Bermuda cruise in sep first week...need scuba advice

[miserkris]

Snorkeling-there is the Snorkel Park at the Dockyard. they have a restaurant and rental gear. closer to fairmont Southampton there is Church Bay which is reputed to be one of the best snorkel spots.

if you go all the way to st George's there is the Tobacco Bay. kid friendly and there are amenities. it's a hike up the hill though unless you get a cab.



dive Bermuda has very good rental gears. i guess you would want to take the snorkeling gear otherwise you will have to rent them everywhere. water will be very warm then so not sure if you'd want to take the wetsuit for one day of diving. normally there is no strong current though there may be swells if there was some weather system nearby recently.



hope this is helpful.

Wetsuit is more for protecting from stings. Btw are there any box jellyfish i need to worry about?

Dive Bermuda will assemble the tanks, bc,regulator while in the boat and divers don't need to change them between dives right? I hope that's the case.
I kinda am out of touch with those putting together equipment instructions lol.

Thanks

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[tridacna]

If you can't assemble your gear, I would strongly recommend a SCUBA refresher before you leave. You may also want to remember which buttons do what on your inflator and how to purge your regulator (amongst other things). Relying on a DO to do that for you is unwise and unsafe.

 

[miked]

Wetsuit is more for protecting from stings. Btw are there any box jellyfish i need to worry about?

Dive Bermuda will assemble the tanks, bc,regulator while in the boat and divers don't need to change them between dives right? I hope that's the case.
I kinda am out of touch with those putting together equipment instructions lol.

Thanks

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The crew at DB will offer to do those things, or to help you. That said, I'd suggest that you should refresh your memory on how to do those tasks. That way, if the boat/crew is busy, you can do them for yourself. It also makes it easier to check what the crew did, to make sure that it is to your liking. You do plan on checking?
Enjoy your trip.

 

[HJ]

no box jellyfish. maybe some moon jellyfish but they arent bad. it will be hot so if you want protection i would recommend skin rather than wetsuit.



dive Bermuda offers refresher if you're feeling a bit rust.

 

[CNYMAD]

We highly recommend Dive Bermuda. They offer a refresher course in the afternoon but maybe take a refresher at your LDS before you go? The cruise ship will let you take as much baggage as you like. We went off the Celebrity Summit last month and took all of our gear except tanks and weights - we did 5 dives while in port. The crew at Dive Bermuda will help and teach you to set up your gear but you really should check it and feel comfortable doing it on your own. They are very professional and safety conscious. Have fun! The wrecks and reefs of Bermuda are fun dives.

 

[miserkris]

One more week for Bermuda!

Does church bay have restrooms to change? Reason is i don't know if cab drivers would like it if we ride with sand in our everything! ...after a day of snorkeling.

Is credit card good or usd cash for expenses for two days?

I'm getting a cell phone plan for the entire trip with vz wireless for $40 ...will our phones work in the ship and land?

Lastly guys there are few total novices for snorkeling in my group asking which spot is the calmest for off the beach snorkeling.

Thanks.


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[HJ]

No restroom for change in Church bay. In fact the facilities at the Church Bay is pretty much non existent. Sometimes there is someone to rent out gear but to be sure you should take snorkeling kit with you.
I should think the Bermudian cab drivers should be used to the sand by now!

Credit card is good for your expense but cabs do not take card.
I can't tell you if your phone will work in the ship but should work in Bermuda.

Tobacco Bay in St Georges is probably the calmest of the lot with facilities nearby but an expensive cab ride. There are some parts of South Shore beaches that are calmer than others - there is a protected part off Horseshoe bay and Jobson's Cove near Warwick Long Bay is also quite protected but small. If you rent scooters you can go to Coopers Island park near the airport. There is a protected park (you need to walk quite a bit to the beach) where the NASA station used to be. It is reasonably calm and there are several beaches so you can pick the calmer one depending on the wind. My absolute favourite beach on the island but again, it is a real hike particularly from Dockyard.

 

[tridacna]

Be careful about data charges on your phone when in BDA. Despite the 'fab' package you have from VZW, you could come back to a huge bill. Not sure what that $40 includes-check it carefully.

 

[miserkris]

I'll look into above suggestions.
How is devils isle catamaran snorkel offered by royal Caribbean?

Is it good for newbies and divers like me and kids...? for snorkeling that is?

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[tridacna]

Think of a giant bait ball floating on the surface. They're all herded inside a rope net. Now imagine that you're one of those fish. You now have a pretty good idea of what it's like to snorkel as a large group with RC on the cat. Maybe perfect for first time snorkelers but especially not so great for divers.