do it you don't want to stay home. I think you should enjoy you trip and avoid others who can't have a good time without a drink. Give them plenty of space and don't be afraid to mention it to the crew if you think someone needs to be cut off

Be responsible and have a good time

 

[redacted]

I don't see anything inherently wrong with that. If you are not interested in adult beverages before, during, and after snorkeling; then book another option.

 

[NYCSurfer]

Hold my beer and watch this.

 

[Arubandi07]

Hello, new poster here.

DH and I love to snorkel on our trips and usually end up booking a snorkel trip at some point. Usually pick the ones that offer lunch and drinks. It used to be that the adult beverages were offered after all water activity was over and we were on the trip home.

We've booked another cruise in November and over the past months, have been looking at other snorkel trips to take, as we are visiting 5 or 6 islands. I notice the boats are now offering alcohol as soon as you step on board. In fact, that is one of their selling points. I am hesitant to book a trip that allows that. However, all the ones I have looked at that do allow drinking seem to have good reviews.

What does everyone think of that? It just seems that if you have a (usually) newbie snorkeler to begin with, and add hot sun and alcohol, seems like a recipe for disaster. I then tend to wonder how the tour operator holds up in other safety issues - enough life vests, etc.?

I know I can just refrain from the drinks until I am comfortable with them, but just wonder if its okay to board a boat that does allow them.

Any thoughts or opinions would be great.

Well, that's how you get good reviews ... The folks writing them probably got too damn plastered to actually notice anything bad

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I love a beer post dive. That said I suspect boats that push booze as an option before / between dives are more likely to have idiots on board. I try to keep my distance from said idiots as they tend to sometimes get obnoxious and cause problems for others. So I would not run from such a boat, but it would not be on my "A" list either.

 

[mikeycanuk]

Back recently in our predive days the day cruise boats all had booze. However they were family boats and I don't remember excessive drinking. The hot sun alone made me go real slow, the Grenadines trip we did I still remember looking at the 180proof white rum with the skull thinking whoa..... easy now... I also remember the poor bas*ards on their blackberries typing like mad. Some people need a vacation from their vacation.

 

[Harmonyhallresorts]

So this brings up LOTS of different perspectives and issues. Most of the "snorkel trips" I've been on are usually conducted by reasonable sober people on boats that were far more questionable, but yet I chose to get on board and go for obvious reasons. Years ago sailors drank rum to "give them ballast". Have you ever tried to walk down a narrow hallway while drunk on rum? You'll bounce from wall to wall. Same thing a stone cold sober person does on a moving boat. Equalize with a proper combination and the sailor balances himself without issue. The drunk ones are the ones hanging off the side and chumming the waters. Everything in moderation was the rule set by any respectable captain. Your choices are up to you. Rule #1 - don't count on some company run "snorkeling trip" to be looking out for your "safety". Rule #2- if you don't want to be "one of the crowd" find the places that have prime snorkeling right from shore. Go on your own. No time re-straights, no questionable, smoking coughing half sunk boat, no worrying about the other people in your "group". No extra costs and you can dictate how much or when you choose to indulge in those adult beverages. More importantly overall, the very best spots I've ever been I have found from shore because a local pointed me in that direction. NEVER on a "trip". They were always spots "groups" never went too. Less traffic, better reefs and better overall snorkeling. I can only invite you to come find some of the hidden spots in St.Vincent to fully discover what I mean, but you should be warned once you've experienced the "freedom" of snorkeling here you'll have a really hard time excepting what most other places are offering in comparison.

 

[letterboy]

we did a "snorkel" trip while in the DR this past summer.

well, it was more like hey look there is some shallow spot on the reef go swim around for 20 minutes and we will go to another shallow sand bar where you can get drunk.

not my idea of snorkeling.

nor how the trip was sold to us, but that is neither here nor there.

I had a good time looking at all sorts of juvenile fish that were on top of the "reef" no one else seemed to notice them, besides my G/F who I drug around to see all the lil fishies, she enjoyed it though.

ohh and the "rum" they offered was rougher than anything I had ever tasted so I had one sip and kindly helped the fish get drunk . . .