Caribbean Princess cruiseline diving?

[ScubaGypsy]

My parents are celebrating their 50th Anniversary next year and want to bring the entire family, with all of the grandkids, on a nine day caribbean cruise out of NYC. Frankly I am not really into cruise boats as I would much prefer to go on a liveaboard. Only my family (3 boys and me) in our group are scuba divers although a couple of others might take a Discover Scuba course to participate.

The itinerary includes single day shore stops at Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Bermuda (west end). The ship shows that there is diving out of the cruise terminals at each of the stops except San Juan. These charters appear to be typical 2-tank dives to interesting local sites. I figure that I also might be able to prearrange for a dive charter organization out of San Juan to meet us and take us out since I can guarantee a minimum of 4 divers. My questions are: 1) has anyone gone on these cruises and dove?, 2) what was your experience?, 3) does anyone have a contact in San Juan that might be able to accomodate a charter from the cruise boat?

Thanx for any insights that can be provided!

 

[Web Monkey]

Depending on your perspective, the cruise dives pretty much all suck.

I'm not just whining, and take a cruise every winter with my non-diving wife, so I've been on a lot of them.

You can do a search on SB and find a lot of information about crusiing and diving.

The only exception so far, was going with Hugh Parkey in Beleize with Carnival, which was wonderful. The rest were generally boring dives over really torn-up reefs, using bad rental equipment.

I did, however have quite a bit of fun on a Princess dive on Grenada, where the dive boat mostly sank, and I got to rescue a couple of divers.

If you have time, you'll be much happier booking your own dives (and dive boat).

Terry

My parents are celebrating their 50th Anniversary next year and want to bring the entire family, with all of the grandkids, on a nine day caribbean cruise out of NYC. Frankly I am not really into cruise boats as I would much prefer to go on a liveaboard. Only my family (3 boys and me) in our group are scuba divers although a couple of others might take a Discover Scuba course to participate.

The itinerary includes single day shore stops at Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Bermuda (west end). The ship shows that there is diving out of the cruise terminals at each of the stops except San Juan. These charters appear to be typical 2-tank dives to interesting local sites. I figure that I also might be able to prearrange for a dive charter organization out of San Juan to meet us and take us out since I can guarantee a minimum of 4 divers. My questions are: 1) has anyone gone on these cruises and dove?, 2) what was your experience?, 3) does anyone have a contact in San Juan that might be able to accomodate a charter from the cruise boat?

Thanx for any insights that can be provided!

 

[Doc]

Depending on your perspective, the cruise dives pretty much all suck.

Yeah, but the giant stride entry of the Caribbean Princess is an absolute rush.

 

[Flightlead]

Recommendation: When the herd of cattle comes off the cruise ship and turns left, you go right!

Find out where the cruise ship sends divers, find another dive service in the other direction, go there!

Note: I am biased. I hate herds of sheep...errr people. I hate cruise ships. I personally think that cruise ships have done more to damage the culture, economy, and ecology of the areas they operate in than any other single thing.

 

[diveborg]

Why didn't you post this in the Charter Boats, Cruises and Liveaboards?

Anyway, you ask for opinions, so here is mine:

Grand Turk - Good diving there, probably the best on your cruise. There are 3 dive operators on the island and one of them does the ship's dive excursion so you won't be able to book directly with them. They have an exclusive contract with the cruiseline and will tell you that you have to go with the ship's excursion and you don't really want to do that here. The ship's excursion uses a large pontoon boat and takes up to 25 divers. Sure they break them up into smaller groups, but do you really want do go to one dive site with that many other divers? Of course you don't.

The dive operators in Grand Turk are:

http://seaeyediving.com/ They wouldn't make a reservation when I emailed them and I didn't want to chance not being able to dive GT. That might have changed by now so it would be best to check with them directly.

http://www.grandturkscuba.com/ which is Blue Water Divers. This is who I used. I'd definitely go out with them again. Small boat, small group and while it was a guided dive, they let us explore around below the boat at the end of the dive if air and NDL permitted.

http://www.oasisdivers.com/ who is the ship's dive excursion provider.

Grand Turk cruise center Photo Gallery.


St. Thomas - Since you are traveling with a mixed group of divers/non-divers you might consider Coki Beach. That way you'd be able to all stay together. Dives can do a cheap shore dive and those non-divers who want to do a discover scuba dive can do that there too. www.cokidive.com for more information.

If you don't mind splitting up, then do a boat dive as you'll go do better dive sites. I like www.admiraltydive.com They pick up from the cruise dock at Havensite which is quiet convenient. Other cruise divers have had good luck with http://www.blueislanddivers.com/ but their website doesn't work for me and I haven't used them so I'm not making a recommendation here, just passing on information.

St. Thomas Underwater photo gallery.

San Juan - as you already found out, these isn't any decent diving anywhere close enough for you to do it while on a cruise. I'd pick going to the rain forest instead.

Bermuda (west end) - for this one I have no idea. I do know that Bermuda has quite a few wreck dives, but the water can be noticeably colder there than farther south or in the Caribbean. You'd want more thermal protection in all likelihood, I know I would.

Cruise Critic is an excellent resource for cruise information, especially the Scuba and Snorkeling section. Be sure to find your sailing on the Princess Roll Call section. You might find other divers on your cruise there.

 

[caymaniac]

I went on a cruise once, my take was......I don't like that many people around me, I don't need all that food, I don't have to be entertained every night. That being said, I'll probably not cruise again...unless it's in Tahiti.

My one cruise was on the Caribbean Princess. I did scedule dives at island stops. Our boat went to Eluthera Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. Maarten. I have stayed on St. John before and have dove off from St. Thomas. The dive was terrible the cruise ship trip, it was on the Navy Barges and a reef dive.....as there is so much better diving in that area it's too bad that a dive op has to take you to places that we went to. The Bahamas has much better diving as well, not that Eluthera is a bad place to dive. Last of all St. Maarten, diving is proported to be not that great. I thought the dives on St. Maarten were worth it, the best of the trip. Two dives, one wreck, one reef.

The islands need to be explored, stopping for one half a day to do two dives is just not a worthy thing to do IMHO. And what can you see for a part day on shore? Can someone say " I've been there I know all about that Island" after a partial day? Cruising is for those that have friends or family that don't dive.
If you go on a cruise and you are expecting to get the best diving at any Island you stop at.......FORGET IT, it isn't going to happen. Now that I made that point, I would like to add, if someone is paying for you to go along and at least you have the opportunity to dive, I'd take it. You can plan on at least ahalf of a day from being the first off the cruise ship in the morning untill 2pm before you get back from a dive op. Generally the boat wants you back on board around 4 to 6 pm. This gives you around two hours to see an Island.
From the itinerary you've given, I'd certainly choose to dive on Turks and Caicos 1st. and Bermuda 2nd.

 

[diversteve]

fwiw, I agree with most of what diveborg posted except that we dove Coki Beach last year and it was an incredibly underwhelming dive. Just some scattered coral and not much sealife. And about 1/2 hr. each way from Charlotte Amalie.

Probably better to dive with Admiralty or Blue Island. Both pick you up afaik. Here's the details for Blue Island: http://www.blueislanddivers.com/cruiship.htm

 

[Web Monkey]

Yeah, but the giant stride entry of the Caribbean Princess is an absolute rush.

If any more people end up "falling" off the ship, I'm going to start keeping my strobe and SMB in a fanny pack when on-deck.

Terry

 

[diveborg]

.....Cruising is for those that have friends or family that don't dive.....

Exactly

I have enjoyed the cruises I've gone on, but they are a compromise vacation for me as my family does not dive. I much prefer a week on Cozumel over a cruise, but I don't always get to pick the family vacation. I do get to pick my own dive trips, as long as it involves cold water, then my wife doesn't mind me going without her as she doesn't feel like she is missing anything, which indeed she is (but I never tell her that). There, I've rambled on too much....

 

[ScubaGypsy]

......I have enjoyed the cruises I've gone on, but they are a compromise vacation for me as my family does not dive....

Thank you everyone for the comments as I have gone forth and confirmed that we will join in. I too view this as a compromise but my sons have expressed their interest in spite of some logistics issues with their BSA camp. Based upon the insights here, it appears that I should be able to prearrange a couple of private charters as the time gets closer.

An interesting sidebar that I had not originally considered is that this will also be an opportunity for a couple of my nieces and nephews to dive as there is a Discover Diving program available. Over the past few years I have taught each of them to snorkel and then have given them high quality snorkel sets for presents. In particular, one niece and one nephew have expressed much interest, particularly after seeing my sons' underwater pics', so this cruise will provide an opportunity for them to experience underwater bliss as well as see their cousins and uncles' passions.