Best Caribbean Scuba Vacations

[Melinda79]

Hello all!

My husband and I are looking for the best vacation experience possible in the Caribbean - with the best scuba diving as well We're getting certified this summer and are so excited! I'm sure you all have so much knowledge/experience to share, and he's told ME to decide where we should go. A daunting task to say the least. I've looked at:

1.) A Carnival cruise porting out of Puerto Rico to: Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten

2.) A week in Ambergris Caye, Belize

Which of these two would you suggest? OR somewhere else in the Caribbean that I don't know about? I would appreciate any advice. Thank you in advance!

 

[ronscuba]

A Carnival cruise can be a lot of fun with plenty of options to keep you busy, but it is definitely not a scuba vacation.

If you really want to experience the best Caribbean scuba, do a liveaboard. Belize liveaboard would be my recommendation.

 

[theduckguru]

Best scuba locations are plentiful, what other criteria makes best vacation in your vision of the vacation?

 

[BDSC]

If have been to quite a few places in the Caribbean for scuba diving and if I were to pick the best place I have been for the diving and a really nice resort with great food it would be the Little Cayman Beach Resort on Little Cayman. You just can't go wrong with this place. Now there's not much else to do on Little Cayman but if diving is your focus, this is the place.

The Little Cayman Beach Resort

 

[DandyDon]

A cruise is like being locked up in a nice resort you're only allowed to leave a few hours a day, then paying too much for cheapest bid dive Ops - and those are not the best dive locations really.

A liveaboard would be a pretty intense first dive trip. Any problems and you're stuck. Not knowing if you are experienced at international travel, have ever been on a boat out of sight of land, and how you are with motion sickness - I'd be hesitant.

Ambergris Caye is a nice dive destination. It's been a few years since I was there, but it was neat in spite of a bad Op my shop contracted. Roatan Island is another good choice, easier to get to. Cozumel is probly the easiest and most economical, and it is great diving. I've never been to the Caymans or ABCs but they are quite popular with divers.

Got passports yet? If not, time to order.

DAN dive insurance is essential, even if you think you have great medical coverage - and don't fall for the cheapest plan as the middle one is only $10/yr more and much better, the top one most popular here on SB at least.

For your first day of diving, do hire a private DM to go with y'all - helping you learn about boat diving and other new challenges.​

 

[theduckguru]

If have been to quite a few places in the Caribbean for scuba diving and if I were to pick the best place I have been for the diving and a really nice resort with great food it would be the Little Cayman Beach Resort on Little Cayman. You just can't go wrong with this place. Now there's not much else to do on Little Cayman but if diving is your focus, this is the place.

The Little Cayman Beach Resort

That would be my suggestion, but I believe the US Virgin Islands might be more of what this OP is looking for. Good diving, restaurants, shopping and maybe some nite life?

 

[Melinda79]

Thanks, all. I'll check out some of those options you mentioned.

Ambergris Caye would be in August/September and I've read some horrible things about mosquitos that time of year. Plus I read not many actual beaches and that the scuba diving (aside from the Blue Hole) isn't that great. It's hard to know what to believe!

We've only done one other cruise (to Cozumel and Grand Cayman, and of COURSE we didn't get out scuba certification ahead of time - it was for our honeymoon). Now I find out those are two of the best places to dive. As for what we're looking for - being able to dive a few times, not all day every day. We can't afford that. Beautiful beaches to chill out on, and some restaurants, etc. nearby. The husband likes some adventure-type stuff as well - so having other things besides diving available would be helpful.

Someone told me Bonaire, but $1,700/per person plane tickets won't allow that either We're looking at $4,000 total trip if possible.

 

[theduckguru]

St Thomas might work for you.

 

[Rhone Man]

For my money, best diving in the Caribbean is either Saba or Turks & Caicos. But (not trying to be rude here), if you are new to diving, everything is going to look pretty cool at first, so no need to hijack your trips for diving just yet (that comes later...).

For example, in Saba, there really is very little else to do other than dive. Same might be said of Bonaire. Turks and Cayman are more balanced (and have superb diving), but they are pricey. Some more out of the way places are great to visit, but you may not like the idea of catching small airlines in the Caribbean to get there.

Whether you like cruises or not is really a personal thing. I have done exactly that Carnival cruise that you mentioned - it was a lot of fun, and I did get some decent diving in (PM me if you want details), but you actually see very little of the Caribbean but you see a lot of the cruise ship you are on. I prefer to pick a spot and do it properly from a land base. But my family like cruises so I do them. They also usually work out much cheaper.

Where do I take my Caribbean vacations (being a person who has lived his whole life in the Caribbean)? St John, USVI. Love it over there. Diving is good but not great; rest of the island is lots of fun too.

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks, all. I'll check out some of those options you mentioned.

Ambergris Caye would be in August/September and I've read some horrible things about mosquitos that time of year. Plus I read not many actual beaches and that the scuba diving (aside from the Blue Hole) isn't that great. It's hard to know what to believe!

Mosquitoes can indeed be a challenge anywhere in the Caribbean nearly, plus noseeums on Roatan beaches; just part of being a Caribbean diver: take two cans of DEET spray - one for the room, one for the dive locker.

Blue Hole is a "did-it" dive and the few minutes at the stalactites is interesting, but newbies shouldn't be going to 150 ft. It happens everyday, but shouldn't. On the other hand, there is some nice diving there, and nice beaches.

We've only done one other cruise (to Cozumel and Grand Cayman, and of COURSE we didn't get out scuba certification ahead of time - it was for our honeymoon). Now I find out those are two of the best places to dive. As for what we're looking for - being able to dive a few times, not all day every day. We can't afford that. Beautiful beaches to chill out on, and some restaurants, etc. nearby. The husband likes some adventure-type stuff as well - so having other things besides diving available would be helpful.

Getting to and staying at your destination for a week is most of your expenses. Diving is not that much more. Many like to do a 2 tank trip in the morning, then other ideas afternoons tho. Other interests could have some bearing on the destination tho.

Someone told me Bonaire, but $1,700/per person plane tickets won't allow that either We're looking at $4,000 total trip if possible.

I'm afraid your source was badly misunderstood or clueless. OKC-BON in July runs $894 RT each, from Tulsa $926, cheaper in August - $801 & up. Beyond that, I can't tell you much about Bonaire, as those fares, the style of diving, and some of the local challenges with required pickup rentals and occasional burglaries discouraged me. Bonaire fans will tell you otherwise, but I just haven't been.

My fav remains Cozumel so I can tell you more about that if interested, including cheapest ways to get there and stay on a nice beach. Like air & hotel combined at a nice beach hotel in late August for $706 each taxes included, and up depending on hotels. But you might prefer another destination and I'll try to help with air & hotel if you like.